New York City Wrestling: Old School Lives On

1PWfan · March 8, 2012

NYCW- Old School Lives On

New York City Wrestling is arguably the oldest independent promotion in the world. Opening in 1988, its record is passed by a handful of promotions, many of which have gone on to become global phenomena. Indeed, in its lifespan NYCW has survived the early 90’s dominance of the SWF, the legendary East Coast Wars and a host of other wrestling landmarks (or should that be landmines?). It’s had a lot of famous years over it’s history, some good, some bad. But arguably none were as significant as 2010, the year that saw the company begin possibly the most exciting phase of it’s history yet.

To find out what made 2010 so significant, we need to go back to July 2001, and the arrival of Hugh Dansigny…

***

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“I came to New York from NOTBPW- I’d quit in 2000 for personal stuff, mostly ‘cos I’d fallen out with pretty much the entire Stone family…”

Hugh Dansigny’s sat in his Long Island home, relaxing in a chair that’s part-throne, part-giant office chair.

“Long story short, they didn’t appreciate my attitude- by 2000 I was pretty much a great steaming ball of negativity- or my marrying Sean’s little sister when I was five years and one spectacular divorce up on her. Anyway, after walking out of North of the Border I figured that my career chances in Canada were pretty much zero so I moved down to the US and tried looking for work down there. New York was close to my old stomping ground from my Rapid Pro days and I’d seen a few of their shows in The Great White North, so I knew what to expect. Seemed like a good deal at the time.

“Of course, then the Stones got involved and a lot of lawyers got very, very rich, but then I had left with middle fingers raised, so to speak…”

***

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The Stomper grins ruefully, the backdrop dominated by a huge NYCW banner. His voice emanates from somewhere near his boots, deep and gravelly like Nick Nolte on an extremely rough day

“It’s a long and incredibly boring story- trust me, I was there- but basically Hugh’s contract specified a whole bunch of rules for his exit that he’d ignored. A month’s notice instead of six days, obligations to perform up to his departure dateand all the cr@p that comes with the big leagues. Nobody really got anything out of it ‘cept the lawyers and the dirtsheets, but the upshot was that it was six months before Hugh could actually start working for us. Almost turned me off him altogether, but our colour guy back then was Kenny O’Quinn- nice guy but you had to remind him how to turn a microphone on. And when he finally got here Hugh actually managed to justify the trouble- sure he was no Peter Michaels, and he could be a difficult sonofab*tch some days, but he knew his stuff, and him and Rock were just fantastic together”

***

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“I’d been with North of the Border for, what, 3 or 4 years? And I’ll admit that by the end I’d gotten lazy- great wrestling is great wrestling, but after the tenth time you have to do colour on a Dan Stone/RK Hayes match you start to really lose interest. Moving to New York…I wasn’t at my best when I started but at least I was motivated, eh? Besides, the big advantage of NYCW is that it was more of a challenge- frankly you could stay completely quiet during a Dan Stone Jr. match and nobody would really care, but when you’re having to cover for American Machine or Jumbo Jackson it really stretches you as a commentator, and that’s what I needed. In a weird way, having to commentate lower quality matches got me back on form- I needed that kind of challenge, that real need to fill space to get my form back.

“The other big reason I really started to enjoy myself was working with Rock Downpour. We had that really natural interplay of personalities on commentary- him the big straight-talking guy who maybe isn’t the brightest but knows his stuff, me the weaselly jerk who’s smarter than everyone else and takes the mick because of it. Working with Tommy I’d never had much to play off of- his whole style is like an actual sports guy, analysis and clarity without personality on top of it- but Rock and me could go back and forth all day. It’s part of the reason why we wound up supplanting Marv Earnest and Herb Stately on commentary, especially when The Old School formed and Herb started doing a lot of managerial work again.

“The big thing, though, the one that really pointed to a huge change in how much I enjoyed working NYCW, was when Larry Vessey joined up in the second half of the decade, I don’t remember when exactly. But me and him- it was a real tight friendship, eh?”

***

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Larry Vessey sprawls in the seating at The Ministry, the NYCW Ring visible over his shoulder

“I’d been working in Japan with Bryan for a few years, but the schedule over there was insane. Seriously, those guys work two or three shows a week, beating the p*ss out of each other and for what? A few hundred bucks per show? No thanks. So we said screw it and came to the States, where you get more money for fewer shows and don’t have to actually kill each other every show. Bryan went to TCW- he still had a run at the top left in him and I think he wanted to have a chance to work with Same Keith- and I moved to the East Coast to be nearer Cam and wound up getting an offer to come to New York and do the odd show, as and when I felt like it. I got the feeling Stomper liked me, and we had some of the same ideas about how a company should be run. We never actually mentioned me taking over, though- I know a lot of people started talking about that when new got out, but it was never something that was officially said, at least not to me.

“Anyway, me and Hugh just bonded. We have a similar sense of humour, watch the same kind of TV and anytime we got bored we could get together, crack open a few beers and b*tch about the problems with Japanese wrestling. It was good times, man, the best I’d had since the early days of HGC travelling with the Coach.”

***

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“It was like being in high school”

Black Hat Bailey shakes his head, a rueful grin on his face and his trademark cigar clutched between his teeth.

“Larry acted like the star quarterback, y’know? The big star of the squad that can get away with whatever he likes because of how big and tough he is, with Hugh playing court jester and chief toady. The only difference, and the one thing that kept them from being totally unbearable, is that in a wrestling company you expect people to give sh*t back, y’know? Larry could be a real @sshole but he wasn’t gonna get down on you because you ribbed him, and everybody was used to Hugh being full of it so he wasn’t what you’d call a problem. Sometimes he even managed to keep Larry from going off on one, though that was only if Stomper or one of the big sponsors was around, usually Hugh’d be the guy winding Larry up. As long as you could take it, though, they were okay. @ssholes, but not bad guys, right? And to be honest if you can’t take it you shouldn’t be in this business. I remember my days in Supreme, you got guys a lot worse than them there. Larry and Hugh at their worst couldn’t match some of these real bad guys in this business. Heck, I spent a couple of months in the same locker room as Big Smack Scott and I wanted to kill him. Compared to that, Larry and Hugh were small fry- like I said, they always expected people to give ‘em hell back, it’s kind of why they kept on at some of the guys. No trying to rise above it, y’know? They didn’t take to that

“So when I decided to step down from being the booker I honestly had no problem with Hugh taking over. At least he got it, y’know?”

***

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Hugh pauses, clearly considering how to frame his next words

“Bailey had done a good job, but he was starting to talk about retirement and I think everybody knew he was more value as a road agent or producer or whatever Supreme call them now than as a wrestler, eh. So he decided to step down as booker and hand the job over to somebody else, so if one of the big leagues came calling he was available- I don’t blame him for that, the money alone was always real good at the top level, especially when you look at how much easier it is as a road agent. And with Larry in line as a potential successor- at least, that’s my theory, even though it wasn’t an official thing or anything- I think Stomper was looking at somebody who could work with him without getting difficult. Larry’s not an easy guy to work with and no independent company has ever survived having booker and owner at loggerheads. I’m not gonna claim I was the only guy who could have handled it, but there’s also the fact that I’m not a wrestler. You look at guys like The Mauler or Frankie, they’re fantastic writers and bookers but they’re always in the locker room, they’re too keyed into what’s happening there and it kinda…I don’t want to say it warps their perspective, but it does affect it. Me, I’m an outsider- I’m not affected by whatever’s going to the locker room. It’s that kind of mostly unbiased, uninvolved perspective that I think Stomper went for.”

***

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The Stomper shrugs

“I just figured we didn’t have anything to lose, you know?”

1PWfan · March 8, 2012

Yes, I am doing another NYCW dynasty. It's my spiritual home on TEW, and my last effort in particular was turning into something very good before it got derailed. And yes, the format is derived from Phantom's PPPW Dynasty and arwink's HGC work- I like it, and it's easier to format than some styles (and coming off the back of an epically over-formatted CBH dynasty I really appreciate that).

Anyway, the first show is being written up as we speak, so expect an update soon, with predictions.

TheEffect · March 8, 2012

5 Stars.

I'm Reading.

You Have Been Warned.

jesseewiak · March 9, 2012

woot! Another 1PW dynasty! Awesome.

1PWfan · March 10, 2012

Having agreed to take on the role of head booker, Hugh Dansigny officially started the job on January 1st, 2010, and it didn’t take him long to make his presence felt…

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“You look at NYCW’s roster in January 2010, it was good. We had a solid top line, a few good midcard acts- heck, you look at Sammy the Shark or The New York Doll, there’s even some good young stars coming through, and The Ring Generals were probably the finest young tag team on the East Coast. Problem for me, though, was that we didn’t have enough young guys in the right places. Take our top stars, for instance- Bailey, Steve Flash, Whistler, Honest Frank and Lee Wright. All good, solid stars, all over 40. What we needed was a younger guy who was ready to move up when those guys retired- heck, you couldn’t be certain from one month to the next whether or not Lee or Bailey would still be wrestling, so a new young star? Definitely a must-have. There was also some dead weight we needed to cut, just a couple of guys but definitely people we could do without…”

***

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Sammy the Shark grins the same, game show host grin he’s always had

“Honestly? Least surprising dismissals in the world. Land Mass had been there since, oh, 95? 96? Point is, he’d been around for years and accomplished a big, fat, zero. Plus everybody knew Hugh didn’t like Land Mass.”

Sammy pauses, listening to a muted question from off-screen

“It wasn’t personal heat, no- I mean, it wasn’t like some guys you hear about who really don’t like each other. It was more to do with Land Mass’ impact in the locker room, y’know? Not negative as such but a lot of people left thanks to him.”

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“I never knew why, but Land Mass had heat with the Kingmans, Barry and Ray, and thanks to that heat we lost a great up-and-coming star and one of the finest road agents in the business, and this was right around mid 2002 when we really needed all the young guys we could get our hands on. Then he teamed up with The Big Problem and killed the kid’s run stone dead. Alright, so maybe Problem wasn’t doing so great on his own before that, but I still say we could have turned it around and found a better use for him that teaming with that fat sack of cr@p. So yeah, I had a problem with Land Mass and I was pleased to fire him so quickly. But it was never real personal enmity- personally, Land Mass was okay. As a wrestler, he was the pits. Fern Hathaway, though- that was personal.”

***

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“Fern Hathaway was a complete b*tch. One of those chicks that’d come to wrestling pretty much by chance, didn’t have a clue what she was doing, didn’t care, and talked like she deserved to be in Supreme just ‘cos she was a looker. Heck, even Dave Diamond didn’t like her and she was his valet! Nobody missed her when she went.

“Me, I was more worried about my own career. Back then I was tagging up with Roger Cage- they called us Shark Cage, which may be the least imaginative team-name ever- and held the Tri-State Title, the midcard singles belt. Then all of a sudden Roger’s talking about jumping to Supreme and Hugh’s announcing a whole bunch of young guys coming in, chief among them Cameron Vessey. Now everyone knew Hugh and Larry were tight, and with Cam being Larry’s kid I pretty much figured he’d be the new priority guy going forward, y’know? I figured I could maybe expect a quick feud to put him over, drop the belt to him and then fade into the background so Hugh’s new guys could take over the star billing.”

***

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“Yeah, I probably should’ve said something”

Hugh’s sardonic grin belies his words

“Truth is, Sammy was one of the safest guys on the roster. Him, The Ring Generals- Marv Statler and Dean Waldorf- and The New York Doll were our only even vaguely promising younger guys, at least until Lee Wright took Harker under his wing and got to work on his fundamentals, and what guys I did bring in that first month weren’t gonna be taking his spot anyway. Eddie and Deec- Natural Storm- were brought in because, well, they were the greatest young tag team on the independent circuit and fit our company like a glove, eh. And Cameron was brought in because, well, because Larry can be a dick and having his boy around would probably help steady that out. There was never any intention to move Sammy into the background, though, especially not because some kind of political bullsh*t. I mean, me, political? Really?”

Once again, Hugh’s sardonic grin says everything you need to know

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“That first couple of weeks, Hugh only brought in two or three guys- Cam, the Storm, and Jemma Griffiths as a replacement for Fern- but it was pretty clear that he was looking to bring in some extra guys to pad out the job squad and provide some younger talent. It wasn’t ‘til later in the month that we got the big wave of signings- Dozer, The Atlantic Connection, Ant Man- and by then I think Hugh had put together most of our storylines. I know he’d told Sammy about the feud with Lee Wright by then, reassured him he was still a priority. I mean, even a guy like Hugh can’t leave his midcard champion hanging without any explanation of where he fits in forever.”

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“I didn’t actually hear direct from Hugh ‘til a few days before Rush Hour that I was gonna be in that slot. It was classic power-play bullsh*t; I’d heard rumours from Mauler and Steve that I was gonna be in this programme, but Hugh didn’t tell me anything official ‘til I called him up myself and asked. I’m telling you, I was more angry than anything else by the time I got in touch with him, but he managed to turn me around, just. He basically told me ‘you’ve been here longer than any of these other guys, you know this company better than any of ‘em, I want you to lead our new generation, and I want you to be one of our big future stars- I see you as a future Empire Champion once Whistler and Steve have retired’. Pretty much all the usual B.S. bookers pull to try and keep guys onside, but it made for an interesting atmosphere at Rush Hour”

*****

Card for NYCW Rush Hour:

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Steve Flash vs. Black Hat Bailey ©

Whistler vs. Honest Frank

FOR THE NYCW TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy the Shark © vs. Lee Wright

FOR THE NYCW TAG TEAM TITLES

The Ring Generals (Marv Statler & Dean Waldorf) © vs. Natural Storm (Eddie Howard & DC Rayne)

Larry Vessey & Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. The New York Doll & Ant-Man

The Atlantic Connection (Riley McManus & Curtis Jenkins) vs. Old School Principals (Rick Sanders & The Masked Mauler)

Cameron Vessey vs. Dazzling Dave Diamond

serotonin187 · March 10, 2012

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Steve Flash vs. Black Hat Bailey ©

Whistler vs. Honest Frank

FOR THE NYCW TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy the Shark © vs. Lee Wright

FOR THE NYCW TAG TEAM TITLES

The Ring Generals (Marv Statler & Dean Waldorf) © vs. Natural Storm (Eddie Howard & DC Rayne)

Larry Vessey & Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. The New York Doll & Ant-Man

The Atlantic Connection (Riley McManus & Curtis Jenkins) vs. Old School Principals (Rick Sanders & The Masked Mauler)

Cameron Vessey vs. Dazzling Dave Diamond

smurphy1014 · March 10, 2012

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Steve Flash vs. Black Hat Bailey ©

Whistler vs. Honest Frank

FOR THE NYCW TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy the Shark © vs. Lee Wright

FOR THE NYCW TAG TEAM TITLES

The Ring Generals (Marv Statler & Dean Waldorf) © vs. Natural Storm (Eddie Howard & DC Rayne)

Larry Vessey & Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. The New York Doll & Ant-Man

The Atlantic Connection (Riley McManus & Curtis Jenkins) vs. Old School Principals (Rick Sanders & The Masked Mauler)

Cameron Vessey vs. Dazzling Dave Diamond

Hashasheen · March 10, 2012

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Steve Flash vs. Black Hat Bailey ©

Whistler vs. Honest Frank

FOR THE NYCW TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy the Shark © vs. Lee Wright

FOR THE NYCW TAG TEAM TITLES

The Ring Generals (Marv Statler & Dean Waldorf) © vs. Natural Storm (Eddie Howard & DC Rayne)

Larry Vessey & Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. The New York Doll & Ant-Man

The Atlantic Connection (Riley McManus & Curtis Jenkins) vs. Old School Principals (Rick Sanders & The Masked Mauler)

Cameron Vessey vs. Dazzling Dave Diamond

Regis · March 11, 2012

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Steve Flash vs. Black Hat Bailey ©

No switch-up at the first show.

Whistler vs. Honest Frank

I reckon that Frank's got a more consistent upside, and can cheat.

FOR THE NYCW TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy the Shark © vs. Lee Wright

Hang in there, Sammy.

FOR THE NYCW TAG TEAM TITLES

The Ring Generals (Marv Statler & Dean Waldorf) © vs. Natural Storm (Eddie Howard & DC Rayne)

No title change on show one, although I know that with a Natural Storm mark in the booker's chair, they're not going to go anywhere but up.

Larry Vessey & Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. The New York Doll & Ant-Man

Ant-Man is a jobber, Larry is the booker's friend.

The Atlantic Connection (Riley McManus & Curtis Jenkins) vs. Old School Principals (Rick Sanders & The Masked Mauler)

JOBBERS!

Cameron Vessey vs. Dazzling Dave Diamond

Vessey starts off strong.

1PWfan · March 11, 2012

show will be going up tomorrow evening, folks, so if anyone wants to get predictions in they can. Also, England 24-France 22. Someone find that Bryan Danielson celebration, would you?

Boltinho · March 12, 2012

Have some of that Frenchy-bums! How do you like them onions?

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Steve Flash vs. Black Hat Bailey ©

Whistler vs. Honest Frank

FOR THE NYCW TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy the Shark © vs. Lee Wright

FOR THE NYCW TAG TEAM TITLES

The Ring Generals (Marv Statler & Dean Waldorf) © vs. Natural Storm (Eddie Howard & DC Rayne)

Larry Vessey & Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. The New York Doll & Ant-Man

The Atlantic Connection (Riley McManus & Curtis Jenkins) vs. Old School Principals (Rick Sanders & The Masked Mauler)

Cameron Vessey vs. Dazzling Dave Diamond

Midnightnick · March 12, 2012

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Steve Flash vs. Black Hat Bailey ©

Whistler vs. Honest Frank

FOR THE NYCW TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy the Shark © vs. Lee Wright

FOR THE NYCW TAG TEAM TITLES

The Ring Generals (Marv Statler & Dean Waldorf) © vs. Natural Storm (Eddie Howard & DC Rayne)

Larry Vessey & Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. The New York Doll & Ant-Man

The Atlantic Connection (Riley McManus & Curtis Jenkins) vs. Old School Principals (Rick Sanders & The Masked Mauler)

Cameron Vessey vs. Dazzling Dave Diamond

1PWfan · March 12, 2012

NYCW Rush Hour

Live to DVD from The Ministry

Saturday, Week 4, January 2010

Audience: 798

The Show

Cameron Vessey vs. Dazzling Dave Diamond

This was a solid match, as you’d expect from these two. Cameron’s a promising young worker who’s already capable in most of the areas that count (his fundamentals are a little ropy, but even then not by much). As for Dave, he’s a good brawler and has the charisma to cover for his one-dimensional moveset but probably won’t rise far out of the midcard- although he’s an amazing athlete he tends to run out of gas pretty quick and that means he can’t really handle our main event match times. That played into the story of this match, which saw Dave completely dominate Cam in the early going, only to take his foot off the gas and allow the younger wrestler to take control as the time went on. Cameron, meanwhile, played the cocky heel that couldn’t quite believe what he’d let himself in for, fighting back as much as he could and getting out of the ring when he couldn’t. In the end, he was only able to take the win thanks to Herb Stately, who distracted the ref long enough for Cam to hit Dave with a low blow (in the Rick Sanders approved ‘kick to the nuts’ style) before following up with the Vessey Driver (Leg Hook Fisherman Driver) for the victory.

Winner: Cameron Vessey Match Rating: D+

*

From there we head backstage to the Promo Position (or a big NYCW poster in the locker room if we’re being technical), to hear from Herb Stately on the main event

“Nobody’s saying you’re not a great competitor, Steve Flash, but this isn’t the 90’s anymore. This is 2010, and you’re wrestling Black Hat Bailey, a man who’s been to the very top of this profession. So you know what? You’re going down tonight. Fight as hard as you like, give it everything you’ve got, it still won’t be enough. Because you’re not just fighting Black Hat Bailey, you’re fighting The Old School. And you know what? Old School Rules”

Herb’s a good talker but lacks name value or momentum at the moment and it makes the reaction he gets somewhat variable. Fortunately this one wasn’t so bad.

Rating: D

*

Old School Principals vs. The Atlantic Connection

This wasn’t a great match, but I didn’t really expect it to be- Mauler needs a momentum boost and the Atlantic boys are more potential than talent at the moment. What this was a decently booked squash match that gave the Principals a chance to go through their usual tag moves whilst Riley and CJ bumped around for them. Of course it wasn’t completely one-sided, as the Connection staged a brief comeback with some solid technical work, but Rick brought it to an end with his patented low kick (to the nuts) before tagging in Mauler. From there Mauler was able to sink in The Iron Claw on Riley whilst Rick took out CJ on the apron.

Winners: Old School Principals Match Rating: D-

*

Once again we head backstage, this time to hear from Larry Vessey and Bulldozer Brandon Smith

“I’ve been in this business for a long time now, and I’ve fought some of the toughest b@stards you can imagine. Nobuatsu Tatsuko, The Demons of Rage, heck, I even fought Prof Nero waay back in the 70’s. So I think it’s safe to say I know a thing or two about bringing the pain, about what makes a real tough guy. With that in mind, I will say just this: Bulldozer Brandon Smith is the toughest son-of-a-gun I have ever met.”

“I could say something funny or cool, but that’s not why I’m here. I came to NYCW to do two things: kick @ss, and fight. That’s why I’m here, that’s what I’m interested in. Growing up, Larry Vessey was my idol because he was a real fighter, and tonight? Tonight I team with the original Street Fighting Man, and brother, we’re gonna Bring The Pain on alla y’all, you got it?”

Sometimes you just get a segment that works perfectly. This was one of those times.

Rating: C-

*

Larry Vessey & Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Ant-Man & The New York Doll

Okay, so clearly whatever worked on the mic for Larry and ‘Dozer doesn’t work in the ring. This wasn’t a great match, although to be fair it wasn’t all that bad, and at least the crowd was interested. The major problem on the face side was simple physical conditioning- ‘Dozer’s leg injury’s hit his mobility pretty hard, and whilst Larry’s every bit as tough as he says he is that doesn’t change the fact that he can barely walk some days. As for the heels, the Doll’s a solid hand but lacks momentum or name value, and Ant-Man’s kind of a work-in-progress. He does have phenomenal power, though, which he got the chance to show off with a delayed vertical suplex on ‘Dozer that got him a 2-count. Ultimately, however, this match was all about giving Larry and Brandon a chance to show what they could do, and Brandon got the win with a Backdrop Driver on the Doll.

Winners: Larry Vessey & Bulldozer Brandon Smith Match Rating: D-

*

After the match Larry and ‘Dozer are leaving the ring when Cameron Vessey jumps the barricade and attacks his dad. ‘Dozer’s quick to come to the rescue, but by the time he’s got there Cameron’s taken his dad down with a picture-perfect Sick Cycle (Blue Thunder Driver), Larry’s finisher. With that Cameron’s headed backstage, pausing only to yell ‘Is that Good Enough for you Pop?!’ as he leaves.

Rating: E+

*

Natural Storm vs. The Ring Generals

This was a good match, which is to be expected from two of the finest tag teams on the independent scene right now. Plus there was the old-school factor- Natural Storm are a classic muscle team in the Lords of War/Demons of Rage mode, whilst The Ring Generals blend technique and ferocity in a style decidedly reminiscent of The Black Serpent Cult (without the snakes, unfortunately, that gimmick was awesome). As for this match, it was very much a showcase for both teams, with the action swinging back and forth as first one team then the other took the advantage. The Storm used their size advantage to good effect, muscling their opponents around, whilst Marv and Dean relied on technique to defeat their opponents (although in all honesty Deec’s better than either of them at the technical stuff; he just doesn’t play it up here). Make no mistake about it, Natural Storm are going to be getting a title run here at some point in the next couple of years, but at the moment there’s no reason for The Ring Generals to drop the belts. They took the victory here, catching Eddie Howard with a double drop toe hold that put him out before taking DC Rayne down with the Squared Circle Assault (Double Superplex).

Winners: The Ring Generals Match Rating: D+

*

Once again we’re headed to the Promo Position, this time to hear from Sammy the Shark

“As a great man once said, every gambler knows that the secret to surviving is knowing what to throw away and what to keep. Well, I’m one tag partner down- not through my own choice- so it’s time to ditch Shark Cage and focus on what’s really important. Lee Wright, you will not take this title from me, no matter what you and your boys in The Old School try to pull. Trust me, I’ve seen it all- I still remember the way you took me out to get the tag titles back, Ricky, don’t think I’ve forgotten- and I know exactly what it’s gonna take to beat you. I got the skill, I got the heart, and brother I’ve always got luck on my side. ‘Cos, brother, I’m holding all the aces”

Sammy’s a pretty good talker, and with time we should start seeing the crowd reacting better.

Rating: D-

*

Lee Wright vs. Sammy the Shark

I’d expected a good match from these two, but this was a step up on that, largely thanks to the fact that Sammy and Lee have good chemistry. It also helped that they have similar styles: Lee’s a hard-hitting brawler with some pretty stiff submissions work in his arsenal, whilst Sammy shares that kind of brawling/technical style, but with a smoother, more American-style twist. That led to a narrative built around Lee dominating the younger guy with his sheer muscle and experience whilst Sammy fought back with speedy technique and sheer guts (New York fans love gutsy babyfaces who fight back from behind, it’s why it happens so often in our matches). Increasingly Sammy took the lead as the match went on, his youth and speed allowing him to whether the worst of Lee’s assault and come back fighting, to the point where he looked odds-on to win this one. Lee responded, however, with a steel chair to the back that earned Sammy a DQ victory.

Winner: Sammy the Shark Match Rating: C-

*

Even after the bell’s rung Lee continues to rain blows down on a defenceless Sammy, despite the ref’s best efforts to intervene. By the time Lee’s been hauled off by the ring crew Sammy’s in need of medical attention, and even then Lee does his best to keep the medics from interfering, eventually being virtually dragged off by about a dozen guys, including Herb Stately (though Stately doesn’t look too concerned). The reaction to this wasn’t too bad, although we could probably do better.

Rating: D-

*

From there we head back to the promo position, this time to hear from Honest Frank

“Let’s be honest here, Whistler- we don’t like each other. I don’t like you, you don’t like me, and for the most part I’m fine with that. We go our separate ways, avoid each other’s company and in general that works out fine. Every once in a while, though, I get that itching in my fists, that desire to really pound on some knucklehead, and there’s nobody more knuckleheaded than you. So I asked for this match tonight, just to work that aggression out of my system. But don’t worry, I’m not trying to beat you into retirement, or wreck your career or anything. I promise you, that’s not my style.

And after all…Would I Lie To You?”

This worked well, and got a good reaction, but I can’t help but feel we should have put this on before Whistler’s promo- Frank works better when he’s acting the persecuted victim (plays up his dishonest streak rather well) rather than the aggressor.

Rating: D+

*

From there we cross fade to Whistler, who’s also on promo duty

“FRANK! Everone knows you’re a no-good, lying weasel, so don’t give me any of that ‘would I lie to you’ garbage. Truth is you’re the worst kind of villain this business has ever seen, the kind of man that’d rather stab a guy in the back than look him in the eye, and I for one say no more! You’re not getting round me Frankie, so if you wanna drive me into retirement you’re gonna have go straight through me, and I don’t know the meaning of the word ‘quit’! HOOOOOOOO!!!!!!”

Whistler always brings the intensity, and that makes for an entertaining character. I also got him playing up the fact that he doesn’t trust Frank- Whistler has a bit of a reputation for being gullible, so this counts as character development if you squint and turn your head a bit.

Rating: C-

*

Whistler vs. Honest Frank

This was good, but no better than the tag title match or Vessey/Diamond. That’s really what I was expecting, though- these two are feuding less because I think it’ll be great and more because they’re top guys who need something to do and who work well together as characters. I suppose at a push they could have feuded with up-and-coming talent to get them over, but the guys they would have worked with are Cam and ‘Dozer and they’re better suited to their current feud with each other. In any case, this was a solid match that was basically a straightforward brawl with a lot of playing to the crowd rather than intense action. Right now that’s Whistler and Frank’s biggest strength: only ‘Dozer and Ant-Man can match their charisma, and neither has their experience in using that to get the crowd involved in the match. The story here was built around the contrast between Whistler and Frank’s styles, with Frankie going for every dirty trick he knew (which is all of them) whilst Whistler fought back with a combo of powerful brawling and sheer gutsiness. It didn’t work out, though, as Frank went for the Brass Knuckles at the 15-minute mark to secure his victory, stashing them under Whistler’s prone body to hide them from the ref.

Winner: Honest Frank Match Rating: D+

*

Black Hat Bailey vs. Steve Flash

These two are among the best we have, so it figures that this was a good match. Steve in particular is one of the best workers on the indy scene right now, and whilst he’s undeniably past his prime that was such a high peak that he remains pretty good even now, particularly when it comes to the fundamentals. As for Bailey, he’s not quite on Flash’s level- partially due to the fact that he’s older (and therefore further past his prime) and partially due to their starting talent levels- but he’s a solid hand and knows how to do more with less in the classic veteran style. As for narrative, the early going was all about Bailey setting up for the Bailey Breaker (Texas Cloverleaf) as he targeted Steve’s back and worked it over hard. Around the halfway mark, though, Steve made a comeback, throwing out his trademark dropkicks and bringing the speed up in an effort to counteract Bailey’s slow, bruising style. Bailey was quick to get out of there, quitting the ring to reconsider his strategy with Herb at ringside (and also get his breath back: Bailey’s stamina is pretty awful), but Steve followed up with a baseball slide that kept the heat up. Unfortunately that also took him to ringside, allowing Herb to distract him long enough for Bailey to jump him from behind and re-take control of the match. That took the action back into the ring, and it wasn’t long before Bailey was trying to lock in The Bailey Breaker to get the victory. However, Steve was able to reverse the hold into his trademark Sharpshooter, locking it on tight just as the bell went, rendering the match a draw.

Winner: None Match Rating: C-

Overall Rating: D+, which isn’t bad. I’m fairly sure we could do better, but as a first show of the year it’s a solid start.

1PWfan · March 13, 2012

So, let's have a look at the predictions, hmmm?

serotonin187: 5/7

smurphy1014: 6/7

Hashasheen: 5/7

Regis: 6/7

Boltinho: 6/7

Midnightnick: 3/7

So Regis, smurphy and Boltinho are joint winners, meaning that as always they have the right to ask a question of any member of the NYCW roster they choose, including backstage personnel and whatnot (just to let you know, the only wrestler on the team that didn't appear on Rush Hour is Animal Harker).

Once I've got all the questions in the next post will follow in the next couple of days.

1PWfan · March 15, 2012

quick bump to say that the next post will be up either late tomorrow or saturday morning GMT, so if guys could get their questions in before then that'd be grand. If not, put them up with your predictions and I'll get the answers up before the show.

Regis · March 16, 2012

Question to Rick Sanders: It seems that a kick in the nuts is now inextricably linked with you. How does that make you feel?

1PWfan · March 16, 2012

OOC Note: I'm going to put the answer up to Regis' question ahead of the next show, after predictions- that way Bolt and Smurphy have time to put one in as well. Besides, I need to get this up and I've got a busy evening so I wouldn't have time to do this and the question

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g165/Looneyboyo/NYCW/SuperSonic_alt2.jpg

Hugh grins, his sense of triumph coming across even years after the fact.

“That first show” he says, “the feeling was good. Maybe not great, but good. We’d launched a lot of new guys on the fans, we’d put a bunch of different stories in place. I felt pretty good about the show, especially considering how well Sammy and Lee had worked out. I had Sammy in mind to maybe become…I won’t say our top guy, because Brandon and Cam were headed to that slot as well, but kind of a new Whistler, the guy who’s always around the main event and can help get other guys over. Nobody knew how long Lee was going to stick with the business or what kind of condition he was in- you could ask, but like h*ll would he tell you the truth- so the fact that the Tri-State match had been so good was a definite swing in Sammy’s favour.

“Cam, though…Cam wasn’t in such a good place. He’d had a good match with Dave Diamond, but the attack- the big launch for his angle with his dad- hadn’t come off as big as I was hoping. It…it raised a few questions, eh?”

***

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g165/Looneyboyo/NYCW/CameronVessey.jpg

Cameron Vessey laughs cheerfully

“Hugh had been watching PPPW tapes” he says, his Cali accent still noticeable even after years on the East Coast, “And I think he was hoping for something like the Pete/Karloff angle from ’97. Of course that worked because Pete Hall was a legend and Karloff was a monster, but you can’t fault the ambition, right? Point is, it was never going to work that well. I did it, and I got a reaction for it, but it wasn’t anywhere near the reaction Hugh was hoping for. And that kinda put him off our feud- it hadn’t had a match, so that angle was the only way to judge how it was going. And the result wasn’t so great, so he was kinda going ‘ooh, should I stick with this? Should I maybe change it up a bit, find a guy who can pull the heat we’re looking for?’ It took a while to talk him round.”

***

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g165/Looneyboyo/NYCW/SuperSonic_alt2.jpg

“Cameron always plays it down, but the fact was that I had the Vessey War down as one of our marquee feuds, and if that first angle was anything to go by it wasn’t gonna work. I’ll admit I was hoping for something like the Pete/Karloff heat, yeah, but to me that was just what I’d expect in real life. I mean, punching a guy in a wheelchair, who cares? Especially given Pete was pretty tough anyway- it wasn’t just some kid who couldn’t walk, this was a bad-ass guy recovering from an injury. Wailing on you own dad, to me that’s a far bigger deal.

“So, yeah, I wasn’t hugely over-the-moon with how that angle was going, and yeah, I did consider revamping it. But Cam never had anything to do with talking me round, that was all on the creative team. Me, Frank, the Principals- Rick and the Mauler- and Michael Bull, we were in charge of putting together all the storylines, and a part of that was looking back after every show and really looking at taking it apart, eh, what worked and what didn’t and how to improve it all. So it was actually from that meeting that the decision came to try and ride it out, give Cam and ‘Dozer another couple of months at least before we revamped it.”

***

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g165/Looneyboyo/NYCW/MichaelBull.jpg

“It was really a question of approach”

Michael Bull is every bit as serious in real life as he is in the ring, maintaining the same authoritative demeanour that’s served him well in his career as a referee.

“Bailey was a real long-term booker, he’d worked out what was going to be happening something like six months in advance, at least. At the end of every show you already knew exactly what was happening next month- only thing the creative team were ever needed for was sorting out the running order, and that tended to happen a couple of weeks in advance anyway. Of course, problem was Bailey wasn’t the best suited to thinking on his feet- he was good, but if somebody got injured a couple of weeks ahead of a show or a guy left on short notice it’d take a while to redraft plans.

“Hugh, on the other hand…his idea of long-term was ‘here’s probably what we’ll do the month after next, if I don’t have a better idea’. His strength was always on-the-fly creativity- Bailey could sweat over a single segment for days, Hugh could usually put together a running order in the space of a couple of hours. With him, we weren’t so much structural as detail work- fleshing out his ideas, filling in all the little bits to make his grand vision work out. And that meant that sometimes, like with Cam and Brandon, you had to talk him down when it looked like the big picture wasn’t working. The lack of heat, that was because one angle isn’t going to match up at the level we were at to what they could do in the ring, and Hugh wasn’t always the best at matching up what he thought should happen to what was actually going to happen. It didn’t make him a bad booker, not with his level of creativity, but he needed a team behind him to really succeed.”

***

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g165/Looneyboyo/NYCW/SuperSonic_alt2.jpg

“The February show, Big Apple Breakdown, that was really about giving our younger stars a chance to show what they could do. Cam and ‘Dozer would be wrestling each other, Whistler was down to wrestle Eddie Howard from Natural Storm- he likes working big guys, and Eddie was just about the largest heel we had- and Sammy was partnered up with Bailey in the main event. It wasn’t all young-old stuff, Frankie and Steve were partnered up in our other big match, but there was definitely a theme here of looking at our younger stars and seeing what we had to work with, who was going to maybe be a big star and who needed more development.”

***

Card for NYCW Big Apple Breakdown:

CHAMPION VS. CHAMPION FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Sammy the Shark vs. Black Hat Bailey ©

Steve Flash vs. Honest Frank

Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Cameron Vessey

FOR THE NYCW TAG TEAM TITLES

The Ring Generals © vs. Old School Principals

Whistler vs. Eddie Howard

Animal Harker vs. Lee Wright

Dazzling Dave Diamond vs. The New York Doll

Sons of Kohral · March 16, 2012

CHAMPION VS. CHAMPION FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Sammy the Shark vs. Black Hat Bailey ©

Steve Flash vs. Honest Frank

By DQ

Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Cameron Vessey

FOR THE NYCW TAG TEAM TITLES

The Ring Generals © vs. Old School Principals

By DQ

Whistler vs. Eddie Howard

Animal Harker vs. Lee Wright

Dazzling Dave Diamond vs. The New York Doll

Regis · March 16, 2012

CHAMPION VS. CHAMPION FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Sammy the Shark vs. Black Hat Bailey ©

Sorry, Sammy, not just yet.

Steve Flash vs. Honest Frank

Yeah, let's go for a DQ.

Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Cameron Vessey

Cheating bastard.

FOR THE NYCW TAG TEAM TITLES

One of the best tag teams on the indie scene, you say?

Whistler vs. Eddie Howard

Singles guy over tag guy.

Animal Harker vs. Lee Wright

Yeah but no.

Dazzling Dave Diamond vs. The New York Doll

Both men coming off a loss, so let's say DDD gets the win.

Midnightnick · March 17, 2012

CHAMPION VS. CHAMPION FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Steve Flash vs. Honest Frank

Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Cameron Vessey

FOR THE NYCW TAG TEAM TITLES

Whistler vs. Eddie Howard

Animal Harker vs. Lee Wright

Dazzling Dave Diamond vs. The New York Doll

Hashasheen · March 17, 2012

Sammy the Shark vs. Black Hat Bailey

I've yet to see someone super-push Sammy out of the gate, and you're blatantly not going to do it.

Steve Flash vs. Honest Frank

When in doubt, back the heel.

Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Cameron Vessey

Push the heel to keep the heat.

The Ring Generals vs. Old School Principals

Champions privilege.

Whistler vs. Eddie Howard

Tag team specialists versus former champion and current draw? Gee, I wonder...

Animal Harker vs. Lee Wright

I don't like Wright, and I like Harker just as little.

Dazzling Dave Diamond vs. The New York Doll

Doll's got time on his side, though I really do despise that alter ego. I always prefer to use that as a nickname and use one of the other alter-egos.

1PWfan · March 19, 2012

Here's the twenty-four hour call, people- show will go up tomorrow afternoon/evening. In the meantime, here's a question for Rick Sanders, from Regis:

Question to Rick Sanders: "It seems that a kick in the nuts is now inextricably linked with you. How does that make you feel?"

Rick Sanders: Honestly? It kinda makes me laugh. I've actually only been doing it for about five years, since I split from Idaho, but the fans just jumped on it and made it a big deal. I figured, what the heck? If the fans want to see it, don't fight it. Plus, it's a great way to establish a heel as a complete d*ck.

serotonin187 · March 19, 2012

Sammy the Shark vs. Black Hat Bailey

Steve Flash vs. Honest Frank

Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Cameron Vessey

The Ring Generals vs. Old School Principals

Whistler vs. Eddie Howard

Animal Harker vs. Lee Wright

Dazzling Dave Diamond vs. The New York Doll

Occasional_Z · March 20, 2012

Great read so far 1PW, always good to see a NYCW diary!

Sammy the Shark vs. Black Hat Bailey

I've never been the biggest fan of Sammy, find him pretty underwhelming considering his stats.

Steve Flash vs. Honest Frank

I've always preferred Flash to Frank; he's a better in ring worker than Frank and you need a strong face to take on Black Hat.

Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Cameron Vessey

It's a guess.

The Ring Generals vs. Old School Principals

Kick to the nuts!!!

Whistler vs. Eddie Howard

Howard's a tag wrestler, Whistler is one of your top two faces.

Animal Harker vs. Lee Wright

Squash.

Dazzling Dave Diamond vs. The New York Doll

DDD is very underrated IMO.

1PWfan · March 20, 2012

<div style="text-align:center;">NYCW Big Apple Breakdown

Live to DVD from The Ministry

Saturday, Week 4, February 2010

Audience: 781</div>

The Show

Lee Wright vs. Animal Harker

Lee’s taken Animal under his wing and really worked with him on improving his fundamentals, with the net result that Animal’s actually starting to turn into a pretty competent worker. Of course he’s still not an exciting worker to watch, and a bad case of nerves threw his form off tonight, but this was a decent match all the same. As for Lee, even at 52 he’s one of the best workers on the US independent scene and tonight really showed that. Alright, so physically he’s not what he used to be, but as a worker he still has what it takes to deliver in the ring. Naturally enough he got the win here, putting Harker away with the Wright Stuff (Spinning Full Nelson Slam).

Winner: Lee Wright Match Rating: D

*

From there we head to the Promo Position, to hear from Herb Stately on the main event

“Tonight, it’s champion vs. champion, and Sammy? You’re not gonna hold both titles by the end of the night. Sure, you’ve got potential, sure you’re a two-time Tri-State champion, but that’s no match for experience and it’s sure no match for the sheer class of Black Hat Bailey. This match is going to be nothing but a humiliation for you, a humbling example of why you just don’t have what it takes to hang with the top guys yet. Because you’re not part of The Old School, we are, and you know what? Old School Rules”

Herb’s momentum is still pretty much in the toilet, so his promo’s aren’t getting anything like a good reaction. At this rate I’ll have to look for a replacement.

Rating: D-

*

From there we fade into Sammy, also on promo duty

“If I know you Herb, you’ll be telling anyone who’ll listen that I’m just some punk kid who hasn’t got what it takes to run with the top guys like Bailey or Lee. Well you know what? I really don’t care what you have to say. As far as I’m concerned you’re just some big-mouthed pr*ck who doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Me, I’m used to betting against the odds, I’ve been riding long shots my whole life, and you know what? Sometimes, they pay off. Sure, I’m not a veteran like Bailey, I’m not a master technician like he was, but I’ve got something way more important on my side. You see, to win a match like this all it takes is luck, and ‘lucky’ is my middle name”

This was already a step-up on last month’s promo from Sammy, although he seems to struggle with his valet- I put him with Nicki when Roger Cage left, but they don’t work together that well.

Rating: D

*

Dazzling Dave Diamond vs. The New York Doll

This was basically a filler match, so the fact that it wasn’t bad was a definite plus. Dave and the Doll are both solid hands with a neat line in charismatic brawling, so whilst this wasn’t the most technically precise of bouts it was an entertaining fistfight that even spilled out to ringside for a while in the middle portion of the match. As usual Dave’s stamina burned out three-quarters of the way through the match, but for once I don’t think anybody really noticed that much- Doll’s whole approach is so fired up that it’s hard to look away from him when he’s on form. It even looked like he was going to take the win here, as he had Dave set up for the New York Death Drop (Reverse DDT), only for Dave to suddenly escape the move and nail the Dazzle Driver (DVD), taking home the win.

Winner: Dazzling Dave Diamond Match Rating: D

*

We’re back at the Promo Position, this time to hear from Whistler

“I respect you Eddie Howard. You’re a big, tough guy who isn’t afraid of a fight, and that’s something every man in this business should be. But you know what? Respect doesn’t mean I’m gonna roll over and let you win. This is the land of opportunity but that don’t mean it’s a land of free handouts. You want the big win, you want to beat ol’ Whistler? You’re gonna have to earn it, and to do that you gotta go through me. And you just ask Krusher Karloff or Man Mountain Cahill how easy that is. ‘Cos boy, if it’s a fight you want, it’s a fight you’ll get! HOOOOOO!!!!!”

This wasn’t up to the standard of his promo last month, but Whistler always deliver on the mic and tonight was no exception.

Rating: D+

*

Whistler vs. Eddie Howard

This was a good match but not a great one, which is pretty much what you’d expect of these guys. Eddie’s a good brawler with some technique but doesn’t have much charisma or name value, whilst Whistler’s pretty much an okay brawler with a heck of a lot of charisma and a lot of name value for our level. Plus, he knows a thing or two about staging a battling comeback, and that always makes for good value against a big guy like Eddie. The story played up that dynamic, with Eddie initially using his size advantage (which was only about 10 pounds in actuality, but he’s tall enough to look bigger than he really is) to out-muscle Whistler. The All-American Everyman held on though, and after he managed to kick out of the Crash and Burn (Jumping Crossbody, Eddie’s finisher), it was time for his comeback. That consisted on his trademark lariats and shoulder tackles, which sent Eddie reeling and set him up for the Rebel Yell (Three-Point Stance into a charging uppercut), Whistler’s big finisher. When he hit that, there was no chance of Eddie coming back.

Winner: Whistler Match Rating: D+

*

We’re once again at the promo position, this time to hear from Herb Stately on the tag title match

“You’ve had a good run Ring Generals, but it’s time for those belts to come back where they belong. Simple fact is that Rick Sanders and The Masked Mauler, Old School Principals; they’re the best tag team in the business today, bar none. So yeah, you’ve held those titles a while, but your luck’s just run out and there’s nothing you can do about it. So shine those titles up real nice and get ready to fasten them around our waists, because we are The Old School, and Old School Rules”

Yeah, we need to do something about Herb’s momentum.

Rating: D-

*

The Ring Generals vs. Old School Principals

We’ve had trouble in the past getting our tag team division going, but these two teams can always be relied upon to do a good job against each other and tonight was no exception. The Principals in particular are a strong team, with an emphasis on constant tags and flowing, interchangeable offence, not to mention the usual collection of dirty tricks that our heels manage (Sanders in particular is famed for his low blows that are basically a kick to the nuts). As for the Generals, they’re so old-school it’s almost ridiculous- I’ve said it before and it bears repeating, nothing they do would look out of place in 1977, which is probably why they fit in so well here (I think we once saw a spot from around 1995, but that was a one-off and the guy apologised afterwards). As for the finish, this one went to a double DQ after Herb slid a chair into the ring for Rick to use, only for Marv to get one to Dean in time to counter it. Bull saw both guys swinging chairs and called for the bell, ending those one on a draw.

Winners: None Match Rating: D+

*

Once again we’re back at the Interview Position, this time to hear from ‘Dozer

“Cameron, everybody knows what you did last month, how you attacked your own father. Tonight, tonight’s not about vengeance, it’s not about punishment- that’s for Larry to see to when he gets out of the hospital you put him in. No, tonight’s just about me beating the ever-loving snot out of you because I’m so angry I can’t even think straight. I don’t give a good god-d@mn what you think of him, Larry’s your father, and what kind of son raises his hand in anger against his own pop? So ton ight, Cam, you’re doing down, and brother it won’t be pretty”

Given ‘Dozer’s popularity this got a good reaction, which bodes well for the feud.

Rating: D

*

Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Cameron Vessey

Note to self: keep an eye on MAW’s roster when I need to fill a gap. This was a great match, up to the standard of Sammy/Lee and Bailey/Flash, and that’s with no chemistry bonus and ‘Dozer’s legs creating their usual problems. I’m inclined to put that down to sheer workrate; whilst these two aren’t necessarily our best workers they both show the kind of all-round solidity you’d expect from Rip’s trainees, and ‘Dozer in particular has a good mix of charisma and star quality to give a match that extra shine. Story-wise, this was another brawl, but whereas Doll/Dave from earlier had been an out-of-control fistfight this was an altogether more disciplined affair, with Cameron unleashing a series of punishing kicks at ‘Dozer’s legs in an effort to chop down the bigger man whilst Brandon responded with a series of stinging chops. As time went on the momentum started to move in ‘Dozer’s favour, as he was able to withstand Cameron’s offence and switch on the big power moves to claim the advantage, but that was brought to a crashing end when Cam chop-blocked him hard enough to take the big guy straight off his feet and screaming in pain. Even then he managed to kick out of a pin at 2 and a half, but when Cameron came back with an Oklahoma roll and a handful of tights it was too much for Bulldozer.

Winner: Cameron Vessey Match Rating: C-

*

For the last time we’re at the Promo Position, this time to hear from Honest Frank ahead of his clash with Steve Flash

“Another month, another match, Flashy. How many times have we done this now? ‘Cos seriously, I’m starting to lose count of the times we’ve tussled…and how many times I’ve won. I mean, when have you ever manage to get win against me that actually counted? And tonight, tonight’s not going to be any different. So you’re theoretically the number one challenger for the Empire title…it’s not like The Old School are ever gonna let you get your hands on the title. Me, on the other hand…there’s nothing they can do to stop me. You see, when it comes to sneaking that big win, I know every trick in the book. Heck, I wrote the book.”

This was a strong promo from Frank, especially when it came to including the title angle- making the macguffin belt seem important always helps, so kudos on that one.

Rating: C-

*

Honest Frank vs. Steve Flash

I’ll have to look at revisiting this one down the line- that is, if Flash/Frank hasn’t been done to death already. This was our best ever match, and okay that’s after only two shows, but work with me here, okay? It was good’un. In fact, if you look at pure grades it was as good as Joe Sexy/Marat Khoklov from SWF Hell Freezes over back in January, and that’s something considering Joe and Marat are meant to be big stars (sure, Marat’s pretty much the worst wrestler ever, but he’s way popular for some reason). Okay, so Steve’s one of the best workers I know, but Frank’s never really struck me as a great worker- sure, he’s got solid fundamentals and is a decent brawler, but so are lots of guys. I think it must be that, plus his psychology and charisma; he doesn’t have a lot of moves but he knows exactly how to use them to get a massive reaction. As for story, this was all Steve’s speed and technique vs. Frank’s brawling and dirty tricks, and stayed even for most of the match as the momentum swung back and forth. Eventually Frank was able to distract the ref long enough to go for the knuckles, but Whistler came charging out from backstage and yanked the knucks away before Frank could get to them. That left him with no counter to Flash’s run of dropkicks, and when Flash went for the Flash Bang there was no way back for Frankie. 1-2-3, Steve’s heading for another match with Black Hat Bailey.

Winner: Steve Flash Match Rating: C

*

Sammy the Shark vs. Black Hat Bailey

If this had been any other show, this wouldn’t have been a bad match, albeit a somewhat disappointing main event. Coming after Steve/Frank, though, this felt like massive comedown. I don’t blame Sammy or Bailey, who both did a perfectly solid job, but it does raise questions about where we go from here; Bailey’s likely to retire this year so there’s precious little need to move him away from the main event, but Sammy’s spot as our main event prospect of the future is definitely under question now. Both Cam and ‘Dozer outperformed him tonight, and unless he shows substantial improvement in the next few months I pretty much have to go with one or both of them. In any case, this was a decent match that was built around Bailey setting up for the Bailey Breaker whilst Sammy fought back with his usual mix of smooth chain wrestling and fierce brawling. In the end, though, Sammy couldn’t take the win despite a gutsy performance, as Lee Wright hit the ring and nailed him with the Wright Stuff (Swinging Fireman’s Carry Slam) whilst Herb distracted the ref. That left Sammy flat on his back, and Bailey was quick to lock in the Bailey Breaker, forcing him to tap out.

Winner: Black Hat Bailey Match Rating: D+

Overall Rating: D+, and slightly ahead of Rush Hour thanks to Flash/Frank.

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