New York City Wrestling: Old School Lives On

[BHK1978]

I just wanted to stop in and say I am gald to see you back in NYCW.

[1PWfan]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="BHK1978" data-cite="BHK1978" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="33498" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I just wanted to stop in and say I am gald to see you back in NYCW.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I'm glad to be back here as well- NYCW's been my favourite company since TEW 2007, so working here is always fun.</p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Occasional_Z" data-cite="Occasional_Z" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="33498" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><p> </p><p> Great read so far 1PW, always good to see a NYCW diary!</p><p> </p><p> Sammy the Shark vs. <strong>Black Hat Bailey</strong></p><p><strong> </strong> I've never been the biggest fan of Sammy, find him pretty underwhelming considering his stats.</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Dazzling Dave Diamond </strong>vs. The New York Doll</p><p> </p><p> DDD is very underrated IMO.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Firstly, thanks for the kind words and it's always nice to have a new reader. Secondly, I just wanted to flag these comments up because they're interesting points of discussion. On sammy that's pretty much what I've found in the past myself- he's a good worker but never seems to perform quite up to standard, and comes with such a low destiny stat that seeing any improvement at all out of him is rare (I have to admit I went into the editor pre-game and upped some of his numbers to nearer the grade boundaries to get more improvement out of him). </p><p> </p><p> As for DDD, though, I've never seen him as all that good. He's a capable worker, but I've never seen him as a major worker- his stamina is so poor that it's hard to justify giving him a major singles push, so he usually winds up knocking around the tag division until I've exhausted Storm/Generals. To be fair, though, I've never had a problem finding things for him to do. </p><p> </p><p> Proper follow-up will be coming shortly, folks!</p>

[Occasional_Z]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="1PWfan" data-cite="1PWfan" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="33498" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I'm glad to be back here as well- NYCW's been my favourite company since TEW 2007, so working here is always fun.<p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> Firstly, thanks for the kind words and it's always nice to have a new reader. Secondly, I just wanted to flag these comments up because they're interesting points of discussion. On sammy that's pretty much what I've found in the past myself- he's a good worker but never seems to perform quite up to standard, and comes with such a low destiny stat that seeing any improvement at all out of him is rare (I have to admit I went into the editor pre-game and upped some of his numbers to nearer the grade boundaries to get more improvement out of him). </p><p> </p><p> As for DDD, though, I've never seen him as all that good. He's a capable worker, but I've never seen him as a major worker- his stamina is so poor that it's hard to justify giving him a major singles push, so he usually winds up knocking around the tag division until I've exhausted Storm/Generals. To be fair, though, I've never had a problem finding things for him to do. </p><p> </p><p> Proper follow-up will be coming shortly, folks!</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I had always assumed Sammy struggled because he is a entertainer in a company of regular wrestlers/brawlers - I can't recall him having good chemistry with anyone, ever. What you said about the low destiny stat explains a lot now I think about it. A real shame as his stats are excellent for NYCW.</p><p> </p><p> As for DDD, I agree on the stamina issue. I always push him though as he's good on the mic and a well executed heel turn can take him to Main Event very quickly. </p><p> </p><p> Looking forward to the next show!</p>

[1PWfan]

<p>Now it's time for a look at how the predictions went. Sorry it's later than planned, had a busy evening yesterday.</p><p> </p><p>

Sons of Kohral: 6/7</p><p>

Regis: 6/7</p><p>

Midnightnick: 4/7</p><p>

Hashasheen: 4/7, and I'm saving Doll's other personas for if I ever decide to push him</p><p>

serotonin187: 4/7</p><p>

Occasional_Z: 5/7</p><p> </p><p>

So, Sons and Regis get it this time, and can ask a question of any member of the NYCW roster they choose. I'll probably put them up with the 24-hour bump rather than before the next post, as I did this last time, so if you can't think of one before the next big post comes up just put it in with your predictions</p>

[Regis]

Question for Lee Wright: You've travelled from America to Japan and back again, and fought some of the biggest names in the business. Who would you say is the toughest guy you've ever wrestled?

[1PWfan]

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

 

“Hugh’s philosophy has always been that you never end a storyline without know what’s going to follow it. Take Bailey/Flash, for instance- that whole first half of 2010 we were trying to figure out who’d challenge for the title next. I mean, we were all fairly certain that Bailey would be retiring before the end of the year, and the plan was to end it with him dropping the belt to Steve and retiring, but where do you go from there?

 

“After the match with Frank…there was a lot of discussion of whether he should be the next challenger for the title. And with Frank on the creative team, he was pushing hard for that, and why not? But you could tell Hugh wasn’t keen”

 

***

 

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

 

Hugh leans forward, his usual snarkiness forgotten as he gesticulates wildly, trying to drive his point home.

 

“Steve/Frank is a feud that writes itself” he says, “but the problem is that it had written itself about three times for us. We’d done it for the Tri-State title at least once, not to mention Frank’s first run for the Empire title and a couple of other times on the side. Maybe it would’ve worked again, maybe it wouldn’t, but you go to that well so often sooner or later it’ll run out of good water. Or something, metaphors aren’t my thing.

 

“So, yeah, there was a lot of discussion about who’d replace Bailey, if he ever did choose to retire. Larry was pushing for Cam to get the elevation, obviously, and The Principals liked Lee Wright, but I wasn’t sure if it wasn’t worth waiting to see if anybody left Supreme in time. Don’t get me wrong, we had the best roster in the world, but if anybody seriously tells you they wouldn’t want to take some of Supreme’s talent they’re lying. The name value alone makes it worth their while. So I wasn’t as quick to make a decision as usual”

 

***

 

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

 

“Hugh’s not one for forward planning, but later on it became obvious that the prevaricating over the title wasn’t his usual style. He wouldn’t know exactly what was going to happen, but nine times out of ten he’d at least know who was going to be feuding with whom. Back then, though, there was a cautiousness creeping in, a tendency to really try and avoid anything difficult or controversial. We all thought he was just nervous or something, trying to make sure he didn’t p*ss off Larry or Stomper, but anyone who knows him will tell you Hugh gets very aggressive about not caring what other people think of him. It took us a while to realise Hugh was just being careful to do everything as right as possible. He was just getting his ammunition together for his next big project”

 

***

 

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

 

Hugh grins, his usually weaselly self

 

“The main reason for becoming a booker is nepotism, the chance to bung a favour the way of friends and family- and simultaneously annoy all those self-righteous pr*cks on the Internet, eh. Larry was pushing for Cam pretty much every chance he got, Stomper’s daughter was living with Rick Sanders so he got a lot of favours from on high, and I figured it was my turn to play a merry round of ‘how can I play this situation to my advantage’.

 

“Simply put, I wanted to start a Women’s Division in NYCW. And to do that, I needed to make sure everything, and I mean everything, I did in those first three months was a smash hit. The more success I could take the credit for, the more chance I’d have of talking Stomper round to my way of thinking.”

 

He pauses, clearly frustrated with the memory

 

“That made Lee Wright’s decision to retire…well, it probably could have come at a worse time, but not by much.”

 

***

 

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

 

Lee Wright’s home is a curious mix of American and Japanese furnishings, testament to his long history in Puro.

 

“I had to think a lot about it. Hugh had always been honest about how much he rated me, and I’d had a couple of great matches with Sammy and Harker, but the simple truth was 52 is too old to be wrestling a full schedule, even if I was just working for one company. My back was going, I’d just started dating Nicki- Sammy’s valet- and I just felt, y’know, it was time to make a clean break and get out of the ring. I wasn’t sure when exactly I’d call it a proper day, properly step away, but I figured I had maybe two or three matches left in me, so I told Hugh to go ahead and book the blow-off for my feud with Sammy for the March show.”

 

***

 

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

 

Hugh grimaces.

 

“I’d spent so long making sure we’d have a smooth transition when we ended the Empire title feud that I hadn’t spent a lot of time making plans for Sammy and Lee. The closest I’d come was thinking that we’d probably wind up with Sammy dropping the title to Lee and transitioning into a main event run at Frank or Bailey whilst Lee worked with Dave Diamond, and now Lee was retiring. And when I looked around for a replacement, there wasn’t one. Sure, there were guys like Nelson Callum or Kirk Jameson hanging around, but if I wanted to bore myself to death I’d watch a Marc DuBois match. No, what I wanted was a veteran to come in and work with Sammy on sharpening up his skills, and nobody really stood out in the areas we wanted. In the end I decided, just go with it and figure out what happens next later. I mean, what could I do? Manhattan Mêlée was just around the corner and I really needed to work up a card for it. That, god, it was pretty much the most difficult show we’d ever had to put together, but I think what we ended up with was pretty solid.

 

“At least, that’s what I thought at the time…”

 

***

 

FIVE POINTS STREET FIGHT FOR THE NYCW TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy the Shark © vs. Lee Wright

 

Whistler vs. Honest Frank

 

Steve Flash & Marv Statler vs. Black Hat Bailey & Rick Sanders

 

Dean Waldorf vs. The Masked Mauler

 

LOSER LEAVES TOWN MATCH

Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Cameron Vessey

 

Natural Storm vs. The Atlantic Connection

 

The New York Doll vs. Animal Harker

 

Quick reminder to Kohral: if you get your question up with your predictions, I'll post it with the 24 hour notice

[Hashasheen]

<p><strong>Sammy the Shark</strong> © vs. Lee Wright</p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Whistler </strong>vs. Honest Frank</p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Steve Flash & Marv Statler </strong>vs. Black Hat Bailey & Rick Sanders</p><p> </p><p>

Dean Waldorf vs. <strong>The Masked Mauler</strong></p><p> </p><p>

LOSER LEAVES TOWN MATCH</p><p>

Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. <strong>Cameron Vessey</strong></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Natural Storm </strong>vs. The Atlantic Connection</p><p> </p><p>

<strong>The New York Doll</strong> vs. Animal Harker</p>

[Regis]

<p>FIVE POINTS STREET FIGHT FOR THE NYCW TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE</p><p>

<strong>Sammy the Shark ©</strong> vs. Lee Wright</p><p>

<em>Sammy's due for big things, and Lee Wright is retiring.</em></p><p> </p><p>

Whistler vs. <strong>Honest Frank</strong></p><p>

<em>Because he'll cheat. Simple as.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Steve Flash & Marv Statler</strong> vs. Black Hat Bailey & Rick Sanders</p><p>

<em>I'll put Flash over, pinning Sanders.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Dean Waldorf</strong> vs. The Masked Mauler</p><p>

<em>He's generally a better bet.</em></p><p> </p><p>

LOSER LEAVES TOWN MATCH</p><p>

Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. <strong>Cameron Vessey</strong></p><p>

<em>Who's more likely to go to the big leagues? Dozer, that's who.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Natural Storm</strong> vs. The Atlantic Connection</p><p>

<em>JOBBERS!</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>The New York Doll</strong> vs. Animal Harker</p><p>

<em>JOBBER!</em></p>

[Astil]

<p>FIVE POINTS STREET FIGHT FOR THE NYCW TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE</p><p>

<strong>Sammy the Shark ©</strong> vs. Lee Wright</p><p> </p><p>

Whistler vs. <strong>Honest Frank</strong></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Steve Flash & Marv Statler </strong>vs. Black Hat Bailey & Rick Sanders</p><p> </p><p>

Dean Waldorf vs. <strong>The Masked Mauler</strong></p><p> </p><p>

LOSER LEAVES TOWN MATCH</p><p>

Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. <strong>Cameron Vessey</strong></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Natural Storm</strong> vs. The Atlantic Connection</p><p> </p><p>

<strong>The New York Doll </strong>vs. Animal Harker</p>

[Midnightnick]

<p>FIVE POINTS STREET FIGHT FOR THE NYCW TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE</p><p>

Sammy the Shark © vs.<strong> Lee Wright</strong></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Whistler </strong>vs. Honest Frank</p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Steve Flash & Marv Statler </strong>vs. Black Hat Bailey & Rick Sanders</p><p> </p><p>

Dean Waldorf vs. <strong>The Masked Mauler</strong></p><p> </p><p>

LOSER LEAVES TOWN MATCH</p><p>

Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs.<strong> Cameron Vessey</strong></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Natural Storm</strong> vs. The Atlantic Connection</p><p> </p><p>

<strong>The New York Doll</strong> vs. Animal Harker</p>

[Occasional_Z]

<p>FIVE POINTS STREET FIGHT FOR THE NYCW TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE</p><p>

<strong>Sammy the Shark</strong> © vs Lee Wright</p><p> </p><p>

<em>If Wright is retiring, then you should give Sammy the win.</em></p><p> </p><p>

Whistler vs. <strong>Honest Frank</strong></p><p> </p><p>

<em>Frank gets the win to push towards Frank v Flash.</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Steve Flash & Marv Statler </strong>vs. Black Hat Bailey & Rick Sanders</p><p> </p><p>

<em>Sets up Flash v Bailey title match.</em></p><p> </p><p>

Dean Waldorf vs. <strong>The Masked Mauler</strong></p><p> </p><p>

<em>Think Mauler will win to keep fund going.</em></p><p> </p><p>

LOSER LEAVES TOWN MATCH</p><p>

Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs.<strong> Cameron Vessey</strong></p><p> </p><p>

<em>Vessey is getting a push, Smith isn't. Plus he could come back as American Patriot?</em></p><p><em>

</em></p><p>

<strong>Natural Storm</strong> vs. The Atlantic Connection</p><p> </p><p>

<em>Atlantic Connection are jobbers</em></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>The New York Doll</strong> vs. Animal Harker</p><p> </p><p>

<em>Jobber vs Jobber. NYD is much more useful though so he wins.</em></p>

[1PWfan]

<p>Just the usual 24 hour notice- Sons of Kohral, if you get your question up before showtime I'll do it before the next show, with the follow-up.</p><p> </p><p>

But for now, here's Regis' question</p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Question for Lee Wright:</strong> You've travelled from America to Japan and back again, and fought some of the biggest names in the business. Who would you say is the toughest guy you've ever wrestled? </p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Lee Wright:</strong> Without question it has to be Dread. He's a great competitor, and an okay guy personally, but his style was so physical that you came out of every match with him feeling like you'd been hit by a truck. After that, I'd probably to say Mito Miwa and Grandmaster Phunk, for different reasons. Miwa's a good hand but our chemistry was always off and it made working with him very difficult, whilst Phunk was the first guy I worked with after coming back to the States and it was a real learning curve adjusting to the differences between here and Japan.</p>

[BHK1978]

<p>FIVE POINTS STREET FIGHT FOR THE NYCW TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE</p><p>

<strong>Sammy the Shark </strong>© vs. Lee Wright</p><p> </p><p>

Lee is so damn old, so I really do not think it would do you good to put the title on Lee. </p><p> </p><p>

Whistler vs. <strong>Honest Frank</strong></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Steve Flash & Marv Statler </strong>vs. Black Hat Bailey & Rick Sanders</p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Dean Waldorf</strong> vs. The Masked Mauler</p><p> </p><p>

LOSER LEAVES TOWN MATCH</p><p>

Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. <strong>Cameron Vessey</strong></p><p> </p><p>

Did BSS sign with TCW?</p><p> </p><p>

<strong>Natural Storm</strong> vs. The Atlantic Connection</p><p> </p><p>

<strong>The New York Doll</strong> vs. Animal Harker</p><p> </p><p>

They both suck, can there really be a winner between the two of them?</p>

[1PWfan]

Quick announcement- due to an unexpectedly busy day, the show will in fact be going up tomorrow rather than today. So there's yet more time for predictions to go in!

[1PWfan]

NYCW Manhattan Mêlée

Live to DVD from The Ministry

Saturday, Week 4, March 2010

Audience: 780

 

The Show

 

Dean Waldorf vs. The Masked Mauler

As opening matches go, this wasn’t bad. Okay, so it wasn’t one of our all-time classics, but it was a solid match that did the job required of it admirably. That’s not really a surprise when you consider the participants, though: Dean and the Mauler aren’t stars, but they’re both good workers who know how to get it done in the ring. Mauler in particular is a favourite of New York audiences, I think because of the gimmick’s heritage; our fans aren’t just nostalgia monkeys, there’s a whole load of wrestling historians in there as well who have a real thing for old-school characters like the Mauler. As for Dean, he’s a good worker who’s move-set comes right out of the best parts of the 70’s and 80’s, even if he could occasionally do with some improvement- he’s entertaining enough, but let’s face it he’s not exactly the most thrilling worker on the face of the earth. He still took the win here, though, taking Mauler down with the Waldorf Salad Toss (Fisherman’s Suplex) at the 10-minute mark.

Winner: Dean Waldorf Match Rating: D

 

*

 

From there we head backstage to the Promo Position, where Sammy’s on hype duty for the main event.

 

“The Five Points Street Fight is the biggest game in town, and tonight, Lee, you and me are the only players still on the table. Oh sure, you got your buddies in The Old School, but this fight has no rules, so I see even one of them poking his nose in I’ll rip it off and use it as a cigar holder. That goes double for you Herb Stately- I remember what happened with Whistler and Bailey, so I see you out there, I’m going to make you feel worse than a slot jockey at closing time. Tonight is for all the chips, so Lee? You better believe that I’m bringing my A-game”

 

Sammy continues to work hard on his promo’s, but I think he needs a rebranding- the gambling references feel a bit laboured sometimes.

Rating: D

 

*

 

The New York Doll vs. Animal Harker

The Doll is one of the few heels we have who can challenge for the Tri-State title, so I gave him a match here to see if we can’t get his momentum up a bit more-his biggest problem right now is that the crowd don’t really care about him, which drags down his matches. As for Harker, he’s a solid worker who’s still developing his move-set and stamina, so I’m inclined to forgive him his weaknesses, at least for the moment. In truth, this wasn’t a great match, but then none of our squashes are, and at least this one was short, ending with the Doll putting Harker away with an O’Connor Roll at 5 minutes 45 seconds.

Winner: The New York Doll Match Rating: D-

 

*

 

Natural Storm vs. The Atlantic Connection

As with greenhorns the world over the Connection aren’t particularly great workers individually, but as a tag team they can do the job pretty well- hence why this was better received than Doll/Harker. Of course, it’s worth pointing out that Natural Storm are probably better workers than The Doll, but then that’s MAW for you- Rip might be a broken down old ex-drunk, but he knows his stuff when it comes to developing young talent. As for story, this was nothing more than a beatdown, with Eddie and Deec pretty much just beating the heck out of Riley and CJ for the whole six minutes. Okay, so the Connection got to make a brief comeback (and I mean brief, like maybe three moves), but it didn’t count for much once Eddie hit the Crash and Burn on CJ, leaving Riley open to A Storm is Coming (Big Boot/STO combo, Natural Storm’s big finish). There wasn’t really any answer to that.

Winners: Natural Storm Match Rating: D

 

*

 

It’s back to the Promo Position now, this time to hear from Cameron Vessey

 

“I tried to think of something more fun than driving you out of this company, ‘Dozer, but honestly everything I thought of would’ve gotten me sent to prison so I guess this will have to do. Because, honestly, ‘Dozer, you make me sick. You claim my father is something to be admire, to be respected, when in truth he’s nothing more than a broken-down old hack who should get the heck out of this business and let somebody else get the big day. In fact, Dad, I hope you’re watching from wherever you’re hiding, because tonight I’m going to take your precious protégé, and I am going to humiliate him”

 

Cameron’s not a bad talker, and this wasn’t bad for a debut effort.

Rating: D

 

*

 

We then cross-fade to ‘Dozer, also on hype duty

 

“Simple facts, Cameron; I’m looking forward to whuppin’ your @ss. Because make no mistake about it, there is no way, no way, I’m letting you win tonight. Last month you got the win, sure, but tonight, tonight I am going to do everything I can to drive you out of this company. Because you’re nothing more than a maggot, a cocky little punk-@ss kid who thinks he’s better than he’ll ever be. Trust me, this is going to hurt you more than it hurts me, ‘cos it ain’t gonna hurt me at all. In fact, beating you down is going to be a pleasure”

 

This was another solid promo, although the immediacy of the rematch meant that there wasn’t a lot new to say here.

Rating: D

 

*

 

Bulldozer Brandon Smith vs. Cameron Vessey

Slight confession here: ‘Dozer’s leaving us to sign on with TCW full-time, hence this match. I have to admit to being incredibly frustrated; what with this and Lee’s departure, we’re going to be scrambling for replacements in a marketplace that frankly isn’t all that inspiring at the moment (at this rate I’m going to have get a high-flier or something in, and then I really will be ill). In any case, this was good match that repeated the best elements of last month’s match whilst still providing enough new spots to be interesting. We also had to modify the story a bit from last month; this time Cameron was dedicated to trying to force a submission out of Brandon, working his legs and knee hard throughout the match. Brandon, meanwhile, went straight for the big power spots, tossing Cameron around with considerable élan. Unfortunately for the big guy, Herb Stately was also on point and ran interference whenever it looked like ‘Dozer might be able to take home the win. In the end ‘Dozer took matters into his own hands and took Herb out with a running big boot to the gut, but whilst he was taking care of Herb Cameron had a chance to get his second wind. Sure enough, when Brandon turned his attention back to his opponent Cam nailed him with a vicious chop block before sinking in a single-leg Boston Crab that had Bulldozer screaming in pain. He tried to fight for as long as he could, but eventually had to tap out.

Winner: Cameron Vessey Match Rating: C-

 

*

 

We’re once again at the Promo Position, this time to hear from Honest Frank

 

“Y’know, this wasn’t personal Whistler. Just a way to blow off some steam, y’know? I kick you around some and move on to something new. But you made it personal when you cost me my shot at the Empire Title. So now, you’ve gone and gotten me mad. And you better believe I’m not a nice person when I’m angry. So now, now I’m going to have to kick your head in and make you bleed. And man, I hate having to do that, it gets blood places I don’t even wanna think about. So I hope you’re happy Whistler, ‘cos my life and your life are about to get a whole lot more difficult.”

 

Frank can always be relied upon to do a good job on the mic, and this really helped knit his feud with Whistler together.

Rating: C-

 

*

 

Whistler vs. Honest Frank

In all honesty I don’t think we’ll see much better than this out of Whistler- as a promo guy and a main-event attraction he’s superb, but as a wrestler he’s decidedly second-tier and it shows. That’s not to say he’s ever anything other than entertaining, but he’s well past the age where we could expect him to deliver a match up to the standards that Steve or the younger guys can manage. As for Frank, he’s slightly stronger in the ring but it still primarily around for his skills on the mic and the fact that I can always sell tickets off his name value. That made for a match that was entertaining but more than a little unrefined, with both guys relying on their charisma to work the crowd than any kind of great wrestling or technical excellence. Both guys pretty much stayed right in their wheelhouse, with Frank relying on his usual dirty tricks and Whistler throwing his usual combo of lariats and shoulder blocks to fire the crowd up. In the end, Frank tried to set Whistler up for The Best Policy (his Piledriver finish), only for Whistler to reverse the move into a back-body drop and nail the Rebel Yell, taking home the win.

Winner: Whistler Match Rating: D+

 

*

 

For the last time tonight we’re at the Promo Position, this time to hear from Herb Stately

 

“Steve Flash, I don’t care who you’ve got in your corner, I don’t care what you do in this match, you will not win tonight, because tonight you’re facing two of the finest wrestlers in this company. Black Hat Bailey has been to the top of this business, and Rick Sanders? He knows everything there is to know about tag team wrestling. So Steve, tonight is not your night. Tonight belongs to The Old School, because Old School Rules.”

 

Another promo, another weak reaction to Herb Stately. As soon as I can find the right replacement, we have to get rid of him.

Rating: D-

 

*

 

Black Hat Bailey & Rick Sanders vs. Steve Flash & Marv Statler

This was a chance to see if Marv could hang with the top guys, and he didn’t do a bad job at all. Okay, so a tag match is very different environment from a singles match, and it’s not like Marv is gonna split from Dean Waldorf anyway, but it was still good to see that he can go with the main event. As for the other guys, they were all on point, with Flash in particular standing out in the early part of the match with his usual high-speed offence. When he went to tag in Marv, though, that gave the Old School a chance to regroup and it wasn’t long before they were going to town on Marv, cutting the ring in half and working him over in their own corner like a veteran tag team (although as Rock pointed out, both men had held multiple tag titles with different partners and were therefore experts in tag team wrestling). Of course Marv’s no rookie either, and whilst he couldn’t get clear to tag in Steve he was more than capable of holding his own against The Old School, individually anyway. In the end he managed to get the hot tag to Steve, who promptly went to work in his usual style, but that was brought to an end by Bailey throwing him out of the ring, bringing Marv in as the legal men (we practice Texas Tags, wherein throwing one man from the ring counts as a tag to his partner- named for the Texas Outlaws, who did this rather a lot). Marv fought back as hard as he could, but a Rick Sanders low blow whilst Herb distracted the ref put paid to that and allowed The Old School to claim the win.

Winners: Black Hat Bailey & Rick Sanders Match Rating: C-

 

*

 

Lee Wright vs. Sammy the Shark

The Five Points Street Fight has a long and noble tradition of being a big blow-off match in NYCW, and whilst this wasn’t the best match we’ve ever had it didn’t let the side down. Okay, so in all honesty it wasn’t all that different in quality or narrative from the last time these two faced off in January, but Lee’s 52 years old and on the verge of retirement so I think it’s reasonable to assume that his best days are behind him. Not that he’s a bad worker, though, and a largely brawl-based environment like this one allowed him to show off his vicious puro strikes, allowing him to take control early on and beat Sammy’s chest black and blue (I’m not even kidding, it was seriously ugly by the time he was done). One of Sammy’s defining features, however, is his heart, and despite getting blasted with the Wright Stuff after receiving some of the nastiest strikes in the business Sammy struggled back to his feet and got back into the match, throwing out punches like there was a half-price sale on, and quickly driving Lee to ringside. That brought Herb Stately into the match, but his attempt to turn the tide was met with resounding failure when Sammy decked him with a right hook to the jaw, to a generally cheery response from the fans (not so much ‘whoo, you punched an @sshole’ type cheers, more ‘whoo, you’re buying our drinks’ type pop). That left Lee on his own, and whilst he was quick to bring weapons into play it was clear that the advantage was sliding Sammy’s way, as he continued to battle on, staggering back to his feet every time it looked like he was down for a 10-count. Eventually Lee tried to lure him back into the ring in an effort to try and get the drop on him, but Sammy got him off-guard by coming off the top rope with an axe handle before grabbing a bin-lid and smacking Lee with it about a dozen times. One Ace in the Hole later and it was clear that Lee was out for a lot longer than the 10-count required to put this one in the bag.

Winner: Sammy the Shark Match Rating: C-

 

 

Overall Rating: D+, same as usual.

[1PWfan]

Okay, so I'm back after a busy weekend, let's have a look at the predictions, people!

 

Hashasheen: 5/7

Regis: 5/7

Astil: 4/7, and it's nice to know you're reading sir!

Midnightnick: 4/7

Occasional_Z: 4/7, and check out the UJW dynasty he's working on, looks promising stuff

BHK1978: 5/7, and again, always nice to know there's new readers.

 

So this time it's Regis (again, can you read my mind?), Hashaeen and BHK as winners, with the right to ask a question of any NYCW superstar on the roster. As always they'll go up 24 hours(ish) before a show, so you can get them in with your predictions.

[Hashasheen]

Question to Steve Flash: How do you feel about the current crop of young wrestlers in NYCW?

[BHK1978]

My question is for either member of the Atlantic Connection (or both):

 

How does it feel to be the new team on the block here in NYCW?

[1PWfan]

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

 

“Losing Lee was one thing, but when Brandon told me he was leaving too…I didn’t take it too well. In the space of one month, we lost a key veteran and one of our best up-and-coming stars, and this was at a time when replacements seemed thin on the ground. What was worse, I didn’t know Brandon was leaving ‘til the night of the show- to be fair, he told me himself face-to-face, but he’d signed the contract a few days before and now I was having to rethink a whole storyline in the space of a few minutes when I’d originally thought it would run for pretty much the rest of the year. So I didn’t take it quite as well as I liked…well, I went after him with a fountain pen. I think it took Larry and Bailey both to drag me off of him and calm me down enough to sort out what we were doing”

 

***

 

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

 

Larry burst out laughing, clearly amused

 

“The fountain pen story, right? Yeah, that’s bull. I was there in the office at the time, and the only thing Hugh did with it was jab ‘Dozer a couple of times while he went off on one. If that’s an attack then I’m a male model”

 

Larry grins, bringing every one of his numerous scars into sharp relief.

 

“Point is, we’d lost a couple of key guys and Hugh wasn’t the best guy at coping with stress, leastways not when Tammy was on tour in Japan and couldn’t knock some sense into him herself. That made for a show that didn’t feel as good as it was. I was there, I watched it and I’m telling you now, it was a solid piece of entertainment. Hugh, though, he was p*ssed off and angry and really wasn’t happy with anything on the show- at least, not until Steve went out and kicked @ss like usual. The big thing I remember, though, was what he said to Cam after the loser leaves town match. They were coming backstage, and Hugh calls out loud enough that Brandon could hear him too, ‘Couldn’t you have broken that little b*tch’s neck?’”

 

***

 

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

 

“The first thing I expect from everyone I work with is loyalty, and that means no skipping out after three months ‘cos a better deal’s come along. That’s why I like to use older guys in top spots, they’re absolutely committed to the company whereas your average punk-@ss kid has one priority, and that’s his own career. As far as I’m concerned, when you’re with my company your own career doesn’t mean jack diddly godd@mn doo-dah next to what the company needs. So frankly, ‘Dozer got off lightly- if I’d had my way, it would’ve made what the Lamberts did to Jimmy Power look like a godd@mn children’s party.”

 

Hugh pauses, breathing deeply in an effort to calm down

 

“Look, the point was, I wasn’t happy with the situation. Maybe if it had been one or the other, Lee or ‘Dozer, and we’d had a chance to scout out a replacement, I wouldn’t have gotten so mad. As it was they were both gone before I’d had a chance to breathe, and I’ll admit that I was mad as all heck at Brandon and maybe acted other than I should’ve done. But can you blame me? It wasn’t exactly a fun couple of days.

 

“Fortunately, straight after the show I was able to bring in Kashmir Singh and Danny ‘The Mountain’ Rushmore, and things picked up a bit. Those were both big signings for us, Danny in particular, and it felt good to have some real talent back on board after losing ‘Dozer and Lee.”

 

***

 

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

 

Kashmir Singh is in real life a world away from the flamboyant presence he portrays in the ring. Sat quietly in the studio, he speaks with an odd combination of Indian and Puerto Rican accents

 

“I’d been working in Puerto Rico for FCW- Puerto Rican Power’s company- for a couple of years, and to be honest it was the best time I’d had in my career. But, you know, Puerto Rico has a funny rep in the US, people don’t quite take it serious if you’re wanting to really go somewhere as a wrestler. So when Eddie got in contact with me, telling me that New York was interested in bringing me in, it seemed like a good deal. Hugh in particular was enthusiastic- first time I met him he was so hyped up I thought he was on drugs, talking a million miles a minute and virtually bouncing off the walls.

 

“What was really interesting, though, and what finally persuaded to sign with New York, was that they wanted me to work as a face with the Sensational Singh character I’d been using in Puerto Rico. Up to then Sensational had always been a heel, and the chance to develop that character, to play it in a different way, that was very interesting. You take a heel character in one place and play him as a good guy in another place, it forces you to find new aspects of the character and really expand who he is and how he operates. It’s very much a useful thing to work on in wrestling”

 

***

 

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

 

“Hands up everyone who guessed Kash went to Juillard”

 

***

 

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

 

Danny Rushmore shrugs, clearly not entirely at ease in front of the camera.

 

“I’d just left USPW when Hugh got in touch, y’know? And I wasn’t, y’know, I didn’t really know what I had in mind next, right? I’d been working in Florida for a long time and I hadn’t really been out of that area to see what else was there. So regular work for NYCW was real attractive while I kind of, not quite looked where to go next, but put together some kind of career plan, just to see if I had a chance of going to the major shows, y’know? I mean, you watch Supreme TV back then, they had guys like Everest or Bear Bekowski, guys I knew I could do better than if I was given the chance. Even on TCW, where I didn’t really figure on winding up- their roster was a different kind of deal than I’m used to, right?- even there, guys like Texas Pete or Tana, they weren’t really on my level. So yeah, working in New York kind of gave me a home address, a promotion to build from, y’know?

 

“Plus, you read any dirt sheet or internet guy or whatever, they always say the same thing about me. Good worker, but bland, y’know? He can work, but he doesn’t stand out. I knew Hugh had worked at North of the Border back in the 90’s, when they had that first big boom, and a lot of that was because he took these blander, pure wrestler-types, and made them into characters people could get into and care about. I was hoping, y’know, maybe he’d do the same for me, kind of thing.”

 

***

 

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

 

“Danny Rushmore was one of those guys who never really went beyond the basics of being a big guy. Sure, he was a talented guy, but as a persona, he was just another big, tough dude who outmuscled everybody. Now, you can sell that kind of no-frills bruiser when you’re part of a team, it becomes a kind of communal identity, the fact that there’s two dudes who just don’t take any guff from people, that works. I mean, that’s basically what Natural Storm have been doing their whole careers. For a solo guy like Danny, though, you need something that makes him stand out from the crowd, something that…not necessarily made him unique ‘cos nobody’s really unique, eh, but something that turns him from a two-line summary into an actual character. Now, the big problem’s Danny had is that he tried to play the monster heel, the big scary guy, when in all honesty he’s not that big- sure, he’s like 6 foot 7 or eight, but he’s lean with it and doesn’t weigh in at more than about 300 pounds. What we went with…well, it wasn’t really all that different from what he was doing before, but we took out a lot of the monster element and moved it in a slightly new direction.”

 

***

 

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g165/Looneyboyo/NYCW/BlackHatBailey-1.jpg

 

“Broadway Boogie, our April show, was night and day from Manhattan Mêlée in a lot of ways. The atmosphere was better, largely because Hugh wasn’t going berserk backstage, and Kash in particular was a great guy to have backstage. Of course, this was all before belltime- that was traditionally when all hell would break loose…”

 

***

 

Card for NYCW Broadway Boogie:

 

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Whistler vs. Black Hat Bailey ©

 

Steve Flash vs. Rick Sanders

 

FOR THE NYCW TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy The Shark © vs. The Masked Mauler

 

Dazzling Dave Diamond vs. Honest Frank

 

The Sensational Singh vs. Cameron Vessey

 

FOR THE NYCW TAG-TEAM TITLES

The Ring Generals © vs. Natural Storm

 

Animal Harker vs. Danny Rushmore

[Regis]

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Whistler vs. Black Hat Bailey ©

Whistler really won't deliver as champ.

 

Steve Flash vs. Rick Sanders

Flash, in the mean time, is set up for the next top guy.

 

FOR THE NYCW TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy The Shark © vs. The Masked Mauler

Sammy's push will not be derailed.

 

Dazzling Dave Diamond vs. Honest Frank

Frank is a guy who can work well with top guys.

 

The Sensational Singh vs. Cameron Vessey

Singh comes in strong with a debut win over Cammy.

 

FOR THE NYCW TAG-TEAM TITLES

The Ring Generals © vs. Natural Storm

This feud can go a while longer without a change.

 

Animal Harker vs. Danny Rushmore

JOBBER.

[Hashasheen]

Whistler vs. Black Hat Bailey

Steve Flash vs. Rick Sanders

Sammy The Shark vs. The Masked Mauler

 

Dazzling Dave Diamond vs. Honest Frank

The Sensational Singh vs. Cameron Vessey

 

The Ring Generals © vs. Natural Storm

 

Animal Harker vs. Danny Rushmore

[Occasional_Z]

Whistler vs. Black Hat Bailey

 

Bailey is a better choice for champion

 

Steve Flash vs. Rick Sanders

 

Sanders is a tag wrestler, Flash is a main eventer

 

Sammy The Shark vs. The Masked Mauler

 

Sammy's getting a push, again Mauler is a tag guy

Dazzling Dave Diamond vs. Honest Frank

 

Frank is main event guy. DDD seems a bit directionless at the mo.

 

The Sensational Singh vs. Cameron Vessey

 

Debut win

 

The Ring Generals © vs. Natural Storm

 

Champs retain

 

Animal Harker vs. Danny Rushmore

 

Squash

[Midnightnick]

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Whistler vs. Black Hat Bailey ©

 

Steve Flash vs. Rick Sanders

 

FOR THE NYCW TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy The Shark © vs. The Masked Mauler

 

Dazzling Dave Diamond vs. Honest Frank

 

The Sensational Singh vs. Cameron Vessey

 

FOR THE NYCW TAG-TEAM TITLES

The Ring Generals © vs. Natural Storm

 

Animal Harker vs. Danny Rushmore

[BHK1978]

FOR THE NYCW EMPIRE TITLE

Whistler vs. Black Hat Bailey ©

 

Well they are both old but BHB tends to stick around longer than Whistler.

 

Steve Flash vs. Rick Sanders

 

I really like Rick Sanders but I agree with what Occasional_Z said.

 

FOR THE NYCW TRI-STATE REGIONAL TITLE

Sammy The Shark © vs. The Masked Mauler

 

There is no need to put this belt on a Tag Team wrestler.

 

Dazzling Dave Diamond vs. Honest Frank

 

DDD just flat out sucks, I never know what to do with him.

 

The Sensational Singh vs. Cameron Vessey

 

FOR THE NYCW TAG-TEAM TITLES

The Ring Generals © vs. Natural Storm

 

Animal Harker vs. Danny Rushmore

 

See what I said about DDD and insert Animal Harker's name...

[1PWfan]

Here's the usual 24 hour warning folks, plus the fan questions.

 

Firstly, from Hashasheen

 

Question to Steve Flash: "How do you feel about the current crop of young wrestlers in NYCW?"

 

Steve Flash: Honestly, I think we've got some great young wrestlers. You look at guys like Sammy, Harker, The Ring Generals...they've all got it in them to be big stars going forward, provided they work hard and stay focussed on improving their abilities. Even guys like Cameron Vessey or The New York Doll have it in them to be stars, if they can adjust their attitude and focus on what matters- entertaining the fans and providing the best wrestling money can buy, not being the biggest dog in the yard.

 

Next, this one from BHK1978:

 

For the Atlantic Connection: How does it feel to be the new team on the block here in NYCW?

 

Curtis Jenkins: Not all that different from our time in MAW- it's all about the learning curve. Right now we're still learning what it takes, taking the losses and trying to work with them to deliver something better, both as workers and as a team.

 

Riley McManus: Let me tell you something, though: we're not going to lose forever. Sooner or later, The Atlantic Connection is going to get that big win, and then? It's all about the title chase. We're not here to just learn and get better- we're here because NYCW is the place to become the greatest tag team in the world.