DAVE: Hardcore History (C-Verse '97)

[arwink]

WrestleWorld: The Breaking Kayfabe Interviews Present…

 

 

DAVE: HARDCORE HISTORY '97

A Series Breaking Down Pro-Wrestling’s Extreme Alternative, Year By Year,

Through The Eyes OF Those Who Witnessed It Firsthand

 

 

Joanne Rodriguez sits in her home studio—a familiar site to any of the YouTube fans who follow her popular podcast. The computer monitor over her shoulder plays the opening credits of DAVE’s Danger Zone TV, newly acquired by WrestleWorld and made available on their archives.

 

“Hi there,” Rodriguez says, offering the camera a broad smile, “and welcome to the latest in our Hardcore History series, looking back at the history of the East Coast Wars and the small federations that shaped the wrestling scene for years after they closed their doors. Over the next few weeks, we’re going to be talking to dozens of the major and minor players who played a part in rise of the East Coast scene and record their stories about the fights, the matches, the parties, and the lifestyle that accompanied one of the hottest periods in the American independents.

 

“And, as an added bonus, fans of the era can follow along as we re-stream classic shows and pay-per-views from the era right here on WrestleWorld, allowing you to match each shoot to the exact period it refers to.

 

“So sit back, relax, and let's take a step back in time to look at the year 1997 and what went in in a little company known as DANGER and VIOLENCE EXTREME!”

 

 

The familiar drumbeat beat of

Closer

plays over a series of quick cuts and sound-bytes from upcoming interviews:

 

 

“…we adopted a style that allowed us to present the talent we had in the best possible light…”

 

 

“…suddenly, we’re the hottest thing in wrestling…”

 

 

“…my dad wanted to go somewhere he could make a

difference

…”

 

 

“…god, everybody

hated

me so much after that…”

 

 

“…it wasn’t much of a TV deal, but we were on the air…”

 

 

“…it was the worst experience of my life…”

 

 

“…I think it’s time we broke out the barbed wire…”

 

 

“…DAVE saved my life…”

 

 

“…we didn’t set out to change the face of the wrestling industry--we set out to make money. But when the marketplace is crowded, you’ve gotta think about how you’ll compete…

 

 

The screen goes black as the title fades in.

 

DAVE: HARDCORE HISTORY 1997

[Sco xY2Jx]

<p>If I see an Arwink diary, I follow. Pretty simple.</p><p>

Always been a fan of your retrospective approach and seeing another 97' diary on the boards is a bonus.</p><p> </p><p>

Good luck.</p>

[arwink]

 

Former DAVE owner Buddy Gaines is sprawled across a red couch situated on a mezzanine, the ground floor behind him filled with cosplayers and comic fans enjoying a convention. Gaines is old and grey, his once muscular frame running to softness, but there’s still a spark in his eyes as he thinks back to the old days.

 

“DAVE didn’t start out as DAVE, you know? We evolved into it over time, but when I first started the company, it had a whole lot more to do with keeping local wrestling territories alive than creating a hardcore revolution. I was looking at what the Stomper was doing in NYC—finding small arenas, featuring local wrestlers and one or two big names—and I figured that was something worth replicating in other parts of the Tri-State.

 

“There had been folks who’d done local companies in Philly before, for sure, but they always focused on growth. Played the biggest arenas they could, drew as many fans. I saw the value in working a place you could pack out, really build the atmosphere, and that was the heart of my vision when DAVE kicked of in ninety-two.

 

“For the first year, the name wasn’t even DAVE—we were Pennsylvania Championship Wrestling for the first twelve months—but then two things prompted the name change. The first was Andrew Barber starting PPPW and building it up, showing all the signs that he’d be around for a while.

 

“The second was giving the book to this kid who’d been firing ideas at me ever since I first hired him to manage Vin Tanner at the first show. He’d been doing good stuff for Stomper as Harry Flash, Manager to the Stars, but for me he’d elected to come in under his own name: Phil Vibert.”

 

 

 

“I think Buddy would have been content to spend twenty years running DAVE as a small, regional fed that built up a small coterie of local stars,” Mitch Naess said. “The problem is, he hired Phil, and Phil’s vision for the company was never going to be small and local.

 

“Phil’s wanted to be in the wrestling business since he saw Micky Star fight Corporal Doom as a young boy, but his dream was never going out there and being World Champion. What Phil wanted was to become Richard Eisen—he wanted to leave his fingerprint on the industry, an undeniable presence who can make guys careers. He wanted to take over the way Supreme did back in the eighties, and the moment he got into a position as booker, he started working to make that happen.

 

“For five years he booked Buddy Gaines’ small, regional fed and turned it into one of the hottest things in wrestling.

 

“Because Phil’s great talent isn’t just booking—it’s his ability to motivate people. When he pitched ideas, he did it in a way that made you feel like you were the biggest, greatest, most important thing in the world. Every time Buddy tried to pull on the reigns, Phil would talk him around.

 

“But there was always tension there, between Phil’s drive and Buddy’s reluctance, which is how we got to the end of ninety-six and the official changing of the guard.”

 

 

 

Phil Vibert conducts his shoot from the side of a Las Vegas pool, although the DAVE owner is still dressed in his trademark suit. “I’d spent a good portion of nineteen ninety-six pulling together a pool of investors—folks who’d back me if I bought Gains out and took over DAVE as the owner. We pulled the trigger right after thanksgiving 96, took our time getting all the paperwork sorted, but it basically ended up giving me total control of the company on New Year’s Eve.

 

“The war was in full swing at that point, and we were primed to take the lead. We were about to launch our weekly television show on Central Perk—11 PM to 12 PM every Thursday night—and we negotiated a deal where they’d broadcast our arena shows every month as well. The investors gave us a war chest, and Stalling’s habit of stealing talent from everyone was going to benefit the companies who invested in making new stars fast.

 

“Which was basically business as usual for us, so we were in pretty good shape.

 

“Plus—and this is the important part—we were the only company being run by people who actually understood the young and alternative demographic who were flocking to wrestling for the first time…”

 

 

 

Scott Hickey records his interview via webcam, and observant viewers may notice the Sydney Harbor Bridge visible through the window behind him. The veteran manager nurses a cup of coffee and a weary smile.

 

“Buddy Gains started DAVE at the age of thirty-one, which isn’t

old

by any stretch of the imagination, but it seemed like a world of difference when you consider all his pop culture knowledge came out of the eighties.

 

“But if you look at the guys Phil tended to keep close, they were all nineties kids. Mitch had only just turned twenty that year. I was…hell…twenty-four? Twenty-five? Phil was a year younger than me, Caulfield was two. Emma wasn’t even old enough to drink when she started working with us.

 

“But we were all ambitious and willing to take risks and determined to prove ourselves, and any Boomer-era wrestler who didn’t like it could go take a flying leap for all we cared.”

 

Hickey drops his gaze and shakes his head at the arrogance of youth.

 

“It mostly worked because Buddy was there to temper things and ward off the wilder ideas and impulses. I shudder to think how the take-over might have gone if Nemesis hadn’t stepped in to be the voice of reason.

 

"And, really, after that, I shudder to think that Nemesis

was

our voice of reason…"

[BHK1978]

Does this mean the NYCW diary is done?

[falling_star]

Love the review format, and always a big DAVE fan!

[arwink]

 

Emma Chase sits behind an expensive, ultra-modern glass-and-chrome desk, in an opulent study which, from the view, looks to be situated several dozen stories above the ground floor. She’s dressed like an executive, hair pinned back.

 

“I learned a lot, working in that locker room, and in particular from working with Phil. Things that came in handy when…well…” She gestures to her office, fighting a smile at the absurdity of it all. “DAVE built itself around a small crew of names in those first five years, and it worked because Phil really focused on getting those boys over. He put Datsun, Martin, and JD Morgan on top and treated them like a big deal. He had guys like Vin Tanner, Vengeance, and The Wolverine bubbling along just underneath them, ready to step up if anyone walked away.

 

“He let those six men define the company, protected them the whole way along, and they weren’t just a big in DAVE—they were a big deal in the whole damn Tri-State. As a young wrestling fan in New York, DAVE was definitely

the

place to be. My tastes probably ran towards the RPW product a little more, but I definitely had a poster of Freddie Datsun on my wall.

 

“But he was also smart enough to recognise the writing on the wall. DAVE got a TV show on a local access channel, which was going to increase their profile. That show freed him up to work the New England territories without letting the buzz die in the Tri-State.

 

“And then HGC started up, looking for guys with buzz they could sign. Which mean Old Man Eisen would have to start locking down talent, maybe sending a few more guys to Rhode Island. Guys with buzz—guys like Martin and Vengeance and Datsun and Morgan—were going to be on everyone’s hit-list when the contracts started flying.

 

“Which meant ninety-seven was the year Phil started looking for the second wave of DAVE originals, because he liked to think ahead and ensure there was someone to step up if his top guy walked away.

 

“Which is…

ahem

…something I’ve advocated for in every company I’ve worked for since, regardless of how untouchable they thought themselves…”

 

Chase delivers a pointed look to someone just off camera, and astute listeners may recognise Eric Eisen’s laughter.

 

 

 

“I started my career in Brisbane, which might as well be Antarctica when it came to getting regular gigs back in the day. Came to the USA on a fluke—I’d managed the Outbackers on an indie gig and the tape found its way into Chief Two Eagle’s hand, and he signed all three of us to a development gig with Rhode Island. They saw some value in Rolf and Harris, but I got the boot after six months because…well…we all know how old man Eisen feels about managers, no?

 

“So there I was—twenty-four, renting a flat in Rhode Island, with a Visa that says I’ve got sixty days to find regular employment before they deport me back to Oz.

 

“And I probably would have gone, except…well….there was this girl I’d been seeing, and it seemed like it could get serious. So I sent out tapes and hustled every contact I had, trying to find a company that needed a warm body. I wanted to manage, but I had other skills—my degree back home was marketing and screen production—and I figured I could parlay that into something the way the industry was heating up.

 

“Fifty-six days in, when I was on the verge of despairing, Phil was the guy who said yes. He offered me a terrible deal, and but mostly involved working in the office and production alongside being on-screen, but it was enough to keep me in the country and that was all I needed. I figured it would be a few month tour, a little breathing room to find something better.

 

“I ended up staying much, much longer, helping to build up the TV product and hustling for sponsors as our profile grew…”

 

 

 

Chris Caulfield sits on a bench in a locker room, nursing a cup of coffee. He’s wearing a t-shirt advertising his training camp, Hardcore Heroes, and there’s a glimpse of Alex Braun putting some young rookies through their paces visible through the doorway to Caulfield’s left.

 

“The internet’s built up this mythology about the Hardcore Six,” he says. “Especially when it came to the second wave. Truth is, Phil could do a strong build of his originals because nobody was paying attention to DAVE in those early years, and by the time they started trying to hire DAVE’s guy, a whole of those boys were happy enough where they were to knock ‘em back. They were, after all, the guys who built DAVE alongside Phil and Buddy Gaines. DAVE was

their

company as much as Phil. They’d put their stamp on the company.

 

“There were a bunch of guys Phil hoped would take DAVE into the new millennium as top talent who just didn’t want to stay. Vengeance would have been the new Johnny Martin if he’d stayed. Monty Walker would have stepped into Freddie Datsun’s spot on the card. John Anderson was never particularly comfortable with the product. Todd Cussons…well, we all know how that ended up…”

 

Caulfield hesitates and takes a deep breath, obviously struggling with the memory.

 

“There are always guys who get the focus, and they’re not always the guys the fans expect. But sometimes that has a whole lot less to do with who has the most talent or the best matches, and a whole lot more with booker’s confidence that they’ll still be there to repay the favour when their time on top is over.

 

 

 

Buddy Gains breaks out into a peal of laughter. “Anyone who thinks Phil had a grand plan for DAVE hasn’t ever seen him book a show,” he says. “I’ve watched him walk into a locker room, look around at the people assembled, and start pulling things together on a f—kin’ napkin three hours before showtime.

 

“There’s a vague direction, sure, but Phil plays things by the seat of his pants.”

 

 

 

“Mate, for real, when people talk about Phil Vibert as a chaotic genius, they often focus on the genius part and forget about the chaos. That was part of the trouble going into ninety-seven—Phil was so used to making it up as he went along that he didn’t always fit with the people we were doing business with.

 

“The sheer amount of stress I went through trying to lock down cards so we could tell our broadcast partners, so

they

could start the advertising and actually get us viewers….mate, I gotta tell you, it was easier to just make an educated guess and blame everything on ‘card subject to change’ when things didn’t work out.”

 

 

 

Phil Vibert sips a mojito as a trio of bikini-clad women hustle towards the water and dive into the Las Vegas pool where he’s conducting his interview.

 

“There was a strategy,” he says. “Of course there was a strategy, but some people don’t understand the difference between a strategy and a tactic. Once you’ve decided you want to put Eric Tyler on top, you don’t need to lock down every guy he’s beating along the way. You just need to start every show with a simple question: how do I get Eric Tyler over on this show? How does this angle benefit him?

 

“So, yeah, if everything had gone to plan, I know who would have been on top by 2001—I figured that year would be headlined by some combination of Cook, Walker, and Vengeance-- but I also knew nothing was going to go to plan. The wrestling business doesn’t work like that, and you can’t always predict who’s going to take off.

 

“

Especially

when the big boys are using you as their own personal feeder league.”

[arwink]

If I see an Arwink diary, I follow. Pretty simple.

Always been a fan of your retrospective approach and seeing another 97' diary on the boards is a bonus.

 

Good luck.

 

I'll admit, I've really missed the shoot interviews after straying away from them for a bit. They make writing up the backstage stuff a hell of a lot more fun

 

Does this mean the NYCW diary is done?

 

Not yet. This one will move a little faster, since the 97 mod is very much my jam when it comes to TEW, but I've got a relatively stable eight-month window where my writing time isn't getting eaten up by paid gigs.

 

That leaves me a lot more time to do stuff that's fun for a change

 

Love the review format, and always a big DAVE fan!

 

Thanks, and welcome aboard!

[BHK1978]

Cool. I really like what you have done with your NYCW diary thus far.

 

That being said, I always like it when you do historical C-Verse games as well. I really like the whole set-up of the workers in the modern day talking about the past.

[arwink]

 

“The first broadcast of Danger Zone TV was an small event,” Joan Rodriguez says. “Filmed in front of a small Rhode Island crowd, well away from the heathland where DAVE made its name, and broadcast on a single channel that only catered to the Tri-State.

 

“Production values were low, the lighting almost criminally bad, and the audio compensated for with a plethora of pre-taped interviews and skits recorded in the basement of Chris Caulfield’s mother’s house in order to minimize the costs at the arena.

 

“It was humble beginnings for a show that holds such an incredible place in the psyche of modern wrestling fans—especially when viewed through the lens of a modern wrestling product with access to high definition cameras and computers that smooth out the worst of the technical issues—but there’s no denying the energy the show brought to Tri-State screens…”

 

 

 

Johnny Martin sits on the sidelines of a PSW show, recognised by the signage attached to the guard rail he rests a boot on. “Hollyweird offered me a contract at start of ninety-six, even brought me in for a try-out where I wrestled Cobra in a dark match at their second taping. It should have been a no-brainer—national TV, professional production, a whole lot of money to go up against Eisen and try and take a chunk of his audience.

 

“But I wanted to stay with DAVE…with Phil. The Central Perk deal wasn’t anywhere near as big, but it was a starting point and there were plans to start expanding once we’d proved DAVE could be a TV product. That was half the reason we started in Rhode Island—Phil wanted to build up the hype before the started negotiating with New England distributors.

 

“And Phil seemed the smarter option, especially since Hollyweird lowballed their offer. They had all these advantages, but they were booked by Strong—not a guy known for getting young talent over—and they were owned by a mark with more dollars than sense.

 

“Meanwhile, Phil had built this company from nothing and he’d done it by putting me on top. I figured, if Hollyweird really wanted me, they’d make me another offer down the line when they were more established.

 

“And if they didn’t want me…well...DAVE’s TV deals would just give me a platform to prove they really should.”

 

 

 

“And so we had a TV deal.” Freddie Datsun sits in the same office Joan Rodriguez uses for her segments, his t-shirt bearing a small WrestleWorld logo that peeks out from behind the trademark flannel. “It wasn’t much of a TV deal, but we were on the air, and that’s the sort of thing that gets wrestler’s excited. Suddenly it’s all about justifying the minutes youre given, whether it’s in a match or cutting a promo.

 

“And for a lot of us, this was the dream—we’d gone from wrestling in front of a hundred people to wrestling in front of an audience of

thousands

. People who can’t watch the shows when they air record them off TV, spread them around among their friends who are outside the broadcast area.

 

“Two weeks after the first Danger Zone TV aired, I got recognised at the auto-shop where I worked during the week. Guys who’d largely treated my wrestling as a joke suddenly got real interested in how I got started, because now I was on TV.

 

“And that’s when Phil tapped me to do some work for the office. He knew I had an art background—if I hadn’t made it as a wrestler, I’d planned to open my own tattoo parlour and focus on design—so he tapped me to start designing a new wave of merch because he figured we’d be selling a whole lot more in six months or so.

 

“That was how he hoped to make the TV deal pay for itself, because we sure as hell weren’t making any money from the programming.”

 

 

 

Vin Tanner cracks a beer and takes a huge drink, wiping his arm with a sleeve. He follows it up with a puff on a giant cigar, and a knowing smile at the camera. “I thought broadcasting from Rhode Island was a huge mistake. We were hot as hell in the Tri-State. We’d been performing in front of a thousand people in New York, Philly, and Jersey. The pre-sales on the Rhode Island taping were pitiful, and didn’t improve much on the night. I’m pretty sure they had to paper the town just to get eighty people into the building, and a whole bunch of those were parents bringing young kids to the show because that’s what wrestling

was

in those days.

 

“I hear there were complaints.”

 

 

 

“It was all about crafting a perception,” Mitch Neas says. “It’s one thing to say you’re the hottest company on the East Coast, it’s another to show people a crowd of 80 turn into a crowd of three hundred in the space of a few weeks.

 

“We knew we’d get complaints about this show that wasn’t for kids—we

wanted

those complaints because they were part of our marketing. Every time someone wrote to their local newspaper to bitch about the fact we were nice wrestlers like Sam Strong, that was telling a whole bunch of people who were our target audience that they should come check us out.

 

“And, of course, the tri-state fans were going to be watching all of this. They’d see us bust our asses in front of a hundred people who didn’t care, and they’d know we’d bust our asses even harder when they showed up, especially once the message became ‘we’ve just posted a record-breaking crowd because of you—thank you for supporting us.’

 

“That was always one of Phil’s favourite tricks—put the fans over alongside putting over the boys.”

[Herrbear]

Very, very interesting. I am looking forward to more.

[arwink]

 

Presented in the most complete form possible, due to original production difficulties.

 

DAVE Danger Zone TV #1

Thursday, Week 1, January 1997

Elmwood Civic Centre, Rhode Island – 90 People

Broadcast on Central Perk TV for a 0.01 rating (5,237 viewers)

 

 

 

We open the show with Mitch Naess in the production booth, welcoming everyone to the very first episode of Danger Zone TV. Naess starts to hype the card for the night, but he’s interrupted by a headset-wearing Phil Vibert (and his bodyguard, Officer Hardway), who has more important things to talk about.

 

 

“The big news tonight isn’t DAVE getting on TV,” Vibert says. “This is the hottest federation on the East Coast, which makes it the hottest federation in America, and the only surprise is that it took this long for a broadcaster to agree to showcase the best, the wildest, the most

extreme

wrestling going today.

 

“No, that’s not the news. The news here is that we’re just four days away from JD Morgan challenging Johnny Martin for the Extreme Championship, and Commissioner Buddy Gaines still hasn’t come up with a plan that will prevent that maniac, Vengeance, from interfering in what promises to be the greatest technical match-up to take place this year.

 

“Now, with the most prestigious title in the world on the line on Monday, I’m not interested in waiting for Buddy Gaines to take his sweet time resolving this problem. That’s why I’ve invested the time and my own money in signing an opponent for Vengeance at Back in Black…a man who is Vengeance’s equal in savagery, in violence, in sheer animalistic chaos…and all Buddy Gaines needs to do is sign the paperwork I gave him to make the match official.

 

“And if that isn’t done by the end of the night…if Buddy Gaines doesn’t assure me that Monday’s main event will be permitted to take place without interreference…then my client and I will have no choice but to refuse to wrestle for DAVE out of concern for JD Morgan’s safety and his bout with Monty Walker tonight will be his last match for Danger and Violence Extreme.

RATING: 59

 

 

Mitch Naess expresses surprise at Vibert’s stance, but quickly throws to a young blue-chipper scheduled to wrestle his own match at Back in Black, the camera cutting away to the backstage area where Chris Caulfield is standing by.

 

 

“This is Chris Caulfield, and right here in DAVE I’m gearing up to wrestle the biggest match of my career against 411 at Back in Black. Now, 411’s got a few years under his belt, and I’m only a rookie. You say the 411 on me is that I’m too pretty to be in wrestling, but I ain’t here to coast by on looks. I came to DAVE to be a professional wrestler, and I don’t care if you’re looking to wrestle or to fight, because I’m going in there to give 110 percent.”

RATING: 19

 

 

 

“Nineteen Ninety-Six saw the debut of a terrible, destructive force in Danger and Violence Extreme,” Naess says, and we cut to footage of the Darkness Warriors tearing through the tag-team ranks, laying out team after team with their Endless Night decapitation kneedrop combination.

 

Naess hypes them as an unstoppable force, wondering which tag-team will be the one to final stop their onslaught.

RATING: 30

 

 

vs.

 

LUCAS HALE & JAKE HARVEY vs. THE DARKNESS WARRIORS

 

Two rookies get fed to the Darkness Warriors, who haul Hale and Harvey out to ringside and absolutely murder them using guard rails, the ring apron, and plunder from beneath the ring. Lucas Hale takes the lion’s share of the beating—getting in very little offense of his own in return—but he surprises everyone by kicking out of everything the Warrior’s throw at him until the finally hit the Endless Night.

 

The Darkness Warriors defeated Lucas Hale & Jake Harvey in 4:50 when Raul Darkness pinned Lucas Hale. RATING: 12

 

 

 

The Darkness Warriors go for the tables and the lighter fluid, but they’ve barely dragged them from under the table when DAVE commissioner Buddy Gaines appears at curtain with a mic.

 

 

“Raul, Jay, I know what you’re about to do,” Gaines says, “and I know there’s very few threats I can make that will stop you from endangering your opponents, yourselves, and all these fans with a pyrotechnic display of dominance. For months now, you’ve been making your name as the most feared tag-team in DAVE, and I’ve got nothing but respect for that despite the headaches you cause after the bell.

 

“Since I can’t beat you with a stick, let me offer you a carrot—put the tables away, go backstage, and I promise you a match at Back in Black that’ll offer you a challenge and a

fight

unlike anything you’ve seen before. I offer you opponents who are decorated champions, and some of the biggest names on the independents today.

 

“You want to sacrifice names to whatever dark lord you follow…I promise you names worth sacrificing.

 

“But for that to happen, you need to walk away from the rookies and not try to set either one of them on fire…”

 

The Darkness Warriors consider the proposal, exchanging a long look. Finally, Raul nods and puts the lighter fluid away. Jay Darkness unleashes a big boot on Lucas Hale as he departs, but otherwise does so without incident. They file along the aisle, Gaines pressing himself against the guard rail to let them pass.

 

 

And as he turns to follow them backstage, he’s met at the curtain by DAVE’s new interviewer, Dixie Diamond. “Well, Buddy, I think everyone can see how you ended up the Commissioner of Danger and Violence Extreme,” she says. “There’s nobody else out there who has your knack of negotiating with the deranged freaks and weirdos who wrestle here.

 

“But it does open up an important question everybody wants to know the answer to: how are you going to respond to Phil Vibert’s proposal to put Vengeance into a match at Back in Black?”

 

Gaines heaves a deep breath, obviously wary of the question, but promises he’s giving the matter full consideration. Dangerous and unpredictable as the Darkness Warriors are, Vengeance is an even tricker member of the roster.

 

For all Phil Vibert’s claims he’s found someone who can go toe-to-toe with an Avenging Angel, there’s plenty of men who have claimed that and regretted it once the bell is rung. Gaines’s job isn’t just delivering the best quality wrestling for the DAVE fans—it’s advocating for the health and safety of his wrestlers, even when they’re the kind of men who won’t advocate for themselves.

RATING: 33

 

 

 

We cut to a pre-tape from the interview backstage, where 411 is standing by to give the fans the 411. “This is Danger and Violence Extreme,” he says. “The home of wrestling’s misfit toys, and other assorted freaks and weirdos. We ain’t for everybody, and not every wrestler can make it here.

 

“Chris Caulfield is a hell of a rookie talent, but he’s never been a misfit. He captained his high-school football team. He was voted homecoming king. He got invited to try out for pro-football, and turned it down because he wanted to be a pro wrestler.

 

“And now he’s washed up here, in the land of misfit toys, and the 411 is simple: this ain’t where Caulfield belongs.”

RATING: 27

 

 

vs.

w/

 

JJ COLES vs. TYRANNOSAURUS PEX w/Scott Hickey

 

JJ Coles rides down to the ring on his Harley, and Tyrannosaurus Pex curls his lip in a sneer as he stares down at the smaller man. The bell rings and Coles swings for the fences, laying into Pex with a series of hard lefts and rights, then hitting the ropes to build momentum…only to get his head taken off by a stiff clothesline that turns him inside out.

 

The rest of the match became an exercise in Coles trying to get clear of Pex and buy himself space to muster some offence, but on the rare occasions he actually managed it, Scott Hickey was there to ensure things were shut down with a trip or a distraction of the referee. And yet, there’s chemistry at work here—a natural understanding of the big man/small dynamic that really elevates the game of both me.

 

Coles earns himself one great pop in the match—nailing the charging Pex with a stiff knee to the jaw that actually drops the big man to one knee—but he can’t make it pay off. As Coles hits the rings to build up momentum for his follow-up, he rebounds straight into a Pex-Plex that puts him away for the one-two-three.

 

Tyrannosaurus Pex defeated J.J. Coles in 6:12 by pinfall. RATING: 37

 

 

 

Pex’s manager, Scott Hickey, collects a microphone and joins his client in the middle of the ring. “In years to come, nineteen ninety-seven will be remembered as the beginning of a new Jurassic Age,” Hickey says. “The first days of an era where a dinosaur rules the earth once more, and dominates inside the wrestling ring.

 

“Tyrannosaurus Pex was supposed to wrestle a man named Charlie at Back-in-Black, but it seems he took the big money deal and absconded to Hollyweird where the competition is twenty years older and half-as-dangerous as stepping into the ring with Pex.

 

“But when the Tyrannosaurus is hungry, it’s a bad idea not to feed him…so we’re laying out an open challenge. If you think you’ve got what it takes to step into the ring with Pex, we’ve left a contract with Buddy Gaines for Back In Black with a blank spot where you can enter your name. And—because no sane man steps into the ring with a genetic beast like Pex without a good reason—I’ve sweetened the pot by adding $500 of my own money to the winner’s purse.

 

“If you think you can take it, all you’ve got to do is see the commissioner and sign your name.”

RATING: 32

 

 

 

We cut back to the production office, where Mitch Naess hypes the fact that we’ll be seeing JD Morgan challenge Johnny Martin for the Extreme Championship at Back In Black. This match has been brewing for months, courtesy of JD Morgan’s winning streak and his continued mockery of the Extreme Championship, and we’d like to take you back to September when their first match proved inconclusive.

 

 

The footage cuts to the tail end of a match between Morgan and Johnny Martin, and in particular the crucial moment where the Phil Vibert-bribed Officer Hardway assaulted Johnn Martin with a baton while Vibert distracted the ref to buy his client time to recover from a vicious suplex.

 

Morgan attempted to take advantage of the assault, crawling over to make a cover…but as he does so the lights go out, and when they come back on Vengeance is in the ring, looming over the challenger.

 

 

Vibert sends Hardway into the ring to clear house, but Vengeance lays the crooked cop out. He then grabs Morgan when the submission specialist tries to take the Avenging Angel out, planting him with a chokeslam and pulling Martin into a position to make the cover.

 

“It’s taken Phil Vibert two months to secure his client another shot at the Extreme Champion,” Naess says, “and earlier tonight you heard his concern that Vengeance would once-again be a deciding factor in the clash between Martin and Morgan. We’re still waiting go hear if Buddy Gaines has accepted Vibert’s proposed solution, and moments ago it seems Phil Vibert released an additional statement on the matter.”

 

We cut to footage of Phil Vibert and JD Morgan, conducting an interview with reporters outside of the Elmwood Civic Centre.

 

 

“It’s been shown, time and again, that Vengeance is an unstable, unpredictable, and dangerous force in Danger and Violence Extreme, and time-and-again Buddy Gaines has elected not to try and curb the hostile behaviour exhibited by this deranged individual.

 

“We’ve attempted to be reasonable about this—we’re not asking for Vengeance to be fired or banned from the building while this match takes place. The man may not be stable, but he still needs to make a living just like Johnny Martin and JD Morgan. All we’re asking for is the ability to fight back, and give Vengeance a focus for his aggressive impulses that will help ensure the title defence is a fair fight.”

 

Back to Mitch in the control room, who goes on to point out that the Extreme Champion himself has had a few things to say about Vibert’s proposal.

 

 

We cut to Johnny Martin backstage, the Extreme Championship over one shoulder. He stares directly at the camera. “I’ve held this belt for 123 days, and I’d like to think I’ve done it with honor. Every challenger gets their shot, everybody gets their chance to step up. Because if you carry a belt and you can’t beat everybody in the middle of that ring, one-two-three, there’s no point in calling yourself a champion.

 

“Right now, there’s just one blemish on my record. One man I’ve faced and walked away with a victory that doesn’t feel like it’s something I’ve earned. And people may say that Vengeance was there to even the odds, stopping Vibert and Morgan from stealing the belt after they unleashed a sneak attack, but the truth is Vengeance pulled me over JD Morgan and made sure I walked away with the win.

 

“That sticks in my craw something bad, and I don’t want to risk that happening again. Yeah, Vibert might send another goon, but that’s what it means to be champion. Everybody comes after you. Everybody tries to screw you along the way. If you can’t take it, you may as well lay down for the first man who offers you a challenge, because each defence is only going to be harder than the one before it.”

 

When we cut back to Mitch, he’s joined by a familiar face in the production booth, and Mitch is pleased to announce that DAVE President Buddy Gaines has made his decision.

 

 

“Ladies and Gentlemen, after much consideration and consultation with the Massachusetts Athletic Commission under whose jurisdiction Back in Black will take place, it has been decided that the Commission will not sanction a match between Vengeance and an unknown wrestler, even though they have the utmost respect for Phil Vibert and his organization. In fact, their respect for Phil Vibert’s ability to scout talent is part of the reason for their reluctance—if he says he’s found someone more violent, more dangerous, more terrifying than Vengeance, there are legitimate concerns that both men would walk out of the match injured.

 

“But this is DAVE—Danger and Violence Extreme—and we don’t much hold with being told what we can and can’t do.

 

“And while I can’t put this match on as part of our regular card, I can offer Vengeance and Mister Vibert an unsanctioned match. This will mean a bout with no rules, no winner’s purse, and no advancement in the standings that might earn either man a title shot. There will be a referee, but his sole job is to deliver a ten count and declare that one man is no longer able to fight.

 

“Now, I am willing to sign this match, but I have a stipulation of my own—I’ll not ask Vengeance to face a dangerous opponent without any further details, nor ask him to risk his own health and livelihood in a dangerous match without a full and thorough understanding of what may be at stake.

 

“And that means Phil Vibert has until the end of tonight’s show to reveal the name of his mystery client, so that Vengeance may fully gauge whether he wants to be involved in the Unsanctioned fight.

 

“Now, knowing Vengenace, I suspect he will agree regardless, but I’d invite everyone involved to seriously consider what they’re putting at risk and how they’d like to proceed.”

RATING: 55

 

 

vs.

 

ROCKY CONSTANTINO & TIM TANTRUM vs. THE HOTBODIES

 

Tim Tantrum makes his way to the ring with his latest tag-team partner, 4C’s Sicilian Psycho Rocky Constantino. Mitch Naess idly wonders how long it will take for Tantrum to lose the plot and turn on

this

partner…but to the surprise of everyone, Tanrum and Constantino have made a highly effective team for the past few weeks. They hit hard, tag often, and when Constantino weathers a long and gets the hot tag, Tantrum explodes back into the match with a vengeance as he throws the Hotbodies around.

 

Finally, Tim Tantrum locks in the Timeout! Cloverleaf on Rocky and really sinks his bodyweight to keep Rocky from getting to the ropes. Naess notes that this is usually the danger zone for Tantrum—he blows his lid the moment someone makes it to the ropes—but this time out he actually secures the submission with the Time Out!.

 

Constantio & Tantrum defeated The Hotbodies in 8:44 when Tim Tantrum submitted Rocky Hotbody. RATING: 19

 

 

 

Tantrum gets his hand raised and hugs his tag-team partner, although Constantino looks unimpressed by the gesture.

 

 

He’s even more unimpressed when

Gangsta’s Paradise

hits and Black Murder strolls down to the ring. “Well, well, well,” Black says, “look whose feeling proud of himself because he held his s—t together long enough to actually pick up a win.”

 

Tantrum surges forward, ready to take a piece out of Black, but Constantino holds Tantrum back as Murder looms.

 

“Yeah,” Black says, “you better listen to the smarter white-boy, Timmy. You may be on a roll, and you may even think you got a chance of taking away my sweet baby girl, here” – Black pauses to pat the title around his waist –“but come Monday, you’re facing the baddest mothers on the block for the most valuable gold there is, and your biggest problem ain’t going to be losing your temper, dig? When it comes to cracking heads, there ain’t nobody better than me and Mikey…and when we’re done with cracking yo’ skulls, were going to go find your mommas to have ourselves a little celebration party.”

 

Tantrum breathes deep, looking for all the world like he’s about to lose it, but he pulls himself back from the brink.

 

“Jus’ like I thought,” Black says. “You’re just a couple of dumb punks.”

 

Which is when

Constantino

loses his cool and slaps the hell out of Elijah Black, sparking a furious brawl that quickly sees him choking the tag-team champion. Murder go to town right after, hauling Constantino off and taking him down with a -boot before moving on to help beat down Tantrum.

RATING: 30

 

 

 

Backstage we go, where the Icon of Insanity Henry Lee is huddled in the corner, half-hidden behind some packing crates. He rocks slightly, arms hugged around his shoulders, eyes never looking towards the camera.

 

“So they’re looking for a man crazy enough to step into the ring with Tyrannosaurus Pex on short notice,” Lee says. “And they want an opponent for the big man bad enough that his manager’s adding a sweet 500 dollars to the winner’s purse.

 

“And as soon as Scott Hickey said those words, everybody looked towards me. ‘Oh, Henry Lee will take the match—Henry’s ten kinds of crazy, and he’s fought the Tyrannosaurus before. I bet he doesn’t even need the money to motivate him!’

 

“But it takes more than a madman to step into the ring with the Tyrannosaurus, especially when you know what it’s like to feel those big hands wrap around your skull and

twist

, or what it feels like to have all your breath rush out of you because a three hundred pounds monster’s just suplexed you faster and harder than you’ve ever been thrown before.

 

“When I first came to DAVE, beating Tyrannosaurus Pex was the biggest win of my career…but it took it’s toll on my body. The Tyrannosaurus delivered the worst beating I’ve ever experienced in my life.

 

“People think I’m not afraid of men like Tyrannosaurus Pex. They think I’m the Icon of Insanity because I see a three hundred pound man that fights like a dinosaur, and I think getting into the ring with him is a good time. They think I’ve thrown myself off balconies because I don’t understand how bad it’ll hurt, and that I’ll agree to fight a man with a flaming branding iron because I don’t understand that fire burns.

 

“But the truth is, I’m afraid of all those things. I understand the pain and the consequence and the danger of everything I do…

and I do them anyway

. Because people will pay me…because doing them gets me new opportunities…and because I may never have the strength of Tyrannosaurus Pex, or the skill of a man like Johnny Martin…but I can endure pain like no other man alive, and keep fighting long after I should have closed up and said ‘enough,’ and I can hurt people bad enough that they say stop.

 

“Even a big man like you, Pex.

 

“And I could use five hundred dollars…”

RATING: 58

 

 

 

We cut to the production studio, where Mitch Naess hypes another new match added to the Back-in-Black card. One of DAVE’s rookie technicians, Michael Cook, has been testing his skills against the best technical wrestlers he can find, both inside DAVE and without.

 

 

At Back-in-Black he’ll be facing a man whose been taking the West Coast by storm—John Anderson, the Human Arsenal!”

RATING: 4

 

 

 

Eric Tyler is in a bathroom, staring into the mirror. “Some days, I don’t recognise the man who stares back at me when I go to the bathroom,” he says. “I look at my face, at the scars I’ve earned across am 18 year career, and I don’t see any trace of the boy who wanted to be a professional wrestler anymore.

 

“Thirty years ago, when I was seven years old, I saw Dan Stone fight Whipper Spencer Marks on my uncles beat-up television. I got to see them play the game of chess that is a mark of great professional wrestling, the exchange of hold and counter-hold as they sought to earn the advantage that led to victory. Then and there, I fell in love with this sport, and I knew what I wanted to do with my life.

 

“I drew pictures of Dan Stone in my notebooks at school. I begged my mother to go see every show in driving distance, and plenty that weren’t along the way. I joined my highschool wrestling team. I borrowed money from my step-father to go to wrestling school up in Canada. I set out to turn myself into the kind of scientific wrestler who could pick a body part and dismantle it with surgical precision. I set out to be the best damn technical wrestler you’ll ever see.

 

“And then, when I finally went pro, I discovered a horrifying truth: nobody cares if you’re a great technician anymore.

 

“For every master of the art like Dan Stone, there are men like Sam Strong who coast by on size and strength and the fact promotors can put their face on a poster and sell tickets. They couldn’t hold a candle to Dan Stone in a fair fight, but they don’t need to because they get opportunities and shortcuts a real wrestler never would. I had to build my career the hard, slow, painful way, by being too good to be ignored, and I had to take every opportunity I was offered.

 

“Even if it was wrestling for bloodthirsty fans who come to DAVE shows, who don’t care about submission holds so long as someone gets hit by a chair.”

 

Tyler closes his eyes and shakes his head.

 

“I never wanted to be champion of a place like this, but the only time I’m shown the respect I’m due is when I’m holding the belt.

 

“Which brings me to you, Freddie Datsun. The heart and soul of DAVE, the son of mechanic who went on to become the five-time Extreme Champion. The man so looked up to by the fans of this place that you’ve got your own mini-me following you around, determined to be just like his chair-swinging hero.

 

“And the thing that makes me sick, Freddie, is that you don’t have to be this way. I’ve studied your matches, scouted your tactics, and you could have been a great technical wrestler. You’ve got the instincts; you’ve got the moves…but you’ve never learned the discipline. You’ve always been happier throwing a punch than learning to apply a cravat properly, all too keen to pick a fight when you should have been wrestling a match.

 

“I don’t want to fight you on Monday, Freddie. I want to go out there and have a wrestling match. But we both know who wins if we do that, which is why we’ll end up fighting like common thugs instead of wresters.

 

“And maybe I’ll beat you—I’ve learned how to fight in this business, for all that I wanted it to be about grappling—but the truth is, Freddie, you’ve already beaten me, because I’ll walk out with fresh scars on my face and my bodies, and the little boy who dreamed of being a wrestler will slip a little further out of my reach.”

RATING: 69

 

 

 

Back to the production studio once more, where Mitch Naess tells everyone about a recent altercation that took place at a wrestling convention in Yonkers. The Wolverine and his associate Brandon were in attendance, representing DAVE, and found themselves in a most unusual encounter. There was no professional footage of the event, but we’ve sourced a video taken by an enthusiastic fan attending the Q&A:

 

 

There’s a round of applause The Wolverine finishes a Q&A, and he sets down the microphone and talks to a couple of fans as the stage crew re-set for the next event. Someone tries to hustle Wolverine on, and as he turns to hustle away he runs into someone coming up the stairs—Philly’s Man Mountain Cahill, former PPPW champion.

 

 

The Wolverine glares at the bigger man, who smirks at DAVE wrestler…and immediately finds himself backing off as an irate Big Cat Brandon leaps onto the stage to try and defend his mentor.

 

 

Things devolve into a shouting match, and Brandon fires of a wild swing, which quickly sees a small host of veteran wrestlers and convention security trying to separate the two men.

 

“The third man in this footage is Man Mountain Cahill, a former champion and current wrestler for Philly Pro Power Wrestling,” Naess says. “I’ve just received an update that he has asked for his release from his home promotion, because they wouldn’t grand him permission to come to DAVE and confront Wolverine and Brandon on their home turf.

 

“Well, folks, Buddy Gaines is no fool—he’s already signed Man Mountain Cahill and a partner of his choosing to meet The Animalz in tag-team competition at Back in Black on Monday.”

RATING: 40

 

 

vs.

w/

 

MONTY WALKER vs. JD MORGAN w/Phil Vibert

 

These two have been given permission to go balls-to-the-wall on this one, and they do not disappoint. Walker is a house on fire, always on the move, unleashing a barrage of springboard moves and dives on his opponent. It takes Morgan out of his element, forcing the submission specialist to meet fire with fire, and the match soon revolves around Morgan’s attempt to ground his opponent and work the ribs. Every time he gets Walker down, the young cruiserweight fights his way back to a vertical base…until, finally, Phil Vibert knocks Walker off the top rope and Morgan seizes on the opportunity. Three belly-to-back suplexes rattle Walker badly, and Morgan transitions into the Cross Atlantic Stretch to force the tap-out.

 

JD Morgan defeated Monty Walker in 11:03 by submission. RATING: 48

 

 

 

Phil Vibert grabs the microphone and climbs into the ring with his client, delivering an evil laugh. “Johnny Martin, take a good look at the tap for this week, because JD Morgan just delivered a preview of what’s going to happen on Monday night.

 

“And as for Mister Gaines response to my proposal…well, we could play this game of one-upmanship if you’d like, Mister President of Danger and Violence Extreme, but do you really think I’d find a man willing to step into the ring with Vengeance who wouldn’t

welcome

the possibility of an unsanctioned match? You see, I didn’t go out there and pick up just anybody to serve as our back-up—no mere fighter or professional wrestler is going to stop the avenging angel.

 

“No, when I sought back-up, I went straight to the only man I could think of that could match Vengeance’s intensity, recklessness, and outright deranged approach to wrestling. I went all the way to Canada, I rode a mule up into the hills, and I talked to the most homicidal maniac I could find this side of Sing-Sing.

 

“And since you’ve demanded a name, Mister Gaines, I’ll oblige you instead of continuing to play this game—on Monday night, at Back in Black, the Avenging Angel will face the madman of the Yukon himself, Larry-freakin’-Wood!”

RATING: 55

 

 

It might be the first show, but the hallmarks of the DAVE style were already in place: short, furious brawls to anchor the action with a focus quick cuts and charismatic promos. Despite the production quality and the small crowd, this was hailed as a great debut by the dirt sheets of the time.

 

SHOW RATING: 48

 

Next on Wrestleworlds Hardcore History '97: the first shots of the year are fired in the East Coast territories...

[arwink]

 

Man Mountain Cahill sits by the production booth of his home studio, his kids playing a cover of

Sympathy of the Devil

on the far side of the glass. “I caught Barber off-guard with the decision to jump,” he says. “And I made it worse, because I’d said FA about walking when we taped that segment and it went to air. Not my most professional moment, but I wanted…

 

Cahill looks at the ceiling, drawing in a deep breath.

 

“Look, I wasn’t the first guy to jump ship in the war. I wasn’t even the first guy to jump ship for

that show

. Jake Harvey had been wrestling dark matches for Barber, part of the Philly Power Pro youth movement at the time.

 

“Which…yeah, look…more power to him. At least the kid was getting matches.

 

“I was different because I was the biggest fella to switch side in the war—” Cahill pauses, realizing the double-meaning of what he’s just said, and snorts a short laugh. “But it wasn’t just name value—I was the first headliner to jump ship on TV, and we relied on the war to fuel the angle for a stretch.

 

“I know Barber was pissed at me, but I was a little pissed-off myself. It wasn’t like I was getting to the top of Philly Pro any other way. I’d had a run with the belt, sure, but there were two monsters in company at the time and I was the second-tier option. I got folks ready to go fight BJ in the main event, which

also

meant I was getting told not to do an awful lot of stuff in the ring, and I wasn’t being paid main event money. Some nights, I wasn't even working.

 

“DAVE had a TV show—a small TV show, but it was airtime—and I knew I'd get minutes because I'd made the call to jump. Plus there was this company out on the West Coast handing out big contracts to hot talents on the indies. A short stint in DAVE seemed like the smart call, because there were so few restrictions on how you got over with the fans…and it was a chance to work babyface for a while, which I wasn’t expecting. ”

 

 

 

PPPW founder Andrew Barber still scowls at the memory. “Losing Ronnie hurt,” he says. “Especially because I knew it wasn’t going to be the last name who jumped ship. Phil isn’t an idiot—he had funding, he had airtime, and he had a rich pool of talent in the Tri-State with a profile that would give an immediate boost to his ratings.

 

“Of course he was going to hire folks, and Ronnie was the kind of talent who seemed like he’d have some value, given DAVE’s style and lack of big men.

 

“But it was my first real sense of how badly we were going to be hurt by the war, especially if DAVE started pulling ahead. Phil had locked in a deal with CZCW, so he didn’t need to raid Rapid Pro—if he wanted someone for a show or two, odds were he could send one of his boys to the West Coast and exchange talent with Cliff.

 

“Stomper had been careful about insulating his territory, staying small enough that he wasn’t really a threat to anyone else, and he’d negotiated with all and sundry to ensure he’d keep his talent.

 

“Which left Three PW and XWF, and…gods, people talk about DAVE as a cult of misfits, but it had nothing on what went on over there. So many guys drank the cool-aid on XWF it’s surprising nobody died.

 

“Which left us as the first port of call when Phil went searching for talent, because with four feds working the same territories—plus Stomper-- there weren’t a lot of guys floating around without commitments

somewhere

.

 

“The hurt wasn’t that we’d lost Ronnie. The hurt was acknowledging that he was just the first, and our greatest hope of survival lay with hiring folks who didn’t like what DAVE put down.

 

“Unfortunately, with XWF putting on outlaw mud-shows ten times worse than anything Phil pulled together, it made it hard to find folks who saw DAVE as a detriment to the business that it became...”

 

 

 

John Anderson, better known as the Human Arsenal, frowns as he considers his answer. The walls behind him are lined with posters for TCW PPVs, a framed picture of the original Syndicate crew, and a terrifying number of replica tag-team belts commemorating the run he’s had over the years.

 

Finally, having given the matter due consideration, he clears his throat and nods to himself. “I wasn’t

unhappy

to be there,” he says, “but I wasn’t enthused by the opportunity. I took the gig because I was young and hungry and when you’re starting out it’s all about the reps—get out there, do your matches, learn on the job and hone your craft.

 

“But I wasn’t a fan of their product, at all. I thought DAVE did a phenomenal amount of damage t the sport of professional wrestling, and I still think it shortened the careers of guys who should have been much bigger deals. If I’d been older, a little more established, I probably would have said no when Phil offered me dates.

 

“But I was young, and I was hungry for work, and he made it pretty clear I was only coming in to work with this kid who had legit credentials as an amateur wrestler, and if he was going to pay for my flights to come over and work, I figured I might parlay that into a spot with a company like Rapid Pro or Philly Pro with a little luck.

 

“But when I walked into the locker room, there were exactly five men I would have worked with of my own volition: Cook, Tyler, Morgan, Monty Walker, and this kid named Fletcher they had doing honors in the dark matches. Maybe--

maybe

--that eskimo kid, Enuit, if he could drop the gimmick long enough to actually lock up.

 

“They were the guys who seemed like they wanted to go out there and actually be a wrestler. Everyone else just wanted to maul one-another, and that wasn’t the kind of company I really wanted to be a part of.”

[arwink]

<p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="L2tdVYl.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/L2tdVYl.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><img alt="JsWOAj0.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/JsWOAj0.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“Ronnie Cahill wasn’t a great worker, but that didn’t matter much in DAVE at that point.” JD Morgan sits in the back room of a Sheffield pub, nursing a pint of lager and a bag of crisps. He’s dressed in a crisp suit, every inch the old-school wrestler who dresses for respect outside the ring, even if that’s undermined by the scars on his forehead and the wreckage of his knuckles.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“Our shows weren’t carried by the work you did in the ring,” he says. “Hell, I was one of the best we had from bell to bell, and the grief I copped from the fans was unlike anything I’ve experienced since. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“The thing was, they wanted intensity and passion above all else. Here in England, you could take your time with things—slap on a headlock and talk through the next few moves—but the DAVE fans would scream blue murder at ya the moment the moment you tried to slow things down.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“They’d get off your neck eventually, if you earned their respect, but they wanted you to </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>earn</em></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> the right to wrestle a more traditional style of match.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“Five years in, they were still giving me static, but Ronnie was custom-built for that crowd. He was big, he could brawl, and more importantly, he could talk.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“And the DAVE fans would forgive you a hell of a lot if you were a good promo, especially when you had Phil sitting there offering pointers on getting better…” </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="L2tdVYl.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/L2tdVYl.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><img alt="FKxbXt7.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/FKxbXt7.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

Henry Lee nods enthusiastically, his bryl-creamed hair gleaming in the production lights. The Icon of Insanity is definitely older, and no doubt hurting from the long years of punishment he put his body through, but he’s still a surprisingly cheerful man for someone who spent his career engaged in death-defying stunts and hardcore brawls.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“I wasn’t…well, I wasn’t a </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>confident</em></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> promo when I first signed with DAVE. It wasn’t a huge part of what we did in XFW, and I’d made my name with the scaffold matches and doing the crazy dives off balconies and stuff.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“When I came into DAVE, I was hurting. Nobody said it, but Phil could see the punishment my body was taking every match, and he pushed me to talk about it rather than trying to play it tough. Which is how the Icon of Insanity went from being the most feared madman in wrestling, to becoming the most empathetic face we had. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“He gave me space, and I found my feet, and by the time we hit TV he’d set aside three or four minutes just to have me tell the story of whatever match we were building towards.”</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="L2tdVYl.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/L2tdVYl.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><img alt="QQ5S56G.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/QQ5S56G.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“My first ever promo in DAVE.” Chris Caulfield offers a rueful shake of the head, obviously embarrassed by the choices made by his younger self. “I didn't really get a shot until that first TV show, and I had expectations going in. Phil rode guys hard to get emotion and originality in the promo—those sessions could last hours in the basement of Mrs Datsun’s house, and that place stank pretty hard after you packed in twenty wrestlers in the summer. He was so careful about what made it to TV and what didn’t, and yet he let that one through despite the fact I stunk the place up. Didn’t even push me to do a second take.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“At the time, it pissed me off. He’d make me wait through all these other promos—hours of work where he drilled guys like JJ and Tantrum, pushing them to better—and the it’s finally my turn and he just nods and moves on. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

"And I knew I'd blown it. I'd cut the same white meat promo you cut your first day in class, identical to a dozen other guys.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

"I spent weeks fuming about it, trying to figure out how I’d show him that I could do so much better Start cutting promos that just blew people away, earned me mic time show-after-show.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“And I got there, in the end. Never quite reached the standard of a Henry Lee or an Eric Tyler, but I could hold my own against guys like Johnny Martin, get me over instead of just talking about a match. For years, every time I stood in front of a mic, I thought about that first promo and winced and promised myself, no. Not again. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“I asked Phil about it, once, when he had me on the podcast—why just let me slide? Was it friendship? Was it a lack of time?”</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“And he told me, ‘You had a tendency to coast, and I knew it would piss you off. And I figured, maybe, you’d work even harder because of it.’"</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

Caulfield finally laughs, and breaks into a broad smile. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“And, I mean, yeah, he was probably right about that, but still…”</div></div>

[arwink]

<p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="GwLG1MM.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/GwLG1MM.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><span style="font-family:'Arial Black';"><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>COMING SOON TO WRESTLEWORLD CLASSICS</strong></span></span></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><img alt="t6ckWCq.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/t6ckWCq.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><span style="font-family:'Arial Black';"><span style="font-size:24px;"><strong>DAVE: BACK IN BLACK '97</strong></span></span></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><span style="font-family:'Arial Black';"><strong>FEATURE MATCHES INCLUDE</strong></span></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="font-family:'Arial Black';"><span style="font-size:12px;">DAVE EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH</span></span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>

</strong></div></div><img alt="77c7zts.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/77c7zts.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> vs. </strong></div></div><img alt="JsWOAj0.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/JsWOAj0.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="font-family:'Arial Black';"><span style="font-size:12px;">CAHILL'S DEBUT WITH A MYSTERY PARTNER</span></span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>

</strong></div></div><img alt="ED4Fjo9.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/ED4Fjo9.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="50tDPFz.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/50tDPFz.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> vs. </strong></div></div><img alt="gzoKWKs.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/gzoKWKs.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="xTvEBNf.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/xTvEBNf.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="font-family:'Arial Black';"><span style="font-size:12px;">THE UNSANCTIONED MATCH</span></span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>

</strong></div></div><img alt="DcL7uT5.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/DcL7uT5.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> vs. </strong></div></div><img alt="8Y2JuZ2.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/8Y2JuZ2.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

FULL LIST OF MATCHES FEATURED ON THIS SHOW</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

DAVE EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP: Johnny Martin vs. JD Morgan</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

Man Mountain Cahill & ???? vs. The Animalz</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

UNSANCTIONED MATCH: Vengeance vs. Larry Wood</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

Henry Lee vs. Tyrannosaurus Pex</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

Freddie Datsun vs. Eric Tyler</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

DAVE TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: Constantino & Tantrum vs. Black Murder</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

411 vs. Chris Caulfield</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

???? vs. The Darkness Warriors</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

Michael Cook vs. Human Arsenal</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

The Hell Riders (JJ Coles & Trip Bruins) vs. The Hotbodies</div></div></div><p></p>

[smw88]

<p>DAVE EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP: <strong>Johnny Martin</strong> vs. JD Morgan</p><p>

Man Mountain Cahill & ???? vs. <strong>The Animalz</strong></p><p>

UNSANCTIONED MATCH: <strong>Vengeance</strong> vs. Larry Wood</p><p>

Henry Lee vs. <strong>Tyrannosaurus Pex</strong></p><p>

Freddie Datsun vs. <strong>Eric Tyler</strong></p><p>

DAVE TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: Constantino & Tantrum vs. <strong>Black Murder</strong></p><p>

411 vs. <strong>Chris Caulfield</strong></p><p>

???? vs. <strong>The Darkness Warriors</strong></p><p>

Michael Cook vs. <strong>Human Arsenal</strong></p><p>

<strong>The Hell Riders</strong> (JJ Coles & Trip Bruins) vs. The Hotbodies</p>

[falling_star]

<p>This is so, so good. Absolutely love it. No real guesses as to who the surprises might be... anything can happen!</p><p> </p><p>

DAVE EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP: Johnny Martin vs.<strong> JD Morgan</strong></p><p>

Man Mountain Cahill & ???? vs. <strong>The Animalz</strong></p><p>

UNSANCTIONED MATCH:<strong> Vengeance</strong> vs. Larry Wood</p><p>

Henry Lee vs. <strong>Tyrannosaurus Pex</strong></p><p>

Freddie Datsun vs. <strong>Eric Tyler</strong></p><p>

DAVE TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: Constantino & Tantrum vs. <strong>Black Murder</strong></p><p>

<strong>411</strong> vs. Chris Caulfield</p><p>

???? vs. <strong>The Darkness Warriors</strong></p><p>

<strong>Michael Cook</strong> vs. Human Arsenal</p><p>

<strong>The Hell Riders (JJ Coles & Trip Bruins)</strong> vs. The Hotbodies</p>

[BHK1978]

DAVE EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP: Johnny Martin vs. JD Morgan

Man Mountain Cahill & ???? vs. The Animalz

UNSANCTIONED MATCH: Vengeance vs. Larry Wood

Henry Lee vs. Tyrannosaurus Pex

Freddie Datsun vs. Eric Tyler

DAVE TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: Constantino & Tantrum vs. Black Murder

411 vs. Chris Caulfield

???? vs. The Darkness Warriors

Michael Cook vs. Human Arsenal

The Hell Riders (JJ Coles & Trip Bruins) vs. The Hotbodies

[arwink]

 

Presented in the most complete form possible, due to original production difficulties.

 

 

DAVE BACK IN BLACK ‘97

Monday, Week 2, January 1997

Live from Biker’s Paradise (New England) in front of 300 people (Sold Out)

Broadcast on Central Perk TV with a 0.01 rating (7,676 viewers)

 

 

 

The show opens with Miss Bliss out in the ring, ready to run down the card. She welcomes everyone to Back and Black, broadcast live on Central Perk TV from Biker’s Paradise in Massachusetts, and tonight things are going to get EXTREME!

 

 

Bliss starts hyping matches, but she’s barely through the first before she’s interrupted by Ginuine’s

Pony

and the Hotbody’s hit the ring. The male stripers get some good heat as they bump and grind for the crowd, but they also draw some appreciative looks from Bliss before she asks them what they’re doing out here.

 

Rocky takes the microphone and points out that if there’s one thing the Hotbody’s do better than wrestle, it’s show a lady as pretty as Bliss a damn good time. So they’re out here tonight to do exactly that…all Bliss’s got do is sit back and let the boys do their thing.

 

 

The pair start their dance…and almost immediately their interrupted by JJ Coles and his glassy-eyed, acid-dropping biker buddy, Trip Bruins. JJ cuts a promo, pointing out that nobody here paid to see an erotic dance—they paid to see a couple of angry hombres raise some hell. He warns Bliss to step back out of the line of fire, because it’s time for some real men to go to work.

RATING: 26

 

 

w/

vs.

 

THE HELL RIDERS w/Miss Bliss vs. THE HOTBODIES

 

Bliss doesn't have time to get clear before the melee starts, so she spends the match at the ring apron, cheering on the bikers. Coles and Bruins open the bout with both guns blazing, hitting a bunch of lariats and slams on the male strippers. The Hotbodies fire back, showing a surprising affinity for takedowns and getting the action on the mat, although they squander the advantage by taunting a downed JJ Coles with some crotch-thrusts towards the face.

 

Bruins delivers a hard dropkick to Rodney’s head while the Hotbodies are focused on their taunts, and the fight soon spills to the floor where it’s plunder and guard rails aplenty—no count-outs in DAVE, Mitch Naess informs first-time viewers, and our refs don’t call a DQ unless someone’s damn near dead.

 

The Hotbodies regain the advantage with a synchronised low-blow on both their opponents, but it seems like KC Bruins is too out-of-his-head on acid to really register what’s happened.

 

The Hotbodies work him over, ignoring tags as they double-team him, and when Miss Bliss jumps on the apron to call out the illegal tags, Rocky wastes no tope delivering an elbow that sends her back to the floor for a hard landing.

 

That seems to break through KC Bruins drugged out haze, and he fires away at Rocky in a fury, ultimately hitting the Top Rope Double Foot Stomp to end it.

 

The Hell Riders defeated The Hotbodies in 7:35 when KC Bruins pinned Rodney. RATING: 17

 

 

 

A limping Miss Bliss climbs into the ring and raises the hands of Coles and Bruins, celebrating their victory.

 

 

The victory celebration turns tragic as a kendo-stick wielding Vin Tanner slides into the ring behind the trio, unleashing a big cane shot to the back of Miss Bliss’s skull. Bruins blinks, obviously thrown, and gets a cane shot for his trouble as well, falling back against the ring apron with a thud.

 

JJ Coles manages to at least throw a few punches, brawling with the bigger, nastier Tanner, but he’s soon elevated with a backdrop. Tanner is on him with the cane as Coles struggles to get back to his feet, dropping the biker under a flurry of hard shots before Tanner turns and walks away.

RATING: 28

 

 

 

We cut to the production booth, where a horrified Mitch Naess attempts to apologise for the violent assault on the First Lady of DAVE, who shouldn’t have been in the line of fire and—

 

 

Naess is interrupted by Phil Vibert walking onto shot, warning Naess that tonight is going to get even wilder than that. Before tonight is through, DAVE will see JD Morgan become the Extreme Champion when he locks in the Cross Atlantic Stretch and makes Johnny Martin tap out, and more importantly the Avenging Angel, Vengeance, will be taken to new extremes of pain and agony when he faces the Backwoods Psycho, Larry Wood, in an unsanctioned match.

RATING: 46

 

 

vs.

 

MICHAEL COOK vs. HUMAN ARSENAL

 

These two kick off with the rarest of opening exchanges in DAVE—a collar and elbow lock-up that transitions into a series of holds and counters. Arsenal is a purist, and Naess makes sure we put over his disdain for hardcore wrestling on commentary, even as the two men exchange terrifying suplexes and dump one-another on their heads. Cook spends the match looking for the arm bar submission, but Arsenal has it scouted…which sees Cook pick up the surprise victory with a small package instead.

 

Michael Cook defeated Human Arsenal in 8:17 by pinfall. RATING: 21

 

 

 

Human Arsenal is back on his feet in an instant, clearly not pleased and spoiling for a fight. He shoves Cook, and the angry Cook shoves back, clearly ready to boil over and start brawling…

 

 

…which is when DAVE Commissioner Buddy Gaines pushes through the curtains, and tells both men to save their energy until there’s a purse at stake. Neither Cook or Arsenal seem inclined to take him up on that offer, so Gaines points out something else—he’s about to call out the Darkness Warriors for a match, and if either Cook or Aresenal want to be in the ring when that happens…

 

Arsenal backs off immediately, not at all interested in that confrontation. Michael Cook stands and glowers, but eventually follows, leaving Gaines to call the Warriors out.

 

 

Raul and Jay emerge in their black robes, carrying the flaming torches that have become a part of their ring entrances. Gaines backs off a half-step, but he informs them both that they’ve been asking for…a match that will shake the foundations of East Coast wrestling and give them an opportunity to prove they’re the most dangerous men on the independents.

 

“Tonight, the two of you are facing the dirty white boys of professional wrestling, Dukie and Matt Skinner!”

 

 

The two men jump the Darkness Warriors from beind, brawling with them on the crowd, and as the match spills towards the ring the bell gets rung to kick things off.

RATING: 24

 

 

vs.

 

THE SKINNER BROTHERS vs. THE DARKNESS WARRIORS

 

PPPW’s tag-team champions make their DAVE debut in a wild and crazy brawl, which plays directly into the Skinner Brother’s strengths. The duo are both veterans, years of experience and family bonding lending their teamwork a unspoken fluidity that outclasses the Darkness Warrior’s natural chemistry as a team. The fight spills out of the ring before too long, both sides laying claim to plunder as they do their best to establish dominance, and eventually Dukie Skinner surprises everyone when he hits the STO on Raul to hand the Darkness Warriors their first real defeat in months.

 

The Skinner Brothers defeated The Darkness Warriors in 8:54 when Dukie Skinner pinned Raul Darkness. RATING: 33

 

 

 

Jay Darkness wastes no time in laying Dukie Skinner out with a scything lariat, and quickly follows up with another on Matt Skinner as he tries to help his brother. Darkness hauls Raul up and sends him out to ringside, with orders to set up the tables.

 

Raul is unsteady, but wastes no time obeying, soaking the top of two tables in lighter fluid and setting them ablaze at ringside. He joins his partner in the ring, and together they powerbomb the pair over the top rope and through the blazing tabletops, sending screams of agony through Biker’s Paradise.

RATING: 30

 

 

 

In an effort to buy time to clear the ring, we cut backstage where 411 stands by to give us the 411 on his opponent, Chris Caulfield, tonight.

 

“Ladies and Gentlemen, they’ve given me sixty seconds to give you the 411 on a man who shouldn’t be here in DAVE—Chris Caulfield.

 

“Caulfield, you have a problem tonight. I see you. I see the

real

you. The good-looking kid who made it onto the football team that little bit too easily. The blue-chip athlete who lettered in multiple sports, just because he could. At fifteen, you dated a cheerleader named Mary-Beth Royce. You set your heart on wrestling, and you’re not without talent…but you’re built for the companies where

wrestling

is shorthand for something else.

 

“Here in DAVE, it means we go out there and fight until one man can’t take it anymore.

 

“This isn’t your bag, Chris Caulfield. This isn’t the place a man like you makes his name. I know it, the fans know it…and in your heart, you know it too. Send your tapes to Old Man Eisen, or that mark kid over in Hollywood. They’ll make you a star—pretty boy like you, decent hand in the ring—hell, they may even team you with The Walk an play it like you’re actually hardcore.

 

“But here in DAVE, we know the truth, Chris Caulfield. We know you don’t belong here. So take your beating, acknowledge your limitations, and get the hell out of dodge.

 

“Take it from the 411…this place isn’t for you.”

RATING: 32

 

 

vs.

 

411 vs. CHRIS CAULFIELD

 

The bell rings and Caulfield charges 411, laying into him with a series of hard rights and lefts, doing his best to beat the hell out of the bigger man. 411 endures it, bides his time, and then takes Caulfield’s head off with a clothesline…and from there, it never seems to get any better for the young rookie, Caulfield. 411 throws him around with abandon, and when the fight spills into the ringside area, Caulfield spends the bulk of the match getting slammed into guard rails, the ring apron, and the ring posts until standing on jelly legs. Mitch Naess declares this isn’t a match so much as a mugging…and a blessedly short one when 411 finally puts Caulfield away with a Choke Slam.

 

411 defeated Chris Caulfield in 5:37 by pinfall. RATING: 30

 

 

 

411 climbs out of the ring and heads for the curtain…and soon discovers that Caulfield has crawled to the side of the ring, battered and barely conscious, but still aware enough to ask for a microphone.

 

 

“Hey 411,” he barks. “Looks like I’m still here. How about you get back into the ring and we go another round?”

 

411 shakes his head as Caulfield hauls himself upright using the ring ropes, gesturing for the big man to climb back into the ring.

 

The fans start a chant—ONE MORE TIME—and 411 climbs back into the ring and obliges them. Caulfield stumbles at him, and 411 grabs him by the throat and plants him with a second Choke Slam.

 

This time Caulfield doesn’t get up.

RATING: 28

 

 

 

Backstage we go, where Dixie Diamond is standing by to get a few words from Black Murder about their upcoming title defence.

 

 

Elijah Black makes it clear that nobody should get it twisted—he knows exactly how dangerous Tim Tantrum can be, and the Sicilian Psychopath Rocky Constantino has been tearing it up in Canada for the last two years—but they’re still a new team. No matter how many scraps you get yourself into, no matter how many heads those two crackers have cracked in singles matches, it don’t mean a damn thing if you can’t work with your partner, and there’s no better team in DAVE than Black Murder right now.

 

“Tim Tantrum ain’t found nobody who can partner him for long, way that man loses his temper, and that’s bad news for him. Man reigns it in and sticks with somebody, maybe he might be a threat…but tonight he’s up against the best, and Black Murder’s going to walk out with the belts. Count on it.”

RATING 38

 

 

DAVE TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

 

vs.

 

CONSTANTINO & TANTRUM vs. BLACK MURDER

 

Once again, mayhem reigns in the heart of a DAVE ring, the action spilling to the floor within the opening minute and quickly ranging into the crowd as everybody latches on to plunder in order to get some kind of advantage.

 

Constantino earns his paycheck by jumping off pretty much everything it’s possible to use for a highspot, starting with the guard rails and going from there. Tim Tantrum fights like a man with something to prove, going toe-to-toe with Mikey and delivering two shots for every one he takes. For a few minutes, it even seems like he’ll take the big man down, but when Mikey refuses to fall after a series of chairshots it’s obvious Tantrum is rattled.

 

The opponents switch up when Black makes the save for his partner, hammering Tantrum with a length of steal chain plundered from beneath the ring. The two men brawl, and once again Tantrum fights his way to an advantage, only to blow it when a Temper Trap Suplex only gets a two-count and be blows his stack in the ring, throwing a full-fledged tantrum where he beats his hands and feet against the canvas.

 

Mikey wastes no time taking advantage of the situation—he drags Tantrum out into ringside, smashes him into the ring apron with a switchblade lariat, and effectively leaves Tantrum unconscious at the side of the ring. Constantino tries to fight on, but he’s cut off by a Mafia Kick from Mikey and pinned for the one-two-three.

 

Black Murder defeated Constantino & Tantrum in 8:20 when Murderous Mikey pinned Rocky Constantino. RATING: 29

 

 

 

Backstage we go, where Dixie Diamond is standing by. “What’s up, Stars, Studs, and Swingers? This is Double D backstage, getting you the scoops, and I’m here with the Hardest Working Man in Hardcore, Freddie Datsun.

 

“FD, tonight you’re scheduled to face Eric Tyler in that ring, but first I gotta ask—how’s Miss Bliss doing? That shot she took from Ricky Hardbody seemed like it rattled her bad, to say nothing of the assault by Vin Tanner after the match.”

 

 

A sour look passes over Datsun’s face, and he nods with grim determination. “Bliss has been in this business a long time, and she knows how to roll with the punches,” he says. “She's a tough brad, and the finest woman I've ever met, but even so, that hurt her more than she let on. They’re doing tests, but they think there may have been some damage to her neck, and they’re worried about her being out there in the line of fire. I offered to go with her, but she wanted me here tonight. She wanted me to give Eric Tyler hell and secure a shot at the Extreme Championship.

 

"And, fortunately, my boy Roy Stephens has stepped up to be my second tonight…and we’re going out there to get a win for Bliss before this night is out.”

 

“Speaking of your match,” Diamond says, “Eric Tyler levelled some accusations at your ability earlier this week, whats—”

 

Datsun holds up a hand. “Double D, I know what you’re going to ask, and I want to clean it up right here. If Eric Tyler wants a good, clean pure wrestling match, then I’m inclined to give him one…if only to prove that he’s speaking out of his ass. I'm not like Vin Tanner, swinging a kendo stick at anyone who crosses my pass. If a man challenges me a fight, then you can be damned sure I'll give him a fight...but that doesn't mean I can't get in there and grapple with the best.

 

"And make no mistake, Eric Tyler is one of the best. He may be an arrogant ass, but you can't take that away from him."

RATING: 47

 

 

w/

vs.

 

FREDDIE DATSUN w/Roy Stephens vs. ERIC TYLER

 

We get our second opening lock-up for the night, and the match quickly turns into an exchange of hold and counter. Datsun is true to his word—there’s no ringside brawling in this one, no interference from Stephens or attempts to distract Tyler when things get wild. The two men wrestle a tight, stiff contest that pits strength and experience against each other.

 

Neither man lets up…and against all expectations, Freddie Datsun holds his own against one of the most dangerous submission experts in North America today. Twice he gets Tyler up for the Patriot Press, and twice Tyler fights free with obvious desperation in his eyes. The third time it happens…

 

 

…Vin Tanner makes his second appearance for the evening, kendo stick in hand. He smashes it across Datsun’s back, forcing him to drop his opponent, and Eric Tyler smoothly lands on his feet and transitions into the Tradition Lift, wrenching both Datsun’s shoulder blades until he’s got no choice but to tap out.

 

Eric Tyler defeated Freddie Datsun in 13:36 by submission. RATING: 56

 

 

 

Roy Stephens is in the ring in an instant, looking to back up his idol. Tanner neatly spins and takes the young man out with a cane shot so hard it snaps the kendo stick across his skull, and Stephens drops to the canvas and sells it like a gunshot.

 

 

Tanner turns and starts to choke Datsun with the broken stub of his weapon, pulling back as Tyler collects a microphone and stands tall amid the jeers of the crowd.

 

 

“It seems this evening took a little turn to the hardcore after all,” he says, “but it’s not because I couldn’t beat you without it, Freddie Datsun. I’m the best damn wrestler in this company—you know it, I know it, and every single reprobate who pays money to sit in those seats and chant your name knows it too.

 

“And even if I weren’t…well, lets face it, we’ve just proved I can outsmart you even if I couldn’t beat you in the middle of this ring.

 

“But don’t mistake me, Freddie—this wasn’t fear. This is simple expediency. I don’t need to beat you in this ring to prove a damn thing to myself...but I won’t let you stand between me and the Extreme championship any longer than I have to. I’m going to win that belt, increase my value as a name…and then jump ship to a company that actually

values

my skills…”

 

Datsun is turning blue as Tyler drops the mic and signals Tanner, who finally lets go and follows his partner-in-crime out of the ring.

RATING: 42

 

 

 

There’s a new face on the interview stage when we cut there, a young woman who meets the camera with a smouldering look. “Hi there,” she purrs. “This is Easy Emma, backstage, and in just a few moments we’ll be heading into the match

I’ve

been looking forward to all night—the Icon of Insanity, Henry Lee, taking on the man whose here with me right now… the Jurassic Monster himself, Tyrannosaurus Pex, and his manager, the Million Dollar Aussie Scott Hickey.

 

“Scott—”

 

“Mister Hickey!”

 

“Scotty, please, no need to be formal.” Emma’s hand runs up Hickey’s chest, and the young Aussie blushes. “I just wanted to get your thoughts about Henry Lee accepting your open challenge after you’d spent weeks preparing to face--”

 

“Don’t say his name,”

Hickey cries. “It’s not safe to say his name around Pex right now, not with the anger and the hunger flowing through him. As to your question, mate, I wouldn’t want to be Henry Lee tonight. Tyrannosaurus Pex is a beast of a man at the best of times, capable of ripping man in half just like his prehistoric namesake, and driven by a hunger that’s almost as insatiable.

 

“Now he’s been denied a challenge…and the alternative that presented itself has already made the mistake of showing fear.

 

“Never show fear to a predator, Emma. It just makes them angrier. What’s going to happen out there in that ring tonight isn’t a match—it’s feeding time. Tyrannosaurus Pex is going to devour the icon…and then we’re going on to claim a title.”

RATING: 34

 

 

vs.

w/

 

HENRY LEE vs. TYRANNOSAURUS PEX w/Scott Hickey

 

Lee’s meek demeanour backstage turns into a full-fledged fury the moment the bell rings, while Pex is all about throwing his opponents around with big suplexes as he uses his size to dominate. These two go hell-for-leather on each other, and Pex gets a huge pop when he suplexes Lee over the top rope and onto the floor, but it’s not quite enough to keep the Icon of Insanity down. Lee struggles back into the ring, limping, and leaps on Pex’s back to try and choke the big man out with a sleeper.

 

Pex staggers, trying to dislodge his opponent by ramming into the tunbuckles, but Lee holds tight and squeezes…and when Pex finally drops to one knee, struggling to breath, the Icon of Insanity lets go and transitions into the Asylum Buster for the pinfall.

 

Henry Lee defeated Tyrannosaurus Pex in 5:41 by pinfall. RATING: 41

 

 

 

Lee stands, wild-eyed and eager for blood, and his eyes fix on Scott Hickey. The young Aussie backs away, hands raised, begging off, but Lee grabs hold of his lapels and throws the manager to the ground.

 

 

Hickey backs away, pleading for mercy, and Lee follows him with murderous intent…until Tyrannosaurus Pex grabs hold of Lee’s leg, holding him in place.

 

Lee turns…and Hickey nails the Icon with a low blow from behind, and even the Icon’s battle-madness isn’t enough to shrug that off. Pex capitalizes, rising to his feet and locking in a Pex-Plex that he uses to throw Lee into the turnbuckles and wipe the Icon out.

RATING: 40

 

 

 

Another trip to the interview stage, where Dixie Diamond stands by with an unlikely subject—Vengeance!

 

“What’s up, stars, studs, and swingers? This is double D backstage, and my guest at this time is the Avenging Angel himself, Vengeance.

 

“Big V, you’re about to walk into an unsanctioned match against Phil Vibert’s hand-picked enforcer, Larry Wood. What’s going through your mind right now?”

 

Vengeance stands perfectly still, head lowered, motionless. His voice rumbles from beneath the steel mask.

 

“The man known as Vibert believes he has found my equal, but he doesn’t understand the fire that burns in the heart of Vengeance. I will do what is necessary to expunge the avarice in Vibert’s heart, even if it means tearing apart his champion, piece by piece.

 

“I’ve heard of this man, Larry Wood. I have seen through his mortal flesh and peered into his dark heart. He has inflicted pain on many, wielded terror as his weapon. The souls of his victim demand compensation, and tonight Vengeance will be theirs.”

RATING: 46

 

 

 

Phil Vibert strolls down to the ring alone, collecting a microphone along the way. It’s the first time he’s appeared without Officer Hardway since he first crossed paths with Vengeance. “Ladies and Gentlemen, this next match has not been sanctioned by the state athletic commission, and there will be no pinfalls or submission. The two men involved will beat on each other until one man is no longer able to fight, and the referee’s sole duty will be to count the pinfall.

 

“One of these men will be Vengeance, and the other will be the newest signing of the Vibert Alliance—the most feared man in Canada, the psycho-killer of the Yukon, and a man who is Vengeance’s equal in size, strength, and savagery.

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, I give you…Larry Wood.”

 

 

Officer Hardway wheels Wood into the arena, the backwoods psycho strapped down like Hannibal Lecter. He struggles against his restraints as Vengeance’s music hits, and Hardway undoes the straps.

RATING: 44

 

 

UNSANCTIONED STREETFIGHT

 

vs.

w/

 

VENGEANCE vs. LARRY WOOD w/Phil Vibert

 

These two unleash hell on each other, two big men with a penchant for brawling and the talent to deliver a stiff, hard-hitting brawl.

 

Wood gets the lion’s share of the offence here, getting over on his glassy-eyed facial expressions and unrelenting assault, but Vengeance has long been a force-of-nature in DAVE and doesn’t go down easy. He gets busted open, blood seeping from beneath his mask, but he fires up and fires back regardless of what Wood throws at him.

 

 

A thundering Vengeance clothesline takes Wood down for an eight-count, but Officer Hardway hits the ring to try and buy the Backwoods Psycho enough time to recover. The crooked cop beats on Vengeance with his billy club, until Vengeance snatches the weapon away and tossed it into the crowd.

 

He scoops Hardway up in a bear hug and unleashes a series of headbutts that knock the cop loopy, but Wood thunders in with a big boot to take Vengeance down. The next few minutes are brutal as Wood collects a lump of two-by-four from beneath the ring and splinters it across Vengeance’s head, but even that doesn’t put the Avenging Angel away.

 

Wood is firing off punches on a downed vengeance, raining blows against his face, when a gloved fist shoots out and latches onto Wood’s throat. Vengeance squeezes as he gets back to a vertical base, using Wood as a brace as much as a victim. Vengeance unleashes two stiff headbutts, then plants Wood with a Vengeance Drop.

 

The referee counts, and Wood stirs at three, so Wood plants him with a second Vengeance Drop.

 

This time the referee’s count gets to seven before Wood looks to be rising to his feet. Vengeance swoops in a third time, but he caught by a Larry Wood side-slam, then eats a knee to the jaw.

 

Vengeance sags, seemingly gone, but when he stirs at the eight-count Wood sweeps in for the kill…

 

…only to get caught by a desperate spinebuster from Vengeance, followed by a big powerbomb from Vengeance that leaves both men on the ground. The ten count starts, neither man stirring until an eight, but only Vengeance manages to get to the ropes and drags his shoulders off the mat.

 

Vengeance defeated Larry Wood in a Last Man Standing match in 11:40 when Larry Wood could not beat a ten count. RATING: 46

 

 

 

Backstage we go, and this time’s Easy Emma handling the interview duties. She’s standing by with the about-to-debut Man Mountain Cahill—the man who walked away from Philly Power Pro Wrestling contract in order to settle a score with The Animalz.

 

“Of course, tonight isn’t a one-on-one match, or even a handicap bout,” Emma says. “The Animalz hunt in packs, and even a big fella like you is going to need to bring in some back-up. Who did you pick as your partner?”

 

“Emma, I want to take a moment before I answer that,” Cahill says. “I want to acknowledge the enormity of what’s about to happen here—the Man Mountain, Ronnie Cahill, is about to make his debut in Danger and Violence Extreme! The hottest big man on the East Coast steps into the hottest federation, taking on the tag-team eeeeee-verybody has been talking about, the bad man, Wolverine, and the Big Cat, Brandon James.

 

“This is big, darlin’! This is bigger than big.”

 

Cahill flashes a smile at the camera, letting the moment build before all the good humor and bonhomie fade, turning stone cold serious.

 

“It’s still not as big as me.

 

“Most days, I’d totally back one of me against any two men you can name, but I’ve watched the tape on the Animalz and those boys are the real deal. Big Cat Brandon is a beast of a man, and the Wolverine’s got a wrestling brain on him that damn few men I’ve met can equal. Put them together, and they might be a little more than I can handle on my own.

 

“But like you said, this is a tag-team fight, and not all big men are dumb. I’m smart enough to know when I need another fella in my corner, and I made a call to a fella who may belong here in DAVE even more than I do.”

 

 

A second looming presence steps into shot—a man almost as big as Cahill, recognisable as the deathmatch legend, Big Trouble.

 

“Animalz, you may be the big men on the savannah, but me and Trouble are the Dogs of War and we’re about to be unleashed.”

RATING: 31

 

 

vs.

 

THE DOGS OF WAR vs. THE ANIMALZ

 

It doesn’t match the brutality of the previous match, but with three big hosses in the ring who all have a penchant for going hardcore, there’s plenty of nasty moments as the two teams trade hard shots. The Animalz focus their attention on Cahill, dragging him down to ringside and working him along the barrier, but Big Trouble makes the save with a big senton from the apron.

 

The Animalz seize Trouble and bounce his skull of the ring post a few times, busting him open, but the attempted pinfall that follows only gets a two. Cahill comes charging through, taking Wolverine out with a shoulder block, and Trouble fights back with a series of hard rights that ultimately leads to the Trouble Powerslam on Brandon.

 

The Dogs of War defeated The Animalz in 8:40 when Big Trouble pinned Big Cat Brandon. RATING: 42

 

 

 

There’s a thunderous crack at ringside, the sound of Wolverine crashing a steel chair across Ronnie Cahill’s skull. The big man sags against the guardrail, and Wolverine smacks him a second time just to make sure.

 

 

Big Trouble heads out to try and make the save, but Wolverine nails him with a chairshot as well. Trouble doesn’t go down—in fact, he falls back a step and fixes Wolverine with a wide smile—but Big Cat Brandon comes flying through the ropes to wipe Trouble out with a flying elbow.

 

Trouble gets wiped out against the guard rail, and Wolverine nails him with another chair shot to finish things. Trouble slumps to the floor, head lolling sideways, as Wolverine holds up the dented chair and spots on the deathmatch legend.

 

“Welcome to DAVE,” he snarls, then stalks off with his partner.

RATING: 43

 

 

 

We go backstage, where Dixie Diamond is standing outside the trainer’s room trying to get updates on those injured tonight. Double D has just heart that Bliss will be taken to the hospital, due to concerns about her neck after she was caught by the Hotbodies in our opening contest, but the real news is that Vengeance and Larry Wood both needed to be assisted to the back after their unsanctioned match.

 

Both men are with the trainer’s right now, too exhausted and injured to do much of anything, but the rumors coming from—

 

“Wait,” Diamond says. “It seems like someone’s up and about. We’re just waiting to see—"

 

 

The door to the trainer’s room snaps open and Larry Wood stumbles out, his dirty singlet stained in blood. He steadies himself against the wall of the corridor, snarls at Diamond as she tries to ask a question, then lopes down the hallway with intent.

 

“It seems Larry Wood has recovered,” Diamond says, “Although I can still hear them working on vengeance right now. I don’t think we’ll be getting a statement at this time…”

RATING: 39

 

 

DAVE EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP

 

vs.

w/

 

JOHNNY MARTIN VS. JD MORGAN w/Phil Vibert & Officer Hardway

 

Both these guys have been with DAVE since the first show, and they’ve got a deep history of matches to draw upon. You can feel it from the opening lock-up, from the sheer intensity the two men bring to applying a collar and elbow. Before too long, Martin is throwing JD Morgan around, but that ends when Morgan clamps a leg scissors around Martin’s waist and uses that to start battering him with elbows and submission holds that have as much to do with MMA as his years spent training in Wigan.

 

It’s a long contest by DAVE standards, and a furious one. Morgan and Martin work at a fair clip, arely giving the audience a chance to breathe as they transition from hold to throw, from throw to strike, and from strike back to hold. Phil Vibert loses his mind urging his man to victory, wincing and reacting to every Johnny Martin comeback with dismay.

 

Hardway gets sent in, but the big man is sans nightstick at the moment and still feeling the effects of getting in Vengeance’s face. He barely throws a punch before Martin shoots in, then throws him across the ring with a big belly to belly suplex.

 

JD Morgan ends up looking very strong after that, not least because he seizes on the distraction and traps Martin in a Cross Atlantic Stretch that really seems like it should be the end. Morgan damn near wrenches an arm out of the socket to clear himself free.

 

He gets back to a vertical base, left arm hanging loose at his side, and uses the right arm to mount a comeback that’s heavy on the clotheslines, shoulder blocks, and snap DDTs. Morgan goes back to the stretch, but this time he’s a tad too close to the ropes, and Martin is ring-aware enough to lay claim to the first line of defence.

 

When Morgan attempts a third stretch, Martin blocks it and quickly reverses, transitioning into a Twist on the Rocks ultimately puts Morgan on the canvas. Martin drops on top of him for the one-two-three

 

Johnny Martin defeated JD Morgan in 14:39 by pinfall. RATING: 59

 

 

DAVE starts 1997 with a big show full of fresh debuts, many of them drawn from their Philly rivals, and strong main event that eschews manyof the hardcore antics that fans associate with the company. Next on Hardcore History: the fall-out of Back in Black and more of Vibert’s ongoing strategy to take on the East Coast’s finest.

 

SHOW RATING: 46

[Sco xY2Jx]

Missed the boat on predictions but that was a good show. Strong start to the year.

Enjoying your efforts as always.

[arwink]

<p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="gzoKWKs.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/gzoKWKs.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“People forget just how </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>hot</em></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> the Skinner Brothers were in ninety-six,” Wolverine says. “The East Coast War was hard on tag-teams, especially once Stallings started throwing his money around, and a lot of the teams we think of as iconic—Me and Brandon, Jay and Raul, Eddie and Doug, even guys like Grunt and Stink—were only just starting to get a feel for working together, and there was always the threat that </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>somebody</em></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> was going to get hired away.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“But the Skinners…man, those boys had been teaming together for nigh on twenty years, and they had the psychology of it down. Two old-school Southern brawlers who’d done their time in Texas Wrestling League, you could slot them into any tag match and they’d make the other guys look like a million bucks.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“If you look at the debuts on that show, and talk about the boys who made the biggest impact…well, Cahill definitely had the size, and Trouble definitely had the rep that got the dirt-sheet’s buzzing, but the Skinners were the guys who were going to </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>make</em></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> the tag division matter, no doubt about it.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

"They were the guys who made everybody else they worked with better...”</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="L2tdVYl.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/L2tdVYl.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><img alt="9J2jrHN.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/9J2jrHN.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“And just like that, we're down four guys. I’ve heard…” Andrew Barber trails off, and he reaches for the cup of coffee at his elbow. He sips, sighs, and his shoulders slump, as if the anger of yesteryear is finally giving way to resignation. “I’ve heard the deal with Matt and Dukie came together surprisingly fast. That Vibert didn’t intend it to be the blow that it was, debuting our champions on his own damn show without giving us a heads up. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

They'd been talking about a debut in a few months, then reached an agreement on the day of the show, and the Skinners hit the freeway trying to get from Philly to Boston in time. I’ve heard it wasn’t even meant to be the Skinners originally, that he’d planned to debut Bach and Tornado in that spot until they got word those boys had missed their flight and the ‘surprise challengers’ for the Warriors weren’t able to make the show.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“I’ve heard all that … but I don’t know that I believe it. History’s written by the winners, and Phil Vibert’s had plenty of time to establish his version of things.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“What I know is that I’m sitting at home on a Monday night when Whistler gives me a call, tells me I’ll want to check out DAVE’s broadcast on Central Perk right away. I’m reluctant, because I figure he’s just missed all the buzz about Cahill jumping ship, but then I tune in and…</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“Hell, I tune in and our goddamned champions are brawling with the monster tag-team Phil’s been building for the last year.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“And, I gotta tell you, I saw red for a while after that. The only silver lining came from the fact they won, so at least when we pulled the titles off ‘em, it wasn’t because they’d already been beat by two guys who weren’t even champions over in the opposition’s show.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“But at the same time, we’re three key players down, plus one of our hot prospects. Not necessarily our top guys, but three guys we wanted to build around more often than not, and I had hopes for Jake. And...yeah, I've heard his complaints of the years...but Cahill would have been on top, real soon, if he hadn’t got antsy and jumped ship before his push really started.”</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="L2tdVYl.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/L2tdVYl.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><img alt="M4BW9dX.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/M4BW9dX.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“I didn’t want to hurt Andrew Stalling’s company.” Phil Vibert actually sits forward on his chair, fixing the camera with a hard stare. “I wanted to beat him, sure, but I wasn’t trying to put him out of business. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“At the same time, I wasn’t there to do him any favors—I was too busy ensuring </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>my</em></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> business a success, and part of that had been the creation of an aura and mythology around Danger and Violence Extreme. Our events were built on shock-and-awe, and Philly Power was a victim of that, because someone crossing the line in a War is always going to attract attention.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“What he should have done—what </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>I</em></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> would have done, in his shoes—was lean a little heavier into the style of wrestling that DAVE wasn’t in a position to touch. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“It wouldn’t be easy—Philly Power had been running a cold war angle at the top of the card through most of ninety-six, with Whistler taking on Russian monsters brough in by Floyd Goldsworthy—but they had access to some of the finest technicians on the East Coast at the time. If he’d fired back and offered contracts to Michael Cook…to JD Morgan…to Human Arsenal…hell, I think he’d have gotten at least two of those names, no problem.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“He may have lost the Skinners, but he had Brent Hill on his roster, and could have replaced them with the Machines long before anyone else saw the potential of those two together. He may have lost Cahill, but can you imagine the matches Whistler and JD Morgan could have had? </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“Matches </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>we</em></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> couldn’t put on, because the DAVE fans would have crucified that combination before they got started.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“But it seemed like Barber couldn’t see the potential there, and nobody would start thinking about how to differentiate Philly Power until Horatio Dangerous started working for them sometime in mid-April.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“And, by then, we’d expanded our footprint on TV. We had the lead on Barber and Philly Power that they were going to struggle to make up.”</div></div>

[Dalton]

<p>I am thoroughly enjoying this arwink. This is a unique format (for me at least) that is so damn immersive. I'm digging 411 a lot with his "The 411 on..." gimmick. Caulfield being a white meat babyface is funny to me, and I'm excited to see him break out. I don't think Back in Black was QUITE his Tommy Dreamer "thank you sir may I have another" moment, but I think that moment is coming soon.</p><p> </p><p>

Stealing four workers from PPPW is jarring for sure. I trust that you have a much bigger and better plan than "hire anybody good in the Tri State." You clearly have a thought out plan going forward.</p><p> </p><p>

I cannot wait to see how you debut Nemesis!</p>

[arwink]

<p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="Y7UoDiE.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/Y7UoDiE.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“I was…surprised…by my chemistry with Michael Cook,” Anderson says. “The kid was green, but he knew how to wrestle, and they’d built him as this submission specialist that made a great contrast for my style, which was basically throwing suplexes. Gave me one of my best debuts of the early stages of my career, and it convinced me…well, it convinced me it might be worth spending a little longer working this particular mud-show. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“It took me a while to realise that there were always going to be limitations there, though. Not just because the fans weren’t into the technical approach, but because they’d been conditioned to focus on short, fast-paced matches. You couldn’t go out there and really build a story, because that wasn’t what they responded too. Johnny and JD were in a fifteen-minute match in the main event of the arena show, and it was one of the longest title defences Martin had had thus far.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“Phil likes to make a lot of noise about the unappreciated pure wrestling aesthetic that filtered through DAVE in those days, but the truth is, the best pure wrestling match DAVE ran was roughly equivalent to a mid-card bout in a place like TCW.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="L2tdVYl.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/L2tdVYl.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><img alt="YOOOIK0.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/YOOOIK0.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“You see it a lot in the opening matches,” Eric Tyler says. “Not </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>just</em></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> there, but almost always there, particularly during that run from ninety-six through ninety-eight. The match starts, everybody starts throwing fists, and the action spills to the outside inside of ninety seconds so everybody can make use of the guard rails, the apron, and any plunder the fans hand over.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“It’s a staple of DAVE—one of the hallmarks of the style—and it’s lazy wrestling. A way of hiding the fact the guys in the ring aren’t necessarily all that good.”</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

Tyler pauses and gives the camera a hard stare, challenging anyone out there who takes offence to take up with him personally.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“If you wanted to know the MVP of DAVE, it’s none of the guys who worked in the ring. Year after year, the MVP was Naess, who could take this chaotic mess of a match and make it sound like a really big deal.”</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="L2tdVYl.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/L2tdVYl.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><img alt="RkwKNib.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/RkwKNib.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“We didn’t have the talent that Eisen or Stallings did,” Mitch Naess says. “Hell, we didn’t even have the talent that RPW had, going into ninety-six. Phil built the company out of guys available to him, and we adopted a style that allowed us to present the talent we had in the best possible light.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“Was it great technical wrestling, in the style of Texas Wrestling League or Stones? No. Was it as high-flying and energetic as the style they forged over at the Coastal Zone? No.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“But that doesn’t make it bad. It’s just a style, and there are fans of that style, and the authenticity of those brawls came through in a way the fans appreciated.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

"As a commentator, its my job to articulate for the viewer and establish the reasons things were breaking down this way...”</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="L2tdVYl.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/L2tdVYl.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><img alt="iMwZigN.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/iMwZigN.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“Wrestling has traditionally put a lot of focus on what happens from bell to bell,” Hickey says. “And for the purists, there’s a lot of importance placed on your ability to go twenty minutes, or thirty minutes, or for a whole hour. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“And we had guys who could do that—guys like Tyler or Johnny Martin or JD Morgan could wrestle a broadway as well as Cornell or RDJ headlining one of Total’s pay-per-views.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“But things were changing, inside wrestling and without. MMA was taking off, and you could have a great MMA match that lasted six damn seconds. The fans lived for the knockout, for the tap-out, for the guys getting choked until the referee declares the match is done.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“And we were fascinated by the big fight atmosphere those events stared drawing, because so much was built around the mystique of the fighters and the way they were built up with promos before the match. When they had a crowd at a fever pitch, a short match could still be a classic because they were satisfied by the conclusion.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“Which is why we eschewed lots of wrestling’s traditional toolkit, like the count-out and the DQ. Fans always got a finish, and Phil stripped away as many elements that suggested what happened in the ring was driven by artifice.”</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="L2tdVYl.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/L2tdVYl.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

</div></div><img alt="M4BW9dX.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/M4BW9dX.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“We had the guys who didn’t fit anywhere else,” Vibert says. “The guys who weren’t big enough, or were too big for other shows. The guys who had bad attitudes, or a history with law encorcement. The guys who looks ‘too alternative’ to fit into a mainstream fed like Supreme or even Philly Power.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“And you build your style around the guys you’ve got, not some vision of what wrestling should be.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“But that was also a style that of its time, and very much a style that was of that place. The DAVE of ninety-four wasn’t ever meant to be the DAVE you’d see in 2001—we’d keep elements, sure, but once we had TV and cashflow and interest from talent who could do more than just out there and brawl, we always intended to evolve the product to take advantage of that. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“That re-education of the audience had already started in ninety-seven. We were pushing Michael Cook, who I wanted to be our MMA-guy, submitting everyone he stepped into the ring with. It’s why Monty Walker kept a job, despite being ill-suited to the hardcore style and getting called out as a smaller guy on national TV as HGC’s cruiserweight gun. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“And if you look at the guys who made up our core—Freddie Dastun, Johnny Martin, Vin Tanner, JD Morgan; guys like Eric Tyler and even Vengeance. The guys who were pushed to the top of the card and stayed there, year after year, as we build the company…those were all guys who had the talent and the psychology to weather that change.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">

“And everybody else, they were just there to help push those guys into prominence and get the DAVE fans behind them.”</div></div>

[Dalton]

I hope we see a lot more of Michael Cook going forward

[arwink]

Just a heads up that I'll be resuming posting shows (hopefully) next week--my partner's commandeered my gaming PC for work purposes after their laptop broke down, and I ended up on a Mac laptop for work purposes a few years back, so no TEW for me at the moment.

 

Irritatingly, I've got a Danger Zone write-up about 90% done, but there's a handful of details I need to check against the game file before I can finish it off...

 

This is so, so good. Absolutely love it. No real guesses as to who the surprises might be... anything can happen!

 

Thanks! Although it's more "anything can happen, so long as we don't have to pay exorbitant transport costs and it hurts one of the company's Phil's at war with."

 

I suspect the surprise appearances won't get real exciting until I can pillage XWF and RPW's rosters, or break the non-aggression pact with NYCW so I can nab Brent Hill and Steve Flash

 

Missed the boat on predictions but that was a good show. Strong start to the year.

Enjoying your efforts as always.

 

I am thoroughly enjoying this arwink. This is a unique format (for me at least) that is so damn immersive.

 

I'm very much standing on the shoulder's of giants on this one. PhantomStranger's Philly Pro diary (which gets a quick homage in the interstitial interviews above) is probably the forerunner of this style, and one of the better examples of it.

 

Of course, in saying that I'm forced to confront the fact he produced it seven years ago, and I'm officially getting old

 

I'm digging 411 a lot with his "The 411 on..." gimmick. Caulfield being a white meat babyface is funny to me, and I'm excited to see him break out. I don't think Back in Black was QUITE his Tommy Dreamer "thank you sir may I have another" moment, but I think that moment is coming soon.

 

Stealing four workers from PPPW is jarring for sure. I trust that you have a much bigger and better plan than "hire anybody good in the Tri State." You clearly have a thought out plan going forward.

 

I cannot wait to see how you debut Nemesis!

 

Caulfield's got a long, long way to go before he gets his breakout, if only because it's far to much fun to riff on Tommy Dreamer's run of terrible promos from his early ECW days.

 

Intriguingly, stealing workers is a lot harder than it used to be in 2020. In the previous version of the game, playing DAVE in the 97 mod was basically a license to pillage the best of the Tri-State with impunity. Now, folks are a lot more judicious about jumping ship, and their companies will put in effort to keep them aboard.

 

I hope we see a lot more of Michael Cook going forward

 

I predict you'll be quite happy on this front. Every time I start a DAVE game, getting Cook over and making him a viable wrestler is on my to-do list without fail.

 

It only works about half the time, mind, but I'm always inclined to give it a go...

[arwink]

<p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="GwLG1MM.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/GwLG1MM.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><span style="font-family:'Arial Black';"><span style="font-size:12px;">Presented in the most complete form possible, due to original production difficulties.</span></span></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><img alt="t6ckWCq.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/t6ckWCq.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="font-family:'Arial Black';"><span style="font-size:12px;">DAVE Danger Zone TV #2</span></span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="font-family:'Arial Black';"> Thursday, Week 2, January 1997</span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="font-family:'Arial Black';"> Americal Civic Centre, Wakefield, MA –88 People</span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="font-family:'Arial Black';"> Broadcast on Central Perk TV for a 0.01 rating (3,910 viewers)</span></strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><img alt="L2tdVYl.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/L2tdVYl.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="52487" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">DARK MATCHES</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> • Human Arsenal defeated Rocky Constantino in 9:38 by pinfall with an Ammo Dump (24)</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> • The Skinner Brothers defeated Culture Club in 14:47 when Dukie Skinner pinned William Fletcher with a S.T.O. (29)</div></div></div></blockquote><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="L2tdVYl.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/L2tdVYl.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><img alt="RkwKNib.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/RkwKNib.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> The show opens with Mitch Naess standing by the front doors of the American Civic Centre, welcoming everybody to the second episode of DANGER ZONE TV! “We’ve got a great main event for you tonight, pitting the team of Monty Walker and Michael Cook against the newly formed partnership of Eric Tyler and Vin Tanner. We’ve also got—”</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="iOPRpyO.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/iOPRpyO.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="Lam1S2D.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/Lam1S2D.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Naess is interrupted by the Hotbodies, Rocky and Rodney, who bustle into shot in a bustle of crotch-thrusts and shown-off abs, determined to get some screen time. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “Hey there, Mitchy Naess,” Rocky says. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “How you doing today,” Rodney adds.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “He’s Rodney.”</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “He’s Rocky.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “And we’re the Hotbodies,” they say in unison. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “The hottest tag-team in Danger and Violence extreme,” Rocky adds.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Rodney lifts his shirt and teases the camera with the tip of his pink feather boa. “In more ways than one”</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “I know who you two are,” Naess says. “And after your antics Monday night, Commissioner Gaines had banned you from the building this evening, alongside that monster Vin Tanner.”</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “Antics?” Rocky says.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “What did we do?” Rodney asks.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “Please,” Neass says. “Vin Tanner may have snapped a kendo stick across her head, but everybody remembers that the two of you were the ones who knocked Miss Bliss off the apron to begin with and softened her up for his assault. Miss Bliss is one tough lady, but according to the medics, it was </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>your</em></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> attack on her that gave her a concussion that Vin Tanner capitalised on.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “Right now, the commissioner’s pissed at you, as are Freddie Datsun and the Hell Riders. Gaines doesn’t want you in the building because it seems like things are going to explode…and while he can’t pull Vin Tanner from his regularly scheduled match in our main event, the Commissioner doesn’t want the two of you adding fuel to the flames.” </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: 21</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="I5YpUvF.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/I5YpUvF.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><img alt="9bSbzbI.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/9bSbzbI.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="OReuWyC.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/OReuWyC.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> We come out of the opening titles to footage of The Hell Riders bursting through the curtains on their Harley’s, driving down to ringside and calling for the mic, ready to vent their spleen about the Hotobody’s actions at Back in Black.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="Wje6h2h.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/Wje6h2h.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="DSSad3e.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/DSSad3e.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> They don’t get a chance to talk because two men wearing hoodies leap the guard rail and jump the bikers, brawling with them as Naess identifies the pair as Kurt Laramee and Dan Billiot—the tandem known as the No Limits Soldiers. </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: 16</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="I5YpUvF.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/I5YpUvF.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><img alt="9bSbzbI.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/9bSbzbI.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="OReuWyC.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/OReuWyC.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> vs. </strong></div></div><img alt="Wje6h2h.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/Wje6h2h.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="DSSad3e.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/DSSad3e.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> THE HELL RIDERS Vs. NO LIMITS SOLDIERS</strong></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Viewers who follow the kayfabe breaking commentary will no doubt recognise the approach the two teams take here—the action spills to ringside and devolves into a wild brawl filled with weapons, along with the occasional high spot as the young Billot leaps off the ring apron to hit a move. It’s short, high-energy, and chaotically ugly, made worse by a sloppy backdrop over the guard rail by Laramee that sees KC Bruins hit a chair shoulder-first and lie there for nearly a minute. Coles tries to hold his own against the pair, and does so long enough for Bruins to finally get back into the match and pick up the win via a chair-assisted STO dubbed the Acid Trip. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>The Hell Riders defeated No Limit Soldiers in 5:37 when KC Bruins pinned Dan Billiot. RATING: 13</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><img alt="I5YpUvF.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/I5YpUvF.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><img alt="8Y2JuZ2.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/8Y2JuZ2.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="DcL7uT5.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/DcL7uT5.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>We play a short recap video showcasing the highlights of the unsanctioned match between Larry Wood and Vengeance. Despite the avenging angel coming out the victor in the match, this footage focuses in on the high-impact offense of Larry Wood, and the moment when he busted Vengeace open and blood seeped free of the mask. </em></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="M4BW9dX.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/M4BW9dX.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="rCXuQrW.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/rCXuQrW.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="8Y2JuZ2.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/8Y2JuZ2.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> We come out to a shot of Phil Vibert standing backstage, Larry Wood strapped to his gurney and Officer Hardway playing security.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “On Monday night, I unleashed the most devastating force DAVE has ever seen on an unsuspecting Vengeance,” Vibert says, “and in doing so, scored JD Morgan a shot at the DAVE Extreme Title that was guaranteed to clean and unmarred by interference.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “On Monday night, we see the impact that months of living under the threat of assault by a deranged madman can have on a great competitor, as JD Morgan—the finest technical wrestler active today—faltered before the assault of champion Johnny Martin.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “Well, Johnny, enjoy the fruits of victory while you can, because this is far from over. I now hold the contract for the most dangerous submission wrestler in the world in JD Morgan, and the most unstoppable force in wrestling, Larry Wood. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “JD Morgan took you to the limit when his focus was split, and part of his training was devoted to countering the avenging angel. The next time you face one-another with the belt on the line, his sole focus will be taking that title away from you and establishing his dominance.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “And then, Johnny Martin, then the true hell will be unleashed, because when JD Morgan is done with you, that’s when Larry Wood is unleashed to ensure you never get a chance to challenge for the Extreme Title again.” </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: 43</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="I5YpUvF.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/I5YpUvF.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><img alt="uInbRIL.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/uInbRIL.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="ED4Fjo9.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/ED4Fjo9.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="Swog6Mp.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/Swog6Mp.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Dixie Diamond is all smiles as we cut to the interview area. “What’s up, Stars, Studs, and Swingers! This is Double D backstage, getting you the scoops, and I’m here with two men who burst onto DAVE with a big impact on Monday night – Man Mountain Cahill and Big Trouble, the Dogs of War!</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “So, fellas, you picked up the win on you debut, but it seems like the Animalz weren’t quite done with the fight when the bell was rung. It’s one hell of a welcome to DAVE, soooooo…how you feel about DAVE now you’ve got a taste of what it’s </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>really</em></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> like?”</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “Yeah, yeah, I hear the laughter in your voice, darlin’,” Cahill says. “But when you tangle with a couple of hombres like the Animalz, you can’t complain when you get bit. Did you take a look at the man I picked for my tag-team partner on my debut? Big Trouble’s no stranger to hardcore—he’s left his blood in the ring of four separate continents, and he comes out the winner more often than not.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “As for me…I’m feeling right at home. In fact, I think I like it here. I’ve always been one for going out there and throwing fists, and I don’t mind taking a few shots to the face in a fight—it gets the adrenaline running, lets you know you’re in a fight.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “But make no mistake—that doesn’t mean we ain’t pissed as hell about the way things went down at Back in Black, and the Animalz have got some payback coming in a way they ain’t going to enjoy.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “So Wolverine, Brandon, I want you to think about this: if you make the mistake of crying havoc, you can’t complain when the dogs of war are unleashed.” </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: 41</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><img alt="I5YpUvF.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/I5YpUvF.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><img alt="vKrsqbj.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/vKrsqbj.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> vs. </strong></div></div><img alt="8Y2JuZ2.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/8Y2JuZ2.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> w/</strong></div></div><img alt="rCXuQrW.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/rCXuQrW.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> LUCAS HALE vs. LARRY WOOD w/Officer Hardway</strong></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> On Monday, Wood debuted against one of DAVE’s most violent men. Tonight, he goes up against the young rookie whose making his name by surviving hellacious beatings, even if he never gets much offense.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Thus far Murphy's endured being stretched by JD Morgan and beaten to hell by the Wolverine, but it’s nothing compared to the sheer destruction he endures at the hands of Larry Wood. The Backwoods Psycho busts the kid open, throws him around like a ragdoll, and ultimately puts him down with the Running Big Foot for a dominant victory. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Larry Wood defeated Lucas Hale in 4:35 by pinfall. RATING: 17</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><img alt="I5YpUvF.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/I5YpUvF.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><img alt="DcL7uT5.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/DcL7uT5.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> The roar goes up as Vengeance comes charging through the curtain, making a beeline for the ring with a steel chain looped around his fist. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="rCXuQrW.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/rCXuQrW.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Officer Hardway makes the mistake of trying to stop the Avenging Angel, but his billy club is ripped out of his grasp and he takes a chain-wrapped fist to the face that takes all the fight out of him.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="8Y2JuZ2.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/8Y2JuZ2.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Wood clears the ring and meets Vengeance head on, the two big me throwing strikes as they brawl. Wood puts Vengeance up against the crowd barrier, throwing a series of big lariats, and gets caught by surprise when Vengeance ducks one and elevates him over the railing. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Wood gets to his feet, steel chair in hand, but Vengeance kicks the weapon away. The two men wail upon one-another until the locker room empties to help security pull the two monsters apart. </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: 34</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="I5YpUvF.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/I5YpUvF.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><img alt="RkwKNib.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/RkwKNib.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> We cut to the production booth, where Mitch Naess recaps Vin Tanner’s assault on Miss Bliss at Back-in-Black, hospitalizing the First Lady of DAVE who’d already picked up a mild concussion after being knocked off the apron by the Hotbodys. We go backstage, where Miss Bliss has just returned to the locker room…</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="dEAFZlM.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/dEAFZlM.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="cieuo1O.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/cieuo1O.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="RxAEmtS.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/RxAEmtS.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="9bSbzbI.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/9bSbzbI.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="OReuWyC.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/OReuWyC.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Miss Bliss steps through a doorway, a cold blast of snow and winter wind following her into the arena. She’s met with a round of applause from Datsun, Roy Stephens, and the Hell Riders, and quietly nods towards the camera to let them know they’re being watched.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Datsun moves to send the send the camera away. “Do you mind? This is a private moment, and—”</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “No, wait. No reason to delay this any longer.” Miss Bliss steps up beside Datsun, and flashes the camera a wary smile. “Earlier this week, I had an MRI to take a look at the damage caused by Vin Tanner and my little encounter with the Hotbodys. “It’s…bad. Worse than they originally thought. And while I’m up and about, and I’m feeling better, they’ve got concerns about what might happen if I’m knocked about at ringside again. They think…” Bliss’s voice falters, and she looks away from the camera to gather herself. “…they think I may have to step down as an active, ringside manager for the good of my health.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “We’re still running tests, talking through treatment options, but the way they’re talking…well, there’s not a lot of hope. And, honestly, that sucks. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “For twenty years I’ve been guiding wrestlers to championships, and the last five—here in DAVE—have been the best in my life. I got to watch young teams like the Hell Riders come together and kick ass as a duo. I got to manage a phenomenal young talent like Freddie Datsun into the main event.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “And I got to watch pieces of crap like Vin Tanner get his ass kicked up and down the ring by better men.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “But it seems that time is over for me, barring some surprise treatment, and it’s time to pass on the baton to a new generation of managers. Soon…very soon…I’ll be turning in my manager’s license and releasing Freddie Datsun from his contract.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “But…before the happens…I wanted to sign one last match. A little payback for the man who ended my managerial career, and the idiots who helped him do it.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “Freddie, I hope you don’t mind, but next week we’re going to have ourselves a little eight-man action—you, and Roy, and the Hell Riders…against Eric Tyler, Vin Tanner, and the Hotbodys.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “I’ll be there at ringside, and my sole request is that you kick some goddamn ass.” </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: 42</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><img alt="I5YpUvF.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/I5YpUvF.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><img alt="bQNJL2J.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/bQNJL2J.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="QAeORwE.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/QAeORwE.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> vs. </strong></div></div><img alt="090L0jK.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/090L0jK.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="DkLxenf.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/DkLxenf.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> JOEY POISON & JAKE HARVEY vs. THE DARKNESS WARRIORS</strong></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> One of the shining lights of 4C makes his DAVE debut, and he gets welcomed to the company by a mauling at the hands of the Darkness Warriors. It’s short and relatively lifeless—the fans know the real meat of a Warriors match lies in the post-match angle—and no-one is particularly surprised when Raul Darkness takes down Jake Harvey with the Demonic DDT. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>The Darkness Warriors defeated Joey Poison and Jake Harvey in 5:25 when Raul Darkness pinned Jake Harvey. RATING: 14</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><img alt="I5YpUvF.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/I5YpUvF.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><img alt="090L0jK.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/090L0jK.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="DkLxenf.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/DkLxenf.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> The Warriors throw their heads back and unleash a primal scream to celebrate their victory, then immediately go beneath the ring to collect their tables, lighters, and lighter fluid. Raul soaks the table as Jay lifts Joey Poison up in preparation…</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="8cABHS8.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/8cABHS8.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="TtKpngd.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/TtKpngd.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> …and there’s a roar from the crowd as the Skinner Brothers charge down. Both men are obviously banged up, their skin covered in bandages where they sustained burns in their debut, but there’s no doubt they’re looking for a fight here. Matt clotheslines Raul over the fluid-soaked table without breaking it, and it’s pure luck that the zippo skitters out of Raul’s hands instead of setting them both ablaze. Meanwhile Dukie crash-tackles Jay Darkness and proceeds to throw right hands at his grounded victim.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> There’s a crack at ringside as Matt whips Raul Darkness into the ring post, then wipes him out with a big boot. Matt Skinner immediately rolls into the ring and joins his brother, helping him pickup the massive Jay Darkness and launch a tandem powerbomb over the top rope to send him through the table.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> The Skinner Brothers stand tall in the middle of the ring, having got one over on the Warriors. </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: 25</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="I5YpUvF.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/I5YpUvF.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><img alt="y57fSzJ.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/y57fSzJ.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> We cut backstage, where 411 is standing by. “Once again, they’ve given me sixty seconds to give you the 411 on any topic I choose, so here’s the 411 on the man they call the Man Mountain…Ronnie Cahill. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “At 6’ 4” and nearly 390 pounds, it’s not hard to see how Mister Cahill earned his moniker in this business. He’s been tearing it up on the East Coast independents for X years now, establishing himself via an open challenge where he straight-up murdered anybody foolish enough to climb into the ring with him.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “He’s a dominant physical force, and the sole reason he’s not won more gold in this sport comes down to a simple fact—champions who want to hold on to their titles will seek to use the so-called ‘champion’s advantage,’ and have matches end on count-out of disqualification.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “Which makes you wonder what he’ll accomplish here in DAVE, where there’s no such thing as Champion’s advantage and the only way to win a belt is physically beat another man into submission.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “Personally, I think the 411 on Cahill is that he’s going to be an unstoppable force that surprises everyone.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “And if you ask me what I think about </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>Chris Caulfield</em></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> challenging the man…well, you don’t need 411 to tell you what happens when an unstoppable force meets the object that doesn’t belong here in Danger and Violence Extreme!” </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: 29</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="I5YpUvF.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/I5YpUvF.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><img alt="ED4Fjo9.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/ED4Fjo9.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> vs. </strong></div></div><img alt="QQ5S56G.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/QQ5S56G.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> MAN MOUNTAIN CAHILL vs. CHRIS CAULFIELD</strong></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Caulfield puts on a brave fight here, coming back from some of Cahill’s hardest hits, and in a few cases firing up and firing back with flurries of offense that catch the big man by surprise. There’s just enough hope spots to make Caulfield feel like he’s competitive, but ultimately he falls to the massive jack-knife powerbomb dubbed the Cahill Crush. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Man Mountain Cahill defeated Chris Caulfield in 6:51 by pinfall. RATING: 30</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><img alt="I5YpUvF.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/I5YpUvF.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><img alt="RkwKNib.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/RkwKNib.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> We cut back to Naess in the control room, where the announcer takes us back to the events of Back-in-Black on Monday night. While the show saw vile sneak attacks and epic championship bouts, it also played host to a surprising victory from the Icon of Insanity, Henry Lee</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="52487" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="FKxbXt7.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/FKxbXt7.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="eCnjtdG.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/eCnjtdG.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> We cut to footage of Henry Lee choking out Tyrannosaurus Pex, using the lack of oxygen to bring the bigger man down and set him up for the Asylum Buster.</div></div></div></blockquote><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “It should have been a great night for the Icon,” Neass says, “but moments after the match was won, Lee’s victory took a very different turn.”</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="52487" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="eCnjtdG.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/eCnjtdG.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="FKxbXt7.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/FKxbXt7.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Another short clip, this time focused on Pex beating the hell out of Henry Lee and throwing Lee into the turnbuckles.</div></div></div></blockquote><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “Although he left the ring under his own power in the aftermath of that attack, Henry Lee later reported to hospital complaining of back pain and a numbness in his right arm,” Naess says. “He’s not cleared to compete for the next two weeks—and potentially for much longer, depending on the outcome of medical tests—but the Icon of Insanity doesn’t seem to accept those constraints.”</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="52487" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="FKxbXt7.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/FKxbXt7.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> We cut to footage of Henry Lee in a snow-covered children’s playground, surveying the abandoned equipment.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “This is the park where I take my sister’s kids to play in the summer,” Lee says. “They’re cute little kids. A little girl, four years old, and her five-year-old sister. Young enough that they don’t look at me like a freak or a violent weirdo who makes his living beating up other men—to them, I’m just Uncle Henry, and they love me regardless of whether I win matches or lose them.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “I went to my sister’s house after they let me out of the hospital, Tyrannosaurus Pex. I sat in her living room with my arm hanging limp and useless at my side, my back hurting worse than it’s ever hurt before, and my youngest niece asked me for a hug that I wasn’t able to give her.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “When she asked me what was wrong, I told her a bad man had hurt me at work. ‘Oh,’ she said. ‘You lost your match?’</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “And that’s when I started laughing.”</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Lee pauses, eyes shifting across the snowy landscape, his wistful tone turning aggressive. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “My niece couldn’t understand how a man beat-up as I was had actually walked away the winner,” he says, “and I didn’t have the words to tell her that sometimes a victory isn’t a win. You may get the kudos on paper, but the price you pay is too damn high. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “Yes, I beat Tyrannosaurus Pex. Yes, I earned the five-hundred-dollar bonus Scott Hickey threw into the winner’s purse—</div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>THAT DOESN’T EVEN COVER MY MEDICAL BILLS.</em></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “A smarter man than Ol’ Henry Lee would probably step away at this point. They would look at a man with the strength of Tyrannosaurus Pex, with his reckless disregard for the health of his opponents, and they would accept the pain and the hospital visits as the price of doing the damn near impossible in the ring.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “But I’m not an ordinary man, Tyrannosaurus. I’m a madman whose damn-near half monster, and the fact that </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>you hurt me more than I hurt you</em></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> sticks in my craw almost as much as the look of disappointment on my nieces face when she learned that winning isn’t always winning.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “I don’t know when the doctors will clear me to wrestle again, and frankly, I don’t care. I’m going to drag my broken body back to that ring and we’re going to fight against, Tyrannosaurus, and this time it won’t be about the pinfalls and the submissions.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “This time, it’s going to be an all-out war, and you’re going to know pain like you’ve never known pain before.”</div></div></div></blockquote><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “In light of Lee’s challenge to a rematch, we reached out to Pex’s manager, Scot Hickey, for a comment earlier tonight.”</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="52487" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="iMwZigN.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/iMwZigN.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="eCnjtdG.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/eCnjtdG.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> A cut backstage, where Scott Hickey stands out the front of Tyrannosaurus Pex’s locker room. “The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over, and expecting a different result,” he says. “Which means calling Henry Lee the icon of insanity is a pretty apt.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “Wrestling is an unpredictable business, driven by the accumulation of wins in the ledger. Even a man such as the apex predator, Tyrannosaurus Pex, can’t guarantee victory every time they step into the ring. They may dominate ninety-nine times out of a hundred, but there’s always that one-in-a-hundred chance that someone will have a good night and pick up the win.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “But what I can promise you is this—Tyrannosaurus Pex will always hurt you. Win, lose, or draw, he’s always going to the the man standing tall in the middle of the ring, and if you piss him off your night is going to end with a trip to the emergency room. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “So my advice to Henry Lee…mate, take the time to heal. Don’t come in here, throwing challenges around, thinking you can change this part of the equation. Accept the win in the ledger, take pride in the fact you’re one of the select few to earn one, and live to fight another day.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “Because if you step into the ring with a three-hundred pound apex predator a second time, trying to push him into a fight rather than a wrestling match…it’s not going to go well for you, mate.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> “It’s not going to go well for you at all.”</div></div></div></blockquote><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="RkwKNib.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/RkwKNib.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> "We're still waiting on news from Commissioner Gaines about whether any rematch will be certified by DAVE and any of the state athletic boards whose jurisdiction we operate under, but I think the boss has already shown he'll got above and beyond to deliver the matches </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><em>you</em></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> want to see.</div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>RATING: 36</strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><img alt="I5YpUvF.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/I5YpUvF.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><img alt="V6huOIl.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/V6huOIl.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="jVhfTIC.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/jVhfTIC.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> vs. </strong></div></div><img alt="0MugA07.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/0MugA07.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="ZqGP4z1.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/ZqGP4z1.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> </strong></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong> MONTY WALKER & MICHAEL COOK vs. VIN TANNER & ERIC TYLER</strong></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Tanner heads down to the ring with a kendo stick in hand for this one, and it’s pretty clear he intends to use the weapon as the match kicks off. Michael Cook takes the lead for his team, grappling with the veteran Tanner, and he earns some pretty good cheers as he ducks under a wild strike with the cane and takes Tanner down, slowly working towards the triangle choke.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Tyler makes the save there, and soon finds himself tagged in to square off against Monty Walker. He takes the fight to the HGC cruiserweight, Mitch Naess speculating all the while that he’s holding a grudge against Walker for his meteoric rise. The Walk fires back with his usual arsenal of kicks and top rope offense, but Tyler keeps grounding and pounding, establishing his dominance.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> There’s a long stretch of the match where Walker is trapped in the wrong part of town, caught by Tanner and Tyler’s rapid tags. He gets drilled with strikes and forearm shives, slammed to the canvas with a vengeance, and worn down with a series of holds that target the shoulder and wrist. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> The hot tag comes out of nowhere—Vin Tanner attempts a powerbomb and Walker reverses into facebuster before diving for Cook’s outstretched hand—and Michael Cook is a house on fire. He lays out Tanner with an Olympic Slam, then takes down Tyler and locks in a crossarm breaker.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="Vgz3D1m.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/Vgz3D1m.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> For a moment it seems like Tyler might actually tap, but Human Arsenal appears at ringside and pulls Cook out to the concrete. An Ammo Dump lays the young submission specialist out, and Arsenal makes for the back, his job done.</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Walker finds his way back into the ring when it’s clear his partner is out, but after the beating he’s taken, there’s no way of making the comeback. A Vin Tanner kendo shot rattles him and Eric Tyler locks in the Tradition Lift to pick up the win. </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Eric Tyler and Vin Tanner defeated Monty Walker and Michael Cook in 11:46 when Eric Tyler submitted Monty Walker. RATING 48</strong></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="52487" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;">A night where a lot of future prospects are featured results hampers DAVE’s efforts to capture ratings, but things are saved by the main event efforts of Tyler and Tanner. Coming up next on Hardcore Histories: the aesthetic and the toll…</div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:'Arial Black';">SHOW RATING: 35</span></span></strong></div></div></div></blockquote>