Scottie

Predictions: Quarter-Finals: Cali Slick defeats Joffy Laine Kip Keenan defeats Davis Wayne Newtown Shooter Sean Deeley defeats Jared Johnson Southern Stinger defeats John Nash Semi-Finals: Kip Keenan defeats Cali Slick Southern Stinger defeats Shooter Sean Deeley Final: Southern Stinger defeats Kip Keenan

Hopefully we might get the ability to filter by match type (e.g. 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2, etc.). It’s great to be able to filter by opponent, but it would be even better to be able to filter out multi-man matches (particularly for Japanese promotions!). The announcements so far are great, and the return of touring contracts are game changing for Japanese promotions. Will people still be able to compete in their “home” territory while touring?

As always, another great series of shows with some great stories heading into Night of WRESTLING. Your titles seem to be exclusively held by gai-jin at the moment! Surely it’s time for some Japanese wrestlers to win back. There’s a couple of long title reigns which I think are ready to come to an end - maybe it’ll be whatever the “distractions” are for McFly which will end his run and maybe propel him up the card. The changing of the guard continues, though it’s still sad to see Ichihara and Kitoaji slumming it in the Historical Japan Title picture. A lot has changed in four years! Night of WRESTLING 2001 Match Card Akinori Kwakami & Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) vs. Mamoru Nagahama and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) Dino Maldini vs. Mito Miwa Chuichi Sanda, Hito Ichihara and Yasunobu Koiso vs. Iwane Okano, Kojiro Harada and Koryusai Kitoaji Dread vs. Raymond Diaz Dan Stone Jr & Steve Flash vs. Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) Noriyori Sanda vs. Sean McFly © for the Historical Japan title Team Dynasty 2000 (Shuji Inukai & Yoshimi Mushashibo) vs. Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan © for the Glory Tag Crown titles Nobuatsu Tatsuko vs. Pistol Pete Hall © for the Glory Crown title

Excellent show with some killer ratings! The combo between Team Energy and Miwa/Kwakami is a stacked stable - it will be interesting to see how long they lost. Also an intriguing call to go with Hayes as the new champion; surely it’s not the last time he and Kitoaji meet over that one. My prediction is Tatsuko vs. Diaz in the final, with Tatsuko picking up the win. Art Reed to end up winless, and the biggest upset being PRIDE Koiso over Dread.

I'm not entirely sure if they are actually part of the C-Verse canon or just used to beef up the 1977 database - but in any case, they are all certainly retired by now! That's for the kind words! It's a real change having to book storylines, but I'm enjoying trying to work out how everything fits! I don't have the energy to book two hour TV shows, so I'm happy to keep things smaller to start with and grow organically. * * * * * After confusing things with the last update (sorry about that!), we are now *finally* headed to the first pay per view and first prediction contest (where the winner gets an actual prize)! The third Sunday of the month sees J.K. Stallings' Hollywood Grappling Company make its pay-per-view debut with THE WAR TO SETTLE THE SCORE! A jam-packed show will see eight main card matches, including two title matches - with the main event set to crown the inaugural HGC World Heavyweight Champion! That bout will see former SWF, TWL, CGC, APWF and AAFW Champion Rip Chord take on "The Franchise Player" Richie Pangrazzio, Jr.! Chord comes into the bout as the hot favourite, but can he best "The Franchise Player" who has looked electric since making his return from retirement last year? We'll find out on Sunday! Elsewhere, part of Chord's success needs to be put down to his hired help, "The Mountain" Danny Rushmore. The towering powerhouse has been a thorn in the side of all Chord's opponents, and has twice this year attacked Sam Strong - including one which cost the megastar a shot at the title. He now needs to put his proverbial money where his mouth is, as he faces the biggest test of his young career - a one on one bout with Strong inside a steel cage! In other action, the tag team titles will be on the line as inaugural HGC World Tag Team Champions The Blazing Flames take on the two-time CGC World Tag Team Champions The Demons of Rage. The Demons have only been seen once in the ring, but they are a formidable pairing - and this is bound to be a huge test for the Flames in their first title defence. Elsewhere, we've seen six weeks' worth of promos announcing the impending debut of Dusty Streets, the four-time SWF World Tag Team Champion. He's been performing progressively more impressive feats of strength; eschewing his classic old school face tendencies with some increased confidence. He's promised a big opponent for his in-ring debut - can he start with a win? It's not the only mystery opponent, though, as elsewhere Jimmy Power also makes his HGC debut with an open challenge. Power has been furious that he's not been given a single match on HGC programming - instead being forced to recap dark matches during the show. But the 52-year-old will be keen to show he's got what it takes with his debut here at THE WAR TO SETTLE THE SCORE. In other singles action, we get a showdown between Romeo Heartthrob and Whistler. The two struck up a rivalry in recent weeks after crashing out of the world title tournament, with the cocky Heartthrob getting under the skin of the popular Whistler. Most recently, Heartthrob got a pinfall win over Whistler - albeit following a distraction - and the patriotic brawler will be keen to avenge his loss. In other action, The Vessey Brothers will team up in a tag team bout against The Untouchables' Joel Bryant & Paul Steadyfast. Poor Bryant & Steadyfast have been somewhat rudderless since the shoulder injury to their leader, Robert Oxford, but got a big win last week as Bryant's distraction allowed Steadyfast & Heartthrob to beat Whistler & Larry Vessey. It's a big match which is likely to have tag title implications. Finally, the opening stanzas of many of HGC's "Hollyweird TV" shows have been taken up by mass brawls between cruiserweight wrestlers. Here, we see six of them in action: the Japanese pairing of Dark EAGLE & Golden Fox; the mentor-protege team of Eléctrico & Mr Lucha; and the rising heel duo of Rock 'n' Rudo, Jack Bruce & Ramon Paez. The two face teams will be keen to get some revenge on the dastardly Rock 'n' Rudo duo; but how will they go when a win is on the line? _________________________________________________________________________ HGC "WAR TO SETTLE THE SCORE" Sunday, Week 3, February 1997 Card subject to change Triangle Tag Team Match: Mucha Lucha (Eléctrico & Mr Lucha) vs. Rock 'n' Rudo (Jack Bruce & Ramon Paez) vs. Spirit Warriors (Dark EAGLE & Golden Fox). The Untouchables (Joel Bryant & Paul Steadyfast) vs. The Vessey Brothers (Bryan Vessey & Larry Vessey). Romeo Heartthrob vs. Whistler. Jimmy Power Open Challenge: Jimmy Power vs. TBD. Dusty Streets vs. TBD. HGC World Tag Team Titles: The Blazing Flames (Joey Flame & Teddy Flame) (c) vs. The Demons of Rage (Demon Anger & Demon Spite). Cage Match: Danny Rushmore vs. Sam Strong. HGC World Title: Richie Pangrazzio, Jr. vs. Rip Chord. Prediction Key: Mucha Lucha (Eléctrico & Mr Lucha) vs. Rock 'n' Rudo (Jack Bruce & Ramon Paez) vs. Spirit Warriors (Dark EAGLE & Golden Fox) The Untouchables (Joel Bryant & Paul Steadyfast) vs. The Vessey Brothers (Bryan Vessey & Larry Vessey) Romeo Heartthrob vs. Whistler Jimmy Power vs. TBD Dusty Streets vs. TBD HGC World Tag Team Titles - The Blazing Flames (Joey Flame & Teddy Flame) (c) vs. The Demons of Rage (Demon Anger & Demon Spite) Cage Match: Danny Rushmore vs. Sam Strong HGC World Title: Richie Pangrazzio, Jr. vs. Rip Chord Bonus Point: What will be the highest rated match of the night?

HGC "HOLLYWEIRD TV" TUESDAY, WEEK 3, FEBRUARY 1997 Hosted by Jason Azaria & Kyle Rhodes from a half-full crowd in the Gorski Ballroom. The show got underway with a singles bout between the tag champion Joey Flame and the young brawler Cowboy Ricky Dale. Dale put in a good display here, though the match was clearly aimed at building Flame up. After a scoop slam, Flame went to the top rope and landed the Swan Dive Splash for the pinfall after a decent opener. [49] Following the bout, Joey was congratulated in the ring by his partner Teddy Flame - before the pair were interrupted by The Demons of Rage! The massive tag team came out looking to intimidate the champions - only for The Blazing Flames to fight back immediately! The two teams brawled, before referees and road agents spilled out to break them up. The two teams hurled insults at each other from across the ring as we went to the first break. [45] Back from the break, and Richie Pangrazzio, Jr. was giving a backstage interview ahead of the biggest bout of his career at THE WAR TO SETTLE THE SCORE. But true to form, he was quickly interrupted by Rip Chord who as usual was flanked by the giant Danny Rushmore. Chord mocked Pangrazzio, Jr. and told him that he'd be kissing Chord's feet at the end of the pay-per-view - before capping it off with a playful tap to the cheek. Pangrazzio, Jr. was incensed - and he needed to be held back by his father and Pat Deacon as Chord walked off laughing. [59] There was some tag team action next, as Larry Vessey teamed up with Whistler to meet Romeo Heartthrob and Paul Steadyfast. At the beginning of the bout, Jason Azaria announced that Whistler and Heartthrob were due to meet in a singles bout at THE WAR TO SETTLE THE SCORE. There was some decent brawling in this one, with Vessey in particular the stand out. The finish came as Joel Bryant helped out from ringside by distracting Whistler - while he ate a right hand for his troubles, the distraction was just enough for Heartthrob to roll Whistler up for the quick pinfall. [53] We then got the Power Minute, as Jimmy Power glossed over the pre-show and instead hyped his long-awaited return to the ring at THE WAR TO SETTLE THE SCORE. We did catch enough, though, to see a post-match brawl between Rock 'n' Rudo and Eléctrico. [40] The Power Minute was then followed by a backstage promo from Rock 'n' Rudo, who hyped the three team cruiserweight bout at THE WAR TO SETTLE THE SCORE. Jack Bruce did most of the talking, while Ramon Paez looked on with a steely look of determination. The crowd, however, did not care. [29] Speaking of didn't care, next up was an extended squash as Danny Rushmore eventually took Monty Walker's head off with the Atomic Boot. Walked did his best, but young Rushmore remains limited to say the least. [14] After the bout, Rushmore decided to extend the punishment - only for a furious Sam Strong to come charging out the back in denim pants and a cut off shirt! Rushmore saw the charging veteran just in time; dropping Walker and scrambling out of the ring and up the ramp. Furious after suffering another attack at the hands of Rushmore last week, Strong challenged the 26-year-old to a singles match at THE WAR TO SETTLE THE SCORE. Rushmore accepted somewhat reluctantly - and his reluctance turned to horror as Strong told him there'd be no running away next time, because the two would be meeting in a cage! [55] Liberty then gave a generic promo backstage, promising to bounce back from his disappointing loss to Rip Chord last week. He said the path to the world title might be a winding one, but the "Super Cool Dude" would get there soon. [63] We got the final hype video for Dusty Streets' return at THE WAR TO SETTLE THE SCORE. He promised a "big name" for his return - where he'd show the world that "He's Still Got It"! [62] We then got the main event bout, which was Rip Chord's final tune up ahead of THE WAR TO SETTLE THE SCORE. He was facing the 25-year-old rising star Bryan Vessey, who was best known for being part of the All-Star Team. The bout was an excellent one, with Chord clearly well prepared for the pay-per-view. But after a good opening, we were robbed of an ending - as Richie Pangrazzio, Jr. stormed the ring to get back at Chord after his insults earlier in the night; causing the DQ finish. [73] With Pangrazzio, Jr. getting the upper hand, Chord managed to roll to safety - retreating up the ramp looking harried and somewhat worried. He hurled insults at Pangrazzio, Jr., who stood tall in the ring ahead of the biggest bout of his career at Sunday's inaugural pay-per-view! [69] _________________________________________________________________________________________ HGC "Hollyweird TV" Gorski Ballroom 2,442 Fans Tuesday, Week 3, February 1997 Joey Flame defeated Cowboy Ricky Dale (7:51) with the Swan Dive Splash. Paul Steadyfast & Romeo Heartthrob (with Joel Bryant) defeated Larry Vessey & Whistler (8:18) with a Roll-Up from Heartthrob to Whistler. Danny Rushmore defeated Monty Walker (4:48) with the Atomic Boot. Rip Chord defeated Bryan Vessey (8:04) by disqualification through interference from Richie Pangrazzio, Jr.

Elite Tag Series Semi-Final 1: Team Energy (Nobuatsu Tatsuko & Noriyori Sanda) vs. Tommy Cornell & Walter Morgan Elite Tag Series Semi-Final 2: Team EXPLOSION (Eisaku Hoshino & Eisaku Kunomasu) vs. Team MYTHOS (Mito Miwa & Sean McFly) Dan Stone Jr, Steve Flash and Rebel Cell (Harumi Okazawaya & Sotatsu Sarumara) vs. Chuichi Sanda and Kumasaka-buntai (Danger Kumasaka, Akinori Kwakami & Shuji Inukai) Hito Ichihara & Yasunobu Koiso vs. Koryusai Kitoaji & Iwane Okano DREAD Army (Dread, Mamoru Nagahama & Raymond Diaz) vs. Kojiro Harada and Team MILLENIUM (Fukusaburu Inao & Takeshi Umehara) Pistol Pete Hall © vs. Yoshimi Mushashibo for the Glory Crown title Elite Tag Series Final: Winner of Semi-Final 1 vs. Winner of Semi-Final 2

Key for Predictions: The Architect vs Tigre Salvaje Jr [1 Pts] The Dynamite Express vs The DeColts [1 Pts] Sayeed Ali vs Texas Hangman [1 Pts] Zap Powerson vs Zeus Maxmillion [1 Pts] Fro Sure (c) vs Marco Gonzalez [2 Pts] The Empire (c) vs The American Cobras for the LSW Tag Team titles [1 Pts] Kip Keenan vs Shooter Sean Deeley [1 Pts]

What a great start! The presentation is excellent. This is a part of PGHW I’m not super familiar with, but it’s a *stacked* roster so lots to look forward to. Love the name “Jecht Shot”. Is that the canon name or are you an FFX fan? My only suggestion (at least at an early stage and only if your aesthetic allows it) is to put the members of tag teams in brackets after the tag team name, just for people who are working out who is who in the zoo. Looking forward to the next big show!

HGC "HOLLYWEIRD TV" TUESDAY, WEEK 2, FEBRUARY 1997 Hosted by Jason Azaria & Kyle Rhodes from another sell-out crowd at The Grissom Auditorium. The show opened with a fun brawl, pitting Whistler and The Vessey Brothers against Romeo Heartthrob and Joel Bryant & Paul Steadyfast. Bryant & Steadyfast were without their injured leader Robert Oxford, while The Vessey Brothers were teaming with Whistler for the first time. Larry Vessey was the strongest performer, while there were some heated exchanges between Whistler and Romeo. But it was Bryan Vessey who won the bout, beating Steadyfast with the Vessey Driver. [60] During the bout, Whistler took a cheap shot from Steadyfast and was down on the outside recovering. That gave the losers the numbers advantage - which they eagerly used as they delivered a beatdown to The Vessey Brothers. Whistler eventually recovered and chased them off, but Romeo Heartthrob in particular cockily posed on the outside; clearly proud of his work. [37] The Blazing Flames were backstage with veteran interview Pat Deacon, where they spoke about their upcoming bout against The Demons of Rage. They said they had toppled giants before and felt no fear ahead of their first title defence. Joey Flame in particular was looking forward to his tune up bout next week; against the charasmatic brawler, Cowboy Ricky Dale. [48] Poor Jason Jackson was then thrown to the wolves, as he faced the fearsome Charlie Homicide. Some might have thought Homicide would have been frustrated after last week's loss to Sam Strong; but does the man really feel pain? Well, Jason Jackson sure did as Homicide prolonged the suffering for a bit before finishing him with the Murder One. [57] Liberty then gave a rousing backstage promo ahead of his title tournament bout against Rip Chord. The "Super Cool Dude" promised his fans that he'd make it two-from-two against the legend - before he was soon interrupted by Chord himself who walked into frame clapping. Chord was flanked by his massive bodyguard Danny Rushmore, and made barely concealed allusions to Rushmore having a "big part" to play in the tournament later tonight. [70] We then get another video of Dusty Streets performing some feats of strength to show "He's Still Got it!". Mercifully, these will come to an end when he debuts as THE WAR TO SETTLE THE SCORE. [67] Backstage, Sam Strong rails to interviewer Pat Deacon about the injustice of the attack on him by Rip Chord and Danny Rushmore; and how he plans on winning the title. He's soon interrupted by Richie Pangrazzio, Jr. - who simply says its an honour to meet him later that night before shaking hands. [73] We then get another segment of the Power Minute with Jimmy Power. He recaps the pre-show, including yet another wild brawl involving members of the cruiserweight roster. This time, Dark EAGLE and Jack Bruce needed to be pulled apart. [21] Immediately after, the veteran road agent and interviewer Pat Deacon says the cruiserweight issues will be put to bed at THE WAR TO SETTLE THE SCORE. There will be a triangle tag team match: Mucha Lucha (Eléctrico & Mr Luncha) vs. Spirit Warriors (Dark EAGLE & Golden Fox) vs. the newly christened Rock 'n' Rudo (Jack Bruce & Ramon Paez)! [25] That brings us to our penultimate bout, as Liberty and Rip Chord did battle in the second semi-final of the HGC World Title Tournament. It was the first time they'd met since Liberty shocked the world with an upset win over Chord last year, but unfortunately the pair just didn't quite click. Nevertheless, Liberty got in a lot of offence - with Chord rolling out of the ring to collect himself on a few occasions; at times even berating his looming bodyguard Danny Rushmore. The end came as Rushmore distracted Liberty - and referee Dewey Libertine - at ringside; allowing Chord to strike Liberty low and then hit him with the DDT to advance to the title match at THE WAR TO SETTLE THE SCORE! [64] After the break, we got ready to find out Chord's opponent for the inaugural HGC World Title match, as a determined Richie Pangrazzio, Jr. came out flanked by his father Coach Dick. As he warmed up, some familiar music hit - but where was Sam Strong? The four-time heavyweight champion's absence soon became apparent - as the camera went backstage to a brawl between Strong and the hulking Danny Rushmore! (Luckily, the Grissom Auditorium is one of the few small venues with a large enough monitor in the arena so that the fans could see what was happening). Strong fought well, but eventually the strength of the giant became too much as Rushmore whipped him into some boxes and then literally threw him into a nearby catering table; breaking it. [61] The camera then panned back to the ring, where a shocked and concerned Richie Pangrazzio, Jr. looked on - consulting with his father nearby. After a moment, the image of an unconscious Sam Strong appeared on the screen - before Danny Rushmore and then Rip Chord (still in his trunks from earlier) stepped into view. Chord could barely contain his laughter as he congratulated Pangrazzio, Jr. on finally making his way through to a world title match - because it looked to him that Sam Strong couldn't compete! Strong stirred briefly, but a boot to the head from Rushmore put paid to that; as the show went off air to the sound of Chord's laughter and the conflicted look of concern on Pangrazzio, Jr.'s face. [69] _________________________________________________________________________________________ HGC "Hollyweird TV" Grissom Auditorium 2,000 Fans - Super No Vacancy Tuesday, Week 2, February 1997 Bryan Vessey, Larry Vessey & Whistler defeated Joel Bryant, Paul Steadyfast & Romeo Heartthrob (12:50) with the Vessey Driver from Bryan to Steadyfast. Charlie Homicide defeated Jason Jackson (6:36) with the Murder One. World Title Tournament - Semi Final: Rip Chord defeated Liberty (11:47) with the DDT following a low blow. _________________________________________________________________________________________ HGC "WAR TO SETTLE THE SCORE" Sunday, Week 3, February 1997 Card subject to change Triangle Tag Team Match: Mucha Lucha (Eléctrico & Mr Lucha) vs. Rock 'n' Rudo (Jack Bruce & Ramon Paez) vs. Spirit Warriors (Dark EAGLE & Golden Fox). Jimmy Power vs. TBD. Dusty Streets vs. TBD. HGC World Tag Team Titles: The Blazing Flames (Joey Flame & Teddy Flame) (c) vs. The Demons of Rage (Demon Anger & Demon Spite). HGC World Title: Richie Pangrazzio, Jr. (???) vs. Rip Chord.

HGC TRADING CARDS, 1997 EDITION, #006 RICHIE PANGRAZZIO, JR. GIMMICK HEIGHT WEIGHT ALIGNMENT The Franchise Player 6 ft 0 in 220 lbs Face HOMETOWN YEAR OF BIRTH DEBUT FINISHERS Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1955 1975 Grand Slam "The Franchise Player" Richie Pangrazzio, Jr. was once a collegiate baseball standout who was drafted by the New York Governers in the 5th round of the 1975 amateur draft. Shockingly, he announced his intent to train to become a professional wrestler instead; becoming a major news story for about three weeks. He trained with the SWF for a while where he was managed for several years by his father, "Coach Dick" Pangrazzio as part of The All-Star Team stable with a rag tag bunch of genuine athletes like Frank Rock, Maxwell Aland and Ken Wataka. There, he eventually competed for and won the now defunct United States Heavyweight Title, and earning the odd shot at the world title against the likes of Mickey Starr and Corporal Doom. The father-son dynamic was an entertaining act for several years, but after failing to win major titles, he and his father left wrestling in the late 1980's to concentrate on looking after Richie's young children. In 1996 they both returned, when J.K. Stallings created Hollyweird Grappling Company and offered both a good payday out of it. There, they have quickly reformed The All-Star Team, now with the emerging tag team The Vessey Brothers.

A mere 60... I'm not sure what exactly is required, but it wasn't enough!

ON THE NEXT INSTALMENT OF... We're less than two weeks away form THE WAR TO SETTLE THE SCORE, and tonight we will get confirmation of the main event bout as the HGC World Heavyweight Title Tournament semi-finals take place! In the main event, Sam Strong will look to build on last week's victory over Charlie Homicide as he faces Richie Pangrazzio, Jr. Richie is yet to lose a singles match this year, but does he have what it takes to dethrone the four-time world champion? The other half of the draw also sees an eagerly anticipated bout, as legendary wrestler Rip Chord meets Liberty! Chord was stunned by Liberty last year in a singles boilover, and he will be keen to make amends. Can Liberty make it two-from-two against the veteran - and will Danny Rushmore get his hands dirty yet again to help Chord? In other action, Charlie Homicide looks to bounce back from last week's loss against Sam Strong as he faces "New School" Jason Jackson; Whistler will team with The Vessey Brothers against Romeo Heartthrob and two members of The Untouchables; and we'll hear from The Blazing Flames ahead of their title bout at the pay-per-view against The Demons of Rage! All that and more this Tuesday night on FBC (for American viewers) and NCTV (for Canadian viewers)! _________________________________________________________________________ HGC "Hollyweird TV" Tuesday, Week 4, January 1997 Bryan Vessey, Larry Vessey & Whistler vs. Joel Bryant, Paul Steadyfast & Romeo Heartthrob. Charlie Homicide vs. Jason Jackson. World Title Tournament - Semi Final: Liberty vs. Rip Chord. World Title Tournament - Semi Final: Richie Pangrazzio, Jr. vs. Sam Strong. Prediction Key: Bryan Vessey, Larry Vessey & Whistler vs. Joel Bryant, Paul Steadyfast & Romeo Heartthrob Charlie Homicide vs. Jason Jackson HGC World Title Tournament - Semi Final: Liberty vs. Rip Chord HGC World Title Tournament - Semi Final: Richie Pangrazzio, Jr. vs. Sam Strong

HGC "HOLLYWEIRD TV" TUESDAY, WEEK 1, FEBRUARY 1997 Hosted by Jason Azaria & Kyle Rhodes from a full house at The Grissom Auditorium. The show got underway with a cruiserweight battle pitting the veteran Japanese junior heavyweight Golden Fox against highly rated youngster Eléctrico. The pair got a bit more time than other cruiserweight bouts of late, with Fox in particular looking very crisp. The bout petered out to a non-contest, though, as Jack Bruce & Ramon Paez interfered and attacked both men. [35] The beatdown was on again, though Fox and Eléctrico’s respective partners, Dark EAGLE and Mr Lucha came out to make the save. Bruce was smart enough to get away, while Paez had to wear a couple of punches before scrambling back up the ramp. Again, there was an uneasy tension between Mucha Lucha and the Spirit Warriors as we went to the break. [26] Back from the break, we went backstage where Robert Oxford stood grimacing alongside his stablemates Joel Bryant & Paul Steadyfast. Poor Oxford had legitimately ruptured his pectoralis major in a pre-show bout, but he bravely appeared here with his arm in a sling. He railed against Liberty; saying he had been looking forward to besting him in singles competition, but the “Super Cool Dude” would need to wait to get his comeuppance. [26] The second bout of the night saw the in-ring debut of the Demons of Rage, who had last week surprisingly appeared and announced their intention to win the tag team titles at WAR TO SETTLE THE SCORE. They were facing a pair of youngsters: Cowboy Ricky Dale and The Danger Kid. Needless to say, they made short work of them - with Demon Anger pinning The Kid following a Power Bomb. [35] We then get the Power Minute with Jimmy Power, who quickly recaps a pre-show that saw Romeo Heartthrob beat Jason Jackson and Whistler beat Paul Steadyfast. Power is typically furious that he’s again been overlooked from the main show - and finally issues an open challenge to anyone who wants to face him at WAR TO SETTLE THE SCORE. [33] Elsewhere, we see Whistler sitting back in the locker room after his win earlier in the pre-show. He’s tightening up some strapping, before he’s confronted by Romeo Heartthrob. Heartthrob mocks Whistler about his loss in the tournament last week - conveniently forgetting that he too suffered defeat. Whistler doesn’t appreciate the lecture and tells Heartthrob they can settle it in the ring next week. [41] This brought us to our penultimate bout, as the third quarter-final match in the HGC World Heavyweight Title tournament took place. It pitted two members of the All-Star Squad against each other: Larry Vessey and Richie Pangrazzio, Jr. The two were joined at ringside by Bryan Vessey and Coach Dick, who were looking uneasy about last week’s confrontation. The bout itself was a bit slow at times, but it was a decent affair as both men looked good. Eventually, Richie backed out of a vertical suplex attempt and struck with an inside cradle for the pin. [56] Although tension looked like it might spill over after the bout, Vessey eventually stuck his hand out - which Richie gratefully accepted. The two raised each others’ arms - perhaps a bit overboard for a mediocre match. [46] Backstage, Rip Chord was flanked by his giant offsider Danny Rushmore, as he delivered a promo about the returning Sam Strong. Chord said he was looking forward to Charlie Homicide doing exactly what his name suggested tonight, but said he was disappointed he wouldn’t get to face Strong in the final. Chord was then joined by Liberty who reminded him that there was a road block before the final - and that roadblock was dressed in pink, dude. [69] We got another short video for Dusty Streets, who said it was just two weeks until he would make his HGC debut at THE WAR TO SETTLE THE SCORE. And where he would show the world that he’s still got it. [55] The main event was next, and it was another quarter-final bout between Charlie Homicide and the returning Sam Strong. There was a huge ovation for Strong, whose ribs were still taped following his beatdown at the hands of Chord and Rushmore last month. There was a big fight feel to this one, but unfortunately the match didn’t live up to it; the two just did not click. It ended up being the typical overbooked Sam Strong affair; seeing interference from Rip Chord, Danny Rushmore, Liberty and Richie Pangrazzio, Jr. Eventually, Homicide (who got lost in the shuffle) fell victim to the Strong Arm Tactic in a disappointing bout. [59] After the match, there continued to be a messy brawl until all but Chord, Strong, Pangrazzio and Liberty were left in the ring. They cooly eyed each other off - next week, they will be whittled down to two in the HGC World Heavyweight Title Tournament! [67] _________________________________________________________________________________________ HGC "Hollyweird TV" Grissom Auditorium 2,000 Fans - Super No Vacancy Tuesday, Week 1, February 1997 Eléctrico vs. Golden Fox (7:25) went to a no contest. The Demons of Rage (Demon Anger & Demon Spite) defeated Cowboy Ricky Dale & The Danger Kid (4:20) with a Power Bomb from Demon Anger to The Danger Kid. World Title Tournament - Quarter Final: Richie Pangrazzio, Jr. defeated Larry Vessey (14:33) with the Grand Slam. World Title Tournament - Quarter Final: Sam Strong defeated Charlie Homicide (9:26) with the Strong Arm Tactic. _________________________________________________________________________________________ HGC "WAR TO SETTLE THE SCORE" Sunday, Week 3, February 1997 Card subject to change Jimmy Power vs. TBD. Dusty Streets vs. TBD. HGC World Tag Team Titles: The Blazing Flames (Joey Flame & Teddy Flame) (c) vs. The Demons of Rage (Demon Anger & Demon Spite). HGC World Title: Rip Chord/Liberty vs. Richie Pangrazzio, Jr./Sam Strong.

THE BACKSTAGE EAR ★ JANUARY 1997 Los Angeles upstart promotion, Hollyweird Grappling Company, has completed its first full month; and it's been a mixed bag to say the least. The focus of the shows has unsurprisingly been on experienced hands like Rip Chord, Sam Strong and The Blazing Flames, though many behind the scenes have been impressed by the performances from younger wrestlers like Liberty and Danny Rushmore who have quickly become the focal point of the show. While viewership has been good - particularly among Canadian viewers - there have been some concerns expressed by American broadcaster NCTV about the quality of some shows. The month's third show in particular hit with a thud for the network, who weren't impressed by the tag team main event - even though it saw HGC crown its first champions. The network has been particularly vocal about the absence of Sam Strong in recent weeks (with a supposed injury); but expect this to occur more and more as the promotion tries to balance the big wages of some of its top stars. For one of the first times, junior heavyweight wrestlers are being featured in prime time on US television. HGC has typically devoted the first ten minutes of its shows to its burgeoning cruiserweight/junior heavyweight division - though it too isn't without its criticism as fans struggle to adjust to new faces and this new style. It's not all bad news, though, with backstage figures reportedly very happy with the growing connection between youngsters Jack Bruce and Ramon Paez, who have quickly made themselves hated figures in the predominantly face-filled division. Last week saw the surprise debut of the Demons of Rage, and it turns out it was also a surprise for many backstage. Our sources says that the pair were drafted in as last minute replacements for Savage Fury following some rumoured backstage altercations involving Java. The Backstage Ear can report that Java not only got into an argument with tag team wrestler Grunt, but he also got into a physical fight with veteran manager Coach Dick Pangrazzio who is never one to back down. It resulted in the planned debuts of Java and his partner The Tribal Warrior being shelved, and HGC putting in an SOS for the Demons of Rage. More broadly, the mood backstage seems to be low - with a lot of big personalities jockeying for position. As soon as we hear anything, you can trust The Backstage Ear to report it! ON THE NEXT INSTALMENT OF... As we edge closer to THE WAR TO SETTLE THE SCORE, this week's instalment sees the in-ring return of Sam Strong! The four-time world champion looks to advance in the the inaugural HGC World Heavyweight Champion, but he faces stiff competition here in the form of the maniacal Charlie Homicide. How will Strong fare on his return? And more importantly, is he still suffering the effects of last month's beat down at the hands of Rip Chord & Danny Rushmore? The other tournament bout is arguably equally as interesting, as stablemates Larry Vessey and Richie Pangrazzio, Jr. do battle. The two nearly came to blows last week - costing Bryan Vessey a match against Peter Valentine. But who will prevail in this important quarter final? Elsewhere, we see the fallout of the Demons' of Rage shock return last week as they make their in-ring debut; we see further developments in the cruiserweight shuffle; and plus we will preview next week's big showdown between Rip Chord and Liberty in the HGC World Heavyweight Title Tournament! All that and more this Tuesday night on FBC (for American viewers) and NCTV (for Canadian viewers)! _________________________________________________________________________ HGC "Hollyweird TV" Tuesday, Week 4, January 1997 Eléctrico vs. Golden Fox. The Demons of Rage (Demon Anger & Demon Spite) vs. Cowboy Ricky Dale & The Danger Kid. World Title Tournament - Quarter Final: Larry Vessey vs. Richie Pangrazzio, Jr. World Title Tournament - Quarter Final: Charlie Homicide vs. Sam Strong Prediction Key: Eléctrico vs. Golden Fox The Demons of Rage (Demon Anger & Demon Spite) vs. Cowboy Ricky Dale & The Danger Kid HGC World Title Tournament - Quarter Final: Larry Vessey vs. Richie Pangrazzio, Jr. HGC World Title Tournament - Quarter Final: Charlie Homicide vs. Sam Strong