NYCW: Old School 'Til We Die

[1PWfan]

Follow-up tomorrow as usual, folks, but I'd like to remind you to go over to the DOTM nominations thread and make sure you're favourites are in. And if anyone would like to second my nomination that'd be grand

[1PWfan]

So, time for feedback.

 

Dragonmack: 4/6

Boltinho: 4/6

Regis: 4/6

BHK1978: 6/6

 

So, BHK is the clear winner, and gets to ask a question of any NYCW superstar he wishes. No second place this time, since the rest were all joint and I don't have time to do four questions at the moment.

 

Next post should be up Wednesday, but my MA induction lectures are all on that day so I may not have time.

[BHK1978]

My question is for, Dazzling Dave Diamond:

 

DDD how does it feel to now find success in the tag team division?

[1PWfan]

Buddy Rogers’ New York Minute

 

He’s currently setting New York on fire as the Empire Champion, won the Rip Chord Invitation in 2009, and has one of the finest pedigrees in wrestling. Ahead of his match against Atom Smasher at The Showdown on Staten Island, Radio Free Wrestling held an exclusive interview with The Second Generation Sensation Cameron Vessey. As always downloads are available from our homepage, but included her is a transcript to whet your appetites.

 

***

 

TEW: Well, Cameron, I guess first thing to do is welcome you to the site for what I think is your first ever major interview, right?

 

Cameron: I think so, yeah.

 

TEW: I guess the most obvious place to start is with your background. Growing up as a Second Generation Superstar, the idea of following your father and uncle into wrestling must have been an attractive one.

 

Cameron: Oh yeah, definitely. I don’t actually think there was ever a time when I thought of ever being something other than a wrestler. And, to be honest, it’s not like I didn’t have any other option- I was a letterman footballer and swimmer at high school, and varsity tight end for Sacramento State the year we came second in the league.

 

TEW: Was it just your background that made you want to become a wrestler, or was there something else as well? After all, Sacramento State isn’t a bad place to start looking at breaking into the NFL from

 

Cameron: There was talk of that, but…well, in the end Coach said to me ‘if you really want to make the NFL, then you’ve got to accept that you’ll probably end up at a low-end club like the Chiefs or the Rams, and that as a second-stringer for at least a couple of seasons’. I figured, why the hell should I go through all that just to get a chance to play when I can go into wrestling and become a big name right away?

 

TEW: From the sounds of it you were really motivated by a desire to be the top guy- not exactly uncommon in the wrestling business, but it’s rare that people express it so openly

 

Cameron: I don’t know about that. You talk to anyone in this business, you’ll hear some variant on the phrase ‘I want to be successful and be recognised as a top guy’. I’m a lot less subtle about it than some, I suppose, but compare me to the likes of Bret Starr or Marc DuBois and you realise I’m small fry

 

TEW: Speaking of Bret Starr, the two of you worked together in MAW as part of The Succession stable, alongside Casey Valentine and Jay Chord. What was that like, working with other second-generation stars?

 

Cameron: Honestly? I didn’t much care for it. Me and Casey, we got on pretty well, but Brett was an @sshole and Jay could be really difficult some days. Half the time he would be fine, really dedicated and hard-working, and the other half he’d be nuts, just wouldn’t work with anybody. I enjoyed working at Mid Atlantic for the most part, but there were times when it really wasn’t fun.

 

TEW: What would you say were the highlights of your time there?

 

Cameron: Probably mid 2009, when we were first putting together the Succession together. Jay had just come back from injury, so he wasn’t as nuts as usual, and me and Casey had a great thing going with the Aces of Mayhem over the titles. We were definitely one of the hottest acts in the company, and the focus was there in a way it never was once Bret turned up.

 

TEW: From the sounds of it you don’t care for Bret Starr

 

Cameron: He’s a worm, pure and simple. I’ll admit I’m an ambitious person, but Bret takes it one step beyond. He doesn’t want to earn his spot, his whole attitude is ‘I’m Bret Starr, that makes me a top guy’. Yeah, so his granddad was a big star for Supreme, so what? Let me tell you, when people talk about great wrestlers, they don’t mention Micky Starr, they talk about the Vesseys. And, since we’re talking talent, Bret Starr is one of the worst wrestlers I’ve worked with. He’s got about three moves, and he hits them really badly.

 

TEW: Moving swiftly on, you joined NYCW in January 2010, and have since risen to become one of their biggest stars. Was there any suggestion that they’d be pushing you so hard when you came in?

 

Cameron: Hugh made all the usual promises when I came in, you know, ‘We’re going to make the biggest star New York’s ever seen, you’re going to be huge’, but if there’s one thing my dad’s taught me it’s that bookers will tell you just about anything if they think it’ll get you to sign the contract. No, the first time I really got any idea that I was really getting a push was when I wrestled Dad and beat him- that’s not something you’d do with just anyone.

 

TEW: We don’t really have time to talk about your whole career with NYCW, but I do want to ask you what your favourite moment has been so far?

 

Cameron: Gotta be winning the Empire title. That really just confirmed that the company perceived as a top guy. I guess the other great moment was wrestling Freddie Datsun at Rumble in the Bronx. He was one of the few guys I’d really enjoyed watching in Supreme growing up, and is just a classy person to work with.

 

TEW: Moving forward, what would you say are your plans?

 

Cameron: Right now, I’m focused on being as successful a champion as I can be- I’m working a feud with Atom Smasher for the next few months, and I want that to be the best feud NYCW’s ever seen. Beyond that, I’d really like to work with TCW or the SWF when my time in New York is done- I’m not really a fan of the Eisens, but there’s no denying that they’re the biggest company in the world right now, and if you want to be a top guy that’s one of the two places you’ve got to go. Ultimately, I guess I want to be the biggest star in the world, obviously, but for right now I’m happy developing my craft in NYCW and trying to be the best Empire Champion I can be.

 

TEW: Well Cameron, that’s all we’ve really got time for. Thanks for the interview

 

Cameron: No problem man, it’s been a pleasure

 

***

 

As you’re no doubt aware, the next event for NYCW is The Showdown on Staten Island, one of the company’s banner events. Currently the card looks something like this:

 

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Cameron Vessey vs. Atom Smasher

 

Freddie Datsun & Steve Flash vs. Honest Frank & Lee Wright

 

FOR THE NYCW TAG TEAM TITLES

Natural Storm vs. The Ring Generals

 

FOR THE NYCW TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy the Shark vs. Jesse Christian

 

FOR THE NYCW WOMEN’S TITLE

Lauren Easter vs. Tamara McFly vs. Emma Bitch

 

Fumihiro Ota vs. Riley McManus

 

And now, time for the fan questions! Only one this week, from BHK1978:

 

For Dazzling Dave Diamond: “DDD how does it feel to now find success in the tag team division?”

 

Dazzling Dave: Feels pretty good. Course I’ve had my share of singles success in the past, being a Tri-State Regional Champion and all, but teaming with Bradley’s real fun- we work a very similar style, and that makes for a h*ll of a tag team- half the time I’m not even thinking about what I’m doing, because it’s all so instinctive. Plus, he pays for all the beer, which is definitely a plus for this ol' cowboy.

[ajcrible]

Wow, Cameron hates Bret, huh? Looks like you need to bring Bret in just to play off the blood-feud. Nicely written!!

[Regis]

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Cameron Vessey vs. Atom Smasher

Not just yet, Smasher.

 

Freddie Datsun & Steve Flash vs. Honest Frank & Lee Wright

Never bet against Steve. Well, not too much, anyway.

 

FOR THE NYCW TAG TEAM TITLES

Natural Storm vs. The Ring Generals

Nah, I don't think so.

 

FOR THE NYCW TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy the Shark vs. Jesse Christian

Not sure if it's Sammy's time yet.

 

FOR THE NYCW WOMEN’S TITLE

Lauren Easter vs. Tamara McFly vs. Emma Bitch

Yeah, but no.

 

Fumihiro Ota vs. Riley McManus

JOBBER!

[BHK1978]

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Cameron Vessey vs. Atom Smasher

 

Freddie Datsun & Steve Flash vs. Honest Frank & Lee Wright

 

FOR THE NYCW TAG TEAM TITLES

Natural Storm vs. The Ring Generals

 

FOR THE NYCW TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy the Shark vs. Jesse Christian

 

FOR THE NYCW WOMEN’S TITLE

Lauren Easter vs. Tamara McFly vs. Emma Bitch

 

Fumihiro Ota vs. Riley McManus

 

I know Riley will not win but as I have said in the past I am not going to vote for Ota.

[Dragonmack]

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Cameron Vessey vs. Atom Smasher

Vessey is your main player.

 

Freddie Datsun & Steve Flash vs. Honest Frank & Lee Wright

Flash & Datsun stay strong to be challengers

 

FOR THE NYCW TAG TEAM TITLES

Natural Storm vs. The Ring Generals

You mark for the NS

 

FOR THE NYCW TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy the Shark vs. Jesse Christian

Christian is better than Sammy in all the important areas now.

 

FOR THE NYCW WOMEN’S TITLE

Lauren Easter vs. Tamara McFly vs. Emma Bitch

nepotism

 

Fumihiro Ota vs. Riley McManus

squash

[Boltinho]

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Cameron Vessey vs. Atom Smasher

I hate this pick. Smasher is clearly the Big Dog _or is that Little Boy?) in NYCW

 

Freddie Datsun & Steve Flash vs. Honest Frank & Lee Wright

proper old-skool here. So the heels win by cheating

 

FOR THE NYCW TAG TEAM TITLES

Natural Storm vs. The Ring Generals

Why not?

 

FOR THE NYCW TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy the Shark vs. Jesse Christian

Cant see Sammy doing well here

 

FOR THE NYCW WOMEN’S TITLE

Lauren Easter vs. Tamara McFly vs. Emma Bitch

Tammy is the lady to beat as always

 

Fumihiro Ota vs. Riley McManus

Build Ota up again

[1PWfan]

Show will be up later today, folks- would've put the usual 24 hour warning up yesterday but my internet at uni's still a teensy bit unreliable and in the process of making sure it was working I forgot.

 

In the meantime, though, be sure to go over to the DOTM cornellverse poll and vote for your favourite.

[1PWfan]

NYCW The Showdown on Staten Island 2011

Saturday, Week 4, July

Live to DVD from Pennsylvania Park

Audience: 1, 631

 

Pre-Show/DVD Extras

 

Remmy Honeyman vs. The New York Doll

Both of these guys are solid hands, but whilst I would like to push them I don’t see it happening, for the very simple reason that there’s half a dozen guys ahead of them in my priorities. That being said, they’re both capable of delivering good matches, and tonight was no exception. Admittedly their chemistry might have helped- it turns out they actually have pretty good chemistry together- but there’s no denying that they both have the talent to give a good account of themselves. Remmy got the win here, nailing The Doll with a Flying Legdrop for the pinfall.

Winner: Remmy Honeyman Match Rating: D+

 

 

The Show

 

Jesse Christian vs. Sammy the Shark

You can always count on these two to deliver a decent brawl, and tonight was no exception. Jesse’s still on a major downer, but hopefully I can get him out of it come contract negotiations. However, even when he’s not putting in the full effort he’s a solid effort he’s a good worker, and against as solid a hand as Sammy he was always going to do a good job. The highlight of this match had to be Jesse’s big flying clothesline from the top rope (evidently he’s been working on his aerial moveset), but in the end this one went to a draw after both men brought weapons into the ring.

Winner: None Match Rating: C-

 

*

 

For the first time tonight we’re back at the Interview Position, where Cameron’s on hype duty for the main event

 

“Tonight, the Era of Vessey faces it’s greatest challenge. Not wrestling Atom Smasher- we all know I’m gonna beat him- but trying to understand what the hell he’s talking about.

 

“Yeah yeah, I know what you’re thinking: “But Cameron, Atom Smasher’s a really powerful guy, surely you’re worried about him?” Well, not really. You see, unlike Atom Smasher, I’m a winner, a successful guy, and so I don’t have to worry about crazy hacks like him. Tonight, the Era of Vessey is just gonna keep rolling on, whether you like it or not”

 

Cameron’s one of those guys who you can count on to deliver both in the ring and in promo’s.

Rating: C-

 

*

 

Fumihiro Ota vs. Riley McManus

This was basically a filler squash match to give Ota a win, so the fact that it was okay was a good bonus. I’ve really said all you can say about Riley- he’s not very good but he does work cheap- and when it comes to jobbers there aren’t many who are better than him. Ota took the win here, nailing Riley with the Ninja Strike.

Winner: Fumihiro Ota Match Rating: D+

 

*

 

Back at the Interview Position Kristen Pearce is on hype duty for the Tag title match

 

“It surprises me that people take The Ring Generals seriously. I mean, come on, Statler & Waldorf? They sound like a couple of old guys sitting on a balcony somewhere. But these boys, The Giant Eddie Howard and The Storm DC Rayne, are the best tag team in wrestling today. So tonight? It’s going to be the easiest title defence we’ve had in a long time”

 

As always with Kristen this was a solid promo, although it wasn’t up to the level of Cameron’s from earlier.

Rating: D+

 

*

 

Natural Storm vs. The Ring Generals

Fun fact: without my having realised it, the Storm have held the tag team titles for over a year. This match brought an end to that reign in spectacular style, with our finest ever tag match by some considerable margin. That being said, I’m probably going to keep the feud going for a while yet, as there aren’t any other heel teams for the Generals to work with: Old School Principals are good, but I don’t see them as sustained challengers, at least not on the level of the Storm. This one ended pretty much as you’d predict, with the Ring Generals hitting every foe in sight with double-teams before hoisting Deec up to the top rope for the Squared Circle Assault for the win.

Winners: The Ring Generals Match Rating: C+

 

*

 

We cut to the backstage area, where Steve and Freddie are working out ahead of their match. Suddenly Frank and Lee come out of nowhere wielding baseball bats, and proceed to soundly beat the pair into the ground. As always with these angles, the reaction wasn’t amazing

Rating: D

 

*

 

Tamara McFly vs. Lauren Easter vs. Emma Bitch

Tonight marks the first anniversary of the women’s title being instituted, and this one ended like the first one, with Tammy as champion. Whilst that’s mainly because of blatant and deliberate nepotism, there’s also the problem that there isn’t anybody capable of taking over from here. Emma’s a good challenger but has too many weaknesses to really be a champion, and whilst Lauren’s easily good enough she’s not gonna be around much longer- North of the Border are offering written deals now, and they’d have to be really dumb to not get Lauren tied down ASAP. As it is, though, only Tammy’s really capable of holding the title long-term, so she took the win here, flattening Emma with a McFly Roll and Lauren had gone down to the Payback.

Winner: Tamara McFly Match Rating: C-

 

*

 

Back at the Interview Position, Atom Smasher’s on hype duty for the main event

 

“The reign of darkness comes to an end tonight. The princeling that claims to be king will meet his match, and when the purifying fire of the Atom Smasher is felt all that is evil will be burnt away. Surrounded by a forcefield built upon the warrior spirit of a thousand past heroes, Atom Smasher will ride out tonight with the force of the Atomic lords powering his fury, and the princeling will not stand against him, for who can resist the power of the Atom, harnessed and unleashed by it’s purest hero?”

 

Atom Smasher’s promos are a little crazy in much the same way that Richard Eisen is a little evil, but he always gets a great reaction.

Rating: C-

 

*

 

Freddie Datsun & Steve Flash vs. Honest Frank & Lee Wright

These kind of main eventer team-ups provide a great semi-main event matches. They’re usually pretty good, keep things fresh at the top, and provide a good way of moving stories along. This one served primarily to keep Freddie & Frank’s feud alive, but it wasn’t a bad match on it’s own terms but was predictably good on it’s own terms as well: when you’ve got these four guys in the ring at the same time you’re guaranteed a good combo of entertainment and wrestling, although Freddie’s increasingly moving from the wrestling side of the equation to the entertainment side: he’s still got a lot of wrestling ability, but there’s no denying that he’s past his prime and starting to slip in terms of ability. I gave this one to the heels to keep their heat going, as Frank took the actual victory with a low blow and a roll-up with his feet on the ropes.

Winner: Honest Frank & Lee Wright Match Rating: C

 

*

 

Atom Smasher vs. Cameron Vessey

It’s weird to think that there was a time when I didn’t think Cameron had what it took to carry this company. True his talent isn’t exactly world-beating, but every single one of our top 5 matches have featured this man, and somehow or other he’s become the near-undisputed franchise of NYCW. A major part of that is the simple fact that he’s good at everything you need to succeed here- sure he can’t do the top-rope stuff, but he’s got a good all-round game and at 24 he’s still got his best years ahead of him. As for tonight, this one was an unusual one for Cameron- normally he’s more of a brawler, but against a power guy like Atom Smasher that was never going to work. Instead we went with Cameron as the weaselly heel, with him copying much of Frank’s playbook as he attempted to gain the advantage. Not that it helped, as Atom Smasher came within inches of winning the match, and it was only the interference of Queen Emily for a DQ finish that enabled Cameron to retain his title.

Winner: Atom Smasher Match Rating: C+

 

 

Overall Rating: C, a good rating.

[ajcrible]

Wow, Ring Generals and Natural Storm with a C+?? Wow! And, as always, a very good show that pushes a wonderful 'old school regional fed' feel!

[1PWfan]

<p>So, it's time for the follow-up, and let's see how the predictions went this time shall we?</p><p> </p><p>

Regis: 2/6</p><p>

BHK1978: 1/6</p><p>

Dragonmack: 2/6</p><p>

Boltinho: 3/6</p><p> </p><p>

So, Boltinho gets the right to ask a question of any NYCW wrestler he wishes, and because I feel like it so does BHK1978, for getting the lowest-ever prediction success rate in this dynasty- that I can remember anyway.</p><p> </p><p>

Next post <em>should</em> be up Wednesday, but be warned that that day is very busy for me so it may not be 'til Thursday.</p>

[Boltinho]

Nice show. This is a really consistent read

 

For Fumihiro Ota:

 

"Storm Shadow, The Shredder, the fishing guy from Ninja Warrior, Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat. Who is the greatest warrior in the world?"

[Big Roguey]

Nice show. This is a really consistent read

 

For Fumihiro Ota:

 

"Storm Shadow, The Shredder, the fishing guy from Ninja Warrior, Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat. Who is the greatest warrior in the world?"

 

Fumihiro's sidekick #2 Kazuma James says Sub-Zero

[1PWfan]

Buddy Rogers’ New York Minute

 

Clearly it’s NYCW interview season on Radio Free Wrestling (available as always on TEW.com). After last month’s feature on Cameron Vessey, this month we’ve got an interview with the inaugural and reigning women’s champion Tamara McFly. As always, audio files are available from our homepage.

 

***

 

TEW: To start with, I’d just like to welcome our guest for this evening, Tamara McFly, to the site.

 

Tamara: It’s actually McFly-Dansigny. Out of the ring I go by my married name.

 

TEW: No problem, Mrs. McFly-Dansigny. I guess that leads into our first question, which is-how in the heck do you come to be married to a guy like Hugh Dansigny?

 

Tamara: I guess it would have been early 2000, when Sean first started working for the company. I was backstage at a TV taping, and I met Hugh organising the show. I guess I was attracted to…not so much his attitude, because Hugh was and is a control freak, but his energy. It’s hard to describe, but when Hugh’s really rolling then he gives out this incredible vibe…you ever see that movie Almost Famous, where they’re all going around saying ‘It’s All Happening’? That’s kind of how it is with Hugh- he makes whatever’s happening seem like the best thing in the world, and that’s very attractive. So I started going to a lot of their tapings, just to see the guy- and this was before we’d even talked to each other.

 

TEW: I’m guessing you did eventually start talking.

 

Tamara: It was actually Victoria that introduced us- I know there’s a lot of stories about how the Stones didn’t approve of our relationship, but Vicky always seemed supportive to me. Anyway, we started talking, and before I knew it he was flying down to Oregon to see me at AAA, where I was working at the time.

 

TEW: Now, there’s a lot of different stories about how you came to be in NOTBPW- some people say it was Hugh, some say it was your brother, but there’s a running theme of politics and nepotism there. Does that ever bother you, this suggestion that you didn’t get in on your own merits?

 

Tamara: Not really. I mean, Hugh’s always been very open about the way he does business, and I know he and Sean were both pushing for me to be brought in for months before I arrived, but ultimately speaking the reason I was brought in was because they thought I had something to offer the company, not just because of who my boyfriend and brother were.

 

TEW: It wasn’t long after your arrival that you and Hugh got married, and he then promptly got fired. I know that you’ve always denied the rumours that the two were linked, so what was the real story?

 

Tamara: You know where the whole ‘he was fired because of the wedding’ thing comes from? When we got married, Sean wasn’t there. Vicky was the bridesmaid, and Duane was the best man, but because my brother wasn’t there- and for the record, he was in Japan at the time and couldn’t make it back- somebody got it into their head that he didn’t approve of the wedding. As for the reason Hugh was fired…Hugh’s always been a very arrogant man, very aware of his abilities, but at that point his attitude didn’t quite match up to his work- he pretty much gets away with shooting his mouth off because he can deliver on the mic, but at the end his NOTBPW he’d stopped being worth the effort.

 

TEW: That period, essentially between your NOTBPW Title run in 2003 and your injury in early 2006, is generally seen as the ‘golden period’ of your career. What are your thoughts on that?

 

Tamara: Looking back, what I really remember about that period, particularly the early part, is how stressful it was. Having a title, even quite a minor one, is a lot of work in terms of promotional appearances and general workrate, and this was at a time when I was newly married and trying to adjust to a lot of change in my personal life. Plus, Hugh’s career was stalling in a big way, and when you’re successful and your spouse isn’t, it can create a lot of problems. There were…not arguments, because we’re not really a confrontational couple, but there were a lot of bad vibes when we were both together.

 

TEW: Was that the reason for your tour of Japan in 2005? To get away from the bad feeling?

 

Tamara: I never thought of it that way, but I guess that would have been in my mind on some level when I made the decision. The conscious reasoning, though, was simply career-oriented: I wanted to work against some different styles than the usual cruiserweight stuff women do over here, and in Japan there’s a whole different wrestling culture. And it was a very exciting tour in a lot of ways- I wrestled Kiko Sakakibara and J-Ro a bunch of times, and of course had the opportunity to step into the ring with Sensational Ogiwara.

 

TEW: That match with Ogiwara is often seen as the best of your career.

 

Tamara: Oh, definitely. I’ve had matches where I came out looking better- it was basically 30 minutes of her beating the hell out of me- but I don’t think I’ve ever worked a better match, in terms of my personal workrate, than I did against her.

 

TEW: Why do you think that was? A lot of wrestlers have very different views on what makes for a great match, and it’s always interesting to hear what people think of their own work.

 

Tamara: I think the key to turning a good match into a great one is emotion- you need the actual wrestling to be of a certain standard, but ultimately what really makes a match great is the emotion, the feeling behind it. And for that match, there was a lot of emotion-I don’t want to go into too many details, but there was a level where I was using that match as a kind of therapy, and there was a lot of emotion being channelled through it.

 

TEW: Given the relative success of that tour, a lot of people have wondered why you never returned to Japan- from the sounds of it, though, I’m guessing you weren’t really happy there.

 

Tamara: The big problem with working 5 Star is you have to accept the fact that you’ll be spending a large amount of your life travelling back and forth to Japan, and I couldn’t really face doing that for the rest of my career. Maybe if things had still been bad at home I would’ve, but around the same time I finished up in Japan Hugh started working at USPW, and that made a big difference.

 

TEW: Fast forward a few years in your career, and come 2007 you depart NOTBPW as part of their downscaling of the women’s division. What did that feel like, being dismissed from the company after so long?

 

Tamara: It was actually kind of a relief- by that point I was living down in Florida with Hugh, and the flight up North for the shows was an absolute killer. Plus there was the simple fact that I’d been working there for nearly 7 years by then, and there’s only so much you can do in that role before getting stale.

 

TEW: The next phase of your career is one of the most bizarre, that being your decision to join BSC in 2009. What was the thinking behind that?

 

Tamara: I know BSC enjoys a certain reputation amongst wrestling fans, but when Honey Golightly, the owner, approached me she actually gave me a really good reason for joining them. You look at the women’s wrestling scene at that point, AAA basically was the only show in town-there were women’s divisions but they’re not a good place to try and start in unless you’re from their dojo- and they did a very basic, strait-laced kind of product. What Honey wants to do is try and develop a viable alternative to that, something more light-hearted and fun, and okay it’s not exactly the kind of place you go to for wrestling classics, but there’s a place for everything in this business and BSC is at least trying to be different.

 

TEW: What did Hugh think of the move? I’m guessing he wasn’t too supportive.

 

Tamara: It’s kinda hard to say. Like I said, we’re not the kind of people who have big arguments, but Hugh’s old school to the very core and hates any kind of daring, edgy product. But I wouldn’t have said he was any less in favour of that than he would be if I’d gone to DaVE or CZCW- to be honest, I think he’d be more angry if I joined Supreme. You’d have to ask him, but I’d guess he was seventy-thirty against it.

 

TEW: Moving on to your arrival at NYCW, you currently stand as the inaugural and reigning NYCW Women’s Champion, having held the title for exactly a year. What’re your thoughts on the division as it stands?

 

Tamara: Right now? I’d say it’s kind of still in flux. One of the problems we’ve had is finding the right mix of workers to fill the division- most women these days are high-fliers, and NYCW isn’t really the place for that style. Plus, like any division there’s always a lot of fluidity- we’ve had Gorgon, Nina the Ballerina, Steph Blake and Lauren Easter come and go over the last few months, and it’s difficult to keep finding workers with the right style. Right now we’ve got Stephanie Wade coming in, and there’s talk of bringing in Sally Anne Christianson if we can find the room. But overall, I’d say we’re in a pretty good place, not perfect and not as I’d like to have it necessarily, but good for the role we’re in.

 

TEW: Well, Tamara, I guess the final question is quite simply what are you planning to do next?

 

Tamara: Right now I’m happy working the circuit I’ve got at the moment- NYCW in New York, BSC in Vegas and CWWF up in Calgary. I’m also looking to drop the NYCW Title- in between defending that one and the CWWF title it seems like I’m always working top matches, and it’d be nice to give someone else a chance at the top of the mountain. There’s also the question of retirement- I’m not feeling it at the moment, but there aren’t that many female workers over the age of 35 at the moment, and sooner or later I’m going to have to seriously think about that.

 

TEW: That’s all we’ve got time for tonight, folks. I’d just like to thank Tamara for her time, and remind folks that NYCW’s next show, Summer in the City, is on as usual on the last Saturday of the month, at Pennsylvania Park. For now, though, it’s good-night from Tamara

 

Tamara: Goodnight

 

TEW: And it’s good night from Radio Free Wrestling.

 

***

 

The card for NYCW’s next show, NYCW Summer in the City, is up on the website, and looks something like this

 

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Cameron Vessey vs. Steve Flash vs. Freddie Datsun vs. Honest Frank

 

Atom Smasher vs. Lee Wright

 

FOR THE TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy the Shark vs. Jesse Christian

 

FOR THE NUMBER ONE CONTENDERSHIP TO THE TAG TEAM TITLES

Old School Principals vs. The Lone Star Express vs. Fury & Finesse (Rhino Umaga & Ernest Youngman)

 

FOR THE NUMBER-ONE CONTENDERSHIP

Amber Allen vs. Connie Morris vs. Stephanie Wade

 

Now for the fan questions! This one’s from Boltinho:

 

For Fumihiro Ota: "Storm Shadow, The Shredder, the fishing guy from Ninja Warrior, Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat. Who is the greatest warrior in the world?"

 

Fumihiro Ota: Obviously all these warriors are very great men, and amongst the deadliest warriors in the world, but no one man can claim to be the greatest warrior in the world. In fact, no man at all can claim to be the greatest warrior in the world, for that man is no man but a rat. That sensei of fighting spirit can claim to be great not only through his own extraordinary abilities, but for training the other four great warriors of America. Truly, Master Splinter is the finest warrior in the world.

[Regis]

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Cameron Vessey vs. Steve Flash vs. Freddie Datsun vs. Honest Frank

No end to the Era of Vessey yet.

 

Atom Smasher vs. Lee Wright

One last shot!

 

FOR THE TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy the Shark vs. Jesse Christian

Maybe this time? Could be anything, I don't know.

 

FOR THE NUMBER ONE CONTENDERSHIP TO THE TAG TEAM TITLES

Old School Principals vs. The Lone Star Express vs. Fury & Finesse (Rhino Umaga & Ernest Youngman)

Strong debut for Youngman.

 

FOR THE NUMBER-ONE CONTENDERSHIP

Amber Allen vs. Connie Morris vs. Stephanie Wade

AA's got the skills that pay the bills.

[Boltinho]

For Fumihiro Ota: "Storm Shadow, The Shredder, the fishing guy from Ninja Warrior, Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat. Who is the greatest warrior in the world?"

 

Fumihiro Ota: Obviously all these warriors are very great men, and amongst the deadliest warriors in the world, but no one man can claim to be the greatest warrior in the world. In fact, no man at all can claim to be the greatest warrior in the world, for that man is no man but a rat. That sensei of fighting spirit can claim to be great not only through his own extraordinary abilities, but for training the other four great warriors of America. Truly, Master Splinter is the finest warrior in the world.

 

 

great answer!

 

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Cameron Vessey vs. Steve Flash vs. Freddie Datsun vs. Honest Frank

 

Atom Smasher vs. Lee Wright

 

FOR THE TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy the Shark vs. Jesse Christian

 

FOR THE NUMBER ONE CONTENDERSHIP TO THE TAG TEAM TITLES

Old School Principals vs. The Lone Star Express vs. Fury & Finesse (Rhino Umaga & Ernest Youngman)

 

FOR THE NUMBER-ONE CONTENDERSHIP

Amber Allen vs. Connie Morris vs. Stephanie Wade

[QFresh]

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Cameron Vessey vs. Steve Flash vs. Freddie Datsun vs. Honest Frank

 

Atom Smasher vs. Lee Wright

 

FOR THE TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy the Shark vs. Jesse Christian

 

FOR THE NUMBER ONE CONTENDERSHIP TO THE TAG TEAM TITLES

Old School Principals vs. The Lone Star Express vs. Fury & Finesse (Rhino Umaga & Ernest Youngman)

 

FOR THE NUMBER-ONE CONTENDERSHIP

Amber Allen vs. Connie Morris vs. Stephanie Wade

 

Back in the saddle, lets do this thing.

[1PWfan]

Just to say, folks, next show should be up Saturday, but my internet connection is being hugely temperamental so it may not be. Hopefully I'll be able to post it through the on-campus machines, but given my workload it may not be possible so I thought I better give advance warning.

[Dragonmack]

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Cameron Vessey vs. Steve Flash vs. Freddie Datsun vs. Honest Frank

While any of the four could conceivably win, I think you are still riding the Vessey train ( unless he decided to tour Japan on you.)

 

Atom Smasher vs. Lee Wright

Atom is your top challenger, and Wright is collectiong social security by now.

 

FOR THE TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy the Shark vs. Jesse Christian

Haven't we seen enough of this? and enough of Sammy as the champion?

 

FOR THE NUMBER ONE CONTENDERSHIP TO THE TAG TEAM TITLES

Old School Principals vs. The Lone Star Express vs. Fury & Finesse (Rhino Umaga & Ernest Youngman)

While Rhino is overrated, he is good for a regional promotion. Youngman is a major star in waiting.

 

FOR THE NUMBER-ONE CONTENDERSHIP

Amber Allen vs. Connie Morris vs. Stephanie Wade

Going for Double A ( although I prefer Double D's)

[1PWfan]

Just the usual 24 hour warning, folks- show should be going up tomorrow evening, internet permitting.

[1PWfan]

Just wanted to stop by with a quick plug for Number Six's NYCW 2012: Gotham Unleashed dynasty- it's a different take on NYCW with some really interesting characters. Go check it out, thank me later.

 

And the show should still be going up tonight, folks- internet's slightly more reliable at the moment so I should be able to get a post up

[1PWfan]

NYCW Summer in the City

Friday, Week 4, August

Live to DVD from Pennsylvania Park

Audience: 1,744

 

Pre-Show/DVD Extras

 

Remmy Honeyman vs. The New York Doll

This show’s a little lighter on matches than usual, so I made sure that tonight’s Dark Match was a good one to appease the audience. Not that they’ll care- I’ve only got 5 matches to appease their expectations re: match/angle split- but the average NYCW crowd don’t like unusual things, and 5 matches is very unusual for us. As always with these two, this was a good match, based around Remmy’s technical fluidity and the Doll’s brawling finesse and livened up by their chemistry. Remmy took the win with the Flying Legdrop (I’ll have to talk to him about that: there’s nothing wrong with the odd aerial move in NYCW, but Steve uses that in his regular moveset, and if Remmy wants to rise up the card he needs a more unique move to finish with).

Winner: Remmy Honeyman Match Rating: D+

 

 

The Show

 

Old School Principals vs. The Lone Star Express vs. Fury & Finesse

Fury & Finesse have been put together to give The Ring Generals a new feud (Natural Storm and The Generals have been feuding for too damn long to keep it going), so this match was to see if they were a viable threat. The answer, in short, is a giant, Hollywood-letters sized yes: leaving aside the fact that both Ernest and Rhino are phenomenally talented, their chemistry together is excellent, and the pair were nailing double-team moves like they’d been teaming together for years. That’s not to knock the other two teams, though, who both carried their weight and did their bit to make this a very satisfying tag match, but in the end this was the Rhino & Ernest show, and they dominated, downing the Principals first, before finishing off the Express with the Perfect Combination (Doomsday Device).

Winners: Fury & Finesse Match Rating: C-

 

*

 

No sooner has the match finished, than Ernest Youngman grabs a mic

 

“Tonight, you have witnessed the art of wrestling distilled in its purest form. In the combination of ‘The Assassin of the Squared Circle Ernest’ Youngman and ‘Samoan Fury’ Rhino Umaga we see the perfect combination of Fury & Finesse, and when we take on and defeat The Ring Generals for the NYCW Tag Team Titles then you will see why Fury & Finesse is The Perfect Combination”

 

Unlike his partner, Rhino forgoes a mic, merely snarling into the mic. And when you consider that before this show these boys were at the bottom of the card, this was truly spectacular.

Rating: D+

 

*

 

We’re back at the Interview Position, where Queen Emily is on hype duty for Cameron’s match

 

“Tonight, the Era of Vessey will prove it’s dominance over three of the so-called finest workers in NYCW. This man, this avatar of masculinity, will prove to you all that he is truly the greatest wrestler in the world, and when he walks out of Pennsylvania Park with the Empire Title around his waist, you will truly understand that Old School Rules”

 

This wasn’t a bad promo, but it wasn’t one of the best we’ve ever had.

Rating: D

 

*

 

Amber Allen vs. Connie Morris vs. Stephanie Wade

This was a good women’s match, nothing really special but decent nonetheless. Really, it was here to serve two purposes: firstly, to establish Stephanie as our new top heel, and secondly to turn Connie in order to fill the gap on the face side of the division. We handled this quite simply, with Wade employing some truly vicious chokeholds on Amber, until Connie physically pulled her off the rookie and got in her face about her dirty fighting. All that got Morris, though, was a Super Kick to the face, and one Super Kick to Amber’s throat later Stephanie was the new number one contender to Tammy’s title

Winner: Stephanie Wade Match Rating: D+

 

*

 

Once again, we return to the Interview Position, where Kristen’s on hype duty for Sammy’s match

 

“It seems like every time I turn around one of my boys is wrestling Jesse Christian. Well, Jesse, ya toothless redneck, you know the drill by now: my boys are the best in the business, and you ain’t got a chance. Taking that title tonight is going to be like winning a hand of poker with a Royal Flush for Sammy, and you know what? I don’t think you’ll be getting the belt back when he’s done with it somehow.”

 

This wasn’t one of Kristen’s best, probably due to momentum issues.

Rating: D-

 

*

 

Sammy the Shark vs. Jesse Christian

This was Jesse’s last match with us: he refused to renew his contract, and frankly I won’t miss him. He’s never been much more than a midcarder for us, but it’s clear that he felt he deserved a better push, and when he didn’t get it he threw his toys out of the pram and decided to walk. That does leave us with a few problems- most of our midcard guys are in tag teams, so there aren’t many midcarders available for a tri-state run- but I’m not too concerned for the most part. As for tonight’s match, it wasn’t a bad one, as even when he isn’t really trying Jesse’s a decent worker, and against as solid a hand as Sammy that meant we were always going to get something decent. Unsurprisingly the Shark took the win here, pinning Jesse with a roll-up and a handful of tights.

Winner: Sammy the Shark Match Rating: C-

 

*

 

After the match, Jesse gets in Sammy’s face about his cheating, and it’s not long before things get out of hand and the pair are going at in the ring. Kristen calls down Natural Storm to take Jesse down, but before they can do too much damage The Lone Star Express hit the ring to even things up, and it’s not long before all six men are brawling through the arena. As always with these angles the reaction wasn’t at all good, but I like ‘em so who cares what the audience thinks?

Rating: E+

 

*

 

Once again, we’re back at the interview area, where Whistler, Steve and Freddie are on hype duty for the four way match

 

“Tonight, my boys Steve and Freddie are taking on that rat Honest Frank and Cameron Vessey for the Empire title. I don’t have to tell you what those two are capable of, but you better just know that the Frontline don’t back down from nobody, least of all a pair of punks like them, right Freddie?”

 

“You got it Whistler. Frank, I really, really don’t like you, but tonight’s all about taking the title back from The Old School, and when all’s said and done that’s what I wanna see. Long as you don’t get in my way too much, I won’t have to hurt you too bad. Anything to add Steve?”

 

“Cameron, Frank, you better get ready to Feel the Bang, because I’m Steve Flash and I don’t back down”

 

This didn’t do at all well: evidently Whistler’s lost a few steps since he retired, and without Ford to make up for Steve’s lack of charisma this was a bit of a disappointment.

Rating: D-

 

*

 

Atom Smasher vs. Lee Wright

As always with two such capable hands, this was a good match. It says a lot about Lee that he’s the oldest active wrestler in the world but is still a d@mn good worker, probably better than most guys half his age. As for Atom Smasher, he’s a lot like Cameron Vessey in that he’s not the greatest wrestler in the world but punches above his weight and van always be counted out to deliver a good match. As for tonight, this was for the Brass Knuckles title (which is only ever contested when it changes hands), so Lee took the win after Cameron, who’d joined us on the commentary desk, made a run-in and nailed Atom Smasher with a Turnbuckle Powerbomb, softening him up for the Wright Stuff, although even then Smasher refused to tap and passed out.

Winner: Lee Wright Match Rating: C

 

*

 

Cameron Vessey vs. Steve Flash vs. Honest Frank vs. Freddie Datsun

Chalk up another top 5 match for the Era of Vessey: this one squeaked in at number 5, making for possibly the strongest run of title defences we’ve ever had. A big part of that consistent quality is the variety of styles in our main event: we’ve got entertainers like Atom Smasher, charismatic brawlers like Freddie and Frank, and all-rounders like Steve and Cameron. Tonight, that added up to a good match which had a lot more psychology than our usual slightly spotty four-way matches: Cameron and Frank teamed up to take down the Frontline, before Cameron nailed him with a quick roll-up for a 2-count. From there it was every man for himself, with Steve coming within inches of pinning the champ after a Flash Bang, only for Queen Emily to break up the fall by dragging him out of the ring. In the end, of course, Cameron took the victory, pinning Frank with a surprise Vessey Driver after Frank had downed Freddie with The Best Policy.

Winner: Cameron Vessey Match Rating: C+

 

Overall Rating: C-, a disappointing rating but still good enough to keep our growth up.

[Number_Six]

Thanks for the plug, sir.

 

I was actually thinking about the variety in your roster before you mentioned it during the main event there. It seems like the kind of independent wrestling show I'd like to attend in real life! I suppose the only thing missing is a comedy match on the lower card (but those things generally stink up the ratings in TEW).

 

Ernest Youngman... I signed him in my game and managed to hold onto him for a whopping three or four shows before one of the big boys came in and poached him. It seems like you're having better luck than I there. The kid's a workhorse.

 

Also, I need to get off my butt and hire Queen Emily myself. Her entertainment skills are worth her asking price.