arwink Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RedCouchLogo.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MarkSmart.jpg Mark Smart sits on the big red couch, wearing a black blazer over a vintage Malice in Wonderland t-shirt with the HGC logo emblazoned above the red letters. He clears his throat and checks the details on his clip-board before beginning, looking up to address the camera directly. “The Hollyweird Grappling Company burst onto the scene in December of 1996, establishing the first credible threat to the dominance of the Supreme Federation of Wrestling since the demise of the territory system. It set out to bring the best of the world to American wrestling, featuring the stars of lucha libre, Japan, Canada, and beyond alongside the talent emerging from the East Coast War and future members of the Hall of Immortals such as Sam Strong, Rip Chord, and Dread. “For many wrestling fans, the first four weeks of the company’s existence were a revelation; Hollyweird TV featured some of the most recognized names in the industry - legendary names like Rip Chord, Sam Strong, and Dread - but it also provided mainstream American wrestling it’s first exposure to lucha libre and Japanese wrestling. By 1997 it was easily regarded as one of the most exciting debut companies of the nineties, fueling speculation that the East Coast War on the independent scene would be mirrored in a prime-time television war between Supreme and a new wrestling super-power. "But even with the superstars, the bankroll of an enthusiastic billionaire, and an undercard full of unbelievable talent, HGC struggled to live up to its initial hype. For years fans speculated how and why things went wrong, the events that eventually led to death of JK Stallings' dream and the growth of Tommy Cornells. "Now, for the first time, there's a chance to find out. “We invite you to join us as we take a trip down memory lane and re-examine the first year of the Hollyweird Grappling Company, telling the story week-by-week through the eyes of the men and women who were there. We’ll see the crowning of their first World Heavyweight Champion, the debut of men who will come to define the company in years to come, and discuss some of the choices that were made to give the company it’s unique style and look. “Fans who want to relive the action alongside the memories can find many of these episodes in the online TCW Legacy archive, and we encourage you to seek the episodes out to get the full experience as we retrace the first formative steps of this fledgling company. “Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to Hollyweird...” http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RCB.jpg Intro music plays, interspersed with quick cuts and soundbites from several of the interviewees featured on the disk. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JKStalkingsJr.jpg “Ask most wrestling fans on the internet what they’d do with a million dollars, and there’s good odds that they’d open a wrestling company and do things they way they should be done.” http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/SamStrong.jpg “...when a man offers you that kind of money, brother, you put of retirement for another few years...” http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BooSmithson.jpg “...I didn’t want the job, to be honest...” http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DustyStreets.jpg “...Hollyweird? Man, there were better ways to lose fifty million dollars...” http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RipChord.jpg “...I saw it as my last shot to redeem myself in the eyes of the fans I’d disappointed...” http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RickyDaleJohnson.jpg “...they sent me out there on that first show and said, brother, you’re losing to Rip Goddamn Chord...” http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TommyCornell.jpg “...most people saw dollar signs. I saw an opportunity...” HGC Year One: The Rise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajcrible Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 This is a very interesting concept. I'll be reading closely to see where this goes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20LEgend Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 I like that start especially, the last line from Tommy Cornell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rathen4 Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Boo Smithson? I'm in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted March 19, 2011 Author Share Posted March 19, 2011 http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MarkSmart.jpg "The first year of Hollyweird Grappling is defined by two men – the company founder, JK Stallings, and the man who booked the first six months of the company's history, superstar Sam Strong, returning to wrestle in the United States for the first time in eighteen months following a disagreement with Supreme owner Richard Eisen… http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JKStalkingsJr.jpg JK Stallings sits with his back to the window of his penthouse, the scenic vista of San Francisco visible just over his shoulder. “Ask most wrestling fans on the internet what their biggest dream is, and odds are it’s someone calling them up and saying, hey, man, want to run a wrestling company? Ask them what they’d do with a million dollars and they’ll tell you much the same thing - they’d open up a wrestling company and do things they way they should be done.” He pauses a moment, grinning. “I was just like every other fan, in that respect; it’s just that I actually had the money to spare and people to go figure out how to make it happen. “It helped that I was so young, I think. I mean, when you’re sixteen and a billionaire, people tend to be interested in what your doing. And things that look crazy, like starting a major wrestling company to challenge the only dominant brand in America, is suddenly the stuff of headlines. Sixteen year old wunderkid to take on Eisen, you know? There were a lot of interviews, a lot of press, and that gave us a little traction in people’s minds. “Then we announced the first signings, and people figured out just how serious we were about taking Eisen on.” http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/SamStrong.jpg Sam Strong sits behind a desk at the USPW offices, surrounded by promotional posters for their upcoming PPV debut, Red, White and Blue. His boisterous in-ring persona is muted as he sets aside the paperwork, the impressive Strong physique covered in an impeccable suit. “I’d get offers all the time,” he says. “I mean, I was over in Japan, working the main event, and there’d be phone-calls from guys like Andrew Barber or the DeColts, the kind where they make the offer because you might be nostalgic for home. “I was already putting some thought into retirement - it doesn’t take many nights of working a guy like Kikkawa before you start putting serious thought into how much longer you can keep going - but there was a part of me that wanted one last run back home. If I’m honest, I was hoping Rich Eisen would bring me back, give me one last match on the Supreme stage and farewell me in style. “Then Stallings’ people called, maybe a week before he made the public announcement that he was building a company. I didn’t figure it for a long-term thing, you know? I mean, sure, they had the money behind them, but there’s still a sixteen year old kid behind it all. It got attention, I’ll give him that, but I was sixteen once. He might be a genius, he might have the support staff around him, but he’s still sixteen and asking for an iron-clad three-year deal, no escape clauses, no bailing out. “I put a lot of thought into it before I said yes, you know? I mean, sixteen. Maybe he’ll get bored. Maybe he’ll grow out of it. Maybe he’ll discover girls. Maybe... “Well, that’s not really important, is it. They offered a lot of money and they figured my name would be enough to cement the East Coast television deal, and I saw an opportunity to get the leverage I needed to convince Eisen that final run would be worthwhile a few years down the line, get the big send-off and the big payday. So I my demands, the usual stuff about retaining control of my character, making sure I was in a position to make that leap back to Supreme when the three-years were up. “And somewhere in there I get this phone-call from the kid, and he says, ‘Mister Strong, how would you feel about running the book...” http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoelBryant.jpg Joel Bryant, the current TCW booker, sits in a Vegas hotel room. He’s dressed down, jeans and a Specialists t-shirt, a can of imported beer in one hand. He frowns and takes a drink as he considers the question. “Look, hindsight's twenty-twenty and all that…" He pauses and takes another drink, obviously unsure of his initial tack. Finally he nods. "Look, in a lot of ways, Stallings was a smart guy,” he says, “but Sam wouldn’t have been my first choice for the job. A good booker’s the guy who can look at a locker room and see the stories developing, find the way to take everyone’s individual strengths and mesh them. “Sam Strong has always been phenomenal at being Sam Strong, at seeing how to make his character work against whichever opponent he’s given, but he’s never really had to be anything other than Sam Strong. He had a feel for the older guys, but if you look at the new blood who got themselves a push, guys like James and Tyson...they fit a mould, you know what I’m saying? The second coming of Sam Strong, the second coming of Dread. I mean, look at the main event of his company today and tell me he’d have had any clue about what to do with a guy like Eagle, or Mr Lucha, and the guys like Walk and Braun who had too many tattoos and piercings to fit Sam’s idea of what a babyface should be. He never quite got why people were chearing for them. "So yeah, there wasn’t a man in that locker room who thought Sam was the right choice for the company at that time. Probably not even him. “What he did right, what he still does right, even today, is acknowledge his weaknesses. He got advice from guys like Rip, which was a good call, and he got guys like Valentine to put their two cents in, which wasn’t. Rip was the one who insisted on putting Manuel - Mister Lucha, to the fans - be in semi-finals of the title tournament despite his size. I'm pretty sure that's how I ended up there too. Valentine was probably the guy who convinced Sam the best use we could get out of Dusty was color commentary, which seemed like something of a waste at the time but Sam and Dusty had heat, and Valentine's always been good at knowing which side of his bread is buttered. "So Sam knew his limitations and he listened to people. Somewhere along the way he took Aussie Jack on as an assistant, mostly 'cause Sam has the kind of handwriting that makes your average doctor's prescription look legible and someone needed to make sure the boys knew what the boss-man was thinking when the matches went up on the board. I mean, Sam didn't even write people's names down, you know? There's just these scrawled initials, JB & RO vs. ML & E, and we'd sit there trying to work out if that JB was me or Giant Redwood. "If that hadn't happened, they probably would have given Jack getting my spot in the semis. I would have. The two of us were pretty similar back then, guys who'd been in the business for a bit, doing tours of Japan, but Stallings was big on pushing the international focus of the company, looking past the USA, and Jack could actually do something on a the stick while I was content to let Steady P do my talking for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted March 19, 2011 Author Share Posted March 19, 2011 This is a very interesting concept. I'll be reading closely to see where this goes! Cheers, glad to have you aboard. I like that start especially, the last line from Tommy Cornell Thanks. We're a ways away from the first Cornell interview, since he's still employed by SFW for a while yet, but I'm looking forward to his first appearance. Boo Smithson? I'm in! Sadly, the man being played by Boo's render is not actually Boo (although there's a reason it's being used). He isn't scheduled to debut in the 1997 data until much later in the year, and if HGC is National by then he'll definately be on the short list of new hires for reasons that should become obvious... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingo Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Colour me onboard ... Good to see you back arwink and in 97 again. You stuck in that year!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted March 19, 2011 Author Share Posted March 19, 2011 Cheers, Jingo. And, well, what can I say? I became a wrestling fan courtesy of late '90s WCW, so I have a fondness for even fictional recreations of the era. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BooSmithson.jpg Aussie Jack Dundee is seated on the big red coach, a bottle of water gripped in one hand. The wiry Australian is wearing a black singlet, the Southern Cross tattoo visible on his right shoulder. He grins widely in response to the question asked. “Mate, those bookings meetings were brutal,” he says. “I think Sam catches more grief than he should for those first few months, given how many other voices there were in the discussions. He certainly gets more than he deserves about stuff he actually did right. “I mean, you see people online complaining about how long it took to spotlight the cruiserweights. They look back at the first show and they remember Chord versus Ricky Dale opening things up, this old-school southern style match that they’re used to seeing on television, and then they remember the Electrico/Ota match that follows it which was like nothing that’d been shown on American television at that point. Two small, talented guys who could go at a hundred K’s an hour and have a brilliant match. There were guys in the company, guys with a voice, who made much the same complaint. I’m pretty sure I did, at the time, although it wasn’t like my voice meant much back then. “The thing is, that was smart. ‘Cause Ota and Electrico had a brilliant match, no doubt about it, but that’s what it was – a great match with a solid story that got them through the eight minutes they had. Nothing really lingered after they were done; you saw some great, athletic stuff, but the emotion wasn't there yet. "Rip and Ricky Dale wasn’t quite as spectacular, wasn’t quite as flamboyant, but they got a lot of mileage out of that particular match happening at that particular time. Even then Ricky Dale could spend weeks talking about the match, using it to define his character, setting himself apart, while the cruiserweights continued to have great matches. By the time we hit The Range in January a few weeks later that match gave us our first sell-out, just on the possibility that Rip and Ricky Dale would lock up a second time. “That’s what it comes down too, really. There were a lot of great wrestlers in the cruiserweight division, but only a handful of them were workers. Sam Strong has always been a worker, and he did okay recognizing the trait in others. Rip Chord was phenomenal at it – go look at the way he’s built the Invitational over the last couple of years, and you can see the same mindset at work. So they cherry picked the cruiserweights who'd be getting a push, usually outside of the division, and once they were over the rest of the division was brought up by working with them." http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RickyDaleJohnson.jpg And older, heavier Ricky Dale Johnson sits in the Texas bar he co-owns, the walls lined with memorabilia from his time in the Texas Wrestling League, Hollyweird, and his current run with Total Championship Wrestling. Among them is a replica of the TCW World Title strap - a recognition for his hard work that many would argue came far too late in his career. “The first show,” he says, scratching his chin with a thumbnail. “Yeah, that was a surprise. There were a bunch of us who came out of Texas, and I guess someone had talked us up to Sam Strong. Don’t get me wrong, we knew what we were doing – you don’t headline in Texas if you can’t work – but it wasn’t like they had a shortage of guys who could work. Then they sent me out there on that first show and said, brother, you’re going to lose to Rip Goddamn Chord. First damn match of the company. No pressure.” He laughs a little, grinning at the memory. “I think that was the first time in about six years that I was seriously nervous about a match. I remember talking to James about it backstage, getting all the nerves off my chest, and he was sitting there all, you know, the better they are, Rick, the easier they are to work with. “James…Liberty…he probably had a better grasp of what Hollyweird could mean back then. He’d spent most of his career under a mask, doing the Outlaw thing, then all of sudden he was, well, he was Liberty. Me, I was just happy to have a job after the Texas folded, and I kept doing what I always did. Kept doing it for six straight years, before I blew out my knee and finally figured out how to leave the Cowboy hat behind.” http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RipChord.jpg <RIP Chord> Rip Chord is filmed standing in front of the MAW wrestling ring, a couple of young wrestlers working out behind him. The wrestling legend spits tobacco into a coke can, musing on the question. “The original plan for Malice was a thirty-man battle royal to crown the first champion,” he says, “and I talked Sam out of it. It’s the kind of match you do when you’re need to crown a champion fast, and we had two months of television to fill leading into the Pay-Per-View. “The thing that makes a battle royal exciting is the possibilities – anyone can come out a winner. It’s at it best when there are plenty of established angles going in, even better when there’s a bunch of guys the fans are hungry to see more of that aren’t getting the minutes the fans think they deserve. My argument was that we could keep that feeling and do it better, over two months, by building two or three guys as legitimate contenders. That’s when we came up with the random ballot tournament – the idea that everyone gets a chance – and run a four-way at Malice with names that we were certain would draw. “Most of the heats were singles matches, but Sam kept mixing things up a little. There was a three-way early on, and Sam snuck his battle royal in as a Last Chance rumble towards the end of December, putting everyone who’d been eliminated a second chance. It was his way of getting Ricky Dale back into contention, after I cheated him out of the spot in our first match-up, and it was the first chance we ever got to see kid’s potential. "So no, I wasn't really surprised when he stepped up as Cornell's primary nemesis a few years back. Hell, I don't think anyone was really surprised. "Except, maybe, Ricky himself.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teh_Showtime Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 this has a great documentary style going on. Very interesting stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted April 3, 2011 Author Share Posted April 3, 2011 http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MarkSmart.jpg “While the early December shows featured the the action and the stars who would go on to define the company, the real interest in the Hollywierd product picked up in the lead up to their first ever Pay Per view. Malice in Wonderland was announced on the December 30th show, setting in motion the final rush of qualifiers for the Fatal Four Way main event, with the news that the final eight would become the final four over the four weeks that followed. While many of the expected names were still in contention, they were balanced with several up-and-coming names such as Liberty, Ricky Dale Johnson, the superstar luchador Manuel “Mr Lucha” Preito, and a talented wrestler from the independent scene named Paul Steayfast who earned his spot courtesy of the newly formed stable of Untouchables. “While many fans tuned in to see who would make up the final four, a second angle was given almost as much importance, courtesy of the only two men in the company who never wrestled in the random lottery...” http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/LarryVessey.jpg <LARRY Vessey> Larry Vessey sits in the empty bleachers of the Weston Gymnasium in New York, the ring crew putting together the ring for a NYCW event latter that evening. He wears a bandana over the receding hairline and his face is covered in scars, and the veteran gives the camera the same even stare he normally gives crowds. “Stallings was a big fan of tag-teams,” Vessey says, “and an even bigger fan of our work at Japan. He’d made it pretty clear to the booking team that he wanted teams to be a focus, so me and Bryan got to be the guys who made that clear. They send Jase out there to announce the World Title Tournament and the lottery, made a big deal about everyone being involved and getting a chance, got a couple of the big names to put the belt over, then we walked out there with Coach and he did his thing. Coach was brilliant at that sort of stuff, sold the whole thing way better than me or Bryan could.” He pauses for a moment, then attempts a crude mimicry of Coach Dick Pongrazzio’s rants. “Listen up, pencil-neck, you don’t break up a team in the middle of a streak, you don’t break up the best damn team on the planet to send them off to play in another league. We’re the All-Star Team, the best in the world at what we do, and if anyone tries booking these boys in whatever fandangled gimmick you’ve got to name a world champion, I’ll walk right into the booking meeting and plant my sneaker right up his goddamn ass…” Vessey shakes his head, coming dangerously close to cracking a smile at the memory. “God bless, Ponzy, he could make that sort of thing work. Usually if you pull something like that, it sounds like you’re crapping on the belt – mostly ‘cause you are – but Ponzy was so good at being the Coach that he could get away with it, and the rest of the angle just kind of flowed from there. Me and Bryan were the guys who thought being the best tag-team in the world meant more than being the best wrestler in the world, and a bunch of folks line up to disagree with us.” http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BooSmithson.jpg "You don't really see it much these days, tag-teams who stay tag-teams," Dundee says, "but when you look at th Hollywierd roster it was packed with guys who'd made their name as a duo and weren't really looking to seperate. "It was one of those things that Supreme never got the knack of. They had the Warlords, who were never going to split up, and the a couple of mates of mine doing the Outbacker thing, but Rolf and Harris weren't tight the way teams like the Warlords or the Demons were. They made good money working together, but they wouldn't have hesitated if someone suggested they split and go on a singles run. "When you're in the position we were in, you look for the things that set you apart. Our top guys were all former Supreme names, plus a handful of boys we were getting over as home-grown talent. The tag-teams were mostly fresh blood, straight out of Canada and Japan, even if the guys at the top like Larry had singles runs with major American promotions. The only guys in the tag scene who were made by the Eisens were Teddy and Joey, and it wasn't like they'd be there all that long. "And unlike the cruisers, there were guys in the tag-team ranks who were workers, who could get it done in the ring and keep people coming back. So we went out of our way to make the teams a priority, to say that being the best tag-team in the world was just as important as being the best singles wrestler, and the Vessey angle was the way of making that statement. I kept saying we shoudl put our money where out mouth is with that one, again and again and again, and I think I finally won the argument towards the end of '98 when they let the tag straps headline Psycho Circus instead fo the World Title." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted April 4, 2011 Author Share Posted April 4, 2011 TCW Legacy Archive Presents http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HTV.jpg - Episode 5 Preview - Coming up our latest HGC Archive installment: The Vessey Brothers taking on the unlikely tag-team of Super Joshuya and Giant Redwood, a pairing that proved to be devestatingly effective on their debut in Episode 4. With the speed advantage and the weight advantage going to the challengers, the Vessey's claim of being the best tag-team in the world today faces a serious challenge. Two of the best Cruiserweights of the 90's clashing when Monty Walker steps into the ring with West Coast legend Fumihiro Ota. The super-human luchador, Electrico, in action against the man who may well be evil incarnate, BLZ Bubb. The always impressive Demons of Rage taking on the Dark Street Posse of Dusty Streets and Dark EAGLE. The Demons have destroyed all commers since their Hollyweird debut, but Dusty is no stranger to tag-team competition and his partner is one of the top-ranked super-juniors in the world. Teddy Flame taking on Paul Steadyfast in the semi-main event, looking to get some revenge after Steadyfast and his Untouchable cohort cost Joey Flame a spot in the final eight on last week's show. And finally the random lottery pits Mexican legend Mr Lucha against the most dangerous man in the world, Dread, for a spot in the Fatal Four Way at Malice in wonderland. Mr Lucha remains the underdog in the tournament, but he's already fought his way through the mammoth Giant Redwood in order to earn his spot. Matches featured in this streaming video include: Mr Lucha vs. Dread Teddy Flame vs. Paul Steadyfast The Dark Street Posse vs. The Demons of Rage Electrico vs. BLZ Bubb Monty Walker vs. Fumihiro Ota The Vessey Brothers vs. Redwood & Joshuya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted April 4, 2011 Author Share Posted April 4, 2011 this has a great documentary style going on. Very interesting stuff Thanks, although the style is very much swiped from PhantomStranger's Philly Pro dynasty for TEW2008 (and, lets be honest, he really did it better). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnightnick Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Mr Lucha vs. Dread Teddy Flame vs. Paul Steadyfast The Dark Street Posse vs. The Demons of Rage Electrico vs. BLZ Bubb Monty Walker vs. Fumihiro Ota The Vessey Brothers vs. Redwood & Joshuya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted April 8, 2011 Author Share Posted April 8, 2011 http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HTV_Logo.jpg Tuesday, Week 1, January 1997 Wisconsin Gardens (Great Lakes) – 8,599 people http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JasonAzaria.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/KyleRhodes.jpg Azaria: Hello and welcome to Tuesday Night Hollywierd. I'm Jason Azaria, and as always I’m joined by my broadcast colleague, Kyle Rhodes." Rhodes: Thanks Jason, it's great to be here. Azaria: We've got a big night of wrestling ahead of us, but first we cross over to the Hollyweird Stage where eight men are waiting to see who will be in our main event, fighting for a spot in the Four Way Dance at Malice in Wonderland… http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/SamStrong.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Dread.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Liberty.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RipChord.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MrLucha1977.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/PaulSteadyfast.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RickyDaleJohnson.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TysonBaine.jpg The camera cuts across to the eight men lining up, Chord flanked by his insurance police Charlie Thatcher and BLZ Bubb accompanied by his manager, Karen Killer. All of them stare at the giant screen where a computer program randomly assigns the two competitors in tonight's match. The first face appears after a few seconds. Dread Dread nods once, impassive, and the camera pans across the other seven men their responses. Sam Strong is eager to see his name come up, aware that if the second name isn't his then it'll be yet another week before he can get his hands on the heel whose plagued him for the last month. Paul Steadyfast looks vaguely terrified at the prospect of being in the ring with the monster. BLZ Bubb's grin is near psychotic. The steady beep of the computer sorting through faces continues until it settles on the second comptetitor. Mr Lucha "The biggest competitor left in the tournament, up against the smallest," Rhodes says. "It doesn't really seem fair." "Don't count Lucha out, Kyle. He's a veteran of the Mexican scene, their lucha-libre equivalent of Sam Strong. If there's anyone his sizes that'd stand a chance against Dread, you cab bet it'll be him. But now we cross the ring, where our first contest is standing by." Rating: B- http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/LarryVessey.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BryanVessey.jpg w/http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/CoachDickPangrazzio.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/SuperJoshuya.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/GiantRedwood.jpg The Vessey Brothers w/Coach Pangrazzio vs. Super Joshuya & Big Red Chemistry is a funny thing. Super Joshuya and Redwood are one of wrestling’s odd-couples – different styles, different attitudes, different approaches to the match – but somehow they mesh into a single fluid unit despite their lack of in-ring experience as a team. The Vessey’s come by their in-ring competence the old-fashioned way – years of experience together – and they bring that to the fore as they focus their attention on beating down the smaller, weaker member of the opposing team. Redwood remains a constant threat, at one point throwing Bryan Vessey into the corner from halfway across the ring, but the Vessey's tactics pay dividends when Bryan puts Super Joshuya away with a Vessey Driver. The Vessey Brothers defeated Super Joshuya & Big Red in 6:18 by pinfall. Rating: C- http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/GiantRedwood.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BryanVessey.jpg Giant Redwood throws Larry Vessey off in the aftermath of the match, a fresh of surge of anger giving him a renewed burst of momentum. His vast bulk crashes into Bryan Vessey, knocking him to the mat, and Redwood proceeds to pummel the hell out of his victim. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/LarryVessey.jpg Larry Vessey rattles the giant with a stiff kick, creating a distraction so Coach Pongrazzio can half-drag Bryan away from the assault. Together the three members of the All Star team retreat up the ramp, Larry and Coach propping Bryan up as they leave. Giant Redwood glares at them, nostrils flaring with anger and a snarl on his lips, but he doesn’t pursue. Rating: C+ http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RickyDaleJohnson.jpg The camera cuts backstage to Ricky Dale's dressing room. The Cowboy is dressed in what passes for streets clothes for him – the Stetson, a wife-beater, a worn pair of blue jeans. He grins for the camera. "Six names left in the random draw," he says, "and two of them are me and Rip Chord. Now I don't know about you, partner, but I like the sound of those odds. One way or another, Rip, you and me are getting back into the ring again. You may not plan on fighting me, but it's going to happen. Whether it's in the semi-finals, or the Fatal Four way, or whether I just plum haft-a win the damn belt and make you chase me, it's going to happen. I owe you a beating, brother, and I aim to collect." Rating: B http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MontyWalker_alt.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/FumihiroOta.jpg w/http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TroyTornado.jpg Monty Walker vs. Fumihiro Ota w/Ronin The match delivers everything the fans have come to expect from the cruiserweight division: fast-paced action, exciting moves, and two wrestlers who do everything in high gear, even after they take things to the mat and start exchanging holds. Walker ducks the Ninja Strike a little over six minutes in, then lines up the superkick dubbed the Last Waltz for the victory. Monty Walker defeated Fumihiro Ota in 6:16 by pinfall. Rating: D http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MontyWalker_alt.jpg Walker collects a microphone from ringside, taking a moment to smooth the hair away from his eyes and flash the camera a dazzling smile. "Hi, I'm Monty Walker," he says, doing his best Troy McClure impersonation”. "You may remember me from such wrestling classics as the defeat of Fumihiro Ota, the tickling of Giant Redwood, and the legendary four minute squash of Crash Lewis.” He gives the camera a cheesy grin, then lets the impersonal drop. “Seriously, though, I came into this company with a plan, and I think you'll agree it's a good one. When I became I wrestler I wanted one thing: to get famous enough to get laid by hot chicks, and I figured Hollyweird would make that happen. I had it all planned out. Step one: entertain some fans. Step two: win a couple of matches and take home the winner’s purse." He pauses a moment and counts off his victories on his fingers. "I think we can put a check next to those. "Step three involves winning the big money and scoring with the chick of my dreams, but it seems the guys I’m beating aren’t enough to get that done just yet. So I'm putting it out there, to anyone who might be listening, Monty Walker needs some action. If you don't get paid, you don't get play, and…well, trust me, this girl I'm seeing is ho-o-o-ot. If it means getting my head kicked in by Dread or Rip Chord to have a shot with her, well hell, man, it's probably worth it. You know where to find me, yeah? Don’t be shy." He flashes a quick “call me” sign to the camera before rolling under the bottom rope and heading up the ramp. Rating: C+ http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/KarenKiller_alt.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TysonBaine.jpg Backstage, in a room lit by thousands of candles, Karen Killer stands in a pool of light, BLZ kneeling behind her with his head bowed in quiet prayer. Unearthly chanting echoes in the background and the candle flames flick back and forth, as though the room itself was breathing. "Sin eats away at the soul of society, devouring it until here is nothing left but despair and emptiness. You consider yourself a hero, Sam Strong. You have made speeches to the people, told them to believe. You have given them the basis of your faith: vitamins. Prayers. Righteousness.” She pauses, drawing a breath, and BLZ Bubb’s red gaze raises to meet the camera. His nostrils flare in anger, his angry glare eerie in its intensity. Killer lays a restraining hand on the demon’s shoulder. ““There are simple rules we live by, Strong,” she says. “This is but one of ten: Thou shalt worship no other god before me. You have made yourself an idol, and like all false idols you must be torn down lest others be inclined to follow your dark path. Go forth, sweet BLZ Bubb, earn yourself victory. If the path to the false idol need be littered with broken bodies, then break and break again until they deliver the sinner for punishment." The camera tracks the Demon Seed as he rises and walks towards the door, shedding robes until he’s stripped down to wrestling attire and his theme music is playing. Rating: B- http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Elctrico.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TysonBaine.jpg w/http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/KarenKiller_alt.jpg Electrico vs. BLZ Bubb w/Karen Killer Electrico is outmatched, but it appears no-one bothered to tell him prior to the match. he match isn't even, not even close, but the masked luchdor keeps finding ways to avoid the inevitable. He even gets a momentary advantage when BLZ Bubb elevates him for the Hades Bomb and Electrico squirms free and hits a dropkick to the face instead. BLZ Bubb recovers fast and presses the attack, and the second Hades Bomb attempt is all that's needed. The Demon Seed locks his grip in tight before lifting his opponent, then plants him with the double-handed chokeslam for an authoritative finish. BLZ Bubb defeated Eléctrico in 6:20 by pinfall. Rating: D+ http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RomeoHeartthrob.jpg Romeo Heartthrob sits in his backstage talk-show set, a resplendent swinger's lounge with leopard-print couches and photographs of Heartthrob wearing nothing but a bow tie and a strategically placed fig leaf in the background. Sitting alongside him his Rip Chord, the veteran barely restraining a sneer at the surrounds, while Charlie Thatcher stands guard behind the couch. “We’re here with a man whose got a few things on his mind,” Romeo says, “a man whose a legend in his own lifetime. Rip Chord – champion, gentlemen, friend – welcome to Heart-to-Heart with Romeo.” http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RipChord.jpg “Brother, you know it’s an honor and privilige,” Chord says. “I’ve been waiting for you to ask me onto your show ever since they gave you the time slot.” “I’m just sorry it took so long.” Romeo’s eyes slide over to the big man looming behind the couch. “And I’m sorry if you thought you couldn’t come alone, Rip. After all, we’ve been friends a long time.” “Romeo, Romeo, my good and gentle Romeo, you know Mister Thatcher isn’t here for you, brother. We’ve been travelling the roads for years, you and I, and we know where each other stands. If I had a problem with you...I’d settle it in the ring.” Chord shakes his head in disbelief, as if he can’t even believe such a thing was even insinuated. “Mister Thatcher is on the payroll of the Great One because the Great One needs to focus. Mister Thatcher is on the payroll because there’s a young whippersnapper dogging my heels, brother. A kid who can’t get it through his head that just because he lost a match, he isn’t owed another one.” “You’re speaking, of course, of Cowboy Ricky Dale,” Heartthrob says. “Don’t even say his name!” Chord’s eyes bug out. “That rookie’s been chasing me for weeks now, brother, and I can't really understand why. We met in the ring, we fought, he lost. Somehow he thinks I owe him something because of that, like winning and losing isn't something that happens every day in this business. Maybe twenty years ago I would have taken him seriously, but I've had kids chasing me down most of my career. I know what happens when kids like Ricky Dale get ideas in their heads, the kinds of threats they make. That's why I hired Charlie here, brother, to work security so I can focus on the things that are important to me." “He looks...capable,” Romeo says. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/CharlieThatcher.jpg Charlie Thatcher grins. It isn’t pretty. “Very capable,” Chord says. “If you’re contracting security, contract the best. Ricky Dale can talk about payback all he wants, but my sights are set on the only thing that matters – winning the World Title, proving I’m the best there is inside the squared circle. I don’t care who they put in front of me, whether it’s Sam Strong, Ricky Dale, Dread, or that Steadyfast kid – Rip Chord is going into the Four Way Dance and he’s walking out the champion. “And if Ricky Dale’s got a problem with that, well, hell, he can take it up with Charlie. When you've been as good as I am, for as long as I have, you get used to living a certain lifestyle. That lifestyle costs money, and the Championship means I can keep living my way. You know what that means, Romeo. You've been to my house, you've seen the women, brother…" "Oh yes," Romeo says, leering. "Then you understand what's at stake," Chord says. "What I'm focused on, brother, is the World Championship and the paycheck that comes alongside with it. And when I win – not if I win, when – you and me are going to party, brother. 'Cause if there's one thing Rip Chord knows how to do, it's live life large." Rating: B+ http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DemonSpite.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DemonAnger.jpg The camera cuts back to the ring, where the Demons of Rage are waiting in the ring for their match. A shrill whistle cuts through the air, and Coach Dick Pangrazzio comes marching down the ramp instead of the opposing team. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/CoachDickPangrazzio.jpg The Demons watch the small manager attentively as he struts over to the announce table, joining the commentary booth. “Coach,” Azaria says, “it’s a pleasure to have you with us to call the next match.” “Shut your mouth, pencilneck,” Pangrazzio barks. “I hear you out here, night after night, running your mouth about the men who step into the ring, but there ain’t no-one alive who knows teamwork better than I do. There ain’t a man alive who hasn’t coached more teams to championships. So you rest your mouth and let Coach Dick to the talking, brother, ‘cause tonight I’m here to see what the Demons can do, and I’m going to be watching real close, you get me?” “You sure this is an honor, Jason?” Kyle Rhodes asks. “It almost feels like we’re being punished...” Rating: C http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DustyStreets.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DarkEagle.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DemonSpite.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DemonAnger.jpg The Dark Street Posse vs. The Demons of Rage With Pongrazzio on commentary the opposition almost doesn't matter – much of the commentary is focused on noting the gaps in the Demon's offense, cataloguing the things that the Vessey's could turn to an advantage. While there's the grudging admission that there isn't much – the Demon's are very good at what they do – Pongrazzio notes that the difference between best and second best is frequently just a few minor flaws. This time around, the flaw seems to be hubris. The Demons focus their attention on Dusty, a man whose held tag-team gold with two different partners, and their need to beat the second-generation legend down gives the overlooked Dark EAGLE a chance to shine. The athletic junior is a constant threat, coming in off blind tags with missile dropkicks and running leg lariats, always ready to make the save for his partner. Pongrazzio gives some grudging respect to the Posse - “they’re unorthodox, they’re raw, but Streets could mould them into something down the line” - but it’s still the Demons who remain the biggest threat to his clients. They put Dusty Streets away with the Double Demon Down. The Demons Of Rage defeated Dusty Streets & Dark EAGLE in 8:23 by pinfall. Rating: C- http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/CoachDickPangrazzio.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DemonSpite.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DemonAnger.jpg Coach Dick Pongrazzio Demon Anger Demon Spite Coach Pongrazzio takes his life into his hands, snatching his bullhorn from the announce desk and getting the Demon's attention with an amplified cry of "HEY!" Two angry glares snap in his direction. Anger takes a threatening step forwards, but Spite puts a hand on his partner’s shoulders to stop him from doing something rash. "Listen up, lunkheads,” Pongrazzio continues, apparently unconcerned by the two menacing stares focused in his direction. “Listen up, and listen good, ‘cause I’m only saying this once. I keep hearing rumours about two guys who think they’re better than the Vesseys. I keep hearing complaints form people who think they’ll be the ones who beat the All Star Team and become the best tag-team in the world. I hear you too have been grumbling loudest, and your track record speaks for itself. I’ve scouted the rest, and I’ve found the second best – and if the two of you really think you’ve got what it takes to take the All Star Team down, there’s a contract backstage that’s waiting for your signatures. We’ll do it, and we’ll do it right; Malice in Wonderland, two on two. Sign it or not, you’re still going down.” The Demons sneer at Pongrazzio in unison, then turn and walk backstage without saying a word. “Is that a yes? A no?” Kyle Rhodes asks. “Are they going to sign the contract?” “I guess we’ll find out,” Azaria says. Rating: B- http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RickyDaleJohnson.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/CharlieThatcher.jpg Cowboy Ricky Dale emerges from his locker room, his bag slung over his shoulder as he prepares to leave the arena. The camera tracks him as he walks backstage, offering cheerly farewells to the ring crew, then there’s a blur of movement as Chartlie Thatcher crashes into him. The big Insurance Policy fires off a series of punches, knocking Ricky Dale to the concrete fall, then follows it up with a series of kicks. “Your issue,” he says, firing off another kick, “with my client,” another kick, “is over, you understand?” Ricky Dale doesn’t appear to be in a position to answer. Charlie Thatcher turns and advances on the camera, eyes locked on the man behind the device. “Ordinarily we do this sort of thing in private,” he snarls, “but the boss paid for a demonstration, so we give a demonstration. When he wakes up, make sure he watches this so he understand what happened. I’d hate to have to make a second visit...” Rating: C- http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JasonAzaria.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Dread.jpg Jason Azaria is standing at the interview stage, Dread standing by his side. "We're only two matches away from tonight's main event," Azaria says, "but I can tell you right now, this wasn't the match many were hoping for. Dread, for three weeks now you've been asking for Sam Strong in the ring, and every step of the way you've been thwarted by the World Title lottery. Is your focus on Strong going to cost you here?" Dread rips the microphone out of the Azaria's hands and takes a step towards the camera. “Patience,” he says, “is not a virtue I find myself exercising with any regularity. Sam Strong should consider that fact very carefully. For weeks we’ve been seperated, kept apart by the only desire we have in common – the need, the hunger, to be the first Hollyweird World Heavyweight Champion. One night he’s in action, the next night I am, this week he’s resting backstage and I’m going out there to face a man whose made a career of defying the odds. “And I restrain myself because it’s necessary, because beating Strong outside the ring is grounds for suspension or assault charges when beating him inside the ring is a victory. I restrain myself because, If I’m patient, eventually, Strong will come to me. Whether it’s in the fatal fourway, or when i’m carrying the title afterwards, Strong and I will meet and I will claim the one victory that has always eluded me.” Jason Azaria tentatively steps forward. “You sound very certain of that. Isn’t it presumptious to understimate an opponent like Mister Lucha?” A condescending sneer passes accross Dread's face. “I underestimate no-one,” Dread says. “That’s what makes me Dread. I’ve studied Lucha, I know what he can do, and I respect his abilities. He’s beaten men my size before, he’s beaten men with my skills before, and he’s beaten men with my level of dedication to the art of wrestling. No man is invincible, regardless of his size. To assume otherwise is to take the first step down the path of defeat.” Rating: B+ http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TeddyFlame.jpg w/http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoeyFlame.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/PaulSteadyfast.jpg w/http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoelBryant.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RobertOxford.jpg Teddy Flame w/ Joey Flame vs. Paul Steadyfast w/The Specialists The Flames have always had an incendiary in-ring style, and it’s a credit to Teddy that a guy on the wrong side of forty-five is still going a hundred miles an hour in the ring, hitting corkscrew flying forearms and jumping into a swinging DDT on his opponent. Steadyfast doesn’t even try to keep up - he settles into a comfortable routine of headlocks, scissor holds, and sleepers, resolutely going back to the same handful of moves every time Flame escapes. Slowly but surely Teddy is worn down, his pace slowing, until a desperate surge of energy sees him mount a comeback. The momentum shifts and Steadyfast starts taking a pounding, a dropkick sending firing him into the corner so Teddy can set up for the Inferno Splash. Then the camera cuts to ringside, where the antics between Joey Flame and the Tag-Team Specialists have escalated to the point of physical voilence. Teddy goes to his brother's aid with a suicide plancha over the top rope, but it's as if that mvoe takes all the gas that's left in the tank. Paul Steadyfast makes short work of Flame when he crawls back into the ring, putting him away with the Slingshot Suplex. Paul Steadyfast defeated Teddy Flame in 9:24 by pinfall Rating: C- http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Grunt.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Stink.jpg Two bulky punks appear on the silver Hollywood screen. "For those of you who may be confused,” Grunt says, “what you're looking at are two of the toughest, sickest, most dangerous men in the world. What you are looking at are the most violent bastards to ever come out of Trash Heap, USA. We ain't pretty—" "We don't need to be," Grunt adds. "We ain't smart—" "We don't need to be," Grunt adds. "We ain't interested in the 'sweet science of wrasslin'," Stink says, "we don't climb into a ring unless we're planning on having a fight. They wanted us to go out there and fight the Vessey Brother’s tonight, but then they started saying all the things we couldn’t do. No closed fists.” “No chairs,” Grunt says. “No stomps to the groin.” “No tables.” “No leaving the ring,” Stink says. “Rules. Rules. So many damn rules. So we said, screw it, we don’t care, find someone else to go out there and wrestle, call us when you want someone to go out there and fight. Call us when you want somebody broken. Then someone said, Stink, what about your fans, and me and G just just laughed. Screwed the fans, man. We’ve never been liked by you people...” Grunt gives a gap-toothed grin. “And we don’t need to be.” Rating: C http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg The camera cuts to a backstage locker room where Sam Strong and his protoge Liberty are ready to cut a promo. In the background Peter Valentine is busy lifting weights, the steady rhythm of his breathing underscoring the entire segment. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Liberty.jpg "Four weeks ago I had the honor of meeting a great man," Liberty says. "A man who took me under his wing, helped me become a better a wrestler, a member of the final eight. At some point over the next three weeks, I'll find out if I've got what it takes to be in the Fatal Fourway, to have a shot at being the first World Heavyweight Champion. And dude, I gotta tell ya, that kinda blows my mind, you know? Only last week people started asking me questions, wanting to know what happens if the lottery puts me up against the legendary Sam Strong, and I don't really know what to tell them, dude, 'cause I don't think about this stuff before it happens." "If it happens," Strong says, cutting in, "then we wrestle, brother, and you try to pin me to the mat. You do anything less, dude, and I'll let Peter kick your scrawny behind every night for the next month." http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/PeterValentine.jpg There's a pause in the rhythm of Valentine's lifting as the third man takes a sudden interest in the conversation. The look on his face suggests he'd enjoy the process of beating down Sam's new friend. Liberty just blinks, as though the answer surprises him, then nods slowly. "Well, all right," he says, "one less thing to worry about." http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/SamStrong.jpg “If we do this, brother, we do it right.” Sam Strong claps his protege on the shoulder, taking over the interview. "There's eight names left in the tournament, brother," he says. "Eight names, and by the end of the night, we'll be down to seven, brother. We've been studying Lucha's moves, brother, and he's got a chance of earning the first spot, brother, but I gotta hope he loses tonight. And it's not because he's a bad guy, brother, and it's not because he's a bad wrestler, it's because the Billion Strong Army wants to see Dread and Sam Strong in the main event at Malice in Wonderland, brother. If Dread want's me, brother, he doesn't have to go looking that far. I'm right here, brother. I'm not running. For ten years me and the big man have been stepping into the ring, brother, and he's never pinned me clean or made me cry uncle." Rating: A http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MrLucha1977.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Dread.jpg Pearl Jam’s Evenflow backs footage of Dread and Mr Lucha in their locker rooms, both warming up for the match. Dread shadow-boxes, throwing fists towards the wall, following up with elbow shivs. Mr Lucha sits, his head bowed in prayer, making the sign of the cross before looking towards the camera with steely-eyed determination. “Ladies and Gentlemen,” Jason Azaria says, “by the time tonight is over, one of these men will be going into the main event at Malice in Wonderland. One of these men will be fighting for a chance to become the first ever Hollyweird World Heavyweight Champion.” Rating: C http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MrLucha1977.jpgvs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Dread.jpg Mr Lucha vs. Dread Mr Lucha is smart enough not to trade fists with Dread, using his speed and agility make the size difference work to his advantage rather than his opponents. He darts around Dread, changing direction at a moment’s notice, cutting the big man down to size with a series of drop kicks to the knee. In one spectacular moment Mr Lucha even catches the charging Juggernaut with an lucha arm drag, taking Dread off his feet and applying a quick la magistrial cradle. Dread powers out of the move before the two-count applies, but the chink in his armor is there. Dread, for his part, sticks to the style of match that’s made him famous – relentless advancing on his opponent, firing off stiff strikes and punches, forcing them into the defensive role. He cuts off the initial burst of offense by timing his opponent and nailing Mr Lucha with an elbow, following it up with a series of mounted punches that sees Mr Lucha scrambling for the ropes, and from there Dread remains the dominant aggressor. Mr Lucha gets plenty of hope spots, always seemingly able to pull a rabbit out of his hat whenever the crowd thinks he’s done for, and it builds to a closing sequence that sees Mr Lucha roll free of a Dreadsault and unleash one final assault. He nails Dread with a series of running kicks and springboard moves, including a spectacular springboard armdrag that succeeds in putting Dread on the mat. Mr Lucha knows he can’t hit the Master Drop on an opponent Dread’s size, so he focuses on landing the secondary finishers in his arsenal – the picture-perfect triple-jump moonsault, which Dread has well-scouted, and the tornado DDT that the bigger man reverses into a spinning variation of the Dread Bomb to end the match just shy of twenty-five minutes in. Dread defeated Mr Lucha in 24:14 by pinfall with a Dread Bomb. Rating: B http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg Overall: B- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted April 12, 2011 Author Share Posted April 12, 2011 http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MrLucha2000.jpg An unmasked Manuel Preito sits on the Big Red Couch, recognisable through the familiar smile despite the absence of his Mr Lucha headware. “It was…unexpected,” he says. “I’d worked in the US before, but ever since the Eisen’s took over, there weren’t exactly a lot of main event matches for lucha libre guys. The only Hispanic wrestler on regular television was No Way Jose, and that was a stereotype. So when I was told that they’d be pushing me towards the top of the card, I just nodded and figured it was one of those promises promoters give you to sign the contract. You always hope they’re telling the truth, but you never expect it, you know? “That they let me go out there and do what I’d always done, what had worked back in Mexico…” He gestures with one hand, as if trying to pull the words out of the air. “It was gratifying,” he says. “Especially given how well things worked out, in the long run.” http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BooSmithson.jpg “Mr Lucha in the main event,” Dundee says, “was part Rip Chord campaigning, part endless arguments, and part directive from on high by Stallings. He’s a California kid at heart, and he paid attention to places like CZCW and the big three down in Mexico. He knew there was a fanbase out there – an important fan base with a long history in wrestling– that were hungry to see one of their own being treated with respect. We were making most of our money from Merch at that point, and there were three names who sold more than everyone else. Sam Strong was first, Liberty was second, Mr Lucha was third. And there wasn’t that much between them, not by a long shot, and it’s not like Manuel was being given the same kind of push we were giving Jamie. “I think Sam figured it’d be a one-time thing – put Lucha there, fulfil his obligation to the boss, then let him settle into a midcard position. After that match, there was no such chance of that happening. Dread was coming up to Sam and suggesting a program with Lucha.” http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Dread.jpg Dread is seated in a Tokyo restaurant, his heavy frame squeezed into a small booth. A plate of sushi sits in front of him and he expertly picks at the sashimi with a pair of chopsticks as he talks. “There’s a hundred guys my size in wrestling,” he says. “Maybe more, when you really get down to it. Wrestling’s a big man’s game and it’s relatively easy to coast if you’ve got size on your side. I mean, look at guys like Redwood – the guy doesn’t do much in the ring, but he doesn’t really need to. Size does it all for him, it tells the story. “I became Dread to set myself apart from that, I think. I never wanted to win matches because I was bigger than the other guy, I wanted to be better. If I was beaten, I wanted it to mean something. That’s where the character started from – an intelligent monster heel, trained and schooled to fight, willing to put in the time scouting opponents and developing counters. “I wasn’t really sure how things would go with Luch’, you know. I figured we didn’t see eye to eye on how wrestling worked, ‘cause I liked to get as physical as possible, and he...well, the name kinda says it all, I guess. He’s Mister Lucha, he flies, he hits the big spots. I understood why they booked the match, but I hated the idea of working it. I mean, it sets my teeth on edge every time someone starts talking about spots or transitions, ‘cause that’s not what I do. If you’re doing it right, you don’t need transitions. “I figured it’d be good, but I figured it’d take effort to make it good. “Then we stepped in there that first time, and it really wasn’t any effort at all. There are some guys who just get it, you know? They understand how you work and they adjust to it. That was one of Preito’s biggest talents.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted April 15, 2011 Author Share Posted April 15, 2011 http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MarkSmart.jpg “Hollyweird’s ability to target niche segments of the wrestling audience is considered to be one of the key components to its early success, and the company is credited with breaking long-established barriers regarding the presence of smaller men and international talents in the main event. Their concerted effort to expose a wide array of styles and talents earned them many fans, but also alienated some members of the growing roster. It's generally acknowledged by the dirt sheets of the time and Hollyweird's own staff that the seeds of promotion's future troubles were planted in those early weeks in the form of dissent and personality conflicts.” http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DustyStreets.jpg Dusty Streets leans back on the red couch, impeccably dressed as only a man who has spent the bulk of his life under the restrictive Supreme dress-code tends to be. “It was the land of wasted opportunities,” he says. “I mean, I’d spent years tagging in Supreme, first with my dad and then with Sid, and I don’t say that’s nothing, but there was a glass ceiling, you know? I’d been told, more or less, that there was team gold in my future, maybe one of the lesser titles, but I wasn’t making it to the top of the heap. Part of the appeal of jumping ship was the opportunity to break out, to make a go of it as a singles guy. “It became obvious pretty quickly that it wasn’t going to happen. I mean, the Dark Street Posse? Seriously? Eagle could go, I’ll give him that, but we weren’t really the stuff great teams are made of. Then you look at the guys they were pushing hard…well, you could say I was a little bitter.” http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/GiantRedwood.jpg Giant Redwood scowls at the camera with obvious antagonism. There’s a USPW poster visible just behind his shoulder, suggesting he may be backstage at one of the company’s events, but the big man’s bulk fills much of the screen as he leans forward to make his point. “Seven foot tall,” he says, “five hundred pounds, and I’m working a tag-team with some Japanese kid because they think we’ve got chemistry. My partner didn’t speak English, and half the time I’m not even on television, ‘cause they’re making a big deal about those Vessey A**holes and they don’t want to work with us. “Every week they’re sending the Aussie kid around, letting him feed me some crap about the big future and the flippy kid had. Kept telling us it’d take a few months, but we were going places. All of it was bull****, I think. If we had so much chemistry, why weren’t they pushing us into position for the tag-team straps from the beginning?” http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/SamStrong.jpg “Stallings and I turned out to be a bad fit.” Strong pauses a moment to ponder whether that’s the best way to explain it, stroking his chin as he thinks. “I probably wouldn’t have said it like that at the time, brother, but that’s what it came down too. I knew how I wanted wrestling to be, he knew what he thought wrestling should be, and he signed the cheques so he had all the power. Right form the beginning he tied my hands, gave me a few names he wanted pushed or guys he wanted to feature regularly on the telecasts. “By the end of December there was already tension – a lot of tension – and things just seemed to keep getting worse as we went along. “By January we were filtering messages through Dundee – he was comfortable on a computer, just like Stallings was, and I never really had the knack of working at a keyboard. In retrospect, that was probably a mistake. I’m not saying me and Stallings would have gotten along, but it probably wouldn’t have deteriorated quite so fast if we could talk to each other instead of letting Aussie Jack put his spin on things…” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted April 15, 2011 Author Share Posted April 15, 2011 TCW Legacy Archive Presents http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HTV.jpg - Episode 6 Preview - Our latest Hollyweird download includes: Six-man action as Mr Lucha teams with Electrico and former OLLIE Champion El Bandido to take on west coast indie sensation Fumihiro Ota and his allies Ronin and Awesome Thunder. Screw pirates versus ninjas – everyone knows the real battle for the ages is ninjas versus masked luchadors. Peter Valentine steps into the ring for the first time since losing his qualifying match for the Fatal Four Way back in December when he takes on one half of Dark Street Posse, the Japanese high-flyer Dark EAGLE. The Hollyweird tag-team scene heats up as the Blazing Flames take on the debuting Team Strength Rush, a duo of hard-hitting Americans who have made waves in Japan with their unrelenting wrestling style. Rip Chord takes on another debutant in Brent Hill, a man whose work on the independent scene has led many to declare him the best technical wrestler in the world. He’ll get a chance to prove it against the man many consider to be the finest wrestler in the world. The Vessey Brothers will defend their reputation for being the best tag-team in the world against Paul Steadyfasts’s Untouchable cohorts, The Tag-Team Specialists. The Vesseys may well be facing their technical wrestling equals in Joel Bryant and Robert Oxford, which means it truly will be teamwork that makes the difference in this one. And finally, in our main event, Sam Strong faces the untouchable Paul Steadyfast in our second Fatal Four Way qualifier. Steadyfast’s proven he’s got what it takes to be a champion in matches against Teddy Flame, Dusty Streets, and Peter Valentine; now he gets to prove it against the biggest name there is. Matches features in streaming video include: Sam Strong vs. Paul Steadyfast The Vessey Brothers vs. The Tag-Team Specialists Brent Hill vs. Rip Chord The Blazing Flames vs. Team Strength Rush Dark EAGLE vs. Peter Valentine The Mucha Lucha Trio vs. The Shadow Warriors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnightnick Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Sam Strong vs. Paul Steadyfast The Vessey Brothers vs. The Tag-Team Specialists Brent Hill vs. Rip Chord The Blazing Flames vs. Team Strength Rush Dark EAGLE vs. Peter Valentine The Mucha Lucha Trio vs. The Shadow Warriors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted May 17, 2011 Author Share Posted May 17, 2011 <p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HTV_Logo.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong><span style="font-size:12px;">Tuesday, Week 2, January 1997</span></strong></p><p> <strong><span style="font-size:12px;">Connecticut Symphony Hall (New England) – 7,362 people</span></strong></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Liberty.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Dread.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/SamStrong.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TysonBaine.jpg</span> w/<span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/KarenKiller_alt.jpg</span><p> <span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/PaulSteadyfast.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RickyDaleJohnson.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RipChord.jpg</span> w/<span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/CharlieThatcher.jpg</span></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> Dread takes the first place on the stage this week, set apart from the pack by virtue of being the first man in the finals. He stares at the remaining six men in the competition while they look towards the Silver Screen, watching the names and faces of potential qualifiers scroll past. </p><p> </p><p> Liberty and Sam Strong stand side-by-side, cementing their alliance in the fans mind. Rip Chord has abandoned all subtlety with his bodyguard, setting Charlie Thatcher on stage to keep a wall between Chord and Cowboy Ricky Dale. BLZ Bubb glares with barely restrained fury, held back by his manager Karen Killer. Steadyfast puts as much distance between himself and the Demon Seed as possible, shrinking away every time Bubb’s glare turns in his direction. He visibly shudders as the first wrestler’s face appears on the screen and Bubb gives him a malicious grin.</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="font-family:Impact;"><span style="font-size:14px;">Paul Steadyfast</span></span></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> “It appears the Untouchable isn’t pleased with the idea of stepping into the ring with BLZ Bubb,” Azaria says.</p><p> </p><p> “If their sane,” Rhodes replies, “no-one on that stage wants to step into the ring with BLZ Bubb. The Demon Seed sees everyone as a sinner, but none worse than the Icon Sam Strong.”</p><p> </p><p> The steady beep of the random generator slows down and the second face appears on the screen.</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="font-family:Impact;"><span style="font-size:14px;">Sam Strong</span></span></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> Steadyfast straightens immediately, obviously pleased with the result. He steps forward and locks gazes with Strong. The Icon flexes, showing off a pair of the most formidable arm muscles in wrestling, an immediate show of confidence against the smaller man. Steadyfast just holds up three fingers and mouths the word Untouchable across the stage, and the main event is hyped by the commentary team. </p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Rating: B+</strong></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MrLucha1977.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Elctrico.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/ElBandido.jpg</span> w/<span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/SpanishSuperfly.jpg</span><p> vs.</p><p> <span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/FumihiroOta.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/YosukeNarita_alt.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TroyTornado.jpg</span></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Mr Lucha & Super Lucha w/Spanish Superfly vs. The Shadow Clan</strong></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> The match is primarily notable for being the first time that Ronin – the man who would become Troy Tornado – climbs to the top rope and hits the flying forearm that would become his definitive finishing move. It’s an inauspicious beginning for the move, since it’s not quite enough to finish El Bandido, but the impact certainly draws a reaction from the crowd. </p><p> </p><p> Beyond that it’s a fairly forgettable cruiserweight six-man; the action is frenetic, some of the spots incredible, and the standouts are easily Mr Lucha and Awesome Thunder. It comes to an end a little shy of seven minutes after El Bandido hits the Hijack Suplex on Troy Tornado. </p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Mr Lucha and Super Lucha defeated Fumihiro Ota, Troy Tornado and Awesome Thunder in 6:48 by pinfall.</strong></p><p> <strong>Rating: D-</strong></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/ActionJackson.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/SamStrong.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> The camera cuts to the backstage interview position where Sam Strong is waiting alongside a face familiar to many wrestling fans of the era. Action Jackson wears his trademark Hawaiian shirt and grins at the camera. “I’m here with one half of tonight’s main event. Sam Strong, it’s no secret you’re being chased by Dread, and once again the World Heavyweight title tournament has kept the two of you from climbing into the ring—”</p><p> </p><p> Strong holds up a hand, stalling any further questioning. “Let me tell you, AJ, I’ve been hearing about this for weeks, brother. Dread wants a piece of me, brother, and I’m happy to oblige him. Last week he qualified for the Fatal Four Way at Malice in Wonderland. Tonight I get my shot, and one way or another, my dance-card will be free next week. Seems to me that Dread's finally going to be free next week too, so I plan on giving the Million Strong Army exactly what it wants.</p><p> </p><p> “Dread, you find yourself a partner, brother, anyone you want, ‘cause I’ve been talking to my friend Mister Stallings on the phone and he’s signed is in a Dream Partner tag-team match next week.”</p><p> </p><p> Action Jackson’s reaction to the news is pitch-perfect, equal mixture astonishment and eager excitement to know more. “Any idea who’ll be joining you in your corner?”</p><p> </p><p> “There’s people in this company I’ve known a long time, brother, and plenty of people whose talent I’ve come to respect over the last few weeks.” Sam Strong smiles widely, on the verge of saying may, then reigns in his enthusiasm. “It’d be an honour to step into the ring with any of them, brother, but I still have to make a few calls.”</p><p> </p><p> "Big news from the Icon," Jackson says. "And now, back to—"</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Rating: A</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</span></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/KarenKiller_alt.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TysonBaine.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> Action Jackson's hand-off is clipped as the camera dissolves into static, then darkness. A lighter clicks, the flame touched to a single candle, and in its dim light the faces of Karen Killer and the red-eyed Demon Seed, BLZ Bubb.</p><p> </p><p> "Sin," Killer says. “A simple word, seductive in its form and content, a pleasure to speak aloud. We give them names. Wrath. Greed. Lust. Gluttony. Sloth. Envy..."</p><p> </p><p> BLZ Bubb snarls quietly at that. Killer closes her eyes.</p><p> </p><p> "Pride," she says, finishing the list. "Pride is your sin, Sam Strong. Icon, false idol, a bringer of hope with a stain upon his soul. BLZ Bubb understands the allure of it, Sam Strong, he has walked the path you have walked and he has fallen as you will fall. He knows what you do not – that your righteousness, your pride, is as fragile as a candle flame – and he knows what must be done."</p><p> </p><p> BLZ Bubb snorts and the candle is snuffed, plunging the screen into darkness once more.</p><p> </p><p> "The Demon Seed is coming," Killer says, a voice in the darkness. "All you can do is prepare for the fall."</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Rating: B-</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</span></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DarkEagle.jpg</span> vs. <span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/PeterValentine.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Dark EAGLE vs. Peter Valentine</strong></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> EAGLE starts the match with a traditional bow, showing respect for his opponent, and Peter Valentine immediately takes advantage. An dangerous elbow to the base of the skull puts EAGLE on the mat and every nearly ends things when Valentine drops his weight on top of the smaller man, taking a sprawl and brawl approach to the match against an obviously hurt opponent. EAGLE makes a valiant effort from there, but he’s unsteady enough that the announce team speculate as to whether he has a concussion. Valentine has en easy time of it, finishing the match with the Heart Breaker before they hit the three minute mark, then showboating for the crowd. </p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>In an extremely short match, Peter Valentine defeated Dark EAGLE in 2:39 by pinfall .</strong></p><p> <strong>Rating: D-</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</span></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DustyStreets.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/PeterValentine.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> Dusty Streets comes charging down the ramp, sliding into the ring to check on his tag-team partner. EAGLE manages to get upright, but he’s on jelly legs and Streets is incensed. He strides across the ring and slaps Peter Valentine across the face. </p><p> </p><p> For a moment Valentine glares, incredulous. Then he takes a swing, which Dusty neatly blocks and counters, stiffing Valentine hard enough to send him sprawling to the mat. The second-generation superstar calls for a microphone and someone throws one to the ring.</p><p> </p><p> “STAY DOWN!” Dusty turns on Valentine just as the Heartbreaker is struggling to get back on his feet. Valentine immediately drops back to the mat, eyes wide with fear. </p><p> </p><p> Streets takes a few steps forward, anger writ across his face. “It’s no secret I’ve got problems with your best friend,” Dusty says, “but I think that display just convinced me he’s the lesser of two evils. EAGLE came out here and showed you nothing but respect, and you stand out here gloating about the fact that you damn-near took him out of the game. There’s a code in this business, Valentine. You can beat a man, you can hurt him, but you don’t set out to take away the way he earns his living. You sure as hell don’t try and knock him out while he’s showing you respect you don’t really deserve.”</p><p> </p><p> Valentine starts offering excuses, but without a microphone he’s got no chance. Dusty puts a boot on his chest, forcing Peter back to the mat. </p><p> </p><p> “Shut up and stay down,” Dusty says. “If you try and stand up right now, I won’t be held responsible for what I do. You make me sick, Pete, and it’s taking everything I have not to kick the holy hell out of you right here. You give me one reason – one good reason – to ignore the code and I’ll rip you apart right here.”</p><p> </p><p> Valentine stays down this time, but there’s anger in his eyes. Dusty matches his stare, as if daring the downed man to make a move, but Valentine doesn’t. He crawls out of the ring and slinks backstage, finally getting the courage to call some choice insults as he makes his way up the ramp.</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Rating: C+</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</span></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoeyFlame.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TeddyFlame.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> The Cure’s <em>Burn</em> echoes across the arena as The Blazing Flames come down the ramp, both men playing to the crowd with a vigour that belies their years of experience. High fives are distributed, women at ringside are kissed, and Teddy Flame makes a point of giving a young fan the necklace he wears to ringside.</p><p> </p><p> The two tag-team veterans climb into the ring, bouncing on the balls of their feet, but before their opponents can arrive they’re distracted by a commotion at ringside. </p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DemonSpite.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DemonAnger.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> Both Demons of Rage march down to a pair of ringside seats. The Demons are dressed in sweat shirts and jeans that do little to disguise their size and strength, and Rage is carrying a bucket of popcorn in hand meaty fist. They settle in, pointing the Flame’s attention towards the ring and their opponents. </p><p> </p><p> “It looks like the Demons of Rage are here to scout the competition,” Azaria says.</p><p> </p><p> “I hear the Vessey brother’s contract is still unsigned,” Rhodes says, “perhaps their searching for an easier match at Malice in Wonderland.”</p><p> </p><p> “That doesn’t sound like the Demons I know,” Azaria says, but there’s not enough time to speculate further, as Team Strength Rush approach the ring to start the match.</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Rating: C+</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</span></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoeyFlame.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TeddyFlame.jpg</span> vs. <span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RaymondDiaz.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/LeeWright.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>The Blazing Flames vs. Team Strength Rush</strong></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> Team Strength Rush are hard-hitting, physical combatants. Jason Azaria quickly rattles off the various black-belts the pair have accumulating, noting the use of offense drawn from years of Mauy Thai and Aikido training. The training is brought to the fore when the big man Raymond Diaz clinches with Joey Flame, forcing him into the corner and rattling him with a series of big knee strikes before the five-count is reached. Lee Wright doesn’t match his partner’s raw power, but no less dangerous – twenty years of experience is put on display as tags in and goes to work on Joey, cranking holds on the legs to slow the veteran high-flyer down, setting the tone for the two minutes of dominance the Rush get before the hot tag bring Teddy Flame into the ring. </p><p> </p><p> In singles competition the strong-style thugs of the Rush probably have the edge, but the Blazing Flames have twenty years of tag-team competition under their belts and that makes the difference. Twin corkscrew forearms on Raymond Diaz turn the tide in their favour, setting up for the Blaze of Glory from Joey to pick up victory. </p><p> </p><p> <strong>The Blazing Flames defeated Team Strength Rush in 6:42 by pinfall.</strong></p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Rating: D+</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</span></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Grunt.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Stink.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> The Nation of Filth appear on the big arena screen. “Me and Stink were supposed to come down there and wrestle tonight,” Grunt says, “but one again the greatest tag-team in the world today is sitting on the sidelines rather than betray our principles. When you’re the most violent sons’a bitches to step out of Trash Heap, USA, there ain’t much challenge in whipping up on two geriatrics like the Blazing Flames.”</p><p> </p><p> “Me and Grunt fight our way, in our time,” Stink says, “and until someone around here realises that, they better get used to empty slots where the Nation of Filth should be.”</p><p> </p><p> “So get it, and get it soon,” Grunt finishes. “’Cause right now we’re just angry, but soon we’re gonna get bored. And you won’t like us when we’re bored, boys and girls. You won’t like it much at all.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Rating: D+</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</span></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RipChord.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> Rip Chord struts into the ring for his match, collecting a microphone along the way. "The Great One has arrived."</p><p> </p><p> And really, that’s all it takes. The fans love to hate Chord, and they immediately rain derision upon him. Charlie Thatcher gets the job of prowling the ring, scowling at people; Chord seems content to let people boo, waiting for his chance to speak again.</p><p> </p><p> “You know, I'd like to take this opportunity to talk about myself," he says, "and to talk about the only thing in this company that really matters – the Hollyweird World Heavyweight Championship – but instead it seems like I’ve got to come out here and talk about a young punk who wants to make a name for himself. </p><p> </p><p> "Ricky Dale keeps coming out here and making noise about a rematch, wanting to know when he'll get another shot, like a match against the Great One is something you get given. It appears he's convinced you people, it appears he's convinced the Hollyweird officials, but he's yet to convince the Great One, Rip Chord. When you beat a man, brother, you’ve beaten him. You don’t give him another shot until he earns it."</p><p> </p><p> The crowd isn't pleased by that. Rip Chord just grins.</p><p> </p><p> “Now the Great One isn’t deaf to the pleas of the people," he says. "If they want to see Rip Chord give an untried rookie a chance, then the Great One will oblige! Brent Hill! Step out, brother, and take shot at the best there is. This is your chance, kid, your one shot to become a star. All you gotta do is pin me to the mat, one-two-three.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Rating: A</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</span></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BrentHill.jpg</span> vs. <span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RipChord.jpg</span> w/<span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/CharlieThatcher.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Brent Hill vs. Rip Chord w/Charlie Thatcher</strong></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> Hill goes hold-for-hold with Chord, grounding the legend and hammering him with stiff elbow shots to the face. Rip is forced to grab the ropes to halt the attack, and he takes a takes a few moments to reassess the newcomer as he rises to his feet once more. Hill sticks with the same tactic, confident in his ability to outwrestle Chord, and once again it’s largely a matter of ring positioning that keeps Rip Chord in the game as he loops a heel over the ropes while Hill cranks in a crossface hold. </p><p> </p><p> When Chord can’t win by conventional means, he falls back on the tried and true tactics that have made him one of the greatest heels of his generations. He twists a headlock away from Sam Sparrow and jams a thumb in Hill’s eye, taking control of the match. He repeats the process several times, but eventually Sparrow gets wise and puts a stop to it, paying close attention to Chord’s positioning when he makes sudden changes. </p><p> </p><p> Sparrow’s so focused on keeping an eye on Chord that he misses the quick elbow Thatcher jams into Hill’s kidneys when Chord fires his opponent into the ropes, putting Hill on his knees. Rip follows up with a DDT and makes the final cover to pick up the win. </p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Rip Chord defeated Brent Hill in 11:43 by pinfall.</strong></p><p> <strong>Rating: C+</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</span></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MontyWalker_alt.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> The camera cuts backstage, where Monty Walker is watching the end of the Chord/Hill match with an expression of obvious envy on his face. He’s got a brick of a mobile phone pressed against one ear. “Yeah, baby, I saw it,” he says. “It’s not my fault, babe, I swear. You saw last week’s show. I picked up the win, I asked for a big name. It’s just not happening, not yet, you know? They want to wait a little longer before they put me in—”</p><p> </p><p> He winces, obviously on the receiving end of a verbal blast from the other end of the phone. “’Cause I ain’t Brent Hill,” he says. “The dude’s got—”</p><p> </p><p> Another wince, but it’s quickly followed by a suggestion he seems to like. “You’ll what? You sure?” he says, “okay, okay. For that, I’ll see what I can do.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RomeoHeartthrob.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> He hangs up the phone and looks around, spots Romeo Heartthrob preening himself in a nearby mirror. Monty heaves an exasperated sigh and walks over.</p><p> </p><p> “Listen, man,” he says, “I’m really sorry about this…”</p><p> </p><p> “Sorry about—” Romeo Hearrthrob turns away from the mirror, straight into the superkick that knocks him out cold. Monty Walker actually winces as his victim hits the concrete. </p><p> </p><p> “Nothing personal, man. My girl just wanted me to rile up someone with a name, yeah?”</p><p> </p><p> Romeo, near comatose on the mat, doesn’t have an answer.</p><p> </p><p> “Damn,” Walker says. He looks helplessly towards the camera. “Can someone, like, make sure he sees the footage and all?” He shakes his head. “She’s so going to kill me…”</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Rating: C</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</span></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/ActionJackson.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Dread.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> Dread is on the interview stage, along with Action Jackson. AJ flashes the camera his white-toothed grin. “We’re minutes away from seeing the Vessey Brothers in action,” he says, “but right now I’m here to talk with one of the baddest men on the planet. </p><p> </p><p> "Dread, earlier we heard that you and Sam Strong will finally be climbing into the ring together—"</p><p> </p><p> "Next week." Dread's voice is a guttural snarl. "Once again, the Hollyweird officials ask patience of me, and once again I'm forced to oblige. They ask for restraint, and I restrain myself, for they dangle before me the only prize that means more to me than defeating Sam Strong, the Hollyweird World Heavyweight Championship. For four long weeks this tournament has been sacred; I don't intervene, I don't interfere, and it's been trying, Action Jackson. My patience is at its limit."</p><p> </p><p> "Well, next week you’ll be facing Strong in a dream partner tag-team match, and he’s yet to announce his partner, so I gotta ask what we’re all thinking – how do you prepare for a match like that?”</p><p> </p><p> “Carefully.” Dread nods once, his intense focus directed at the question. “Sam Strong is a talented fighter, but he’s always fought the match here—” Dread taps a finger against his skull “—long before he steps into the ring. He thinks this match is going to take me out of my game plan, that I won’t be ready for whatever partner he brings. It could be his buddy Valentine, it could be his new protégé.”</p><p> </p><p> Jackson raises an eyebrow. “Do you really expect him to make an obvious choice?”</p><p> </p><p> “No.” Dread smiles. “But it doesn’t really matter. Whatever advantage he wrings out of his surprise partner will be rendered null by my own. Whatever mind-games he’s preparing, he should remember one thing – the sole black mark on my career thus far is my inability to pin Sam Strong on the mat. </p><p> </p><p> "When we meet in that ring, regardless of where it happens, regardless of how it happens…I plan on eliminating that mark.”</p><p> </p><p> "Dread, thank you for your time," Jackson says. "Now we head back to the ring where the Vessey Brothers are taking on the Tag-Team Specialists."</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Rating: B</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</span></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DemonSpite.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DemonAnger.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> The camera swings back to ringside, but it isn't resting on either team. Instead it focuses on the Demons of Rage, still settled into their front row seats as they scout the competition. The big men perk up as the next match is announced, obviously interested as the Vessey Brothers and Coach Dick Pangrazzio come marching to the ring.</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/LarryVessey.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BryanVessey.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/CoachDickPangrazzio.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> The Vesseys are less than thrilled to discover Demons at ringside, and Bryan Vessey immediately makes the mistake of trading threats with the big men. He rattles off a string of curses, blessedly out of the range of the audio equipment, and Demon Spite responds by throwing a bucket of popcorn at the younger Vessey. Both Pangrazzio and Larry Vessey have to restrain the Bryan, hustling him back into the ring.</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>The Demons just grin and settle in to watch the match.</strong></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Rating: B-</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</span></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/LarryVessey.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BryanVessey.jpg</span> w/<span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/CoachDickPangrazzio.jpg</span> vs. <span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoelBryant.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RobertOxford.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>The Vessey Brothers w/Coach vs. The Tag-Team Specialists</strong></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> Bryan Vessey and Joel Bryant start things off, their collar and elbow tie-up leading to a chain of holds and counters, Vessey trying to get his opponent on the mat while Bryant searches for a submission. The presence of the Demons at ringside quickly becomes a distraction, leading to Bryan breaking contact with his opponent to spit another round of insults. Joel Bryant immediately takes advantage, rolling up his distracted opponent for a two count. “Bad move by Bryan Vessey,” Jason Azaria says. “You can’t take your attention off a wrestler as skilled as Joel Bryant.</p><p> </p><p> Rhodes is quick to fire off a response. “How do you ignore a pair of monsters like Spite and Anger?”</p><p> </p><p> “You find a way,” Azaria says. “The Specialists are looking to make a name, and they’re just as good as their name suggests.”</p><p> </p><p> The opening sets the tone for the rest of the match – two skilled teams clash, nearly equal in their talents, but things go poorly for the Vesseys whenever Bryan lets himself get distracted by the ringside antics of the Demons. Coach Pangrzzio screams until he’s blue in the face to try and keep the younger Vessey on track, but it’s hard work and there are several moments where the Specialists look like they’ll pick up the victory. </p><p> </p><p> Larry Vessey is the cooler head, the very definition of competence, and he comes in off the hot tag with a series of hard-hitting strikes and slams, but it’s Bryan who finally picks up the victory when he hits the Vessey Driver on Robert Oxford. </p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>The Vessey Brothers defeated The Tag Team Specialists in 10:36 by pinfall.</strong></p><p> <strong>Rating: C+</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</span></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/CoachDickPangrazzio.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> “HEY! HEY, LUNKHEAD!” The camera cuts away from the Vessey’s victory celebrations, focusing on ringside area where an irate Coach Dick Pangrazzio is up against the guard rail, getting in the demon’s face. “You two want to sit there at ringside? You want to distract my boys? Last I heard, there’s still a contract awaiting your signatures, but it doesn’t seem like you’ve had the guts to sign them. If you’re content to be the second best tag-team in the world—”</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DemonSpite.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DemonAnger.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> Anger leaps to his feet, one fist already raised, but he’s immediately restrained by one of Spite’s meaty paws. The Vessey Brothers both hit ringside, putting themselves between the Demons and the Coach.</p><p> </p><p> Spite takes a step forward, sneering at the All Star Team. He points at both Bryan and Larry, motioning that he’ll snap either in half, then drags his partner out of the arena while the fans voice their disappointment. </p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Rating: C+</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</span></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/SamStrong.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Liberty.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> Sam Strong is backstage, warming up for his match. Liberty sits on the bench in the locker room, dressed in jeans and a fringed jacket, watching the big man stretch.</p><p> </p><p> "I faced him a few times in Texas," Liberty says. "He's smaller than you, but he's fast and he's younger and he knows his stuff. Don't let him lock in the sleeper. He'll make you carry his weight, wear you down until he can suplex you, and that's what really hurts, dude. Trust me on that."</p><p> </p><p> Strong frowns. "It ain't his suplex I'm worried about, brother. One on one I can handle…"</p><p> </p><p> "Me and Pete can run interference backstage, keep his friends busy." Liberty looks towards the doorway. "Assuming Pete shows up, that is. I haven't seen him since his match."</p><p> </p><p> "He'll come through, brother. He always does."</p><p> </p><p> "If you say so, dude." Liberty shrugs off the concern as if it were nothing. "Good luck out there, man. Show 'em you've still got it."</p><p> </p><p> He flashes Strong a thumbs up and exits, going on the hunt for the Tag-Team Specialists. Sam Strong stretches a shoulder joint, hears something pop, and nods as if he's finally ready.</p><p> </p><p> "Let's go," he says. </p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Rating: B+</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</span></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/SamStrong.jpg</span><strong> vs. </strong><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/PaulSteadyfast.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Sam Strong vs. Paul Steadyfast</strong></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> When online fans argue about whether Sam Strong and Rip Chord are the greatest wrestler of all time, it's shows like this that get dissected and re-dissected in order to prove a point. While Rip Chord is given ten minutes with the relative unknown Brent Hill and pulls off a show-stealing performance, Strong is given the main event against an equally skilled rookie with significantly more momentum and it simply doesn't work. </p><p> </p><p> It's hard to pick exactly what the problem is, although there are some educated guesses. Putting Steadyfast in the ring, for example, reminds people exactly how tall the babyface Strong is – at six-foot-eight he towers over his opponent, and his bodybuilder's physique easily gives him a power advantage over the heel. Steadyfast counters this by being younger and faster, keeping the match on the mat and working the elbow to take away Strong's most potent weapon. He couples the technical offense with a distinct lack of respect – he repeatedly slaps Strong and taunts him, playing mind-games – but the middleweight is still working twice as hard as his opponent to seem just as dangerous in the ring.</p><p> </p><p> Perhaps it's simply that, in the fans mind, this is a match that will involve an Untouchable’s run-in and so the nuances of the in-ring action get lost. It isn't until the false-falls begin and there's still no sign of Oxford and Bryant that they pick up on the possibility that Steadyfast may simply be trying to outwrestle the larger man, but by then the match is largely being carried by the finish. Strong grabs the ring ropes to block the slingshot suplex and kicks Steadyfast free. The Strong Arm Tactic follows, giving the Legend the victory and a berth in the Malice in Wonderland main event.</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Sam Strong defeated Paul Steadyfast in 21:27 by pinfall.</strong></p><p> <strong>Rating: C+</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</span></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Dread.jpg</span><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/SamStrong.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> Dread steps out onto the Hollyweird Stage, glaring at the ring as Sam Strong's hand is raised in the air. Strong is in bad shape after his match, favouring the arm that Steadfast spent twenty minute assaulting. "The Human Juggernaut is here," Azaria says, "and he's got bad intentions on his mind."</p><p> </p><p> Dread smashes a gloved fist into his other palm, grinning at Strong as the slow, inexorable advance on the ring begins. </p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Liberty.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> Liberty comes charging down to try and stop the Human Juggernaut, jumping onto Dread's back and latching on a sleeper hold. All that earns him is a one way trip onto the steel ramp when Dread throws him off.</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/PeterValentine.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> Peter Valentine follows up, noticeably slower off the mark than Strong's protégé. Valentine trades punches with the big man. Valentine actually succeeds in standing toe-to-toe with Dread for the space of a minute, buying Strong time to recover…</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DustyStreets.jpg</span></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> …but his stand against the Juggernaut is put to a halt when Dusty Streets comes charging down with a chair and Valentine decides discretion is the better part of valor. Strong's best friend flees, Streets hot on his heels, but it's given Liberty enough time to stand and start brawling with the Human Juggernaut, the two of them throwing each other across ther ingside area as they fight.</p><p> </p><p> With any semblance of control gone, the officials let loose the dark match crew and ring security to separate the various parties. Sharp eyed fans get a chance to see many familiar names from the future among the melee – among them Larry Wood, Java, and Tribal Warrior. </p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Rating: A</strong></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg</span></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Overall: B-</strong></p></div><p></p><p></p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted May 19, 2011 Author Share Posted May 19, 2011 http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoelBryant.jpg Bryant leans forward, beer bottle dangling from his fingers. He thinks very hard about the question. “Decisions were made,” he says, “and Paul got the worst of it.” http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TroyTornado.jpg Troy Tornado sprawls across the big red couch, wearing a vintage Ramones shirt beneath his sleeveless denim vest. The TCW rock star is utterly comfortable in front of the camera, his lip curled into a faint smile. “If you were an undercard guy with a background in the indies,” he says, “that was the show you stayed glued to the curtain, man, and it was…disappointing, I guess. Steady P wasn’t on a fast-track like James or Tyson were, but he worked his ass off and he had heat, man, him and Joel and Robert. And after that match, just like that…nothing. "I think that was probably the start of it, really. I mean, people watched that match, and they watched Hill/Chord, and it got them thinking about how much better things might be with a guy like Rip in charge. Someone who actually cared about making other people look good, you know?” http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoelBryant.jpg “There’s always a certain amount of stuff that gets worked out as you go. There’s long-term plans, sure, but once you’re at the venue and the show gets taping, all of a sudden things shift. Someone gets injured. Someone misses their flight to the venue. Someone misses their cue or gets their call-time wrong. Things go wrong and you do what you can to minimize the impact.” http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/PaulSteadyfast.jpg There’s something infectious about Paul Steadyfast’s amused grin. “Do I feel ripped off? Brother, they were paying me enough to take care of my mortgage and I was in the main event with Sam Strong on nationally syndicated television. Pin me, pay me, brother, and everything else is gravy.” http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoelBryant.jpg “You get things over by repeating them. For five weeks we’d been hitting the ring, saving Steady P’s arse right about the point it’s going to get kicked. I didn’t really mind not doing the run-in on his match with Sam, I could see the sense in it when they explained things, but it needed to be Paul’s decision to bench us, you know? That’s what pissed me off, not giving him sixty seconds of promo time to explain why week six was special. “I mean, you have him go out there, explain that the semi-finals are important, that he wants to do things on his own back. You let him say, I think I’ve got what it takes to beat Sam Strong on my own, and you let him lose and prove him wrong. Do that and you knit the stable together, you give the fans a chance to realise that they were right to hate Steadyfast, ‘cause he really can’t do this on his own.” http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/LarryVessey.jpg “Paul Steadyfast was one of those kids," Vessey says. "Solid in the ring, plenty of potential, but he didn't really have that spark that makes a guy like Liberty a headliner. And there's nothing wrong with that – I was like that myself, once upon a time, and I did okay for myself. "Thing is, Steadyfast was a company guy. He worked hard, he got other people over, and he didn't really work to keep himself viable. It's why he drifted from company to company on the indies, and it's why he let Strong run right over his gimmick in the main event of the show. He just didn't care about politics enough. "And I figured, what the hell? I'd already done all the speeches with Bryan, so it wasn't going to kill me to give them again. So I started giving him pointers, sort-a guiding him, and for the life of me I couldn't understand why Oxford or Bryant weren't doing it already." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted June 15, 2011 Author Share Posted June 15, 2011 TCW Legacy Archive Presents http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HTV.jpg - Episode 7 Preview - A host of new talent debuts in this episode of Hollywood TV, starting with two of Canada’s most feared wrestlers take to the squared circle. The Wood Brothers square off against tag-team legends the Blazing Flames, looking to make an immediate impact on the tag-team division. Brent Hill makes his second appearance on Hollywood TV when he squares off against the mysterious Ronin of the Shadow Clan. There’s little doubt that Hill is the favourite after his showing against Rip Chord last week, but the ninjas of the Shadow Clan have proven adept at cheating to even the odds. The Vessey Brothers have pursued the title of “best tag-team in the world” more aggressively than anyone in Hollyweird, but they come up against two veterans of the sport when the Backbreaker Inc debut. Jack Dundee and Eric Tyler are hard-hitting brawlers who have wrestled for companies around the world, but they’re eager to earn a regular spot in the Hollyweird tag-team ranks. Peter Valentine picked up a decisive (if controversial) victory on our last show, but he faces a considerably tougher challenge when he wrestles Cowboy Ricky Dale. It’s a must-win match for Ricky Dale, who can’t afford to lose momentum prior to his fatal four way qualifier, while Valentine is eager to prove that his loss earlier in the tournament was an aberration. Dread and Sam Strong will finally meet in the ring when they clash in a mystery partner tag-team match. Both men are free to bring in any member of the Hollyweird roster as their partner, but both men have been closed mouth in regards to who they’ll bring in. Regardless of their partners, one thing is certain: when these two icons finally meet, the results will be explosive. Finally, the third spot on the four way dance at Malice in Wonderland will be claimed by either BLZ Bubb or Liberty after they face off in our main event. The Demon Seed is unbeaten in HGC competition, crushing every opponent placed in front of him, but Liberty has been learning to beat the odds under the tutelage of the legendary Sam Strong. Matches features in streaming video include: Liberty vs. BLZ Bubb Sam Strong & ??? vs. Dread & ??? Cowboy Ricky Dale vs. Peter Valentine The Vessey Brothers vs. Backbreaker Inc Brent Hill vs. Ronin The Blazing Flames vs. The Wood Brothers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingo Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Liberty vs. BLZ Bubb Sam Strong & ??? vs. Dread & ??? Cowboy Ricky Dale vs. Peter Valentine The Vessey Brothers vs. The Brainbusters Brent Hill vs. Ronin The Blazing Flames vs. The Wood Brothers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsnypade33 Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Liberty vs. BLZ Bubb Sam Strong & ??? vs. Dread & ??? Cowboy Ricky Dale vs. Peter Valentine The Vessey Brothers vs. Backbreaker Inc Brent Hill vs. Ronin The Blazing Flames vs. The Wood Brothers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwink Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share Posted June 21, 2011 http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HTV_Logo.jpg Originally Broadcast Tuesday, Week 3, January 1997 Evanovich Riverside (Tri-State) – 8,209 people http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/SamStrong.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Liberty.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TysonBaine.jpg w/http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/KarenKiller_alt.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Dread.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RickyDaleJohnson.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RipChord.jpg w/http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/CharlieThatcher.jpg Dread and Strong are segregated from the rest of the hopefuls, tension crackling between the two big men as they restrain themselves from going at it. The remaining four names still hoping to earn a spot at Malice in Wonderland stand front-and-centre, eyes turned towards the Silver Screen as they wait to see whose fighting who in tonight’s main event. Once again the faces flash past the screen in a blur, finally settling on a single name: BLZ BUBB The camera pans across the three remaining contenders. Rip Chord remains nonplussed, as only Rip Chord can do. Liberty bounces on the balls of his feet, as if excited by the possibility of climbing into the ring with the Demon Seed. Cowboy Ricky Dale looks torn – if it isn’t his name that comes up, he’s guaranteed to be facing Chord again next week. The camera stays on Rick Dale as the final name falls, catching him repeating the same phrase over and over beneath his breath, "not me, not me, not me". The beeping slows, then stops. LIBERTY Cowboy Rick Dale exhales, grinning. Rip Chord shrugs and walks offstage. Liberty and BLZ Bubb step forward, staring each other down. BLZ Bubb roars, a primal scream that’s loud enough to cause many of the audience to wince. Liberty just smiles and gives the monster a thumbs up. “It’s cool, man,” he says. “Totally cool. You and me, in the ring? Yeah, man, I dig it.” Rating: B+ http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoeyFlame.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TeddyFlame.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/LarryWood.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/AlysianScottsfield.jpg The Blazing Flames vs. The Wood Brothers The Wood Brothers jump the Flames right on the opening bell, the two wild men establishing their flagrant disregard of conventions and fair play from the outset. The Wood boys hit hard and they hit fast, and the fight smarter than their wild-and-woolly appearance would suggest; Billy Wood dumps Teddy Flame over the top rope and takes the fight to ringside, dominating the older Flame brother while Larry Wood keeps the referee busy through the judicious use of closed fist punches to the face and offense at the ropes that pushes the five-count to its very limits before breaking off. It's several minutes before referee Eugene Williams gets the match completely under control, and the Wood Brothers are on top throughout. Once free from the ringside brawl, Teddy Flames and his brother are quick to regain the momentum. Quick tags give both men time to breathe and recover from the assault, bringing the match up to the breakneck pace that favours the veteran team. Billy Wood finds himself falling victim to the classic legsweep/flying elbow double-team that has proved pivotal in so many of the Flames matches. The Blazing Flames defeated The Wood Brothers in 9:52 by pinfall. Rating: D+ http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DemonSpite.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DemonAnger.jpg The Demons of Rage appear at ringside, still clad in their street-clothes. They immediately split up and circle the ring, cutting off avenues of escape, before making their move. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoeyFlame.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TeddyFlame.jpg The Blazing Flames respond immediately – Joey Flame tears across the ring, laying into Anger with a series of sharp rights as the Demon climbs the ropes. It’s not fancy, but it works – Anger’s approach is slowed as he fends off the assault. Teddy Flame tries something a little fancier, attempting to dropkick Spite through the second and third rope, but the attack misses and the elder flame is suddenly at the Demon’s mercy. Spite comes off the ring apron, planting an elbow drop right in his targets’ sternum, then follows it up by firing Teddy into the guard rail like a lawn dart. Meanwhile the brawl between Joey and Anger has made its way to the centre of the ring, fists flying on both sides. Spite joins Anger and the result is inevitable, the two monsters planting Joey Flame with the Double Demon Down. The Demons snarl at the crowd for a few moments, but their statement is made. They leave the Flames in a heap and head backstage. Rating: C http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RickyDaleJohnson.jpg Cowboy Ricky Dale appears on the video screen, sitting backstage with his cowboy boots on the catering table and a bottle of beer in his fist. “There are days when I’m the luckiest son-of-a-gun you’ll ever meet,” he says, “and I guess today is just one of those days, brother. “Rip Chord, looks like you and me have another trip on the merry-go-round, partner, and this time we do it in my old stomping grounds. Seven days, Rip. Seven more days 'til I get you where I want you. What say you leave your muscle behind this time, so we can settle this in the ring like men?" Rating: B- http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BrentHill.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TroyTornado.jpg Brent Hill vs. Ronin Ronin starts the match by driving Hill into the corner, firing off a series of chops before backing up and hitting a running drop kick. It's the last stretch of offense he gets for several minutes, as everything is Hill from then on. Everything Ronin tries is reversed, eventually leading to Hill coming up with an Ankle Lock that sees his opponent scrambling for the ropes. <FUMIHIRO Ota Awesome Thunder> http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/FumihiroOta.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/YosukeNarita_alt.jpg Unfortunately for Hill, the Shadow Clan rarely work alone. Fumihiro Ota flies up the side of the ring and sails off the top rope, nailing Hill with a bulldog. It's followed by the Thunder Shock from Awesome Thunder, but Hill rolls free at the last minute and immediately clears the ring of secondary threats. Ronin attempts to take advantage – he connects with the flying forearm from the top rope and gets a two-count off the move – but Hill quickly locks the match down and picks up the victory with a small package. Brent Hill defeated Ronin in 5:06 by pinfall. Rating: D- http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MontyWalker_alt.jpg Monty Walker slouches through the arena, sports bag slung over his shoulder. He rounds a corner and comes face-to-face with Romeo Heartthrob, the veteran sporting a black eye from last week's assault. Monty falls back a step, struggling to suppress a grin. "Listen man," he says, "I know you're probably angry and—" http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RomeoHeartthrob.jpg "Shut up!" Romeo holds his palm flat, directly in Monty's face. "I watched the footage, I heard your explanation. I find myself…insulted. It's not that you sucker punched me, although we'll deal with that in a moment. It's just…I don't get it. You were standing in a room with the heart-breaker, trying to figure out to win a girl, and you figured the best choice was to pick a fight?" "Well, see, my girl said—" "Shut! Up!" Romeo's face contorts as he tries to contain his anger. "First lesson, kid; you don't prove yourself worthy of a woman, you make her prove herself to you." Monty's look is utterly baffled. "But dude, she's like, hot." Romeo sneers. "That just makes it easier, kid. Trust me on that. Make her want you, not the other way around. Now, we move on to lesson two…" Heartthrob levels Walker with a straight right hand. "Never try to win a woman over by picking a fight you can't win," he says. "No-one sleeps with the loser of a fight, kid. Remember that." Walker lies on the floor, stunned. Romeo just shakes his head and walks away. "Next time you want to get laid, ASK," he shouts. "The Heartthrob of millions gives lessons, kid, and you've got a lot to learn." Rating: C http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/ActionJackson.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/SamStrong.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Liberty.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/PeterValentine.jpg The camera cuts to the backstage interview area where Action Jackson stands by with Sam Strong and Liberty, with an agitated Peter Valentine pacing back and forth behind them. "Two big matches coming up in the second half of our show," Action Jackson says, "and I'm almost unsure which of these men to talk to first." "Then screw it, talk to me." Valentine stomps over and claims the microphone. "I got a message for Dusty Streets. Brother, last week your mouth wrote some checks that I plan on cashing one of these days. You impugned my talent, my honour as a wrestler, and my friendship with one of the legends of the sport, all because your masked Japanese buddy didn't have what it takes to step into the ring with—" "Well, an exciting development," Jackson says, pulling the microphone away from Valentine mid-rant, "but I suspect our viewers are for more interested in hearing some words about tonight's main event when Liberty takes on the unbeaten, unstoppable demon seed, BLZ Bubb. Liberty, how do you plan on stopping a monster like this one?" "Action Jackson, dude, you said a mouthful," Liberty says. "All night people have been coming up to me, asking if I'm ready to face off the demon seed, and I'll tell you the same thing I told all of them. Liberty doesn't sweat the big stuff, dude. I'm gonna go out there, I'm going to wrestle the match of my life, I'm going to give the fans a show…and if I win, man, well…then there's going to be a party." Jackson frowns. "But do you think—" "Everyone's got a weakness, brother," Sam Strong says. "Even a man like BLZ Bubb. Trust me, brother, he's tough, but if Liberty weren't just as tough I never would have recruited him into the Million Strong Army, brother." "Which brings us to my next point," Jackson says. "There was a great deal of speculation that either Valentine or Liberty would be your partner in tonight's match, but now they're both in matches. The question on everyone's lips – exactly who did you find crazy enough to step into the ring with Dread?" "It should be me," Valentine barks. Liberty shakes his head. "Dude, Dread's so got you scouted." "Shut it, brother. This argument's got nothing—" Sam Strong places a hand on Valentine's shoulder to shut him up. "Everyone may want to know who my partner is, brother," Strong says, "and there's no doubting that I'd love to get into the ring with either of these two men, brother, but tonight the Million Strong Army is getting another new recruit. "Peter Valentine, you may have the heart of a lion, brother, but Liberty is right when he says Dread will have you scouted, brother. I figured maybe I'd take Liberty in there with me, but I owe it to my friend not to distract him from the title hunt, brother. When, not if, WHEN, I step into that four way dance at Malice, brother, I want to look across that ring and see one of the hottest new talents in wrestling today standing there with me." "So who did you pick?" Jackson says, urgency in his voice. "Well, brother, I found someone who wants a piece of Dread almost as much as I do. But if you wanna know who it is, brother…" "Yes?" Jackson says. Sam Strong grins. "Well, for that you gotta wait, brother," he says. "I ain't given mister dready-dready-Dread any advantage I don't have to, brother. Especially when I don't know whose climbing into that ring alongside him." Rating: A http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/LarryVessey.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BryanVessey.jpg w/http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/CoachDickPangrazzio.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/EricTyler.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/BooSmithson.jpg The Vessey Brothers w/ Coach Dick Pangrazzio vs. Backbreaker Inc The two teams are mirror images of one another, both featuring a veteran brawler alongside a talented journeyman wrestler. Despite this, it’s an uphill battle for the debuting team to combat the slick teamwork of the Vesseys, although Dundee and Tyler seem determined to prove they’ve got what it takes. The Backbreakers arsenal heavily favours a combination of sharp slaps, tightly cranked joint locks, and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of backbreaker variations. The Vesseys respond in their own inimitable style, hard-hitting and fluid, embracing the Backbreaker’s rugged approach to the match. Both teams seem unwilling to lose this, kicking out of their opponents more impressive double-teams, but in the end the superior teamwork of the Vessey’s prevails. Bryan Vessey pins Eric Tyler courtesy of the Sick Cycle. The Vessey Brothers defeated Backbreaker Inc in 8:46 by pinfall. Rating: C+ http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Grunt.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Stink.jpg The Silver Screen fires up and once again the familiar visages of the Nation of Filth are sneering at the fans. "The Nation of Filth, coming up at ya from Trash Heap, USA," Grunt says. "Tonight we were meant to be facing Joshua and the Giant Red—" "Dude, no," Stink says. "Joshuya." "Oh, right," Grunt says. "Joshua." "Nope," Stink says. "Got it wrong again." "F—K it," Grunt says. "Just roll the tape." http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/GiantRedwood.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/SuperJoshuya.jpg The Nation of Filth are replaced with a grainy security video from backstage, depicting Redwood and Joshuya as the warm up backstage. Suddenly the two monsters are jumped by The Nation of Filth, who proceed to wail upon their targets with trash can lids attached to steel chains. It takes two or three shots to the head to put Redwood down, but it works. The camera goes back to Grunt and Stink. "Oops," Grunt says. "Weren't we meant to be wrestling those two tonight?" Stink feigns surprise. "We were? Clumsy us!" The pair laugh, then resume scowling. "Get it through your heads, Hollyweird," Stink says. "When you hired the Nation of Filth, you didn't hire yourself wrestlers. You hired two of the stickest, stiffest, most violent mother-f—kers in the world today. " "We ain't playin' by your rules," Grunt says, "and we ain't steppin' into the ring until someone finds us a good fight. Write it down, mail it to that punk Stallings, and maybe these kinds of mistakes will stop." Rating: D+ http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DustyStreets.jpg Dusty Streets walks out onto the stage, dressed in street clothes. He's carrying a microphone. "On April 3rd, 1969, I stepped into a professional wrestling ring for the first time," Streets says. "Damn near twenty-eight years I've been doing this, and I can still count on one hand the number of times I've seen a wrestler do what Peter Valentine did last week. Most of them were rookie punks, fresh out of training. Peter Valentine isn't a rookie, but he's sure as hell a punk. I guess that shouldn't surprise me, given who his friends are. "Wrestler's have a code. You don't have to like the man you fight, but you do have to respect him. You can pin him, you can make him submit, you can even hurt him…but you don't intentionally take away the way he makes his living. You don't intentionally try to cripple him, and you don't try to kill him with a rabbit punch just so you can get over as a tough guy. "Eagle's in a neck brace right now. He won't be cleared to wrestle for weeks. One of the most talented young wrestlers I've ever seen, a man I hoped to hold gold with in this company one day, and he's sidelined by Peter Valentine's ego. "Twenty-eight years I've been doing this, and this is the first time I've ever looked on another wrestler with true disgust. "When a rookie stuffs up, you teach him the error of his ways. When a guy like Valentine does it… Streets stares at the audience for a moment, then shakes his head, unable to find the words before walking offstage. Rating: B- http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RickyDaleJohnson.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/PeterValentine.jpg Cowboy Ricky Dale vs. Peter Valentine An entertaining match, given the limitations of whose in the ring, with the action going back-and-forth for six minutes before the distraction occurs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DarkEagle.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/DustyStreets.jpg Dark EAGLE emerges, hobbling down the ramp. He’s hampered by both the brace strapped around his neck and a very determined Dusty Streets trying to stop his partner from doing himself further injury. Valentine observes, realises that Dark EAGLE’s in shape to actually interfere in the match, and permits himself a satisfied smirk. He turns to continue the match, but Ricky Dale is waiting with a Rough Justice to finish things off and pick up a victory. Cowboy Ricky Dale defeated Peter Valentine in 6:51 by pinfall. Rating: C- http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/ActionJackson.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Dread.jpg Action Jackson is backstage with Dread. “We’re minutes away from the first of our co-main events tonight,” Jackson says. “Dread, there are two big questions going into the match, and I don’t want to hold you up any more than I have too. Who is your partner going up against Sam Strong tonight?” Dread doesn’t mess around. “Paul Steadyfast.” “An…interesting choice,” Jackson says, “considering Sam Strong defeated him in our main event last week.” “A man who doesn’t lose fails to learn,” Dread says. “I watched last weeks match and I saw a man who took Sam Strong to the limit. I saw a man who now feels the same hunger for victory as I do. I saw a man who held back, who restrained himself from tipping the scales with his personal insurance policy.” Dread’s grin bears an uncanny resemblance to a mako sharks. “Tonight, I suspect, he will feel no such compunctions.” Rating: B+ http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/SamStrong.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MrLucha1977.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Dread.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/PaulSteadyfast.jpg w/http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RobertOxford.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JoelBryant.jpg Sam Strong & Mr Lucha vs. Dread & Paul Steadyfast w/The Tag-Team Specialists It's hard to say who wants Dread more in this match – Strong is looking for yet another victory over the Human Juggernaut, but Mr Lucha seems determined to prove he can beat the bigger man after being on the losing end of their semi-final match. Dread responds to their ire by deploying Paul Steadyfast, delaying his own entry into the match until an opportune moment presents itself. Paul Steadyfast rises to the challenge – with Strong distracted by the desire to get his hands on Dread, the smaller technician has an even easier time taking the Legend to the mat than he did in their clash last week. The Tag-Team Specialists come out about five minutes into the match, prowling the ringside area like a pair of sharks, and the tension inside the ring ratchets up as Strong and Dread finally meet about eight minutes in. The two big men brawl their way across the ring, then spill outside, leaving Mr Lucha and Steadyfast to finish the match in the ring. Sam Sparrow is distracted by the two leviathans brawling at ringside, so the Tag-Team Specialists quickly initiate a three-on-one beat-down in the ring, and it isn’t long before the trio start unlacing the mask of Mr Lucha. Jason Azaria immediately rattles off the history of Lucha’s mask and the insult happening in the ring, right about the time that the assembled ranks of the HGC Luchadors come tearing down the ramp to stop the attack. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Elctrico.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/ElBandido.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/SpanishSuperfly.jpg Electrico leads the way, the young hero springboarding off the top rope to wipe out Robert Oxford, and there's a three-on-three brawl with the Untouchables while Mr Lucha lies on the mat. With Dread and Strong outside the ring and far to many people in it, referee Sam Sparrow calls for the DQ. Sam Strong and Mr Lucha defeated Dread and Paul Steadyfast in 10:32 by DQ. Rating: B- http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/SamStrong.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Dread.jpg The brawl continues around the ringside area, totally spilling beyond the control of the ringside officials. The camera follows Dread as he brawls with Strong, the two men creative carnage as they throw each other around ringside. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/MrLucha1977.jpg Mr Lucha tries to interfere, coming off the ring apron, but Dread catches the masked man and plants him into the concrete with a powerbomb. Strong goes for a Strong Arm Tactic, but he too gets planted into the concrete floor courtesy of a spinebuster. Dread stands over his victims, smaller brawls going on all around him. When neither Strong nor Mr Lucha look like getting up Dread nods with satisfaction and walks off. Rating: B+ http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/JasonAzaria.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/RipChord.jpghttp://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/CharlieThatcher.jpg The show returns from a commercial break to find Jason Azaria holding Action Jackson’s usual spot, standing alongside a very unimpressed Rip Chord and an impassively threatening Charlie Thatcher. “Rip, you’ve insisted on having this time, and paid a considerable amount to secure it on very short notice,” Azaria says. “I don’t want to waste your money, so why don’t you tell us what’s on your mind?” “Three words: Cowboy. Ricky. Dale.” Chord laughs, obviously amused by the fact that he’s addressing this problem once more. “It looks like you’re getting exactly what you wanted, brother. Me and you, back in the ring again, one on one. Congratulations, brother. I’m guessing life is pretty good for you, right now. “I wish I could say it’ll end differently for you, brother, but the truth is simple: I got to go through you to get the world title, and that’s what’s going to happen. I don’t know what you think you’ve got to prove, brother. You lost to Rip Chord, the great one, the legend. Thousands have lost before you, thousands will afterwards. “I bought this time to give you a message, Mister Cowboy Ricky Dale. Do whatever it takes to get over this, brother. Talk to your best friend, see your therapist, go to a priest and confess your problems – whatever you do, prepare yourself. Because next week’s match will end the same way our first match did – me with my hand in the air, you walking back up the ramp knowing your second best.” Rating: B- http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/Liberty.jpg vs. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/TysonBaine.jpg w/http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/KarenKiller_alt.jpg Liberty vs. BLZ Bubb w/Karen Killer It's a straightforward wrestling formula – a passionate, underdog babyface and a nigh-unstoppable monster heel – and the two men pull it off with considerable aplomb despite some conditioning problems for BLZ Bubb and a slightly distracted performance from Liberty. Liberty dances around the Demon Seed, hitting fast and fading away, searching for a new angle of attack. BLZ Bubb simply gets angrier and increasingly reckless, no-selling offense as he stalks Liberty. Sam Strong's protégé pulls out all the stops as he tries to slow BLZ Bubb down, culminating in a double-clothesline spot where both men wipe are left flat on the mat and the referee starts a ten-count. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/PeterValentine.jpg A surly Peter Valentine comes down to the ringside area, thumping the canvas with both hands as he urges Liberty to get up. Unfortunately BLZ Bubb gets up first and he takes exception to Valentine’s presence, the Demon Seed charging the ropes in an attempt to lay his hands on the intruder. Valentine dances away, but BLZ Bubb leans over the ropes, snarling and ranting. Liberty recovers. Then he neatly comes in behind the distracted monster and rolls him up. Bubb kicks out, roaring with fury, but any semblance of training or intelligent planning is gone for the finale minutes of the match. Liberty bides his time, sees and opening, and takes it – finishing the match with a Liberation Slam to advance to the main event at Malice in Wonderland. Liberty defeated BLZ Bubb in 18:01 by pinfall. Rating: B http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x15/arwink/HGCB.jpg Overall: B- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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