The Wrestling Follower

Promotion Database

2006-01-31T23:24:00.000-08:00

World Wrestling Entertainment
Current Champions:
WWE WORLD CHAMPION- John Cena
WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION- Kurt Angle
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions- Big Show and Kane
WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champions- MNM (Joey Mercury and Johnny Nitro)
WWE Intercontinental Champion- Shelton Benjamin
WWE United States Champion- Chris Benoit
WWE Cruiserweight Champion- Gregory Helms
WWE Women's Champion- Trish Stratus

Latest PPV Results:
2-19-06: Baltimore, MD
(WWE Cruiserweight Championship; Seven Way Match) Gregory Helms (c) d. Kid Kash, Paul London, Super Crazy, Brian Kendrick, Nunzio, Psicosis, and Funaki
John Bradshaw Layfield d. Bobby Lashley
(WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship) MNM d. Matt Hardy and Tatanka
(WWE United States Championship) Chris Benoit d. Booker T. (c)
Randy Orton d. Rey Mysterio
(WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP) Kurt Angle (c) d. The Undertaker

Latest Raw Results
Latest Smackdown Results

NWA Total Nonstop Action
Current Champions:
NWA WORLD CHAMPION- Christian Cage
TNA X Champion- Christopher Daniels
NWA Tag Team Champions- America's Most Wanted

Next PPV:
4-23-06: Orlando, FL; Lockdown
(NWA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP) Christian Cage (c) vs. Abyss
Samoa Joe vs. Sabu
Scott Steiner, Jeff Jarrett, ???, ??? vs. Steve Borden, ???, ???, ???
(NWA Tag Team Championship) America's Most Wanted (c) vs. Team 3.D.

Latest PPV Results:
3-12-06: Orlando, FL; Destination X
Shannon Moore d. Cassidy Riley
The Diamonds In The Rough (David Young and Elix Skipper) d. Norman Smiley and Shark Boy
Alex Shelley d. Jay Lethal
Lance Hoyt d. Matt Bentley
Team Canada (Bobby Roode and Eric Young) d. The Naturals
The James Gang and Bob Armstrong d. The Latin American Exchange
(Four Way Match) Chris Sabin d. Sonjay Dutt, Petey Williams, and Puma
America's Most Wanted, Jeff Jarrett, and Abyss d. Team 3D, Ron Killings, and Rhino
(NWA TNA X Championship; Three Way Ultimate X Match) Christopher Daniels d. Samoa Joe (c), A.J. Styles
(NWA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP) Christian Cage (c) d. Monty Brown

Latest Impact Results

Ring Of Honor
Current Champions:
ROH WORLD CHAMPION- Bryan Danielson
ROH Tag Team Champions- Austin Aries and Roderick Strong
ROH Pure Wrestling Champion- Nigel McGuinness

Next Show:
3-25-06: New York, NY; Best In The World
Basketball City
Chelsea Pier
Pier 63 at W. 23rd St.
Bell Time: 7:30PM

Naomichi Marufuji and KENTA vs. Bryan Danielson and Samoa Joe
Christopher Daniels vs. Alex Shelley
Roderick Strong and Jack Evans vs. The Briscoe Brothers
(ROH Pure Wrestling Championship) Nigel McGuinness (c) vs. Claudio Castagnoli
(Four Way Elimination Match) Daizee Haze vs. Allison Danger vs. Mercedes Martinez vs. Lacey
Also- Austin Aries and Roderick Strong, Matt Sydal, Jimmy Yang, Jimmy Rave, Adam Pearce, Ricky Reyes, Julius Smokes, Jason Blade and Kid Mikaze, more.

Latest Results:
3-11-06: Philadelphia, PA; Arena Warfare
(Four Way Match) The Rottweilers (Homicide and Ricky Reyes) d. The Briscoe Brothers, Jason Blade and Kid Mikaze, Dunn and Marcos
Roderick Strong d. Jimmy Yang
Austin Aries d. Matt Sydal
The Dempsey Brothers (Bobby and Derek Dempsey) d. Pelle Primeau and Shane Hagadorn
Jake and David Crist (Crazy J. and Lotus) d. Tony Mamaluke and Sal Rinauro
(ROH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP) Bryan Danielson (c) d. Alex Shelley
(Three Way Match) Samoa Joe d. Christopher Daniels, and Colt Cabana

1 Pro Wrestling
Current Champions:
1PW Heavyweight Champion- Abyss

Next Show(s):
5-26-06: Doncaster, England; Know Your Enemy Part One
Doncaster Dome
Scheduled To Appear- Lance Storm, P.J. Polaco, Christian Cage, Abyss, Samoa Joe, A.J. Styles, The Blue Meanie, Al Snow, Roderick Strong, Austin Aries, Southern Comfort, The Rottweilers, Sterling James Keenan, Colt Cabana, Doug Williams, Darren Burridge, and more.

Latest Results:
3-5-06: Doncaster, England; All Or Nothing Part Two
Colt Cabana and Darren Burridge d. Southern Comfort
(1PW Heavyweight Championship) Abyss (c) d. Spud
Christopher Daniels d. Austin Aries
A.J. Styles d. Jerry Lynn
Samoa Joe d. Rhino
2 Cold Scorpio d. Sterling James Keenan
Jodie Fleisch and Jonny Storm d. The Rottweilers
(Three Way Match) Samoa Joe d. Christopher Daniels, and A.J. Styles
(1PW Heavyweight Championship) Abyss d. Ulf Hermann

All Pro Wrestling
Current Champions:
APW Universal Heavyweight Champion- Derek Sanders
APW Worldwide Internet Champion- J.J. Perez
APW Tag Team Champions- The Mafia

Next Show:
3-25-06: Hayward, CA
APW Garage
Bell Time: 7:00PM

Latest Results:
(Three Way Match) Kyu Ketsuki d. Tito Aquina, and Dana Lee
Kafu d. Kid Omega
(APW Tag Team Championship) Nathan Rulez and A.J. Kirsch (c) d. Scotty Aboot and Cheerleader Melissa
(APW Internet Championship) J.J. Perez (c) vs. Mr. Primetime (no contest)
(APW Heavyweight Championship) Derek Sanders (c) d. Billy Blade

Brew City Wrestling
Current Champions:
BCW Heavyweight Champion- Dinn T. Moore
BCW Tag Team Champions- Lust
BCW No Limits Champion- Angel Armoni

Next Show:
3-21-06: Waukesha, WI; Betrayal
AMF Lanes
Bell Time: 7:30PM

Mason Quinn and Dysfunction vs. Dinn T. More and Steve Stone
(BCW Tag Team Championship; Lumberjack Match) Lust (c) vs. The Soul Shooters
Chris Black vs. Quinson Valentino
Xavier Mustafa vs. Thoruf
Jose Guerrero vs. Daryck St. Holmes
Red Lightning vs. Ian Xavier
Ann Thraxx vs. Katie

Latest Results:
3-11-06: Waukesha, WI
Daryck St. Holmes d. Scotty Pryde
SkullKrusher d. Ian Xavier
Shortstack d. Miss Anne
(BCW Tag Team Championship) The Soul Shooters d. Lust (c) (dq)
Tommy Courageous d. Mason Quinn
Steve Stone d. Tony DeNucci
(BCW Heavyweight Championship; Steel Cage Match) Dysfunction d. Dinn T. Moore (c)

Chaotic Wrestling
Current Champions:
CW Heavyweight Champion- Handsome Johnny
CW Tag Team Champions- Intellectual Properties (Arch Kincaid and Max Bauer)
CW New England Champion- Psycho

Next Show:
3-31-06: Lowell, MA
Polish American Veterans Club
200 Coburn St.
Bell Time: 8:00PM

Lethal Lottery Match
(CW Heavyweight Championship) Handsome Johnny vs. Winner of Lethal Lottery Match

Latest Results:
3-10-06: Lowell, MA
Kofi Nahaje Kingston d. Kid Mikaze
Luis Ortiz d. Mike Kruel (dq)
Josh Daniels d. Chase Del Monte
Max Bauer d. Matt Logan
Fred Sampson d. Jason Blade
(CW New England Championship) Psycho (c) d. Tommy Penmanship
(CW Heavyweight Championship) Handsome Johnny (c) d. Arch Kincaid

Chikara Pro Wrestling
Next Show:
3-31-06: Reading, PA; Naked
Riverside Beneficial Association Building
1742 Pear St.
Bell Time: 7:30PM

Milano Collection A.T. vs. Larry Sweeney
Eddie Kingston and Joer vs. Cheech and Cloudy
Lancelot vs. Triple Dragon

Latest Results:
2-26-06: Reading, PA; Tag World Grand Prix 2K6 Part Three
Allison Danger, Rain, and Ranmaru d. Mickie Knuckles, Sumie Sakai, and Daizee Haze
Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli d. Darin Corbin and Rian Cruz
F.I.S.T. d. Eddie Kingston and Sabian
Hallowicked and Delirious d. Team D.D.T.
Milano Collection A.T. and Skayde d. Osamu Nishimura and Katsushi Takemura
Shane Storm, Jigsaw, and Equinox d. Shinjitsu Nohashi, Amigo Suzuki, and Miyawaki
Ian Rotten, Arik Cannon, and Joker d. The Iron Saints and Kevin Steen
Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli d. Hallowicked and Delirious
Milano Collection A.T. and Skayded. Gran Akuma and Icarus
Yoshiaki Yago d. Necro Butcher
Sexxxy Eddy, Maxime Boyer, Player Uno, Retail Dragon, and Dragon Dragon d. The Heartbreak Express, 2.0, and Larry Sweeney
(Tag World Grand Prix 2K6 Final) Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli d. Milano Collection A.T. and Skayde

Combat Zone Wrestling
Current Champions:
CZW Heavyweight Champion- Ruckus
CZW Tag Team Champions- King and Joker
CZW Ironman Champion- Kevin Steen
CZW Junior Heavyweight Champion- Derek Frazier
CZW Ultraviolent Underground- Nick Gage

Next Show:
4-15-06: Philadelphia, PA
ECW Arena
7 Ritner St.
Bell Time: 8:00PM

Super Dragon and Necro Butcher vs. B.J. Whitmer and Kevin Steen

Latest Results:
3-11-06: Philadelphia, PA
Sonjay Dutt, Adam Flash, and B-Boy d. Nate Webb, Sexxxy Eddy, and The Messiah
(Four Way Match) Hallowicked d. Larry Sweeney, Andy Sumner, and Jigsaw
Justice Pain d. El Generico
(CZW Ultraviolent Underground Championship; Three Way Match) Nick Gage (c) d. Danny Havoc, and D.J. Hyde
(CZW Ironman Championship) Kevin Steen (c) d. Super Dragon
(CZW Junior Heavyweight Championship; Six Way Match) Niles Young d. Derek Frazier (c), Cheech, Cloudy, Heretic, and Sabian
Austin Aries, Roderick Strong, and Matt Sydal d. Eddie Kingston, Ruckus, and Necro Butcher

East Coast Wrestling Association
Current Champions:
ECWA Heavyweight Champion- Freak Nastty
ECWA Mid-Atlantic Champion- Mike Tobin
ECWA Tag Team Champions- The Valedictorians

Next Show:
4-8-06: Newark, DE; Super 8 2006
Greater Newark Boys and Girls Club
109 Glasgow Dr.
Bell Time: 7:30PM

This year's competitors:
Charlie Haas
Milano Collection A.T.
Danny Daniels
Andre Lyonz
Bryan Logan
Josh Daniels
Scott Lost
Davey Richards

Latest Results:
3-4-06: Newark, DE
(ECWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship) Mike Tobin d. Japanese Pool Boy (c)
Mike Kruel and Mr. Ooh La La d. Johnny Maxx and Andrew Ryker
(Handicap Match) Mega d. The Heavyweights
Bryan Logan d. Mozart Fontaine
Matt Logan d. Chase del Monte
Aden Chambers d. Arch Kincaid
(Three Way Match) Bryan Logan d. Matt Logan, and Aden Chambers
(ECWA Tag Team Championship) The Valedictorians (c) d. Devon Storm and Ace Darling
(ECWA Heavyweight Championship) Freak Nastty (c) d. Shawn Patrick

Full Impact Pro
Current Champions:
FIP Heavyweight Champion- Bryan Danielson
FIP Tag Team Champions- The Heartbreak Express

Next Show(s):
4-7-06: Clearwater, FL

The Long Center
1501 N. Belcher Rd.
Bell Time: 8:00PM

(Street Fight Match) Colt Cabana and Sal Rinauro vs. Steve Madison and Erick Stevens
Also- Roderick Strong, Bryan Danielson, Jack Evans, The Heartbreak Express, Kory Chavis, Tony Mamaluke, Jerrelle Clark, Jay Fury, Alex Porteau, Seth Delay, Chasyn Rance, Black Market, Krazy K., Dexter Poindexter, more.

4-8-06: Crystal River, FL

National Guard Armory
8551 W. Venable St.
Bell Time: 8:00PM

(FIP Heavyweight Championship) Bryan Danielson (c) vs. Jay Fury
(Street Fight Match) Colt Cabana and Sal Rinauro vs. Steve Madison and Erick Stevens
Also- Roderick Strong, Jack Evans, The Heartbreak Express, Kory Chavis, Tony Mamaluke, Jerrelle Clark, Alex Porteau, Seth Delay, Chasyn Rance, Black Market, Krazy K., Dexter Poindexter, more.

Latest Results:
3-18-06: Arcadia, FL
Black Market d. Scott Commodity and Preston James
Jimmy Rave d. Sal Rinauro
Colt Cabana vs. Steve Madison (dq)
(FIP Tag Team Championship) The Heartbreak Express (c) d. Chasyn Rance and Seth Delay
(Four Way Match) Roderick Strong d. Kory Chavis, Erick Stevens, and Canadian Cougar
(FIP Heavyweight Championship) Bryan Danielson (c) d. Tony Mamaluke
Jack Evans d. Jerrelle Clark
Jay Fury d. Austin Aries

TNA Wrestling Bound For Glory Preview

2005-10-22T14:54:00.000-07:00

10-23-05
"Bound For Glory" PPV
Universal Studios
Orlando, FL
Bell Time: 7:30PM

The Bound For Glory weekend is off and running, and I'm here with your preview. This event will still take place, even though Hurricane Wilma is bearing down on the area apparently. This is the card that TNA is claiming to be their Wrestlemania. They are looking to capitalize on their momentum from their Spike TV debut, and they shouldn't let TNA fans down with this event. Just about every base is covered, and this will be the proving grounds for the promotion. The world is watching TNA to see if they can dent the sometimes inpenetrable WWE armor, and we should have a very strong event come this Sunday.

(NWA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP) Jeff Jarrett (c) Vs. Kevin Nash w/ Special Referee Tito Ortiz
Let me start off by saying that there is absolutely no way that they are giving Nash the title. They had a pretty good match earlier this year, and this will not be that bad, but I get the feeling that they are looking to surprise us with a debut tonight. Lets not forget that Raven hasn't been booked on this card, so expect him to cause so serious havoc in this matchup.
PREDICTION: Jeff Jarrett retains.

(NWA TNA X Championship) A.J. Styles (c) vs. Christopher Daniels
If these men had a bad match, it would be an undisputable sign of the Apocalypse. PWG, ROH, TNA, IWC, JAPW, and many other promotions have borne witness to these two wrestler's feud. This may be the best feud of our generation, being that they haven't hhad a bad match, and neither can gain an advantage. This will be another ****+ match, and the only match I would probably want to see more than this would have to be Angle vs. Michaels. Imagine a four way between those guys? Nevertheless, I expect Daniels to to take the title in a bonafide classic match.
PREDICTION: Christopher Daniels wins.

(Three Way Ultimate X Match) Petey Williams vs. Chris Sabin vs. Matt Bentley w/ Traci Brooks
The Ultimate X match is always a clusterfuck of non-stop action, and has come to be the "Royal Rumble" of TNA, meaning it is the one gimmick match that is exclusive to TVA. All three of these men have experience in this match, and I expect one of the biggest highlights in TNA history will take place in this match.
PREDICTION: Petey Williams wins.

(Four Way Match) Jeff Hardy vs. Rhino vs. Sabu vs. Abyss w/ James Mitchell
Monster's Ball, I don't really care for the concept, and what exactly makes Jeff Hardy a monster anyway? This match will be a wild affair, as we know that Sabu and Jeff Hardy will most likely pair off against Abyss and Rhino. I like how they have made Rhino look like he doesn't care about anyone, and he could be the X-Factor in this matchup.
PREDICTION: Jeff Hardy wins.

Samoa Joe vs. Jushin "Thunder" Liger
TNA aside, Samoa Joe has had a great run this year. He is a force wherever he goes, and he had a one-on-one match with Japanese legend Kenta Kobashi, and now he will be facing another Japanese legend in Jushin Liger. This match is hard to predict, due to the styles clash, but I'd expect Liger to go over in his debut. Good to see ROH and TNA showing respect to Puroresu, and who better to usher this inter-promotional talent exchange than Samoa Joe, who is inches away from being a household name worldwide.
PREDICTION: Jushin Liger wins.

(Four Way Match) Austin Aries vs. Roderick Strong vs. Alex Shelley vs. Sonjay Dutt
This will be a very strong match (mind the pun) and we will get to see four of the top up-and-coming TNA stars clash in this Four Way match. All four of these guys have done some of their best work in ROH, and Roderick Strong is getting a huge push in the Northeastern indy. That doesn't mean anything in TNA circles, but I still have to go with Roderick Strong winning this one.
PREDICTION: Roderick Strong wins.

Monty Brown vs. Lance Hoyt
OK, we're trying to put Hoyt over as the next big thing in TNA? They probably should have held off on this matchup, because there is nowhere for Hoyt to go but down to The Pounce in this one. When will Brown get his just due in TNA? He was one of the original TNA heads.
PREDICTION: Monty Brown wins.

Simon Diamond, Elix Skipper, and David Young vs. Sonny Siaki, Shark Boy, and Apolo
TNA management has decided to throw a match together with the top wrestlers in their Job Squad competing with each other in a Six Man Tag match. Elix Skipper almost a year ago was literally on top of the world when he performed his death-defying top of the cage huracanrana. Now he is scraping the bottom of the barrel in the "Diamonds In Rhe Rough" crew. Listen, I respect Simon Diamond, but TNA has him looking like a loser, so that should tell you what will be happening in this match:
PREDICTION: Sonny Siaki, Shark Boy, and Apolo wins.

Jersey All Pro Wrestling 8th Anniversary Show Preview

2005-10-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

10-22-05
Bally's Atlantic City
Atlantic City, NJ
Bell Time: 7:00PM
For ticket and travel information visit JAPW.net

(JAPW Heavyweight Championship; Dog Collar Match) Jay Lethal (c) vs. Steve Corino
Steve Corino is an independent legend who has travelled the globe learning the craft. Jay Lethal is the most improved wrestler in the business at this current time, they will be attached to each other with a Dog Collar, competing for the JAPW Heavyweight championship. This is definitely going to be a hard hitting match to top off the Anniversary card. Look for Lethal to retain in a great match.

(JAPW Tag Team Championship; Four Way Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match) The Backseat Boys (Johnny Kashmere and Trent Acid) (c) vs. Teddy Hart and Homicide, The Briscoe Brothers, The S.A.T.
JAPW Management dropped the SHOCKER, as HOMICIDE will be teaming with...TEDDY HART? This will be a high-paced, disaster of a match (In a good way.) All Eight Men will put their lives on the line in this one, and this will be worth the price of admission alone just to see the interactions between Hart and 'Cide. I'll say that the unlikely team will be the team to win, so can we see The Canadian-Brooklyn Connection as the tag team champions???

(JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship; Four Way Match) Azrieal (c) vs. El Generico vs. M-Dogg20 vs. Archadia
Azrieal is coming off a great year in a handful of Independent Promotions across the United States, including Ring Of Honor and Full Impact Pro. He is the most well-rounded out of all of them, with M-Dogg20 a close second. Archadia has been impressing fans online with the JAPW Worldwide show and live fans in New Jersey. He is still incredibly green, but pulls off some impressive and innovative moves in the ring. M-Dogg20's momentum has slowed down compared to two years ago, but he is still a very good wrestler to insert in this match. He has improved recently during his stint in NWA Upstate in the Burning River Brigade tag team with Josh Prohibition. El Generico has been tearing up the United States from New Jersey to California. He is a bonafide All-Star in his first year competing below the border. Also, he works for the top four Independent Wrestling promotions in the United States. Pretty good. I think El Generico will pull off the victory, being that he has the most momentum out of the other three.

New Jack vs. The Sandman
ECW will never leave my system, so seeing the two most Extreme ECW maniacs in the ring against each other will definitely entertain the crowd to no end in Atlantic City. Pretty ironic, being that ECW was the last major promotion to run A.C. This match will end in a no contest, but expect to see many more ECW alumni participating in this match and this event.

Harry Smith vs. "Mr. Wrestling" Kevin Steen
These two wrestlers are the future of Canadian wrestling, along with Jack Evans, Petey Williams, and Teddy Hart, these are the men that will hold the torch for Canadian Wrestling for at least the next three years. Smith is the son of Davey Boy, and Steen is the young phenom who calls himself Mr. Wrestling. JAPW could make a Canadian Championship out of this match if they felt the desire to. I think Smith will use this match to add to his resume in the United States. He will definitely impress with his technical knowledge. Both wrestlers have experience in Japan, so we will be seeing a highly scientific match from these two. I'd put this match on second to last, with Harry Smith winning in a great match.

"Dirty Rotten Superstar" E.C. Negro vs. Beef Wellington
This comedy match is brought to you by Jersey All Pro Wrestling. This could be the comedy match of the year, as we all know that Wellington and Negro are hilarious. Both of these men can wrestle, so we will have an above-average comedy match for the live fans. I expect Wellington to punch Negro's ass to win the match. That would have to be the most bizarre sentence in The Wrestling Follower's history. At least I made history, talk to you later...

From Fat Frank:
"JAPW's Anniversary cards have traditionally been some of the best shows on the East Coast, and matches like the annual "Battle of the Light-Heavyweights" have bought many up-and-coming wrestlers instant fame and recognition. This years show, is destined to be our biggest Anniversary show to date.

Tickets are on sale now at Jersey All-Pro Wrestling's website at www.japw.net.

As part of the promotion for the show, JAPW fans age 21 and older will have the opportunity to sign up for the Bally's Connection Card. This card will entitle players to accrue points towards free rooms, food and special events held at Bally's.

Jersey All-Pro will give away thousands of dollars in prizes to lucky fans that have signed up for the Connection Card. For further details about this promotion, please see our representatives at our upcoming live events."

This will be a great card, JAPW seems to be trying to make a name for themselves, and trust me, they deserve it. They have put on great cards during 2005 using a logical scheduling system, and they are building for what will be their best year of this cycle, 2006. I predict that this card will elevate JAPW to the next level.

WWE Update (10-13-05)

2005-10-13T14:50:00.000-07:00

World Wrestling Entertainment

Jericho Declines Taboo
Chris Jericho has stated in a WWE.com interview that he will not be participating in this year's Taboo Tuesday PPV. More on the PPV later. He did mention that he wants to participate in a future one. Jericho also mentioned that if his name came up in the internet voting, he would always be available to the fans. A little double-speak? Jericho spoke about his role in VH1's "The Best Week Ever," Fozzy's tour of the U.K., and his future endeavors in the acting field.

"You Screwed Ross!!!"
Everyone has their commentary on the whole Jim Ross situation, but is this leading to a new era of kayfabe? It has been reported on WWE.com that Jim Ross will be having colon surgery, so he will be taking some time off to heal. Trust me, he'll be back in time for Wrestlemania, possibly seconding Steve Austin to the ring to face Hulk Hogan, who will likely be seconded by Gene Okerlund. That piece of booking genius was brought to you by The Wrestling Follower. Read the interview that follows and make up your own mind Wrestling Followers...

The following was posted to the WWE.com website on October 11:

J.R.'s last interview
October 11, 2005

WWE.com: What did you think of what went down last night?
Jim Ross: It was heartbreaking. I thought it was a sad end to 30 years of dedication to business. The way it ended was very abrupt.

WWE.com: If you had a choice, how would you liked to have left the company?
Jim Ross: I would have liked to have had the opportunity to have one of those rare on-camera opportunities to sincerely and genuinely and honestly express my deep appreciation to all the fans who have become my extended family over the years. It’s a wonderful feeling when you get a 40-something year old guy with a teenage son and they watch Monday Night RAW together because the dad used to watch me on Mid-South wrestling when he was a kid or on TBS. They enjoy working in some of my clichés like “slobberknocker,” “business is about to pick up” or “he’s running like a scalded dog.” I’m happy I’ve gotten to contribute a little to some people’s enjoyment. But I’d like to have the opportunity to look into the camera and tell everyone “thank you.” I probably, to my detriment, let it become too big a part of my life. I took pride in what I did. Some weeks the shows were great, and some weeks the shows sucked. It was up to me to try and make whatever we saw a little better than it actually was. Monday Night RAW won’t be a deal where I have my top 10 favorite moments. That would make for a wonderful TV special, but that’s not what it would be for me. I remember the emotional involvement and attachment I had with that brand and that show. When I had Bell’s Palsy, I received thousands and thousands of cards. We got so many e-mails that it broke our server – because people cared about me. They care about me because they know I’m just like them, a lifelong wrestling fan.

WWE.com: Why do you think it happened?
Jim Ross: I would say it’s egotistically driven. Vince is hell-bent on having a fresh, new face that hasn’t had Bell’s Palsy or have a Southern accent sitting in the chair on RAW. This company is like any other entertainment company. You put looks and youth over skill and experience almost every time. I think this was a cop out. I think he just wanted a new voice for RAW, and I think he quite frankly didn’t think J.R. would have become as popular as he did. It certainly wasn’t Vince’s plan. He’s out of touch. He hasn’t been to the grocery store since George Bush, Sr. was president. Here’s a guy that takes a limo to get his haircut every week, and he’s trying to tell me about reality.

WWE.com: The Ross Report is now also gone. Do you have any message for your WWE.com fans?
Jim Ross: I appreciate all of the dot com fans for checking it out. I always tried to be honest. That was first and foremost in my mind. I got 25,000 e-mails on my computer right now asking questions about various types of things. It’s just hard to believe that someone can spend 30-plus years of their life, endure sickness and death, and continue to persevere, the way the company showed me the door would be such a humiliating and embarrassing situation. I believe that there are many, many more issues to deal with other than who the announcers are. How many Bra and Panties Matches can you see? How different can they get? They’re all going to have big breasts. They’re all going to have a pair of bra and panties on. The only difference is what color they’ll be. We have to get back to wrestling. We have to get back to aggressive physicality. We have some guys in this business right now that don’t have a clue of why they’re there. Then we have a little bit of wonderful talent that needs to be emphasis of rebuilding this company and getting it rolling. It’s going to be built by physicality, aggression, suspense and drama. It’s not going to be built by becoming the action adventure show that empowers the audience to enjoy the humor and the sexuality. There are very few things in life worse than a wrestler trying to be an actor. It gets to be humiliating and embarrassing. I think wrestlers should wrestle. If they have a personality, then you exploit it. If they don’t have a personality they’re encouraged to find one or find another vocation. I’ve endured wrestlers having sex with corpses, 80-year-old women giving birth to hands, and that is what we perceive to be entertaining. I look at this chapter closing and beginning a new chapter.

WWE.com: Have you talked to Stone Cold Steve Austin since last night?
Jim Ross: I haven’t talked to him yet, but I plan on talking to him later today.

WWE.com: What’s next for J.R.?
Jim Ross: I’d like to keep that confidential. I have several options in mind. It’s probably going to surprise some people. I have a lot of friends in the media that are interested in me. I have some radio opportunities, some football opportunities, some political opportunities. I’ll do a lot of exploration of things and move on. I’ll probably write a book. And the book will be the truth. I’ve been taking meticulous notes for 30 years. I have box after box of material for a book. It will not only be authentic, but it will be eye-opening. There’s a great side of our business that I love, truly. There are great friends I’ve made that I will have forever. To say that the wrestling business doesn’t have an ugly underbelly, though, would be a lie. If we don’t get back to doing more sports than entertainment, then we’re going to continue to be in the same rut we’re in now. I’m hoping one of these great young studs we have on the roster will demand the ball. Not just request it, but demand the opportunity to lead this company back to prominence like it was during the Stone Cold and Rock years. I feel very good about my track record. I hired Austin, I hired The Rock, I hired Mick Foley, I hired Kurt Angle. I think I’ve carried my share of the load. I have nothing to look back on and regret other than being utterly humiliated the last time I was on television. That’s the last memory. It won’t be a WrestleMania moment. It won’t be the first voice you hear at WrestleMania, it wont’ be the last voice you hear on Nitro, it won’t be calling a classic Austin moment. It will be me holding my testicles, lying in the ring with the McMahons celebrating. That will be my lasting memory and I don’t believe that to be fair. It will take some time to get over it, but I don’t want people to feel sorry for me. Maybe they’ll get a nice fresh-faced pretty boy that doesn’t know a wristwatch from a wristlock. WWE’s reputation for finding star announcing talent over recent years hasn’t been exactly sterling. Maybe there’s somebody else that wants me in the wrestling business. And if they do, I’ll talk to them. I don’t see myself coming back to WWE unless cooler heads prevail. The Osbournes are certainly closer to the Cleavers than they are to the McMahons. Some day they’ll get what they deserve. I believe in karma. The Good Lord has a way of evening things out.

WRESTLING FOLLOWER: If I was fired by getting kicked in the nards by Linda McMahon, not only would I be in court, but the only interview you'd get out of me is this one:

WWE.COM: What do you about what went down last night?
WRESTLING FOLLOWER: Eat a dick, bitch!

Triple H Emcees Mr. Olympia Contest
Triple H will be emceeing this year's Mr. Olympia contest. This takes place on October 15 on PPV. What is notable about this event (for bodybuilding enthusiast, movie enthusiasts, and even politicians alike) Ronnie Coleman will be looking to win his 8th consecutive title, surpassing Arnold Schwarzenegger if victorious. It will be funny seeing Triple H in a suit and looking like a weasely announcer for once. Wrestling Followers like myself, on the other hand, could care less about half-naked men oiling themselves up and posing on camera.

WWE Trying Out England
WWE is giving British wrestlers the chance to try out for the WWE's appearance to Manchester, England on November 17th. I'd expect to see a few wrestlers signed from Britian, but what will FWA and some of the top U.K. promotions do to stop their top guys from showing up for these tryouts? On the other hand, this is a great opportunity for a slew of U.K.'s greatest stars to get their shine on in the U.S. Alex Shane anyone?

Don West would be perfect on WWE ShopZone. "BE DIALING PEOPLE!!! THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR DVD/BRACELET SPECIAL!!!"
Get the DVD and we will throw in the Raw/SmackDown/ WWE 3 Pack Rubber Bracelets for FREE! Ultimate Warrior a household name and icon in sports-entertainment. A driving guitar beat heralded his explosion to the ring with his signature arm bands and face paint. His intensity was unparalleled. His controversial personality is equally unmatched.

I don't know who's crazier, WWE or The Warrior. Rubber bracelets? Hilarious.
Howard Finkel announces: "This match ends in a draw."

All Time Roster- Ring Of Honor

2005-10-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

I have decided to start an All-Time Roster list for the Ring Of Honor promotion. This list will include only wrestlers who have had a match for the promotion, and will be updated every time a new wrestler wrestles for the promotion. Stay tuned to this blog for the TNA All Time Roster which I will post very soon.

2 Cold Scorpio
Abdullah The Butcher
Abyss
Acid, Trent
Altar Boy Luke
Amazing Red
Anderson, Andy
Anderson, C.W.
Andrews, Davey
Andrews, Scoot
Angel Dust
Arashi
Aries, Austin
Arion, Alex
B-Boy
Banks, Antonio
Beckett, Chance
Benny From Da Bronx
Billy Ken Kid
Biohazard
Bison
Black Tiger
Blade, Jason
Blade, K.C.
Boogalou
Bradley, Brad
Bradley, Smash
Brian XL
Briscoe, Jay
Briscoe, Mark
Brooks, Traci
Brown, Slyck Wagner
Buff E.
Cabana, Colt
Cannon, Arik
Carter, Tom
Castagnoli, Claudio
Cheech
CIMA
Clark, Jerrelle
Cloudy
Coleman, Caprice
Collyer, Chad
Corino, Steve
Credible, Justin
Creed, Qeenan
Cross, Jason
Daivari, Shawn
Dalton, T.J.
Danger, Allison
Daniels, Christopher
Daniels, Danny
Daniels, Josh
Danielson, Bryan (American Dragon)
Davis, Phil
Davis, Sean
Delirious
Dempsey, Bobby
Dempsey, Derek
Dempsey, Eric
Deranged
Devito, Tony
Divine, Chris
Dixie
Doring, Danny
Douglas, Shane
Drake, Danny
Dragon Soldier B
Dunn
Dutt, Sonjay
Ebessan
Elax
El Generico
Evans, Jack
Excalibur
Excess 69
E.Z. Money
Fast Eddie
Flatline
Fleisch, Jody
Foxx, Mike
Franco, Anthony
Funk, Terry
Gamble, Brian
Ghost Shadow
Gibson, James
Golden Vampire 8
Gonzales, Rudy Boy
Gordman Jr., Black
Gordy, Ray
Grim Reefer
Guerrero, Eddy
Hagadorn, Shane
Hardy, Jeff
Hardy, Matt
Hart, Teddy
Hawk, Cody
Hayashi, Kaz
Haze, Daizee
Hidaka, Ikuto
Hijinx
Homicide
Honma, Tomaiaoki
Hope, Paul
Hotstuff Hernandez
Hunter, April
Iceberg
Insane Dragon
Izzy
Jablonski, Chet
Jackson, Jerk
Jacobs, Jimmy
Jact Cash Jr., Jimmy
Juan, Don
Kahagas
Kashmere, Johnny
Kazarian, Frankie
Keenan, Sterling James
Kobashi, Kenta
Kojima, Satoshi
Konnan
Krazy K.
Kruel, Mike
Lacey
Lachey, Matt
Landell, Ricky
Laree, Alexis
Law, Alex
Lethal, Jay
Liger, Jushin
Lit
Loa, Ikaika
Loc, H.C.
London, Paul
Lopez, Jeremy
Low Ki
Lynn, Jerry
Maff, Dan
Mahoney, Balls
Mamaluke, Tony
Marcos
Maritato, James
Marvel, Chris
Masters, Joshua
Matlock, Eric
Matthews, Joey
Maximo, Joel
Maximo, Jose
McGuinness, Nigel
Mega
Mendoza, Mace
Milano Collection A.T.
Miyamoto, Kazushi
Modest, Michael
Mondo, Mike
Morgan, Donovan
Mutoh, Keiji
Negro, E.C.
Ohtani, Shinjiro
Omori, Takao
Ortiz, Luis
OZ
Pearce, Adam
Perez, Jose
Persephone
Primo, Kelly
Prince Nana
Puma
Punk, C.M.
Quiet Storm
Rainman
Rave, Jimmy
Raven
Reyes, Ricky
Rhodes, Dusty
Rinauro, Sal
Roach, Gabe
Rockin' Rebel
Rogers, Cindy
Romero, Rocky
Ruckus
Sabin, Chris
Sakai, Sumie
Samoa Joe
Santiago, Diablo
Sexton, Todd
Shane, Michael
Shelley, Alex
Siaki, Sonny
Simply Luscious
Skyfire, Seth
Slim J.
Slugger
Spanky
Steel, Ace
Steel, Jared
Steen, Kevin
Stock, Sara
Storm, Jonny
Strong, Roderick
Stryker, Matt
Styles, A.J.
Super Crazy
Super Dragon
Super Hentai
Superstar Steve
Sydal, Matt
Takagi, Shingo
Tanaka, Masato
The Great Kazushi
Thompson, Matt
Thorn
Tobin, Mike
Togo, Dick
Tortuga, Oman
Turner, Matt
Tuttle, Eric (Towel Boy)
Walters, John
Weapon of MASK Destruction #1
Weapon of MASK Destruction #2
Weapon of MASK Destruction #3
Whipwreck, Mikey
Whitmer, B.J.
Wild, Maverick
Williams, Doug
Wilson, T.J.
Wylde, Derek
Xavier
Yang, Jimmy
Yeyo
York, Christian
Young, David

ROH International DVD Match Listing

2005-10-04T17:04:00.000-07:00

ROH International DVD
6-22-02: Jody Fleisch vs. Jonny Storm
6-22-02: American Dragon vs. Doug Williams
9-21-02: The F.B.I. vs. Ikuto Hidaka and Dick Togo
9-21-02: Takao Omori vs. Sonny Siaki
10-5-02: Ikuto Hidaka vs. Amazing Red
10-5-02: Doug Williams vs. Christopher Daniels
11-9-02: Steve Corino and Low Ki vs. Shinjiro Ohtani and Masato Tanaka
11-16-02: Doug Williams vs. American Dragon
3-22-03: FWA UK Title Match- Doug Williams (c) vs. Christopher Daniels
3-22-03: Low Ki vs. Jody Fleisch
4-26-03: Doug Williams vs. Samoa Joe
12-27-03: Tomiaoki Honma and Kazushi Miyamoto vs. C.M. Punk and Colt Cabana
12-27-03: A.J. Styles vs. Kaz Hayashi
12-27-03: Satoshi Kojima vs. Homicide
12-27-03: Christopher Daniels and Dan Maff vs. Keiji Mutoh and Arashi
1-9-04: Sumie Sakai vs. April Hunter
7-17-04: Doug Williams vs. Alex Shelley
7-23-04: Doug Williams vs. Alex Shelley
8-7-04: Nigel McGuinness vs. John Walters
8-28-04: Doug Williams vs. John Walters
8-28-04: Scramble Cage Match (Jack Evans)
9-11-04: Slash Venom and Chicano vs. B.J. Whitmer and Dan Maff
9-11-04: John Walters vs. Nigel McGuinness
9-11-04: Samoa Joe vs. Doug Williams
10-2-04: Nigel McGuinness vs. Homicide
11-5-04: American Dragon vs. Jushin Liger
11-6-04: American Dragon and Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe and Jushin Liger
2-19-05: Billy Ken Kid vs. Ebessan
6-18-05: A.J. Styles vs. Petey Williams
7-16-05: Nigel McGuinness vs. Claudio Castagnoli
7-23-05: Kevin Steen vs. El Generico
8-27-05: Shingo Takagi vs. Curry Man
8-27-05: A.J. Styles vs. CIMA
9-24-05: Milano Collection A.T. vs. Samoa Joe
10-1-05: Kenta Kobashi vs. Samoa Joe
10-2-05: Nigel McGuinness vs. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Jay Lethal vs. Davey Andrews
10-2-05: Kenta Kobashi and Homicide vs. Samoa Joe and Low Ki

The Wrestling Follower: Writings From My Rookie Days

2005-06-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

3-22-01: ECW vs. WWF vs. WCW Feud?
Is a WWF vs. WCW vs. ECW fued looming? From what I've read on internet websites, the WCW landscape looks flat, and ECW (officially or unofficially) has folded. With that said, the only national wrestling promotion around now is Vince McMahon. If the WWF does acquire World Championship Wrestling, that means that, in essence, Vince McMahon for now IS the "Big Three." If Vince was holding all of the national wrestling promotions, what are the possibilities? I will attempt to figure that out now.

If Vince does happen to buy WCW, it would be wise to take Paul Heyman and Johnny Ace (or whatever booker he deems fit enough to run WCW) and have them as the rulers of the two promotions. It seems as if Paul Heyman will do anything in his power to get ECW over (even after it folded), so having him run a seperate ECW wouldn't be too much to ask of him. Besides, the increase in production value would make ECW look two times better. With the leverage that having Vince McMahon as a partner would provide, it wouldn't be too hard to book ECW shows in larger arenas.

Since the above thought has you thinking that WCW is alot bigger than ECW talent-wise, here's another thought. Make all of the ex-ECW wrestlers that are on the current WCW roster join the ECW roster. Should I name some of the wrestlers that would include? I will anyway. Mike Awesome, Lance Storm, Shane Douglas, Jason (EZ Money) Jett, (Kid) Cash, Bam Bam Bigelow, oh wait, WWF has it's fill of ex-ECW wrestlers also. So with the WWF roster being as full as it is, maybe they can send some wrestlers to the ECW promotion themselves. Such as Rh(Y?)ino, Justin Credible, Eddy Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Taz, Perry Saturn, Steven Richards, Dean Malenko and Lita. I know, I didn't include Chris Jericho and The Dudley Boyz. But I would obviously not send them to the "New" ECW because they are so much over on WWF TV. With Paul Heyman owning the "new ECW" he would probably have no problem re-hiring people like Steve Corino and all of the other wrestlers that left. (Notice that I haven't mentioned Rob Van Dam and Sabu yet.) The new WCW would bring back Goldberg and all of the other wrestlers that "left" and build towards an ECW vs. WCW vs. WWF on a PPV entitled "When Worlds Collide."

What? You say that that has already been used? Well find one that hasn't. Anyway, following is my dream card, that I think Vince should seriously consider.

ECW/WCW/WWF PPV
Yoshihiro Tajiri vs. Super Crazy
(Best Of Three Falls) Rob Van Dam vs. Rey Misterio Jr.
Eddy Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko
Rhyno vs. Raven (Strap Match)
X-Pac vs. Kidman
Jeff Jarrett vs. Shane Douglas
Edge vs. Chris Jericho
Edge & Christian vs. Dudleys vs. Hardys (TLC Match)
Booker T vs. The Rock
Scott Steiner w/ Midajah vs. Triple H w/ Stephanie McMahon Helmsley
Steve Austin vs. Bill Goldberg (Steel Cage Match)

I know that there are alot of other cards that look better than mine, but as you can see, the possibilities are endless. If Vince does purchase WCW, I think it will be a very unpredictable time for the wrestling community.

7-23-01: Invasion Match-By-Match Review
Invasion is just the build up for Summerslam. WWF does that every single time with these little PPV's (Backlash, Judgment Day etc.) I wasn't expecting anything huge to happen, and I was right for the most part.

INVASION REVIEW
Chavo Guerrero Jr. vs. Scotty Too Hotty (Heat) (**1/2)
I was surprised when I saw the heat Chavo Jr. got from the crowd when he first came out. Of course, he was masterfully playing to the crowd. When he kicked out of the Worm, I was the happiest man. Scotty Too Hotty's whole schtick is played out.
Chavo Guerrero wins.

Mike Awesome and Lance Storm vs. Christian and Edge (***)
I know everyone likes Lance Storm's (If I can be serious...) line, but it's REAL old to me. Are we going to go the route of Konnan and have the same line for 3 years? When I saw Christian slip near the beginning of the match, I thought to myself (damn!) If he would have hit that spot, I would have added another 1/2 star. Lance Storm looked like a ring general and was oddly calling the match. Christian and Edge must respect Storm to let him call the match as much as he was.
Edge and Christian win.

Earl Hebner vs. Nick Patrick (*)
This could have been Matt Hardy vs. Gregory Helms, or Mark Jindrak vs. Test; BUT NO! They run with old refs that looked like they were on Celebrity Deathmatch. What's Nick Patrick's problem anyway? Is he scared of anyone? Mick Foley will break him in half.
Earl Hebner wins.

Faarooq and Bradshaw vs. Sean O'Haire and Chuck Palumbo (**1/2)
This was nothing but punches and kicks, oh and that Razor Ramonesque fallaway slam by Bradshaw. I wonder why they didn't let O'Haire get in more offense. He did the same spot twice. (The ducking chop to the midsection into the high knee lift.)
Acolytes win.

Kidman vs. X-Pac (***)
The beginning of this match (when they were trying to show each other up) was classic. By about the 5th minute, it was pretty boring. I love X-Pac, his style is classic. The way he comes to the ring and the way he jumps in are classic. Kidman was that guy in Junior High that was real plain, wearing "Air Borden" discount sneakers, and seemed poor. But when it came to it, he was the best in sports, and he'd beat you down something awful if you fucked with him.
Kidman wins.

Raven vs. William Regal (**)
Raven seemed bored, and William Regal needs more variations to his English wrestling style (or as Jim Ross called it, "unorthodox style").
Raven wins after Tazz runs-in.

Billy Gunn, Albert, and Big Show vs. Chris Kanyon, Hugh Morrus, and Sean Stasiak (1 1/2*)
This match was worse than the last match, but not by much. Mostly filler material. I thought Gunn was about to mess up that press slam, if he did, then this match would have gotten 1 star.
WCW Team wins.

Tajiri vs. Tazz (***1/2) This match wasn't as stiff as everyone said it would be, but it was still pretty stiff. Tajiri, RVD, and Tazz are the three top guys from the old ECW. Tazz doing the J-o-b to Tajiri was a smart move. I was looking for the tree of woe baseball slide that Tajiri does, but I guess he'll save that move for a later date.
Tajiri gets the clean victory over Tazz

Rob Van Dam vs. Jeff Hardy (****)
Jeff Hardy is out of his mind. I wouldn't go halfway up that ladder, and he's on the second to last rung posing. RVD was destined to be a superstar since "A Matter Of Respect" (order it on ECW Home Video.) It was hilarious when he knocked that kid down when he went for the Asai Moonsault in the crowd. RVD is talented, and the fans like talent, so RVD getting over as quick as he has isn't surprising to me. He might be the fastest guy to get over in wrestling's modern history. (Even Scott Hall was booed when he first formed the NWO.)
RVD wins the Hardcore Championship from Jeff Hardy.

Trish and Lita vs. Stacy Kiebler and Torrie Wilson (*) That one star is because we get to see these chicks stripping each other.
Trish and Lita win.

Team WWF (Austin, Angle, Undertaker, Kane, and Jericho) vs. Team WCW/ECW (Booker T, DDP, Rhyno, and The Dudley Boys) (****)
This was a fast paced, psychology filled 10 Man Tag match. Vince, Steph, Paul, and Shane were all on the outside of the ring, making it look they all had a vested interest in their wrestlers. The ending was predictable, but it makes sense storyline-wise. Rock vs. Austin is where it should be at this time.
Team WCW wins when Austin turns on the WWF.

7-28-01: Kurt Angle Wins WCW Championship; The Rock Says...?
OK, A WWF Wrestler wins the WCW Championship prematurely. Tell me where I'm supposed to be mad. Kurt Angle won the WWF title within a year of his wrestling within the company. He won the King Of The Ring within a year of signing, so where was the outrage?

Oh, I should be mad because this is the first time a WWF wrestler has held a WCW title? Damn. Some people are so into what they're talking about that they don't hear what's being said. If you want to talk REAL pro wrestling, I'll say this. Ric Flair won the WWF title, and not too long after, Hulk Hogan won the WCW title. How important were those events? Pretty important at the time, but who are we kidding?
We have people talking about this victory spoiling title lineages, but David Arquette was deemed a more important wrestler than Chris Benoit?

Sometimes people should stop overthinking, and start thinking. Kurt Angle was in Pittsburgh, his hometown. With Chris Benoit injured, WWF is making Kurt Angle into a top face. Giving him the WCW title does two important things at once:

(1) It makes the WCW WORLD Championship look important.
(2) It makes Kurt Angle look like a champion of the calibre of Austin, because he beat the man who Austin ducked, Booker T.

People always talk about the holes in WWF storylines, but they never mention the plateaus.

Shadrick got booted from Tough Enough this week, watching Jacqueline crying was pretty disturbing to me though...The contestants seem to really be into each other, when someone gets booted (like Darryl) they show alot of emotion...
WWF fooled alot of internet writers with their latest episode of Byte This. They announced a major announcement would be taking place, and of course websites jumped on the potential story. Here's what will happen: Kurt Angle will grant Booker T a rematch on Raw Is War...Rob Van Dam was on the mentioned episode of Byte This. Here are some stand-out things from his interview:
-RVD thought that his match at Invasion was so good because he was able to have his kind of match.
-He thinks that Jeff Hardy is a great match for him, as Hardy works a similar style.
-RVD is looking forward to returning to Philadelphia this week. He also thinks that fans demand more due to more knowledge of the business.
-RVD says that he believes that the bar has been raised in wrestling since the '80's.
-He had slot of fun doing Spy TV, he also said that his agent booked it for him.
-He has done some acting in the past. They wanted him to wear pads during his martial arts movies, which are 3 in number.
-He loves kickboxing, he learned martial arts as a kid in Michigan.
-He believes that the Van Terminator's shock value would be decreased because of Shane McMahon using the move at Wrestlemania (X-Seven).

My personal opinion on RVD is this: He will be a World Champion one day. He's that good.

...Smackdown got a 4.3 broadcast rating this week, up .3 points...
WWF Sends Out Rocky Press Release

STAMFORD, Conn.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--July 27, 2001--After a nearly four month hiatus, The Rock will make his long-awaited return to the World Wrestling Federation this Monday on Raw Is War.

The show will be broadcast live on Monday night from the First Union Center in Philadelphia on TNN at 9:00pm ET. During his hiatus, The Rock filmed a new Hollywood action epic, "The Scorpion King," based on the role he portrayed in the movie blockbuster, "The Mummy Returns."

"We've had a tremendous couple of months with the WCW/ECW storyline and our Invasion pay-per-view last Sunday. Fan interest continues to increase on a weekly basis and we believe that The Rock's return will further increase the visibility of our programs and our brand," said Stuart Snyder, President and COO of World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. "This Monday will be a very special night for the World Wrestling Federation and our millions of fans."

Last Monday, Raw is War achieved a 5.4 rating / 9 share in 4,344,000 households, according to Nielsen Media Research. Household ratings grew consistently quarter-hour to quarter-hour, ranging from a 4.5 to a 6.1.

The Rock's return couldn't come at a better time as the battle for supremacy in sports entertainment continues between the World Wrestling Federation and the WCW/ECW Alliance. The recent defection of World Wrestling Federation Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin to "The Alliance" has further complicated matters. In order to control what is becoming a chaotic situation, World Wrestling Federation fans are counting on The Rock to reconcile with World Wrestling Federation Chairman Mr. McMahon - the man who helped steal the World Wrestling Federation title from him and handed it to Austin at WrestleMania X-Seven. Now, Mr. McMahon needs The Rock to help fend off "The Alliance." Can The Rock put aside their differences for the good of The Federation or will he join Shane McMahon, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley and Stone Cold Steve Austin to help them destroy the World Wrestling Federation and take over the sports entertainment industry?

World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWF) is an integrated media and entertainment company headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with sales offices in New York City, Chicago and Toronto. Additional information on the company can be found at wwf.com and wwfecorpbiz.com

From The Charlotte Observer
Title: Former WCW executive testifies about encounter with Gold Club dancer
ATLANTA (AP) -- Former professional wrestling executive Eric Bischoff testified Tuesday that he and his wife once left the Gold Club with a stripper and he later watched while the two women had sex in a hotel room.

Bischoff lived in Atlanta when he was president of World Championship Wrestling, which has been taken over by the rival World Wrestling Federation. He said he and his wife left the strip club March 21, 1999, with dancer Jana Pelnis and paid her $75 to $100 when they dropped her off at the club later.

Bischoff said he gave Pelnis the money not for sex but for drinks and the time she spent with them in a private room at the club. He said he thought the sex between the two women was consensual.

Pelnis testified Monday about the encounter with the Bischoffs, saying that they paid her $200 afterward and club owner Steve Kaplan later paid her another $800.

Pelnis, 29, also said she witnessed or performed sex acts on pro basketball stars Patrick Ewing and Dikembe Mutombo, former NBA player Dennis Rodman, Denver Broncos and former University of Georgia running back Terrell Davis and others. She said Kaplan paid her varying amounts of money after those encounters.

Prosecutors say Kaplan used the lure of sex to attract professional athletes and celebrities while cheating customers to funnel cash to New York's Gambino crime family. He and six others are standing trial in federal court, charged with obstruction, credit card fraud, loan sharking and other charges.

Bischoff said he consumed as many as 20 drinks at the club that night.

"I don't even remember driving to the hotel," he said.
Earlier Tuesday, Pelnis, who is cooperating with government prosecutors as part of plea agreement, admitted under cross-examination that she had lied in her grand jury testimony because she was embarrassed about things she had done.

"If you lied under oath because you were embarrassed, would you lie under oath to stay out of jail?" Kaplan's attorney, Steve Sadow, asked.

Pelnis replied, "I can't answer that."

Sid Vicious isn't so "Psycho" now is he?

---2001 WWE No Mercy Predictions
No Mercy is coming up this Sunday from St. Louis Missouri. It seems to be a good card on paper, but it will be the in-ring action that ultimately determines if this card will be remembered in our year-end thoughts. The card is off paper a new direction in the WWF, and hopefully, all the critics will just tune in, and not over-analyze everything. Imagine what casual wrestling fans think about wrestling by reading all the internet wrestling critics on all the giant wrestling websites. We should honestly think about that when we're talking on the internet about how The Hurricane's eyeshadow is not befitting a real superhero, or how Chris Benoit marrying Woman in real life is a work. Before I destroy any semblance of civilization in this article, allow me to predict the upcoming WWF PPV, No Mercy.

No Mercy, St. Louis, MO.
10-21-01

Lingerie Match: Stacy Keibler vs. Torrie Wilson
Look back at my Invasion preview. I said back then that Wilson vs. Keibler is always a good match. Any match. Wilson has never looked hotter, and Keibler is every wrestling fans' dream screw, so no one can lose with this one. (Unless the ref has a hard time getting "In Position."
Winner: Any testosterone overdosed male who is watching.

WCW Tag Team Championship: Jeff and Matt Hardy (we are the champions) vs. The Hurricane and Lance Storm
I swear, if Lance Storm doesn't get the pinfall, he is officially in the doggy dogg house. He STILL hasn't explained his reason for being in the WWF, and he has Mighty Molly higher on the roster than him. Please, let him get the victory. He needs the heat.
Winner: Lance Storm and The Hurricane.

Kane vs. Test
Test will lose handily. I wish I was original in saying that, but every PPV I see, Test gets screwed. More of the same for No Mercy.
Winner: Kane

WWF Intercontinental Championship: Edge d. Christian by dq. Christian retains.
Christian would lose just about all of his heat if he lost the belt now. He was just introduced to the Alliance, so look for an interference. No blow-offs here though.
Winner: Christian

Undertaker vs. Booker T
Booker T will win this, and Undertaker will finally do a legit clean job. This will lead to Booker being a main guy at Survivor Series.
Winner: Booker T

WCW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: The Rock vs. "Y2J" Chris Jericho
I'm not too sure that The Rock will give Jericho the rub. Even though Rocky wouldn't lose heat by giving Jericho the victory, I think the Rock will win it. On the other hand, Vince may want to elevate Jericho while keeping The Rock where he is. Rocky could lose the belt and run after Austin's WWF belt along with Angle and RVD.
Winner: Whoever interferes with this match.

WWF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: "Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. Kurt Angle vs. Rob Van Dam.
RVD is a world class wrestler who is finally getting the respect he deserves. Kurt Angle is playing an enraged character who will break the leg of anyone he's pissed at, Austin is the best in the business at this time. I expect that RVD will teach Angle and Austin (literally) but Austin will retain his title. How? RVD helps him in the end, and challenges him on Raw.

X-Facts: Vince McMahon will apparently be on RVD's side.
Stephanie McMahon said that she hated The Rock and Chris Jericho
RVD seemed just as skeptical in Vince's limo as when he was in the Alliance.
RVD was in the limo with Vince.
Vince pointed to his head to end Smackdown.
Vince was beaten by a move invented by RVD at Wrestlemania by WCW owner Shane, the Van Terminator. Live that down? NEVER!!!

---10-28-01: Get Off The WWF's Back!
Everywhere I go on the internet (wrestling websites at least) we have writers continually bashing the WWF's current product. Like military ants on a dead horse, they jump on every single little storyline and missed opportunity that the WWF produces. Like scavengers, they pick apart any kind of meat the WWF can put on National TV. Perhaps all the WCW fans that have left their televisions when wrestling comes on have jumped to their monitors instead.

The WWF looks like a brand new company these days. With some of their most talented acts injured right now, they have decided to mix the soup, and go for more unorthodox television. The WWF is testing a whole lot of concepts that previous wrestling programs haven't done in the past. Right now, WWF is about as revolutionary as it has been in it's history.

Points to back up the last sentence. The WWF does have a pretty full roster, but the people that complain that there is only one promotion refuse to suspend the disbelief of their being an Invasion storyline. During the NWO invasion angle in the WCW's glory days, the wrestling populous "forgot" about the fact that the leading wrestlers in the NWO were not from an invading WWF. They also forgot that NWO couldn't take over the WCW or vice versa because they were all signed to WCW all along. The current Invasion angle is even more interesting than the beginning of the NWO angle, because there are legit company lines in the WWF right now. The ECW guys probably hang and play cards with other ECW guys, and the same with WWF and WCW guys. This should be brought out effectively in storylines by having them all backstage on camera talking about the other promotions, and plotting on both of the other companies. Instead, the Alliance is the Alliance, and WWF is WWF, making it one on one. Even though this column is to get people to jump off the WWF's shoulders, that would have helped naysayers to understand the current product further.

People also seem to forget that one main eventer and two upper-carders are returning soon. They're also forgetting all the WCW wrestlers that are in the developmental territories. WWF has the strongest talent pool in the world, with such remarkable and talented wrestlers as Shane Helms (minus the Hurricane gimmick), Billy Kidman, Lance Storm, and Jerry Lynn on the roster. Alot of these wrestlers are under-used, but that's likely when there are so many wrestlers in the promotion. The WWF should really be looking into forming another developmental territory, or better yet, build another national promotion to split the groups up. Vince should allow Shane or Jim Ross to take some wrestlers that Vince seems reasonable to another promotion and run themselves independent of the WWF. This will be hard to do, but if Vince wants to, he can easily swap talent sometimes, or have the yearly interpromotional matches.

The wrestlers that the fans want to see get the TV time. Jerry Lynn is a great wrestler, but he has 0 personality. He made a good splash earlier in the year with a light-heavyweight championship win, but his momentum quickly ended, and he was pulled from TV. His arch-nemesis RVD on the other hand, got over with the live crowd faster than anyone in memory, and gained enough momentum to grab victories over the biggest stars, such as Steve Austin, The Rock, and Kurt Angle. They're pushing the right wrestlers right now, such as Test, RVD, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, and Christian, but no one gives credit to them for that. Sheesh, they're even giving Shane Helms a push. Where are all the "push these guys" rants on the message boards and web columns?

Following is a list of some recent WWF matches on their shows. Some matches weren't great matches, but the name power should gain ratings for the WWF if they made sure to announce their complete match listing in advance on all of their previews. Here are some matches you would have seen listed if they would have used that idea.

Recent WWF matches. (No particular order.)
Tajiri vs. Billy Kidman
Edge vs. Christian
Booker T vs. The Undertaker
Rob Van Dam vs. Chris Jericho
William Regal vs. Lance Storm
Kurt Angle vs. William Regal
Kurt Angle and The Rock vs. The Dudley Boys
Kurt Angle vs. Christian
Kurt Angle vs. Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam vs. Raven
Chris Jericho vs. Rhyno
Steve Austin vs. Kurt Angle

The matches need to be promoted heavily in the future, then hopefully people will respect the product more. With Hall and Nash reportedly thinking about signing, I have a feeling the WWF's backload will get heavier and heavier into the new year.

---2001 Survivor Series Predictions
WWF is running it's annual Survivor Series PPV tomorrow night. Last week, everyone was thinking that this PPV would be a horrible one, with the main-event being singled out as the reason. But then on Smackdown, Paul Heyman pulled the best "shoot" in recent history. He ran down McMahon right to his face, bringing up McMahon's past history of ruthlessness. He spoke about Vince Sr. promising the promoters of the time that neither him or his son would compete. Heyman accurately pointed out that the second Vince Sr. died Vince Jr. went back on his father's word and went buckwild in other territories. (He signed wrestlers like Junkyard Dog, Barry Windham, and even Ted Dibiase which closed the doors of many territories.) Heyman also said that Vince's own children wish that he would burn in hell and that he didn't blame them. Heyman drew emotions that alot of present-day wrestling fans can't relate to bringing up three of McMahon's most controversial past employees. He spouted that he built the Titan Towers from the blood of Hulk Hogan, took away Shawn Michaels' smile and bought a WWF airplane, and screwed Bret Hart, who only wanted to live a dream. Then he showed what his true gripe with McMahon was. He told everyone about how Vince stole his legacy and stole his ideas from ECW. He was referring to the WWF's "Attitude" re-marketing campaign of the late 90's when he was getting stiff competition from the WCW. Heyman said that Vince stole most of his talent, which ultimately led to ECW going out of business. This led to Heyman taking off his hat, throwing it at Vince, and showing the world his balding head (to the surprise of alot of people.) All the while Vince just stood there silent and took the avalanche of verbal abuse. Heyman finally told Vince to look at Tazz, who was the color-commentator. Heyman yelled at McMahon, saying that Tazz was at one time a killer. He was once a great wrestler, reasoned Heyman, but now he was just a fat color-commentator, and not even a good one. This prompted Tazz after a few moments to step into the ring and put Heyman in the Tazzmission. Vince took the mic proclaim that Heyman is the epitome of what the Aliiance will do at Survivor Series. Choke."
This segment of Smackdown sparked alot of interest in the WWF PPV. Of course, with this being a "Winner Takes All" main event, it will be very hard to predict the results.

WWF Survivor Series 2001 Predictions

WWF Women's Championship
Jacqueline vs. Trish Stratus vs. Lita vs. Mighty Molly vs. Ivory vs. Mystery Opponent (Jazz from ECW)
Winner: Lita

Immunity Battle Royal
This battle royal will take place so that the winner will receive immunity from being fired for one year if his side loses in the main event. Here are the wrestlers who will be in the match.
Albert, Billy Gunn, Bradshaw, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Chuck Palumbo, Crash, Diamond Dallas Page, Faarooq, Funaki, Hugh Morrus, Justin Credible, Kidman, Lance Storm, Raven, Saturn, Scotty 2 Hotty, Shawn Stasiak, Spike, Steven Richards, Tazz, The Hurricane, and Tommy Dreamer
Winner: Kidman

WWF/WCW Tag Team Unification Match; Steel Cage
WCW Tag Team Champions; The Hardy Boys vs. WWF Tag Team Champions; The Dudley Boys
Winners: The Hardy Boys
This will be a brutal match, with the cage being the primary weapon. These guys have to go all out, so I have the Hardy's winning it.

WCW U.S. Championship/WWF Intercontinental Championship Unification Match
WCW U.S. Champion; Test vs. WWF Intercontinental Champions; Edge
Winner: Edge
Edge will get the win in what may be the show stealer.

10 Man Elimination Tag Team Match; Winner Take All
Team Alliance: Shane McMahon, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, Kurt Angle, and Steve Austin vs. Team WWF: Big Show, Kane, Undertaker, Chris Jericho, and The Rock
Winners: Team WWF
This match will be a classic. Hopefully Ric Flair will be in attendance and make himself seen. The Rock and Austin will be the last competitors, and should put on a twenty minute match after everyone else is eliminated. Ric Flair will cost Austin the match and side with the WWF in a shocker.

Overall this should be a good PPV, also, in the recent Ross Report, Jim Ross stated that a couple more matches may be added.

---12-11-01: Vengeance Goes Off Without A HHH
WWF ran their annual Vengeance PPV (this PPV was formerly called Armageddon) on Sunday Night, and followed it up with a pretty good Raw show the next night. They kept one of their promises by giving us an "undisputed" World Champion for the first time since the NWA split, but where is the Game? In last week's TV Guide, in the PPV section, we see a pissed looking Triple H with his trusty sledgehammer. We watched Triple H keep kayfabe on NBC's syndicated "The Other Half." We even saw Triple H's comedy potential on MadTV. I had a feeling HHH wouldn't show up on Vengeance, but I just KNEW he would be on the following Raw ala Ric Flair. Raw played a video of Triple H before their over-run started so I rubbed my hands together maniacally and sat in wait during the Jericho/Austin cage match. No Game. So the question is, where is Triple H?
Vengeance wasn't a bad PPV, with the three main-events, the RVD-Undertaker match, and the Hardy Boys fued being the focal points. Here's a review of the show, with a Raw review following.

WWF Vengeance PPV
The show started with a video tribute to WWF and WCW champions of yesteryear. Some of the people that we saw were Flair, Sammartino, Backlund, and Iron Sheik. They also showed some closer to present-day champions such as Kevin Nash, Sting, Austin, and The Rock.
The PPV officially starts with a Vince McMahon/Ric Flair promo. Vince basically said that there was no man in the business that could make him kiss their ass. Ric Flair came out and said the fun was about to begin.

Scotty Too Hotty and Albert vs. Christian and Test
Albert got the victory over Christian to end this boring tag team affair.

Edge vs. William Regal for the WWF Intercontiental Championship
Edge and Regal went at it for close to 10 minutes, with the psychology of the match revolving around William Regal's propensity to use brass knuckles on unsuspecting opponents. (More of his brass knux chicanary can be seen on the following episode of Raw.) Regal would have won the championship using his brass friend, if it wasn't for the instincts of Edge allowing him to put a foot on the rope. Regal wasn't swayed and tried to wear Edge down. Edge would not stay down and he hit a spear out of the blue to get the pinfall on Regal and retain his belt.

Kurt Angle and Ric Flair promo with Kurt telling Flair that not even he could unify the championships, and that Angle would be the man to do it. Flair responds by telling him to do it. (As opposed to talking about it.) Meanwhile, Matt Hardy and Lita were having a conversation in the back, with Matt apologizing to Lita for pulling her into the middle of his heat with Jeff. He also recommended that after tonight they put all their differences behind them.

Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy with Lita as special referee.
Lita added a little psychology to this match-up by seeming to be genuinely concerned about these two guys hurting each other. More Lita-ology later on as she keeps breaking up illegal holds by Matt with Matt getting more and more frustrated with her officiating. The end came when Matt had a foot on the rope before Jeff hooked it and Lita not seeing it. She counted the three, awarded the match to Jeff and Matt high-tailed it to the back obviously feeling betrayed.

Trish Stratus entered The Rock's locker-room and kissed him on the cheek to wish him good luck. He said that he was concentrating on unifying the titles and afterwards there would be plenty of time to celebrate.

D-Von and Buh Buh Ray Dudley vs. Big Show and Kane for the Tag Team Championship.
Pretty predictable match being that the four competitors don't show too much variety in their respective offense. The match came to an end with the Dudley's dropping Show face first on an exposed turnbuckle and getting the pin.

Lita went to the back to try to reconcile with Matt, be he would have none of it, grabbed his bags and retreated.

Rob Van Dam vs. Undertaker for the WWF Hardcore Championship
Undertaker and RVD went back and forth in a pretty brutal hardcore match. The finish came when Undertaker chokeslammed the Whole F'N Show off the stage and onto various plunder below. Undertaker takes the hardcore title home to Death Valley with him after the match.

Chris Jericho practiced his new (new?) "egomaniac" gimmick with one of the true psychology masters in the game, WHHOOOO!, the Nature Boy. Jericho said that tomorrow night on Raw he expects Flair to present him with the Undisputed Championship.

Trish Stratus vs. Jackie for the WWF Women's Championship
Trish Stratus retains after Jackie gives her a stiff rub. You're not the true Women's Champion until Jackie lays into you with some stiff shots. Ask Crash.

They showed clips of Vince McMahon joining Rikishi's stink-ass club.

WWF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH, Steve Austin defends against Kurt Angle
Angle and Austin, who seem to be unable to have a bad match, took it slow tonight. They had a pretty good technical match with the end coming clean with a stunner to Angle. A highlight of the match, though, was Austin hitting Angle with 5 Benoit German suplexes.

Trish Stratus was hit on by Test, leading to him receiving the "Big Boot" from the room. Test wasn't pleased with her reaction.

The Rock defends the World Championship against Chris Jericho
Fast paced match-up with the oft-despised Jericho getting the victory after a low-blow and and Rock Bottom to win it. This sets up Austin vs. Jericho in the main event for the "Globally Honored" oh wait, the "WWF World and Formerly WCW Championship, with the NWA-look Belt"

Steve Austin vs. Chris Jericho to determine the Unified World Championship.
This match was a good match, with Booker T costing Austin the championship at the end. The PPV goes off the air with Vince McMahon smiling as Jericho grabs his new properties.

What could this all mean?
Could it mean that this is a set up for next year's top fueds?
Steve Austin vs. Kurt Angle; Triple H vs. Chris Jericho; and the only main event they can run at the next Wrestlemania: Test vs. The Rock? Just wishful thinking, I guess.

---2002 WWE Vengeance Predictions
Vengeance has alot of hype surrounding it. It's the beginning of the GM Wars that is sure to be a huge storyline for the next few months, and with Triple H riding away in Eric Bischoff's limo in the last seconds of Smackdown, signs point to Trips joining Bischoff's Raw show. Of course, Triple H did say he'd hear everything, from all sides, so don't be surprised if Triple H is playing defense and keeping a close eye on the guy that tried to sign him. All in all, an nice beginning to a storyline that has alot of potential, but that's not the post. That reason, of course, is to predict the upcoming Vengeance PPV.

Tag Team Table Match
Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit vs. Bubba Ray and Spike Dudley Here we have a storyline that didn't come together too well. I have no idea what their beef is, except that they competed in matches during the past few weeks, usually ending with a painful looking Crippler Crossface on one of the Dudleys. With Big Dick in the Dudleyville in the sky, and D-Von fulfilling his Reverend duties, the Dudleys are trapped in a corner. Being that this is a table match, it should play to their advantage. But they're facing two World class wrestling athletes in the Radicals, and I think that the team of Guerrero and Benoit will prove too resourceful to be defeated on PPV. After this, hopefully the team will be split up, allowing Guerrero and Benoit to go off on their singles careers.
PREDICTION: Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero win, putting the Dudley's through tables.

WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Jamie Noble (c) vs. Billy Kidman
Billy Kidman absolutely does not need this match. He is already solidified as a bonafied cruising weight threat, so expect Noble to win with the help of Nidia, perhaps setting up a Misterio Jr/Noble Cruiserweight Championship battle at Summerslam.
PREDICTION: Jamie Noble retains after Nidia lends her services.

WWE Tag Team Championship
Hulk Hogan and Edge (c) vs. The Anti-Americans (Lance Storm and Christian) How else would you make the Detroit fans hate the Anti Americans more, than having Edge turn on Hogan and embrace the Pro Canada team? Too bad I don't see that happening. But what I do see will infuriate the fans nonetheless as Lance Storm and Christian will be wearing American tag team belts as they trash the United States.
PREDICTION: Hulk and Edge come up short, losing the belts to the Anti-Americans.

No DQ, No Countout Match
Big Show vs. Booker T
Expect a breakout performance coming out of the former 5 time WCW Champion this Sunday at the PPV. He will be looking to avenge Big Show's heinous chokeslam through the announce table. The fans seem to be ready to pop huge for the Booker man everytime he comes out, so be ready to see Booker grab a decisive victory over Big Nasty.
PREDICTION: Booker T defeats Big Show, regaining the heat he lost on Raw.

WWE Intercontinental Championship
Rob Van Dam (c) vs. "The Next Big Thing" Brock Lesnar
Rob Van Dam and Brock Lesnar have been at each other's throat since King Of The Ring, except that they've been kept away from each other. Brock will definitely be put to the test in this one, as RVD has answered every one of Lesnar's punches with a kick. The crowd will be standing room only for this one, and I have RVD winning in a surprisingly good match.
PREDICTION: RVD defeats Lesnar, retaining his Intercontinental Championship. Or, if the writers are really that anal about booking Lesnar as a monster, RVD will win by DQ.

WWE Undisputed Championship
The Undertaker (c) vs. The Rock vs. Kurt Angle
They've built this one up pretty good over the past two or three weeks, and remember, Angle was inserted into this match late. Going into Vengeance, this match is literally a toss up between most fans. But I'm a wrestling follower, so I'll tell you who I believe will win this match. The Undertaker will retain his title in a great match, setting up Undertaker vs. Lesnar in Summerslam. Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar would be a better match, but I think that the WWE will hold off on that one until a much later date (2003 perhaps?)
PREDICTION: The Undertaker defeats The Rock, and Kurt Angle and retains his championship.

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
The Triple H/Stephanie McMahon/Eric Bischoff love triangle promises to get juicier as Triple H has promised to make a decision before Vengeance is over. I have no idea which side he will choose, but logic would denote that Triple H still has beef with Stephanie. I have no idea if he will be rash enough to join Bischoff's group just to spite Steph.

MATCHES THEY SHOULD CONSIDER FOR HEAT OR EARLIER MATCHES
Chris Jericho vs. John Cena
WWE Women's Championship: Molly Holly (c) vs. Trish Stratus
Hardcore Holly and Val Venis vs. Billy Gunn and Chuck Palumbo
WWE Hardcore Championship: Bradshaw vs. Johnny The Bull

---2002 WWE Survivor Series Predictions
This year's Survivor Series will be taking place from the World's Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden in the heart of New York City. Sunday, November 17th is the date for this PPV event, and the Garden has been sold out. Fans have been anticipating the Elimination Chamber, which is said to rival Hell In A Cell as the largest structure the WWE has produced. Eric Bischoff announced that the structure will be a combination of three matches from the past, which are the original Survivor Series match, the Royal Rumble match, and the War Games match, which are all unique and interesting matches all on their own. The Elimination Chamber will be a sight to behold, and the whole PPV is loosely based on the success of this match. Triple H will be defending his World Heavyweight Championship against five other competitots, including Shawn Michaels, Kane, Rob Van Dam, Booker T, and Chris Jericho.

Big Show and Brock Lesnar have been locked in a feud since Big Show arrived on the Smackdown roster and challenged him for the WWE World Championship. After impressively press-slamming Undertaker off of the stage and putting him out of commission, he has seemed unstoppable squashing Rikishi and Matt Hardy. Big Show may have made an error in judgment, possibly misjudging Brock Lesnar's resolve by throwing him off of the other side of the stage. Also, during the week, Show mistakenly cracked some of Lesnar's ribs at a house show. But as we saw on Smackdown, Lesnar got a measure of revenge, once again not listening to his manager Paul Heyman and brutally attacking Big Show with a chair. This rivalry is heating up, and Lesnar's belt is on the line in a co-main event.

The rest of the show is pretty good on paper, and includes Rey Misterio and Edge defending the Smackdown Tag Team Championship against two other teams, the feuding Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit, and Eddie and Chavo Guerrero. This match may steal the show, as all six competitors have been running on all cylinders for the past weeks. Trish Stratus will be defending her WWE Women's Championship in a hardcore match against the rampaging Victoria. Jamie Noble will be defending his Cruiserweight Championship against Billy Kidman, who has pinned him two weeks in a row. In a match that will no doubt be a spotfest, Three Minute Warning (Rosey and Jamal) will team with Rico Constantino to face the unorthodox Jeff Hardy, Buh Buh Ray Dudley, and his little brother Spike in a table match. Look for some big bumps in this one, to keep the crowd honest. Also, a bizarre team will be facing the former Un-Americans as Goldust and The Hurricane will be wrestling Lance Storm and William Regal, in a match that will most likely be better than most fans believe it will be.

Finally, here are my predictions. Also, the order of the matches is the order that I would book the card.

(WWE Cruiserweight Championship) Jamie Noble w/ Nidia (c) vs. Billy Kidman
As I stated above, Billy Kidman has pinned Noble two weeks in a row, and Noble will be looking to avenge those losses. I have to think that Noble has held the belt long enough, and Kidman is more than qualified to take over the reigns as Cruiserweight Champion. Therefore, my prediction is that Kidman will win in a hard fought match and take the belt to Nidia's dismay.
Prediction: Billy Kidman wins the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.

Lance Storm and William Regal vs. Goldust and The Hurricane
All four men are talented technical wrestlers, but I expect this to be a breakout match for the Hurricane. Hopefully he will show some moves (remember his WCW days?) and perhaps hit his dreaded Vertebreaker on one of his opponents. This is a hard one to predict, but I'll pick Lance Storm and William Regal.
Prediction: William Regal and Lance Storm win.

Six Man Table Match- Three Minute Warning and Rico Constantino vs. Jeff Hardy, and Buh Buh Ray and Spike Dudley
As I said earlier this will be a spotfest, with Hardy and Spike being the ones taking most of the bumps in my opinion. We might be able to see another side of Rosey and Jamal, as they haven't really been established as a monster team. This match will be unpredictable, but I have to go with the faces to win.
Prediction: Jeff Hardy, and Buh Buh Ray and Spike Dudley win.

(WWE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP) Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman (c) vs. Big Show
This will be a pretty interesting match, the way Big Show's character has evolved over the past few weeks. Brock Lesnar put a monkey wrench in Big Show's momentum in the last moments of Smackdown, busting him open with some stiff shots with a chair. Show will be looking for revenge, and this will be a hard-hitting matchup. Will Lesnar be able to get Show up for the F5 with his cracked ribs?
Prediction: Brock Lesnar retains.

(WWE Women's Championship; Hardcore Match) Trish Stratus (c) vs. Victoria
Trish and Victoria have been going at it for a few weeks now because Victoria believes that Trish has been holding her back in the past. This will be a good match, with two women who know how to get it done in the ring. I expect Victoria to destroy Trish for the whole match, only to have Trish make a surprising comeback victory.
Prediction: Trish Stratus retains.

(WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP; Elimination Chamber Match) Triple H w/ Ric Flair (c) vs. Kane vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Booker T vs. Chris Jericho
This is the most unpredictable match of the night, and literally anyone could come out the victor. I've noticed that RVD has been the poster boy for the Survivor Series commercials, but usually that is just to throw you off. I don't think that will be the case this time, as they've been keeping RVD quiet for the past few weeks, teaming with Tommy Dreamer.
Prediction: Rob Van Dam wins the World Heavyweight Championship.

X-Factor: Scott Steiner is rumored to make an on camera appearance. The Garden will explode when they see the Big Bad Booty Daddy. Will he reveal which show he will be on? Tune in tomorrow night and find out. Also, after the event is over, visit the site and see some WWE Survivor Series Results.

---2003 Royal Rumble Predictions
Here it is, WWE's second biggest show of the year is right around the corner, and The Wrestling Follower has the predictions. Royal Rumble 2003 emanates from the Fleet Center in Boston this year, and on paper, the card doesn't look as good as it could, but that doesn't mean a thing, since WWE always does something special on their big shows. As usual, I will be predicting the order of the matches as well as their winners. So here it comes, and enjoy the PPV.

(Winner Enters The Royal Rumble Match) Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show
My mellow my man Ant told me that he thinks that this match will be the forum for The Undertaker to come back. He believes that Mark 'Taker will interrupt and cost Big Show the match, which will subsequently lead to Taker and Show reprising their feud. I agree with his logic, but disagree with his prediction. This match will obviously be low on the card, so hyping Undertaker's return would be wasted if he came back simply to disrupt Show's title plans. There are only 29 men announced for the Royal Rumble match, and since Damaja (from OVW) has been written out of the match, Undertaker would be the obvious choice for the 30th spot, but WWE never makes it that easy for us.
Prediction: Brock Lesnar wins with an F5.

WWE Raw Tag Team Championship) William Regal and Lance Storm (c) vs. The Dudley Boys
William Regal and Lance Storm are a great tag team, simple as that. The Dudley Boys are looking for revenge on all of Bischoff's friends. This will be a pretty good match with the former Un-American's teasing losing the belts for some time. The Dudleys will come up short, and the Can-UK Connection will win the match cleanly. Yep, I said cleanly, WWE needs to develop this team as a legitimate team.
Prediction: William Regal and Lance Storm retain clean.

(Stepmother vs. Stepdaughter) Dawn Marie vs. Torrie Wilson
The late Al Wilson is apparently the booker of this match. Dawn Marie turned her and Al's honeymoon into a massacre, and Mr. Wilson's heart apparently couldn't take it. How did both of these diva's repay the man who made all of this possible? They fought over his dead body and almost made him fall out of his coffin. Hopefully this match will be done fast, but I definitely predict that Torrie Wilson will take the victory to avenge her dad's death.
Prediction: Torrie Wilson deals death dame Dawn Marie defeat as the diva's dad's death is deemed done. (Storyline wise.)

(WWE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP) Kurt Angle (c) vs. Chris Benoit
These are the two most evenly matched wrestlers in the world. They should be given the floor and given the chance to put on a five star classic. This is the Royal Rumble, so not too many people believe that this will be an average match. Hopefully Team Angle will be banned from ringside so this will be a one on one classic. WWE needs this match to show that they are still the best promotion in the world. I believe that they will let this two stars shine, and both superstars (and the promotion) will get a rub off of this one.
Prediction: Chris Benoit defeats Angle to win his first WWE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

(Royal Rumble Match)
Raw: Batista, Booker T, Chris Jericho, Christian, Christopher Nowinski, Goldust, Jamal, Jeff Hardy, Kane, Maven, Rob Van Dam, Rosey, Shawn Michaels, Test, and Tommy Dreamer.

Smackdown: A-Train, B2, Bill DeMott, Charlie Haas, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Eddie Guerrero, Edge, John Cena, Matt Hardy, Rey Mysterio, Rikishi, Shelton Benjamin, Yoshihiro Tajiri and Big Show or Brock Lesnar. For the benefit of these predictions insert Brock Lesnar's name.
Prediction: Brock Lesnar wins.

(WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP) Triple H (c) vs. Scott Steiner
This is the biggest match since The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan. Scott Steiner has dominated Triple H in all of their little competitions, and the fans are loving it. The fans legitimately hate Triple H, and this is ironic, since most of the internet writers who now claim that H isn't shit were the same people who said that the fans won't be able to boo him after his injury. Well, Triple H will not drop the belt to Steiner as of now, but this will be a great match even though everyone is talking about how both men aren't what they used to be. The psychology will be more than enough in this match as Steiner/H will steal the show with their competitive style of grappling. Don't be surprised to see Triple H get a hold of the ropes to get out of a Steiner Recliner.
Prediction: Triple H retains by cheating.

2005-06-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

Hey Wrestling Followers, I'm back with some more analysis of what's going on in the world of Professional Wrestling. In case I haven't plugged it enough, be sure to visit The Main Wrestling Follower website. There you will find the Results Archive, which is the reason I developed this whole Wrestling Follower network thing. As you look over the website, please take the time to click on "Message Board" and register to join. There we will discuss everything about the world of Professional Wrestling without alot of the limitations that other wrestling message boards have.

Bradshaw vs. Blue Meanie
Last week I spoke about how great I thought the ECW PPV was, and I knew about the whole Bradshaw/Meanie incident, but I didn't really have an opinion because the PPV had a long camera and I couldn't really see the attack taking place that well. That changed yesterday when I saw some Fan Cam footage of the attack and all I have to say is that I'm very disappointed in Bradshaw. He got away with something no one in the wrestling business should stand for. With the politics that go on behind the scenes, I see how other wrestlers don't want to say anything, but you have to think about this: What happens if Bradshaw hospitalized Meanie during that attack? Things would be damn different right now. Bradshaw better never call anyone a "Street Thug" again, because watching the video, you can see what kind of person Bradshaw really is.

Smothers Shoots On J.B.L.
Tracy Smothers cut a "promo" on Bradshaw earlier this week, and even though he looked to be smiling in the beginning, he got serious real fast as he challenged Bradshaw to a fight, and then went onto say that he's going to kick Bradshaw's ass when he sees him. Say what you will about Tracy Smothers, he might play a clown at wrestling shows, dancing and giving the Italian salute to fans, but he's real deal. The loyalty of the ECW guys shines through with this promo which was shot somewhere in Tennessee (I'm thinking Kingsport but it could have been elsewhere.)

Edge and Lita Tie The Knots In My Stomach
I'm not going to speak on this too much, but the whole Lita/Edge wedding wasn't that bad, I mean, they've been treading the lines of good taste for the past few weeks. But playing Matt Hardy's theme song was pathetic, and WWE needs to think about what they're doing. There are human lives and emotions that are being affected by this angle, and to play Hardy's music was not only tasteless, but it was stupid and unnecessary.

Drafting Carlito
The WWE Draft has been pretty good so far, with very interesting choices by both shows. The latest surprise happened on Raw this past Monday as Carlito made an appearance, and in his first match on Raw, similar to his first match on Smackdown!, he took a title in his first match. Shelton Benjamin's title reign ends after 8 months, and Carlito has a tainted victory, but nevertheless, he is still the WWE Intercontinental Champion. He will be defending his newly won title at Vengeance against the man he cheated out of the belt, Shelton Benjamin. Since I don't believe in spoiling it for people, the surprises will not end this week on Smackdown! as another draft pick will be made. Look for this draft pick to make an instant impact, just like all the other draft picks have.

Raw Is More
Raw ended this week with a pretty good tag team match, with Triple H and Kurt Angle vs. Batista and Shawn Michaels. This sets up two rematches taking place at the Vengeance PPV this Sunday. First, in a rematch of the WWE's Match Of The Year Candidate from Wrestlemania, Kurt Angle will be looking to go up 2-0 on Shawn Michaels. Michaels is looking to avenge his loss on the biggest stage, to prove that he is in the same league as Angle. This should be another great match from the two, and I hope that they don't tone it down just so they won't steal any thunder from the Hell In A Cell Match. Speaking of which, Triple H seems to have the advantage heading into this PPV, and Batista's World Heavyweight Championship reign seems to be in trouble. Triple H has been focused, and on Raw he ended the show hovering over an unconscious Batista holding his title belt. This match will be brutal, and I think we will see a new side to Batista. Will this end the feud, or will Triple H come out on top for the 11th time? Here is the current card for Vengeance:

WWE Vengeance
6-26-05
Las Vegas, NV
Bell Time: 8:00PM

(WWE Intercontinental Championship) Carlito (c) vs. Shelton Benjamin
Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels
(WWE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP; Three Way Match) John Cena (c) vs. Chris Jericho, and Christian
Kane vs. Edge w/ Lita
(WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGhT CHAMPIONSHIP; Hell In A Cell) Batista (c) vs. Triple H

NWA TNA Refuses To Surrender
NWA TNA has had a pretty eventful week, even though they are off of Television. They may not be for too long, as rumor has it that Spike TV has offered a late Saturday night timeslot. This is a downgrade from what WGN was offering, but it will have to do if TNA wants to be on TV. For those who didn't know, a WGN deal would have given TNA a two hour timeslot (8-10) on Monday Nights, but the deal fell through. Looks like we'll have to wait a little bit longer for a renewed Monday Night War. TNA is still in business, and has had a taping for their next month's worth of shows. They taped for International Impact, Xplosion, and their new internet show which will be airing on their website. To view the results of this taping, click here for the Results Archive. Here is the current card:

NWA TNA: No Surrender
7-17-05
Orlando, FL
Bell Time: 8:00PM

(NWA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP; No Submission Dog Collar Match) Raven (c) vs. Abyss (w/ James Mitchell)
(NWA Tag Team Championship) The Naturals (c) vs. Team Canada (Eric Young and Bobby Roode)
(NWA X Championship) "Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels (c) vs. Petey Williams
Samoa Joe vs. Chris Sabin
A.J. Styles vs. Sean Waltman w/ Special Referee Jerry Lynn
Monty Brown and The Outlaw vs. 3 Live Kru (Ron Killings and Konnan)

Joe Makes An Impact on TNA
All the ROH fans know about him, fans in California have known about him even longer, but now the TNA fans get to see what all the hype is about. Sonjay Dutt just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time as he felt the wrath of Joe on the Slammiversary PPV. Joe will be "paying his dues" in meanless feuds in the beginning, but an Abyss/Joe feud is a no-brainer, and hopefully this will lead to Joe getting a World title reign before the Fall.

With that said, that's all for today, keep checking back here for more info. Talk to you later- The Wrestling Follower

2005-06-14T11:32:00.000-07:00

This blog hasn't been updated in quite a while, so I'm here to say what's up from the World's Greatest City (New York, for those who are new to this planet.) Would it be too much of a stretch to say that this was a huge week in the world of Pro Wrestling? Usually at this point, the writer would add "Where do I start?" but if I did that, I wouldn't be telling the truth. You know where I will start, ECW. If there was one thing that I really learned about the ECW weekend, it is that if ECW had the finances, they would be one damn strong promotion right about now. Domino says "Money Is Everything" though, and bad business was the Fall of ECW. But, on Sunday night, ECW One Night Stand did some very good business, and made us all wonder if ECW is the runner who trips, and looks like he's hurt, but gets up and finishes the race. Everyone who had a keyboard said that they hated how WWE was doing the ECW angle on TV, and I had to remind people that Paul Heyman wasn't booking Raw and Smackdown while this new invasion was taking place. I had confidence that the PPV would not only meet expectations, but exceed them with no problem. Early in the angle people were complaining because it didn't take place in ECW Arena. While I am a fan of nostalgia, and the whole notion that it should take place where the promotion started, The Hammerstein Ballroom looked great. The booking, is what showed alot of WWE's weaknesses though. Every angle and match came seamlessly, and every surprise appearance made complete sense. Not only that, but the NYC crowd was as hot as a flaming table, and everyone was on their feet when they were supposed to be. Also, the lingering effect of the WWE "Crusaders" way up high in the balcony was well done. Watching their reactions to the Wrestling was priceless, and may well be worth the price of the PPV in it's own merit. That is what makes a PPV. The wrestling was top notch, and the presentation of the history of ECW was excellent.

Here are the results from www.ecw.com

ECW’s first event in nearly a half of a decade kicked off with a thunderous ovation for the voice of ECW, Joey Styles. Over the next three hours, the ECW fans on hand at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City managed to sustain their level of applause and excitement, and oftentimes, believe it or not, even exceeded it.

Best friends battled in the first match of One Night Stand when “Lionheart” Chris Jericho took on one half of the Impact Players – Lance Storm, with Dawn Marie. Not only are Jericho and Storm best friends, but they also competed together in the past as a tag team. At One Night Stand, however, they were on opposite ends of the ring.

Prior to the event, Storm mentioned to many that his One Night Stand match against Jericho would probably be his last. That said, Storm clearly used every ounce of athleticism in him to go out with a bang. What happened at the end of the physical encounter, however, left many people wondering if that was the way that Lance Storm actually wanted to end his successful career. Rather than the match’s decision coming as a result of one ECW star’s superior efforts, Justin Credible and Jason interfered on Storm’s behalf, hitting Jericho with a kendo stick. The impact was enough to cost Jericho the match. In the end, it was clear that Lance Storm had stolen a win from his best friend.

The Tajiri vs. Little Guido vs. Super Crazy match was so intense that color commentator Mick Foley was forced to let Joey Styles call the match on his own because the three ECW stars were executing moves so innovative that he didn’t know how to call them. At one point, the action spilled out to the crowd. With the entire Full Blooded Italian faction standing on the arena floor, Super Crazy climbed to the second floor balcony and executed a jaw-dropping moonsault. Shortly thereafter, Little Guido was eliminated from the match. After several more minutes of action, Super Crazy finally won the match after hitting a top-rope moonsault onto Tajiri.

Psicosis and Rey Mysterio have competed against each other more than 500 times. This encounter easily went down as one of the most anticipated. Prior to the match, Psicosis removed his mask as a sign of love and mutual respect for the ECW fans. When the bell finally rang, neither man showed any regard for his body. At one point, Mysterio even jumped into the crowd onto a Psicosis. In the end, it was Mysterio picking up the win with the West Coast Pop.

After the Psicosis/Rey Mysterio match, SmackDown! Superstars Kurt Angle and JBL verbally assaulted the ECW fans. Luckily, the return of Rob Van Dam to pay-per-view stopped Angle and JBL. RVD, with Bill Alfonso, interrupted JBL, saying that he was tired of having JBL and his image shoved down his throat every time he wants to watch wrestling.

RVD then continued to shoot from the heart, claiming he was going back to a time when his vocabulary was not limited to simply “whatever” or “cool.” Van Dam said that the time he spent in ECW was the best of his career. In fact, ECW was so important to RVD that not being able to compete at One Night Stand because of injury was worse than missing any overseas WWE event or even WrestleMania. RVD then went into how he planted the seed of One Night Stand into Mr. McMahon’s head. But before he could get into it anymore, Rhyno ran to the ring and Gored an unsuspecting Van Dam.

Immediately after the Gore, the lights at the Hammerstein Ballroom shut off, leaving the arena completely black. When the lights finally came back on, Sabu was standing in the middle of the ring. Rhyno and Sabu then competed in an unscheduled match.

Rhyno, the last ECW World Heavyweight Champion, looked to be in the best shape of his career. Unfortunately for Rhyno, however, his chiseled frame was not enough to stop the three-on-one attack of Sabu, RVD and Alfonso. Van Dam eventually slammed Rhyno with a steel chair, then placed him on top of a table. From there, Sabu, using another steel chair as a weapon, leg dropped Rhyno through the table. That proved to be enough for the pinfall victory.

As expected, Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero put on a wrestling clinic at One Night Stand. Both successful SmackDown! Superstars clearly gave it their all in an attempt to entertain the ECW fans. In the end, Guerrero had no choice – tap out or have his neck broken at the hands of a Benoit Crippler Crossface. Guerrero wisely tapped out.

In a match just signed for One Night Stand this past Friday, Mike Awesome took on Masato Tanaka. The incredible resilience of the Awesome and Tanaka caused the capacity crowd to shower the competitors with chants of “This match rules.” Highlighted by countless chair shots, broken tables, tornado DDTs and just complete carnage, the match ended when Awesome pinned Tanaka on the floor after delivering an Awesome Bomb through a table from inside the ring to the outside.

After the match, Mick Foley and Joey Styles, who berated Awesome for leaving ECW for WCW years ago, agreed that Awesome had to feel a great sense of redemption after WCW made him look like a fool with the “That 70’s Guy” persona.

Prior to the night’s main event, Paul Heyman took to the ring and thanked the people that made ECW possible. Heyman then focused his attention on the WWE crusaders in attendance, more specifically Eric Bischoff, Edge and JBL. Heyman took great pride in reminding him that he was in the audience at an ECW pay-per-view, not a WCW pay-per-view. He then focused his attention on Edge. Just after mocking the RAW Superstar by telling everybody to hide their wives, Heyman said he had one name for him – “Matt Freaking Hardy.” Finally, Heyman told JBL that the only reason he was WWE Champion for close to one year was because Triple H didn’t want to compete on SmackDown!

One Night Stand’s main event was easily the most violent and bloodiest encounter of the night. But before the match could officially get under way, the bWo and Kid Kash attempted to make their presence felt. When they finally cleared the ring, Bubba Ray and D-Von fought for their professional lives against Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman. All four competitors lost immense amounts of blood thanks to the use of chairs, ladders, tables and even cheese graders.

Believe it or not, the match became even more interesting when the Impact Players, complete with barbed wire, and Francine interfered. Francine promptly kicked Dreamer below the belt. But before any more damage could be done to Dreamer, Beulah ran to the ring and cleared Francine from the match. A bloody Dreamer and Beulah then shared an emotional embrace before executing a double DDT to the Dudleys.

Just when it looked like the Dudleys had no chance of winning, Spike Dudley ran to the ring. Spike did not come alone, though. – he brought lighter fluid. Not long after, Dreamer was powerbombed through a flaming table. Bubba quickly covered Dreamer for the win.

After the match, former ECW star Stone Cold Steve Austin invited the entire ECW locker room into the ring, including Tazz. Stone Cold then invited the WWE crusaders to the ring. An emotional ECW quickly cleaned house of the crusaders. With nobody left to save him, Eric Bischoff then fell victim to a 3D, Diving Headbutt from Benoit, 619 and a Stone Cold Stunner.

By the end of the night, it was clear that, even if for one night only, ECW was alive!

www.ecw.com

The Wrestling Follower List Of Champions (Updated 4-29-05)

2005-05-04T11:46:00.000-07:00

WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT
(WWE World Champion) John Cena
(WWE World Heavyweight Champion) Batista
(WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champions) MNM (Joey Mercury and Johnny Nitro)
(WWE Raw Tag Team Champions) William Regal and Tajiri
(WWE U.S. Champion) Orlando Jordan
(WWE Intercontinental Champion) Shelton Benjamin
(WWE Cruiserweight Champion) Paul London
(WWE Women's Champion) Trish Stratus

NWA TNA
(NWA World Champion) Jeff Jarrett
(NWA X Champion) Christopher Daniels
(NWA World Tag Team Champions) The Naturals

RING OF HONOR
(ROH Heavyweight Champion) Austin Aries
(ROH Pure Wrestling Champion) Jay Lethal
(ROH Tag Team Champions) B.J. Whitmer and Jimmy Jacobs

3PW
(3PW Heavyweight Champion) Slyck Wagner Brown
(3PW Tag Team Champions) Vacant

ALL JAPAN PRO WRESTLING
(AJPW Triple Crown Champion) Satoshi Kojima
(AJPW World Tag Team Champions) Yuji Nagata and Kendo Ka Shin
(AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Champion) TAKA Michinoku
(AJPW All Asian Tag Team Champions) Bull Buchanan and Rico Costantino

ALL PRO WRESTLING
(APW Universal Heavyweight Champion) Nathan Rulez
(APW Worldwide Internet Champion) Puma
(APW Tag Team Champions) Immortal Fear

AMARILLO CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING
(ACW Heavyweight Champion) Rexx Reed
(ACW Tag Team Champions) B-Money and The Gay Blazer
(ACW U.S. Champion) Brice Payne

AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING ALLIANCE
(ACWA Heavyweight Champion) C.J. Summers
(ACWA Tag Team Champions) Travis Blake and ???
(ACWA Women's Champion) Della Morte

AMERICAN PRO WRESTLING
(APW Heavyweight Champion) Steve Cronic
(APW United States Champion) Kirk Prodigy
(APW Carolinas Champion) Johnny Buffett
(APW Tag Team Champions) Ken Magnum and Scott E. Smooth

AMERICAN WRESTLING ALLIANCE (New Jersey)
(AWA Heavyweight Champion) Jay Lethal
(AWA Lightweight Champion) Azrieal
(AWA Tag Team Champions) All Money Is Legal
(AWA Women's Champion) Krystal Synn

ASYLUM CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING
(ACW Heavyweight Champion) Angel Williams
(ACW Hardcore Champion) Se7en

ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP PRO WRESTLING
(ACPW Lightweight Championship) Brandon Maretti
(ACPW Television Champion) Hangtime
(ACPW Tag Team Champions) The Phat Boys

AUSTRALIAN WRESTLING FEDERATION
(AWF Heavyweight Champion) Mark Hilton
(Young Lions Cup Holder) Kid Dynamite

BAD 2 THE BONE WRESTLING
(BBW Heavyweight Champion) J.C. Bailey
(BBW U.S. Champion) Brandon Blaze
(BBW Tag Team Champions) Randy Royal and K-Lo
(BBW Light Heavyweight Champion) Simon Sezz
(BBW Hardcore Champion) Mason The Mangler
(BBW Ladies Champion) Jade

BORDER CITY WRESTLING
(BCW Can-Am Heavyweight Champion) A-1
(BCW Television Champion) Alex Shelley
(BCW Can-Am Tag Team Champions) Team Canada (Petey Williams and Bobby Roode)

BREW CITY WRESTLING
(BCW Heavyweight Champion) Dinn T. Moore
(BCW Tag Team Champions) Supremecy Squad
(BCW No Limits Champion) Angel Armoni

BUCKEYE PRO WRESTLING
(BPW Heavyweight Champion) Cody Hawk
(BPW Tag Team Champions) Lotus and Crazy J

CAROLINA WRESTLING FEDERATION MID-ATLANTIC
(CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion) Ric Converse
(CWF Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champions) Twisted Aggression (Sean Powers and Ivan Koloff)
(CWF Mid-Atlantic Television Champion) Jesse Ortega
(CWF Rising Generation League Champion) Kid Justice

CHAMPIONSHIP PRO WRESTLING
(CPW Heavyweight Champion) Zubov
(CPW Tag Team Champions) Shane Shadows and Bob Keller
(CPW Ladies Champion) Eva Destruction

CHAOTIC WRESTLING
(CW Heavyweight Champion) Vacant
(CW Tag Team Champions) The Logan Brothers (Bryan and Matt)
(CW New England Champion) Brian Milonas

CLEVELAND ALL PRO WRESTLING
(CAPW Unified Heavyweight Champion) Chris Hamrick
(CAPW Tag Team Champions) Da Munchies (Sheik Abdul Hassan and Dick Trimmins)
(CAPW Junior Heavyweight Champion) Josh Prohibition

CMLL
(CMLL World Heavyweight Champion) Universo 2000
(CMLL World Light Heavyweight Champion) Ultimo Guerrero

COASTAL CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING
(CCW Heavyweight Champion) Blackhart
(CCW Tag Team Champions) Shane McLane and Dok Rivers

COMBAT ZONE WRESTLING
(CZW Heavyweight Champion) Ruckus
(CZW Ironman Champion) Franky The Mobster
(CZW Tag Team Champion) H8 Club (Justice Pain and Nick Gage)
(CZW Junior Heavyweight Champion) Sabian

CONNECTICUT CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING
(CCW Heavyweight Champion) Dylan Kage
(CCW Tag Team Champions) All Money Is Legal
(CCW Northeast Champion) Dave Cole

CRUDE WRESTLING ALLIANCE
(CWA Heavyweight Champion) Al Hardamon
(CWA Television Champion) Thump Dupree
(CWA Tag Team Champions) Chris Nelson and Vito DeNucci

DEFIANT PRO WRESTLING
(DPW Heavyweight Champion) Luis Ortiz
(DPW Cruiserweight Champion) Mikey Batts
(DPW Tag Team Champions) Outkast Killaz

DYNAMITE CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING
(DCW International Champion) Red Hot Russ
(DCW No Limits Champion) Slacker Martin
(DCW Tag Team Champions) The Gemini Trojans

EAST COAST PRO WRESTLING
(ECPW Heavyweight Champion) Andrew Anderson
(ECPW Television Champion) Crazy Ivan
(ECPW Tag Team Champions) Jay and Trey Owens
(ECPW Light Heavyweight Champion) Dan De Man

EAST COAST WRESTLING ASSOCIATION
(ECWA Heavyweight Champion) Scotty Charisma
(ECWA Mid-Atlantic Champion) Chase Del Monte
(ECWA Tag Team Champions) The Valedictorians (Rob Eckos and Billy Bax)
(2005 Super 8 Winner) Petey Williams

ELITE CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING
(ECW Heavyweight Champion) Elix Skipper

EMPIRE WRESTLING FEDERATION (California)
(EWF Heavyweight Champion) Jason King
(EWF American Champion) The Plague
(EWF Cruiserweight Champion) Red Tornado
(EWF Tag Team Champions) Havana Pitbulls

EXTREME WRESTLING FEDERATION
(EWF Heavyweight Champion) Phoenix
(EWF Midwestern Champion) Bob
(EWF New Era Champion) Indy Kid
(EWF Tag Team Champion) Johnny Dollar and Frank Stein
(2005 Xtreme 8 Winner) Colt Cabana

FAR NORTH WRESTLING (Pennsylvania)
(FNW Heavyweight Champion) Seth James
(FNW Freeweight Champion) Mike Quackenbush
(FNW Cruiserweight Champion) Kevin Grace
(FNW Women's Champion) April Hunter

FLORIDA PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING ASSOCIATION
(FPWA Heavyweight Champion) Mark Zout
(FPWA Tag Team Champions) The Psychedelics
(FPWA Florida State Champion) Dagon Briggs

FRONTIER WRESTLING ALLIANCE
(FWA British Heavyweight Champion) Alex Shane
(FWA All England Champion) Hade Vansen
(FWA Tag Team Champions) Hampton Court (The Duke Of Danger and Simmons The Butler)

FULL IMPACT PRO
(FIP Heavyweight Champion) Homicide
(FIP Tag Team Champions) DP Associates (Jimmy Rave and Eddie Vegas)

GARAGE PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING (England)
(GPW International Champion) T.J. Cain
(GPW British Champion) Damon Leigh

GEORGIA CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING
(GCW Georgia Heavyweight Champion) Sonny Siaki
(GCW Tag Team Champions) Southside Trash
(GCW United States Junior Heavyweight Champion) Elix Skipper
(GCW Women's International Champion) Christie Ricci

GROUND BREAKING WRESTLING
(GBW Heavyweight Champion) Simon Ryme
(GBW Breaker Champion) Ryan Phoenix
(GBW Tag Team Champions) The N.J. Indy All-Stars

HAWAIIAN CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING
(HCW Heavyweight Champion) Kensuke
(HCW Tag Team Champions) Spirit Shogun (Kensuke and Kenjiro)

HEARTLAND WRESTLING ASSOCIATION
(HWA Heavyweight Champion) Shawn Osborne
(HWA Cruiserweight Champion) Quinten Lee
(HWA Television Champion) The Hustla
(HWA Tag Team Champions) Necessary Roughness (Jimmy Turner and Jon Moxley)

HIGH VELOCITY WRESTLING
(HVW Heavyweight Champion) Johnny Buffett
(HVW Tag Team Champions) Wasted Youth (Johnny Danger and Kaos)
(HVW Flyweight Champion) Jason Jett

HOOSIER PRO WRESTLING
(HPW Heavyweight Champion) Vacant
(HPW Cruiserweight Champion) American Eagle
(HPW Women's Champion) Vacant
(HPW Tag Team Champions) Vacant

HOUSE OF PAIN WRESTLING FEDERATION
(HOPWF Heavyweight Champion) Jason Static
(HOPWF Tag Team Champions) Old School (Kevin Featherstone and Scott Vaughn)
(HOPWF Cruiserweight Champion) Brooklyn Panther
(HOPWF/National Wrestling League Hardcore Champion) Axl Rotten
(HOPWF/National Wrestling League Television Champion) L.T.

IMPACT ZONE WRESTLING
(IZW Heavyweight Champion) Train
(IZW Western States Champion) Lil' Nate
(IZW Tag Team Champions) Team UPW (Peter Goodman and Antonio Mestre)
(IZE Women's Champion) Adrenelyn

INDEPENDENT WRESTLING FEDERATION
(IWF Heavyweight Champion) Roman
(IWF American Champion) Shane O'Brien
(IWF Tag Team Champions) Kevin Knight and Dan McGuire
(IWF Junior Heavyweight Champion) Sean Royal

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING
(ICW Heavyweight Champion) Tim Flowers
(ICW Tag Team Champions) Sonny O'Mara and Chef

INTERNATIONAL WRESTLING ASSOCIATION (Puerto Rico)
(IWA Heavyweight Champion) Chicano
(IWA Intercontinental Champion) Jean Pierre LaFitte
(IWA Tag Team Champions) Golden Boy and Noriega
(IWA Hardcore Champion) Slash Venom
(IWA Junior Heavyweight Champion) Super Mark

INTERNATIONAL WRESTLING CARTEL
(IWC Heavyweight Champion) Shirley Doe
(IWC Super Indy Champion) Sterling James Keenan
(IWC Tag Team Champions) The Midnight Express

INTERNATIONAL WRESTLING FEDERATION
(IWF Heavyweight Champion) Chavo Guerrero Sr.
(IWF Tag Team Champions) The Colonel and Avalanche Tyler

IWA MID SOUTH WRESTLING
(IWA Mid South Heavyweight Champion) Danny Daniels
(IWA Mid South Light Heavyweight Champion) Delirious
(IWA Mid South Six Man Tag Team Champions) Brad Bradley, Ryan Boz, and Trik Davis
(IWA Mid South/NWA Midwest Women's Champion) Daizee Haze
(IWA Mid South King Of The Death Match Champion) Corporal Robinson
(IWA Mid South Revolution Strong Style Champion) Samoa Joe

ITALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING
(ICW Italian Heavyweight Champion) Red Devil
(ICW Interregional Champion) Maestro Manuel Najoli
(ICW Tag Team Champions) La Forza Bruta (Raiss and Darkness)

JERSEY ALL PRO WRESTLING
(JAPW Heavyweight Champion) Homicide
(JAPW Tag Team Champions) New Generation Hart Foundation (Teddy Hart and Jack Evans)
(JAPW Light Heavyweight Champion) Azrieal

LANDMARK WRESTLING FEDERATION
(LWF Heavyweight Champion) K.C. Cooper
(LWF Ring King Champion) El Gavilon
(LWF Tag Team Champions) White Dragon and Sabre
(LWF Cruiserweight Champion) B.D.K. Solo
(LWF Women's Champion) Destiny Payne

MAXIMUM PRO WRESTLING
(MXPW Heavyweight Champion) Norman Smiley
(MXPW Television Champion) Lex Lovett
(MXPW Tag Team Champions) Murphy and Machete

MICHIGAN FRANCHISE WRESTLING
(MFW Heavyweight Champion) L.Z.
(MFW International Champion) Dave Spacey
(MFW Tag Team Champions) Maximum Impact (Percy Lynn and Nick Xero)
(MFW Extreme Champion) Mike Madness
MOUNTAIN WRESTLING ASSOCIATION
(MWA Heavyweight Champion) Donnie Green
(MWA Light Heavyweight Champion) Tuffy
(MWA Tag Team Champions) Wet Dreams (Ray Steele and Bobby Green)

NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE
(NWA World Champion) Jeff Jarrett
(NWA World Tag Team Champions) America's Most Wanted
(NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion) Jason Rumble
(NWA World Women's Champion) Kiley McLean
(NWA North American Heavyweight Champion) J.T. Wolfen
(NWA North American Tag Team Champions) New Orleans Fight Club (Kevin Northcutt and John Saxon)
(NWA National Heavyweight Champion) Spyder
(NWA Pacific Women's Champion) Momoe Nakanishi
(NWA Canadian Heavyweight Champion) Vid Vain
(NWA Canadian Junior Heavyweight Champion) Disco Fury
(NWA Canadian Tag Team Champions) Vacant
(NWA Canadian Women's Champion) Bam Bam Bambi
(NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Champion) Dustin Masters
(NWA Southern Television Champion) Jesse Dalton
(NWA Southern Tag Team Champions) Blade Boudreaux and Denny Cooley

NWA BATTLEZONE
(NWA Mississippi Heavyweight Champion) Calvin Rose
(NWA Mississippi Cruiserweight Champion) Roosevelt

NWA BLUEGRASS
(NWA Bluegrass Heavyweight Champion) Chance Prophet
(NWA Bluegrass Junior Heavyweight Champion) Shane Matthews
(NWA Bluegrass Tag Team Champions) The Primetime Players (Chris Draven and Jake Layton)

NWA BLUE RIDGE
(NWA Blue Ridge Heavyweight Champion) Eddie Bruiser
(NWA Blue Ridge Tag Team Champions) The Hillbillies
(NWA Blue Ridge Women's Champion) Bambi

NWA CALIFORNIA
(NWA California Heavyweight Champion) Scotty Aboot

NWA CANADIAN WRESTLING FEDERATION
(NWA CWF Heavyweight Champion) Kerry Brown
(NWA CWF Hardcore Champion) Spyder
(NWA CWF Junior Heavyweight Champion) Shane Holmes
(NWA CWF Tag Team Champions) Road Block Jones and Steve Jaworski

NWA CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING FROM FLORIDA
(NWA South Atlantic Heavyweight Champion) Devious Danny
(NWA CWF Gulf Coast Heavyweight Champion) The Nighthawk
(NWA Mid-Florida Heavyweight Champion) Rouge
(NWA CWF Television Champion) Tommy Marr
(NWA CWF Junior Heavyweight Champion) Remix
(NWA South Atlantic Tag Team Champions) The Unholy Alliance (Tower and Talon)
(NWA CWF Women's Champion) Destiny Devine

NWA EAST/PRO WRESTLING XPRESS
(NWA East Heavyweight Champion) Devin Devine
(NWA East Three Rivers Champion) Chris Taylor
(NWA East Brass Knuckles Champion) Daron Smythe
(NWA East Tag Team Champions) The Tri Chi Fraternity (Hammer and Blitz)

NWA EXTREME CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING
(NWA ECCW Heavyweight Champion) Ladies Choice
(NWA ECCW Junior Heavyweight Champion) Matt Classic
(NWA ECCW Tag Team Championship) The Raines Brothers

NWA FLORIDA
(NWA Southern Heavyweight Champion) Lex Lovett
(NWA Florida Heavyweight Champion) Bruce Steele
(NWA Florida X Champion) Mikey Batts
(NWA Florida Tag Team Champions) Frankie Capone and Marcus Dillon

NWA GEORGIA CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING
(GCW Heavyweight Champion) Sonny Siaki
(GCW U.S. Junior Heavyweight Champion) Jason Cross
(GCW Tag Team Champions) Johnny Swinger and Glenn Gilberti

NWA GREEN MOUNTAIN
(NWA Green Mountain Heavyweight Champion) Shane Williams
(NWA Green Mountain Television Champion) Franz Roddy

NWA HAWAII
(NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Champion) Kris Kavanaugh
(NWA Hawaii Junior Heavyweight Champion) Ground Zero
(NWA Hawaii Tag Team Champions) The Iraqi Regime (Sheik Al Ahmed Mohammed and Sheik Dumass Shite

NWA MAIN EVENT
(NWA Mid-American Heavyweight Champion) L.A. Player
(NWA Mid-American X Champion) Patrick Miller
(NWA Mid-American Tag Team Champions) Vacant
(NWA Mid-American Television Champion) Jeff Daniels

NWA MIDWEST
(NWA Midwest Heavyweight Champion) Chris Candido
(NWA Midwest X Champion) Justin Kage
(NWA Midwest Tag Team Champions) Eric Priest and Matt Longtime

NWA NEW ENGLAND
(NWA New England Heavyweight Champion) Apocalypse
(NWA New England X Champion) Cameron Matthews
(NWA New England Colonial Heavyweight Champion) Gino Martino
(NWA New England Brass Knuckles Champion) Gino Martino
(NWA New England Tag Team Champions) Devin Raines and Nyxx

NWA NEW SOUTH
(NWA New South Heavyweight Champion) Brian Christopher
(NWA New South Cruiserweight Champion) Cody Mantel
(NWA New South Brass Knuckles Champion) Vicious Vinny

NWA NEW JERSEY/NEW YORK
(NWA NJ/NY Heavyweight Champion) Steve Corino
(NWA NJ/NY Tag Team Champions) El Bandido and Black Angel

NWA NORTH JERSEY
(NWA North Jersey Heavyweight Champion) Chris Candido
(NWA North Jersey Television Champion) Crazy Ivan
(NWA North Jersey Lightweight Champion) Bandido Jr.
(NWA North Jersey Tag Team Champions) Harry Acropolis and K.C. Koresh
(NWA North Jersey Hardcore Champion) Danny Yamz
(NWA North Jersey Women's Champion) Cindy Rogers
(NWA North Jersey Women's Tag Team Champions) Ariel and Cindi

NWA OKLAHOMA
(NWA Oklahoma Heavyweight Champion) Michael Barry
(NWA Oklahoma X Champion) Dexter Hardaway

NWA QUEBEC
(NWA Quebec Heavyweight Champion) Dru Onyx

NWA SOUTHWEST
(NWA Texas Heavyweight Champion) Tejas
(NWA Texas Junior Heavyweight Champion) J.T. Lamotta
(NWA Texas Tag Team Champions) Harley Johnson and Bobby 2 Badd

NWA SPINEBUSTER
(NWA Spinebuster Heavyweight Champion) Erik Watts
(NWA Spinebuster Junior Heavyweight Champion) Chasyn Rance
(NWA Spinebuster Tag Team Champions) Blaine Rage and Kevin Kantrell
(NWA South Georgia Heavyweight Champion) Adam Windsor

NWA TRI-STATE
(NWA Tri-State Heavyweight Champion) J.T. Hogg
(NWA Tri-State X Champion) Vance Desmond
(NWA Tri-State U.S. Champion) Shawn Parks
(NWA Tri-State Tag Team Champions) J.D. Escalade and The Juggalator

NWA U.K.
(NWA British Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion) Dru Onyx
(NWA U.K. Heavyweight Champion) Johnny Moss
(NWA U.K. Junior Heavyweight Champion) Psycho Steve
(NWA Ireland Heavyweight Champion) Paddy Morrow

NWA UPSTATE
(NWA Upstate Heavyweight Champion) Danny Doring
(NWA Upstate Tag Team Champions) The Olsen Twins (Jimmy and Colin)
(NWA Upstate Kayfabe Dojo Champion) Chip Stetson
(NWA Upstate No Limits Heavyweight Champion) Kevin Dunn

NWA VIRGINIA
(NWA Virginia Heavyweight Champion) The Barbarian
(NWA Virginia Junior Heavyweight Champion) Mike Vaughn
(NWA Virginia Tag Team Champions) Frank Parker and Scotty Blaze
(NWA Global Traditions Universal Heavyweight Champion) Chris Dramin

NWA WILDSIDE
(NWA Wildside Heavyweight Champion) Onyx
(NWA Wildside Junior Heavyweight Champion) Fast Eddie
(NWA Wildside Television Champion) Todd Sexton
(NWA Wildside Tag Team Champions) Iceberg and Tank

NWA WORLD ALLIANCE OF WRESTLING
(NWA WAW Heavyweight Champion) Mana The Polynesian Warrior
(NWA WAW American Champion) Supreme Lee Great
(NWA WAW Tag Team Champions) The Slackers (Chad Bowman and Dino Divine)
(NWA WAW Cruiserweight Champion) The Dynamic Sensation

NATIONAL WRESTLING LEAGUE
(NWL Heavyweight Champion) Headshrinker Samu
(NWL Tag Team Champions) The Goodfellas (Shorty Smalls and Deuce Donnatelli)
(NWL Cruiserweight Champion) Chad Bowman
(NWL/House Of Pain Hardcore Champion) Axl Rotten
(NWL/House Of Pain Television Champion) L.T.

NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING
(IWGP World Heavyweight Champion) Satoshi Kojima
(IWGP World Tag Team Champions) Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura
(IWGP World Junior Heavyweight Champion) Tiger Mask IV
(IWGP World Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions) Gedo and Jado

NEW WRESTLING HORIZONS
(NWH Heavyweight Champion) Sonny Roselli
(NWH Cruiserweight Champion) Jon Thornhill
(NWH Maine State Champion) Marcus Hall
(NWH Tag Team Champions) Big Islanders

NEW YORK WRESTLING CONNECTION
(NYWC Heavyweight Champion) Joey Matthews
(NYWC Interstate Champion) Joey Braggiol
(NYWC Tag Team Champions) Dickie Rodz and Mason Raige

PRAIRIE WRESTLING ALLIANCE
(PWA Heavyweight Champion) Chris Steele
(PWA Cruiserweight Champion) Ricky Rage
(PWA Tag Team Champions) The Funky Bunch

PRO WRESTLING GUERRILLA
(PWG Heavyweight Champion) Super Dragon
(PWG Tag Team Champions) Scott Lost and Chris Bosh

PRO WRESTLING NOAH
(GHC World Heavyweight Champion) Takeshi Rikio
(GHC World Junior Heavyweight Champion) Yoshinobu Kanemaru
(GHC Hardcore Openweight Champion) Mohammed Yone
(GHC World Tag Team Champions) Doug Williams and Scorpio
(GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions) Naomichi Marufuji and KENTA

REVOLUTION BRITISH WRESTLING
(RBW British Welterweight Champion) Kid Regis
(RBW British Middleweight Champion) Jorge Castano

SOUTHERN WRESTLING FEDERATION
(SWF Heavyweight Champion) J.P. Cage Jones
(IWA Unified Heavyweight Champion) Shane Rhodes
(SWF Cruiserweight Champion) The Original K.I.D.
(SWF Tag Team Champions) Vacant

STAMPEDE WRESTLING
(Stampede North American Heavyweight Champion) Harry Smith
(Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Champion) Duke Durrango
(Stampede International Tag Team Champions) Duke Durrango and Karnage

SUPERIOR WRESTLING ALLIANCE
(SWA Heavyweight Champion) Brett Powers
(SWA U.S. Champion) Keith Anderson
(SWA Tag Team Champions) Wildnight Express
(SWA Lightweight Champion) Adam Reynolds

THUNDER WRESTLING FEDERATION
(TWF Heavyweight Champion) Camren La'Rue

USA XTREME WRESTLING
(UXW Heavyweight Champion) Balls Mahoney
(UXW U.S. Champion) Chris Candido
(UXW Xtreme Champion) Elix Skipper
(UXW Tag Team Champions) The Solution

WORLD OF HURT WRESTLING
(WOH Heavyweight Champion) Danger
(WOH Television Champion) Jeff Starr
(WOH Tag Team Champions) Swinger Sidusky and Reed James
(WOH Cruiserweight Champion) Chuck Deep
(WOH Hardcore Champion) Vendetta
(WOH Women's Champion) Kayla Sparks

WORLD XTREME WRESTLING
XTREME CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING
(XCW Heavyweight Champion) Action Jackson
(XCW Tag Team Champions) The Tru-Life Playaz (Brett Barnes and Eddie Atlas)
(XCW Ironman Champion) Scott Phoenix
(XCW TNT Champion) Jacob Ladder

NWA Wildside Final Show Results By Larry Goodman

2005-05-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank Larry Goodman for his opinionated and non-biased reviews of NWA Wildside over the years. He has done a great job of explaining the strengths and weaknesses of the NWA Wildside roster, while describing matches with great detail and scope. So with that said, here is the final NWA Wildside Show, aptly named "Last Rites" as described by Larry Goodman.

Larry Goodman
The final bell tolled for NWA Wildside at Last Rites with one last emotionally-charged all out blast of a show.
The blowout bash ran over five hours long and drew a heated SRO crowd of over 200. It was a record gate.
Dan “The Dragon” Wilson opened with a 10 bell salute honoring Chris Candido. Wilson passed the torch for the ring announcing duties to Greg Hunter and headed to the announcing booth one last time.

(1) Sweet Dreams & Cru Jones beat Alabama Attitude (Adam Roberts & T. C. Carnage & Adam Armor) in 8:35. Crowd was amped for action. The faces got a chance to shine early and often. Dreams did a nice armdrag off the top. Roberts took some rough looking bumps. The Alabamians got heat on Jones after a triple team hotshot maneuver. Jones hit that hurricane DDT thingy and made a double tag. The faces flipped Armor over the top onto his partners. Frost, who was way over again, hit a wacky dive. Frost pinnned Armor with a gorgeous moonsault.

(2) Ray Gordy beat Matt Sydal and Jimmy Rave (with Salvatore Rinauro) in a three way elimination match (24:40). This was a great match. It was scheduled as Gordy vs. Sydal until Rinauro stuck his big beak in it. Rinauro brought Rave, saying he was the epitome of toughness and sexy to boot. Rave is officially an off-the-charts heat machine as a heel. Sydal exploded a chop on Rave’s chest and Rinauro blew on Rave (his chest) to ease the pain.

They did the usual three way deal where one guy gets taken out and the other two go at. That can be awkward. All three of these guys sell so well, that it had a natural flow to it here. Sydal was especially sharp. He did a flashy standing moonsault with a tuck. A killer sequence started with Rave being dumped to the outside. Gordy charged at Sydal, who stepped aside, and Gordy hit a tope on Rave. Sydal then did a spectacular moonsault to the floor.

Sydal gave Rave a pumphandle head drop. Gordy hit a german suplex on Sydal. Rave gave Gordy Ghanarea (formerly the Disco 2000). Sydal used Rave as a stepping stone for a huracanrana on Gordy, but Rave nailed Sydal with the running knee for the pin at 16:10. Rave used a bootlace to choke the life out of Gordy. Rave and Rinauro played hide and seek with the ref. Rave kept stuffing the bootlace in his mouth. Fans were going nuts for this like they did back in the day.

Gordy lapsed into unconsciousness and Speedy Nelson called for the bell. What’s this? Speedy found the bootlace and called for the restart. Rinauro griped. Sydal came back out and gave Rinauro the bum’s rush. Rave kicked out of a quick roll up. Two great near falls here, Gordy with an exploder suplex and Rave with a knee off the top. Gordy hit an exploder suplex off the middle rope to score the pinfall.

(3) Daizee Haze beat Patrick Bentley in 5:52. The deal here was that ref Mike Posey has been in cahoots with the Three Guys crew, of which Bentley is a member. Posey did everything in his power to give Bentley the match. He repeatedly quick counted Haze and slow counted Bentley. Posey helped Bentley blocked a sunset flip. Haze had Bentley beaten with the Daizee Cutter, but Posey wouldn’t drop to make the count. Haze pulled Posey down by the groin and she wasn’t letting go. Posey made an ultra fast count to escape the agony. The crowd popped big for the finish.

(4) Brandon P beat Jeff Lewis (with Al Getz) to retain the World TV Title in 11:55. Just an average match and the crowd lost interest. In hindsight, this would have been much better in the 6-8 minute range. Lewis came out wearing the belt he stole from P. Getz said it didn’t matter what the retards said, Lewis was the champ. Hunter refused to introduce Lewis as such. P opened fast. Lewis tried to buy time, but P would have none of it.

Lewis strapped P to to tree of woe and speared him. Lewis kept cutting off P’s comebacks, most notably when he brought P off the top with a climbing belly to belly suplex. With the crowd dying fast, P made the comeback. Lewis halted it with a helluva version of the Lewis Driver (double underhook sitout face plant), but P kicked out. P hit the Drop Zone and that was that. Lewis sold P’s finisher like he was in la la land.

(5) Lost Boys (Gabriel & Azrael) beat the NWA Elite (Mikal Adryan & Luke in a no DQ match (9:17). All out extreme brawling right from the get go. Adryan busted a new move, a backdrop where he catches the guy in a neckbreaker on the way down. The Elite gained the advantage and laid Gabriel out on a table at ringside. Adryan told Luke to climb to the top, but Azrael winged a chair at Luke to make the save. Lost Boys bridged the table from the apron to the rail and laid Adryan out. But Luke knocked Gabriel off the apron and sent him flying into the first row. I’m loving Luke as the bratty little heel. Luke hit a top rope huracanrana on Azrael. Lost Boys came back with the Time Warp on Luke and DECIMATED Adryan with a top rope double stomp/cutthroat piledriver.

Luke barely made the save. Luke used a half nelson sitout slam (Holy Driver?) on Gabriel for a near fall. Luke went to finish Gabriel with the guillotine legdrop. Nobody home. Azrael planted Luke with the Ted Bundy. Adryan and Azrael brawled to the outside where Adryan rudely spiked Azrael on the ramp with a DDT. Inside the ring, Gabriel put Luke through the table with a senton backsplash. Luke sold it like he was going to puke up his gall bladder. 1..2..3. Lost Boys conducted a bizarre ritual at ringside before departing.

The second half opened with Behrens set to introduce the new head honcho for wrestling in Cornelia, Thomas Simpson from OMEGA. Behrens said the new guy had the maturity that was sometimes necessary to handle his crew. The sound system failed. Interesting timing, although it’s not exactly shocking to have sound problems at a Wildside show.

The Wildside technical braintrust couldn’t get the mic fixed, so they carried on without it. Behrens said that in his opinion there was too much damn talking in wrestling anyway. The crowd popped for that. Simpson came out and proceeded to do a segment with a lot of talking that few people could hear. Crowd immediately chanted “We Want Matt.” Simpson rang Hardy up on his cell and held the phone up so Hardy could hear the crowd response. A fan suggested calling Lita. Simpson said, "Whaddya want me to call her?" Simpson promised that both Matt and Jeff Hardy would be in Cornelia after Matt’s non-compete clause expires on July 11.

Simpson said being less than the greatness of Wildside was not an option. Getz came out and hugged Simpson. Jeff G. Bailey came out. Getz and Bailey got into it. Fans chanted “catfight.” Getz was ready to go. Bailey backed off. Simpson said NWA Anarchy’s first show would be on May 21. The segment seemed to get over strong despite the sound problems.

(6) Caprice Coleman & Tony Mamaluke beat T-N-T (Todd Sexton & Tony Stradlin) via double submission in 11:47. Coleman got off to a flying start, catching T-N-T by surprise with a double springboard dropkick. Both teams got in a Paisan double elbow drop. T-N-T got heat on Mamaluke. Sexton used the hanging superplex, a very impressive move. Mamaluke hit the high angle back suplex and got a tag that the ref didn’t see it. Coleman had
Sexton pinned after the Coldshot but the ref chased him out. T-N-T hit the X Bomb on Mamaluke and followed with the move of the night, the double hotshot. Coleman ran wild when he finally got the hot tag.

A round robin of killer moves ensued, including an awesome tornado DDT by Mamaluke. Mamaluke got Stradlin in the Texas Cloverleaf. Sexton put Mamaluke in the sharpshooter. Coleman hit the Thermal Shock on Sexton to break the hold. The finish saw Coleman put Stradlin in the Deep Freeze and Mamaluke apply the Sicilian Stretch on Sexton leading to a double tap out.

Sexton told Mamaluke if he ever quit wrestling again, he was going to kick his ass. Sexton told the fans they may hate Stradlin and he didn’t like him sometimes either, but he was the only guy in the locker room that had followed his dream to a WWE contract.

(7) Slim J defeated Delirious and Nick Halen and Jay Fury in a ladder match to retain the NWA Wildside Junior Title (18:09). Your extreme spotfest of the evening.

As usual, Delirious was over with his unique brand of insanity. He threw in strut as a tribute to Candido. Delirious was content to stay on the outside and let the others battle it out. Delirious grabbed the 6 foot ladder and hid it, but it wasn’t long before he brought it back into play. Delirious and Halen tried to climb for the belt, but it was way too soon. J wore his opponents down and climbed, but Fury knocked him off the ladder with a spinkick from the top turnbuckle. Fury set a jumbo size 15 foot ladder up in the ring and legdropped Halen from the third rung.

Halen hit a swanton bomb on Fury and the Nitro Driver on J, originating both moves from high on the jumbo ladder. Delirious rammed Halen with the butt end of the small ladder and racked his balls with a baseball slide into the ladder. J laid a chair on a bridged ladder, and laid Halen out on the chair. J then did a top rope double stomp/elbow drop that destroyed both of them. All four men were thoroughly incapacitated at this point. Delirious hit an ace crusher turned neckbreaker off the top of the jumbo ladder on J.

Fury went into mad Ninja mode. Halen missile dropkicked Delirious when Fury ducked with a Jaytrix. Fury hit the Enzifury on Halen. The psychotic spot of the night was next. Fury bridged the jumbo ladder from the top of the small ladder to the ropes, so that it was angled downhill, so to speak. Fury sat J on a chair on the jumbo ladder and launched him into a suicide slide down the ladder onto Delirious at ringside. The building came unglued. Halen hit a flip dive off the top turnbuckle.

Fury hit the dive of the night, a springboard corkscrew swanton, into the pile. J climbed to the top of the 15 foot ladder and had the belt in his grasp, when Fury toppled that sucker over. The ladder went over the ropes with J along for the ride. J crashed to the floor with the belt in his hand. Un freaking believable.

(8) Onyx beat Rainman to win the NWA Wildside Heavyweight Title for a record third time (14:14). This was back and forth with some really fine counter wrestling. The crowd was sapped by the pyrotechnics of the ladder match, so the heat level was somewhat subdued. Onyx’s arms look positively freaky on a man of his stature. I thought about the story of Onyx being backstage at RAW, and Steve Austin telling him to put his shirt on because he was embarrassing the boys.

Great opening as Rainman hit the Dark City Street Cutter right off the bat, and Onyx had to roll to the outside to save himself. Rainman went to the Michinoku powerslam but Onyx kicked out. Onyx used wrestling to take command. He busted out a cross armbreaker. Onyx worked the neck with a pair of Rude Awakening style neckbreakers. Rainman blocked a sunset flip and hit a sitout facebuster. Onyx blocked a sunset flip and countered with a classic camel clutch. Rainman maneuvered into an electric chair drop and then a top rope headbutt, but Onyx kicked out of the delayed cover. Onyx applied the Jamaica City Dreams (dragon sleeper variation) but Rainman kicked off the ropes into a reverse DDT.

Rainman came off the ropes, but Onyx plucked him out of midair for a powerslam. Onyx hit the Angry Man Slam for a near fall. Rainman hit the Spinesplitta and it looked like Onyx was done. But Onyx kicked out of the DCSC at the last split second. Rainman tried for it again, but Onyx wriggled free to hit the Blackout for the pin.

Onyx said his farewell to the fans and left the title belt with Laura, one of Wildside’s diehard supporters. Onyx became the only three time heavyweight champion in Wildside history.

(9) Suicidal Tendencies (Jason Cross & John Phoenix & Air Paris) beat Three Guys That Totally Rule (Salvatore Rinauro & Seth Delay & Fast Eddie with Patrick Bentley) in 17:10. For ringwork, this was a better match then the one at Hardcore Hell, but it had nowhere close to that level of heat. Rinauro debuted these ridiculous looking trunks. Tendencies rushed the ring and tossed Guys like they were garbage. It turned into an offensive showcase for Tendencies.

The stuff between Phoenix and Delay was gold. Paris is rusty and wasn’t in long, but what he did was fine, especially the Burning Hammer. At 6:30, Guys took over with, you guessed it, a variation of the hotshot on Phoenix. Guys hit some cool double teams, but the energy of the crowd was waning. Rinauro did the Better Than the Macho Man elbow for a near fall. Double down to set up the hot tag to Cross. Delay took an amazing 360 bump on a backdrop. Cross hit a dragon suplex on Rinauro for a near fall. Eddie made a blind tag and nailed Cross with the Russian Legsweep from Hell. Phoenix made a blind tag and caught Eddie with a lightning kick. Ref bump on Speedy Nelson. Rinauro hit the Phoenix Fury Legdrop on Paris.

Posey hit the ring to make the count, but Paris kicked out. Nelson pulled Posey out. Andrew Thomas became ref number three. Cross damn near killed himself when he overshot a corkscrew plancha. A Paris superkick, THE BEST DAMN BRAINBUSTER IN NORTH AMERICA by Cross, and teacher pinned the student with a 450 splash.

Tendencies broke out a six pack of Tab (their old gimmick) for a postmatch toast. Behrens joined them. They got Posey in the ring and Thomas decked him with the flip flop and fly (a takeoff on the finish of the main event at Hardcore Hell ’04 where Thomas took it from Dusty). Rinauro sold a groin shot from a full can of Tab like there was no tomorrow, and in a sense, there wasn’t.

(10) Iceberg & Tank & New Jack (with Rick Michaels) beat Getz Enterprises (Ace Rockwell & Shaun Tempers & Scottie Wrenn with Getz) and the NWA Elite (Murder One & Jeremy V & Mikal Adryan with Jeff G. Bailey) in the War Games (18:36). I couldn’t have imagined a more fitting match to close the book than one last violent bloodbath inside the steel cage. Tank and M1 started. They were getting down to grinding faces into the fence when Tempers entered. Bailey slipped M1 the veggie peeler and he stabbed Tank in the forehead. Rockwell was next.

P & C doubled on Tank, whose plasma was flowing. Iceberg was next. He got a hold of the veggie peeler. Iceberg got stabby. P & C had some trouble with the blade at Hardcore Hell. Not this night. Sweet Jesus, before you could say “Wildfire” Tommy Rich, they had the crimson masks in full effect. V entered the fray. Rockwell got him with the spinebuster. Wrenn joined the fun. Tank dumped a bag of tacks in the ring and sent Tempers into the tacks with an STO. But the man’s sadism knows no bounds. He gave Tempers a sick curbstomp into the tacks.

Rockwell tried to climb out. Adryan gave him a powerbomb off the top rope. Rockwell and Tempers were a complete mess. Wrenn gave Tank a bulldog into the tacks. It was time for the last man to enter. Bailey tossed Michaels into the cage and he was busted open. Getz and Bailey beat on Michaels. Out came New Jack. Getz and Bailey made themselves scarce. Jack gave M1 for a tour of the ringside seats, slicing him up bigtime in the process.

Jack bled as well. Iceberg and Tank gave Adryan a double STO into the tacks. Iceberg went to the top rope and hit the Extinction Level Event (quarter ton swanton bomb) on V. Tank pulled out his sickle. Tank applied a camel clutch with the sickle in V’s mouth. V was tapping like a maniac. Tank put an exclamation point on it with a sickle shot to Tempers’ groin.

New Jack grabbed the mic and talked about his relationship with Behrens, an association that started when New Jack was in SMW. Jack ordered Behrens to come out to ringside. Jack said that at one point when he was out of action with serious injuries, Behrens talked him out of a game of Russian roulette.

Jack vented (that’s putting it mildly) about the fact that some of the wrestlers had left before the show ended. Jack said that he would be appearing on the ECW PPV. It was Michaels' turn. He was so overcome with emotion that he could barely get the words out. Michaels said it was the end of an era and called the entire Wildside crew into the ring to share the moment and honor Behrens.

Behrens said he had the privilege of working with the greatest crew in wrestling for the last 6 years. Behrens said there will still be wrestling in Cornelia, but it won’t be like what they had accomplished with Wildside. “These are my kids, and I love all of them.”

Behrens put over each and every worker he laid eyes on. He encouraged all of them to follow their dream. There were a lot of grown men with tears streaming down their faces in that ring. Jack started a “Bill Behrens” chant. The closing image of Wildside was Behrens being hoisted onto the shoulders of his workers and unfurling the Wildside banner.

NOTES: Matt Hardy was backstage for about half the show…Behrens announced that the television tapings at the new WWE development facility in McDonough would be held on Tuesday nights. The projected date for the first taping is sometime in June…Hernandez missed the show because he got a booking in Puerto Rico with IWA.

CLOSING THOUGHTS: There is no way for me to fully express my appreciation for what Wildside was or properly pay tribute to all the people that made it happen. The reports I have written about this company over the last 6 years were the best way I knew how to do that. Wildside let a mark with a notebook and a lot of opinions in on the fun. It’s been one great ride.

Wildside was independent in the finest sense of the word.

Never has so much great pro wrestling been produced with so little in the way of material and financial resources.

Wildside produced 300 consecutive weeks of wrestling television. Over the last 10 years, no independent wrestling company in the U.S. except OVW can top that record. Not every episode was a masterpieice, bu there was a ton of classic and memorable stuff in those shows. Like great independent films, it was all about the art, rather than the money. Hell, what money? It was heart and guts and creativity that fueled this company.

I would like to give a special mention to a few of the people that have been there straight through since the beginning, the heart and soul of the company. Without them, there would have never been an NWA Wildside.

Honest wrestling promoter is an oxymoron. But that’s the adjective a lot of workers have used to describe Bill Behrens. Regardless of the situation, he treats people with respect and there's a lot to be said for that.

Despite tons of untold adversity, he not only kept Wildside afloat but consistently putting out a high quality product, an amazing achievement. Bill gave me the freedom to post the unofficial/official show reports on the promotion’s website and across the internet, unedited and uncensored. For that opportunity, I will be forever
grateful.

Rick Michaels was running shows in Cornelia before there ever was a Wildside. Like Chris Candido, God rest his soul, Michaels loves the business of pro wrestling. Wrestling, making gear, booking shows, match agent, he’s done it all. If anything, he could be accused of loving it too much. He sure had every reason to give up the dream after the terrible back injury he suffered. But he persevered, got a spot with WWE, and is now getting back into ring shape.

Jeff G. Bailey is one of the most talented managers to never get a shot at the big time. He had the misfortune of coming along in the wrong era. In the early days, when the wrestling at Wildside wasn’t exactly stellar, I could always count on hearing a great promo or two by Bailey. But he became someone that the younger wrestlers gave credit to as a guide and teacher. He also contributed ideas that lead to some of Wildside’s greatest moments. Recently, he has been responsible for producing the most meticulously edited television show Wildside has ever had.

Dan Wilson and Steven Prazak weren’t there at the beginning, but they’ve been the voice of Wildside for over 200 episodes of Wildside television. There is no better announcing team in all of pro wrestling. About 90% of the time, I had already seen the matches live when I sat down to review the TV shows, but I always looked forward to hearing the gems that those dudes came up with on the commentary. They had the ability to make dreadful matches entertaining, and when the situation called for it, they could heighten the drama of the moment.

Special props to Dan’s work as a ring announcer. The few times he missed shows, it just wasn’t the same.

Another key player that wasn’t there right at the beginning, but came on board shortly thereafter, was Andrew Thomas. Andrew came down from Indiana to help with the TV. No one would have suspected that he was a natural as a performer and a great bumper. His editing work took Wildside TV to another level.

To all the wrestlers on the Wildside roster, past and present, your efforts to give the fans the best possible wrestling product never ceased to amaze me. Thank you. And for God’s sake, stay healthy.

Yes, there will still be wrestling in Cornelia, but there will never be another NWA Wildside. All that’s left are the memories.

The Wrestling Follower's Reading List

2005-05-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

Bobby The Brian: Wrestling's Bad Boy Tells All by Bobby Heenan and Steve Anderson
Bodyslams! Memoirs of a Wrestling Pitchman by Gary Michael Cappetta
Brisco by Bill Murdock
Chair Shots & Other Obstacles: Winning Life's Wrestling Matches by Bobby Heenan and Steve Anderson
Dusty: Reflections of an American Dream by Dusty Rhodes, Foreward by Howard Brody
Foley Is Good: And the Real World is Faker Than Wrestling by Mick Foley
Grappling Glory: Celebrating a Century of Minnesota Wrestling & Rassling by Ross Bernstein
Have A Nice Day: A Tale Of Blood and Sweatsocks by Mick Foley
Hollywood Hulk Hogan by Hulk Hogan
Inside Out: How Corporate America Destroyed Professional Wrestling by Ole Anderson and Scott Teal
In The Pit with Piper: Roddy Gets Rowdy by Robert Picarello and Roddy Piper
It's Good to Be the King...Sometimes by Jerry Lawler
King Of The Ring: The Harley Race Story by Harley Race and Gerry Tritz
Lita: A Less Traveled R.O.A.D.-- The Reality Of Amy Dumas by Michael Krugman, and Amy Dumas
Mick Foley's Christmas Chaos by Mick Foley
Mysteries of Wrestling: Solved by Adam Kleinberg (Note from webmaster: This is Sir Adam and he wrote the book alongside of his Get In The Ring Radio partner The Phantom.)
Pure Dynamite: The Price You Pay For Wrestling Stardom by "Dynamite Kid" Tom Billington and Alison Coleman
Sex, Lies, and Headlocks: The Real Story of Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation by Shaun Assael and Mike Mooneyham
Steel Chair To The Head: The Pleasure And Pain Of Professional Wrestling by Nicholas Sammond
Tales From Wrescal Lane by Mick Foley, and Jill Thompson
The Death Of WCW by R.D. Reynolds
The Hardy Boyz: Exist 2 Inspire by Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy
The Sheik of Baghdad: Tales of Celebrity and Terror from Pro Wrestling's General Adnan by Adnan Al-Kaissy, and Ross Bernstein
The Stone Cold Truth by Steve Austin, Jim Ross, and Dennis Brent
Tietam Brown by Mick Foley
Top 100 Pro Wrestlers of All Time by John Molinaro and Jeff Marek with Dave Meltzer
To Be The Man by Ric Flair and Keith Elliot Greenberg
Terry Funk: More Than Just Hardcore by Terry Funk, Foreward by Scott E. Williams
The Buzz On Professional Wrestling by Scott Keith and John Craddock
The Legends Of Wrestling- "Classy" Freddie Blassie: Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks by Freddie Blassie and Keith Elliot Greenberg
The Mouth Of The South: The Jimmy Hart Story by Jimmy Hart
The Pro Wrestling Hall Of Fame: The Tag Teams by Greg Oliver
Tonight in This Very Ring: A Fan's History of Professional Wrestling by Scott Keith
Tributes: Remembering Some of the World's Greatest Wrestlers by Dave Meltzer
Tributes II: Remembering More of the World's Greatest Professional Wrestlers by Dave Meltzer, Foreword by Bret Hart
Whatever Happened To Gorgeous George? by Joe Jares
Wrestlecrap: The Very Worst Of Professional Wrestling by R.D. Reynolds
Wrestling at the Chase: The Inside Story of Sam Muchnick and the Legends of Professional Wrestling by Larry Matysik
Wrestling's One Ring Circus: The Death of the World Wrestling Federation by Scott Keith

WWE Backlash 2005 Preview

2005-04-22T15:28:00.000-07:00

This preview is Courtesy of WWE.com

(WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP) Batista (c) vs. Triple H
Over his decade-long WWE career, Triple H has cemented himself as one of the greatest Superstars to ever lace up a pair of boots. During that time, The Game has put together an impressive resume, highlighted by 10 reigns as World Champion.

Batista, however, does not plan on duplicating Triple H’s multiple reigns on top. The new World Heavyweight Champion would rather dominate RAW one time, staying on top for as long as he wants. According to Batista, losing a World Championship 10 times is not nearly as impressive as winning it once and staying on top.

Staying on top will not be an easy task for Batista, as he is now set to defend his newly-won World Heavyweight Championship against the man he defeated for it at WrestleMania 21, Triple H. The May 1 pay-per-view encounter between these two former allies is easily one of the most-anticipated rematches in recent history. Can Batista avoid Triple H’s Pedigree once again, en route to his first successful pay-per-view championship defense? Or will The Game begin his eleventh reign on top? Watch Backlash to find out.

Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels vs. Muhammad Hassan and Khosrow Daivari
Tired of shrewd sneak attacks at the hands of Muhammad Hassan and Daivari, Shawn Michaels pleaded for a Handicap Match against both men. That way, HBK would know where the offensive was coming from. RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff, however, refused Michaels’ request. Bischoff did manage to award HBK a tag team match against Hassan and Daivari at Backlash, though. The only catch – Michaels had to find a tag team partner.

Not long after learning of his Backlash opportunity, HBK took a microphone, dropped to his knees and asked for the help of a true American in his battle against Hassan and Daivari. With the capacity crowd cheering “one more match,” Michaels asked the legendary Hulk Hogan to be his tag team partner.

The following week on RAW, Hogan ran to HBK's aid, saving him from a vicious double team at the hands of Hassan and Daivari. The act signified Hogan's acceptance of Michaels' Backlash invitation.

With WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan by his side, will Shawn Michaels finally best Muhammad Hassan and Daivari? Watch Backlash to find out.

(WWE Intercontinental Championship) Shelton Benjamin (c) vs. Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho admits that he has been in a bit of a rut the past several months. In an attempt to snap out of it, Y2J has been able to track all the way back to his Taboo Tuesday loss of the Intercontinental Championship to Shelton Benjamin in October as the match that started his funk.

The Highlight Reel host now wants the Intercontinental Championship back around his waist. But it's not that easy, as Benjamin will tell you about himself, the current Intercontinental Champion can do things in the ring that nobody else can do. Benjamin's athleticism and in-ring ability is near impossible to duplicate.

Also near impossible to duplicate - Y2J's singing. With hopes of getting under Benjamin's skin, Jericho serenaded Benjamin and a recent RAW crowd with a Fozzy original, a song that accused the Intercontinental Champion of being a bitch.

Time for talking (and singing) will be over on May 1, when two of RAW's finest athletes compete for the Intercontinental Championship. Will Benjamin be able to extend his impressive championship reign? Or will Y2J be celebrating his eighth Intercontinental Championship victory? Watch Backlash, live on pay-per-view, to find out.

(Last Man Standing Match) Chris Benoit vs. Edge
At WrestleMania 21, Edge and Chris Benoit were just two of six RAW Superstars competing for a future opportunity at the coveted World Heavyweight Championship. During the match, Edge, equipped with a steel chair, nearly broke every bone in Benoit's hand to lock the victory.

The WrestleMania 21 Money in the Bank Ladder Match marked the re-ignition of a heated rivalry that dates back to the fan voting of Taboo Tuesday - a rivalry that saw much physicality in the following weeks on RAW. Despite a genuine desire to tear each other limb from limb, neither man was able to secure superiority over the other.

This will not be the case at Backlash at May 1, as Edge and Chris Benoit will battle in a Last Man Standing Match. Both men will walk into Backlash, but only one man will walk out. Which RAW Superstar will be the last man standing? Watch Backlash, live on pay-per-view, to find out.

NWA TNA Lockdown Preview

2005-04-19T14:59:00.000-07:00

All of this information is courtesy of NWA TNA WRESTLING

Nashville, TN (April 11, 2005) – Last week on Total Nonstop Action Wrestling “IMPACT!,” Director Of Authority, Dusty Rhodes announced that all matches on the April 24th pay-per-view event “Lockdown” will be held in Six Sides of Steel. This announcement marks the first time an entire professional wrestling pay-per-view event will take place in a steel cage.

Due to the sometimes violent nature of a steel cage match and the unpredictability of live television, TNA management wants to reiterate and emphasize the TV-14 rating that the show receives.

According to the TV Parental Guidelines, a TV-14 program is a program that contains some material that many parents would find unsuitable for children under 14 years of age. Parents are strongly cautioned and urged to exercise greater care in monitoring this program and are cautioned against letting children under the age of 14 watch unattended.

A steel cage is professional wrestling’s most unforgiving structure and some of pro wrestling’s most horrifying moments have occurred in this type of match. This will be only the fourth Six Sides of Steel Match in TNA history, which has produced some of the most talked about moments in the sport over the past year.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling “iMPACT!” airs Fridays at 4PM on FSN (check local listings) with a Saturday midnight (local) replay and a Thursday night 2AM replay. TNA “Xplosion” is a syndicated program (check local listings).

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SIX SIDES OF STEEL: LETHAL LOCKDOWN RULES
NWA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett, The Alpha Male Monty Brown and The Outlaw vs. Kevin Nash, Diamond Dallas Page and Sean Waltman
Dusty Rhodes has once again attempted to one-up champion Jeff Jarrett, adding “Lethal Lockdown” rules to the cage match. The bout will start with two superstars from each team, with a new participant entering based on luck of the draw! Did we mention weapons will be legal? This bout is sure to best nothing short of armageddon inside the Side Sides of Steel!

SIX SIDES OF STEEL: FOR THE NUMBER ONE CONTENDER
The Phenomenal AJ Styles vs. Abyss
Locked inside the Six Sides of Steel, the superstar who wins the bout becomes number one contender and automatically advances to the main event at TNA’s May Pay-Per-View event “Hard Justice” to challenge for the NWA World Heavyweight Title!

SIX SIDES OF STEEL: X CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
The Fallen Angel Christopher Daniels vs. Primetime Elix Skipper
Former Triple X partners collide for the first time on April 24 at Lockdown inside the Six Sides of Steel with the X Division Championship on the line! Who was the better man in Triple X? Can Primetime capture his first X Division Title?

SIX SIDES OF STEEL FOR THE NWA TAG TEAM TITLE
America's Most Wanted vs. Team Canada
AMW - masters of the cage match - face Team Canada for the first time inside the Six Sides of Steel. The NWA World Tag Team Title will be on the line, and Team Canada has always taken AMW to the limit and beyond. However, the cage plays to AMW's advantage as it guarantees no outside interference by Canada coach Scott D'Amore.

SIX SIDES OF STEEL: TABLES MATCH
The Charismatic Enigma Jeff Hardy vs. Raven
When Raven and Hardy fight it out inside the Six Sides of Steel on April 24, they’ll have their favorite weapon at their disposal as tables will be legal in the bout! It will truly be a clash of extreme and hardcore offenses, which is exactly the way both superstars like it! The first superstar to put his opponent through a table wins the match!

SIX SIDES OF STEEL: "PRINCE OF DARKNESS" DEATH MATCH
Dustin Rhodes vs. Team Canada's Bobby Roode
In another first for TNA Wrestling, Dustin Rhodes takes on Bobby Roode on April 24 in a Prince of Darkness Match where both superstars will be forced to compete wearing blindfolds! In the battle of Texas vs. Canada, the first superstar to find his opponent and beat him wins the bout.

SIX SIDES OF STEEL: "XSCAPE" MATCH
Michael Shane vs. Chris Sabin vs. Kid Kash vs. Shocker
In another first in TNA Wrestling, the high-flying superstars of TNA’s X Division will compete to “Xscape” the Six Sides of Steel! What crazy moves will Sabin, Shane, Shocker and Kash pull off inside the cage in their mad dash to escape? Tune in and see!

SIX SIDES OF STEEL: CHALLENGE MATCH
Apolo vs. Lance Hoyt

Historic Moment In Independent Wrestling: The Final NWA Wildside Television Taping Review

2005-04-18T14:19:00.000-07:00

By Larry Goodman

NWA Wildside ran their final TV taping at the NWA Arena last night. The show, titled "We Will Not Go Quietly," set the stage for the wrestling equivalent of a jazz funeral, "Last Rites" featuring the War Games on April 30th.

NWA Wildside is coming to an end as a result of owner Bill Behrens officially signing on with WWE. The new WWE training facility located in McDonough, Georgia is projected to be up and running by the end of May. Behrens will oversee the production of a weekly television show that will start shortly thereafter.

NWA wrestling will continue in Cornelia after Wildside concludes its run. The first show under the new ownership is scheduled for 5/21. It is likely that many of the wrestlers on the current Wildside roster will be staying on with the new promotion.

Here's what went down in the ring for a crowd of 90 or so.

(1) Ken Westbrooks beat Eddie Guapo with the Westbrooks Bomb at 4:04. Not a bad match, but the crowd was downright apathetic. Westbrooks was subbing for Nick Halen, who was moved into the 8 man tag due to sub for the injured Slim J. Westbrooks got a near fall with a belly to belly suplex. Westbrooks tried to a make it a trio of Stinger Splashes, which was one too many and only served to make him look like a dumb babyface. Guapo went to work on the neck. Guapo stuck a knee in Westbrooks' ear for a near fall. Westbrooks hit his finisher, which is a variation on the Angle Slam.

(2) Brandon P beat Jeff Lewis (with Al Getz) via DQ to retain the World TV Title in 7:23. Lewis tried to run. P finally caught the wuss with a series of high impact moves and went after Getz. But before he could get his hands on him, Lewis clubbed him from behind. Lewis worked on P's back. P's facial expressions were awesome as he sold the pain, blues and agony of Lewis' surfboard maneuver. Lewis said he be the champ tonight. P fired back and hit the head and arm suplex. P's comeback climaxed with the atomic facebuster. Getz hit the ring, along with Enterprise members Ace Rockwell and Shaun Tempers. They gave P the beatdown supreme. Lewis hit the Final Curtain and Getz made the three count. Getz intimidated Nigel Sherrod into announcing Lewis as the new champion, and the rat bastards walked off with P's belt.

(3) Brandon Thomaselli & T-N-T (Todd Sexton & Tony Stradlin) beat Caprice Coleman & Iron Saints (Vito & Sal Thomaselli) in 13:02. It started as Brandon vs. Coleman in a singles match. T-N-T interfered on Brandon's behalf. Saints ran out to even the odds. Triple dropkick on the heels and it morphed into a six man. Saints used double team maneuvers to decimate Sexton Chicago style. Coleman hit an awesome springboard splash. Stradlin's chicanery turned the tide. Sal took the heat. Brandon hit the running SSP. Sexton did a death defying hanging vertical suplex off the middle rope. Stradlin got ultra stiff with the kicks. Spinning headscissors into the hot tag. It was big moves all the way to the finish. Coleman nailed Sexton with a shining wizard, but Stradlin saved and landed a kick that sent Coleman hurtling out of the ring. Sexton did a dragon screw legwhip into the Sharpshooter on Vito. Coleman saved. T-N-T did the X Bomb on Coleman for old time's sake. Hard to believe that at one time, Sexton and Stradlin had similar builds. Saints clotheslined T-N-T over the top, laid Brandon out with a double flapjack, and killed him dead with the double stomp/pendulum. T-N-T smoked the Saints with a double superkick. Coleman went to the air and connected. But Sexton escaped from Coleman's finisher and got the pin with an illegal assist from Stradlin.

Coleman said that on 4/30 he was bringing Tony Mamaluke as his partner against T-N-T. "We'll see how funny it is when I bust your mouth and drop you on your head."

(4) The NWA Elite (Mikal Adryan & Luke & Jeremy V with Jeff G. Bailey) beat Tank & Iceberg & Murder One at 11:44 when M-1 turned on his partners. It's just Luke now. He's no altar boy. Tank and Iceberg came out wearing black hoods. The Elite tried to sucker punch them, but only hurt their hands because the champs had hockey masks on underneath. Luke took a mad wicked beating. Iceberg requested silence when he went to do the stiff chops and the crowd obeyed. That was funny. The behemoths obliterated Luke in the corner. M-1 mowed Luke down with the Blazin' Lariat. Tank did the surfboard curbstomp, and Luke made a desperation dive for a tag. The Elite dug deep into their bag of dirty trick to take control of the match. Luke used hairspray to blind Iceberg, and Adryan leveled "the No Pain Train" with the Mafia Kick. The Elite softened up (melted?) the Iceberg. Luke, who was acting like a real a**hole, got near falls with a springboard senton bomb and the Halo. The hot tag dissolved into a six way brawl. That's when M-1 made his move, clocking Tank with brass knucks. V got the pin. A beatdown ensued. The Lost Boys and Rick Michaels hit the ring for the save. This Rick Michaels was in much better shape than the one we've been seeing at the Arena lately. Michaels hit a full scale version of the Double Shot for the first time since his back injury 2 ½ years ago. Congratulations.

(5) The Lost Boys (Gabriel & Azrael) beat Pomp and Circumstance (Ace Rockwell & Shaun Tempers with Al Getz) via DQ in 8:58. P & C retained the NWA Wildside tag titles. The building went dark for Lost Boys entrance. Azrael came out brandishing a very cool medieval sword. Gabriel schooled Rockwell on the mat. Tempers fared no better. P & C tried to trap Gabriel 2 on 1. Gabriel bailed and Azrael blitzed those P & C turds bigtime. At 5:15, Tempers caught Gabriel on the floor with a double axe blow from the apron. P & C got sustained offense, until Gabriel's senton backsplash garnered the hot tag. Getz got in the ring to rally the troops. Azrael was going for the Ted Bundy when Tempers speared him out of his boots. P & C hit the double play on Gabriel but Azrael saved. Gabriel hit a top rope double stomp that left P & C stacked in the 69 position. I could have lived just fine without that. Gabriel hit a tope con giro on P & C. But Adryan and Luke attacked Lost Boys for the DQ. Adryan hit Assisted Suicide on Azrael. Lost Boys revived enough to clear the ring, but Luke absconded with Azrael's prized sword. When he's good, Luke's the angel boy, but when he's bad, he's freaking evil.

(6) Sweet Dreams beat Adam Armor (with Adam Roberts & T. C. Carnage) via DQ in 6:05. Roberts and Carnage were modeling the latest in sportswear from Sears Express. It was all Dreams until interference by Carnage set up an Armor dropkick. Armor worked on the neck. The Alabamians kept cheating. Dreams got fed up. He hit an RKO on Armor and neutralized Roberts and Carnage. Dreams had Armor up for the whirlybird when Roberts and Carnage attacked for the DQ. Skeeter Frost went against the odds to make the save. Strong crowd response for Frost, who was making his first inring appearance since suffering a broken collarbone at Christmas Chaos.

Frost & Dreams & Cru Jones vs. Alabama Attitude (Armor & Roberts & Carnage) was announced for Last Rites.

(7) Three Guys That Totally Rule (Fast Eddie & Patrick Bentley & Seth Delay & Salvatore Rinauro) beat Joel Maximo & Jose Maximo & Jay Fury & Nick Halen in 13:40. This was wild. Maximos are much better all around wrestlers than when they appeared in Wildside back in '02. Jose has filled out to where they are almost identical size, and it's hard to tell who's who. Referee Mike Posey (who aligned himself with Three Guys at Hardcore Hell) indicated that he was going to call it right down the middle. Faces got to shine in the opening minutes. Halen did a nice drop down into a headlock on Rinauro. Crowd chanted "Zee-ro" at Bentley. One Maximo boosted the other Maximo into a leapfrog flying forearm. Delay, Bentley and Rinauro all did wacky dives. Fury capped it off with a springboard corkscrew plancha into the pile. Maximos hit a double bulldog on Eddie for a near fall. Looked like Eddie was getting into the deep stuff, but Rinauro stuck a knee in Halen's back, and Eddie leveled the littlest babyface with a lariat. Guys pressed the advantage against Halen. Halen hit a german suplex and hot-tagged Fury. Fury countered Eddie's Russian Legsweep from Hell with the Enzifury. Sweet. It was finishers and saves galore. Bentley got crotched on the top. Maximos hit the Spanish Fly. Joel got a visual fall while Posey was busy doing other things. Eddie hit the Russian Legsweep from Hell on Joel for the pin. Guys celebrated by hoisting Posey up onto their shoulders.

A rematch between Three Guys and Suicidal Tendencies was announced for Last Rites. They tore the house down at Hardcore Hell.

(8) Rainman (with Jeff G. Bailey) beat Ray Gordy (with Al Getz) to retain the NWA Wildside Heavyweight Title in 11:20. The introduction of the champion provided the high point of hilarity for the evening. Rainman and Bailey came out to "Badstreet USA" doing a shameless Fabulous Freebirds imitation, complete with the Michael Hayes hand waving schtick by Bailey and Rainman doing the moonwalk. They did the knuckle touch Freebirds style. Basically, they nailed all the little things that make the difference between a watered down ripoff and the art of professional wrestling. Getz and Gordy tried to hide their appreciation.

Gordy jumped on top in the early going. Gordy did his twisting fisherman suplex and said, "you're my bitch now." Rainman did not take kindly to that remark. He responded with a veritable barrage of offense, scoring multiple near falls. Rainman beat Gordy to a pulp in the corner and hit a beautiful hanging falcon arrow. Gordy back with a lariat for two. Rainman with the Spinesplitta for a near fall. Gordy hit a german suplex. Both men down. Getz and Bailey got in the ring to revive their men, and you could see it coming, the girl fight, and the crowd went nuts for it. Bailey and Getz rolled around for the longest time. Rainman and Gordy pulled them apart…and decked their respective managers. Didn't seeTHAT one coming. Bailey and Getz departed. Rainman hit a corkscrew dropkick for a near fall. Rainman tried for the Dark City Street Cutter but Gordy countered with an exploder suplex for a near fall. Rainman did an awesome counter into the street cutter but Gordy kicked out. Rainman went for an inside cradle. Gordy kicked out the first time, but Rainman went back to it again to score the pinfall. A very entertaining match with a well done finishing sequence = a satisfying way to end any show.

NOTES: In addition to the matches mentioned above, the lineup for Last Rites includes War Games: Rockwell & Tempers & Scottie Wrenn (with Getz) vs. V & M-1 & Hotstuff Hernandez (with Bailey) vs. Tank & Iceberg & ? (with Michaels), Rainman vs. Onyx for the heavyweight title, P vs. Lewis for the TV title, Slim J vs. Fury vs. Halen vs. Delirious in a ladder match for the Junior title, Gordy vs. Matt Sydal. Lost Boys vs. Luke & Adryan, and Bentley vs. Daizee Haze…PWE returns to the Sport-O-Rama in Dallas, Ga on 4/23…Rockwell, Tempers and Adam Jacobs are booked for the 4/22 USA Wrestling show in Chattanooga headlined by Jerry Lawler.

Four Years Ago On The Wrestling Follower "ECW vs. WWF vs. WCW Feud?" 3-22-01

2005-03-22T00:19:00.000-08:00

Is a WWF vs. WCW vs. ECW fued looming? From what I've read on internet websites, the WCW landscape looks flat, and ECW (officially or unofficially) has folded. With that said, the only national wrestling promotion around now is Vince McMahon. If the WWF does acquire World Championship Wrestling, that means that, in essence, Vince McMahon for now IS the "Big Three." If Vince was holding all of the national wrestling promotions, what are the possibilities? I will attempt to figure that out now.

If Vince does happen to buy WCW, it would be wise to take Paul Heyman and Johnny Ace (or whatever booker he deems fit enough to run WCW) and have them as the rulers of the two promotions. It seems as if Paul Heyman will do anything in his power to get ECW over (even after it folded), so having him run a seperate ECW wouldn't be too much to ask of him. Besides, the increase in production value would make ECW look two times better. With the leverage that having Vince McMahon as a partner would provide, it wouldn't be too hard to book ECW shows in larger arenas.

Since the above thought has you thinking that WCW is alot bigger than ECW talent-wise, here's another thought. Make all of the ex-ECW wrestlers that are on the current WCW roster join the ECW roster. Should I name some of the wrestlers that would include? I will anyway. Mike Awesome, Lance Storm, Shane Douglas, Jason (EZ Money) Jett, (Kid) Cash, Bam Bam Bigelow, oh wait, WWF has it's fill of ex-ECW wrestlers also. So with the WWF roster being as full as it is, maybe they can send some wrestlers to the ECW promotion themselves. Such as Rh(Y?)ino, Justin Credible, Eddy Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Taz, Perry Saturn, Steven Richards, Dean Malenko and Lita. I know, I didn't include Chris Jericho and The Dudley Boyz. But I would obviously not send them to the "New" ECW because they are so much over on WWF TV. With Paul Heyman owning the "new ECW" he would probably have no problem re-hiring people like Steve Corino and all of the other wrestlers that left. (Notice that I haven't mentioned Rob Van Dam and Sabu yet.) The new WCW would bring back Goldberg and all of the other wrestlers that "left" and build towards an ECW vs. WCW vs. WWF on a PPV entitled "When Worlds Collide."

What? You say that that has already been used? Well find one that hasn't. Anyway, following is my dream card, that I think Vince should seriously consider.

ECW/WCW/WWF PPV
Yoshihiro Tajiri vs. Super Crazy
(Best Of Three Falls) Rob Van Dam vs. Rey Misterio Jr.
Eddy Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko
Rhyno vs. Raven (Strap Match)
X-Pac vs. Kidman
Jeff Jarrett vs. Shane Douglas
Lance Storm vs. Chris Jericho
Edge & Christian vs. Dudleys vs. Hardys (TLC Match)
Booker T vs. The Rock
Scott Steiner w/ Midajah vs. Triple H w/ Stephanie McMahon Helmsley
Steve Austin vs. Bill Goldberg (Steel Cage Match)

I know that there are alot of other cards that look better than this one, but as you can see, the possibilities are endless. If Vince does purchase WCW, I think it will be a very unpredictable time for the wrestling community.

Three Years Ago On THE WRESTLING FOLLOWER...2-25-02

2005-03-01T10:52:00.000-08:00

As everyone knows, this past weekend was a big one for the non-WWF wrestling fans to get into another promotion. WWA, XWF, and ROH all put on shows this weekend. I'll compare the matches with the promotions' internet coverage. First here are the cards for the three respective promotions.

Da Hit Squad vs. The Christopher Street Connection
Red vs. Jay Briscoe
Scoot Andrews vs. Xavier
Red vs. Jose Maximo vs. Joel Maximo vs. Quiet Storm vs. Brian XL vs. Chris Divine
Prince Nana vs. Towel Boy
Spanky and Ikaika Loa vs. Michael Shane and OZ
Eddy Guerrero vs. Super Crazy
Low Ki vs. Christopher Daniels vs. American Dragon

A.J. Styles vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Low Ki vs. Tony Mamaluke vs. Nova vs. Shark Boy
Alan Funk vs. Reno
Kronik vs. Native Blood
Teo vs. Puppet
Eddy Guerrero vs. Juventud Guerrera vs. Psicosis
Sabu vs. Crowbar
Lenny and Lodi vs. Rick Steiner and Ernest Miller
Jeff Jarrett vs. Brian Christopher

Jimmy Hart vs. A Local DJ
Johnny B. Badd vs. Buff Bagwell
Kid Kash vs. Josh Daniels
Simon Diamond vs. Johnny Swinger
The Wall vs. British Storm
The Nasty Boys vs. Rey Misterio Jr. and Konnan
Terry Funk vs. Greg Valentine
Vampiro vs. Hail

PWtorch.com failed to even mention the Ring Of Honor event that took place on Saturday Night. I wonder why this is the case when they mention on the site that they will accept indy results. It may be that 1wrestling.com made a deal with RF Video, but in my opinion, that makes no difference. A wrestling event is more important than an internet disagreement in my eyes. Anyway, here are the matches:

MATCH ONE:
ROH: Da Hit Squad d. Christopher Street Connection: Hit Squad is supposedly the hardest hitting tag team in the world, so of course, they defeat the CSC, who have to be the most effeminate wrestlers of all time.

WWA: Nova d. Christopher Daniels, A.J. Styles, Tony Mamaluke, Low Ki, and Shark Boy: Wow, who can book a better six-man cruiserweight elimination match? A.J. Styles, Daniels, and Low Ki are awesome. The rest are awesome also, but you know about all of them. I like how they spell the man's name "Low Key" please apare me the name changes. Eddie Guerrero, Psychosis, please stop it!

XWF: A local DJ d. Jimmy Hart: Hart should end this lame "challenge DJ's across America" gimmick, before he meets a DJ that decides to no-sell and squash him.

WINNER: WWA (NOVA vs. CHRISTOPHER DANIELS vs. LOW KI vs. A.J. STYLES vs. TONY MAMALUKE vs. SHARK BOY)

MATCH TWO:
ROH: Red d. Jay Briscoe: This could be the lightweight fued of the decade if pushed properly. Red is truly amazing, and Jay Briscoe acheived acclaim in CZW with his match with his brother Mark.

WWA: Alan Funk d. Reno: It's good that they have the artist formerly known as Kwee Wee defeat Reno, because Funk legitimately has talent. Give him a serious gimmick (not the "Funkster") and he could become a serious hand for the All Stars.

XWF: Buff Bagwell d. Johnny B. Badd: This is the epitome of the match that no fan wants to see. Instead of having Rena Mero as commissioner, allow her to revert to her WWF role and let Buff have her as a heel valet. Otherwise, this fued will never work in the long run.

WINNER: ROH (THE AMAZING RED vs. MARK BRISCOE)

MATCH THREE:
ROH: Xavier d. Scoot Andrews: As far as I know, this is the first meeting of these two east coast superstar indy performers. These guys match up better than most people think, but I would have given the "Black Nature Boy" Andrews the victory because he has more experience.

WWA: Kronik d. Native Blood: Native Blood is inexperienced, and Kronik just flat out doesn't have it. Not much to expect from this one.

XWF: Kid Kash d. Josh (Tough Enough): It's good to see this company building for the future, but Josh obviously isn't ready to compete with a performer such as Kash. Take it back to the drawing board and bring in Greg to fued with Josh.

WINNER: ROH (XAVIER vs. SCOOT ANDREWS)

MATCH FOUR:
ROH: Quiet Storm d. Brian XL, Devine, Red, Joel Maximo, and Jose Maximo: These are the future of the cruiserweight division, and as I understand it, except for Red, the rest of these guys prefer Combat Zone Wrestling.

WWA: Puppet d. Teo: This was a hardcore midget match, which, to be honest shouldn't be added to a PPV. Dwarves being booked in comedy matches is straight out of the 80's, which makes this a hard match to have watched. The lucha libre comparison is completely off-base, because the lucha minis can at least wrestle.

XWF: Norman Smiley d. Simon Diamond: No one knows Simon Diamond, so they match him up with his real life wife Dawn Marie. They should take the USA Pro Wrestling route and bill Diamond as being from "ECW" as opposed to being from "Anytown, USA."

WINNER: ROH (QUIET STORM vs. RED vs. DIVINE vs. JOSE MAXIMO vs. BRIAN XL vs. JOSE MAXIMO)

MATCH FIVE:
ROH: Prince Nana d. Towel Boy Eric Tuttle: Prince Nana wins in a squash. The towel boy is indeed the same guy from ECW who used to wipe the ring ropes between matches.

WWA: (WWA Cruiserweight Championship) Eddy Guerrero d. Psychosis, and Juventud Guerrera: This is what WWA should build their promotion around. The quality that these three wrestlers put out in the past year should keep their high spots in promotions all over the U.S. Jerry Lynn even contributed to this match making a controversial appearance mocking Guerrero.

XWF: The Wall d. British Storm: Not much knowledge on Storm except that The Wall isn't his ideal opponent. You're putting The Wall over to wrestle who?

WINNER: WWA (EDDY GUERRERO vs. JUVENTUD GUERRERA vs. PSYCHOSIS)

MATCH SIX:
ROH: Spanky and Ikaika Loa d. OZ and Michael Shane: This match is between Shawn Michaels' students, and Spanky really won due to him gaining the pinfall. Due to a stipulation, that pinfall earns him a contract with ROH.

WWA: Crowbar d. Sabu: Sabu is truly a hardcore legend, but he made alot of bad decisions in his career. This is one of them. This is Sabu's first PPV in a while, and he agree's to job out to Crowbar? If he hadn't have been such a prick in the past he'd probably be a champion somewhere in the U.S. now. But of course, he blew it.

XWF: Rey Misterio Jr. and Konnan vs. The Nasty Boys: I'd rather see Konnan in XPW and Misterio in EMLL. At least EMLL knows how to use Misterio. Konnan on the other hand has lost his mystique in my opinion and would be better off in HWA with EZ Money and Race Steele. The Nasty Boys don't deserve analysis. Think of them as the Rocco Rock and Johhny Grunge of the late 80's, except that Public Enemy had a few moves.

WINNER: WWA (CROWBAR vs. SABU)

MATCH SEVEN:
ROH: Super Crazy d. Eddy Guerrero: Of course, this was the show's dream match, and it didn't disappoint. Super Crazy became the first ever IWA Intercontinental Champion, and this match will be airing in Puerto Rico.

WWA: Rick Steiner and Ernest Miller d. Lenny and Lodi: What can you really say about this matchup. I guess Rick is Scott's certified fill-in boy. There is no way that this should be the semi-main event, but I guess they couldn't help it. This card was booked pretty good, but I could have helped it out, especially with the talent they had available.

XWF: Terry Funk d. Greg Valentine: Listen, I respect the old timers, but I have a feeling they put this match on just to put it on. I mean, since when does The Funker and The Hammer have beef? Unless it's some early 80's fued that I have no clue about, I don't understand this pairing.

WINNER: ROH (EDDY GUERRERO vs. SUPER CRAZY)

MATCH EIGHT:
ROH: Low Ki d. American Dragon, and Christopher Daniels: This match was a (***+) match that had everyone in the arena into it. There isn't much to say except that these three guys tore the house down.

WWA: Jeff Jarrett d. Brian Christopher: Christopher came out to his old WWF music, which proves to me that the production staff was sleeping in the back. I'll be honest. If this is the main event for their PPV, I won't be seeing too much of the WWA. Jarrett is very talented, they should try their best to bring in Shane Douglas to feud with him.

XWF: Vampiro d. Hail: OK, Vampiro no longer looks like a vampire, and Hail is supposed to be the next monster after Leviathan? Give me a break.

WINNER: ROH (AMERICAN DRAGON vs. LOW KI vs. CHRISTOPHER DANIELS)

OVERALL WINNER: ROH

Hopefully independent wrestling will take a note of the successful ROH show and make sure thst they match the talent and quality. ECWA of course in running their Super 8 this quarter, and I read that Jaime Knoble will be in it. Anyway, here is this past weekend's ideal card:

Nova vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Low Ki vs. A.J. Styles vs. Tony Mamaluke vs. Shark Boy
The Amazing Red vs. Mark Briscoe
Scoot Andrews vs. Xavier
Quiet Storm vs. Red vs. Divine vs. Jose Maximo vs. Brian XL vs. Jose Maximo
Eddy Guerrero vs. Juventud Guerrera vs. Psychosis
Crowbar vs. Sabu
Super Crazy vs. Eddy Guerrero
Christopher Daniels vs. Low Ki vs. American Dragon

The Wrestling Follower's "Elite Five" The Best Independent Promotions In The U.S.

2005-02-28T13:45:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of what I believe to be the Elite Independent Professional Wrestling promotions in the United States currently. TNA doesn't count for the simple reason that is that they aren't an Independent promotion anymore. TNA has been in the Big Leagues since they moved out of Huntsville, Alabama into the Nashville Fairgrounds, and then into Universal Studios. Also, Ohio Valley Wrestling could theoretically be added to this list, but since it is a developmental territory, it will not be included. So with all of that said, here is your list of the Top Indies in the U.S.

RING OF HONOR
Ring Of Honor did something that every independent promotion wants and needs to do. They brought value to their top title while building a steady and complete fanbase. They used just about every wrestling style in the world to bring themselves to this Honor, and they only seem to be improving as they experiment with new wrestling concepts. Austin Aries will be a top star for a long time to come just by being able to dethrone Samoa Joe for the belt last December. This is the type of thing that needs to be done in wrestling.

IWA MID SOUTH WRESTLING
In my opinion, IWA Mid-South is kind of like a hybrid of Combat Zone and Ring Of Honor, but with that said, this is still a good promotion which is based around wrestling (finally) even though the head booker is Ian Rotten (of ECW infamy.) With a Championship Resume including Chris Hero, C.M. Punk, Samoa Joe, and many other worthy independent stars, they control their territory like no other promotion.

JERSEY ALL PRO WRESTLING
JAPW has proven time and time again that they are the Independent promotion with the Big League promotion feel. They were able to bring in stars from across the broad spectrum of Wrestling promotions (such as Roderick Strong and Sonjay Dutt (NWA TNA and NWA Florida), El Generico, Beef Wellington, and Kevin Steen (International Wrestling Syndicate), as well as taking a great feud to the next level (Christopher Daniels vs. A.J. Styles.) Not only that, but they went hardcore as well (which they have been known to do) bringing in Mike Awesome and Vader, as well as the Homicide/Low Ki sneaker angle where they feud with Teddy Hart and Jack Evans.

PRO WRESTLING GUERRILLA
PWG has been known to be the best So-Cal promotion out there. Super Dragon has toured all over the U.S. even defeating former ROH Heavyweight Champion Samoa Joe with his great wrestling skill. This promotion out of SoCal is sure to be one of the top promotions in the U.S. for 2005. With wrestlers such as Excalibur, Scott Lost, and wrestlers who fly in such as Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian, we will be hearing way more of PWG this year.

NWA WILDSIDE
Wildside is a great promotion running out of Cornelia, GA which has alot of Junior Heavyweights going at it in great matches. They seem to be the only promotion who draws less than 150 fans each week, but still has not only National TV clearance, but has a great Internet presence. Bill Behrens was offered a job with WWE, but he turned it down to stay with Wildside. This is also the promotion that made A.J. Styles a household name, with a local audience.

EIGHT HONORABLE MENTION(S)
East Coast Championship Wrestling (Delaware)
Chikara Pro Wrestling (Pennsylvania)
New England Championship Wrestling (Massachusetts)
Professional Championship Wrestling (Texas)
NWA Florida
USA Xtreme Wrestling (New York)
All Pro Wrestling (California)
Gateway Championship Wrestling (St. Louis)

FOUR INTERNATIONAL HONORABLE MENTION(S)
International Wrestling Syndicate (Quebec)
Italian Championship Wrestling (Italy)
Frontier Wrestling Alliance (U.K.)
Border City Wrestling (Canada)

TWO PROMOTIONS ABOUT TO BREAK INTO THIS LIST
NWA Cyber Space Wrestling Federation (Cyber Space Wrestling
Federation) (N.J.)
Xtreme Championship Wrestling (Denton, TX)

ONE PROMOTION TO WATCH
Ring Of Honor

Joanie "Chyna" Laurer's Breakdown

2005-01-24T15:17:00.000-08:00

Chyna Bio
Date Of Birth: 12-27-70
Place of Birth: Rochester, NY

Joanie Laurer aka Chyna aka Chynna Doll was born in Rochester New York on December 27,1970. She was always in love with entertainment as a child. She began lifting weights and working out at the age of 15. In the early 1990s she served in the Peace Corps and ROTC. She also attended collage at the University of Tampa where she majored in Spanish literature. In 1996 she broke into the wrestling where she wrestled men as Chyna and went on to be the WWE's only female champion. After she left the WWE in 2001 she started an acting career. She was the star in a movie called "Alien Fury" and soon after that got the role as "Freeda" in a movie called "Frank McKlusky CI." She went on to get a cameo in Lance Bass' movie "On the Line" and also made a cameo in a movie called "Brown Sugar". She soon went on to host a show called "Robot Wars" and also hosted AMC's "Tough Guys" but that was not enough for this young actress who began guest starring all over TV. She appeared on Third Rock from The Sun, Whose Line is it Anyway, the season premier of Tracker, and Pacific Blue. She also appeared on talk shows such as Larry King Live, The Other Half and Hot Ticket. In 2002 she returned to the wrestling ring and wrestled men in Japan. Soon after that she released her own Playboy home video that gave an "inside look" at her second edition of Playboy. In 2003 she appeared in a movie "Hunter Back In Force" and in 2004 she began a music career using the name "Chynna Doll." She appeared on Reggie Benjamin's 2X Centrix CD and "Ride" CD which was number 4 on the Billboard charts for several weeks. In July of 2004 she and Reggie will release a new CD called "Smile" and Joanie Laurer is also prepared to star in a new movie called "The Romp" directed by Adam Pollina. (Courtesy TVTome.com)

Chynna's Resume
WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT
WWE Intercontinental Champion
WWE Women's Champion
WWE: Divas In Hedonism
WWE: Chyna Fitness

MOVIES/MINI-SERIES ETC.
Just Another Romantic Wrestling Comedy
It's Our Time
Hunter: Back In Force
Chyna Fitness
On The Line
Beyond The Mat
Alien Fury: Countdown To Invasion
Celebrity Boxing 2 (vs. Joey Buttafuoco)
Frank McKlusky, C.I.
Brown Sugar
The Romp

TELEVISION
Celebrities Uncensored
Pacific Blue "One Kiss Goodbye"
The Drew Carey Show "Rats, Kate's Dating A Wrestler"
3rd Rock From The Sun "This Little Dick Goes To Market"
Pacific Blue "Kidnapped"
3rd Rock From The Sun "The Big Giant Head Returns Again"
3rd Rock From The Sun "The Big Giant Head Returns Again 2"
The Huntress "Scattered"
MADtv- "Episode #605"
Gary and Mike "Road Rage"
Cribs
Celebrity Deathmatch "Where Is Albert Einstein's Brain?"
Tracker "Pilot"
Fear Factor "Celebrity Edition"
Rendez-View "Scarier than the 'Psycho' shower!"
Relic Hunter "Antianeiral"
Sabrina The Teenage Witch "Driving Mr. Goodman"
Tracker "Remember When"
02 Be "Show 101"
The Anna Nicole Show "The Anna Nicole Holiday Special"
Hunter "Hunter: Back In Force"
The Wayne Brady Show "1-22-04"
Tough Guys (Host)
Hot Ticket (Joanie Laurer)
Robot Wars: Grand Champions (Host)
The Surreal Life (Season 4)

Chynna Doll On Howard Stern Show (And Sean Waltman's Response)
HowardStern.com
Howard said that former WWE wrestler Joanie ''Chyna Doll'' Laurer has gotten much bigger since they last saw her according to Gary. Gary told Howard that she's acting kind of odd today as well. Howard had the guys bring her in. Howard thought she looked thinner than she did last time she was in. He didn't know what Gary was talking about. Joanie told Howard that he was acting weird. She told him that she's been flying all over the country and she's worn out and that might be why she's acting weird. Howard thought she was acting kind of strange. She doesn't respond to questions according to Gary. When he brought up her injured hand, she acted kind of odd and said that it was hurt while working out.

Joanie said that she's being sued over a bunch of stuff and she's got this boyfriend who she has to break up with and how bad she's been treated. She's been fighting lions and tigers in Japan and some other odd stuff. She was rambling about a bunch of stuff so Howard had to slow her down. Joanie says she hasn't been getting much work but things are turning around for her now.

Joanie said that things got bad when Triple H married Vince McMahon's daughter. She had a ton of stuff going on at the time but that all fell apart when she left the WWE. Howard wondered if they got rid of her because Vince's daughter wanted her out. She wasn't sure but called them all ''chumps'' and said that they're unethical in the way they treat people. Joanie was calling Triple H ''Triple Ass'' whenever she mentioned him.

Joanie talked about how she has tried to use the ''Chyna'' name even though the WWE owns the name and they've threatened to sue her over that. She said she's been sued by agents and managers as well. The WWE is still threatening to sue her right now. Howard tried to find out more about what has gone on with her career. She said she was making about $250,000 at one point in her career and Playboy paid her over a million bucks so she was doing fine.

Joanie went out to Las Vegas and that's where she's working now. She told Howard she injured her hand on a piece of equipment in her apartment. Howard asked her about her boyfriend and how she ended up getting arrested when she was trying to have him removed from her apartment. She said that the guy told the cops that she'd hit him so she was arrested. Howard wondered how things got so bad. Gary came in a second later and read an article they had about this arrest and what happened that night. The stuff he was reading wasn't about that night that she was arrested. Joanie said that she was crying that night and it took 5 cops to arrest her. She was put in jail for 4 days and it was pretty bad.

Howard wondered if she's going to continue to date wrestlers after all of that. He suggested that she try dating some chicks instead. Howard then gave her a plug for an appearance she's making as a judge for the World's Most Beautiful Transsexual pageant (MostBeautifulTranssexual.com) out in Las Vegas this week. Joanie went on to say that she saw this Miss Universe contest recently and she was not impressed with the women she saw. She thinks the transsexual contest will be a lot more fun. They'll be doing a talent and beauty contest at the pageant and she thinks it'll be a lot of fun. Howard wondered if people ever think that she's a transsexual herself because she's so muscular. She said she's never had that problem.

Howard let a few phone callers through to ask Joanie some questions. He also brought in Joanie's brother Tobey who was there to talk about the music he and his sister have created. A couple of callers talked about how manly she is. One guy asked her if it hurts her balls when she gets slammed to the mat. Another caller asked her why she doesn't get into some porn. She said she has a home video of her and her boyfriend Sean having sex and she is thinking about releasing it. She's afraid that it might not get released if Sean is mad at her and doesn't want it to be released. Howard let a few more phone callers through including Chaunce Hayden. Chaunce said he knows someone who has seen the tape of Chyna having sex on tape and it's supposed to be pretty hot. Chaunce also told Howard that Joanie used to be a belly dancer and if she can do that maybe she should be a stripper. Another caller said that when he saw Joanie in Playboy he was blinded and he wanted to blame her for that. Another guy asked her if she has ever tea-bagged any of her boyfriends. One guy said she's a hermaphrodite. That guy ended up getting into an argument with Joanie for a short time.

Another caller called in as Joanie's sister and he was doing his Herman Munster impression. Gary told Joanie that she really should release this sex tape because it would prove to all of these guys that she's a full woman. She doesn't seem to think that's the main reason she would release it though.

Howard spoke to Tobey about this song that they had to perform. Tobey had to tune up his guitar first. Howard told Joanie that she looks like she's on the verge of tears every time he sees her. She said she's not but things have been pretty bad over the past couple of years and things are just now starting to turn around. Joanie seemed a little concerned about the looks on some of the guy's faces in there. They looked angry to her. Howard said that the guys she was looking at are a scary bunch... Fred, Benjy and Artie.

Joanie and Tobey performed this song of theirs but Fred did his Herman Munster impression pretending to be Joanie warming up first. Howard started singing the ''Restless, Restless'' lyrics along with Tobey's music as he was ending the song. Robin said she liked their song. Tobey invited Howard to come perform with them at The Roxy with them. A few phone callers talked about how out of tune the guitar was and how out of tune Joanie was. One guy said it would have been a little better if Joanie had loosened up her jock strap. Another caller asked her who has the bigger penis, her or her brother. She just laughed at most of those dopey questions.

Howard wrapped up the interview and gave Joanie another plug for that Transsexual pageant she's judging. He also wondered what's included in the sex tape she wants to put out. She said there's some singing and dancing in it as well as the sex stuff. She didn't want to talk about everything in the tape because she doesn't want to get sued. Howard asked her if there were condoms used in the tape. She said she doesn't like them so they didn't use one. He also asked her about whether or not she has a period because she's got so little body fat. She said that she isn't too far from that monthly thing right now. Howard told her to come back in when she has the tape available so they can talk about it. He wished her luck at the transsexual contest but she said she wasn't in it, she's just a judge.

Sean Waltman's Response
SeanWaltman.com
I know I said I would not post on here anymore however I just learned of Joanie’s comments on Stern.

I can only say that I am deeply hurt by what she said about my Me as far as the status of our relationship and about where I am at the present time. I love her more than anything in this world & I have never given up hope that one day we could find happiness. I recognize My part in what has gone wrong in our relationship. I wish I could change the past. I can only work towards the future. I will say that I think it was wrong of Joanie to publicize the fact that I am in treatment at this time. I am in no way ashamed of being here. Paul Levesque & Vince McMahon care about Me enough that they have paid for Me to be here at Talbott Recovery Campus in Atlanta, Georgia which is the best drug treatment center in the country. I have not worked for WWE in 2 years so the company can’t pay for it , thus they are paying for it out of their own pocket. This they are doing for Me with no expectation that I will actually return to the ring.

I have commented on my relationship with Joanie in the past on here, but I will not respond to what she said about Me being a “druggie” other than the fact that I need to be where I am right now in order to be able to make her happy and also provide for my children. I am no longer married, but I still have two beautiful children that I love dearly. I need to be able to provide for them. I need to be able to provide for Joanie. Most of all, I need to be able to feel good about myself again. I love Joanie Laurer more than life itself. I can’t express in words how much I hurt right now after learning of her comments on Howard Stern this morning. I am not angry. I only want to make her happy. As far as the this sex tape is concerned. I personally could care less if people see the tape in question. It is something I refuse to be ashamed of. It is actually very funny & in no way obscene. It is something I could never be ashamed of because it is a product of true love. So if anyone has a problem with it then I can only say that is their problem. I LOVE YOU JOANIE & I WILL UNTIL THE DAY I DIE. I will never give up on you.
Sean Waltman

Chynna Doll vs. X-Pac Sex Tape
From CelebrityJustice.com
"Celebrity Justice" has shown you Chyna and her on-again-off-again boyfriend, the wrestler X-Pac, make "war." Now, if you think you're up for it, you can watch them make love.

As "CJ" first reported, Chyna -- real name Joanie Lauer -- filed a restraining order against X-Pac last year. Weeks later the two were arrested for domestic abuse and, in a phone interview, Chyna told us she feared for her life -- a charge X-Pac, the ring-name of Sean Waltman -- dismissed, saying "it's just really ridiculous, immature stuff."

So are you ready to see a different side of the couple? That's right, a new celebrity sex video starring the smackdown sweethearts is about to hit the market -- and Chyna's agreed to its release.
David Joseph, president of the company distributing the video, "Red Light District" Productions, told us Chyna had no choice: someone somehow got a hold of the raunchy video and was about to release it on the Internet, so, "She just decided if someone else was doing it, she might as well just do it herself."

In a statement, Chyna expressed pride in the tape, saying, "I'm proud of my performance in the video and feel confident that my fans throughout the world will love it."

Chyna and X-Pac once ruled wrestling before their personal lives began to unravel. But nowadays, Joseph told us, the two are no longer at war. "I do believe they broke up but, last I heared, they're still communicating," he said.

Joseph revealed the video was actually shot in China (the country) and claimed it's "artistic." And Joseph knows a thing or two about marketing these types of tapes: he's the man behind Paris Hilton's infamous sex video, which also the subject of legal action. And Joseph said that more celeb videos are on the way. "I got contacted by several different people that have celebrity sex tapes and we're aggressively going after them," he stated.

Howard Stern Comments On Sex Tape
Howard saw Chyna Doll's sex tape last night and said it was very disturbing. She and her boyfriend allegedly go to China to make the tape and her boyfriend looks like he had just gotten out of jail. They have sex at first in a very dimly lit area and you can't see anything. Then they have sex again in better lighting and you see way too much. At one point Chyna was dressed in a dominatrix outfit and Howard said she looked like Herman Munster when he dressed up like a rock star. Howard said that Chyna also has ass acne that goes all down her crack. Gary also saw the tape and said he thought it looked like Chyna had some big bruises too. Everyone agreed that there was just nothing sexual about this video. (Courtesy HowardStern.com)

So how do I look at this unfortunate turn of events in the life of Joanie Laurer? I don't know for sure, It looks like she might have started to delve into the whole Hollywood drug lifestyle that has destroyed many-a-career in the past. Vince has made it known that due to the fact that she released a sex video, there would be no way that she can return to the WWE. That might have been the one thing that could have helped Chyna back onto her road to recovery, but I'm not a therapist. She should have stayed in Japan and worked for them so she could upgrade her wrestling skills and she probably would have had a chance to become the first ever female WWE World Champion, but that is more unlikely than it ever was in the first place. Also, there isn't much hope of gaining re-entry into the company that made you a household name when you start trashing one of the top guys in the business. Triple H is in alot of people's ears in management, so she should have played it smart, cut her losses, and remained friends with him. Well, you know what they say about burning bridges. As far as her outlook in wrestling goes, I can see her being a specialty act in a few independent promotions for a while, and then perhaps making an appearance or two down the road for NWA TNA. But until she gets her act together, I don't think anyone in the business will be doing her too many favors. This is a sad story, and I honestly hope that Chyna can get it together, not for the wrestling business, but for herself.

The Kayfabe Breakers (Go to House Shows)

2005-01-23T13:22:00.000-08:00

Gene Snitsky Breaks Kayfabe
Kane chokeslammed Gene Snitsky off of the stage to end RAW this past week. As he and Kane are laying in the wreckage, he asks if everything went OK. Kane responds to him, until he realizes that the camera is in his face and covers his mouth with his hand. Fans on the internet bashed Snitsky for this, but I believe that it was an honest mistake by a man who is still new to the way WWE does things, and isn't used to having 500 cameras from 500 different angles shooting his matches. Not that Snitsky shouldn't have waited until they were backstage to ask, but shouldn't it be the production staff's responsibility to make sure that the workers know when the camera isn't on them? This brings up blading on camera. If a wrestler blades, and you see him blading is it the wrestler's fault? It should be up to the production staff to be on the button to make sure that things like this don't happen. If you see (for example) Shawn Michaels take a brutal chairshot, your instinct would be to pan away even if you weren't cued to the fact that he was going to juice. Snitsky made a rookie mistake by breaking kayfabe on live TV, but I think it was an honest mistake that should have been prevented by the cameraman and production staff.

Ric Flair Breaks Kayfabe
At a house show in Canada this past week, the fans were laying into Shawn Michaels as usual, which made Ric Flair take a live mic and tell the fans that Michaels was the greatest wrestler Flair ever competed against and that Bret Hart was just a Ric Flair wannabe. This is a tough one, but I have to agree with Flair's words. I kind of find it hard to believe that this was a shoot, with Flair saying that if Canadian fans don't stop the WWE will stop coming here. Think about it: Flair is still a heel regardless. Michaels is only a heel in Canada. Flair taking Michael's side in Canada is a heel tactic, and I think Flair worked all the internet fans who speak about Flair's "mental state."

WWE Raw Tag Team Championship Changes Hands At House Show
Even though this happened because Eugene injured his knee at the New Year's Revolution PPV, I believe it is a good thing to change titles on house shows in certain instances. At a house show this past week, La Resistance regained the WWE Tag Team titles facing William Regal in a handicap match. Obviously they didn't want this angle on television so they did it on a house show, which I don't exactly disagree with. This reminds me of Bret Hart's first WWF Championship, where he defeated Ric Flair off of TV (I understand that there are copies of this match circulating on the internet though.) It made you think that anything can happen at any time, which would help House Show attendance.

The Wrestling Follower Rankings (UPDATED: 2-24-05)

2005-01-19T20:00:00.000-08:00

Note on rankings: Each week this list will be updated, so be sure to check back here using this link. I will not be making new posts for updated ranking, I will just add (UPDATED:) with the date to the edited post. Also, there will be parenthesis with a number inside of it after the wrestler's name. This will denote how they Ranked last time the Rankings was updated.

3PW
(3PW Heavyweight Champion) Slyk Wagner Brown (2)
1. Roadkill (-)
2. Christopher Daniels (C)
3. April Hunter (8)
4. A.J. Styles (1)
5. Mike Kruel (-)
6. C.J. O'Doyle (9)
7. Striker (-)
8. Simon Diamond (-)
9. Rockin' Rebel (4)
10. Damian Adams (-)

(3PW Tag Team Champions) Mike Kruel and Simon Diamond (-)
1. Damian Adams and Monsta Mack (2)
2. Slyk Wagner Brown and April Hunter (2)
3. Rockin' Rebel and Jack Victory (3)
4. Rob Eckos and Striker (4)
5. Roadkill and Blue Meanie (5)

ALL PRO WRESTLING
(APW Worldwide Internet Champion) Puma
1. (APW Universal Heavyweight Champion) Nathan Rulez
2. J.J. Perez
3. James Watkins
4. Robert Thompson
5. Killa J. Mathias
6. Jardi Frantz
7. Vennis De Marco
8. Melissa
9. Billy Blade

(APW Tag Team Champions) Immortal Fear
1. The Mafia
2. Above The Law
3. Beach Boyz
4. Hollywood Angels

BAD TO THE BONE WRESTLING
(BBW Heavyweight Champion) J.C. Bailey (C)
1. Mason The Mangler (1)
2. Vic The Bruiser (2)
3. Billy Maverick (3)
4. Simon Sezz (4)
5. Rob Williams (-)

(BBW United States Champion) Billy Maverick (C)
1. Sean Casey (-)
2. Simon Sezz (2)
3. Mason The Mangler (1)
4. Rob Williams (-)
5. Terry Bull (5)

(BBW Hardcore Champion) Mason The Mangler (C)
1. Billy Black (5)
2. Vic The Bruiser (1)
3. Angel (-)
4. Terry Bull (-)
5. J.C. Bailey (-)

(BBW Light Heavyweight Champion) Simon Sezz (C)
1. Brandon Blaze (-)
2. K-Lo (1)
3. Sean Casey (-)
4. Menace (4)
5. Chance Prophet (5)

(BBW Tag Team Champions) Randy Royal and K-Lo (C)
1. Rob Williams and Sean Casey (-)
2. Simon Sezz and The Prophet (-)
3. Mason The Mangler and Terry Bull (-)
4. Vic The Bruiser and J.C. Bailey (2)
5. J-Grunge and Viper (-)

CLEVELAND ALL PRO WRESTLING
(CAPW Unified Heavyweight Champion) Chris Hamrick (C)
1. Billy Gunn
2. Nigel McGuinness (2)
3. Chad Collyer (3)
4. Chris Hero (4)
5. Jason Bane (1)

(CAPW Tag Team Champions) Da Munchies (Sheik Abdul Hassan and Dick Trimmins) (1)
1. Michael Hellborn and Barry Sagittarious (5)
2. Nigel McGuinness and Colt Cabana (2)
3. Justin Idol and M-Dogg 20 (3)
4. Dios Salvador and Aero (4)

(CAPW Junior Heavyweight Champion) Josh Prohibition (C)
1. B.J. Whitmer (-)
2. M-Dogg 20 (2)
3. Dios Salvadorr (3)
4. Aero (4)
5. H8 Pac (5)

EAST COAST WRESTLING ASSOCIATION
(ECWA Heavyweight Champion) Scotty Charisma
1. (ECWA Mid-Atlantic Champion) Chase Del Monte
2. Arch Kincaid (2)
3. Mike Kruel (3)
4. Fred Sampson (4)
5. Prince Nana (5)
6. Austin Aries (6)
7. Andrew Ryker (7)
8. Mike Fury (8)
9. Freak Nastty (9)
10. Johnny Maxx (10)
11. John Walters (C)
12. Mozart Fontaine (12)
13. Striker (13)
14. Mr. Ooh La La (14)
15. Japanese Pool Boy (15)

(ECWA Tag Team Champions) The Valedictorians (Billy Bax and Rob Eckos) (C)
1. The O.C. Boyz (1)
2. The Canadian Superstars (2)
3. The Chick Magnets (3)
4. The Shaolin Wrecking Crew (4)
5. Arch Kincaid and Austin Aries (5)

JERSEY ALL PRO WRESTLING
(JAPW Heavyweight Champion) Dan Maff
1. Trent Acid
2. Homicide
3. Teddy Hart
4. Low Ki
5. Vader
6. Mike Awesome
7. Justice Pain
8. Sonjay Dutt
9. Samoa Joe
10. B-Boy

(JAPW Light Heavyweight Champion) Azrieal
1. Amazing Red
2. Insane Dragon
3. Roderick Strong
4. Jack Evans

(JAPW Tag Team Champions) The Christopher Street Connection
1. Dirty Rotten Scoundrelz
2. H Effect
3. S.A.T.
4. All Money Is Legal
5. M-Dogg 20 and Josh Prohibition

NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE
(NWA WORLD CHAMPION) Jeff Jarrett
1. Jeff Hardy
2. Monty Brown
3. Ron Killings
4. Spyder
5. Vance Nevada
6. Lex Lovett
7. Raven
8. Ricky Murdoch
9. A.J. Styles
10. J.T. Wolfen

(NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion) Jason Rumble
1. Tony Kozina
2. Jerelle Clark
3. Naphtali
4. Majik
5. Shane Matthews
6. Rocky Reynolds
7. Matt Classic
8. Seth Cyrus
9. Scooter Shane
10. Psycho

(NWA Women's Champion) Kiley McLean
1. Kameo
2. Amy Love
3. Krissy Vain
4. Rogue
5. Momoe Nakanishi

(NWA WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS) America's Most Wanted
1. Team Canada
2. Triple X
3. New Orleans Fight Club
4. Texas Trailer Trash
5. Double Deuce
6. Mason Hunter and Mark Sterling
7. Sheik Hassan and Dick Trimmins
8. 3 Live Kru
9. The Naturals
10. Blade Bourdreaux and Denny Cooley

NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE: FLORIDA
(NWA Southern Champion) Lex Lovett (C)
1. (NWA Florida Heavyweight Champion) Bruce Steele (1)
2. Dennis Knight (3)
3. Antonio Banks (2)
4. Scoot Andrews (4)
5. Billy Fives (5)
6. Steve Madison (6)
7. Buck Quartermain (7)
8. Vordell Walker (8)
9. Rod Steele (-)
10. Roderick Strong (-)

(NWA Florida Champion) Bruce Steele
1. James Hendrix (2)
2. Antonio Banks (-)
3. Billy Fives (3)
4. Rod Steel (5)
5. Roderick Strong (4)
6. Erick Stevens (8)
7. Steve Madison (1)
8. Frankie Capone (7)
9. Luther Jackson (9)
10. Kahagus (10)

(NWA Florida Tag Team Champions) Frankie Capone and Marcus Dillan (C)
1. Most Valuable Playaz (4)
2. The Vandalz (Tommy and Johnny) (3)
3. Mikey Batts and Jerrelle Clark (-)
4. Leon Scott and Josh Rich (5)
5. The Heartbreak Express (-)

(NWA Florida X Champion) Naphtali (C)
1. Sedrick Strong (1)
2. James Gibson (3)
3. Mikey Batts (2)
4. Jerrelle Clark (4)
5. Mikey Tenderfoot (5)
6. Aaron Epic (7)
7. Jay Fury (6)
8. Josh Rich (8)
9. Seth Delay (-)
10. O.G. Scarface (-)

National Wrestling Alliance: Total Nonstop Action (NWA TNA)
(NWA WORLD CHAMPION) Jeff Jarrett
1. Monty Brown
2. Kevin Nash
3. Diamond Dallas Page
4. Jeff Hardy
5. Raven

(NWA World Tag Team Champions) America's Most Wanted
1. Team Canada
2. 3 Live Kru
3. Scott Hall and Kevin Nash
4. Michael Shane and Frankie Kazarian
5. The Naturals

(NWA TNA X Division Champion) A.J. Styles
1. Petey Williams
2. Christopher Daniels
3. Chris Sabin
4. Kid Kash
5. Elix Skipper

NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE: WILDSIDE
(NWA Wildside Heavyweight Champion) Onyx
1. Ray Gordy
2. (NWA Wildside Television Champion) Todd Sexton
3. Mikal Adryan
4. Rainman
5. Jeremy V
6. (NWA Wildside Junior Heavyweight Champion) Fast Eddie
7. Masada
8. Caprice Coleman
9. Jeff Lewis
10. (NWA Wildside United States Champion) Brent Silver/Murder One (tie)

NEW ERA PRO WRESTLING
(NEPW Triple Crown Champion) Vacant
1. Tracy Smothers
2. Chris Hamrick
3. J-Rocc
4. Marty Jannetty
5. The Deviant
6. Richard Weede
7. Glenn Spectre
8. Kamala
9. Jabari
10. J.T. Lightning

(NEPW Cruiserweight Champion) Aero
1. Perry Greene
2. Aaron Andrews
3. Justin Idol
4. Jesse Burke
5. Sneaky Pete

(NEPW U.S. Tag Team Champions) American Idols (Cage and Kaz)
1. Real Smooth
2. Da Munchies
3. Ring Crew Express
4. S.A.T.
5. Jimmy and Colin Olsen

(NEPW Ladies Champion) Lady Victoria
1. Angel Williams
2. 21st Century Fox
3. Stacy Hunter
4. Hailey Hatred
5. Syren

REVOLUTION BRITISH WRESTLING
(RBW Heavyweight Champion) Sammy Ray
1. Johnny Kidd
2. Chris Wyld
3. (RBW British Middleweight Champion) Jorge Castano
4. Ross Jordan
5. Stixx
6. (RBW British Welterweight Champion) Kid Regis
7. Robbie Brookside
8. J.C. Thunder
9. Rob Hunter
10. Spud

XTREME CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING
(XCW Heavyweight Champion) Action Jackson
1. Jacob Ladder
2. John Allen
3. Brett Barnes
4. Scott Phoenix
5. Convict 187
6. Eddie Atlas
7. Dusty Wolfe
8. Manny Fernandez
9. Kit Karson
10. Chance Romance

(XCW Tag Team Champions) The Niggaz
1. Jack Drastic and Eric Idol
2. Dusty Wolfe and Kit Karson
3. The Doom Thug Empire
4. The International Playaz Club
5. Scott Phoenix and Drunk Adam

(XCW TNT Champion) Jacob Ladder
1. Brett Barnes
2. Eddie Atlas
3. Chance Romance
4. Jack Drastic
5. Eric Idol

(XCW Ironman Champion) Scott Phoenix
1. Dusty Wolfe
2. Kit Karson
3. Drunk Adam
4. C-Diddy
5. Bullman Downs

NWA TNA Final Resolution PPV Update

2005-01-04T00:13:00.000-08:00

Jeff Jarrett Will Defend The NWA World Championship against ???
Jarrett has had a claw-hold on the NWA World Championship for a while now. He will be facing one of three men, but he will be at a distinct advantage because he will wrestle once, while his opponent will have already participated. So the question is...

Who Will Be #1 Contender To Jeff Jarrett's NWA World Championship?
We'll find out at Final Resolution, because three men will face off to find out who is the #1 Contender to Jarrett's belt. Those three men will be "Alpha Male" Monty Brown, Diamond Dallas Page, and "Big Sexy" Kevin Nash. This is a controversial choice (Nash) being that he is the enforcer for Jarrett's "Kings Of Wrestling" stable.

Ultimate X Match Announced for Final Resolution
NWA TNA will be presenting "Final Resolution" live on PPV on Sunday, January 16. One match that will be headlining this card will be the Canadian Destroyer Petey Williams defending his X Division Championship against two other men in an Ultimate X battle. Some of the wrestlers rumored to be getting their chance at the X Championship are "The Phenomenal" A.J. Styles, Kid Kash, Michael Shane, Chris Sabin, Frankie Kazarian and others.

Team Canada Set To Defend The NWA World Tag Team Championship At Final Resolution vs. America's Most Wanted
"Cowboy" James Storm and "Wildcat" Chris Harris have a chance to reach the top of the mountain as NWA World Tag Team Champions as they face Bobby Roode and Eric Young who will be seconded as always by Team Canada captain Scott D'Amore. AMW earned the chance to face Team Canada by defeating them in a non-title affair on a previous episode of Impact!

(NWA World Championship) Jeff Jarrett (c) vs. "Alpha Male" Monty Brown, or "Big Sexy" Kevin Nash, or Diamond Dallas Page
(NWA TNA X Division Championship; Ultimate X Match) "Canadian Destroyer" Petey Williams (c) vs. ???
(NWA Tag Team Championship) Team Canada (Bobby Roode and Eric Young) (c) vs. America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm)

WWE Raw Results 1-3-05 Uniondale, NY

2005-01-03T23:51:00.000-08:00

Wrestling Follower: WWE Raw Results Archive
1-3-05: Uniondale, NY
Batista d. Chris Benoit
Edge d. Chris Jericho
(WWE Intercontinental Championship) Shelton Benjamin (c) d. Maven
Trish Stratus d. Victoria
Christian d. Eugene
Randy Orton d. Triple H

WWE New Year's Revolution Card Finalized

2005-01-03T23:00:00.000-08:00

WWE New Year's Revolution PPV January 9, 2005
(WWE World Heavyweight Championship; Elimination Chamber Match) Triple H vs. Batista vs. Edge vs. "The Crippler" Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton w/ Special Guest Referee "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels
(WWE Intercontinental Championship) Shelton Benjamin (c) vs. Maven
(WWE Tag Team Championship) Eugene and William Regal (c) vs. Christian and Tyson Tomko
(WWE Women's Championship) Lita (c) vs. Trish Stratus
Gene Snitsky vs. Kane w/ Lita
Mohammad Hassan vs. Jerry "The King" Lawler

The Wrestling Follower Rankings: Week Of 1/2/05-1/9/05

2005-01-02T16:19:00.000-08:00

World Wrestling Entertainment
Singles
(WWE World Heavyweight Champion) Vacant
(WWE Heavyweight Champion) John Bradshaw Layfield
1. (WWE Intercontinental Champion) Shelton Benjamin
2. (WWE United States Champion) John Cena
3. Triple H
4. Chris Benoit
5. Eddie Guerrero
6. Kurt Angle
7. Chris Jericho
8. Randy Orton
9. Booker T
10. Big Show

Tag Team
(WWE World Tag Team Champions) William Regal and Eugene
(WWE Tag Team Champions) Rob Van Dam and Rey Mysterio
1. Booker T and Eddie Guerrero
2. La Resistance (Rob Conway and Sylvan Grenier)
3. Kenzo Suzuki and Rene Dupree
4. The Dudley Boyz
5. Luther Reigns and Mark Jindrak

Cruiserweights
(WWE Cruiserweight Champion) Funaki
1. Spike Dudley
2. Billy Kidman
3. Chavo Guerrero
4. Paul London
5. Shannon Moore

NWA TNA
Singles
(NWA Heavyweight Champion) Jeff Jarrett
1. Jeff Hardy
2. A.J. Styles
3. Monty Brown
4. Kevin Nash
5. (NWA X Division Champion) Petey Williams
6. Diamond Dallas Page
7. Raven
8. Ron Killings
9. Chris Sabin
10. Scott Hall

Tag Teams
(NWA Tag Team Champions) Team Canada (Bobby Roode and Eric Young)
1. America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm)
2. Triple X (Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper)
3. Scott Hall and Kevin Nash
4. 3 Live Kru (Konnan and B.G. James)
5. Michael Shane and Frankie Kazarian

X Division
(NWA TNA X Champion) Petey Williams
1. Chris Sabin
2. A.J. Styles
3. Elix Skipper
4. Sonjay Dutt
5. Frankie Kazarian

Ring Of Honor
Singles
(ROH Heavyweight Champion) Austin Aries
1. Samoa Joe
2. CM Punk
3. Homicide
4. Bryan Danielson
5. Low Ki

(ROH Tag Team Champions) Havana Pitbulls (Rocky Romero and Ricky Reyes)
1. Second City Saints (CM Punk and Colt Cabana)
2. Nigel McGuinness and Chad Collyer
3. Dan Maff and B.J. Whitmer
4. Carnage Crew (Loc and Devito)
5. Generation Next (Alex Shelley and Roderick Strong)

"The Unbeatable Champion" Samoa Joe

2005-01-02T13:21:00.000-08:00

The Unbeatable Champion

Samoa Joe successfully defended the ROH Heavyweight Championship for 22 months straight with no real television exposure and minimal fanfare. In the meantime Ring Of Honor fans looked at him as their version of Taz (The Unbeatable Champion.) The "Unbeatable Champion" was beaten in a great match against a relative unknown Austin Aries, member Generation Next on 12-26-04 in Philadelphia for their Final Battle 2004 show. Here is the Samoa Joe ROH Heavyweight Championship Profile. To learn more about past results and other notable championship reigns, visit The Wrestling Follower. As always The Wrestling Follower is where you find the world's easiest and most comprehensive Results Archive, as well as the Wrestling Follower Newsboard; where you find all the news from the Independent Wrestling scene, such as Upcoming Shows and notable title changes...Now, onto Samoa Joe's ROH Heavyweight Championship reign...

-Samoa Joe defeated Xavier for the Ring Of Honor Heavyweight Championship on their "Night Of Champions" show on 3-22-03 in Philly.
-Samoa Joe defeated Colt Cabana, Matt Stryker (yes, the same Matt Stryker who was busted up by Kurt Angle on last week's Smackdown!), and "Reckless Youth" Tom Carter at "The Epic Encounter"4-12-03 in Philly.
-Samoa Joe defeated Doug Williams at "Retribution: The Round Robin Challenge 2" on 4-26-03 in West Mifflin, PA.
-At the first "Do or Die" event in Philly on 5-31-03, Samoa Joe defeated "Original 187" Homicide.
-Samoa Joe (c) defeated Dan Maff on 6-28-03 at Wrestlerave 2003 in Philly retaining his title.
-At "Death Before Dishonor" in Elizabeth, NJ 7-19-03, Samoa Joe successfully defended his ROH Heavyweight Championship defeating Paul London in a great match, which was London's final match in Ring Of Honor.
-Samoa Joe defeated B.J. Whitmer at "Wrath of The Racket" in Dayton, OH on 8-9-03 to retain.
-On 8-16-03 in Fairfield, CT Samoa Joe retained his title defeating CM Punk.
-Samoa Joe defeated Christopher Daniels on 9-20-03 at Glory By Honor 2 cementing his status as ROH's franchise.
-In Glen Burnie, MD on 10-16-03 Ring Of Honor ran a show to remember the now-defunct Maryland Championship Wrestling. Samoa Joe wrestled in two matches, first defeating the hated (by Maryland fans) Prince Nana, and then defeating Jay Briscoe for the ROH Heavyweight Championship.
-At "War Of The Wire" on 11-29-03 in Framingham, MA Samoa Joe retained his ROH Championship defeating A.J. Styles.
-On 12-27-03 Ring Of Honor ran their "Final Battle 2003" show in Philly. Samoa Joe d. Mark Briscoe on the mid-card to retain the belt.
-Samoa Joe faced Jay Briscoe on 3-13-04 in a bloodbath for the ROH Heavyweight Championship inside of a Steel Cage for "Do Or Die II" in Elizabeth, NJ.
-Samoa Joe successfully defended his ROH Heavyweight Championship two times in two nights. He stepped into "Reborn Stage One" in St. Paul, MN to defeat the formidable Homicide by dq. Then he walks into Chicago Ridge, IL to defeat "Kurt Angle's Gold Medal Invitational" loser Matt Stryker at "Reborn Stage Two."
-On to "Generation Next" on 5-22-04 where Samoa Joe defeated Homicide in a great match in Philly.
-Samoa Joe reprised his feud with CM Punk defeating him on 6-12-04 in Dayton, OH at the "World Title Classic" card.
-This isn't a title defense, but I thought that it would be something to note. At "Survival Of The Fittest," "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson pinned Samoa Joe to win in a six way match. The other four wrestlers were Mark Briscoe, Colt Cabana, Austin Aries, and Homicide.
-Wauwatosa, WI hosted "Death Before Dishonor II: Part One" on 7-23-04. Samoa Joe and Homicide provided Wisconsin with a hardcore classic, as Joe retained his Heavyweight Championship once again against "The Notorious 187."
-"Death Before Dishonor II: Part Two" took place on 7-24-04 in Chicago Ridge, IL. Samoa Joe returned to the outskirts of Chicago to defeat local mainstay Colt Cabana in a good match.
-Samoa Joe defended his title on 8-7-04 against a man who would never return to a championship match at "Testing The Limit." Trent Acid walked out of Philly as the loser of this encounter.
-On September 11, 2004 Ring Of Honor ran their third annual "Glory By Honor" show out of Elizabeth, NJ. Samoa Joe defeated one of the UK's best wrestlers in "The Anarchist" Doug Williams.
-"The Midnight Express Reunion" on 10-2-04 in Philly had one of the most anticipated matches in ROH history. Samoa Joe retained his ROH Heavyweight Championship against "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson.
-Samoa Joe defeated current ROH Tag Team Champion Rocky Romero on 10-15-04 in Dayton, OH at the "ROH Gold" show.
-CM Punk lost to Samoa Joe for the ROH Heavyweight Championship in Elizabeth, NJ at "All Star Extravaganza II" on 12-4-04 in what many are calling the best match of their year-long series.
-In Philadelphia, PA at "Final Battle 2004" on 12-26-04, Austin Aries unseated Samoa Joe for the Ring Of Honor Heavyweight Championship.

WWE Wrestlemania XXI On X-Box Announced

2004-12-29T21:57:00.000-08:00

WrestleMania can define a legacy, and yours is about to be written. The greatest spectacle in sports-entertainment comes to Xbox with WWE WrestleMania 21. The WWE experience has never been more lifelike with Superstar voice-over and commentary, an all-new proreversal system and motion capture technology, making this the most realistic looking grappler to date. Create the ultimate Superstar and watch him evolve as you earn new move-sets, costumes and abilities in your quest for the WWE Heavyweight Championship. Build the perfect championship belt and defend it on Xbox Live while gaining prestige with each victory you claim, or take on four of your friends in head-to-head competition online. WrestleMania 21 will immortalize your legacy forever. How will you become a Legend?

-Superstar voice-over and commentary
-Become a Legend online via Xbox Live
-Four-player head-to-head online play with multiple match types and voice chat support
-New online create-a-belt feature will change the wrestling genre
-Character Evolution – Unique character-building story mode allows you to upgrade you Superstar's appearance, abilities, entrance, costumes and move-set as you attempt to win the WWE Heavyweight Championship
-Superstar moves and animations come to life like never before with motion captured technology
-Pro reversal system - First wrestling game to ever feature a countering system that incorporates a contrary reversal for each and every attacking move

Wrestling Follower Weblog Returns

2004-12-29T21:45:00.000-08:00

First allow me to start by saying that I hope everyone reading this has had a good holiday season, and during this week between Christmas and New Year's Day, I will be revamping the whole Wrestling Follower Website, including the Newsboard and this blog. In case you are new to the Wrestling Follower main-site and sub-sites, allow me to briefly explain. The Wrestling Follower is a website that I started building about 3 years ago. The main purpose of the site is to build a Results Archive so that it will be easier for people researching past shows to bring up the results for these shows. The Newsboard is where you can find Upcoming Show listings for Independent shows all over the U.S. and abroad. This Wrestling Follower blog is where my columns filled with news and opinion will be located. Everything will be a lot easier this year, so tune in for 2005.

The Wrestling Follower WWE Rankings

2004-05-15T16:19:00.000-07:00

Top Fifteen
1. (WWE World Heavyweight Champion) Chris Benoit
2. (WWE World Champion) Eddie Guerrero
3. (WWE Intercontinental Champion) Randy Orton
4. (WWE United States Champion) John Cena
5. Triple H (No. 1 Contender to World Heavyweight Championship)
6. John Bradshaw Layfield (No 1. Contender to World Championship)
7. Chris Jericho
8. Booker T
9. Edge
10. Undertaker
11. Rob Van Dam
12. Kane
13. Christian
14. Rey Mysterio
15. Chavo Guerrero Jr.

Tag Team
1. (WWE Raw World Tag Team Champions) Edge and Chris Benoit
2. (WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champions) Charlie Haas and Rico
3. Rob Van Dam and Rey Mysterio
4. The Dudley Boyz
5. Le Resistance

Great American Bash Returns?!?

2004-05-11T16:50:00.000-07:00

Smackdown will be running a PPV on June 27 that "you may be familiar with: Great American Bash. That name undoubtedly conjures up memories for longtime fans of sports entertainment." Is this a precursor to the return of WCW? I doubt it, but what is it that WWE is going after here? Are they trying to bring back old school fans who remember the old events that used to run in the Mid-South? Also, this PPV will be taking place at The Scope in Norfolk, VA. Anyone who used to follow the NWA in the 80's knows that used to be a NWA mainstay. The previous Great American Bash took place on June 11, 2000, which makes sense schedule-wise. WWE will probably just use the name as a permanent replacement to King Of The Ring.

Here is a list of current WWE stars who used to compete in WCW. Following that is a link to the past results from Great American Bash courtesy of The Wrestling Follower website.

Akio- Portrayed Jimmy Yang in WCW and gained moderate respect in the cruiserweight division. Was also on the somewhat forgettable "Jung Dragons" team.

Big Show- Portrayed The Giant, and is former WCW Champion. Highlights of his WCW career include his feud with Hulk Hogan, and his time in the N.W.O.

Bill DeMott- Wrestled as High Morrus in WCW, but wasn't really given the ball until he was in WWE doing Tough Enough. Was a part of the horrible Misfits In Action (M.I.A.) stable as "General Rection."

Billy Kidman- One of the greatest cruiserweights of all time in my opinion, who makes it look easy. If WCW were to resurface, he'd be considered the future.

Booker T- Won every major WCW title, including their World, U.S. (he held both at the same time), Television, and Tag Team Championships. He's also former WWE Intercontinental Champion, and Tag Team Champion. One of the best workers in the world today.

Chavo Guerrero Jr.- One of the best pound for pound wrestlers in the world who got over with WWE fans for his precise matwork and heel tactics.

Eddie Guerrero- One of the most under-utilized wrestlers in the world until currently, he won the WWE World Championship and silenced all of the critics who thought that he couldn't be champion because of his size. Almost lost his career due to drug addiction and a severe automobile accident, but made negative into positive and defeated Brock Lesnar for the World title earlier this year.

Jacqueline- The current WWE Cruiserweight Champion has been wrestling men her whole career as Miss Texas, and winning most of her battles. She was in WCW for a while and was semi-successful. She moved on to WWE where she has been the best female worker (in my eyes) on the most consistent basis.

Jamie Noble- Played a Japanese wrestler in WCW along with Jimmy Yang in the Jung Dragons group. Came to WWE and got over along with his now estranged girlfriend Nidia.

Johnny Stamboli- Was a part of the semi-talented former WCW Tag Team Champions The Mamalukes along with Big Vito. He also held the WCW Hardcore Championship (which was a joke) and impressed many fans as Johnny The Bull.

Mark Jindrak- Jindrak's only success in the business came in the tag team ranks, as he was former WCW Tag Team Champion on a few occasions.

Rey Mysterio- One of the greatest cruiserweights of all time made a name for himself by being a projectile. He was thrown into a trailer by Kevin Nash and feuded with him in a David vs. Goliath angle. Held the WCW Cruiserweight, WCW Tag Team Cruiserweight, and WCW Tag Team titles.

Rob Van Dam- I know this is an obscure one, but RVD was actually in WCW before he struck gold in ECW. He portrayed Robbie V, and was a jobber. WCW dropped the ball in their own end zone on that one.

Shannon Moore- Before he was Matt Hardy's lackey on Smackdown, he was a former WCW Hardcore Champion (what?!?). Another one on the laundry list of under-utilized cruiserweights on Smackdown.

Theodore "Teddy" Long- Long time manager in WCW, formerly the manager of the former WCW Tag Team champions with Doom.

Torrie Wilson- She became famous in WCW, became internationally known in WWE. Managed a few people in WCW such as Kidman who was feuding with Shane Douglas.

Ultimo Dragon- You probably remember the former WCW Cruiserweight Champion when he won the belt in WCW. You probably remember because he held 10 Championships from other promotions at the same time. Made a name for himself with heart-stopping maneuvers in WCW, and went on to become WCW Television champion later on.

Undertaker- "Mean" Mark Callous competed in WCW as a monster who wasn't pushed correctly. Moved on to WWF to become a bigger monster, the man we know today as Undertaker.

AND as promised, here is the link for my excellent Results Archive. Remember the history of The Great American Bash.

Also, I just saw a commercial for WPLJ right here in NYC for the Scott Shannon and Todd Pettengill. Talk about goofy radio ads. For those who don't remember, Todd used to be a horrible WWF commentator in the early 90's.

NWA TNA Announces Fox Sports Net TV Deal

2004-05-11T16:38:00.000-07:00

Well they didn't announce it yet, but this will be the announcement NWA TNA will be making on PPV tomorrow night. They've been offered Fridays at 3PM starting on June 6th. It kind of looks like they've been set up to fail with the weird time slot, as not too many people will be home from work to watch the show, but hey, at least we'll be able to see some amazing talent (A.J. Styles, Christopher Daniels, Michael Shane etc.) on free TV. I wonder if this will set up monthly or semi-monthly PPV's for the promotion? Oh, btw, the name of the show is NWA TNA: Impact and it will be taped on Thursdays from the Universal Studios in Florida. I also wonder how this will effect the whole ROH talent situation? More on this later...

Welcome to the Wrestling Follower Weblog!!!

2004-05-11T10:49:00.000-07:00

This is the newest addition to the Wrestling Follower Website. Here you will see my opinion filled take on Professional Wrestling. Welcome to this section of the site, and feel free to add any information or comments that you may have, or you can send an email to me and let me know what's going on.