presents:

The fine folks over at Place to be Nation have gone through every King of the Ring PPV as they re-booked and re-ranked all the brackets and overall shows. So, click on the link below and listen then post here on what you agree and disagree with.

http://placetobenation.com/brad-and-chads-king-of-the-ring-special-rankings-rebooking-and-more/

This was released on May 5th, 2015

The interview was conducted with Brian Myers and the guests are Tomasso Ciampa, Colt Cabana, and Chris Hero

It runs for one hour and fifty minutes long

Just to give you all a quick rundown of the concept, this features guys who worked in the WWE Developmental System as they all talk about their experiences and how they got hired.

The interview starts with Myers asking the guys about their experiences as extras on WWE television. He starts off by saying he got called to show up to Madison Square Garden with his partner, Zach Ryder, to work as extras for a RAW/Smackdown super show. Cabana joked about having around 15 matches on Velocity and Heat before getting signed. Hero then asked him about the wackiest experience he had as Cabana talks about wrestling Big Vito, who was wearing a dress at the time. At first, the match was going to be 60/40 in Vito’s favor then that changed to him getting completely squashed, which Cabana said should have been the original plan to begin with. Myers goes back to his story and how Zach and himself had no idea there was a separate dressing room for the extras so they sat in the regular locker room and saw Bob Holly staring them down looking pissed off then luckily for them Johnny Nitro came in and told them were to change as they also had to change in their too as MNM just debuted and despite being the Tag Champs, still had not earned the right to change in the regular locker room.

Hero then talks about his first experience at a WWE event. It was in 2004 as we was with Zach Gowen, Alex Shelley, Nate Webb, Jimmy Jacobs, and Truth Martini. They went into the ring before the show and chained wrestled with each other for like an hour without any supervision from the office. Hero said this was the night that Brock Lesnar threw Zach Gowan into the post and he bled like crazy. Hero then tells a story about how Arn Anderson went up to Gowan and asked him about “getting color” for the first time but Gowan was paying attention to the dark match on the monitor as it featured his trainer, Truth Martini. Gowan told Arn he was paying when in reality he was not so Gowan made himself a blade that was way too sharp and big and that was why he bled the way he did.

Ciampa now talks about his first experience as an extra. He was booked to face Jamie Noble, who just returned from Ring of Honor, and was told they want Noble to be extra aggressive as Cabana laughing about how they wanted Ciampa to get the shit kicked out of him. He then tells another stotry about teaming with Kofi Kingston (they both were wrestling in the New England Independent Scene) against Cade & Murdoch. Ciampa took their High/Low finisher but got his legs taken out first then got clotheslined and took a horrific bump on his neck and said that he felt a tingling for a minute then walked backstage, where Shawn Michaels ran up to him. Shawn first asked Ciampa if he was okay then told him he needed to be honest with him as they were going into a program with them and needed to know that they were safe workers. Ciampa told Shawn they were and once he got into the extras room, Ciampa told Kofi that he felt like he broke his neck and wonders if he should tell Shawn. After a debate on whether for not to tell him, Ciampa left the room to look for Shawn. He ended up running into Mick Foley, who told him that bump was the worst he has ever seen so after that, Ciampa decided just to pretend that he was fine and never tell anyone.

We get another story from Ciampa as he was selected to be the lawyer for Mohammed Hassan on a segment that aired on Smackdown. He talks about having to read lines in Vince’s office as HHH was making Vince a “Muscle Milk Shake.” Myers chimes in on how they no longer have indy wrestlers play those roles today as they hire actors.

The interview now moves on to when they all got signed. Myers starts by saying how its a lot easier to get signed today as they want to fill up the Performance Center but it makes it even harder to get to the main roster. Cabana speaks about being in Developmental when the company started FCW and how they had three rings at the time as the company started to hire as many guys as possible as they wanted to fill the place with bodies.

Cabana then tells the story of how he got hired by the WWE. He wrestled Eugene and they had an entertaining match. Jimmy Yang went up to him afterwards and said that he could not believe he did not get a contract offer after that. After that, John Laurinaitis looked him up and down and asked him how long he had been wrestling for but nothing happened. Cabana then said that CM Punk, William Regal, Ken Anderson, and Shawn Daivari among others kept going to bat for him to get signed but Laurinaitis kept saying no. One day, Cabana got a special tryout in a  Detroit and was supposed to get watched by Finlay, who ended up getting drunk with Dean Malenko instead. Cabana said he waited in the ring for three hours and no one came so Daivari kept on texting Laurinaitis, who was also getting drunk at the bar, then they finally got a hold of him as he spoke with Cabana and offered him a job for $750 a week, because he had a bit of a name on the Independents. Cabana said he made to sure to call him the next day and confirm that this was legit and it was. Cabana then talked about how Laurinaitis told him he was going to sign Matt Sydal (Evan Bourne) and Claudio Castagnoli (Cesaro) next. He also said he was given the choice to go to OVW or Deep South and chose OVW because of the horror stories he heard about that place. Cabana said that OVW was also not that bad of a drive from his house and talks about how he got $2,000 to move and only spent about $50 as he got furniture from guys who moved.

Hero talks about getting signed. He was with Castagnoli and their contracts were expiring. They had tryout matches against the Usos before the show s Myers talks about how its the shittiest experience ever to wrestle in front of no crowd. Hero also said that Tony Nese and Papadon were with them. They wrestled both heel and face then HHH pulled them aside and told them they would be signed as individual talents as that is what Vince wants.

Myers talks about his first tryout. He was there with 13 guys and only five were trained wrestlers. He said just a few of them got matches while the rest watched. He said that he wrestled Tim Arson, the ECW Zombie, in a terrible match while Zack Ryder wrestled Mason Rage. Myers said that Jerk Jackson (Bobby Fish) blew everyone away but never got signed, even after Dreamer said that if anyone got signed it would be him. Myers said that the only reason he can come up with for how Zack and him got signed were because they looked together. Myers said he got signed but had to finish up his semester at college so basically partied while getting paid by the WWE. He then tells a funny story of how when they first reported to Deep South, Laurinaitis was there and put over new signees Kenny Omega and Chris Rombola then went over to both of them and saw there hair was no longer blond and yelled at him “why the fuck isn’t your hair blond, change that shit.”

Ciampa then talks about how he believes it is much easier for a wrestler just starting out to sign a Developmental Deal with the WWE than someone who has been wrestling on the indies for a few years and has an attitude that he should get signed because he is a good wrestler. Ciampa said he went to a bunch of tryout camps shortly after starting wrestling school and kept taking their advice and that was how he got signed. He viewed this as “college assignments” and did not have an attitude about anything. He talks about being in the same camps as Kofi Kingston, Damien Sandow, Chad Wicks, and Palmer Canon.

Hero talks about Ciampa’s point a bit and says the WWE loves “hunks of clay” that they can carve out and mold into what they want as Cabana jokes about how they emphasize on the “hunk” part. Hero then says that the company believes they can get 10 starts out of 100 guys they bring into developmental and how that does not always work that way as Cabana disagrees and thinks it does. Myers gives an example of Titus O’Neill, someone with hands-on WWE training only since 2009 and how he still sucks while Cabana says that WWE fans think he is a star. Myers says he doesnt believe the fans think he is good and knows the office does not think they are while Cabana says is barking act is over with the crowd.

Myers stays on this subject and says how the WWE gets these freak athletes who have no experience and pick up wrestling easily and how they think it can happen to anyone but that is not the case. Hero then talks about wrestling in developmental and how “green” guys can have an awful match but get applauded for not hurting anyone but guys with experience like himself would get yelled at for any little thing. Cabana then tells a story about Afa Jr. (Manu) and how he went for a tryout and acted like he did not know how to wrestle, despite wrestling since age 14. Myers then talks about Afa’s first day in Deep South when he got into the ring and busted out a Blue Thunder Driver on Zack.

Myers talks about going down to NXT and how he wrestled against Rusev at a live event and that Bill DeMott was on a headset basically calling the match and dictating when they could get heat as Myers said it was confusing and that the referees would usually get chewed out if things didnt go a certain way. Hero said they would first only do that at the FCW building but then started to do that at live events and would even do commercial break spots in matches to get the guys used to that before making it to TV.

Cabana talks about his time in OVW and how there was no curriculum or communication from the office and that Al Snow taught everyone how he thought they should be trained and thought he knew more than everyone. Ciampa then talks about a class Snow did as he would tell the talent to not do anything unless he told them too and the whole match was wrestled like that as Ciampa questioned what was there to benefit from this. Hero says that this might be the product of these guys getting trained in the territory system and not having a structured environment. Cabana also talks about how Developmental should be getting guys in shape for TV and cannot believe that the WWE does not have a sponsorship with a protein company as it would give them enough free product to give the guys in Developmental, who typically do not have much money. Hero also talks about how the trainers would contradict each other, making it confusing.

They now discuss the guest trainers. Myers talks about Greg Gagne and how he probably had not watched wrestling since 1989 and showed them stuff that no one does in wrestling anymore. Then after hours of training with Gagne, DeMott came out of the office and told them all to disregard everything they just learned. Cabana says that Brian Blair came down and told them they would learn stuff they had never seen before then proceed to show them all how to skin-the-cat as Cabana thinks that in Blair’s mind, he had to teach them something that he thought no one else was showing them. Hero takes it a step further and talks about how everyone learns through different ways and by teaching 30 people to do something one way, some people get lost in the shuffle. However, if you give more individual attention, you have a better chance at teaching as some people respond to tough love while others need to be spoon-fed.

Cabana then asks everyone who helped them out the most. He said it was Norman Smiley for himself, who always told him that he was better than he was. Myers said he got the sense from DeMott and Snow that they wanted to be wrestling and not training guys while Tom Prichard was really helpful. Hero said that some of the trainers would hold the fact that they have all of these resources in the Performance Center against them because they did not have those same things when they were breaking into the business.

Ciampa and Cabana talk about having to do a book quiz on Dr. Death. Myers said that heard Dr. Death practically called Nova up crying that no one read his book as Cabana tells the story. He said they were given copies of the book but never told they had to read it then got quizzed. Ciampa talks about the questions and remembers one of them was who did he have for a roommate in his Sophomore year at college as they laughed at the ridiculousness of the question, which was fill in the blank and not multiple choice. Cabana said everyone got yelled at and threatened to get fired so the next day he stayed up all night reading, thinking there would be another quiz but there was not as they all talk about the book for a minute.

Myers talks about the “Make a Deal” Friday they had in Deep South where they came up with some wacky idea to prevent them from having to practice. He then tells a story about one time when they raced shopping carts, Deep South was in a shopping center, and his teammate was Brooke Adams (Miss Tessmacher) and remembers this because they had to pick up quarters with their butt (as he says she has the best butt in wrestling) and walk with them and try to drop it in a solo cup that was on the ground. The others couldnt believe they did this stuff as Cabana asked them if the training was so hard they’d rather to that as Myers talks about how it was brutally humid there and everyone got shitfaced Thursday nights and come in the next morning for tape review. And instead of practicing hungover, they came up with ideas to get out of practice, which were all ways to humiliate each other. Later on, Myers learned that DeMott would bury them behind their backs to the guest trainers for doing anything it took to get out of practice, adding that the whole idea was DeMott’s.

They talk about the trainers as all the guys who had Steve Keirn talk positively about him. Myers said that Ricky Steamboat was very long-winded when giving feedback as Hero agrees. Cabana goes into it further how they trained all day and while the love and appreciate wrestling, they wanted to go home at the end of the day but Steamboat would go into 1.5 hour-long speeches. Myers then said he saw Steamboat at an Independent show and asked how his son was doing and he talked for so long that Myers’s entrance music started playing. Hero said you don’t mind those speeches at the beginning of the day though.

Hero talks about his time in NXT and how there were two classes: morning and afternoon. He was in the afternoon class, which had all of the diva’s and the second generation talent along with a few other guys. He said the more experienced talent was in the morning class. He thought it was cool as he got to know people he never met before and went in with an optimistic attitude but after that Terry Taylor came in and there wasnt much of a direction. Cabana adds to this and how the system will never be perfect and how they (besides Myers) never got called up might sound bitter and say it didnt work while those who made it would say it was great. Myers and Hero talk about how they would write up report cards on the talent yet never tell them what they need to improve on or what they are doing wrong as they think it is fucking stupid. Hero said he heard agents yell about guys doing stuff wrong while the person doing it thinks they are supposed to be performing it that way because they are never told the correct way.

Now, Hero talks about how he sat down with Bill DeMott one day, who had him run a class as they were busy. Hero said he had no idea how to run a class and after that guys would gravitate to him for pointers so he would help them out but after that got knocked by the office for teaching guys and that he needed work in other areas so he shouldn’t be passing on any bad habits.

Myers asks them who was the one guy in developmental they were sure would make it to the main roster but never did. Myers said it was Mike Kruel, as he was a focal point of some of the TV’s and Cabana said Laurinaitis came down one day and said he would put Kruel on TV right now but he ended up getting sent to FCW and buried until he was released. Cabana said it was Jacob Duncan (Ryan Wilson or Trytan in TNA) as he was a big guy with a great look who loved wrestling and thought if he couldnt make it to the main roster then he certainly could not make it himself. Hero said it was Briley Pierce (Dolph Ziggler’s brother) as he improved, had an amateur background, and also came up with a million ideas. Cabana said that before he was let go he had a show on WWE.com and was doing commentary and while he came up with a lot of ideas, the top officials never liked them as he suggested that Kevin Dunn didnt like him for being “chubby.”

The guys talk some more about the guest trainers. Hero loved Perry Saturn, saying that he told a ton of funny and crazy stories but also taught them a lot of technical wrestling as well. Cabana said that he loved Pat Patterson, as he would tell them to have fun, unlike Jim Ross who they all said was a downer. Ciampa talks about how easy it is to fall in the hole of hating wrestling when trainers constantly knock you and tell you that you are shit.

Hero talks some more about disagreements he has with the Developmental philosophy as you have to figure stuff out on your own and guys are only doing stuff because they are told to instead of incorporating what you learned into different situations. Hero said you cannot be good just by trying to copy Ricky Steamboat in the ring, which Myers comments that was basically how Steamboat himself acted as a trainer, as what works for Steamboat will not work for everyone. Myers said when he was a white-meat babyface throwing armdrags, Steamboat loved him but when they became heels, Steamboat did not care and never taught them anything.

We get another story from Hero when Vader was a guest trainer. Leakee (Roman Reigns) and Leo Kruger (Adam Rose) were wrestling in the ring. They both had long black hair at the time with similar builds. Hero was near Vader at the monitor and heard him say “Why the fuck is Sika’s kid doing an African Hunter gimmick?,” which was the gimmick that Kruger had at the time as Vader could not tell the two guys apart.

They talk about guys who spent a long time in developmental like Kruger, Damien Sandow, Konnor, and Viktor. Cabana talks about how they need experienced guys in Developmental as two “green” guys will not learn from wrestling each other and having veterans to work with them constantly and put them over, giving Chad Collyer as an example, will help them get better. Cabana says those guys are in their 30’s and about to quit wrestling because they cannot find work so hire them for the sole purpose of working in Developmental to put guys over and guide them through matches at house shows.

Hero talks about how one of the diva’s at the Performance Center ended up hurting herself while training in the ring unsupervised and after that there was a new rule that stated no one could be in the ring unless a trainer was supervising them. Hero said he understands that from a liability stand point but it hinders progress as you can learn in the ring with each other and sometimes trainers would say they were busy when asked if thy could watch them for a minute.

Myers asks them all if the Performance Center is for the best. Hero said it is in most ways as you have a million resources and can watch your own promos and easily pull your stuff from a database. They also put over HHH for knowing who everyone is while when they broke in no one really had a handle on anything. Ciampa says the new system is for the best as Cabana says when he was in OVW and FCW, guys who trained when Memphis was the Developmental territory probably thought they had it great and now he thinks the NXT talent has it great and how it will keep on getting better. Hero said the one thing missing the most is learning in matches and how to feel it out instead of doing the same matches over and over.

They then talk about doing the “Street Team” stuff as Cabana tells a story of how he had to drive 1.5 hours to Cincinnati and put up flyers to a show that no one was going to go to anyway and how he wasnt going to make money regardless then the next time he had to do it he took all the flyers and threw them away and took the rest of the day off. Hero said that it was a way to build camaraderie, as you all had to the same shitty tasks, but that came to an end when Canyon Ceman said guys who they were grooming as stars should not be doing this and that is when the Social Media team was developed.

Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed this interview. As Myers said, the way they started in WWE Developmental is now a thing of the past with the new Performance Center. The guys all told interesting stories and spoke of how disorganized things were back then. They also agree that its much better with HHH overseeing things.

As far as the guys themselves in this interview, Myers is always great in shoot interviews. But as far as an actual host, he was solid. He doesnt cut anyone off and let his guests do the talking. Hero really dominated this shoot, especially the last half. He spoke for a majority of the time. I thought he was interesting here but a little too talkative at times. Cabana was a lot more quiet than I thought he would be. He offered a good amount of insight but I got the impression he hated being in the system. Ciampa was soft-spoken and told a few good stories but was practically silent for the last half-hour.

I hope there will be more installments of this series in the future. Its an interesting concept and plenty of guys you could feature.  Plus, you get to hear a ton of great stories.

I recommend this shoot and think it gives great insight into how the developmental system works.

You can purchase the DVD of this interview for $19.99 or the Digital Download for $14.99 by clicking on the links below:

http://www.highspots.com/p/develop.html

http://www.highspots.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=HS&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=VD_devolopmently_brian_meyers

Next week, I will be recapping the Kayfabe Commentaries 1989 WCW Timeline as told by Jim Cornette, which will be released on 5/19..

Here is my schedule for the next several days:

Friday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 6/14/87
Saturday: RoH Bitter Friends, Stiffer Enemies 8/16/03
Tuesday: WWF Madison Square Garden 6/14/87
Thursday: 1989 WCW Timeline as told by Jim Cornette

The staff over at Place to be Nation have voted to determine which wrestler in North America earned the title of the “Real World Champion” for each given year. Wrestlers were determined by the following factors: workrate, drawing ability, influence, and general overall presentation. Don’t think of this as which actual champion was the best but rather which wrestler of a given year best represented a combination of all these factors, the factors in which you would look for in a champion. Click on the link below to read the article and comment here too to voice your opinion on the selections. 

http://placetobenation.com/ptbns-real-world-champion-2008-2014/

The staff over at Place to be Nation have voted to determine which wrestler in North America earned the title of the “Real World Champion” for each given year. Wrestlers were determined by the following factors: workrate, drawing ability, influence, and general overall presentation. Don’t think of this as which actual champion was the best but rather which wrestler of a given year best represented a combination of all these factors, the factors in which you would look for in a champion. Click on the link below to read the article and comment here too to voice your opinion on the selections. 

http://placetobenation.com/ptbns-real-world-champion-2001-2007/

The staff over at Place to be Nation have voted to determine which wrestler in North America earned the title of the “Real World Champion” for each given year. Wrestlers were determined by the following factors: workrate, drawing ability, influence, and general overall presentation. Don’t think of this as which actual champion was the best but rather which wrestler of a given year best represented a combination of all these factors, the factors in which you would look for in a champion. Click on the link below to read the article and comment here too to voice your opinion on the selections.

http://placetobenation.com/ptbns-real-world-champion-1995-2000/

The staff over at Place to be Nation have voted to determine which wrestler in North America earned the title of the “Real World Champion” for each given year. Wrestlers were determined by the following factors: workrate, drawing ability, influence, and general overall presentation. Don’t think of this as which actual champion was the best but rather which wrestler of a given year best represented a combination of all these factors, the factors in which you would look for in a champion. Click on the link below to read the article and comment here too to voice your opinion on the selections.

http://placetobenation.com/ptbns-real-world-champion-1989-1994/

Roll the opening video. Can anyone tell me what the theme song was for the intro at this point?

Tonight, we get Paul E. Dangerously unveiling a brand new Dangerous Alliance. ECW Tag Team Champions, Tony Stetson and Johnny Hotbody defend against the team of The Sandman and J.T. Smith; Tommy Dreamer makes his NWA debut against The Tazmaniac, an update on Sabu and Badd Company take on The Public Enemy.

Match #1: Badd Company (Pat Tanaka & Paul Diamond) vs. The Public Enemy (“Flyboy” Rocco Rock & Johnny Grunge).

Diamond and Grunge start off, and we get a little stalling. A lock up takes it to the ropes, and Johnny breaks clean. Anothe lock up, to the ropes again, as Diamond breaks clean, but Grunge hits a right hand. Whip off the ropes is reversed by Diamond, he goes up and over and hits a dropkick, then a Japanese arm drag, a flying elbow and Grunge hits the floor. The show takes a break here. When we come back, Grunge is tagging in Rock and he wants Tanaka tagged in, with Diamond obliging. Lock up, and Rock armdrags Tanaka. Another lock up, and this time Rock gets a hip toss. Lock up again, and Rock hits a body slam. Tanaka comes back and hits Rock with the same, only in very quick succession. They trade kicks, with Tanaka winning that exchange with a foot sweep, which the crowd appreciates. Whip off the ropes, Rock tries to go over but Tanaka hits a sit out power bomb for 2 as it’s broken up by Grunge. Grunge and Diamond tagged in. Diamond takes Grunge to the corner and hits all the buckles with Grunge’s head, then the mat. Whip to the opposite corner, and a leg lariat by Diamond. Diamond working on the arm, stopped by an eye gouge from Grunge. Diamond comes back with a float over DDT. 1…2…broken up by Rock. Tanaka tagged in. Tanaka catches the kick and hits a leg sweep to take Grunge down. Rocco tagged back in, and locks up with a tagged in Diamond, taking it to the PE corner. A double team takes Diamond down. Rocco works Diamond over in the corner now. Diamond goes down, and Rocco lays in headbutts to the knee. With the referee distracted, Grunge works over the knee on the apron. Rocco misses a move, and tags in Grunge who cuts off Diamond trying to get the tag to Tanaka. Grunge takes it to the mat for some leg work. Diamond breaks it up with a series of legs to the head, and an enziguiri puts Grunge down. Grunge quickly tags in Rocco before Diamond can get to his corner. Whip is reversed, blind tag for PE, Diamond dodges a charging Rocco and PE collides. Diamond gets the hot tag to Tanaka. Grunge is taken to the floor, and Badd Company hit the leapfrog guillotine on Rocco. Back suplex for Diamond, but the pin  is broken up by Grunge.  Diamond goes for another back suplex, but Rocco floats behind Diamond, runs him toward Grunge in the corner, but Diamond ducks and Grunge hits Rocco instead. Diamond rolls up Rocco…1….2….3! ***

WINNERS: Badd Company. Good match between these two teams. Standard tag formula applied here, and it was never dull.

“Daddy, we love you! We don’t need a TV star for a father…just you!” -Salvatore, Jr., Mario, Sofia and Antonino, the Bellomos. We see video of Salvatore Bellomo playing outside with his kids. The music is somber piano, while Sal appears to be very happy running and sliding and spinning and running some more. The dude shouldn’t run so much, as it appears that physics is working against him. Physics and biology. Physics, biology and sociology. We close with a get well wish from the ECW fans.

We come back with Jimmy Snuka getting introduced in the ring, and a plea to NOT call the ECW Hotline number, because if you call it, you will hear spoilers for every episode of Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper!

Match #2: Chad Austin vs. Jimmy Snuka.


Lock up, to the ropes and Snuka with a knee to the gut. Whip off the ropes, and Snuka lays in a chop that takes Austin down. Another whip, and a kick to the stomach. Head to the buckle a couple of times. Whip to the opposite corner. Snuka lays in a punch, then hits a power bomb where he quickly let go, almost dropping Austin on his neck. Whip and a thrust to the midsection. Slingshot suplex for Snuka. Foot on the chest…1…2…3. 1/2*

WINNER: Jimmy Snuka. Match was Snuka slowly squashing the guy. There’s the ECW Hotline again. DO NOT CALL! Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper was on for five years! The number is blurred out but Joey provides the number verbally because he’s a big Mark Curry fan.

From the ECW Newscenter it’s a Special Report, with Jay Sulli. Paul E. Dangerously has promised to unveil a new Dangerous Alliance. Joey Styles conducted the interview in the ring, as we cut to said interview. Dangerously has the ECW Heayweight Champion, Shane Douglas, with him. Paul names Sherri Martel as the Director of Covert Operations (like Madusa in the original Alliance). The newest member of the Dangerous Alliance is Sabu! Sabu is wheeled out strapped to the gurney, as Douglas doesn’t like this addition, and says that Sabu is not welcome. Sherri takes umbrage at Paul disagreeing with Shane. Sherri screams some stuff that gets bleeped, and Paul goes to leave with Sabu. We cut to the Matty Cam, courtesy of Matty in the House, and Willie Watts is trying to get the scoop outside the dressing room of the Dangerous Alliance. A lot of arguing going on behind that door. The line appears to be drawn with Shane and Sherri on one side, and Paul and Sabu on the other.

Matty in the House is backstage with Jason Knight, who prefers to be called just Jason. Matty wants to know who Jason is going to be managing in ECW. Jason keeps dodging the question and MATTY IS THE MOST ANNOYING BASTARD. Who the fuck was this guy?

Match #3: The Sandman and J.T. Smith vs. Tony Stetson and Johnny Hotbody (c) – ECW Tag Team Championship.


Terry Funk is in the corner of the challengers. The Sandman in his wetsuit starts off with Stetson. We hit the headlock! Stetson powers out, and he and Hotbody lay in the kicks on Sandman. Double whip off the ropes, and double back elbow. Another whip and Sandman with a crossbody on both guys. Sandman clears the ring. Smith gets tagged in, and Stetson kicks the wrapped knee of Smith. Now we go to the mat for some leg work. Stetson comes off the top with a legdrop on the injured knee. The champs turn their backs, allowing Smith to tag in Sandman. Stetson dumps Sandman over the top rope and on top of Funk outside. We get some weird edit that has Sandman back in the ring with a sleeper on Stetson. Funk gets in the ring with a chair and hits the referee and then hits The Sandman. That’s a DQ. *

WINNERS: And STILL ECW Tag Team Champions, Tony Stetson and Johnny Hotbody Not a good match, and some untimely cuts in the editing. Not long enough to be anything special. Funk is pissed with The Sandman while Smith wants to know “ooooooooweeee, what’s up with that, what’s up with that?”.

Footage from later that week: J.T. Smith had a title match with Shane Douglas. Douglas gets a figure four on Smith with his injured knee. Funk was in Smith’s corner and threw in the towel, ending the match. Smith threw the towel back at Funk’s face, and Funk turns on Smith and proceeded to beat the tar out of him. So, basically, Funk had turned on two babyfaces in a week.

Match #4: Tommy Dreamer vs. The Tazmaniac. 


Early look for Dreamer with the suspenders. Taz still in caveman mode at this point. A body slam for Dreamer and a clothesline puts Taz outside. Dreamer brings Taz back in and hits a back elbow off a whip. Dreamer splashes the arm a couple of times, then hits the armbar. Whip by Dreamer, but Taz catches Dreamer in a sweet looking suplex. Taz hits the rear chinlock. Dreamer elbows out, and gets a sunset flip for 2. Taz with a big clothesline coming back, and another chinlock. Taz hits a powerslam off a whip for 2. Bodyslam for Taz, and another chinlock. Whip off the ropes, and Dreamer hits a corossbody for 2. Dreamer going for a suplex, but Taz another nice suplex. Taz misses the diving headbutt. Flying shoulderblock for Dreamer. Bulldog for Dreamer, but he misses an elbowdrop. Taz dumps Dreamer outside, and whips him into a post. Now a chairshot. Dreamer grabs the chair and wraps the chair around Taz’s head, then hits a DDT on the floor. Back in the ring, Dreamer with an enziguiri for 2. Body slam for Dreamer, and he goes up top. Taz crotches him, and climbs up for a northern lights suplex! Damn! Taz gets the 3! ***

WINNER: The Tazmaniac. Both guys with some nice offense. Tommy was still a little green here, but still made a good showing and Tazmaniac showing the various suplexes that everyone loves.

Tommy leaves to applause from the mutants, with Joey acting incredulous at that showing. And we’re out.

The Post-Game Opinion: A couple of good matches on this show make it an easy thumbs up. Badd Company was a team that was undervalued after their AWA run, as so far in ECW, they have looked pretty good. The Dangerous Alliance unveiling went awry, but it’s leading to a Shane Douglas-Sabu feud for the ECW Heayweight title, as Sabu gets the rocket push from day one. Tommy Dreamer’s debut looked good, and I have never seen the “pretty boy” gimmick before now. These early shows have definitely given me reason to backtrack a little on my overall feelings about the company. Thanks for reading.

This interview was released in 2011. It was conducted by Sean Oliver

It runs at two hours and twenty-eight minutes long

EARLY DAYS




He is asked about his memories of wrestling as a child. He first watched Florida Championship Wrestling as a child. He said that he started to visualize himself as a wrestler as a kid. He then goes in on how he was a fuck-up as a kid and barely made it to high school but used wrestling as a way to keep out of trouble. He also mentions loving the Japanese style.

Waltman said that he came up with the “Lightning Kid” name himself. He was trying to figure out a name and said that Dynamite Kid was a big influence on him and said that he was quick so he put those together.

Now, he is asked if he was ever told that he was too small to make it in wrestling when he was going up against Jerry Lynn in the Independent scene throughout the Midwest. Waltman said no but adds that he and the other smaller guys had to basically kill themselves by using dangerous moves in order to get noticed. Waltman also says that he is afraid of heights but cared more about making it in wrestling than that.

With regards to Jerry Lynn, Waltman said he was very innovative and willing to try new stuff. He said they were best friends when they first started and remain close today. He did say there was a riff between them when Waltman went to the WWF as he said he should have done more to help get him into the company but they have patched things up.

He is asked about his dark match with WCW in 1992. Waltman said that at the time, Kip Frey was in charge and said that he was influenced by the opinions of guys like Dave Meltzer and Wade Keller, who were advocating for Waltman to be brought into the company. He recalls that before his match, Magnum TA told him to go out there and do all of his “shit” and when he was asked about who he wanted to work with, Waltman suggested Bob Cook, an enhancement talent who guys like Terry Funk raved about, and knew that he was also trained by Boris Malenko. Waltman said that the match was great and Cook was awesome but Bill Watts became in charge the following week and did not give him a contract. Waltman did state that when Watts came into the WWF when he was there, he was cool with him and tells a story about how Watts first came to the WWF at a Madison Square Garden house show and sat in the stands, watching the matches and no one knew about it until after the show. Waltman said at that show, he had a good match with HHH, who was wrestling in his first match at MSG.

GOSSIP




The first question is a very long one asking if Sunny ever fooled around with any other wrestler behind Candido’s back besides Shawn Michaels and if he ever heard any stories about Sable or Marlena hooking up with some of the other boys. Waltman is a little apprehensive and does not want to say anything but did state there was one time in which he could have had a chance with her but claims she was intoxicated and did not want to do anything. He then tells a story about HBK and Sunny, when Sunny was wearing a fuzzy sweater and went into HBK’s room.  He said he didn’t rememeber who was supposed to be watching the door but Candido was coming down the hall and a few guys knock on the door and they saw some of the fuzz from the sweater caught in HBK’s beard. Oliver then asks Waltman about Candido knowing about this and Waltman said he thought he did but just wanted to keep her happy.

They now play the “Ho Bag” and for this installment, Oliver asks Waltman to give one word about the person. I am going to note the highlights here, such as Waltman saying “big bush” about Lillian Garcia, which Waltman said was the word out of the Women’s locker room. Oliver asked if she was a ho and Waltman said she wasn’t but it would have been a redeeming quality if she was. For Stacy Keibler, he said “fucking hot” and said they had a lot of fun together (non-sexual) and deserves all of the success she receives. He calls Chyna a “cunt” and tosses it in the ho bag before mentioning how she can suck a cock like nobodies business. Waltman calls Sable an “International shit smuggler” but doesnt put her in the ho bag, saying he does not want Brock Lesnar to kick his ass. Waltman said that he really liked the Kat and says he has a hard time airing out other people’s dirty laundry if he likes them and refuses to put her into the ho bag. He said Ivory is cool as shit but never shuts the fuck up and cannot imagine anyone having sex with her for that reason. He was vague about Kimberly Page but did not put her into the ho bag. He then said how Tori was nice but “goofier than a shithouse rat.” He adds that she went overboard with new age stuff then tosses her into the bag but feels sorry and takes her out then puts in the Kat but takes her right out too. The Sean’s then make some cat in the bag jokes then adds that Tori also needs to shave her box. He said that he has to put Sunny into the bag because he would lose credibility if he didn’t. Waltman then talks about how he heard stories about Sunny regarding the “barter system,” which was trading sexual favors for drugs.

He is asked to tell a story about a wrestler disrespecting locker room etiquette and how it was handled by the others. Waltman tells a story of Juventud Guerrera while in Mexico and how he was warned by everyone to stay away from him but Sean said he wanted to be friendly with everyone. Juvy then went on a radio interview and talked about him so a year and a half later, when Waltman returned to the AAA promotion, he took a shit in his bag. He claimed that the locker roomed popped for that and Juvy sold the rib like a bitch, noting that Alundra Blayze completely no-sold the same rib years prior.

Waltman is asked about Brian Knobbs and if he had ever pissed on him. He said no but tells a story about when he was in WCW, Knobbs was fucking with him a lot to the point that if he did it again, Waltman said he was going to fight back. He was at a bar in New Orleans and turned around and saw Knobbs. He said he wanted to avoid him so he tip-toed away and thought he was clear then felt someone yank his hair then slap him a few times. Waltman said he turned around a punched him in the face and as that happened, Sags saw what was going on and punched Waltman. Scott Norton and the Big Show broke it up and after that, Waltman did some shots with the Nasty Boys at the bar and they are cool today.

Now he is asked if anyone else but himself cut Michael Hayes’ hair during the “Plane Ride From Hell.” Waltman said that he was the only one with the nuts to do it then said that he got the scissors from a wrestler that was in tight with Hayes. He doesnt give the name, noting that they still work with the company. Waltman said that Hayes was very belligerent when he was drunk.

And finally, Waltman is asked about a play-by-play from the “Plane Ride From Hell.” He said that the days prior, guys were getting pilled up and taking GHB so trouble was brewing. He said that Curt Hennig was always competitive and started to wrestle Brock Lesnar. Waltman adds how people were making too big of a deal about them hitting the plane door, noting how Vince McMahon and Kurt Angle did the same thing during the previous flight. He adds how Flair was in his robe with his balls hanging out strutting around. Waltman then said that Hayes almost pissed on Linda McMahon, who was sleeping at the time, when he was shitfaced and thought he was at the bathroom and kept on saying “wait a minute” until someone dragged him away. Sean then adds that there was no way that Linda could have not seen Hayes do that. Still on the subject of Hayes, Sean said that while he did not see this take place, the story was that Hayes mamed Bradshaw in the forehead, which was busted open the night before, and as a result, Bradshaw knocked him out. Waltman then adds that Hayes was always burying him in booking meetings and always pushing for Edge & Christian and the Hardy Boyz to kill themselves in ladder matches, which leads to Waltman saying that he should have let them come up with their own spots instead of volunteering them to fall 20 feet off of a ladder through a table. Waltman then talks about how Hayes always told those guys what to do but never told him why they should do it and did it that way so they could always depend on him, comparing it to how Flair treated Sting and Lex Luger. Back to the plane ride, Waltman said that he asked for the scissors to cut the back of Hayes’ mullet and saw Lawler giggling in his chair, noting it was because Hayes would always try to bury his son Brian Christopher. Anyway, Waltman said that no one thought he would cut his hair and when he did, the others applauded. Waltman then said he put the hair on the wall the next day at the television tapings and auctioned it off.

When asked if he partied with Flair, Waltman said that he really didnt all that much. He then tells a story of when he was with Scott Hall Flair kept on trying to get them to take shots. He and Hall were both trying to stay sober at the time but were getting sick of Flair and got shots of Jack Daniels. Well, Waltman said that Flair always drank Kamikaze’s, which Waltman said is a “pussy” drink and when it was time to do the shot, Flair threw the shot of Jack over his shoulder. Oliver mentions the “gargle rule” and Waltman said it was started by Curt Hennig, who made eeveryone gargle their shots so he knew that they were not trying to get out of taking a drink.

Someone asks if he ever partied with Shane McMahon and he said that he did a little bit. Waltman said that Shane has a lot of balls and recalls a story of how he went skydiving with him and Alundra Blayze and that while he was scared, Shane did a back flip out of the door.

He is now asked to compare a night out on the town with the Wolfpac versus a night with the New Age Outlaws. Waltman said with the Wolfpac, they started out with sushi, then either some pills or pot then finish at a bar or a strip club then Nash preventing World War III from happening due to something that Hall did. Waltman said the same things happened with the New Age Outlaws except it was Billy preventing World War III from happening due to something that Road Dogg did. Waltman then talks about how Somas make you crave complex carbohydrates.

Waltman is asked if he did indeed prevent Scott Hall from attacking Rob Feinstein in a hotel room when he was intoxicated. He said that he did and it was when Hall was supposed to be filming a shoot interview. Waltman said that he went to the hotel lobby and heard that Hall was drunk so he went to the room and saw them set it up and looked at Rob and told him that this was not going to happen because he was so fucked up. Hall then got up and started to open-hand slap Feinstein, who did not provoke him, and that was when Waltman stepped in and restrained him.

He was asked about the best rib he saw Owen Hart pull. Waltman said they did a lot of them together and he could write a whole book about Owen’s pranks. Waltman said that Owen would always fuck with his brother Bret, who got pissed that he did that while he was the champion. Waltman said that Owen was the best worker in the Hart family but didnt take it as seriously as Bret. Waltman said that Owen enjoyed riding to different cities with fans and said how he got to the arena early and decided to open up a can of sardines and hide it underneath the ring. Well, during his match with Bret, Owen rolled outside and put his hands under the ring and rubbed the sardines over them and went back inside and put Bret in a chinlock and smeared the juices all over Bret’s face. After the match, Waltman said that their bags were packed and he and Owen left the arena before Bret got to the locker room.

Someone asks Waltman about how the Stephanie/HHH relationship started and how the HHH/Chyna relationship ended. Waltman said he used to ride with HHH/Chyna and said it felt uncomfortable at the end. He also mentioned how HHH never liked to complain but one day more or less told him that he thought Chyna was a psycho. Waltman then said he saw the chemistry between Steph/HHH from the storylines and when they shot a music video for D-X. Waltman then talks about Chyna and how she made HHH out to be an awful person but said that its all revisionist history and says that Chyna once told him that the rape story she told in her book was false and what really happened was that she got drunk and took on the basketball team then felt embarrassed about it and decided to make some accusations. Because of this, he has a hard time believing Chyna with anything. He even adds how Chyna once told him that someone date raped her and when he went to confront the person to kick their ass, he saw the reaction on her face and knew that she was a liar.

TNA




He is asked why he is no longer in TNA. Waltman said that he was scheduled to wrestle on a PPV but failed a physical due to testing positive for Hepatits C. Waltman also said that the company knew of this a week before the show and at that time, was not doing any “no-shows,” despite Taz saying he did on commentary.

CHYNA




He is asked when he first hooked up with Chyna. Waltman said it was after he left the WWE and was in Los Angeles. He just broke up with Ryan Shamrock and learned that Chyna was training at Inoki’s dojo, as was he, then they met up and it took off from there. Waltman adds that he is shy around women and that Chyna “sunk his hooks” into him. When asked if HHH said anything to him about this, Waltman did say that HHH left him a message asking what kind of “psycho shit” are you getting yourself into. He then said that it went downhill because they were both using drugs.

Waltman confirmed that Chyna was using steroids, even saying that he got some from her. He also said that Chyna had issues with multiple personalities and that she was abused as a kid too.

A video submission shows a bunch of cardboard cutouts of wresters asking how big is Chyna’s cock. Waltman was laughing hysterically throughout the video as Oliver was laughing/embarrassed throughout. Waltman said her clit was about half of the size of her ring finger. The next question asks Waltman do rate the sex with Chyna between 1-10 and he says 10. Waltman said she can suck your inside’s out. He also said that the sex tape idea was all her’s. At that time, Waltman said he was constantly fucked up on drugs and that made it easy for Chyna to manipulate him. He says that the tape itself is gross and they were all fucked up and did anal sex, even though he hates it, because he couldnt get off. He said they shot for 8 hours before he got off. Waltman said he found out the tape came out when he was in rehab and does not want to do anything to promote it further. Waltman said that he made about $250,000 and Chyna made a lot more, despite what she says.

When asked about the incident between him and Chyna on the “Surreal Life,” Waltman said that when they filmed that show, he was all fucked up and a douchebag at the time. He said that he came to the set with flowers to give her and the producer said he should bring them up to her then had him sign a release, which Waltman said he was too fucked up to realize what was going on at the time. He came to the house with roses, a $300 bottle of champagne, and a bag of weed and that was when it all went downhill. He is then asked about the last time he saw Chyna. Waltman said the last time he saw her was when he took her to Cedar Sinai hospital.

SEX




He is asked how he hooked up with Jenna Jameson. Waltman said she was at a show in Pittsburgh and took a picture with her after the show. Mark Madden then called him up and said Jenna was on stage and wanted him there, so he told HHH and Chyna, who he was with, that he had to go and went to the show. Waltman said he popped a few hits of ecstasy before he got there and Jenna brought him on stage and stuck her tongue down his throat. He said that he was with her all night and thought the sex was cool but he was on E and that altered it a bit but thinks her memories are slightly different than his.

Waltman is then asked if he had sex with any other women in the business. He said he went from Tori to Chyna and this past Summer, had a fling with Nidia.

He is asked if he ever banged any chicks together with Hall & Nash. Waltman said no but tells a story of how in Cleveland, he was banging this hot Vietnamese stripper while sharing a room with Hall. He said that he left the light on in the bathroom if he wanted to see the girl but Hall was drunk and yelled to shut the light off, as he was pissing on the carpet because he didn’t want to leave the bed.

Someone then asks Waltman to play “Fuck, Marry, Kill” with Terri, Sable, and Sunny. After some thinking, he would fuck Sunny, marry Terri, and kill Sable.

Now, someone asks him to play the same game but with Hall, Nash, and Michaels. Oliver then tells him to answer this if a woman asks him, because he spent a lot of time with them. He said fuck Nash, marry Shawn, and kill Hall.

DRUGS




He is asked his favorite drug and drink. Waltman said it is marijuana and Patron Silver.

Oliver then brings out the “joint rolling challenge,” for which Sabu holds the record at 19.21 seconds. Waltman then breaks that record with 18 seconds flat to become the “YouShoot Roll-a-Joint Champion.”

Someone asks if Vince McMahon smokes pot and Waltman said while he has never seen him, he talekd to Vince before who said he smoked pot in the past. Waltman said that Vince likes Dewar’s.

Waltman is asked about the weirdest place he ever passed out from taking too many somas and said that he didnt know but tells a story about passing out from the first time he took GHB. He was with HBK and ended up passing out and pissing himself so HBK put him on the luggage cart and wheeled him through the lobby of the Stamford Weston and when Waltman woke up in his room, he was on his bed and still covered in his piss.

Now, they play the gimmick bag

Jack Daniels: Curt Hennig
Marijuana: Curt Hennig, Sabu, or a lot of other guys
Cocaine: every wrestler in Mexico
Pills: Jim Neidhart
Crack: Trent Acid. Waltman  really didnt seem to want to say his name.
Needles: He said himself as he used to shoot up Nubain then crystal meth
Shit: Sable

Someone asks him if the WWE or TNA are doing enough to curb drug use. Waltman said that the numbers are still the same but the holdovers from the old days are still not all gone. He then said that guys with drug issues will show whether they test or not but thinks that the newer generation of guys are not nearly as wild as guys he was with.

MEXICO




Waltman is asked about working for AAA. He said that it is crazy and for guys who work in the U.S., they would be horrified at the working conditions. He said that the guys get paid shit, noting some of the bigger names barely get paid $100 a night. He also said that the guys in Mexico don’t know any better because they have always worked under those conditions. He said the Roldan family never lived up to any single term in their agreement an if you called them out on that, they would flip out. Waltman also adds that the ring conditions are terrible and the psychology is rotten. He did say that the guys he worked with are all wonderful.

He asked about his suicide attempt. Waltman said that he was feeling some financial strain as the Roldan’s never lived up to their agreement. He also adds that a lot of other factors, like custody issues with his girlfriend’s (Ryan Shamrock) son and he also started to drink again. Waltman said that he didnt want him to smoke pot anymore, which he claims helps him from drinking and taking other drugs. He then said that he was all fucked up and Ryan started to hit her and when Ryan broke a picture of him and her son over her knee, Waltman said that he lost it and hit Ryan, which he said was first time that he ever hit a woman and felt like a piece of shit and took a bottle of Valium and drank a bottle of Bacardi and hung himself. Ryan found him and saved his life. He remembers waking up three days later in the hospital. He then said that Vince put up the bill for him to stay at a place in Houston, which he said is a great place that helped him a lot, adding that he stayed longer than necessary to make sure he would not relapse when he left. Waltman said he went through a lot of therapy there, talking about how he was molested as a child amongst other things.

SHIT




He is asked about the weirdest place he took a shit. He said in a Wendy’s cup in order to put it into someones’ back. He then tells a story about Rip Rogers, who he calls a piece of shit, who stole money from Jerry Lynn at an independent show and tried to do the same to him. Waltman said that Rogers went to a TV taping to do some jobs with the WWF and brought in a book to show Pat Patterson, that showed a girl sucking off one of his trainees and when it came to the last page, it was revealed that the girl had a dick. Waltman said he showed this to Patterson as an attempt to get on his good side because he knew he was gay. He then said he took a shit in his fanny pack and Rogers blamed Davey Boy for that.

He talks about the Sable incident. He said that it was her last night and she was very unpopular among those in the company. He feels bad now and said he was the only one who was dumb enough to put it in her bag. He did note that it was not his and wouldn’t say who took the shit. They were in England at a PPV and it was Sable’s last night in the company. Waltman said that someone took a shit and told him where it was while he was in the Gorilla position waiting to go out for his match. He then said that he told everyone he had to take a piss and ran to the other side of the building took grab the shit and put it in the bag and ran all the way back to Gorilla in time for his match. Waltman then said that everyone blamed Bradshaw for what happened. He then adds that a few days later, Jim Ross came to him and asked him about if he knew who shit in Sable’s bag then he told him that the office was thinking about doing DNA samples, which Waltman laughed off as being ridiculous. Again, he apologized for what happened and said that at the time, he felt like he had to do that but looks back now and feels awful, stating that Sable never did anything to him.

Waltman then admits to putting the shit into Sunny’s food, in between the chicken and pasta. He then said that he was not even in the company at the time when someone took a shit into Mark Henry’s sub but gets blamed anyway. He said he was told about the incident with Henry though and tells it to us. Waltman said that before he went out for his match, Henry told everyone in the locker room that his sandwich better still be there when he got back from his match. While Henry was in the ring, someone deconstructed his meatball sub from Subway and shit in the bread then put it back together and when Henry came back from his match, he sat down and ate the entire thing. This leads to an incredibly lame segment in which Waltman shows us how to make a “shit sandwich.”

HEAT




He is asked about the term “X Pac Heat” and his take on the term. Waltman said that he didnt notice the difference between regular heat or that type of heat in the ring. He said he became a regular heel chant and many people have also been told that they suck and he is not the first.

Waltman is asked about John Laurinaitis. He said he got along fine with him but when he took that job, he tried to rule with an iron fist, unlike Jim Ross who also had things run smoothly when he was in charge. Waltman said that he mentioned to HHH and HBK how people complain about him and they told him that no one wants the job. He calls out Laurinaitis for fining the wrestlers and questions do they really need the money that badly, saying at least give it to charity or put it aside for a Christmas party or something.

From that, they segue into the “What a Dick” game in which if that person is a dick, he goes into the dick bag. He tossed Juvy right into the bag. He said that he loves Shawn Michaels but even he himself would admit that he was once the biggest dick in the business. He loves Bob Holly but says that just about everyone else thinks he is a dick and puts him into the bag as well. He doesn’t put HHH in the bag but said that he is really good at being one. He tosses in Kevin Dunn. He tells a story of Billy Gunn while they were in the Sky Bar in LA when Tori Spelling talked shit about what Gunn was wearing, which he overheard, and according to Waltman, Spelling left in tears that night. He said that Vampiro is full of shit (most people say this about him in shoot interviews) but says he is not a dick. He said that Flair is too charming for him to call him a dick. Calls DDP neurotic but not a dick. He likes Eric Bischoff now but at one point in his career, he would have tossed him right into the dick bag. He tosses in Heyman because someone recently told him something Heyman said about him but he calls him a genius and would have him run his wrestling company if he had one.

Someone asks him about a line from Mick Foley in 2001 in which he said “No one knows where X Pac is and no one seems to care.” Waltman said that the line was fed to Foley by Brian Gewirtz, who Waltman disliked.

He is asked about an altercation between himself and Masahiro Chono. He was using a lot of cocaine and meth at the time and was teaming with Chyna against Chono & Tenzan. Waltman then said that people were upset over Chyna being there and took it out on her in the ring. Waltman said that Chono took her head off with a Mafia kick and did not want to do a scheduled beatdown on him because they were not sure that they wanted to come back and did not want to bury the guy. Waltman agreed to this but did not want to touch him and Chono apparently flipped out and spit at him so Waltman hit him really hard and busted his ear. Waltman said he was tweaking out on meth at the time and thought they were going to get killed in Japan.

POTPOURRI




He is asked if he ever spoke to Dave Meltzer and his thoughts on him. He said that he did when he was younger but talked to Wade Keller more because he was from Minnesota and more supportive of him. Waltman said he was in Japan with Meltzer and went to a few shows and Tokyo Disney and respects both guys for being good journalists.

Final Thoughts: A very enjoyable interview. I also thought that the rapport between Oliver and Waltman was great. He got a lot out of him and made him say more than he probably wanted. Waltman also came across as likable and did not have an agenda against anyone and was more than willing to open up about his own problems.

When I finished watching the interview, it made me want to root for Waltman. He does seem likable and most of issues are seemingly caused when he is intoxicated. He does have a sense of humor about himself, which is nice to see. I also liked how this was not just about questions regarding the Kliq too.

I recommend this interview. It is very good for a “YouShoot,” which can be hit or miss and a lot better than is RF Video shoot from over 12 years ago when he was stoned and unwilling to talk.

A guy from 1993 turning on his TV on a Tuesday night in Philly, sees the opening video: “What is this wrestling show that shows women getting their clothes torn off, guys falling off balconies, and people throwing fireballs? Hmmm, this is different”.

Originally airing 10/12/93. From the ECW Arena in Philadelphia. Your commentators are Joey Styles and Paul E. Dangerously.

Match #1: Abdullah the Butcher, Terry Funk and J.T. Smith vs. Jimmy Snuka, Don Muraco and Kevin Sullivan.

We immediately cut to a brawl in and around the ring between all six guys. Funk and Abdullah are throwing chairs in the ring. Just when it seems like order is restored, Sullivan steps out to the floor and he and Abdullah start to brawl. In the ring, Smith goes at it with Muraco, with Funk and Snuka pairing off. Muraco goes down after a series of headbutts from Smith. Funk is outside and holds Sullivan for a chairshot from Abdullah. Holy fuck, does Abdullah have some deep, deep grooves on his head. Now Sullivan pulls Smith outside, while Abdullah hammers on Snuka inside. Sullivan takes Smith to a pole on the outside. Muraco crotches Funk on the corner post. On the floor, Sullivan whips Smith into a Muraco clothesline, which gets the 360 sell from Smith. Now everybody is in the ring at once. Muraco takes a chair to Smith’s wrapped leg. Muraco holds Funk for Snuka, who gets out the powder. But Funk dodges and Muraco gets the powder in the eyes intead. Smith “rolls up” Muraco in the ugliest inside cradle I have ever seen. 1…2…3! *1/2

WINNERS: Abdullah the Butcher, Terry Funk and J.T. Smith. Just a wild, ugly brawl. J.T. Smith sold like a champ, while everyone else just lumbered aimlessly around. Muraco looked in horrible shape here.

Tommy Dreamer cuts a promo, with the gist being that he makes his NWA debut on the next episode against The Tazmaniac.

Next, we recap Sabu’s debut from last week, putting over his violent nature in the ring. The clip of one fan running THE FUCK away from a chair-throwing Sabu is hilarious. They cut to ECW owner Tod Gordon with Jay Sulli. Gordon says that they have never received more reaction to anyone like the reaction to Sabu. The NWA has stepped in and announced that Sabu has been banned from TV until they review the tapes. Hunter Q. Robbins III shows up and complains of the treatment. Gordon goes on to say that Sabu can appear at non-televised events, just not TV. Now Paul E. steps in and sticks up for Sabu, calling Gordon prejudiced. Gordon recalls a time when Paul E. nailed him with his phone, but let it slide. Paul takes Robbins aside and has an idea, then they leave.

Match #2: Molly McShane vs. Malia Hosaka.

The match starts with some back and forth chain wrestling. Hosaka takes over with an armbar. Mcshane reverses a whip to the corner, but a charge meets a spin kick from Hosaka. That gets a 2. McShane gets off a snap suplex for 2. Now we get the hair whip from Hosaka. They take turns going up and over off the ropes, until McShane gets a takedown. Whip off the ropes, and McShane hits a flying back elbow. Scoop and a slam for McShane for a 1 count. McShane misses a cross body off the top. Hosaka goes up and hits a somersault senton for the 1…2…3. **1/2

WINNER: Malia Hosaka. Not a bad women’s match here. Hosaka was definitely talented at a time when North American women’s wrestling was almost nonexistent.

The Bad Breed, Axl & Ian Rotten, cut a promo on Badd Company, who they are facing tonight. Now, to me, The Bad Breed appear to be Nasty Boy copycats trying to be British anarchists, due to the Union Jack on the tights. However, neither guy speaks with a British accent, which might make them British anarchist wannabes. They should have tried a Sean Connery accent just to confuse themselves even more.

Match #3: Badd Company (Pat Tanaka & Paul Diamond) vs. The Bad Breed (Axl & Ian Rotten).

The match starts with Diamond and Ian Rotten. Lock up and we get a clean break on the ropes. Another lock up and they trade arm locks. Diamond flips out but meets a right hand that puts him down. Headlock by Ian, as Diamond pushes him off the ropes, up and over, and a hiptoss for Diamond, then a slam. There’s a slam for Axl who comes in. Then Diamond hits Axl with a spin kick that puts him out. Axl comes in, and Diamond tags out to Tanaka. Tanaka confounds Axl with karate poses, and then gets taken down with kicks. Axl with a side headlock, Tanaka pushes off to the ropes, shoulder block from Axl puts him down. Axl runs the ropes, but Tanaka hits a flying chop to put him  down. Tag to Diamond, who hits a spin kick to Axl in the corner. Diamond hits the armlock on the mat. Axl elbows Diamond in the head then  he and Ian hit the double team elbow for 2. A corner charge by Ian hits boot, and Diamond hits a sweet bulldog off the middle. Tag to Tanaka, and The Bad Breed quickly take over with some corner double teaming. Cover…1…2…foot on the rope. Axl hits the nerve pinch, as he and Ian switch off behind the ref’s back. Corner splash for Ian. Tanaka reverses a corner whip, but puts his head down, and Ian bounces back with a clothesline. Ian hits a Bonzai Drop from the top rope, and then dumps him out, where Axl works Tanaka over. Back in the ring, Ian goes up and misses a splash. Tanaka makes the hot tag to Diamond. He hits a gourdbuster on Ian, and then a DDT on Axl. Double superkick to Ian. Then they hit the doubleteam leapfrog guillotine, leading to Diamond hitting a back suplex for the 1….2….3. ***

WINNERS: Badd Company. I liked this match, as Badd Company hit some crisp double team moves. A good heat segment on Tanaka, and The Bad Breed were able to hold up their end of the bargain with some cheap heel moves. Well done.

Now to The Public Enemy out somewhere in tha hood, near the train tracks, where two white guys probably think people from tha hood hang out. They call out The Headhunters for backing out of a match with them, using the word “stoopid” a couple of times. They have a match with Badd Company next week.

Joey is back with The Rockin’ Rebel, who is shedding some crocodile tears for Salvatore Bellomo, as the fans are upset that he apparently ended Sal’s career. The Rebel tells the upset fans to step up and do something about it.

Match #4: Don E. Allen vs. The Rockin’ Rebel.

Chris Michaels is at ringside in The Rebel’s corner. The Rebel chokes Allen on the mat. Clothesline coming off the ropes, then to the corner for some trash talkin’. Rebel turns his back, Don E. climbs on it, but Rebel shrugs him off. Don E. hits a dropkick, then a second one before Rebel goes down. Rebel catches him off the ropes and hits a backbreaker. Whip off the ropes and there’s a spinebuster. 1…2…3.  1/2*

WINNER: The Rockin’ Rebel. This was just a big squash for The Rockin’ Rebel. Not much offense for Don E. and a couple of power moves for the Rebel.

After the match Rebel and Chris Michaels hit the ring for a promo. Rebel again reminds everyone that he took out Sal Bellomo, and he is sickened by all the kids with the “Get Well, Sal” signs. He even hates Chris Michaels’ kid. “I hate your kid, because he’s my kid and he’s a Sal Bellomo fan”. Can’t argue with that logic. Wait…what? Michaels tries to change the subject but the Rebel still hates the kids. Words get heated between the two, they feign punching each other, then Michaels turns to leave and the Rebel levels him from behind, then hits a short-arm clothesline. Rebel leaves the ring, but is attacked by a charging Michaels.

Then, this is all cut-off by “Matty in the House”? I don’t know who this guy is, but he is sitting in front of a production board stating that ECW wants to show the Michaels-Rebel brawl next week, but he wants to see it now, and since he has the remote, let’s roll it.

Match #5: Chris Michaels vs. The Rockin’ Rebel.

Joined in progress, with the Rebel hitting a clothesline from the apron to the floor on Michaels. Rebels rolls him back into the ring, and hits a swinging neckbreaker. Some heavy chops in the corner from the Rebel. Michaels reverses a corner whip and hits a clothesline on the rebound. In the corner, Michaels with some punches. The ref pulls him off more than once, and while the ref’s back is turned, the Rebel gets out the foreign object, nails Michaels, and gets the 1…2….3.  1/2*

WINNER: The Rockin’ Rebel. Not much to this match. The Rockin’ Rebel was a guy who had some good power, but sucked at promos. This match was about two moves for the Rebel, some punching from Michaels, and then the quick win. Not much else to it.

After the break, The Sandman and J.T. Smith announce they have a shot at the ECW Tag Team Championship against Tony Stetson and Johnny Hotbody.

Joey and Paul are backstage announcing next week’s card, and Paul is excited for Joey to wrap it up because he has some news. Paul says that next week not only will he have an update on the NWA’s ruling on Sabu, but he will announce the all new Dangerous Alliance, and then promptly quits as color commentator.

The Post-Game Opinion: An ugly six man brawl, a decent women’s match, a pretty good tag team match…..and the Rockin’ Rebel. Sabu debuted last week, and is already beginning to become the centerpiece for the whole thing. Paul Heyman had just taken over as head booker, and you can see that he was forming his vision for the company. I have been watching these shows with a 1993 wrestling scene frame of mind, and this was definitely not cookie cutter.

This is the earliest episode that is posted on The Network.

Joey Styles opens the door for us, welcoming us to NWA Eastern Championship Wrestling, and already in the ring are The Public Enemy, Flyboy Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge. Joey’s broadcast partner is Paul E. Dangerously. Paul was actually the newly-named booker for the company, as Eddie Gilbert split after then-owner Tod Gordon had enough of Gilbert’s craziness. ECW Mutant Watch #1: the guy holding the sign that has Beavis & Butthead on it with “NWA: No Wuses (sic) Allowed”.

Match #1 – The Public Enemy vs. Silver Jet & Gino Caruso.

PE working over Caruso in their corner to start. Rocco misses an elbow drop, and Caruso tags in the Jet. Jet takes Rocco down, and hits an elbow drop. Rocco takes over, and hits a back elbow to the Jet coming off the ropes. Joey and Paul tell us that Badd Company, Pat Tanaka & Paul Diamond are coming next week. Rocco hits a crisp springboard moonsault off the middle rope for the 2. Grunge tags in, and hits a powerslam off a whip. Grunge hits a Scorpion Deathdrop (called a reverse bulldog by Joey), then tags in Rocco. Rocco then promptly hits a cannonball from the top, and gets the 3 with the arrogant cover. *

WINNERS: The Public Enemy. Just a squash for the PE, as Joey and Paul built up a confrontation between Badd Company and Public Enemy.

Up next: THE DEBUT OF SABU!!

Match #2 – The Tazmaniac vs. Sabu.


Sabu is wheeled out a la Hannibal Lecter, strapped to a gurney wearing the restraining mask. The Tazmaniac is in the ring with Sabu’s manager, Hunter Q. Robbins III,  who warns Tazmaniac not to touch him. Tazmaniac grabs Robbins, which leads to the orders to release Sabu from his restraints. Sabu charges the ring and hits Taz from behind with a spin kick. Sabu with a legdrop to the back of the neck. Taz to the floor, and Sabu hits a springboard moonsault to Taz and we’re into the crowd! Robbins calls for Sabu to be restrained, and we hit a break.

When we come back, Sabu is in the crowd tossing chairs everywhere with people GETTING THE FUCK OUT OF THE WAY! Tazmaniac catches up to him out there and the brawl is on. They make their way back to ringside with Sabu bringing a table with him. Sabu puts Taz out to the floor with a spin kick, then hits a somersault plancha to Taz on the floor. Taz takes over with chair shots. Sabu comes back with a springboard flip to Taz on the floor. Back in the ring, Taz hits a rear double underhook suplex (called by Joey) that lands Sabu on his frickin’ head. JEEE-BUS! Then Taz hits an overhead belly to belly. Sabu kicks out at 2. Sabu takes Taz down by the leg, and we have a rest spot. Taz comes back with a clothesline, and he puts Sabu to the floor. Taz puts a table in the ring, but Sabu takes over and sets up the table. Taz gets put on the table, but the TABLE BOTCHES underneath him. Taz recovers and hits a belly to belly. Sabu hits a dropkick, but misses a move and hits the broken table. Sabu reverses a whip to the corner, and goes for a top rope hurracanrana, but Taz doesn’t take it properly. Ugh! Taz climbs to the top and misses a front flip. Sabu hits a sloppy moonsault from the top…1…2….3. **

WINNER: Sabu. This started off as a crazy brawl, but once they tried to hit their spots in the ring, it fell apart in a sloppy cavalcade of crap. I saw where they were going with it, but you need to actually HIT THE SPOT first.

When we come back from a break, Sabu is still in the ring moonsaulting a table for the crazy hell of it. He tries a second moonsault and misses. We get the idea that this guy is nuts, as he screams in pain for our pleasure.

Rockin’ Rebel promo. He’s bragging that he ended Salvatore Bellomo’s career, which would sadden Brian Bayless if Tony Garea wasn’t his favorite wrestler already. The Rebel hopes he gets better soon, so he can finish him off for good. Rockin’ Rebel was trained by The Rock N Roll Express, and apparently they won’t train you unless you’re true rock n roll.  Which means actively wrestling into your 50’s, acting like you’re in your 20’s, and banging chicks in their 40’s.

Match #3 – The Metal Maniac vs. The Sandman.

It’s different to see Sandman in a surfing bodysuit, when you know where the gimmick eventually went. Also, he doesn’t get much of a reaction from the mutants. Go behind and take down by The Sandman. Huh? He wrestles? Back elbow to the Maniac coming off the ropes. Sandman with a dropkick and Maniac bails. Maniac takes Sandman down from the outside and wraps the leg around the post. In the ring now, and Maniac hits a side suplex for 2. Whip off the ropes, and Maniac hits a clothesline. That gets 2. Maniac puts the head down on a whip and sandman hits a kick. Enzuguiri by Sandman. Sandman to the top and he hits a flying clothesline. 1…2…3. *1/2

WINNER: The Sandman. Sandman showed some decent offense here, which surprises me because I have only seen him as the zubaz-wearing goof.

Chris Michaels promo, doing a decent Bullwinkle impression, proclaiming that Eastern Championship Wrestling is no cartoon. Unless you’re high. I added that last part.

Match #4 – Terry Funk vs. Jimmy “Supefly” Snuka (c) – Cage Match – ECW TV Title.

Escape rules for this match, with Funk not getting any more title shots if he loses. Snuka controls early, whipping Funk from corner to corner, apparently snapping the ropes. This should be fun. Snuka with knees and chops on the ropes, then takes Funk to the cage. Snuka hits a pretty sweet piledriver on Funk and then climbs the cage. Funk recovers and climbs up there with Snuka. Snuka hits a headbutt and Funk gets crotched on the top rope. Snuka takes Funk’s head across the cage. Funk makes the fiery comeback with chops. Funk takes Snuka to the cage now, hitting all four sides. Funk hits his own piledriver on Snuka. Funk with headbutts, but no effect on Snuka (of course). Snuka hits one of his own, and chops him down. Body slam, and Snuka misses a diving headbutt from the middle rope. Then we hit a break.

Coming back, they’re on top again, as Funk is hanging upside down. Snuka kicks him down to the mat. Swinging neckbreaker for Snuka. Backbreaker now, and another break. Coming back, they are trading headbutt blows. Then they take turns taking each other to the cage. Funk climbs up and is hanging over the edge. Snuka climbs to bring him back in. Funk kicks Snuka down to the mat, and jumps down for the win. ***

WINNER: And NEW ECW TV Champion, Terry Funk. Surprisingly good match between these two, who were past their primes in 1993. A lot of back and forth offense, with Snuka appearing much more dangerous here than he did in his last WWF run.

Joey is backstage with the new TV champ. Joey asks him how he feels, and Funk is gracious and giving respect to Snuka. Funk talks up the ECW roster, and says that ECW is educating the people on wrestling. A very calm and well-spoken promo from Funk there, as he attempted to put over ECW as a wrestling organization.

Paul E. is trying to coax Snuka out of his dressing room for an interview, but is coming up a little short. You know it’s Snuka’s dressing room because there is a piece of tape with “Snuka” sharpied on it.

Joey is backstage outside Funk’s dressing room where there is a celebration going on. The celebration consists of loud country music, “yahoo’s” and Joey dodging some streamers thrown at him from off camera. Next week’s show was supposed to have Badd Company vs. The Public Enemy, but that episode is not uploaded to The Network.

The Post Game Opinion: I have gone on record as stating that I was not a fan of ECW. I watched this episode with an open mind and came away with a few things. First, it breezed by very quickly, which is good. Second, Sabu was as botchtastic then as he always was, and his character was completely batshit insane and will take some getting used to. Third, this episode made me want to see more. So, we’ll hit the episodes in chronological order as The Network has them, and continue to recap the trail of a little known company called NWA Eastern Championship Wrestling. Thanks for reading.

This was filmed on January 2, 2014 inside of the home of AJ Styles in Gainesville, GA.

The interview runs at two hours and twelve minutes long.

The interview starts with the interviewer putting over AJ’s “man-cave” as AJ briefly discusses his love for video games. After that, they briefly mention AJ’s last shoot interview from 2006, in which AJ states that he doesn’t remember a single thing that happened then. It was a really bad interview and apparently rushed as they filmed it before a match that he had.

AJ is asked about being a free agent for the first time in eleven years. He said that he always loved the independents and would like to give advice and help the younger guys. He does feel glad that he started in the independents and got to incorporate different styles. He compares that to UFC and how everyone uses different fighting styles.

AJ said that he was hardly able to keep up with the independents while in TNA. He said that he would want a guy who had potential to make money work with him in TNA when he was still with the company but as the years went by, it was harder to keep up and he was told by the company that they didnt have the money so he lost touch with the scene.

He is now asked about TNA putting a high price tag on their talent when independents called looking for them. AJ said they did that deliberately but understands where they were coming from as if they got hurt, they wanted it to be in their ring instead of someone else’s.

When asked if the house show idea’s were too big for TNA, AJ agreed that it was and thought that they did a bad job of promotion, noting that they would come into some towns and there would not be any signs or any other advertising at all. He even said he would ask people at the hotels they would stay at if they heard about the show being in town and they said no.

AJ gets asked if he felt that TNA was a competitor to the WWE, he said yes. He believes that both companies paid attention to each other’s shows, noting that the WWE had taken stuff that they had done prior and put in on television. He talks about speaking with John Gaburik when he came into TNA, from the WWE, and he said that they would take stuff if they thought it was a good idea, knowing that there was no copyright on what they did. AJ also said that he wanted the WWE to do well because that meant TNA would do better in return.

Now, AJ is asked if there is any feeling in the locker room of TNA that they would not have a fair chance in the WWE because they came from them, AJ thinks that Vince McMahon likes to make money and if believes he can do that with someone from TNA, he would do try to make that happen.

He is asked point blank if he has had any contact with the WWE since leaving TNA and he says no. Before that, AJ said that he is scene as a TNA guy instead of an independent guy and that he still has the “TNA stink” on him. When asked if he was surprised the WWE hasn’t contacted him yet, AJ said no and that he has learned from being in the business that you do not get excited about the prospects of something that might happen. He then talks about the rumors about him getting a contract from the “dirt sheets” and how he can’t believe the stuff he reads about himself or what others send him through Twitter.

AJ doesnt believe that TNA has closed the door on him and he hasn’t closed the door on them and if there was an opportunity to make something happen, he think it can happen.

When asked if there was any point during his TNA run that he wanted to leave and go somewhere else, AJ said that he was 100% behind the company and wanted to give it all he head and to trust the people in control to do the right thing, which he said is a hard thing to do. AJ said he is a team player.

He is asked about watching any of the guys he wrestled on the independents become stars in the WWE. He said that the first time he wrestled Tyler Black (Seth Rollins) he knew he had whatever “it” was and that Claudio (Antonio Cesaro) would make it and AJ said he was surprised that it took him so long to get to that point as he is a great wrestler and extremely strong. He mentions how it is also cool to see Daniel Bryan do his thing too.

AJ said that his kids watch wrestling but do not usually watch the WWE. However, he bought his son the WWE video game and mentions how if TNA made another video game, he would buy him that too. This leads to a discussion about wresting video games and how AJ said that the best ones come from Nintendo 64 and are better known as “No Mercy” and “WCW/NWO Revenge” but he knows it as “Virtual Pro Wrestling 2.” AJ said it is without a doubt the best wrestling game ever made. He said it is an All-Japan Pro Wrestling game but it has New Japan guys and shoot fighters too. He said the newer ones are doing a better job but the controls for the one on Nintendo 64 are the best because they are easy to play but hard to master. He even pitched the idea to TNA that they should have a downloadable feature that put the heads of the TNA characters onto the guys from that game and you can keep the old engine.

We go back to wrestling talk as AJ is asked about his contract negotiations. He thought that they would eventually reach a deal, especially with the character and storyline going the way it did. His extension was for three months and expired on December 15th. AJ is asked about rumors of TN wanting to cut his salary in half. AJ said that there were a few inclusions in the contract that were hard to swallow. He said it was only a two-year deal and felt it was like a slap in the face. AJ felt hurt by the offer, stating that he had given them everything and when he feels all of his pain as he gets older, most of that happened inside of TNA rings.

AJ is now asked to compare the differences between WWE, TNA, and the independents if you had the same base salary. AJ said the money is in the WWE, with more shows and merchandise, if you are able to make a name for yourself. In TNA, you have a little bit of royalties and can make some extra at house shows. On the independents, you can get paid under the table at times plus you can sell your merchandise after the shows and only claim that you made $60,000 on your taxes when in reality, you made more. Also, promoters usually pay for rooms for the bigger names, unlike the WWE or TNA does with most of their talent.

When asked if he regrets spending 11 years in TNA, AJ said no and that he ended up making a lot more money than he ever thought he would, has a nice home, wife, and three kids so he has nothing at all to regret.

He is asked if he would accept a WWE offer today, knowing that he would have to go down to the Performance Center and if he would feel insulted. AJ said he would have no problem spending time down there and getting used to the ring but would not like to move his whole family to Florida. He would love the opportunity to wrestle in the WWE but would not be broken if it didn’t happen. He said that his main goal in wrestling is to make money, regardless where he is wrestling.

AJ is asked about his relationship with Dixie and if it is now strained due to the contract negotiations. AJ believes that she didnt have the final say in his contract and that the company did not want to give out big deals due to all of the money poured into veterans who did not deliver. He said that they are still on good terms.

When asked if he has paid attention to Ring of Honor lately, AJ said that he is excited about wrestling there and would love to open the doors for other great wrestlers but fears that he might come across as the old guy. He does not want to open up the doors for those who want to be lazy and said he wants guys who take pride in what they do to join him.

AJ then talks about while he was in TNA, he told Samoa Joe shortly after he came in and got popular that after a few years, when the older guys left the company, they would be the stars of the promotion, no matter how many bad gimmicks they got saddled. AJ said that he was wrong about that.

He now follows up the above comment by talking about how TNA brought in WWE guys and other older stars. He said that Christian was the first big name to go to TNA from the WWE and he made a huge impact and was just an awesome guy. Then, Kurt Angle came in right as Joe was getting hot and they made them wrestle each other, which AJ thought was a terrible and that they should have built up to a big match instead of jumping in right away. The interviewer mentions how AJ lost the title to Jeff Jarrett right when they got the Fox Sports Deal as AJ said that TNA wanted the big name for TV, which is fine, but that during all of that, they forgot to build a company and just put out guys that were more recognizable, which did not work and did not make them different from the WWE.

AJ is asked about the veterans that tried and the ones that phoned it in and were only there for the paycheck. AJ puts over Christian strong as a person and a wrestler. He said that he is funny and a great all-around guy. The interviewer then brings up how AJ more or less played an idiot comedy character at that time as AJ said he just thought up stuff that made him laugh at that time and loved the stuff he did with Tomko. At first, AJ said that not a lot of people liked Kurt Angle. He apparently kept on referring to Chris Sabin as “pig pen.” AJ thinks that Kurt’s attitude changed once Kurt realized the roster had talent and could go in the ring. AJ said that he thought about confronting Kurt about his ridiculous statements but that Kurt ultimately gained respect for the guys and AJ now likes him a lot, saying that they have a friendship. He also said some of the best matches he has ever had were with Kurt.

The interviewer goes back to Tomko for a minute and asks him if he was surprised about the legal and drug issues he currently has. AJ said that he tore his pec while in Japan and could not afford to take time off and ended up really hurting badly and he lost touch with him. After that he tried a comeback with TNA but he didn’t last long. Basically, he didnt know or want to answer the question.

He is asked about the “Elevation X” match and said that he volunteered to take the bump over Rhino because he was afraid that if Rhino took the bump, he would really hurt himself bad. AJ said that they were on boards that were about two feet high and they practiced by walking on the boards at a lower level before the match. He thinks they made the best out of the stipulations.

AJ is asked about the Lethal Lockdown matches and if he was worried that the cages would hold all of the table and ladders, along with their weight. He said the first time, he was with James Storm and they almost fell through. AJ said he didnt like doing that two years in a row, as the fans have already seen it before. AJ then said he suggested a War Games match that year with two rings and they thought about doing it but it turned out that TNA already sold seats that were right around the ring and they had no room for the second ring.

He calls Christopher Daniels a “ring general” and said that he can it on the fly and recalls some of the matches they had as a team, specifcally against LAX. The interviewer brings up how LAX was a hot act and said that TNA always seemed to have one hot act but that they always ended up pulling the plug from them and as a result, they never got as over as they could have. AJ agrees with him about that and said that they do not leave guys in teams long enough and adds that once they seem like they can draw something, they decide to split them up. He also thought that the Fortune group could have done something big but that TNA decided to split them up just as they were starting to gain traction. AJ said that they had ideas for Fortune including a scene of them all getting off of a plane called “Flair Force One” together with Ric Flair and re-enacting scenes from the film “The Hangover” but that TNA just wanted them to wear suits and ride in limousines. AJ didn’t think that was cool and would rather wear a sports jacket with an “Affliction” t-shirt and have them show up in their own sports cars or motorcycles and that even though they showed up in something different, you knew that they were cool because you could relate to them. He said that they were all for that but TNA never wanted to do that with them.

When asked about Ric Flair, AJ said he was quite the character. At one point, they wanted him to be like Flair and AJ said that they had Flair overshadow him completely during the angle. He is now asked about Flair’s bar tab during the European tour. AJ said he was not there at the time, he was home nursing an injury, but had others tell him what happened. AJ said that Flair was acting like he always does, buying everyone drinks and acting crazy, then ran out of money and started to ask some of the others for cash. After that, then started to flip out on the promoter about not getting more money. AJ said that he doesnt know all of the specifics though.

AJ is now asked if he thought Ric Flair lived up to his end of the bargain. He said that he did exactly what he was told to do, even when he thought the ideas were terrible. AJ then adds that no one had any balls to confront Flair when he acted out of control, especially how he acted in the United Kingdom.

He is then asked if he was surprised that Chris Harris’s career never took off. AJ said when you looked back at America’s Most Wanted when they first started to become popular, you would think that Harris would become a star as he was tall and athletic. He thinks that he just got frustrated at a certain point and never reached is potential.

When asked about working with Adam “Pacman” Jones, AJ said he thought it was funny and made no sense then brings up how no one in TNA even bothered to think if he could actually work at all in the ring. AJ credits Bill Behrens for creating the finish to the match.

When asked if Booker T was in TNA only for the paycheck, he said that he wrestled him a few times and that he asked Booker to call it in the ring and he just did all of his moves and never called anything at all. AJ also said that he didnt want to put some people over then questioned how much he had left to give to TNA. AJ said that Booker got him upset when he apparently told Kazarian that he should have stretched after he tore his tricep. At the same time, AJ said that he still managed to learn from him. He gives an example of Booker showing him how to hit someone with a title belt. After Booker left TNA, AJ approached him and said that despite the fact they did not always get along, he still learned a lot from him and he said Booker was cool about that.

AJ is asked about the promo that Samoa Joe cut on Scott Hall after he no-showed a PPV then asked about the alleged confrontation between Kevin Nash and Joe backstage. AJ said he did not see that take place and thinks that Nash pulled Joe aside somewhere away from the locker room and confronted him. AJ then talks about the promo itself and said that Joe was told what to say but Joe dug a bit deeper and can understand the anger that Nash had, stating that he would be upset to if someone was saying this about his friend. AJ then said that once Nash and Joe realzied that TNA was pitting them agaisnt each other, they stopped being angry with each other.

Now, he is asked about Kevin Nash’s involvement in the X Division. AJ said that you need characters, even in the X Division, but you also need good matches. He never felt insulted by what he did and stressed how you need characters in wrestling.

When asked about the storyline involving Kurt and his then wife Karen, he thought it got really ridiculous at times but he had fun being involved in the story.

AJ thinks that Eric Young is very entertaining and can play many different characters. He then said that more people know him from his show “Off the Hook” than they do for the ten years he spent in TNA. He puts over Eric for being funny and said that TNA has missed the boat on him.

He compares Sting as the Undertaker of TNA. He then puts him over for being a great guy who does his best whenever he wrestles. He said that Sting is incredibly humble and would even let him call the match when they wrestled.

When asked about Mick Foley, he said that he never knew what his role in the company was supposed to be. He didnt know if he was a wrestler or a commissioner. He said before a match with Fortune, Foley came up and told them that he and Flair were going to stay out of their way and let them do their thing. As soon as the match began, Flair and Foley began to fight. He said that ate up a lot of time.

They talk about Matt Morgan and how it seemed like there were so many times that it seemed like they were going to give him the push but for some reason they pulled back. AJ said that he liked wrestling with Nigel McGuinness (He wrestled as Desmond Wolfe in TNA) and was happy that they brought in him but sadly, he had to stop due to medical concerns.

AJ believed that the company was slowly growing before Hogan and Bischoff came into TNA. He said the talent was getting better and they were having good matches. He did say that he looked at them entering the company as a positive but after their debut, they could not sustain the ratings. AJ did state that the live crowds went nuts for Hogan when he came into the company. AJ didn’t understand why TNA did not use Hogan more to advertise their shows and TV in different markets. He also said that Hogan barely mentioned TNA when he made public appearances and said that someone should have told him about to talk about the company. He did state that Hogan was able to listen to their ideas and he appreciated that.

He is now asked if the older guys that TNA were bringing in like Hogan, Bischoff, Flair, and Cornette had the business pass by them at that point. AJ pretty much agrees with that but stated that he saw eye-to-eye with Cornette when it came to the wrestling part and loved having him as an agent. AJ states that while everyone has their own ways of doing things, you have to at least try to do some different and think outside of the wrestling box.

AJ is asked about changing back to the six-sided ring. AJ said that it made them different and he thought they should have kept it but the squared ring was much easier on the body.

The interviewer asks AJ if he felt that RVD gave his best effort in TNA, after telling AJ he did not believe that he tried his best. AJ thought that having RVD come in and beat him for the title was wrong not because he lost but that someone else came from the WWE and immediately beat a homegrown TNA talent. AJ said he wanted to say something but at the end, it was better to be professional. He did state that RVD should have grabbed his left when he pinned him.

He didnt understand why they got rid of Jay Lethal, who was entertaining, young, and a great athlete.

AJ said that he heard a rumor that Paul Heyman was asked to come in but declined as he wanted complete creative control. When asked if he thought that Heyman could have been the savior of TNA, AJ just said that he was able to create characters in ECW and make that company popular. AJ then put over Tommy Dreamer for having a lot of great ideas and heard that he was similar into Heyman in that regard.

When asked how it is to tape in a studio rather than on the road, AJ said it is harder to tape at the same place with the same people as they are always seeing the same thing. He also talks how it makes it harder to gauge how other crowds in different cities will react to the product.

Now, AJ is asked about the Jeff Hardy vs. Sting match at the 2011 Victory Road PPV. AJ heard that Bischoff saw Hardy backstage twenty minutes before his match then when he headed to the ring, he saw Hardy was in no condition to perform and told Sting to take it home. AJ said that now, Hardy is clean and sober and luckily nothing dangerous happened.

AJ is asked if he was TNA management and had to make a decision about his contract and who would he cut to retain his deal. AJ said that you cannot spend more than what you take in and joked that you probably shouldn’t rent a castle when you stay in the United Kingdom. He then said you have to find a way to get around and thinks they were not trying hard enough to retain him. The interviewer then tells AJ about what Austin Idol told him. He said that when they are not willing to pay his price, he will disappear because he will be worth more when he comes back. AJ said that time apart might help that and if they realize if he is someone that they need, it might be too late and he could be somewhere else. AJ also said that he is taking a risk too because he might not get paid as much but he has to weigh his options himself and grab the opportunities in front of him.

AJ is asked about the storyline with Claire Lynch. AJ said that this might sound crazy but it could have turned out to be a great story but the problem was that Claire was originally supposed to be a niece. However, they did not want to make the company look bad so they did not want Claire to be a Carter in storyline. Also, AJ said Claire had to be hot to make it work, to make it believable but that was not the case. He then said the moment Claire came out, the story was ruined.

He is then asked how Vince Russo should be remembered in TNA. AJ said he tried his best but at the end, he succumbed to pressure and he got burned out. At then time, he didnt notice because he was too frustrated himself with the storylines.

When asked about Jeff Jarrett leaving TNA, AJ asks what does that say about the company when he is leaving? AJ then talks about Jarrett having a lot of inside knowledge in the company and when he left, he knew something bad was going on in the company.

AJ said that you cannot let a company bully you into signing a bad contract. He knew for sure on December 28th that he was not going to re-sign. He talks briefly about his last TNA appearance and said that now he understood why Bret Hart was pissed at the WWE and did not want to drop the title, because they were taking away his contract. He said he didnt have a contract and could have laid down and told Magnus to pin him but chose to do it professionally and do it in a way that satisfied him.

He is asked about his book and AJ said it involves his personal life and wrestling, along with his future.

When asked what he will be doing a year from today, he has no idea career wise. He would like to say he would be with one of the bigger companies but said he could go out and get hurt the next day. Regardless, he will give 100% when you see him in the ring.

Final Thoughts: Not the most entertaining shoot but it was decent enough. It was really slow-paced so that might turn people off. Also, the questions were not asked in chronological order so they jumped around a lot. This was a follow-up to his shoot in 2006 so that is why they asked questions from then until present day.

As for AJ, he seemed like a nice enough guy. He did not have an agenda and was not looking to bury anyone. It was clear that he was frustrated with how TNA was run and valued himself as being with the company from day one for a reason as to why he was upset with an offer that he felt was low. The guy did bust his ass for this company and along with a few others were the reason it stayed alive it’s first year. I came away from this interview liking AJ as a person. I also saw that he was sad to be gone from TNA and did not trash them too much, leaving a door open for a return. Still, I think he was confident that he made the right decision to leave.

The interviewer, I do not know his name, was not the greatest. He really tried to get AJ to trash Flair, but he wouldn’t bite. Flair screwed over Highspots so you can probably figure out why he asked those questions.

If you are a fan of AJ or TNA, I would recommend this shoot. If you are not, then I wouldn’t bother watching. Its not an in-depth look at his career and if you want that, RF Video is releasing a 4 hour long shoot with him in the next few weeks.

So a guy creates a column dedicated to the greatest pay-per-view matches in a particular month’s history, and it gets over reasonably well enough to justify in the continuation of the series. But he runs into a quandary: WrestleMania has been held in both March and April, and there have been other shows from WCW, namely Uncensored and their final PPV ever, Greed. So, I have decided to break Wrestlemania up into two months. The March Wrestlemania’s, and the April Wrestlemania’s. I figured this was the way to do it. With that settled, once again, I give the BoD Universe the opportunity to whip out your figurative BoD app, and vote for what you believe is the greatest match in March pay-per-view lore. To the poll!

Yes, it is skewered significantly on the WWF/E side, but WCW did not run a pay-per-view in March until the very first Uncensored show in 1995, and we all know that Uncensored usually did not bring the goods. This list does not signify everything that will eventually make the Top 5, so if you don’t see something here that deserves props, it doesn’t mean it won’t make the final post on March 1. This is to determine #1 as chosen by YOU. Choose wisely, you opinionated bastards.

First thing’s first: if anyone was following the TCW reviews, the reason why you haven’t seen one in the last couple of weeks is due to TCW airing “TCW Classics”, which is basically rerunning their shows from this time last year. My understanding is that production of current episodes has halted for the time being. I have seen the “classics” episodes, and the in-ring product leaves a lot to be desired, so I will return to reviewing the show when new episodes return.

Now, the thread you have all been waiting for. I present to you the Top 5 February PPV Matches of ALL TIME! You, the BoD Universe, had the opportunity to choose the #1 match courtesy of a poll I had posted about two weeks ago. 233 votes were cast, but we did have a clear cut winner; but let’s run down the runners up, shall we, with the Honorable Mention roll.

5. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho vs. JBL vs. Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Umaga – Elimination Chamber Match – No Way Out – 2/17/08.


4. Lex Luger vs. Ric Flair – WrestleWar – 2/25/90.


3. Bret Hart vs. The Undertaker vs. Vader vs. Steve Austin – 4-Man Elimination Match – In Your House: Final Four – 2/16/97.


2. The Rock vs. Kurt Angle – No Way Out – 2/25/01.


1. Cactus Jack vs. Triple H – Hell in a Cell Match – No Way Out – 2/27/00.


Based on voting results, I can see at least one call that people may disagree with in the Honorable Mention roll. To the Top 5, then!

5. Sting/Brian Pillman/The Steiner Brothers vs. Ric Flair/Larry Zbyszko/Barry Windham/Sid Vicious – WarGames Match – WrestleWar – 2/24/91.

14. 91-02-24 WarGames (WrestleWar) by puropwgwwestuff

WarGames makes the list! This is one of the more notorious ones, thanks to Sid and Pillman.

4. Eddie Guerrero vs. Brock Lesnar – No Way Out – 2/15/04.

Here we have one of the more feel-good moments in the last 10 years, as Eddie Guerrero finally gets established as a top guy, and reaps the rewards. Brock was headed to infamy as the guy who quit, but we all know that “I quit” in wrestling is never really “I quit”.

3. Jushin Liger vs. Brian Pillman – SuperBrawl II – 2/29/92.

09. 92-02-29 Jushin Liger vs. Brian Pillman… by puropwgwwestuff

One of the greatest PPV openers of all time, and it really helped establish Pillman as a good worker, as he hung with Liger the whole way. Not exactly an underrated match, but it certainly is a forgotten one amongst this list.

2. Steve Austin vs. Triple H – 3 Stages of Hell Match – No Way Out – 2/25/01.





No Way Out 2001 Triple H vs Stone Cold Steve… by EmilMoeller

This was a truly awesome PPV from top to bottom. But the highlight was this match, a masterpiece between two hated rivals. Austin was fresh back from neck surgery, and a Royal Rumble win. Triple H had just gone through 2000 on a famously good run at the top of the card. It gave #1 a run for it’s money for a while, but it’s still a favorite among you, the BoDers.

1. Ricky Steamboat vs. Ric Flair – Chi-Town Rumble – 2/20/89.





03. 89-02-20 Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat (Chi… by puropwgwwestuff

The BoDers have spoken, and you voted this match #1, with 68 of the 233 votes. The first of a trilogy of classics from Steamboat and Flair in 1989. Steamboat had made a surprise return to the NWA after leaving the WWF after WrestleMania IV and taking time off to be with his family. Flair…..was Flair. A contrast between the family man vs. the jet flying, limousine ridin’, kiss stealin’, wheelin’ dealin’, son of a gun. 

Thank you for your participation, and we’ll have another list next month for March, where I will break up Wrestlemania between March and April.

This is the second and final disc of the shoot. It runs for one hour and forty-seven minutes.

If you have not read the recap for Disc One yet, click on the link below.

http://www.rspwfaq.net/2014/01/highspots-presents-brian-kendrick-paul.html

They are asked memories of their four-way ladder match at the Armageddon PPV against MNM, Hardy Boyz, and Regal & Taylor. Kendrick said he was supposed to perform the Sliced Bread off the ladder but was petrified and did not perform the move. London said that they were not informed that it was going to be a four-way match until a few days before the PPV. They both said they had no idea Mercury got his face sliced open as during the match, they were busy and just noticed that someone was missing. London talks about how most ladder matches are structured as a spotty match but when it involves grabbing a title, it becomes a lot more realistic instead of performing crazy spots to get a pop from the crowd.

When asked why there wasn’t a rematch when it was announced, Kendrick said that it is all on a whim and everything changes daily as London said he heard that Vince saw him all over the show and nixed that. London said that they would try to talk to the writers and ask where the angles are going and they would blow them off. Once, they asked Dave Lagana about where they were going, referencing them as the champions, as Lagana told them he was going to Taco Bell. London calls Lagana a “faggot” then hints that he got fired for sexually harassing Mordecai, which seemed to be in a joking manner but who knows for sure.

Kendrick is asked about making it to the top of the WWE. He said he is a stubborn person and you have to put up with a lot of bullshit to get to the top but if you stick around long enough, you can make it provided that you have talent. London jokes that in the WWE, the jizz rises to the top and if you can nut on the bosses face, you can cement yourself on the “bearskin rug” roster.

They are asked about working with MNM. Kendrick recalls while in developmental in Memphis he did a spot with Bobby Eaton when he gave him a hurricarana off of the apron to the floor and someone apparently told the office about the spot and Eaton got fired and guys were blaming Kendrick for getting him fired, especially Mercury. Anyway, Kendrick talks about how Mercury is good as schmoozing to people that will get him ahead and tells a story of an office working telling them that they overheard Mercury telling Deuce & Domino not to bump for them. Kendrick then approached Mercury at a bar and asked him about what he heard and Mercury said that he didnt remember because he was on a lot of pills at the time and told Kendrick that he will just say that he did say it, which had Kendrick question as to why you would admit to something that you do not remember doing. Kendrick said he likes Nitro but he has no spine. London talks about how Mercury was nice to him in RoH but different when he got to the WWE as they were the hot team then he was banging Mickie James so he thought that he was the man then London bringing up her pictures and how everyone has seen them which leads to Kendrick interrupting to tell a story of how Batista put up those pictures all over the locker room once and how it was the funniest thing. Anyway, they talk about Mercury blaming drugs for his behavior rather than taking responsibility for his actions.

Now, Kendrick talks about the Hardy Boyz. He likes them both and says that he originally had a bad feeling about Matt but after he was invited to his house, he said he was nothing but gratious and has drank and partied with them many times.

London talks about his history with the Hardy Boyz. Growing up, he really loved what they did in the ring and gives them credit for creating a following. Getting into the WWE, he had a series of dark matches and his last one was with Matt, who gave him a lot of offense, even hitting him with his finisher twice. He talks about how while sitting at a casino, he got “mauled” by Ashley Massaro and ended up getting into a relationship. He barely even knew about her relationship with Matt but knew they were over. At that point, London said his confidence was shot at the time due to his standing in the company and Ashley won the Diva’s contest and he was starting to get a little bit of attention. As it went along, London realized that there was a lot of feelings between Ashley and Matt and London said it led to a stupid love triangle. He goes on about how he believes that if people are no longer in a relationship, then they should be able to date whoever they want and then talks about how he wasnt going to be like Johnny Nitro and let Batsita bang his girlfriend without saying something to him. London said Ashley would tell him all of these horrible things he did to her and London said he didnt want to judge Matt based off of that and thinks that Ashley might have possibly lied to him about her standing with Matt and he said that she was leading him around. London said that he went to both of them and said he wanted them out of his life. From that, London said he was thinking of all he heard about Matt and couldnt believe that no one could see right through him.

He then talks about Jeff Hardy and how they had an awesome ladder match in Mexico City. Thy day before, he got a black eye after Holly hit him during a match but London said he loves Bob and didnt care and Bob liked him because he didnt bitch about it leading London to say “this isn’t ballet.” The match came about after Kendrick hurt his foot. Anyway, Kendrick interrupts and said how awesome the match was with tons of nearfalls and crazy stuff and when they got backstage, Dean Malenko told them that it could have been more sudden, leading Kendrick to ask him what was wrong with the match and it leads to Kendrick talks about how nothing was wrong with the match and some people just want to critique others to justify their job. They both talk about how he just has “it” and is insanely over. London closes by stating the Hardy Boyz are a legendary tag team.

In regards to Haas & Benjamin, they both liked them and would like to see them in TNA, where Kendrick was at the time of this shoot. London liked them but said that they took their collegiate accolades a little too seriously at times but had fun working with both of them. They both talk about how Haas is very intesne and how he could rip your arm off during an arm drag.

They now talk about Cade & Murdoch. Kendrick describes a “slapping” incident with Murdoch during a match. They said that Murdoch did a lot of “fat guy” chops, which is when you slap guys on the back and chest but not delivered in the traditional manner. Anyway, Murdoch did that to Kendrick without warning and he was livid and told him he was going to slap in in the face after the match and he did it on TV again then Kendrick started to slap them in the face. He likes them both though and had them over his house. London said that they lobbied to work with them and Kendrick said that Murdoch told them thanks for keeping the belts warm while in South Africa. They close by stating they were both safe in the ring and fun to work with.

Now, they discuss the time they got pedigreed by HHH on RAW. They ran in to save HHH from Cade & Murdoch and when they cleared the ring, HHH went to shake their hands but instead kicked them and they both got the pedigree. Before that happened, HHH approached then backstage and said it is from the office and not himself, stating it was from Kevin Dunn. Anyway, they both asked if they were going to get any sort of chance for revenge and they got blown off, with both guys saying they ended up looking like pussies. London then takes the opportunity to make HHH jokes about him sucking the cocks of the McMahons.

When discussing the Undertaker, London said you saw the good Undertaker and then he would do stuff that you would shake your head at, like being dragged out of your room at 3am in Australia to look at the veterans hold “Wrestlers Court” to watch Undertaker to act like Judge Judy. Kendrick said that they worked with MNM all tour and did great then had to go down and watch their valet, Melina, get put on trial for not shaking hands in the women’s locker room. They were all forced to bet as to how long it takes her to cry and London ended up winning. Kendrick said that guys would act differently around Taker and those who you thought were your friends would tell him gossip and rat out guys in an attempt to get ahead. Thy both said that Taker seemed to relish that position.

London talks more about Taker, stating he is not a fan of those who wear their own merchandise and drive around town with “Dead Man” on their license plate.

They both love Randy Orton, with London saying that he could be a crossover star into entertainment. He calls him a flawless performer and that the agents love him too. They also had a lot of good times with him too. They then tell a story of how they were in South Africa, they nearly pissed on the band Air Supply from the balcony. London said that despite the fact the office hated him, he always got great accomodations when they traveled to foreign countries and on this occasion, got an awesome suite. He thinks it was due to his name being a bit similar to Paul Levesque. Anyway, they were in the suite with Cade, Murdoch, Orton, and Robbie McAllister, who they both thought was “cool as shit.” They look out the window and saw John Cena with a lot of other top guys sitting at the pool area. He said they were both “mentally elevated” at the time and Kendrick thought it would be funny to piss on Cena, because he might think it was funny and he said he bought his rap album at the time and thought it was awful. They both love Cena by the way. When Kendrick went to piss, the wind carried it over and they were told it hit the band but Kendrick ended up pissing all over hotel management.

Both guys also love Batista, saying he is super-jacked and cool. Kendrick says his motorcycle was great as London talks about how he would throw parties when they wrestled in Washington D.C. and pick up everyone’s tab as Kendrick said he always did that. Kendrick said that Cena and Orton picked up tabs too and realized that they made a lot more money than the undercard and appreciated them. London mentions how Benoit would pick up tabs for them as both guys said they liked him.

London tells another Benoit story. He was with Benoit and Jamie Noble in Buffalo and Chris was hungry so they pulled over at a Hooters. It was 11:30pm and they were getting ready to close and as they were shutting the door, Benoit stuck his foot in and asked if they were open. Anyway, they sat down and a table near them were being loud and disrespectful to the waitress so Benoit told London that he should go over and say something to them. He went over and told him to keep it down and how they were irritating his friend. The guys told London to bring his friend over to them but after a minute they stopped. They leave and approach them to say they were sorry and they recognize Benoit and when one of the guys went to put his hand on his shoulder, Benoit told him to get his fucking hand off of him. After the waitress thanked London and took their order, Benoit told him that the “seeds were planted” and that he could now go fuck her.

London tells another story of how Benoit told him that he and Kendrick were the future of the business and London said that no matter how shitty they were treated by the office, it was worth it to have respect from guys like Benoit, who they admired.

Neither guy was surprised that Benoit snapped and murdered himself and his family. Kendrick said the day they were told, they had an idea something happened and when the news was broke, Matt Stryker apparently cried and wailed loudly. London said that a few weeks before the murders, Benoit called London, who was in a funk at the time when he came back from injury and was having bad marches. He said that he wanted to check on him. Kendrick said that Benoit loved the bible and how all of the crazies love the bible.

London is asked about memories of teaming with Billy Kidman. He said that he was a fan of his when he wrestled in WCW. He felt that Kidman wasnt really into the team and would bury him when they were in the locker room but not when they were alone. London said that he got fed up when Kidman when they feuded with the Dudley Boyz and he never stood up for him. He said that Bubba had an issue with him and was trying to test him and would whip him with a belt buckle without telling him before hand, even when the cameras were not rolling, prompting Kendrick to say that is low. London called Bubba a pussy and a baby then says that he stiffed him in a house show in Canada and he rolled outside and stayed their the rest of the match and backstage, he asked Bubba what happened and that led to Kidman actually sticking up for him when he told Bubba that he probably meant to stiff him in the ring .London then tells a story when he they were supposed to get the belts from the Dudley’s, Fit Finlay approached them backstage and told him how they saw the Dudley’s camping outside of Vince’s office and Fit asked them if they were gonig to change the finish of the match and they said no before shrugging their shoulders and walking away.  They tell a story of how London hit a shooting star during a house show in MSG with Kidman getting upset over him stealing his shooting star press, despite the fact that he stopped using the move at the time, in the gorilla position.

London tells another story of how Bubba was a dick. Over in Italy, London said he was with Rene Dupree and they took a walk as they were both down about their standing in the company and when they came back to the locker room, Bubba was trying to bury him and he stood up for himself, which had the Undertaker come up to him and tell him how he handled himself well in the locker room.

Kendrick talks about his time in TNA at the moment. He said he is there for a week and if that isnt enough, he can go to other independents too. Kendrick said that he wants to take the X Division away from “car crash” style of matches. When he arrived, he was placed in a multi-man match and the agent told them to have a “car crash, video game-style” match. Kendrick said he isnt a video game wrestler but was able to wrestle the style he wanted and he is able to put his word in a little, more so than in the WWE.

Both guys talk about how they never did steroids and that was the one thing Kendrick’s mother promised him when he started in wrestling. London talks about how guys gooverboard on steroids and it makes them useless in the ring. He said that Carlito was all gassed up one time and tore his pec taking a simple move because he was so jacked up.

They are now asked about Vince McMahon. Kendrick said he had limited interactions with him but would give him the time when he had to meet with him. London says that Vince is close-minded and stuck in time and only remembers one time in which he felt like he didnt hate him and that was while waiting in Gorilla, Vince told him he liekd his beard and asked why his partner did not have one. London then talks about how it is disgusting to watch people lay down and give away all of their power to him. Kendrick talks about how Vince created what he loved but does not want to spend another day in the WWE, no matter how much the money. He says he knew it was his fault for being a pain in the ass and smoking weed and one day he got fired. He does not regret it but he was mad and it was tough to explain to his wife and would rather work at Home Depot.

They are asked what led to the team splitting up. They had been going nowhere and knew they were fucked and not going to move up the card, despite the fact that they were perfect for each other. They talked about trying to be called “The Hooligans” but the office said no because no one would know who they were when they split up.

London talks about how the WWE do not always know what their fans want and how they are a bastard child of entertainment, no matter how hard he tries to get into Hollywood. He then said that Vince is in the business to create stars.

Both guys talk about Rene Dupree. They both say he is hilarious. London tells a story of how Rene was lactacting once while he was on the juice. He then tells another story of how he filled his hotel bathtub with vomit after the video game challenge at WrestleMania weekend in Chicago when he had a ton of sweet potato fries at the buffet afterwards.

They talk about guys they were friends with. London said he was friends with Carlito in OVW but that he changed a lot when he got called up to the main roster, thinking that he was a lot bigger star than he really was. Knedrick calls Santino the funniest guy on the planet that he knows.

Kendrick is now asked about how his “The Brian Kendrick” character got created. He said that he pitched it to the boss and it came time for him to debut. He had new gear that his wife made and a promo. However, Michael Hayes wanted him to use a promo that he created and wear his old gear. Kendrick ended up changing into his new outfit and HHH liked it so he told that to Hayes who wanted Kendrick to get the OK from Vince. He didnt care but Hayes didnt like his promo so Hayes rearranged it and when he gave that promo to Vince, he hated it and asked him if he wrote it and Kendrick said no and gave him the promo he created and Vince loved it and told him that he should add “The” to his name. Ezekiel Jackson was added when Kendrick was working a match against Dolph Ziggler, who he said is extremely talented. Ziggler had Rob Terry as his valet at the time and during the match, Terry kept missing his cues as Kendrick was livid. They kept changing the finishes and Kendrick went backstage and nearly knocked over Steamboat by accident and started to flip out, stating that if he can make the guys he had been facing look good that he could do the same for HHH. Hayes went over to talk with him as he was threatening to quit as he went off on a tangent about putting over shitty guys like the Gymini and Deuce as Johnny Ace approached him and said they would talk to Vince. As Kendrick is waiting in front of his office, Ace sees him then walks the other way and disappears as he is by himself with Vince. He tells Vince that he is ready to quit and if he can make shitty wrestlers look good, imagine how he could make the top guys look. Shortly after that, Ace told him that he was fired and could help him get into Japan, which he said he didnt need.

They talk about Mark Henry for a second and Kendrick said that Henry threw his bachelor party for him. London said that Henry would look at porn and take out the centerfold in the locker rooms and even on airplanes.

Both guys are asked about Bryan Danielson signing with the WWE and how he will fare. Kendrick tells a story of how he cut a promo while still in the WWE and was cutting a promo about finding the perfect tag team partner but his microphone got cut off and he was livid. Originally, Kendrick pitched the idea to the WWE that Danielson be his partner but Brian Gewirtz and Johnny Ace couldnt come to an understanding and it never happened. They both say he is awesome as London calls him a positive person and that he should go to the WWE and experience it for himself instead of hearing people who were unhappy when they left.

London is asked about being in PWG. He said that everyone was nice to him and he felt appreciated. He is asked about the hybrid dolphins and said that he spend the day on the beach eating pizza an seeing the mammals and dolphins in the water then had a shitty match and was asked to come back and cut a promo, as he was high as a kite. He then came up with the idea then.

The interview closes with Kendrick talking about 9/11 conspiracy theories an states that it was the result of holograms, with London looking at him like he was an idiot.

Final Thoughts: A highly entertaining disc. Lots of funny stories sprinkled in with some insight. I will say that Kendrick comes off as being a lot more responsible for his actions than London, who does seemingly go into blame mode at times. Then again, it was known that London was not exactly in a mentally stable place during this time. It also didnt help him that he was extremely fucked up during this interview.

I will say that the interviewer was completely useless. He did not make any attempts to reign them in when they went off track. He also never challenged London on why he cracked up during the segment when Vince McMahon walked past the entire locker room en route to his limo. London himself had been rumored to have a lot of issues during his time that had been reported such as going out and doing promos that were not approved by the office and asking for time off.

I recommend this shoot though. Lots of funny stories were told and it gave a good glimpse into the atmosphere and locker room of the WWE during its run. This shoot also spawned several other shoot-style pieces by Paul London as well as a sequel. In the sequel, London is only drinking coffee and both guys come off as somewhat apologetic from this video.

The 2014 Royal Rumble is almost upon us, which means we will all soon be looking past that event and watching what will unfold on The Road to WrestleMania. That also means that another month will be here, and the BoD’s monthly feature called The Greatest PPV Matches in (insert month here). I have decided to make this list somewhat interactive, and give you, the BoD Universe, the opportunity to influence my decision-making, by means other than pitchforks and torches, and switchblades and other weapons of influence.

I present to you……the poll. A most diplomatic way to pick a front-runner. The BoD will pick the greatest match in February PPV history, and I will honor that choice. The remaining Top 5 will be decided by myself through study, review and science. The nominees:

Choose wisely.

Let me start by saying that I have been reviewing some videos for the Best of February PPV column. I have opted to allow you, the BoD Universe, to decide the #1 match. I will be posting a poll sometime in the next week with the candidates. Choose wisely…

Now, to the business at hand. Here is how to watch TCW either online or on TV:

http://www.tcwwrestling.com/tvinfo.shtml

Here is this week’s episode, if you feel like playing along:

Taped from Fort Smith, AR. Straight to the opening video. No in-ring breakdown again this week from Rhodes and Thompson. We start the show backstage, where interviewer Jason Jones is with The Empire. Matt Riviera calls The Empire the most dominant force in wrestling. The Empire is going to take control of TCW. Greg Anthony says that Parker’s Posse has no shot against The Empire. Steve Anthony predicts a clean sweep. The champ, Tim Storm, asks Jones if he had a question to ask, and then promptly cuts him off by telling him to shut his mouth, because no one cares. Back to Riviera, who ends things by saying TCW is good as done. The heel team appears confident, and considering they have been built up by actually WINNING matches prior to the big showdown, that only helps the angle.

We take a break with the promise of Americos vs. Kincaid for the TCW Junior Heavyweight Championship….NEXT!

Match #1 – Americos (c) vs. Kincaid (with Boyd Bradford) – TCW Junior Heavyweight Championship.


This is at least the third match between the two in the last couple of months. Americos is pulling double duty tonight, as he replaces the injured John Saxon in the main event. The last time they faced off, it resulted in the title going to Americos. Kincaid attacks before the bell, knocking Americos from the apron to the floor. Kincaid takes Americos to the rail. Now back in the ring, as the ref calls for the opening bell. Kincaid goes to the top, but Americos throws him off. The two trade reversals before Kincaid gets a cross armbreaker. Americos, while in the armbreaker, rolls up Kincaid for a 2 count. Americos gets an armdrag off a reversal. Americos dumps Kincaid to the floor. Hurrancanrana for Americos from the apron! He’s back in the ring, off the ropes, and a dive is cutoff by Kincaid’s knees. Kincaid takes Americos to the corner. Now with a shoulderblock to the back. Backbreaker for Kincaid, and he holds it there for a submission attempt. Americos gets out of it, and tries a comeback, but Kincaid cuts him off with a knee to the gut. Forearm from Americos, then follows with a big boot. Cover…1…2…kick out. Kincaid with a slingshot Falcon’s Arrow! Cover…1…2…kick out! Kincaid charges and Americos hits a Japanese armdrag to the corner! Both men are down as we take a break. When we come back, Kincaid has Americos in the tree of woe. Kincaid climbing to the top with Americos still there, but Americos sits up, grabs Kincaid and hits a belly-to-back suplex from the tree of woe! Nice counter there. Americos to the top, and the swanton HITS KNEES! Kincaid hits Grave of the Fireflies (a forward inverted cutter with the opponent in his knees). Cover…1…2…kick out! Kincaid misses a springboard dive to the apron, and Americos charges, and reverses a hiptoss into a head shot to the stairs. Kincaid on the floor, and Americos his a swanton from the apron to the floor! Both guys stay down on the floor for a while. Back in the ring, Americos with the cover…1…2…kick out. Back and with with forearms. Now they trade kicks to the head. Kincaid with a clothesline. Cover..1…2…kick out! Kincaid distracts the referee, and now Boyd Bradford climbs to the top, and he drops an elbow on Americos! Kincaid with the cover…1…2…kick out! Kincaid picks Americos up into an airplane spin into a sit out slam! Cover…1…2….kick out! Kincaid to the top, but Americos crotches him. Americos to the top with him. Superplex is blocked by Kincaid, and he drops Americos face first from the top. Kincaid sets himself on the top rope, Sorcerer’s Stomp from the top to the back of Americos! Kincaid covers…1…2…3! New champ! (10:58)

WINNER: Kincaid, your NEW TCW Junior Heavyweight Champion. ***1/2 – Very good match here, with a lot of back and forth. Kincaid has an innovative moveset and Americos certainly did his best to keep up. The finish looked brutal. Hopefully, this ends the feud and the back and forth title changes between these two.

Match #2 – Genetic Perfection (Michael Barry & Alan Steel) and Rich Rude vs. The Hounds of Hell (Cerebus & Roosevelt) (c) and Boyd Bradford – Tables Match – TCW Tag Team Championship.


To win here, you have to put the other team’s manager through a table. The managers are involved in the match. We’re joined in progress with both teams brawling around the ring. Alan Steel comes up behind Bradford on the outside and threatens him with the table, but Roosevelt dives from the top to Steel on the floor to take him out. Now in the ring, the heels are in control. Cerebus hits a running knee to Steel. Whip off the ropes into a back elbow for Cerebus. Cerebus chokes Steel in the corner with his boot. With the ref’s back turns, Bradford gets some choking in. Some double teaming in the heel corner now. Roosevelt hits a belly-to-belly to Steel, and tags in Bradford, who promptly gets in one stomp and tags back out to Cerebus. Cowardly heel manager works for me. With the ref’s back turned, the heels switch off without the tag, and Roosevelt hits a suplex. Roosevelt gets a crossface chickenwing, with Steel trying to power out, and we take a break? In the middle of a comeback attempt? When we come back, a table is in the ring, and Roosevelt and Barry clothesline each other down. Bradford calls out Rude into the middle of the ring, and Rude takes him down into the corner. Meanwhile Roosevelt sets up the table in the corner. Roosevelt takes out Rude from behind and is about to try putting Rude through the table, but Barry spears Roosevelt into the table set up in the corner. But the table does not break. Steel tries again, and AGAIN the table refuses to break. On the outside, Rude clocks Bradford with the briefcase and Bradford is out on the table. Steel is going up top, but Cerebus meets him up there. Cerebus trying a suplex, but here’s Rude with a faceful of powder and Cerebus falls through a table on the floor. Steel recovers and hits the flying splash onto Bradford and through the table! The match is over. New champs! (7:07)

WINNERS: …and NEW TCW Tag Team Champions, Genetic Perfection (and Rich Rude). ** – Not much to this match. It was mostly brawling and not a lot of in-ring work. The heels get their comeuppance, and the faces win the titles to end this feud. The table spots were weak save for the last one that won the match.



Backstage, Col. Tom Parker is giving his team a pep talk. Tommy Dreamer takes over with some words of inspiration, asking them what they’re fighting for. Scott Phoenix says Tim Storm turned his back on the fans. Shane Williams was holed up for eight months because of The Empire. Dreamer name drops Paul Heyman, Dixie Carter and even Triple H as people running the business into the ground and The Empire is no different then those people. Again, he asks them what they are fighting for and they all agree they are all fighting for T-C-W. Good work here from Dreamer.

Match #3 – Parker’s Posse (Tommy Dreamer, Shane Williams, Scott Phoenix & Americos) vs. The Empire (Tim Storm, Greg Anthony, Steve Anthony & Matt Riviera) – Eight Man Elimination Tag Team Match.

We start off with Americos and Greg Anthony in the ring. Americos reverses a couple of moves on Anthony and hits him with a press for the 2 count. Americos tags in Williams, who comes off the middle with a sledge to the arm. Tag to Dreamer, who gets an elbow drop on Greg. Tag back to Williams who comes off the middle with another sledge. Tag to Steve Anthony, who gets armdragged down by Williams. Steve says he wants Dreamer, and Williams complies. Steve gets the upper hand with a hard left and a body slam, but misses and elbow coming off the ropes. Dreamer with some left jabs and a bionic elbow. Dreamer gets hit from behind coming off the ropes, and Tim Storm gets the tag and takes over. Stomps in the corner for Storm. To the heel corner we go, and Riviera is tagged in. He beats Dreamer down in the corner. Now in comes Greg Anthony, and Dreamer is the face-in-peril. Knee drop from Greg gets a 1. Tag in to Storm. Storm gets a whip off the ropes and a back elbow. Cover…1…2..shoulder up. Back to the heel corner, and Steve Anthony tagged in. He puts Dreamer down with a right for a 1 count. Dreamer comes off the ropes with sunset flip for a 2 count, but Steve puts him back down with a clothesline for 2. Tag in to Greg Anthony, who comes off the top and misses the flying elbow drop! Dreamer gets the hot tag to Americos, who hits everybody with dropkicks. Americos to the top in the heel corner, but Storm comes back and pushes him off to the mat. Steve Anthony hits Americos with the Exclamation Point (Death Valley Driver). Cover…1…2…3! Americos is eliminated (8:27) It’s 4 on 3 in favor of the heels.

Scott Phoenix takes over at this point. Phoenix hits a neckbreaker for a 2 count. Phoenix goes for Phoenix Rising (Disaster Kick), but it misses and Steve Anthony hits a HUGE spear! Everybody in the ring now for some brawling. The numbers favor The Empire, and the faces are easily dispatched. Steve Anthony goes to the top, but Phoenix meets him up there. Storm and Greg Anthony also come over, and it looks like we have a log jam in the corner. Storm gets under Phoenix, and power bombs Phoenix from the second rope, while Phoenix hung for the superplex on Steve Anthony! Everybody is down except for Riviera, who was on the floor. We take a break, and come back to Phoenix and Steve Anthony in the ring, and Phoenix hits Phoenix Rising! Cover…1…2…3! Steve Anthony is eliminated. (11:19). The odds are now even.

Storm takes over on Phoenix, but Phoenix comes back with some kicks. He goes for Phoenix Rising again, but miss and Storm hits The Perfect Storm (spinning Boss Man Slam)! Cover….1…2…3! Scott Phoenix is eliminated. (11:54) The Empire has the advantage 3 on 2.

Dreamer on Storm and clothesline himself and Storm over the top rope. On the floor, Storm crotches Dreamer on the guardrail. Willams crotches Storm with the middle rope. Williams gets the FUCKING PILEDRIVER on Storm! Cover…1…2…3! The champ, Tim Storm, has been eliminated. (13:05) It’s now 2 on 2.

Greg Anthony posts Williams hard, covers…1…2…3! Shane Williams is eliminated. (13:17) The Empire now with the 2 on 1 advantage, as Tommy Dreamer is the last man standing for Parker’s Posse.

Anthony and Riviera work over Dreamer in the ring. Anthony pulls out a chair from under the ring but it breaks! TCW shouldn’t shop at Walmart. Riviera continues to beat down Dreamer with stomps and punches in the ring, while Anthony comes back with a non-folding arena chair and sets it up between the ropes in the corner. The legs are sticking out as the heels whip Dreamer into the chair. Dreamer, thankfully, avoided the legs. Riviera whips Anthony into Dreamer, who backdrops Anthony over the top and to the stairs! Dreamer and Riviera face off in the ring, but a busted open Anthony gets back in. Dreamer plants Anthony with a DDT. Riviera comes over with an elbow drop but hits Anthony as Dreamer moves. Dreamer covers Anthony…1…2…3! Greg Anthony is eliminated. (17:01) It’s now 1 on 1 with Dreamer vs. Riviera.

Riviera begs off, but Dreamer dumps him to the floor. Dreamer has water and spits it in Riviera’s face. Now we find a cookie sheet under the ring, and Dreamer nails Riviera with it. Dreamer has a fan hold the cookie sheet and he takes Riviera’s head to it. Dreamer tosses a trash can in the ring. He finds a replica belt from a fan and hits Riviera with it. Now he takes an old lady’s cane and crotches Riviera. Tim Storm is still down on the floor, selling the piledriver like a champ. Dreamer holds Riviera open, and gets a fan to slap Riviera across the chest. Then Dreamer gets ring announcer Tom Simon to slap Riviera across the chest. This has now become a comedy match, in my opinion. Dreamer finally rolls Riviera back to the apron, lays the ring bell on his crotch, and rings his bell, literally. Various weapons make their way into the ring now. Dreamer sits Riviera on top, goes up to the middle rope…..and the lights go out! When they come back on, a man in a hoodie pulled over his face has Dreamer in reverse Razor’s Edge position, and drops him to the mat! Riviera covers…1….2….3! Tommy Dreamer is eliminated. (22:51) The Empire wins! Matt Riviera wins the match for The Empire, who now have control of TCW! The hooded figure reveals himself to be…Lance Hoyt! Lance Hoyt has turned on Dreamer and Parker’s Posse! The rest of The Empire make their way down to celebrate the win, as Hoyt leaves. The Empire is in control, and WE’RE OUT OF TIME!

WINNERS: The Empire. *** – There was some good action in the ring for the better part of this. The rapid fire eliminations in the middle helped keep a good pace. I bring the rating down a notch for the comedy spots with the fans involved. Dreamer didn’t show much here, as he resorted to garbage brawling. Still, the heels were strong coming in. The Lance Hoyt turn does not make sense yet, as he was beat down by The Empire two months ago. But still, with the good opener and a solid main event, this show brings the goods. Title change hands very rapidly in this company. Hopefully, we can get some stability on that front in 2014. See you next week.

First, look here to see if TCW is available in your area:

http://www.tcwwrestling.com/tvinfo.shtml

Second, here is the episode if you feel like playing along:

It’s the first episode of 2014, and we don’t even get a rundown from Rhodes and Thompson in the ring this week, as we hit the opening video immediately. Well, let’s take a cue from TCW and roll the show!

Taped from Fort Smith, AR.

Match #1 – Vordell Walker vs. Sigmon – 30 Minute Iron Man Match.


We kick things off proper with what, hopefully, should be the blowoff for this feud. The rules are simple: the man with the most decisions after 30 minutes of action is the winner. Some jawjacking and showing to start this thing. Walker just picks up Sigmon, carries him around the ring, and drops him with a big takedown. Sigmon rolls outside and paces around the ring. Back in, they lock up into a test of strength, broken up by Sigmon with headbutts. Walker hits a back suplex and then an armdrag. Sigmon heads back outside. Back in the ring, Sigmon hits a forearm to take walker down in the corner. Now some chops from Sigmon. Walker fires back with chops of his own. Sigmon takes over again with a headbutt and some choking on the ropes. Walker comes back with an enziguiri, but misses a corner splash. Sigmon working over Walker in the corner. Now here comes the rear headlock on the mat. Big thrust chop to Walker coming off the ropes. More work in the corner for Sigmon. A chest first bump for Walker on the whip to the corner. Back to the rear headlock for Sigmon. Walker tries to counter out, but Sigmon gets a roll up. 1…2…3! First fall goes to Sigmon. (7:41) Sigmon 1 – Walker 0. Thirty second rest period between falls, and we take a break.

When we come back, the second fall has begun. Both men outside and Walker takes Sigmon’s head to the timekeeper’s table. Back in the ring, Sigmon takes over in the corner and dumps Walker back outside. Sigmon exposes the concrete floor and tries for a suplex. Walker gets out of it and send Sigmon to the stairs, and then hits an EXPLOSIVE belly-to-belly to the concrete floor! Walker tries a charge and hits the post, to give control back to Sigmon. In the ring, Sigmon misses a diving headbutt from the top! Walker hooks the arms, pins the shoulders down…1….2….3!  Walker gets the second fall! (2:50) Walker 1 – Sigmon 1.

Sigmon attacks Walker in the corner before the thirty second rest period is up. Walker tries to come back with some punches, but Sigmon puts him back down. Suplex by Sigmon, cover…1…2…kick out! Sigmon puts on what I can only call a straitjacket hold. Now Sigmon with back-to-back whips to the corner, before Walker reverses a third one, and then nails Sigmon with a stiff forearm. But Sigmon comes back AGAIN with another thrust. Sigmon to the top, but Walker with a HUGE enziguiri to cut him off. Walker climbs to the second rope, but Sigmon catches him and hits a NICE sunset flip power bomb! Cover…1…2…3! Third fall goes to Sigmon! (3:17) Sigmon 2 – Walker 1.

Sigmon again jumps Walker before the thirty second rest period ends. Sigmon dumps Walker to the floor, and takes his head to the stairs. Now a hard whip into the stairs, and Sigmon heads back in with Walker on the floor. We take a break. When we come back, Walker is still out on the floor. Baseball slide for Sigmon hits, and he rolls Walker in. Walker tries to come back with kicks, but Sigmon puts him down with a clothesline, and then hits a falling headbutt coming off the ropes. Cover…1…2…kick out! Walker takes Sigmon to the corner, and then as Sigmon comes out, Walker snaps off a powerslam! 1…2…kick out! EXPLODER SUPLEX!! Walker misses the running knee, and Sigmon hits an enziguiri. Corner charge from Sigmon and he hits Walker with a forearm. A second charge is met with a RUNNING KNEE by Walker! Cover…1…2…3! Walker takes the fourth fall! (3:59) Walker 2 – Sigmon 2.

Ten minutes left with the match tied 2-2. The two men trade forearm blows. Sigmon catches Walker with a huge clothesline that gets the 360 sell by Walker! Cover…1…2…kick out! Walker catches Sigmon off the ropes with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker! Now Walker picks him up and hits a MICHI-FUCKING-NOKU DRIVER!! Cover…1…2…….kick out!! Damn! Sigmon with a release German suplex! Now he’s up top and hits the diving headbutt this time! Cover…1…2….kick out! They trade forearm blows again. Walker catches Sigmon off the ropes, and gets a tilt-a-whirl into a spinning uranage! Cover…1…2….kick out! The announcers are losing their shit here as Matt Rhodes gives us a biblical swear. Walker to the top, but Sigmon crotches him. Sigmon follows him up and ….sweet fuck…Sigmon hits a GERMAN SUPLEX from the top! Walker does the 360 sell job on the landing! Sigmon hits a clothesline off the ropes, getting another flippy sell from Walker. Cover…1…2….3! Sigmon gets fall number five! (4:56) Sigmon 3 – Walker 2.

Walker power bombs Sigmon onto the top turnbuckle! Now a clothesline puts Sigmon down, and Walker gets the Boston crab. Walker releases and gets the stretch muffler! Sigmon fights it off. Chop block from Walker and now the FIGURE FOUR! Sigmon in pain. Referee counts the shoulders down for a few two counts. Sigmon trying to turn it over. One minute left! Sigmon hanging on and turns it over, but Walker rolls through! Sigmon reaches the ropes, but Walker gets the figure four again! The countdown is on…and the match is over! (30:00)

WINNER: Sigmon, 3-2. **** – This match started slowly, with some pinfalls out of nowhere. But that last 10 minutes they just killed it! Some near falls off high impact moves. This was the best match I have seen in my short tenure as TCW reviewer. After the match, it appears that Walker wants the respect handshake, with Sigmon hesitating before finally flashing the “loser” hand signal at Walker. HEEL!

Col. Tom Parker is in the ring, with Buford and …..Bobo? Bobo is a teddy bear. I have NO idea what the hell this even means. Parker talks about putting up control of TCW against The Empire next week in the eight-man elimination match. Apparently, John Saxon was supposed to be on the team, but The Empire injured him in the lumberjack match a few weeks back. So Parker went to Tommy Dreamer to turn it up a notch. Parker calls The Empire “walk behinders” showing off his impressive vocabulary. Greg Anthony comes out to rebut as the voice of reason. Now that Dreamer is involved, The Empire may not be ready for the match. But it’s just a ruse as The Empire comes out for the beatdown on Parker and Buford. They whip Buford with a belt, and then take turns on Parker. Then, they claim the teddy bear? What the fuck…? Apparently, they are REclaiming the bear. If someone knows what the hell the fucking teddy bear has to do with this, please enlighten me. Because I thought it was fucking lame.

Match #2 – Lance Hoyt vs. Steve Anthony.


We start the match proper with both men already in he ring. Shoving match to start things off. Anthony tries a go-behind, but can’t get it, and Hoyt tosses him off. Anthony with some rights and forearms to put Hoyt down to a knee, but Hoyt hits him with the big boot coming off the ropes. Anthony goes to the floor as we take a break. Coming back, Anthony is in control in the corner. Hoyt hits a couple of back elbows, but Anthony dropkicks the knee to take him down. Anthony with some kicks, eventually no sold by Hoyt. Hoyt with a slam, but Anthony knees him in the gut. Hoyt hits him with a knee and then comes off the ropes with a big clothesline. Cover…1…2….kick out! Anthony with a german suplex but can’t get the bridge. Superkick by Anthony! 1..2…kick out! Hoyt reverses a double underhook into an F-5! Cover…1…2…kick out! Hoyt whips Anthony into the corner, but the referee is there, and when a wrestler and a referee occupy the same space at the same time, the referee goes down. Hoyt misses a corner charge, and Anthony is handed some brass knuckles from Greg Anthony. Hoyt attempts to bring Steve in from the apron, but Steve hits Hoyt with the knux! Hoyt goes down, and Steve Anthony goes to the top. 450 splash! 1…2…3! (6:17) WE’RE OUT OF TIME!!

WINNER: “The Exclamation Point” Steve Anthony. **1/2 – Hoyt carried to a decent match by Steve Anthony here. Heels cheat to win, nothing wrong with that. It makes The Empire look that much better for the big elimination match next week.

Wrestling-wise, this show was great. The iron man match delivered, and exceeded my own expectations. The Empire was shown as a strong heel stable going into next week’s show. But that stupid fucking bear, man! It’s some low-level indy goofiness that I can’t wrap my head around. See you next week.