Jrozz's Wrestling Blog

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Going to watch random stuff and do some stream of consciousness reviews as I go...enjoy the ride!

[jrozz34]

History of ECW 3-3-98

- We kick off with highlights from Living Dangerously narrated by Paul E…quick video just meant to hook you in to the show…this show aired two nights later…opening animation follows

- We head to clips from backstage at LD…Jenna Jameson, Paul Heyman and some other randoms are celebrating with cake and sexual innuendoes…pretty cool that they landed Jameson to show up and do this stuff

- Now Joey Styles joins us from the Birds Nest as he leads us through some stills from LD and plugs our next PPV, Wrestlepalooza in May

- After a break, we go back to Cyberslam when Justin Credible & RVD assaulted Tommy Dreamer with barbed wire and a trash can…Credible followed with a Tombstone to Beulah…now we cut back to last week and a great promo from Dreamer, standing in a dark room, holding a candle…he was putting over his LD match with Credible…the promo has b-roll of Dreamer’s past issues with Beulah and then ends with Credible claiming Beulah would be in his corner at LD…Styles runs through Credible’s run and climb up the ladder over the last few months, a man that now looks to get himself over by beating Dreamer…now we get stills of the Dreamer/Credible PPV match, narrated by Paul…really pushing LD, hoping for tape sales and to increase buys for Wrestlepalooza

- Back to Styles, who continues to push their PPV offerings…more clips from LD, this time featuring Sandman battling Sabu…RVD got involved as well in a great ruse, as he dressed as Sabu to distract Sandman…Sabu just keeps smashing Sandman with a cane as RVD finally takes off…crowd is off the wall…Sabu is flying all over the place with a springboard off a chair onto the ramp and then another dive down to the floor…we are getting to see a lot of this match…Sabu had some great energy here, never slowing down or stopping…he follows all that by putting Sandman through a table with a splash out to the floor off the top rope…Sandman won’t stay down as Sabu drives an Arabian Facebuster onto his dome…this a pretty fun little brawl, I must say…I was expecting more of a trainwreck…Sandman dodged an Atomic Arabian Facebuster to stay alive…Sabu is pulling out all the stops here with a triple jump moonsault out on the ramp…Sandman’s selling is kind of goofy, but it works for him I guess…crowd way behind Sandman here as he rallies thanks to the use of a table…RVD comes back out and kicks Sandman in the head with a flying kick…referee Jeff Jones is out, and Styles claims that he is on the take…RVD drops a frog splash with an assist from a chair…they put Sandman on a table on the ramp and then fly off opposite corners with a double legdrop…Sabu covers and Jones counts the fall…really fun brawl there and glad we got to watch the whole thing.

- Paul now narrates us through stills of Van Dam’s PPV battle with Scorpio…that is followed with a history package of the feud between Bam Bam Bigelow and Taz…Bigelow turned to Taz for help to take out the Triple Threat…Taz finally agreed to help out, but Bigelow turned on him and revealed that he was still with the TT and it was all a set up…that set the stage for a big TV Title PPV bout between the two…I think the highlight was Bigelow out in the snow in his tights talking to Taz, who was wearing weather appropriate street clothes…now Paul takes us through clips of the big match where Bigelow defeated Taz by sending him crashing through the ring in a shocking moment…Bigelow is now the TV Champ

- Back to Joey, who puts over Bigelow for finding the strength to escape the Tazmission to drive Taz through the ring…now we get clip of Douglas, Candido, Bigelow, Tammy & Francine in the ring as Douglas cuts a promo to set up a dream tag team partner match…Candido chose Douglas and they are trying to figure out who Lance Storm chose to be on his team…Candido is dying to know who it is and Tammy claims to have the information but refuses to share it…Candido is pissed but Tammy says she has plenty of secrets that Candido isn’t aware of and could never handle…wow…Candido grabs her, but Tammy says they are in public and not at home and then shoves Chris to the mat…Francine tries to attack, but Bigelow breaks it up and drags Tammy off…well that was a bit uncomfortable…back to Joey, who explains that they had to cancel a match and use police tape to block off the hole in the ring for the main event of LD...Paul takes us through stills of the tag main event…Tammy was in Storm’s corner and she was revealed to be Storm’s dream partner…it was all a setup by the TT, once again, as Tammy turned on Storm and helped her man win the match…apparently Storm & Candido are tag team champions as well…after all that, Storm revealed that his real tag partner was Al Snow and Snow actually pinned Douglas, making him the new number one contender for the World Title

- Joey wraps things up for us and lets us know he will be airing an interview he conducted with Paul Heyman on his hotline next week…we get some highlights of the interview now, though, as Paul talks about how he will handle the tag title situation and vows they won’t strip the champs because that is a weak way to act and that they don’t care if Storm & Candido hate each other, they will be forced to team and defend the belts until they are beaten by a better team…If either of them turn their back on the team and sully the integrity of the belts, they will be fired…great stuff here and I love the angle of forcing them to team until they are knocked off…Joey plugs LD and WP one more time…we get a long Triple Threat backstage promo, touting their dominance and gold and then we are out

- Fun episode this week…not much live wrestling, but I was caught up nicely on the feuds and angles through the LD recap…looking forward to the Wrestlepalooza build

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History of ECW 3/10/98

- This week’s show opens with a special message from Jenna Jameson and she teases us with Head…and puts over Al Snow…leading us to a long Al Snow video package, followed by a plug for Wrestlepalooza and our opening animation…Snow is really getting quite the push

- We open with Joey Styles, live in the bird’s next inside the IBEW Hall in Waltham, MA…he reminds that Snow is the top contender and will challenge Shane Douglas at Wrestlepalooza…he takes some funny shots at Mike Tenay and Lee Marshall and runs down tonight’s card before sending us to the ring

- FBI vs. Candido & Storm…we open the show with a big tag title match…this hall is really damn bright…as we learned last week, Storm & Candido are being forced to remain a team, even though they hate each other…Guido & Smothers are repping the FBI and Tommy Rich is in their corner…Candido makes the sound guy play his theme instead of Storm’s…I like this angle a lot…Styles predicts doom…the champs argue before the bell as Styles recaps the angle for us…the ring announcer has a banging mullet…Tommy Rich looks like he ate the NWA World Title…the FBI is a fantastic gimmick…the IBEW Hall is packed and rowdy, which makes for a great atmosphere…Smothers and Candido kick things off with a stalemate and Candido quickly tags Storm…Joey tells us this is the final event to be held in the Hall as it is being converted to a Buddhist Temple and he assumes they won’t be renting it out to ECW…nice teamwork by the FBI…neither team with advantage yet as they keep trading off holds and tags…Smothers still moving pretty well at this point, and as most know, he is a really underrated wrestler…Rich finally gets involved to give the FBI control of the bout…referee Jim Molineaux looks like the result of Matt Rotella and Wade Boggs deciding to procreate…Storm is able to hot tag Candido, who works over Smothers…Storm saves Candido from being pinned, and Joey states that Storm saved his job in the process…good pace here as the match winds down…Candido and Smothers really going toe-to-toe, showing that old Smoky Mountain chemistry…lots of near falls and teases…the champs wipe Smothers out with a Doomsday Device but they argue over who will cover and the FBI take advantage to stay alive…the chaps recover and Storm kicks Guido into a German suplex from Candido to end the match…this was a damn good tag title opener with a nice story intertwined...FBI gave it a go here, but couldn’t take advantage of the dissension at the end…Candido & Storm retain

- After a break, Joey rejoins us and talks a bit more about the tag champs, resetting the story for us…he follows by pushing Wrestlepalooza…I will say this, ECW makes damn sure you know when these PPVs are…he also plugs the website and the option to pay to listen to audio from ECW Arena shows

- We get some clips of the crazed Sandman/Sabu LD match that we saw in full last week…and then head down to the ring for our next bout

- Scorpio & Sandman vs. Sabu & Van Dam…loaded tag match here for the Waltham crowd…this stems from LD as Sabu defeated Sandman with an assist from RVD and RVD defeated Scorpio as well…Scorpio grabs the mic and say there is only one person he trusts to team with…and Sandman takes the cue and makes his usual epic entrance…Sandman is still making his way to the ring and even tosses Scorpio a beer to prep with…the entrance is really awesome but I am surprised ECW wasted so much TV time by showing the whole thing…he finally hits the ring and Sabu & RVD enter to get things going…match starts with a wild brawl between all four…Sabu uses a cane on Sandman, picking up where he left off at LD…Scorpio ends up in the crowd as Sabu chucks a chair at Sandman…these guys wasted no time bringing the violence and the crowd loves it…Joey wonders if the Buddhist Monks will rent them arena after seeing this crazy fight…Sandman takes over Sabu with his ugly top rope FrankenSander…the energy here is top notch and the crowd is right with them…Scorpio hits a nice powerslam on Sabu as RVD tries to put Sandman on a table that is resting across the ring apron to the guard rail…Sabu runs to springboard off the top onto the table, but he loses his footing and crashes down to the floor…Sabu resets and connects this time, driving Sandman to the ground…Sandman makes it back into the ring, but Sabu cracks him with an Atomic Arabian Facebuster…Sabu & RVD follow with a Total Elimination and a second Atomic Arabian Facebuster to finish Sandman off…that was more of a squash than I expected as Sandman was beaten down throughout and never made much of a comeback

- Joey plus Wrestlepalooza and then we head backstage for a Bigelow promo…good stuff, lots of fire…time for the classic rapid fire ECW promos….Sabu, RVD & Alfonso…Styles takes more shots at WWF…New Jack…Francine…Shane Douglas…and we are out

- A very different show from last week, with minimal promos but two very good matches and storyline advancement…good work here as the build for Wrestlepalooza ramps up

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TNA Sacrifice 2012

- We cold open with Robert Roode in his locker room…Earl Hebner comes in to confiscate the World Title…Roode wants to know why Hulk Hogan couldn’t come himself, but Earl is clueless, natch…Earl takes the gold and marches off as we hit the opening video package

- Mike Tenay & Tazz have the call from the Impact Zone and we are ready to kick off the PPV

- Kazarian & Daniels vs. Samoa Joe & Magnus…tag title match to kick off the show as Joe & Magnus hold the straps…Tazz gushes over the chemistry of the champs but they have tough competition tonight…Tenay wonders about the concentration of Daniels & Kaz as they have been spending a lot of time tormenting AJ Styles with their secret photos…fans here behind Magnus & Joe…Daniels has some interesting bellbottom tights on…Magnus with a nice delayed vertical suplex to rock Daniels…Joe & Magnus have some damn good teamwork, Taz was right…Joe looks like he ate Tommy Rich after Rich ate the NWA Title…Magnus carries himself well and comes across like a star…Daniels gets involved from the apron and allows Kaz to take Magnus down and take control…Tazz compares the challengers to the Rockettes due to how in sync they are in their double teams…Joseph Park is watching the match from the crowd, ignoring the advice of Abyss…Kaz has some nasty kicks in his arsenal…Joe gets the hot tag and uses his knowledge of Daniels to his advantage, avoiding a Daniels moonsault attempt…the champs hit their combo finisher on Daniels, but Kaz makes the save…the challengers hit a High Low on Magnus, kind of a modified Total Elimination, and pick up the upset win and win the belts…nice match to kick off the show but it felt like they were a step slower than you would expect…still not much to complain about as the work was rock solid…Daniels & Kaz are the champs and Joe is not happy with his tag partner

- Tenay & Tazz talk about the night’s main event…vote on Facebook to tell us who you think will win the Heavyweight title match…and now we get a Knockouts video package to build up our next match

- Gail Kim vs. Brooke Tessmacher…Kim’s KO title on the line…Tenay runs down the Tale of the Tape for us…Brooke out first and looking pretty good with her Captain America/Apollo Creed inspired attire…and I am always cool with watching Gail do her thing as well…this should be a good match…Gail attacks off the bell showing some good aggression…Tenay tells us Brooke has three recent wins over Gail, giving her some confidence…Tazz comments that Brooke keeps trying to land Gail’s finisher to add some insult into the mix…Brooke moves pretty well out there…Gail is pretty focused in her offense, targeting Brooke’s back with some nice submissions…she also throws a decent clothesline…crowd is kind of quiet here, but they get into things when prompted…Brooke makes a quick comeback and gets a near fall with a top rope flying elbow…Brooke finally lands Gail’s Eat Defeat, but Gail tumbles to the floor and is able to stay alive…as Brooke tries to come up with her next move, Gail rolls her up and uses the ropes to pick up the win and keep the gold…decent match…started well but kind of fell apart and Brooke’s comeback was flat…the fight over Eat Defeat was fine…belt is better off on Gail anyway

- Jeremy Borash is backstage with Kaz & Daniels…they take some shots at AJ Styles, claiming he only got his spot in TNA thanks to banging Dixie Carter…Styles says by taking out Dixie, the playing field would be leveled…AJ’s nightmare is just beginning

- Devon vs. Robbie E. vs. Robbie T. …another title match here as Devon’s TV strap on the line…this is a triple threat, but Devon is in trouble because it’s basically a handicap match…well of course I dig Robbie’s gimmick and good on him for really playing it up over the top and getting into it…Robbie T as his bouncer is a nice touch…Tazz says Devon asked for this…fans cheer the champ on as he hits the ring…Tenay tells us that Hogan declared the TV title will be defended every week on Impact and on all PPVs…Devon does a nice job taking T out of the picture to make this one on one…Devon is jacked and he hits a stiff urinage to E…the guidos finally slow Devon up and start to double team him…T lets E take the pin cover attempts and does his best to help his boy…Tazz said the hierarchy is clear…this has devolved into a sluggish double team assault…Devon makes a quick comeback and gets the crowd back into the match…at one point he just bowls E to the floor with a shoulderblock…T has muscles that I did not know even existed…E breaks up a T pin attempt…as the guidos argue, Devon smacks them into each other and pins T to retain his title…nothing special here and despite the odds, I never really felt like Devon’s belt was in jeopardy…Devon takes off and T is not happy with E’s attitude…E gives him a bro hug and T capitulates so the bromance lives on

- Next up is a video package for our next bout…Mr. Anderson had a shot at Robert Roode and Jeff Hardy tried to help out, but Anderson wiped out Hardy by accident…Hardy and Anderson were then given a chance to earn a title match here, but couldn’t stop brawling, which allowed RVD to win the bout and keep his title shot

- Jeff Hardy vs. Mr. Anderson…six years since his debut and Kennedy is still doing his same shtick…talk about a guy who needs a major overhaul of some sort…Tenay says Hogan has really slotted Anderson and Hardy into the World Title picture as of late…crowd seems split in this one…Anderson does not seem impressed with Hardy’s entrance antics…Hardy keeps Anderson off balance to start as they spill out to the floor…Anderson comes back with a great kick to Hardy’s face…Anderson starts to work the arm…this is about as paint by numbers as it gets…and that refers to both Hardy’s face and the action in the match…Tazz tries to push the psychology along, saying Anderson is smart to work the arm because it affects the Twist of Fate and Swanton…Hardy breaks the momentum and the fans are clearly behind him by this point…Anderson hits a Twist of Fate for a near fall…he tries a Swanton but Hardy gets his knees up to counter…Hardy goes for a double legdrop, but Anderson shoves him backwards and cradles him for the win…although Hardy kicked up right at three, but Hebner called it a win anyway…very odd finish and I didn’t see an Anderson win coming…this was technically fine but didn’t have much heat and was kind of blasé…Anderson and Hardy embrace after the match but it’s clear Hardy is not happy with Hebner…Tazz watches the reply and believes Hardy got the shoulder up and that Earl blew the call…Tenay thinks it was a true three count…I guess it keeps both men strong and leads to some controversy, but it seems hard to really care about it either way

- Christy Hemme is backstage with Austin Aries…Christy reads a Twitter question for Aries about his upcoming match with Bully Ray…nice promo by Aries here, saying being better in the ring is more important than being bigger…we get a video taking us back to last Thursday when Abyss made his surprise return to Impact…he warns his brother Joseph Park to back off before he gets burned by the fire…Park ignored that warning, as JB is with Park in the crowd…Park has enjoyed riding the Universal Studios rides and is having a great time in the Impact Zone…Park teases that Abyss could show up tonight but in the meantime, he wants to kick back and enjoy watching Aries kick Bully’s ass

- Crimson is still undefeated, going on sixteen months without a loss…he grabs a mic and brags about taking out Matt Morgan and vows to continue winning…he issues the dreaded open challenge that never ends well…he calls out referee Brian Hebner and has him ring the bell and start to count to ten so he can pick up another win…Crimson has a pretty good douchebag persona gong on…before Hebner can finish counting, the married Knockouts tag team champs, ODB and Eric Young head out…ODB claims to have beaten bigger broads than Crimson…EY takes the match instead to defend his wife’s honor…although EY goes right for Hebner, confused over who issued the challenge….EY works in some comedy spots, messing with Crimson and keeping him way off balance…that is short lived as Crimson just starts tossing him around and slugging away…ODB tries to help, but doesn’t get very far…I like EY in the ring but this character doesn’t work for me…it’s a bit too over the top…ODB gets in the ring but Crimson shoves her back into the corner…he gets in her face and taunts her, which angers EY, who strips down to his red, white and blue Speedos…EY gets a hot comeback, drops a top rope elbow and even trends on Twitter…EY tries to check on ODB, which allows Crimson to catch him, hit the Red Sky and stay undefeated…I thought for a minute there EY may steal the win, but I am glad the streak didn’t end that way…goofy match that solely existed to kill some time

- Backstage, JB is with Bully Ray…JB notes that he has security standing by as he asks the Twitter question…Bully lets us know he is not on Twitter, but he goes old school with MySpace, and even gives his address…great promo here…we then get a video package for the Aries/Ray match

- Bully Ray vs. Austin Aries…and we have another title match here, with AA’s X Division strap on the line Bully stalks to the ring as Joseph Park looks on attentively…Bully has a real star aura about him…and Aries has a hell of a cape…Bully smack talks Aries before the match, trying to get in AA’s head about his size, once again…crowd is behind Aries, who isn’t backing down at all…Bully stalls and preens until Aries finally attacks…Bully turns that tide by kicking Aries off the top rope down to the floor in a pretty crazy spot…I am always impressed by how Bully really transformed his whole character and in essence, career, so quickly…Aries is very slow to get up as he has huge nasty welts and cuts on his back and Bully went right at the bruises…Bully is great taunting the fans, bringing back memories of his ECW days…he is also great at slowly torturing AA by pounding on his sliced up back…Aries starts to fight back, showing some great fire…this has been a good big man/little man story and I am always a sucker for those…Bully grabs a chain to use, and that draws Park down to ringside to get involved…Bully yanks Park over the guardrail and shoves him around, which allows Aries to strike with a dive to the outside…he follows with a missile dropkick and Bully is rattled…Aries follows with a brainbuster for a tremendous near fall…that was really impressive…Aries dodges a powerbomb and hooks on the Last Chancery and forces Bully to tap out…wow, what a great finish…definitely the match of the night so far and a great win for Aries with a slight assist to Park, but not enough of one to take away from the win…props to Bully to put over Aries so cleanly and a nice payoff to the disrespect angle

- Tenay & Tazz recap the latest match and then take us back to last Thursday when Kaz & Daniels provided photo evidence of Styles & Dixie’s affair…JB chats with AJ, who is focused on his match only and not Dixie, Kaz or the photos…and now we get a video for the Styles/Angle match that is up next

- AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle…this should be a good one…Tenay calls this a “wrestling purist’s dream match” and it would be hard to argue…slow start as the two feel each other out and trade holds…Angle looks like he bulked back up a bit from where he was a few years ago…Styles takes charge first, methodically working Angle over before busting out a powerbomb…Angle suplexes his way back in this one, nearly cracking off a German on the floor that AJ managed to dodge by landing on his feet…Angle starting to grind AJ down with chinlocks and this match is a lot slower paced than I expected…hopefully we get a vintage Angle sprint to close it out…AJ battled back with a Pele Kick and Styles Clash but Kurt kicks out to stay alive…I thought that was the finish…I just can’t get into this match and the crowd isn’t helping matters as they have been flat throughout…Angle hits an Angle Slam but Styles kicks out…Kurt blocks a hurricanrana and hits his own Styles Clash for a near fall…I guess trading finishers is the hot trend of the night…Kurt comes up empty on a moonsault attempt but before Styles can capitalize, Daniels and Kaz get involved…Styles survives another Angle Slam but he gets trapped in the Anklelock Heel Hook and is forced to tap out...Kaz & Daniels assault Styles after but Angle makes the save and runs them off…this was a really solid and well worked match but I was hoping for a better pace and a hotter crowd, instead it felt like they ran through an outline of what a good match should be…the Styles vs. Kaz & Daniels story continues on

- Taz & Tenay plug next month’s Slamiversary, emanating from Texas…it will be TNA’s tenth anniversary show…following that, we get a great interview with Robert Roode, angry that his title is hanging above the ring right now…that leads into a video package and Tale of the Tape for our main event

- Rob Van Dam vs. Robert Roode…this is a ladder match with Roode’s Heavyweight Title on the line…RVD got to choose the stipulation here and he seems like the assumed favorite to take the gold…RVD wastes no time in knocking Roode to the floor and going for a ladder…RVD is looking pretty motivated here and it shows in his aggression…once Roode took over, the ladder really came into play as a weapon…RVD was able to block a suplex with one of his own, snapping Roode into the ladder…Roode is on dream street as RVD dropkicks a chair into the ladder, which smacks Roode in the chest…RVD has really dominated most of this match…RVD ascends the ladder, but Roode recovers and slugs him to the mat…RVD returned the favor and the ladder actually tipped over and smacked Roode in the head as it fell…Roode staggered up and snapped RVD down onto the ladder with a spinebuster…a desperate RVD was able to catch a charging Roode with a monkey flip into a ladder, followed by a Rolling Thunder…RVD has a nasty cut on his elbow…with Roode prone on a ladder, RVD scaled the ropes and dove off with the frog splash, but Roode dodged it and RVD ate steel…as RVD writhed on the floor, Roode slowly started to climb…RVD jumped up and tried to springboard off the top rope onto the ladder, but he couldn’t pull it off and the ladder tipped over and cranked his leg…Roode grabbed another ladder, knocked RVD back on to a chair and grabbed the title to win the match and retain…this was a fun little car wreck without the breakneck pace you usually get from these matches, but that was nice for a change…even RVD’s botch at the end worked and made it seem like both men were just too exhausted…Roode’s reign continues on with a nice defense notched onto his belt

- This was a decent PPV outing from TNA…the flow was fine and a lot of angles were advanced but the crowd really put a dent in it for me as they were flat for most of this…the matches ranged from solid to very good, so no complaints about the ring work, but most of the bouts felt like they were just there…the Bully/Aries match was the best on the night and the main event was very good as well but I enjoyed how there was no fluff and all action throughout the entire show

[jrozz34]

TNA Slammiversary 2012

TNA Slamiversary 2012

- We open with a pretty good video package, taking us through the history of TNA, as tonight is the ten-year anniversary of the promotion…a lot of focus on the evolution of the promotion and the different eras that they have passed through, focusing on Jeff Jarrett, AJ Styles, Kurt Angle and Hulk Hogan as the torchbearers

- We are live from Arlington, Texas and Mike Tenay runs down tonight’s docket before we head down to the ring as we are joined by the GM of TNA, Hulk Hogan…Hulk gets a solid pop to kick things off…Hulk welcomes everyone to the celebration…Hogan is going old school tonight and reveals that the opening match will see Samoa Joe battle Austin Aries for the X Division Title…Hogan takes off and the show is officially under way

- Samoa Joe vs. Austin Aries…Joe is out first, fitting that he battle for the X title on their anniversary show…Tenay notes that Joe exceeds the weight limit but Hogan is allowing him to challenge for the belt…Aries and his pimp cape are out next and we will see if he can capitalize on the momentum he gained last month, defeating Bully Ray…the crowd is split and dueling chants kick off…the fans are quite hot and it’s a nice break from the Impact Zone, which I thought killed the last PPV…Joe is just a big dude, like big all around, which makes his agility so impressive…yeah, I know, welcome to 2005…Aries lands a big chop and follows with a hurricanrana, but kicks him in the head as he tries a baseball slide…Joe just starts murdering Aries with kicks to the head…what a wicked match as the pace is through the roof…Aries just launched himself through the ropes and into Joe on the floor and I don’t think I’ve seen someone fly that fast before…the crowd is off the hook too…fantastic choice to open up this show…Aries gets caught in mid air and Joe snaps him with a stiff powerbomb and turns it right in a Boston Crab and then spins it into an STF…Joe is just grinding Aries into dust on the mat…Aries blocks a superplex and shoves Joe back to the mat…he follows with a 450 splash but Joe barely kicks out…Aries counters the Kokina Clutch and gets another near fall…Joe goes for a Muscle Buster, but Aries slips free and slams him over with a crucifix…he follows with a stiff forearm, dropkick and brainbuster to finally put Joe away…what a great finish to a fantastic match…Aries has been booked like gold these last two shows…man, can’t say enough about how much a loved that battle…this was a fitting tribute to the X Division on the anniversary show

- Kid Kash vs. Hernandez…this is Kash’s return to TNA and he has some stiff competition ahead as he faces one half of Mexican America…Hernandez is jacked, ripped and juiced up…apparently this is the return of Hernandez as well, according to Tazz…Kash goes right at him but the power of Hernandez is too much as he just shoves Kash out to the floor…Kash tries to work the left shoulder and arm in between landing whatever strikes he can…this crowd is staying hot and makes the show so much better…Tenay informs us we will see the top three of the ten best TNA moments…Kash is really dominating things here, rocking Hernandez with a tornado DDT…Hernandez comes back with a slingshot shoulderblock…a wide shot shows that we have a decent crowd here tonight…Kash ends up on the floor and Hernandez charges and flies out with a hands free tope, crashing into Kash to a huge pop…back in the ring, Hernandez drops a top rope splash on to Kash for the win…another very good match with fast paced action and a hot crowd…this show is off to a great start so far…tons of energy in the ring and in the crowd

- We get Top Moment #3 in TNA history and we travel back to June 19, 2002 when AJ Styles defeated Jerry Lynn to become the first X Division Champion

- Robbie E & Robbie T vs. Devon & Garrett Bischoff…the techno is bumping and the fist pumping is in effect as the guidos hit the ring for our next matchup…they had a rough go with Devon last month, so we will see if things go better this time around…Devon is still TV champ and after defeating Garrett a few weeks ago, they started to team up…E is still pissed about losing his TV belt to Devon and has been hell bent on getting it back…Garrett shows some fire early but the crowd does not seem to be digging him at all…Madison Rayne shows up on the ramp, all dressed up and looking good…Tenay wonders if we will find out about her secret crush tonight…E and T work over Bischoff as Tenay & Tazz talk about Madison’s crush some more…I like E in the ring, he is pretty fluid and really throws himself into the gimmick…Garrett finally makes the hot tag and Devon starts wiping out both guidos…Devon is moving better than he did ten years ago…Garrett hits a cross body to the floor on T as Devon rattles E with a spinebuster for the win…something good is in the water tonight, as we get another fun match as Devon again makes life miserable for the guidos…yeah, buddy

- Jeremy Borash is in the back and Tenay reminds us that JB has been with TNA since day one…Kaz & Daniels, carrying martinis, walk in…they talk about their long histories in TNA and Daniels toasts their tag title belts, continuing to pester AJ and to ten years of greatness
- Mr. Anderson vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Jeff Hardy…the winner of this match earns a Heavyweight Title match this Thursday on Impact…Anderson does the usual shtick, no surprise there…RVD is out next and finally …sounds like Hardy is the favorite in the match…and his paint is even creepier than usual…Tazz talks about the success all three men have had throughout their careers as Hardy gets off to a quick start, attacking both men…Anderson had the big win over Hardy last month while RVD suffered that tough ladder match loss to Robert Roode…lots of trading of holds and control, the usual triple threat format…best move of the match so far was an Anderson superplex to Hardy, followed immediately by a missed frog splash by RVD…crowd has cooled a bit…you would think these three would be really over but they just feel a bit stale to me, just like last month…that said, these three are doing well despite the constraints of a tough format…they have all been in the ring the whole time, which is unique for a triple threat…Anderson finally stepped up and took control, knocking RVD out of the ring and beating on Hardy for a near fall…they would all end up outside the ring, where Anderson got wiped out…Hardy got a close near fall on the Whisper in the Wind…crowd has picked up a bit, mainly chanting for RVD…Hardy followed with a Swanton, but Anderson broke up the count and violently chucked Hardy to the floor…Anderson fended off RVD, hit the Mike Check and picked up the win and title match….it made sense for Anderson to win since he was riding momentum after beating Hardy…say what you want about giving Anderson the push, but it was nice to see them get behind someone and have them win instead of 50/50 booking…match was pretty good if not anything special

- JB is backstage, chatting with Crimson, who is still bragging about being undefeated for over 470 days and claims nobody will ever beat him…he heads to the ring for yet another open challenge

- Crimson heads out and for the second month in a row, will issue an open challenge to the locker room…he rags on Dallas a bit and is confident that nobody will accept the challenge…after a short wait, we are joined by James Storm, who Tenay says has been at a career crossroads as of late…Storm goes right at Crimson, slugging away and knocking him to the floor…Storm doesn’t even have his coat off as he angrily pounds away at Crimson…Crimson gets a few licks in but this has been all Storm for the most part…fans are way behind Storm here and he looks pretty damn good…he cracks Crimson with the Last Call and the streak is officially done…well, that was a hell of a way to end Crimson’s undefeated run, but it was a cool moment and a nice spot for one of the TNA originals, James Storm…basically a squash, but an enjoyable one thanks to the energy and heat

- JB is with Austin Aries, who talks about passing tests month after month…he wants to be the man that sets the bar and will do anything it takes to be the main event

- Time for TNA Moment #2…and it is the announcement that Hulk Hogan was joining the promotion in October 2009…clips of the press conference

- Back in the arena, Dixie Carter heads out to the ring, looking pretty good I must say…Tenay thanks the Carter family for blowing all of their inherited money to keep the flailing compa—I mean, thanks them for their support…she tells us this is the largest live US crowd in TNA history…she gives out her thanks, keeping things quick and to the point…now she brings out the whole roster on to the stage…the crowd shows their respect and there are lots of smiles and handshakes to go around…Tenay & Tazz put over AJ Styles as the Face of TNA…Dixie reveals the first inductee into the TNA Hall of Fame….Sting, who gets a dedicated video package, featuring clips and talking heads praising him…Sting gets a warm response from the fans as he joins Dixie in the ring…Dixie tells Sting that he stepped up when TNA was in need of an icon…each year, Dixie asks Sting to stick around and help TNA and every year he agrees…nice moment here…Sting thanks the fans and promises tonight will be Showtime

- Gail Kim vs. Brooke Tessmacher…Gail’s KO title on the line against Brooke for the second month in a row…new executive in charge of the Knockouts, Brooke Hogan, held a match this past Thursday to determine a contender and Brooke prevailed…Tenay wonders if Gail can exploit a shortcut once again, just like last month…I have to assume Brooke is going to take the strap here…Brooke using her athleticism once again, but Gail just waits for an opening before slamming Brooke down face first and taking over…Tazz gets in a funny line, calling Brooke “top heavy”, which made me chuckle…Gail slows things down with a submission hold…Gail has really dominated the action, but this matches feels a step behind the Sacrifice outing…Brooke gets a quick opening and lands a Victory Roll for the flash pin and upset title win…this was definitely booked as somewhat as a fluke, despite Brooke having Gail’s number lately, as Brooke only got that one flash move in after being worked over for most of the match…Christy comes down and interviews Brooke at ringside…she gives an emotional promo about winning the belt in her home state…ok match, but I liked last month’s better

- Backstage, JB is joined by Bully Ray, who puts over New York City and calls out Joseph Park, setting up their match for tonight…he vows there will be no wrestling and only an all out assault…he has a contract in hand that he won’t be responsible for anything that happens out there…he also warns Abyss not to show up…that leads us to a video package to hype the match

- Bully Ray vs. Joseph Park…this is an Anything Goes match…Park is a lawyer, not a wrestler, but Bully doesn’t seem to care…no entrance theme for Park, who is wearing a track suit and taking his time ambling to the ring…I am digging Bully Ray and have enjoyed this feud and build, so I am looking forward to this one…Park stalls and is antsy, but Bully keeps taunting him to get the match going…Bully ducks some punches and smacks Park in the face a few times…Park finally steps up and smacks Bully back, but Bully runs him over, sending him crashing back to the mat…Bully brings a chair into the ring, but it ends up in Park’s hands…he then makes a rookie mistake and turns his back, allowing Bully to regain possession of the chair…Bully smacks him in the back and they have totally roped me into this match…he unleashes another stuff shot, driving Park to the safety of the floor…Bully follows him out and continues to dole out the abuse…Park avoids a senton and starts hammering away at Bully in one last gasp to come back…that is short lived as Bully drops him with a big boot to the face…Park is able to wrest away a kendo stick and bashes Bully in the head with it, but he can only get a two count…Park’s easily distracted again, allowing Bully to back elbow him out to the floor…Park crawls under the ring and a minute later, Abyss appears out of the other end of the ring…Bully is in shock as Abyss chokeslams Bully through a table…he crawls back under the ring and out comes Park, who covers for the win…this was pretty compelling stuff and Park is really damn good at this character…Bully was a great dick as always….good stuff and a nice payoff to this angle

- JB is in the back with Bobby Roode, who talks about his match with Sting later tonight…talks about how this is a night of celebration, but that he is the only thing that should be celebrated…he is the most dominant champ in company history

- Back in the arena, Hulk Hogan joins us once again…be brings out Christian Cage to pay off their agreement for letting Ric Flair attend the WWE HOF back in March…based on the crowd reaction here, I would say TNA lost out on that deal…there are some chants of respect but mainly apathy…he jokes about the change in the shape of the ring…even though some superficial things have changed, the fans never have…based on the ratings and buys, I would say he is correct….he then reveals the number one TNA moment, which is Sting’s TNA debut…makes sense as he is arguably the biggest star in their history, all things considered…and that is it for Christian…I guess it was nice to see him here, but kind of ended up being pointless considering all the haggling and bullshit that went down earlier in the year

- Next up is a video package centered on Daniels & Kaz tormenting AJ Styles about his alleged affair with Dixie Carter…even Serge Carter got involved, decking AJ

- Daniels & Kazarian vs. Angle & Styles…big tag title match here with a lot of backstory and heat on it…should also be killer in the ring, more importantly…AJ attacks off the bell and he and Kaz kick things off once the dust settles…Tazz hopes Angle can keep Styles focused and with it mentally, which would be amazing if you think about it…crowd is behind AJ and it was good on TNA to make him a heavy focus of their anniversary show, even if the angle is questionable at best…also fitting that he gets to work with Daniels…Angle & Styles work well together early on, which is key…Tazz backs me up, talking about how cohesive the champs are in contrast to Styles & Angle, who haven’t teamed up much before this…Daniels has really taken things up a bit with this old veteran skeezbag character…Daniels uses his familiarity with AJ to avoid his offense and keep the champs in control…Daniels & Kaz working over AJ efficiently, keeping him grounded and wounded and putting a great heel tag work clinic, as you would expect…AJ finally snaps off a neckbreaker to break the momentum…crowd is really getting into this now, and pop big for the hot tag to Angle, who romps through the champs…Angle as the muscle of a tag team is a pretty smart role for him if they really embraced it…in an awesome spot, Angle hits a double German on both champs and follows into an Anklelock on Daniels, but Kaz makes the save…AJ gets in the mix now too, cracking both Daniels & Kaz with DDTs…crowd is rocking now as Styles slams Daniels with a great inverted spinebuster…Angle snaps off a top rope charging belly-to-belly…this match is living up to its billing…Styles avoids a Daniels moonsault, but Daniels lands on his feet and backs right into an Angle German…AJ nails Kaz with a Pele kick followed by an Angle frog splash, but Daniels with the save…AJ crashes into him with a tope and this arena is rocking…what an awesome match…Angle locks Kaz in the Anklelock and grapevines the leg…Kaz tries to hang but finally taps out to give Angle & Styles the straps…this was some fantastic stuff that built logically into a red hot sprint finish…the crowd was electric too, which really help…AJ & Kurt are the new champs, very fitting for this special night

- Time for our final video package, setting up the main event and focusing on Roode’s record reign…can Sting take home the title on his big night

- Sting vs. Roode…TNA’s first HOFer goes for the strap and a crack at ending Roode’s lengthy title reign…Tenay lays out the Tape of the Tape…Sting received this match as a favor by Hogan after Stinger stepped down as TNA’s Authority Figure…Sting gets a very warm welcome and there is quite the atmosphere in this arena right now…Roode does have a damn good presence as champ…fans all behind Sting here…big match feel with the long ring intros and posturing before the bell…Roode stalls and dodges Sting early…Roode just can’t get going as Sting has answer for everything…Tenay thinks the time off from the ring as refreshed Sting and given him a new level of energy…Roode goes to the throat to slow Sting down…Roode working a methodical style here, but that is to be expected with Sting across the ring…despite the slower pace and style, it works…the crowd is so damn hot and Sting is compelling here with the HOF and story behind the match…Sting fought his way back and locks in the Scorpion…Roode refuses to tap, trying to squirm to the ropes, which he eventually reaches…this crowd was begging for a tap out there…the brawl spills out to the floor where Sting hits a Stinger Splash into the guardrail…Sting hooks the Scorpion on the announce table and Roode taps, but it doesn’t count, natch…back in the ring, Roode finds one of James Storm’s beer bottle lying around and smacks Sting with it to steal the win and walk away as champ…Sting beats down Roode after the match, even scaling the entrance set and dropping an elbow through the staging…that finish is perfectly fine, allowing Sting to stand tall at the end…well that wasn’t the easiest decision but it made all the sense in the world…despite the emotion and fan reaction, Roode’s reign was too important and special to end at the hands of Sting just for a nostalgia pop…smart booking

- OK, well I really dug that show way more than I ever expected too…the fans were fantastic all night, hot for everything…the matches were all well worked, had solid builds and told good stories…this was a fitting tribute for TNA and it wasn’t over the top or too self congratulatory…there was just enough nostalgia mixed in with their current product…good stuff

[jrozz34]

NWA World Championship Wrestling 4/23/88

- We open to clips of Tully Blanchard beating on some jobber…JJ Dillon hops on the apron and points out Magnum TA standing with the Midnight Rider’s horse in the back of the aisle…as they are fixated on that, the Rider sneaks in from the crowd, hooks a noose around Tully’s neck and chokes him out…that takes us into our opening animation

- We are emanating from the Jacksonville Coliseum in Jacksonville, FL…Tony Schiavone, Jim Ross and David Crockett are ringside and welcome us to the show in addition to running down today’s card for us…they talk about the effect the Midnight Rider has had on the Horsemen and also reference the Crockett Cup, of which we will see highlights next week…Tony sends us to the ring

- Sting vs. David Isley…one of the forgotten Isley Brothers battles Sting to kick off the show this week…Teddy Long is our referee…Tony talks about how hot Sting is right now and Ross mentions how he is a top contender for Ric Flair’s title…Isley twists and shouts as Sting splashes him in the corner and feels a summer breeze blowing in as he submits to the Scorpion Deathlock to give Sting the win…Sting reminds him to love the one he’s with as Isley pops that thang and heads to the back a loser…Crockett interviews Sting, who promises to go sixty minutes with Flair the next time around with JJ Dillon locked in a cage and three more judges at ringside…Sting takes off and we take a break

- Tony and Ross are back and talking about, you guessed it, the Midnight Rider…they take us back to a live event in Roanoke, VA to see the Rider make his in ring debut

- Midnight Rider vs. Bear Colley…Rider rides out on a horse, flanked by Magnum TA as a mellow saloon tune plays them down…Bear has a chair but it backfires as he whiffs on the swing…Rider smacks him, lands an elbow to the dome, drops Bear with a DDT on the chair and wins in less than a minute…after the bell, Rider follows with a second DDT to the steel…poor Bear never stood a chance…Ross is with Magnum at ringside, who says it’s time for drastic measures…Rider stands in the corner as Bear is tended to by officials and wrestlers…Magnum issues some serious warnings as Rider cleans house in the ring, chucking everyone to the floor…I do enjoy how Rider wears a sports coat as part of this ensemble…Ross climbs in the ring for an interview…Rider speaks and the crowd pops at the sound of that familiar lispy drawl…Rider levies more warnings to the Horsemen and promises his ride has just begun…really strong segment and Rider was put over very strong here…makes you feel like he and Magnum are really gonna wreck the Horsemen’s shit

- Fantastics vs. Corey Stevens & Snake Watson…lots of great jobber names this week…I don’t know no Snakes…Teddy Long back at it here…Corey & Snake jump the Fantastics, but it goes nowhere…Fantastics will be taking on the Midnight Express with the losing team getting lashed with a whip, Jim Cornette included…Ross runs down the upcoming live events as the Fantastics slow things down a bit while working over Snake…Ross notes how aggressive they are and credits their wars with the MXE over the US tag titles for the change in attitude…Stevens gives thing a go, but that ends quickly…I will be all set if I never see Bobby Fulton shimmy again…the Fantastics hit the Rocket Launcher and Snake is down for the count…Crockett catches up with the winners at ringside…they talk about the whipping match with the MXE

- Steve Williams vs. Bob Riddle…Dr. Death in the house and he immediately takes offense to Riddle’s blonde mullet, or he should be if he isn’t…that thing is a work of art…Teddy Long at it again…Williams press slams Riddle, which is impressive as Riddle is a good sized dude…Williams hits a three point stance and finishes with the Oklahoma Stampede as Ross giggles with excitement at ringside…quick win, tons of intensity, ingredients of the usual Dr. Death squash…Crockett chats with him after the bout and Williams calls out Ric Flair

- Midnight Express vs. Tommy Angel & Rocky King…Cornette introduces the MXE will holding the whipping strap and taunting the Fantastics…the US tag champs are on the scene, ready to pick up yet another win…Eaton starts things up and tosses Angel to the floor, where Cornette whips him a few times…Teddy is getting a workout tonight…MXE tags in and out like the superstars that they are…Rocky tags in and is a house of fire, beating Eaton around the ring as Cornette is screaming on commentary…Rocky’s afro may surpass Riddle’s mullet as the best jobber hair of the night…Schiavone tells Cornette of the rule change, stipulating that Cornette will be eligible to be whipped if the MXE loses…Cornette blows a gasket as you would except…Tony’s taunting of Jim about it is pretty funny…Cornette hints that he may be sick the night of that match but Ross & Tony bust him up some more…King’s quick flurry aside, this has been all MXE…they hit the Rocket Launcher and that is that

- Jim Crockett is with the Nature Boy Ric Flair in the aisle…the champ is styling and profiling for sure tonight; decked out to the nines as usual and flanked by some babes…80’s babes, but babes nonetheless…he calls out Sting and Dr. Death, embraces the ladies and Crockett and struts off…great Flair stuff as always

- Barbarian, Warlord & Koloff vs. McGyver, Emory & Thompson…big six-man action up next as the Paul Jones Army is in the house…this is a heel dream team for me, consisting of hosses and Russians…Jones’s team is the six-man tag champs…despite how old and grizzled he is, I still dig Ivan at this point as he just looks like a bad ass…Teddy Long still going strong here…POP just look like beasts, juiced to the gills and intimidating as hell…Tony says Ivan is like an in-ring manager for the POP, almost like a player-coach…astute point by Tony…Ross says they believe they can reign as champs for years…Barbarian is just killing these guys…Jones gets involved on the floor, but his charges hardly need the help…the champs have not been on the defensive at all and at this point they are begging for the jobbers to tag so they get some fresh meat…what a great heel team this is…they actually work pretty smoothly as a unit too…Ivan is such a dick, it is glorious…Jones says there is an open contract out there…POP hit their finisher and Ivan follows with a legdrop for the win…fun squash and I loved every minute of it

- Jimmy Garvin & Precious are in the aisle with David Crockett and they talk about the way the black cloud Kevin Sullivan has infecting the NWA…they have gone after his brother Ronnie and kidnapped his main squeeze…good fire by Garvin here

- Al Perez vs. Gary Stevens…Gary Hart is with Perez…Ross says Perez has issued a challenge to Nikita Koloff and is salivating over a future match between the two…Perez is pretty jacked here…Tony plugs NWA Pro on Saturday mornings…some more talk about the Midnight Rider…Perez has a really good look and style, wonder why he never really clicked...he even had Hart talking for him…he hits a nice spinning crucifix drop as Ross rambles about meeting some Cowboys players…he says Perez is set to head to Houston, gunning for the vacant US Title to be determined in a tournament…how has this tournament not been mentioned at all until this point…Perez assaults the ribs as Hart lands a blow in as well…Perez wins with a spinning toehold, so good for him…fine squash…Crockett catches up with Hart & Perez, who talk about going after the US belt and are also sure to discuss the Rider

- Nikita Koloff vs. Krusher Knault…Krusher is pretty grotesque…Koloff has the buzz cut working here…he mauls Knault right off the bell and quickly finishes with the Sickle…nothing to see here…Ross says Koloff is ready for Perez

- Windham & Luger vs. Anderson & Blanchard…big time main event here with Luger & Windham’s tag straps on the line against the Horsemen…JJ Dillon is with Tully & Arn and Teddy Long is in there to ref this thing…Ross does the in ring introductions…the champs get huge pops and there is a buzz in the air for this one…Ross puts over the rivalry involved here as Tony puts over the champs and how well they have developed…the champs tag in and out and dominate Tully early on…Windham is smooth as silk flying around the ring, as he is right in the midst of his peak athletically…after a long opening segment, Anderson finally tags in…not much changes though, as Windham is just locked in…the crowd is going nuts as Barry hooks in a figure four…Tully breaks it and the Horsemen finally gain control of things…it is short lived as Barry fights right back and hammers away at Arn…Luger tags in and lofts Tully into the Rack…as Arn busts it up we take a break…Luger & Barry have just been dominant…but when we get back, Arn has a sleeper on Lex, who Ross tells us has been worked over heavily during the ad…Luger eats a second DDT but stays alive…Luger is dumped outside, where Arn is all over him…Lex survives a spinebuster, really showing some determination here…all four of these guys look great here, but that is no surprise…Luger is finally able to block and reverse a suplex but can’t quite make the tag…a minute later he does and Windham cleans house…crowd is going wild but Luger eats the ring post while brawling with Tully and collapses out on the floor…he is busted wide open as he crawls around on the floor…the Horsemen beat down Windham, who is all alone now…JJ starts yelling at Barry, stating “I told you he wouldn’t be there”, which confuses Tony & Ross…Barry looks for a tag, but Luger is still down and out…JJ keeps chatting at Barry as he is in the midst of wiping out his team…Lex finally crawls up, but an angry Barry slaps his hand to tag him in and then powerslams him into the ring…Barry follows with a lariat to a lot of heat from the fans…Tony & Ross are not pleased…Arn covers and we have new tag team champions as Lex is can barely move…JJ walks away with Barry, patting him on the back…the Horsemen leave as Midnight Rider leads the locker room out to hit the ring to check on Lex…fantastic heel turn to finish off a hot tag match…good stuff…Tony & Ross are confused over what has happened as Rider stalks to the back…Rider storms around backstage and finds the heel locker room…he confronts Barry, who refuses to talk…that allows the Horsemen to jump the Rider…a big brawl erupts and everything is chaos as the faces are trying to cover Rider’s face while JJ demands his charges to unmask him…wow, crazy hot finish there

- Back at ringside, Crockett is with the Varsity Club…Sullivan said we just witnessed the biggest moment in wrestling history and that the Rider needs to be stopped…we then head back to the ring

- Mike Rotunda vs. Sam Bass…this must be the cousin of the illustrious Sal Bass…I was wondering why that previous match didn’t end the show, but I guess it gives Tony & Ross a chance to break everything down…they wonder if Barry is the fourth Horsemen that they have heard rumors about…Steiner helps out down on the floor but the focus is all on the Windham turn and Rider fallout as Rotunda works over Bass…Crockett is with us and he went to check on Lex, who is devastated about what happened…they are doing a nice job of rehashing this and going back digging for clues…really good angle work out of the booth…and a Rotunda match is the perfect backdrop for it…Rotunda gets the easy win as we take a break

- Tony & Ross are with us, talking more about Windham & Luger…and they take us back to the footage from earlier…actually showing a good chunk of the second half of the match and all the ensuing chaos…then we see a clip of JJ fitting Barry with a Horsemen leather jacket…they all pile in a limo and head off into the night to celebrate…Windham lowers the window and hangs the Rider’s mask out as he holds up four fingers…and we are out

- Very fun show this week…entertaining squashes and a ton of angle development plus a treat for a main event with a major angle poured on top…can’t wait for next week’s fallout

[jrozz34]

Ring of Honor: 12/29/12

- We join honorary PTB PIC Kevin Kelly in the studio, welcoming us to this special New Year’s edition of ROH…this continues the look back at 2012 that started last week…we will find out what the 2012 Match of the Year is…he runs down the background of our opening match and then takes us to the tapes…this was an exclusive match taped for the website in Baltimore for ROH Ringside Members only

- House of Truth vs. Briscoe Brothers…Mark, Jay and Papa Briscoe are out to compete for this one…Cousin Jethro will be in their corner…Briscoes were seven time ROH Tag Champs at this point…Kevin & Nigel on commentary…apparently, Truth Martini’s check bounced after losing a bet with the Briscoes…we cut ahead a few minutes into the match as the Briscoes control in the corner…Truth tosses an elbow from the apron, turning the tide for his team…the House continues to work over Jay as KK notes that Roderick Strong may have the strong hands in ROH…Nigel backs that up but adds Kenta Kobashi may have the strongest hands in the world…the crowd has quieted down and KK credits the House for that thanks to controlling the match…Truth gets into it with Jethro and ends up leaving the ringside area…but he quickly returns…lots of quick tags and solid teamwork from the House…Elgin hoists up Jay for a delayed suplex and I think that is the longest I have ever seen someone hold that move…impressive stuff…Truth crotches himself in the corner, allowing Jay to tag in Mark…Papa finally gets tagged in but Roderick jumps him from behind…Papa gets an assist from his son and snaps off a pretty damn good chokeslam on Strong…he gets his hands on Truth but Elgin with the save…this match has definitely picked up now after a slow start…Truth has some powder, but Papa knocks it back into his eyes and covers to get the Briscoe Family the win…this was fine but I thought Elgin actually shone the most, receiving a lot of in ring time on offense...Papa’s chokeslam was the highlight

- Back to KK who wraps up that match and tells us to visit the ROH website to see if the Briscos were able to capture the tag titles at Final Battle…spoiler alert…they did

- We are back from break and KK talks about the serious injuries suffered by Tommaso Ciampa and Mike Mondo…we get highlights of how both men fought through their injuries and finished their matches…both are expected to miss a year of in ring time…we then head to our next match

- Kevin Steen vs. Mike Mondo…the World Title is on the line here and the two are brawling before the announcer even finishes…this is from 7/21…Steve Corino joins Kevin & Nigel in the booth…Corino questions why Mondo is receiving a title match without having won a match…didn’t take them long to head out to the floor to brawl…KK says Mondo went to a draw with Davey Richards and that boosted his stock…Mondo keeps bashing Steen’s head into the metal guardrail…we flash ahead to Steen beating on Mondo in the aisle…Corino’s taunting on commentary is great stuff…Mondo gets slammed on a piece of the barricade and is nearly counted out…as Mondo crawls in we take a break…we get a local add for Rhode Island Dolls., RI’s only Las Vegas style cabaret with specials on Wicked Wednesdays…well then, we must take a midweek road trip to Woonsocket I see…and we are back to our match and the fans are trying to rally Mondo, who is being brutalized by Steen…Steen has a mic as he stomps on Mondo but I can’t hear him thanks to an interruption from the National Weather Service…yes, it is snowing, I am aware, thanks for the warning…Mondo hits a plancha down to the floor, taking out Steen and Jimmy Jacobs…Mondo continues to take it to Steen, but Steen snaps off a hanging DDT to slow him down….Steen follows with a great running senton into the corner for a near fall…Corino calls the ref a fatty, which made me chuckle…Baltimore is a rocking…Mondo sneaks in a small package for two…Corino says Mondo is Jim Cornette’s boy…Steen drops Mondo with a stun gun and finishes him off with an F-Cinq for the win…good stuff there and a nice showing by Mondo

- We get a Steen video package and KK says that many pundits think ROH may close down if Steen & SCUM eradicate all of the top challengers…he says the wrestlers in the locker room have vowed not to let it happen

- Not only a RI Dolls ad this time, but also a word from the Heavy Hitter Attorney, Rob Levine…give him a call, he will answer any time

- KK is back and get highlights of a match between Jay Lethal and Kevin Steen from New Jersey that saw Steen spit on Lethal’s mother and Lethal snap and assault Jim Cornette backstage…and I can’t hear all of the voice over thanks to another weather warning…now clips of the final segment of the Survival of the Fittest between Lethal and Davey Richards, which Lethal won clean to earn a future ROH World Title match…unfortunately he has since been frozen out of the title picture…time for a break

- Back to KK, who is set to announce the 2012 Match of the Year…the bout took place in Ft. Lauderdale on 3/31 when Davey Richards defended the World Title against Michael Elgin…Davey has said this was one of the toughest matches of his career and KK says it was the night Elgin officially arrived

- Davey Richards vs. Michael Elgin…World Title on the line…Kevin & Nigel are on commentary…Nigel says Elgin needs to survive the first five minutes of Davey’s assault…KK thinks this is Elgin’s best chance because the more times Davey faces someone, the tougher he gets…after a brief brawl on the top rope, Elgin takes over and hits his awesome super delayed vertical suplex…damn that is so impressive and such a simple move…Elgin is thick, my Lord…and he cracks Davey in half a great sit down backbreaker…Elgin has really impressed me in these two matches shown tonight…KK talks about how everyone respects Davey, drawing comparison to Ric Flair…Elgin snaps off a Northern Lights suplex for two as we head to break…and we get enticed by the RI Dolls one last time…and as soon as we get back to the match, the National Weather Service joins us again…that nonsense ends just as Davey hits a fantastic top rope German suplex that Elgin somehow survives…Davey rolls right into an Anklelock and I have no idea how Elgin is alive after that…Elgin reaches the ropes to force the break and the fans are behind Elgin now as he has earned a ton of respect here…Truth tries to egg on his charge as Davey just starts pelting him with kicks to the chest…Elgin staggers back to his feet, refusing to stay down…he slaps Davey in the face and the two trade a series of alternating kicks and knees to the face…this is some crazy stuff…the fans are totally with Elgin now as Davey just keeps kicking the crap out of Elgin…Elgin reverses an O’Conner roll into the Chaos Theory for a near fall…he follows with a superkick into a side effect for another two count…and he rolls right into a Crossface…this is intense…Davey is fading but won’t tap out, eventually reaching the ropes…both men are exhausted, unable to even climb to their feet…Elgin is prone on the ring apron and Davey drops a top rope double stomp…followed by a second one back in the ring…Elgin won’t stay down…Davey lands a forearm, lariat and side suplex but he can’t put Elgin away…Nigel likes to yell…Nigel runs down some of the top ROH Champions of the past and says these two are carrying on that tradition…Elgin ducks a kick and lands a big roundhouse right into a cool brainbuster for two…what a battle…Elgin powerbombs Davey into the corner and then tries another one, but Davey slips free, rolls through and hooks the Anklelock back on…Elgin turns it into a LeBell Lock but Davey slips free…Elgin lands a kick and spinning backfist into the spinning powerbomb, but Davey kicks out…Elgin hooks the LeBell back in and Davey looks like he barely conscious…Davey tries to roll free but can’t as Elgin drags it back into the middle of the ring…Davey somehow breaks free and goes back to the Anklelock…Davey can barely stand while holding this in….great selling and psychology here…Elgin can not kick free or escape as Davey won’t let him break free…Truth is begging as Elgin finally rolls through and breaks the hold…Elgin tries to charge but his ankle gives out and Davey cracks him with a Shining Wizard…I thought that was it but Elgin kicks out at one to a huge pop…holy shit…Elgin is Hulking Up as Davey just keeps kicking him in the head and chest…this is amazing…Davey lands another Shining Wizard and Elgin finally gives out…Davey retains and that sure as shit deserves to be the ROH Match of the Year…wow, what a battle…a real classic…Elgin is the man in my book and he earned a new fan tonight

- KK wraps things up and pimps all things ROH and we are out…great show to pay tribute to another strong year in ROH

[jrozz34]

Prime Time Wrestling 9/4/89

- We open with the usual animation and then head inside the studio where Gorilla Monsoon welcomes us to another episode of Prime Time…we are one week removed from Summerslam and he is all alone, saying Roddy Piper & Bobby Heenan are busy bickering and may return next week, but Gorilla doesn’t know…so Monsoon flies solo tonight…he runs down some of the card and tosses it to our first match

- Bushwhackers vs. Darrell Nichols & Black Knight…Schiavone and Lord Alfred are on commentary for this one…Butch starts things off as Tony talks about the benefits of sardines…I wonder if they could have pulled off a heel turn with the Bushwhackers…I know they couldn’t be as wild or vicious as the Sheepherder days, but could have been cool…Luke comes in and pounds on the Knight…Tony recaps the tag team division for us, putting over the Powers of Pain, who are eyeing a matchup with Luke & Butch…guess Fuji is setting his sights low these days, more proof that he is a useless manager…Nichols gets tossed around as the Bushwhackers have led this from the opening bell…lots of quick tags, punches and kicks…these guys actually had pretty good solo and tandem offense when they want to and they move pretty well…a somewhat unique moveset considering the era…they crash into Nichols with the Battering Ram and follow with the double gutbuster for the win…solid little squash

- Back to Gorilla, who speaks highly of Luke & Butch…talks about how great the tag division is right now as we head off to break

- When we return, Gorilla talks about Summerslam and how Ultimate Warrior regained his IC strap from Rick Rude…says the feud isn’t over and takes us to Mean Gene Okerlund, with Update…Gene reviews the IC title change, including the interference from Roddy Piper…we get a great heated promo from Rude and Heenan…they are not happy about Piper’s involvement at all…back in studio, Gorilla says Bobby is useless when things go wrong, which is often

- Rougeau Brothers vs. Dennis Bertrand & Jim Evans…Tony and Hayes still with us…talk about the continued development of the Rougeaus…Jimmy Hart at ringside…Jacques flaunts and struts a bit to start…we get an inset promo from the Rockers, who say the war rages on, despite Summerslam having come and gone…Evans & Bertrand mock the Rougeaus by strutting and embracing…Jacques answers that by dropkicking both men…Ray tags in and kicks away at Bertrand…the Rougeaus were so damn good and it is a credit to the dept of the tag division that they weren’t in the title picture at this point…Tony talks about their issues with the Rockers…this is a quick one as Jacques polishes off Bertrand with a high knee drop to the back

- Gorilla again puts over the tag division but thinks the Rougeaus are hypocrites and for those fans that can’t tell the two apart, Jacques is the fat one

- Back from break, Gorilla talks about how King Jim Duggan is a proud American that represents the WWF well…back to the ring

- King Duggan vs. Brooklyn Brawler…Tony & Hayes with us, and Tony notes that we are in Springfield, MA…Duggan is out in full royal regalia, crowd covering his crossed eyes…the royal music doesn’t quite fit Hacksaw…Duggan rallies the crowd as only he can…Brawler is just coming down off his push at this point, so he isn’t quite considered a full on jobber just yet…Tony says Duggan has the uncanny ability to take his eye of his opponent to play to the crowd but still control the match…I would say being able to look in two directions at once certainly aids in that endeavor…Brawler finds an opening and turns the momentum, working Duggan over and getting a decent amount of offense in…Brawler makes the mistake of attacking the head but thwarts the comeback and maintains control…Hayes criticizes Brawler’s attack of the skull, so he gets it too…Duggan punches and clotheslines his way back in and Brawler fans should be sad, as this was a very winnable match for their guy…Duggan actually works in a neck vice as this battle trudges along…Brawler whiffs on a dropkick, but good on him for getting up there…Hayes thinks Brawler is close to expiration, which is kind of mean…Duggan slams Brawler, hits the Three Point Stance and that is it…this was longer than you would expect and Brawler really got more offense than the King…better than you would think

- Back to the studio, where Gorilla notes Bobby has dumped the Brawler since he took all his money…he says Brawler has nothing to look forward to now

- Back from break and Gorilla talks about how Dino Bravo switching to the tutelage of Jimmy Hart was a great move that makes him even more dangerous…I agree that getting away from that useless bag of crap Frenchy Martin will help anybody’s career

- Dino Bravo vs. Louie Spicolli…Alfred agrees that Dino hooking up with Jimmy was shrewd…Dino looking a bit bloated and chubby here, still juiced to the gills, but not as fit as usual…Louie is bloated and chubby too but is lacking the piles of muscles to match Dino…Bravo has Louie finished off after a few different moves, but he picks him up each time…Dino turns out a nice gutwrench suplex, followed by his side suplex for the win…no contest here…Dino should hit the treadmill on his way out and cut down on the poutine while he is at it

- Gorilla thinks Jimmy is working on a deal with Slick so that perhaps Dino Bravo and Rick Martel can team up some day soon…that was an odd comment, wonder if it was meant to go anywhere…Sean Mooney is in the Event Center…generic promo from Bad News Brown, who actually calls out “Hollywood Hogan”…that caught me off guard…we also hear from Tito Santana, calling out Rick Martel and his loser friends like Greg Valentine, Haku and Heenan…Sean takes us to break

- Gorilla brings us back and says that many fans have been asking who the Genius is and where he came from…Gorilla says he doesn’t care but states he is impressive in the ring…and then sends out to our next match

- Genius vs. Mark Young…Tony states we have seen some great stuff from Young lately and I will take his word for it…Genius dodges all human contact on his way to the ring…Alfred compliments the in ring style of the Genius but doesn’t quite care for his constant talking…Genius shares a promo with us before the bell…Alfred liked the poem, so maybe he has now changed his mind about the Genius’s verbosity…Genius stretches in the corner, limbering up and Tony wants to now why Young doesn’t jump him…he also calls Genius “prissy” as flexes and poses…I must say, Poffo was fantastic in this role early on, really playing it up for some good heat…he bails to the floor and wanders around, stalling and showing off some more…the way he flaunts each move to the fans is awesome…Young matches him and actually controls things a but…maybe it is the power of his perma-mullet and Super Dave Osborne tights…this is just a great heel character thanks to Poffo just throwing himself into it fully…he leaps up and hooks Young’s armpits with his feet, taking him down into a roll up for the win…and he celebrates with a cartwheel as only he can…fun squash

- Gorilla puts over the Genius’s ability and wrestling skill, but not his poetry…Gorilla is very subdued this week…he turns his attention to the PTW Sing a Song Showdown Contest, which nobody won…but he uses that quick anecdote to send us to Gene Okerlund in the arena, set for an interview with Dusty Rhodes…Dusty has Big Boss Man’s nightstick and hat…he calls Slick a “melon farmer” which is interesting…Dusty says the word on the street is that he has to be investigated and interrogated in public…he is really playing up the lisp and speaking kind of drawn out…he says Boss Man has been tried and sentenced and that Dusty will handle the execution…he shows off Boss Man’s goods and promises that wherever he catches Boss Man, he will interrogate him…not much here, just some rambling and Dusty seemed a bit off…he and Gene dance a bit for us as we head back to the studio…Gorilla comments briefly and tosses us to break

- Gorilla is back and talks about the roll Brutus Beefcake is on…comments on what went down at Summerslam…puts over how Beefcake is a close friend of Hulk Hogan as we head to the Oakland Coliseum for our next match

- Brutus Beefcake vs. Chuck Campbell…Tony & Alfred back with us…Tony notes that Beefcake is basically wrestling on his home turf, as he emanates from San Francisco…inset promo from Rick Martel, who says he looks, wrestles and dances better than Beefcake…Alfred tends to agree with Rick, despite popular opinion…Beefcake has his shorter hair, having had some locks shorn by Randy Savage over the summer…Brutus working over Campbell, nothing much of note really…Alfred says he is trying to send a message to Martel…Beefer hooks the sleeper and that is all she wrote…Brutus gives Campbell a trim and then kicks his neck to wake him up…Brutus is kind of a dick…and we head back to the studio

- Gorilla transitions us to the Event Center, saying Sean Mooney never gets any sun or fresh air…promo from the Rockers, talking about the tag titles and the Rougeau Brothers…and we hear from Greg Valentine, who talks about his issues with Ronnie Garvin…Hammer claims he will roll right over Garvin and nail him down…well then

- We are back and joining Tony Schiavone at the Coliseum Video Vault…he says they have collected all of the fan feedback and requests and are releasing WWF Fan Favorites, consisting of six never seen before matches requested by the fans…he runs down a few of the choices, which actually seem interesting I suppose…we now get clips from the video, starting with Ted DiBiase cutting a very racially insensitive promo on Jimmy Snuka, offering Superfly cash to buy bananas with…Tony & Alfred are on commentary here…Snuka refuses the money and keeps DiBiase reeling right off the bell, knocking him to the floor a couple of times…this has been all Snuka as DiBiase just can’t get it together at all…Virgil trips up Superfly but DiBiase still can’t take advantage…he finally takes over and they brawl on the floor a bit…these guys are working hard but this all feels so paint-by-numbers for the both of them…and we don’t get to see the culmination as we cut back to Tony…what a tease…buy the tape

- Back in studio, Gorilla is on the phone with Piper, who is meeting with lawyers in LA…Gorilla says Piper assured him that he will be back next week

- Powers of Pain vs. Tom Stone & Dale Wolfe…a true jobber dream team here…Fuji leads the POP out…Tony again pushes this dream Bushwhackers/POP match…he says while POP is bigger, the two teams have similar styles…Alfred gushes over Warlord as he beats on Wolfe…Stone is in now, so I am sure things will turn…they don’t…Warlord hoists up Stone and Barbarian finishes him with a top rope clothesline…quick and easy…the slow motion replay has some pixilation as Wolfe flashed some ass cleavage while getting crushed with a backbreaker

- Gorilla is back, speaks briefly on POP and then sends us right back to the ring

- Boris Zhukov vs. Paul Roma…this is a hell of a main event…Tony says Boris is very pleasant looking…Boris only gets about ten words into the anthem before he is interrupted by Roma’s music…wonder if they were planning a Roma singles push at all here…his mullet is filling in nicely and he has ditched the Young Stallions tights, decked out all in black…Boris is just a big, thick dude…he overpowers Roma, but things turn quickly…Alfred puts over Roma’s dropkick as the best in the WWF…Roma is moving really well and looks sharp here...I enjoyed his leapfrog, something I never thought I would type…the worm turns as Boris starts slugging away at Roma, clubbing his chest and back…Roma makes a fiery comeback, including an impressive suplex…the fans are pretty into this one and Tony is all fired up too…Roma comes off the top with a body press, but Boris rolls through for two…Roma recovers and snaps off a powerslam for the win…wow, solid match and hell, if this Roma always showed up, maybe he deserved a good singles push…he could have been a fixture in the IC title picture perhaps…I was impressed as I wasn’t expecting much when the bell rang

- Back to Mooney…promo from Ronnie Garvin, ranting about Valentine…and we hear from the Widow Maker, who gives a generic promo about his arrival

- We are back from break and with Gorilla…he talks about how Ted DiBiase injured Jake Roberts and put him on the shelf with a neck injury…but Jake is with us on tonight’s show…quick promo talking about his surprising return after his career was thought to be over…good stuff as usual with Jake

- Rick Martel vs. Tim Horner…Martel is escorted by Slick and we get to hear Jive Soul Bro in all of its glory…as much as I love Slick and his theme music, this was definitely an odd pairing but I guess they assumed Martel needed a manager to get him over as a heel post Strike Force…Horner is hanging around, pining for NWA glory of days gone by…Alfred notes that Martel hasn’t lost a match since hooking up with Slick, so maybe it is a good pairing…even matchup here, skill and size wise…Horner goes hold for hold with Martel early as we get an inset promo with Martel & Slick, making fun a Brutus Beefcake poster…in a bit of foreshadowing, Tony mentions Martel’s arrogance…fans chant for Tito as Martel takes over, using a gutwrench suplex and attacking the lower back…Martel lands a knee drop off the top rope and gets the win…maybe he was trying to find a new finisher or perhaps that was a one time treat…Martel dances with Slick to Jive Soul Bro and it is easily the highlight of this whole episode of PTW…Gorilla takes us to break quickly

- We are back and it is feature match time…Gorilla thinks Dusty will be watching this match closely…and to the ring we go

- Big Boss Man vs. Hercules…yes, we get to hear Jive Soul Bro once again, which I will never complain about…Tony & Alfred go wire to wire on this episode, calling every match…Hercules is out next and it is on…Tony talks about Dusty’s issues with Boss Man…Herc puts the chain down and Slick takes the nightstick so we are all even…Alfred says Dusty has great courage and determination to hunt down Boss Man like he has been doing…stalemate early as neither man can gain an advantage…Herc makes a late run at winning the Most Juiced & Bloated Wrestler award but not sure he can catch Bravo…Herc charges but Boss Man spikes him with a nice spinebuster…Boss Man misses a splash and Tony wonders if Boss Man is worried about Dusty lurking in the background…Herc drops Boss Man with a clothesline and starts to go for the backbreaker but decides to go jaw with Slick for some reason…Slick must have missed a cue there, because he did nothing but Herc acted like he got involved…Boss Man clocks Herc in the neck with the nightstick and gets the win…Alfred covers and says Slick said something really nasty about Herc’s relatives and that is why he went after him…Boss Man cuffs Herc, but Herc hammers back at him before he can do any further damage…Herc wipes out Slick too…he grabs his chain and swings it as Boss Man & Slick bail and head out…weird match

- Gorilla again pushes the Boss Man/Dusty feud as we take our final break…when we return, Gorilla wraps things up for this special Labor Day edition of PTW and we are out

- This was basically a filler episode, clearly filmed prior to Summerslam with generic canned matches, barely any angles and not much studio entertainment with Gorilla mailing it in working solo…also factor in that this was on Labor Day and you can see why it was bland as bland can be…still, it was fun to watch as most episodes of PTW are but I am looking forward to next week’s show to get back in the usual groove