iNeed a ROH Show - February 29, 2012

Kyle Patin and Zach Grigg of iNeedWrestling.com discuss the latest episode of Ring of Honor Wrestling and preview the 10th Anniversary iPPV this Sunday.

Have WWE Peaked Too Early? By Matthew Burrows

I have watched every PPV and every RAW for the past year and we have seen the storyline build as we get to the grandest stage of them all, and we get the match everyone wants to see, apparently, John Cena vs The Rock.

It was announced on Raw nearly a year ago, and it was huge, but we all asked the same question at the time. How were they going to keep it fresh and how would they deal with the fact that The Rock wouldn't be on tv every week. Well to start with it slowly built in to something fresh and something worth watching, Cena and Rock (via satellite) going back and forth on each other and now probably the reason there has been a surge in the sales of Fruity Pebble cereals.

The was lots of fun segments of more and more things to trend on Twitter and to make sure that people tuned in.

It then lead to quite possibly one of the most pointless matches that seemed so thrown together and a waste of The Rocks first match back in a tag match against Miz and Truth at Survivor Series. It was a lousy match and added absolutely nothing to the feud.

Then for some reason to fill the time of getting Cena to Wrestlemania they decide the best option was to put him in a feud with Kane and for good measure they decided to throw Eve and Zack Ryder in to the mix for fun as well. Though after all the build up and multiple beatings we were approaching March so that had to end and was finished in a stupid match that saw Kane beaten and Eve turned heel. Well that was worthwhile and it would Kane has forgotten the feud and moved on and we have ignored the whole Ryder absence.

Then here we are, it's 5 weeks to go so it was time to fit the Rock back in to TV and rebuild the feud, but can anyone explain to me just exactly what the hell that was last night on Raw. The Rock had pretty much nothing new or worthwhile to say, Cena did a random response and then Rock babbled on again. The whole think was atrocious, is this really how we are going to go for 5 weeks.

If its the plan, I am going to get so bored with and fast. I think the trouble is WWE are so paranoid that either of them will get hurt before the big day that they won't let them go at in a proper WWE feud. The whole thing is begging for some violence, it's begging for something to inject some excitement in to it.

At the moment I am buying Wrestlemania in spite of the fact that these two are on the bill, of they don't do something very soon then they could have another Goldberg/Lesnar match on their hands again.So step it up Vince, making me interested again, make me want to pay you the £15 of my hard earned money and please try and do it with some cereal, crotch or twitter trend which would be great.

Any comments, hit me up on twitter @buzzuk

Arda Ocal Chats with Vader

Arda Ocal has sent this over to me, worth a look guys.

Arda Ocal (@arda_ocal) and Jimmy Korderas (@jimmykorderas) of #Aftermath Radio on thescore.com and iTunes chat with former WWE and WCW superstar Vader. Highlights:

His upcoming appearance at WrestleReunion that will be taking place in Toronto, Ontario taking place from April 13-15

How involved he is with his son Jesse White who currently performs in FCW


What are this thoughts on Ron Simmons being inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame:

" You know this is the first I've ever heard about it. Just a fantastic guy. High quality individual,extremely strong, extremely quick. He is a good friend of mine, we had some great matches together. Congratulations to Ron, and hes gonna be a great representative for the WWE"

One of the most distinguished characteristics for him was his leather mask. How did it come about, how did he start wearing that in the ring, also speaking about how he wasn't the original choice for the character Vader and the two wrestlers that were presented the "Vader" character in Japan before it was given to Leon White.

Was there any struggle in keeping the Vader character when he joined WWE in 1996:

" Vince McMahon and I talked about that, what I think he really wanted to do was change the character and come up with something new. It was something I felt strong about, and we kinda butted heads about that part of the negotiations. I look back on that and thought maybe I could have done 2 characters, had Vader in Japan, and did The Mastodon here in America. You never know how that could have turned out"

On his rivalry with Shawn Michaels that lead to a match in the main event of Summerslam 1996, was there a conversation that we would win the WWE Championship during that time:

" Yeah there was, obviously it never happened. Shawn wasnt just over he was like the man. In his entire career in WWE he was the star. When I got there Shawn was the guy, boy what worker. He could get the job done. Fluent athlete, could do anything, just period. Didn't matter what you asked him to do, he could just do it. Didn't work out for me in the WWE, but I look back at my time there, and I enjoyed it, it was a great deal"

About the incident in 1997 in Kuwait where he appeared on the talk show "Good Morning Kuwait" and threatened the host when he asked him if wrestling was fake. Was he trying to protect the wrestling business?

" I never touched this guy, I physically never touched him. I wrapped my finger around his tie, and bent down and was asking. From my understanding, I was doing exactly what I was told to do period. Undertaker and myself was on the set , and we were gonna wrestle that night. It was a great opportunity to promote our show, the agent told me what to do and I did it"

Working with Mick Foley during his career. Mick Foley lost part of his ear wrestling Vader. When did he know during the match that Mick Foley had lost part of his ear as the match progressed

Speaking about an upcoming sumo wrestling tournament that he will be competing in in Japan:

" Its the top athletes in Japan, and the winner and I hope I don't win ( laughs ). Its not a work its a real life sumo wrestling, against mixed martial arts fighters, kickboxers, etc. Its the top athletes in Japan. And the winner if you win, you go on and you fight again and again, And the winner has to fight a guy named Akebono ( Who faced Big Show in a Sumo Match at Wrestlemania 21 ). This guy is a grand champion. 6"8" 440 pounds. He's got real long arms and whoever wins is gonna get murdered by him and I hope that's not me ( laughs ).

Sharing thoughts on health problems, being in a coma and remembering parts of it and what led him to change his life around, working with Wounded Warrior Project and Mighty Oaks Wounded Warrior Foundation.


FULL 35+ MINUTE INTERVIEW CAN BE FOUND HERE: http://blogs.thescore.com/wwe/2012/02/28/aftermath-radio-interviews-big-van-vader/

WIN Dragon Gate UK DVD's with The MFX Podcast

Don't forget folks, you have until 19:00 GMT on Weds to win all 3 nights on DVD from the Dragon Gate tour of the UK from October of 2011 thanks to Mark Sloan & http://dragongateuk.com All you have to do is tweet to @TheIndyCorner the answers to the questions we asked on this weeks show so get over to http://mfxpodcast.com and listen to MFX 10

Fight Club: Pro, Rise Against 2012 - Review by @DMC316

On paper Rise Against is one of the best shows you can hope to see. On one hand you have Fight Club: Pro’s track record consisting of a solid roster putting on strong shows, and on the other hand you have the wealth of talent booked for this event. Fight Club: Pro sets the stage well with it’s atmosphere; the active bar, the rowdy crowd, the metal fence that surrounds the ring. But anyone can write on paper, did it hold up?

British Strong Style - Clint Margera vs Trent Seven

This match felt like a suitable opener, a strong match which will leave focus on the wrestling superstars who have travelled over to join them. Margera and Seven are home-grown staples of the promotion. Margera emanates an instant likeability to the FCP fanbase with his attitude and look, while Seven is the resilient hero who manages to overcome the odds more often than not. If a face ever had to be put to Fight Club: Pro, it would be Trent Seven who spent most of last year with the title around his waist and tackling the likes of Davey Richards and Colt Cabana. Going into this match, one can’t be sure what ‘British Strong Style’ is, but one is assured these two men will fight. It’s what the fans want, and it why that word features in the promotion’s name.

Margera and Seven set the mood very quickly, choosing hard strikes over a traditional lock up. The rest of the match becomes apparent, these two are gonna hit each other with whatever they can as long as each action is harder and stronger than the last. They go through chops, forearms, elbows, clotheslines and multiple slaps, each with more impact than the last to successfully gain a crowd reaction. The most memorable moment from the match saw Seven taking Margera’s legs to deliver a big swing from the ring Apron into the metal fence where a Clint shaped hole now resides. They continued to up each other to the point that shirts and even elbow pads had been removed as the attacks were laid in. By the end of this match Margera had certainly gone through hell, as reddening and scratches were visible all over his body and there were even signs of problems with his ear drum after a chop to the side of the head. It was Seven who would pick up a convincing victory after dominating the later part of the match, but Margera’s commitment earned respect not only from his opponent on the mic but the audience through their applause. Seven followed the match by making a bid for reclaiming his title with the fans firmly in his corner. This was a huge match which left everyone with a clear sense of what British Strong Style is. Not only did it wear out it’s competitors though, but it also wore out the crowd who were given fifteen minutes to cool down before the next match.

Jonathan Gresham vs "The Future" MK McKinnan

This match was to feature AR Fox who was sadly deported upon his arrival in England. The triple threat he should have been in had the potential to be one of the promotions best matches, but it’s replacement more than manages to make up for the loss. Jonathan Gresham is one of the most talented wrestlers around today, capable of a great many things and holding a personality that the FCP faithful embrace. MK McKinnan on the other hand is FCP’s golden boy with a home crowd advantage that’s well deserved after managing to keep up with the likes of Mike Quackenbush and El Generico at past events. This is a return match which will see a great change in pace but will be no less hard hitting.

Gresham was met with a sea of “Welcome Back” chants, putting no doubt in the fan’s appreciation of him. Then the two went at it as though they hadn’t forgotten each other and were picking up from where they left off in their last bout. The spectators are teased with multiple counters and pin combinations. What does connect is impressive and the two aren’t afraid to go big as McKinnan put the metal fence through it’s paces with a dive to the outside, and Gresham delivered a top rope Moonsault to the outside. These two never slowed down for long, always hitting the ropes to bring an attack or bouncing back for more punishment. Gresham is capable of keeping the crowd involved throughout and they are left reeling from every piece of action put together in the ring. Finally this hard and fast match would end with bang as it should, as MK McKinnan picked up the win off a great Shining Wizard. As expected it was an outstanding match that established both of it’s competitors. Jonathan Gresham’s presence was again rewarded with “Welcome Home” chants as it was made clear by McKinnan that he had a home here. McKinnan would then make a bid for the title himself which would provoke a response from Seven. Seven’s confrontation turned the crowd against him and seeds were planted for a feud that would play out over the next few events. Seven had no trouble holding his own in a back in forth with the crowd who made remarks his weight and loved the responses they received.

FAN: “We don’t need another Yokozuna!” SEVEN: “Don’t worry, you’re mom’s not on the card.”

Chris Brookes vs 'The Baby Jesus of British Wrestling’ Rockstar Spud

Chris Brookes worked hard to get this match, helping out the promotion by working the merch stand among other things, but it was at the last event he made his name know. First he got “Book Chris Brookes” chants circulating, then on twitter he got #WeWantBrookes popular, until finally he was stopped short of making ‘C! True Long Island Story’ by receiving an opportunity to wrestle for Fight Club: Pro. It is worth noting that before each of the first two matches, a roaring “We Want Brookes” chant had rung out through the venue, putting the crowd strongly behind him. His opponent Rockstar Spud is undoubtedly one of the most entertaining wrestlers you can see today. His energy, attitude and performance never fail to impress an audience who have developed a ‘love to hate’ relationship with Spud. One goes into this match sure that Spud will impress and hoping Brookes can live up to his hype.

Brookes would enter to a tremendous ovation, as chants and cheers cried out for him. Spud, who usually has one of the most entertaining entrances in wrestling, would instead appear more subdued on his approach to the ring, disappointing the crowd. Spud, an expert on the mic, would then berate his opponent, the promotion and the fans before attacking Brookes and eliminating any chance of an actual match occurring. Spud would continue to antagonise the crowd with his antics and support from a Dave Williams, until eventually managing to turn the atmosphere completely. The crowd were now past loving to hate Spud and were onto wanting to rip his testicles off. Spud revelled in the verbal abuse he was receiving and managed to generate an intense reaction from the crowd who began throwing objects at The Baby Jesus of British Wrestling. As he made his exit, the fans were left still wanting to see Brookes in action at some point and in keen anticipation of the Spud getting his comeuppance.

"The Bastard" Dave Mastiff vs "The Callihan Death Machine" Sami Callihan

Finally comes the appropriate main event. Dave Mastiff is one of the strongest and most capable wrestlers in Great Britain, and is capable of bringing a style that has held up against Trent Seven and has incidentally become popular with the FCP crowd. On the other side of things, Sami Callihan was not announced as the number one independent wrestler recently by accident. Callihan is undoubtedly one of the most unique characters on the wrestling scene and is tonight’s main attraction. Mastiff earned his nickname as ‘The Bastard’ months ago when he cost Callihan his match for the FCP Title. Callihan goes into this match with fury, looking for revenge, and it is expected that Mastiff will come back with the same intensity.

The two did just as expected, as Mastiff began a dominating offence, his first move being a Powerbomb which would see Callihan’s head connect with a low hanging discoball on the way up (these are the risks of wrestling in a nightclub), and a whole lot of mat on the way down. Mastiff would continue a dominating offence but Callihan is able to make you believe he’s still alive and has a chance, and with the star power he brings puts the fans are solidly behind him, calling for him to get up and do what he does best. There are elements of a typical big man on smaller man battle, with Callihan trying to lift Mastiff which bring a great reaction when he finally hit’s the Scoop Slam, and hits a Powerbomb on his own on the monster. Throughout the match, Callihan is able to exude the sense that he is something special, he is man who has truly worked on his trade and shows it in every way possible. The crowd were at their loudest during this fantastic match which saw a good length. The eventual winner would be Dave Mastiff, and while there was a little disappointment from the audience, The Bastard was established as force to be reckoned with in a promotion he will frequent more often.

Following the show fans can talk to wrestlers, get photographs with them, buy merchandise and more often than not they can join them in the pub for a few pints. The only drawback to Fight Club: Pro is the slight feeling of guilt that hits when you realise you’ve only paid five pounds be there. Wrestling this good shouldn’t be this cheap, and FCP deserve far more recognition than they have. If you missed Rise Against and don’t own a time machine than you have truly missed out and can only look forward to their next event on the 23rd of March. Make sure to get a hold of their Facebook and Twitter, Fight Club: Pro should not be missed.


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Hall of Fame, Touch of Shame By Mark Adams

If you look through the full list of the members of the WWE Hall of Fame, there are some performers that irrefutably deserve their place for their incredible contributions to wrestling (Hulk Hogan, Steve Austen, Ric Flair, The Road Warriors, Shawn Michaels, Stu Hart, Jesse Ventura, Great Moolah, Gene Okerland, Lou Albana, Howard Finkel, the list goes on), and then there are those that are more controversial – the inductees that could be argued make a mockery of the whole thing (Pete Rose, The Refrigerator, Drew Carey). The latter is something that has always niggled at me personally because I do feel that it’s a slap in the face to all the other people that have been inducted justly and makes a mockery of the whole thing.

For this year’s Hall of Fame, the names announced so far are Edge, the Four Horseman (or the majority of them at least), Mil Mascaras, Mike Tyson and most recently on the 20th February edition of Raw, Ron Simmons. As worthy as Edge, Mil Mascaras and the Horsemen are, I’d like to focus on two extremes here: one inductee that is (in my eyes, particularly when I was a 12 year old that needed a role model in the early 90s) the most deserving of the lot and another that (in my eyes, as an equalities activist in my mid-30s) is an absolute disgrace. It doesn’t take a genius to work out which is which out of Ron Simmons and Mike Tyson.

For me, the inclusion of Ron Simmons is one of the greatest decisions ever made by the powers that be that allocate slots in the Hall of Fame. As a 30-something wrestling fan that has grown too ‘smart’ and grumpy to the point where it can be a detriment to my enjoyment of wrestling if I let it, the induction of Ron Simmons left me with a huge beaming grin on my face as a huge wave of nostalgia washed over me. I vividly remember my elation when Ron Simmons won the WCW Heavyweight Title. To my innocent eyes, Vader was the mean baddie and Ron was the amazing hero. The fact that he was the first black champion was irrelevant to 12 year old me: Ron was my favourite because he was a goodie and the powerslam was a really cool move. As a kid, my life revolved around Saturday afternoons and WCW Worldwide, and if Ron Simmons wasn’t on the show, I was gutted – not even Ricky Steamboat or Sting could hold a torch to Ron for awesomeness as far as I was concerned. However, the significance of Ron’s achievement as a black man in what had been a traditionally racist industry is now something that I now truly understand – as a wiser adult now and a minority myself, his victory over prejudice only makes me love the guy more.

When you actually think about it, how wonderful is that childhood innocence in my attitude to Ron? Wrestling, because Ron Simmons was on the WCW roster, helped to shape my attitudes towards racism: one of my childhood heroes was a great wrestler with an epic finisher that just so happened to be black. I genuinely believe that Ron’s awesomeness made me understand that racism was wrong even more so than the good upbringing that I had that just told me that it was. Whilst being told that wrong things are wrong is a very good thing, I didn’t know any black people in real life but I felt like I knew Ron Simmons: he was a man that I looked up to and admired. He was the first real role model that I ever had that was black, and it was Ron that made me truly understand and embrace the good teachings that I had had because he was real rather than hypothetical.

I was genuinely elated at the announcement of Ron Simmons; I was genuinely horrified at the announcement of Mike Tyson.

Let’s not beat around the bush here: Mike Tyson is a boxer that bit off a chunk from the ear of an opponent and is a convicted rapist. With all the current controversy about CM Punk and Chris Brown with wrestling fans flocking to Twitter to join Punk in condemning Brown for beating up a woman, why in the world aren’t they flocking to Twitter to condemn the rapist that the WWE want to put on a pedestal?

Mike Tyson is a rapist.
Mike Tyson is being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Just chew that over for a second.
Surely that isn’t a good thing? Hall of Famers in any sport are highlighted as legendary performers that have made a significant contribution to that sport and are supposed to bring prestige to the industry. I can think of a certain child murderer from Canada that was a legendary performer that had made a significant contribution to wrestling before becoming a murderer and committing suicide: perhaps he should go in next year? After all, if Mike Tyson’s horrendous and brutal crime can be ignored, why can’t Chris Benoit’s?

Just to be clear here: yes, that was sarcasm. I do not want child murderer Chris Benoit in the WWE Hall of Fame.

Mike Tyson’s induction makes me incredibly angry, and no amount of ‘he’s paid his debt to society’ crap can convince me that this is nothing short of the WWE endorsing a disgraced rapist and insulting every single Hall of Famer that has ever been inducted. It seems to me that this is the epitome of ‘rape is unforgivable... unless you’re famous’ – one of society’s most disgusting hypocrisies. A Hall of Fame is about giving prestige and recognition to great men that did great things: whether or not you think that Mike Tyson did great things or not (for wrestling, boxing, or anything else), he is not a great man. It has been proved beyond reasonable doubt in a Court of Law that he is a despicable man that has committed an act of unforgivable violation against another human being which will haunt her for the rest of her life. Mike Tyson should not be in the WWE Hall of Fame for being on a handful of episodes of Raw and a PPV, he doesn’t deserve it in comparison to workers that grafted at their craft for years. Beyond this, he sure as hell shouldn’t be celebrated by anyone for any reason because he has, frankly, proved that he is capable of great evil. Mike Tyson should not be in the WWE Hall of Fame, and it’s disgusting that he was ever considered, let alone inducted.

2012 – The Hall of Fame year with the greatest and vilest inductions of all time. Insanity. But would you really ever expect anything less from the WWE?

The Boys Ripping on The Rock - Really? By Stuart Rodgers

It's no secret I'm not the biggest fan of the WWE but I do listen to a lot of wrestling podcasts and as you can guess, they are top heavy with WWE talk especially now on the road to Wrestle Mania. Now, speaking of the 'grandaddy of them all' we know The Rock will be facing John Cena on April 1st in Miami. Cena is of course doing what he has to do leading up to such a big match and he's cutting his promo's on The Rock etc. but the word from 'behind the curtain' is that there are many guys in the WWE who are not happy with the fact The Rock is coming in for a short while, promoting a movie then getting a massive pay-off for the main event of Wrestle Mania before disappearing into the Hollywood wilderness once again.

I look at it in a couple of ways, first, this Mania will draw millions of dollars and it will trickle down through the entire roster and company be that for the guys who are on the card that night or for business after Mania when people will still be hyped, more will come to the live shows and TV ratings should increase which again, will bring more revenue into the company and everyone involved will see the benefit of.

I really can't understand why these guys, whoever they are, are hating on The Rock rather than seeing the bigger picture.

My second opinion on this subject, the guys are moaning about The Rock coming in but what alternatives do the WWE have? There just isn't the roster of genuine stars to put in that position. Take a look at the title matches, for the world title you have Daniel Bryan defending against Sheamus now DB is a guy I have followed for years, I was a massive fan of him on the indies and although I didn't like it, I sort of agreed with a lot of people who said first he'd never win the title despite having the MITB briefcase and then, after winning it, again, a lot of people said he wouldn't have the title when he walked into Mania, now I know we're not there yet but it looks like he will be champion at Mania but is he what would be considered a wrestler worthy of defending a world title at the WWE's biggest PPV of the year never mind probably the biggest PPV ever? Also, his opponent will be Sheamus, someone who has held a major belt in the company before but again, is he really at that level for Wrestle Mania?

The other title match, the WWE title one features CM Punk, again, another darling of the indies, and he'll be facing Chris Jericho who has been back 5 minutes and if rumours are true, he'll be off again shortly after Mania to do the music thing but I wonder if the same guys who are ripping on The Rock are ripping on Jericho for coming back for a short while to 'take a spot' and get a big pay cheque (yes that's how we spell it here in the UK)?

Oh and let us not forget The Undertaker, his last match was at last years Mania and he's coming back and unless something happens, this will be his first match since Mania last year. For me, that's worst than The Rock, I mean The Rock has been around quite a bit more really, even had a match on PPV. People though won't rip on 'Taker because he is the 'locker room leader' and deserves respect, bs I say because if you can rip on The Rock for the what he is doing (and let's not forget, WWE are the ones who decide who comes in) then why should 'Taker or Jericho get away with it?

I have jumped around a bit in this article but the point of the article remains the same, the WWE just doesn't have the guys that can cut it, like it or not, The Rock may only be in the WWE every now and then but when he's there, the fans react, he can make them 'pop', The Rock is a star.

Listen to me on the MFX Podcast every week doing The Indy Corner right here - http://mfxpodcast.com

Please follow me on twitter @WLHSTU

PWG History of The Tag Team Titles Vol 5 - Review by Shaun Nichols

This interview was lifted from http://wlhdvdreviews.wordpress.com

Davey Richards & Roderick Strong vs Super Dragon & B-Boy vs Kings of Wrestling vs Motor City Machine Guns

You get the impression that Dragon means business, he turns up with a chainsaw of all things. Match starts with various basic match ups, among them is Shelley vs Hero and Sabin vs Dragon but no team really gets an advantage. Kings of Wrestling finally get an opportunity to double team Alex Shelley using chops and uppercuts and Super Dragon is also happy to work over Shelley. Shelley escapes and we get a spot where each man enters the ring to apply a submission move on the previous man. The Guns use their quickness to get the advantage on KOW, Sabin with a Texas Cloverleaf on Hero but as this isn’t an elimination match B-Boy makes the save for him. Richards & Strong batter Sabin with chops and Strong hits him with a delayed suplex. Shelley helps out with a lionsault on Davey, Dragon with a double stomp on Richards for a 2 count. Claudio ups the ante with a delayed suplex on Richards where the fans actually count all the way to 100.

As the match heads towards the finish, Shelley hits Strong with a DDT, Strong hits back with a lungblower on Sabin but eats a curb stomp from Super Dragon. Claudio uses uppercuts on both of the Guns but they hit back with stereo dropkicks and then with top rope dives on both Castognoli and Hero. Back in the ring B-Boy connects with a shining wizard on Shelley, Davey attempts a shooting star press but gets caught with an ace crusher by B-Boy. Psycho Driver from Dragon on Richards and the champions reign comes to an end in 24 hours, this would have been better as an elimination match in my view. ***3/4

Super Dragon & B-Boy vs Cape Fear (El Generico & Quicksilver)

Super Dragon dominates the early minutes against Quicksilver, B-Boy tags in but gets caught with a headscissors and Generico enters the fray. Generico with a plancha onto Dragon, Dragon back in the ring hits a stiff clothesline on Quicksilver. B-Boy ties him into the ropes and hits a nice running dropkick, Dragon tags in and the champions continue to work over Quicksilver.

Finally much to my relief Generico gets a tag and uses elbow strikes, a leg lariat and a tornado DDT on B-Boy followed by a great twisting dive on Dragon on the floor. He follows this by hitting a second tornado DDT this time on Dragon using a wall for assistance. Split legged moonsault on B-Boy by Generico but Dragon hits back with a Tiger Suplex. Champions get 2 counts through a shining wizard from B-Boy plus a tombstone by Dragon on Quicksilver which is quickly followed by a double stomp. Generico with a yakuza kick and a brainbuster on B-Boy for a close 2 count, Dragon with a Psycho Driver on Quicksilver for another 2 count. Generico tags in hits 2 yakuza kicks, a Tiger Suplex and a top rope brainbuster on Dragon for the three count. This match was actually very average though Generico lifts the quality considerably when he’s involved. **3/4

PAC & Roderick Strong vs Briscoe Brothers

Jay welcomes PAC to the finals of the DDT4 tournament with a big lariat, match settles down when Briscoes get the advantage on Roderick for a minute or two though Jay finds himself in the wrong part of town. PAC hits a standing skytwister press on Jay, Roderick gets to chop the hell out of Jay before being caught with a neckbreaker. Mark tags in and shows off his kung fu chops before PAC catches him with a Tiger Suplex, 450 splash by PAC for a 2 count.

Mark responds with a buckle bomb, Briscoes use the Doomsday Device on PAC for another 2 count, match starts to slow down. PAC manages to hit a DDT on Jay and makes the tag, Strong runs wild on Mark until they the Briscoes use a flatliner bulldog. Big legdrop by Jay, Roderick responds with a backdrop driver, PAC with a phoenix splash and a reverse huracanrana. Strong with a sick kick on Mark and everyone is down in the ring. PAC with a shooting star press on Jay for a 2 count, Jay uses a death valley driver on Roderick, Mark goes for his own SSP buts hits Strong’s knees. PAC with a ridiculous 720 splash for another 2 count, hits Jay with a twisting somersaulton Jay to the outside. Strong forces Mark to tap out to the Strong Hold for the win, great match. ****1/4

Decade of Honor - Duckman Reflects on The Past 10 Years of ROH

February 23rd 2002 – The Era of Honor Begins, Murphy Rec Centre, Philadelphia.

March 4th 2012 – ROH 10th Anniversary Show, Hammerstein Ballroom, New York – live on iPPV.

In just a little over two weeks Ring of Honor Wrestling will celebrate its tenth anniversary with a show from the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York which will be broadcast around the globe live on IPPV. Today ROH is a very different entity from the one that first rocked the US independent wrestling scene with state of the art matches featuring the likes of Low-Ki, Bryan Danielson, Christopher Daniels and countless others back in 2002.

I doubt many of the fans who filed into the Murphy Rec Centre back in February 2002 to witness the very first ROH show would ever have believed that the company would survive for ten months, let alone ten years. The story of ROH’s survival and it’s evolution as a promotion is one almost as compelling as the matches that set it apart from all other wrestling promotions in North America.

For those of you not familiar with the story of ROH allow me to set the scene. It’s 2001. The wrestling world as we knew it had been turned upside down. WCW was on its last legs. Booked into a creative and financial oblivion by the likes of Eric Bischoff, Vince Russo, Kevin Nash and Hulk Hogan, WCW was hanging on for dear life in the face of unparalleled competition from WWE which was riding higher than even in its glory days of the mid to late 1980s. The writing was on the wall – one of the biggest and at one time most successful wrestling promotions in the world was about to reach the end of its days.

WCW spluttered to a sad but unsurprising conclusion in March 2001and the decision was made that there was no place for professional wrestling on the new AOL/Time Warner network. The sale of WCW to Vince McMahon became one of the biggest stories in the history of professional wrestling but sadly that too never reached the creative and financial heights it was surely destined to achieve.

Across in Philadelphia (one of the true hot beds of pro wrestling) things were looking just as bleak as they were for those plying their trade in Atlanta. ECW was not faced with the same creative issues as WCW and had for years been THE cutting edge wrestling promotion. Paul Heyman’s creative direction took ECW from just another independent promotion and turned it into the third largest wrestling company in North America.

However for all Heyman’s undoubted booking genius, on the financial side of the business, things were not so positive. Laden with debt, struggling to find a TV deal and seeing all of it’s money players move on to WCW and WWE, ECW was fighting a losing battle – a battle it would never recover from and on 4th April 2001 the company was declared bankrupt before eventually being purchased by Vince McMahon for a relative pittance.

So far, so bleak, right? Thankfully two men who had been heavily involved in the ECW phenomenon were not about to take the death of ECW, and what would be a serious slump in the wrestling business in general, lying down. Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky had worked with ECW for years and with Feinstein’s RF Video relying on the production of ECW videos as one of it’s major revenue streams, it didn’t take long before the idea of starting their own wrestling promotion was formed. The antithesis of ECW. Ring of Honor.

The premise behind ROH was simple. This was a chance for professional wrestling to be presented as a serious sport. It would be based on athletic competition and fair play. ROH would provide a platform for the very best independent workers from all over the country and the world to ply their trade, hone their skills and work in an environment that many would call ‘old school’ but that retained an element of the ‘new school’ that other promotions could not match.

ROH offered something different to it’s fan base. None of the childish gimmicks that WWE all too often relied on (and still do now to an even greater extent). No stupid booking. No insulting the intelligence of the paying audience. It was time to bring a new type of pro wrestling to Philadelphia, with the focus on the workers in the ring. The same young, hungry and talented wrestlers who would go onto become the corner stones of today’s wrestling scene.

As with any great story the life of ROH was not without it’s pitfalls and problems. Some of the early shows were at best shambolic and while the main event level matches delivered, those elsewhere on the card weren’t always the greatest. This was a promotion with a lot of young wrestlers learning their trade, along with a booker and other staff behind the scenes who were running their own wrestling company for the first time.

However ROH were able to carve a very particular niche over the next two years as ROH began to bring in the best talent from TNA to work on their shows. The booking of Gabe Sapolsky was beginning to come into its own and with classic world title matches between Samoa Joe and CM Punk capturing the imagination of wrestling fans everywhere the future looked bright for ROH.

That was until the company was rocked by a scandal in 2004 involving Rob Feinstein and his questionable use of the internet. If you guys are into that kind of story then by all means go ahead and Google it. I’m not going to spend any time on that particularly embarrassing incident for Mr Feinstein and Ring of Honor. I’ve got nothing to add to what’s already been said by countless others down the years. What I am going to focus on is the fall out from this incident and in particular the effect it had on the fledgling business relationship between ROH and TNA.

ROH had made fantastic use of TNA contracted wrestlers on its shows with AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels both being main event players in ROH who delivered time and time again where it really mattered to the ROH fan base – in the ring. TNA’s reaction to the Feinstein incident was to pull all their contracted talent from all ROH shows. The effect on any other promotion would have been fatal. With the wrestling scene at the time contracting at an alarming pace and the general bad press and fan reaction to Feinstein and ROH in general this could have spelt an early end for ROH. Thankfully, as they would do time and time again in the future, ROH survived.

This was in no small part thanks to Gabe Sapolsky and his booking of new talent like Austin Aries, Alex Shelly, Roderick Strong and Jack Evans. As well as utilising other talents such as the well established ROH World Champion Samoa Joe, CM Punk, Colt Cabana, Jay and Mark Briscoe and other ROH originals. This use of new wrestlers and continually building new stars is something that has become a ROH trademark over the past decade.

ROH and Sapolsky were able to regroup and rebuild. They made the only move they possibly could at the time – they separated from Feinstein and began their own DVD production and distribution company. The stigma of being associated with Feinstein was felt for some time after but ROH were able to survive and in the following years they began to prosper.

To give a full wrestler by wrestler and match by match account of the last ten years in ROH would be impossible. The number of fantastic talents that have come through the company reads like a who’s who of top line professional wrestling talent. The two current main champions in WWE both made their names and honed their craft in ROH. In CM Punk and Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan) long time ROH fans have two perfect examples to point to when people criticise ROH or independent wrestling in general. I shudder to think at the depth of the talent pool in WWE and TNA at the moment without ROH.

The quality of the booking and storytelling in ROH between 2004 and 2008 was unmatched anywhere in professional wrestling and resulted in Gabe Sapolsky being voted Booker of the Year by the Wrestling Observer readers for four straight years. Two of the main highlights for me personally were the CZW vs. ROH feud, which was a triumph and resulted in increased business for both companies. And the build up and execution of the ‘Age of the Fall’ angle which was probably one of the greatest angles I’ve ever seen. The shocking scenes of Jimmy Jacobs standing under a strung up and bleeding Jay Briscoe while his white coat was showered with blood is one that will on in infamy for years to come.

Even when Gabe was fired by then ROH owner Cary Silkin in 2008 the company was able to survive, although the creative direction and excitement surrounding the product was not as high as it had once been. However once again ROH survived despite losing the man who’s creative direction had guided the company to critical acclaim while at the same time fighting off the rough economic climate that ROH and other independent wrestling promotions were struggling against.

As always new stars came along to replace those who had moved on from ROH and the likes of Nigel McGuiness, Roderick Strong, Tyler Black, Jimmy Jacobs, Kevin Steen, El Generico, Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli forged their positions as a new generation of ROH talent. In recent years while some of those stars have moved on others like Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards have assumed the mantel at the top of the card and continued the ROH tradition of producing fantastic matches in a variety of styles.

The company was also able to secure the services of Jim Cornette. A man who is synonymous with professional wrestling over the last 30 plus years. With Cornette ROH have a man who can perform in front of the camera (as his current feud with Kevin Steen shows) just as effectively as he can behind the scenes. The wealth of experience Cornette brings to ROH is something that should never be forgotten or taken for granted.

Of course the independent spirit of ROH would always remain but the business side of the company has seen significant change. A brief flirtation with PPV was followed by a two year TV deal with HD Net and while neither was able to increase ROH’s business as significantly as the company would have hoped, they did signal ROH’s intent to move forward. In 2011 the most significant announcement in ROH history was made as the Sinclair Broadcast Group purchased ROH from then owner Cary Silkin.

The move was significant as now a TV network owned ROH and with a nationally syndicated TV show in the works ROH was taking steps that ECW was unable to do. They could secure their future, obtain a TV deal, sign their wrestlers to contracts and take the ROH product to the masses. For years the argument had been made that ROH was a niche product and it would struggle to cross over from the hardcore fan base that have followed the company for years. Now, as ROH celebrate their tenth year in existence it’s time to challenge that notion.

With Sinclair’s backing and the booking skills of Hunter Johnson and Jim Cornette at the helm – plus a whole new collection of new ROH stars in waiting with the likes of Michael Elgin, Mike Bennett and Tommaso Ciampa – it’s an exciting time to be a Ring of Honor fan. The weekly TV show has seen marked improvement in production levels and format over the last few months and in Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuiness ROH have the best commentary team working in wrestling today.

The steady rise for ROH against what many saw as insurmountable odds is a true testament to the hard work and skill of everyone associated with Ring of Honor. All the people who have had a hand in shaping the company, from the people in the office, to the wrestlers in the ring deserve to be recognised for this achievement. The fans of ROH have also played their part. One word can sum up the ROH fan base to me and that’s passion. A passion for true professional wrestling and a passion to see their company continue to make strides forward and continue to grow.

While it may be a very different promotion from the one that debuted back on that cold night in Philly in February 2002 one thing has remained constant – Ring of Honor continues to be one of the most important companies in professional wrestling. A place for new talent to grow. A place where fans can see the kind of wrestling action that they thought they would never see again. A company that is bringing professional wrestling back and bucking the trends of sports entertainment and giving people a true alternative to WWE and TNA.

So that’s my brief history of everything ROH. I’ve missed out tons of stuff but don’t worry, next week I’ll be back with a new article looking at the most important wrestlers in ROH history and putting together my own ROH Mount Rushmore. Trust me, that has a been a bitch to decide. So many great wrestlers and only four spaces to fill!

Thanks for reading and be sure to check back next week for more ROH Decade of Honor goodness. Remember you can follow me on Twitter @WLHDuckman and also you can hear myself, Sir Ian Trumps and Stu Rodgers talking all things professional wrestling each week on the Marks for Xcellence podcast right here http://mfxpodcast.com

Until next time...

Peace

Duckman

iNeed a ROH Show - February 21, 2012

Kyle Patin and Zach Grigg of iNeedWrestling.com discuss the latest episode of Ring of Honor Wrestling, the 10th Anniversary iPPV on March 4th, and much more.

Santino Marella - Contender? By Andy Gibson

He has many doubting thomas' around the world, some of which are his peers in the WWE Locker Room. After his performance at the WWE Elimination Chamber PPV there has to be no doubt in anyone's mind that Santino Marella is a top contender for the World Heavyweight Championship.

If we take a look back at last years 'Road to Wrestle Mania', Santino Marella was in the final 2 of the 40-Man Royal Rumble match, he became close to winning on an number of occasions against Alberto Del Rio, but he came up short. He lasted just shy of 13 minutes in that single match.

In a losing effort at the 2011 Elimination Chamber event, he walked in as 1 half of the WWE Tag Team Champions along side Vladimir Kozlov. He put up a tremendous fight against then The Corre members Justin Gabriel & Heath Slater.

At Wrestle Mania XXVII he was in the winning team in a 8 man tag team match. His partners were Kofi Kingston, Big Show and Kane as they took on The Corre members; Ezekiel Jackson, Justin Gabriel, Wade Barrett & Heath Slater.

This year, Santino Marella's 'Road To Wrestle Mania' has proven yet again a smoother ride than most WWE Raw and SmackDown superstars.

He may of only lasted 2 and a half minutes in the 2012 Royal Rumble match but that is to be expected for some superstars when it is the traditional 30-man match.

When he made his entrance towards the Chamber last night, Michael Cole dubbed Santino Marella as the "sentimental favourite". That is exactly what Santino Marella is to most members of the WWE Universe. Santino Marella endured nearly 15 minutes (almost half the match), survived until the final 2 competitors after former World Heavyweight Champions, 500lbs behemoths The Great Khali & Big Show was eliminated. Me personally thought that Santino Marella was going to win the grandest prize of them all. I believed on multiple occurrences that the "Milan Miracle" was going to pull it out the bag and become the new World Heavyweight Champion.

I am a believer of Santino Marella.

What does this year's WrestleMania have in store for our favourite WWE italian (sorry Tom Brandi)? We'll have to wait and see.

Follow me on twitter: @RealAndyGibson

History of the PWG Tag Titles – Vol 4 Review By Shaun Nichols

This review is lifted from http://wlhdvdreviews.wordpress.com

Super Dragon & Davey Richards vs Arrogance

Fans start by doing dueling chants for Dragon and Richards, Arrogance are just standing there looking like complete geeks. Davey reminds Scott Lost that he beat him on his way to winning the ECWA Super 8 tournament. Commentators note that this is Davey’s first PWG appearance since having knee surgery. Match starts with Dragon and Lost and consists basic mat wrestling and the odd kick by Dragon, Dragon hooks Lost in the STF within a few minutes though Lost escapes. Both men trade attempted sharpshooters before Lost prevails, though Davey comes to his partner aid.
Davey and Bosh trade armbars, until Davey gets the advantage and both he and Dragon abuse poor Bosh with stiff kicks, a double stomp and a senton among other things. Challengers get back into the match with a couple of low blows with Bosh going as far as to bite Dragon. Arrogance stay in control with boston crab, chinlocks etc until Dragon fakes out Scott Lost and manages to use a DDT which allows him to make the tag to Davey. Davey goes wild on both, and hits a frankly dangerous german suplex on Lost. Lost suplexes Davey out of the ring which sees both men take a spill to ringside, Davey is holding his knee and the match stops for a couple of minutes as it isn’t clear if Davey can carry on.
Finally Davey rolls into the ring but Arrogance take advantage of his injured state as Davey struggles to defend himself, Davey hits an enziguiri which allows him to tag out and he heads to the safety of the floor. Dragon comes in firing but soon finds himself on the defensive as he faces a 2 on 1 attack. Davey tags himself back in, double team by the champs and Davey’s knee is showing good signs of a miraculous recovery, Joey Ryan comes to help Arrogance by superkicking Dragon and using a tag belt on Davey, Scorpio Sky is also out there but Dragon powerbombs him into a lungblower by Davey which doesn’t help his knee at all. Bosh hits a Steiner Screwdriver on Davey and then Lost uses the sharpshooter on him for the win as Richards cannot continue. Fun match hindered by Davey’s dodgy selling but historic in PWG’s history as The Dynasty was formed. ***1/2

Arrogance vs Super Dragon & B-Boy

B-Boy is a late replacement for Davey who couldn’t make the show. Dragon dominates the early exchanges with Scott Lost, Chris Bosh doesn’t fare any better and soon finds himself in the tree of woe. Bosh desperately tries to tag out and is crawling to his corner, B-Boy crawls with him in a fine example of mocking before continuing the beatdown. Dragon puts Bosh in the STF, Bosh escapes and hits a backbreaker on Dragon to make the tag to Lost. Lost with a camel clutch on Dragon, B-Boy gets met with a low blow for his troubles and then met with a running knee by Lost. Super Dragon tags in dropkick senton on both members of Arrogance, Lost goes for a superman spear but somehow gets hit by a footstomp by Dragon coming off the top. Bosh hits a sunset powerbomb on B-Boy to the floor, B-Boy back in the ring but is put into a sharpshooter by Lost.
Chris Bosh hits something like a swinging DDT on B-Boy from the top rope to the apron, he lands basically on the shoulder. Super Dragon hits Bosh with a somersault plancha to the floor and then takes him up to the top rope and nails Bosh with a butterfly suplex. Bosh’s abuse doesn’t end there he is hammered by double stomps from both his opponents. Bosh is basically a non-factor, Dragon hits the Barry White driver on Lost, B-Boy uses a shining wizard on Scott Lost and this enables Dragon to make the cover for the pinfall. This did not get past average fare. **3/4

Arrogance vs. Davey Richards & Super Dragon

Davey is going for revenge against Super Dragon here, Davey won the 2006 Battle of Los Angeles and as a result he got himself and Dragon a tag title match against Arrogance. However he couldn’t make the show so instead of re-scheduling the match, Dragon chose a new partner and won the belts which left Davey out in the cold. This was his opportunity to get his justice.
Fans were split on this issue, I thought this this would be pretty heated as they had a story to tell but it didn’t turn out to be so. This was actually before Davey and Roderick’s run as the No Remorse Corps in ROH, Excalibur had a great line comparing them to the British Bulldogs but saying that Roderick may be more intelligent than Davey Boy Smith. The majority of the match saw Dragon and B-Boy get the heat on Davey with good standard tag team wrestling leaving Strong on the outside waiting patiently for the tag. When Strong did get the tag he certainly made the most of it and it did take the match up a notch, Davey also got his revenge when he was the one to pin Dragon after using the shooting star press to earn the pinfall. Match did drag on a bit in the middle but greatly improved in the closing stretch. ***1/4

FightClub: Pro Rise Against 2012 Preview

Credit for the great poster goes to Kyle Beech of Kyle Beech Designs, check them out on facebook

I don't usually do previews for shows but man, I'm so hyped for this one I just have to.

This coming Friday at The Planet in Wolverhampton, FightClub: Pro are back in action again with Rise Against 2012. The card has just got better and better over the last two weeks. Anyone who listens to me on The Indy Corner will hear me every week put this promotion over and it's because their product is amazing and this card is one of, if not the best they have put on.

First announced was 'The Super Don' Trent Seven against Clint Margera. These two faced off in a ladder match for Seven's then FCP championship, Seven got the win in that match but Margera was very close to winning at one point in the match. Now, with no title on the line, the two guys who have nothing but respect for each other will go at it one more time as Margera aims for Infinity 2012 where he wants to win the Infinity trophy and Seven is striving towards regaining the FCP title once again in 2012. This will be British Strong Style at it's best and one NOT to be missed.

Below: Action with Clint Margera from the last FCP show - Resolution (Credit to Ben Ward)



The second match announced was the debut in FCP of Chris Brookes, Brookes who has been working on other shows while striving to get on an FCP show has finally got his wish after many fans on twitter having a #wewantbrookes campaign and FCP have listened and now he makes his FCP debut against the one and only 'Baby Jesus of British Wrestling' The Rockstar Spud. For all intense and purposes, Spud found out about the match while being interviewed by this very writer on The Indy Corner which if you haven't heard you can hear it if you CLICK HERE Spud wasn't entirely pleased with the announcement of his match so Brookes will feel the wrath of him at Rise Against but I'm sure, despite it being his debut in front of the rabid crowd Brookes will do OK.

The third match announced was 'The Bastard' Dave Mastiff vs. 'The Death Machine' Sami Callihan. These two have history stemming from FCP's Project Mayhem Night 1 when Mastiff involved himself in Callihan's match with Trent Seven. Last month at Resolution, Mastiff battled Seven to a time-limit draw and that was a match and a half but this one is going to be off the charts for stiff wrestling and one that I am really looking forward to.

The final match announced features 'The Future' MK McKinnan who will once again face off against Jonathon Gresham of CZW but this time in the match there will be another CZW wrestler in the match and that is none other than the amazing AR Fox also of CZW fame. Many of the FCP would have seen Gresham live before and of course seen McKinnan before but for them, like me, it'll be the first time I have seen Fox live. The guy is an amazing wrestler and for me, Fox vs. McKinnan is somewhat of a dream match and with the added spice of Gresham in the match who got a win over McKinnan on the aforementioned Project Mayhem Night 1 will make the match that much better because MK will be looking to get a win over him but of course having to worry about Fox. This match should be a cracker and I just can't wait.

Below: Action from MK McKinnan's match from Resolution in January (Credit to Ben Ward)



Guys, if you can make this show please do, it will be AMAZING CLICK HERE on the facebook page for the show for further details.

And below we have a video featuring AR Fox in CZW against a man who is also known to the FightClub: Pro fans - Adam Cole

Friction within ROH Reports Brett Clendaniel Jr.

Yes, good friend of WLH Brett Clendaniel Jr. of http://wrestlechat.net has posted up an article about some friction within ROH - You can read it below.

According to our various sources inside Ring of Honor, there appears to be growing concern amongst many in Ring of Honor that since the Sinclair Broadcasting Group take over back in May 2011 that Jim Cornette & SBG may be "burying" or "changing" the product.

Rumblings of these feelings started to get louder after Ring of Honor ran their debut show in Cincinnati, Ohio this past Friday night and the card was a shell of the "normal" ROH roster. The card was filled with Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) talents, a promotion that Jim Cornette has been affiliated during his time in the WWE and most recently prior to TNA signing them as a developmental territory. The event was headlined by Davey Richards & Kyle O'Reilly vs. The Briscoe Brothers and featured a "rise & prove tournament" with various OVW wrestlers.

CLICK HERE to continue reading this exclusive report on the ROH roster turning against Jim Cornette at WrestleChat.net

The Indy Corner (18/2/12)

Yes, other than the RockStar Spud interview we did actually have an Indy Corner show with talk about FightClub: Pro's upcoming Rise Against 2012 event plus, ROH and CZW talk. Join & as they talk all good things indy wrestling.

Interview with The Rockstar Spud via The Indy Corner

Photo Credit to Jamie Simpson

OK fans, here it is, in full, the interview with Rockstar Spud. It didn't go as planned on the night and Duckman & I had to have long discussions about weather we could or should release the interview in full, well a lot of The Indy Corner fans got in touch and said we should so Duckman thought it was the right thing to do. So sit back guys and have fun, I hope and be sure to tell all your wrestling friends about The Indy Corner & the MFX Podcast.

http://facebook.com/TheIndyCorner
http://mfxpodcast.com

Dragon Gate UK DVD's To Give Away SOON on The Indy Corner

Thanks to the guys at http://dragongateuk.com & http://a-merchandise.co.uk we have some DVD's from the 2011 Dragon Gate shows right here in the UK to give away. We have 2 of each night to give away, details are still being decided by Duckman & I on how we will do this but it will be 3 via http://facebook.com/TheIndyCorner AFTER we have done it via The Indy Corner on the Marks For Xcellence show. So, remember, keep an eye for announcements on all the facebook pages and http://wrestlingslasthope.com

Here is the DVD trailer of each night:-

Night 1 - Invasion: UK 3:



Night 2 - SHINGO vs. Yokosuka 3:



Night 3 - Dragon Gate vs. UK:

History of the PWG Tag Titles - Vol 3 Review By Shaun Nichols

Arrogance (Scott Lost & Chris Bosh) vs Aerial Express (Scorpio Sky & Quicksilver) Title vs Masks

Opening few minutes see all four guys trade holds and reversals without any team gaining any meaningful momentum, Sky uses a couple of huracanranas to get a quick couple of two counts and the first suggestion that the ref might be counting on the slow side. The Express manage to get some control of Lost using a number of kicks and a powerbomb before Lost makes his escape and tags in Bosh. Bosh gets greeted by a dropkick to the face and tags Lost back in, tide is turned when the champs resort to one of their favourite moves which is a low blow on Quicksilver and they earn a number of pinfall attempts though Quicksilver always kicks out. Lost hits his superman spear but Quicksilver smartly hits back with the silver slice and both men make the tag. Scorpio cleans house on both Bosh and Lost, until he falls victim to a gutbuster from Scott Lost.

Both teams continue to get two counts but it seems to be just a collection of moves and neither team can get the heat on any of their opponents until the challengers make their first major move. They hit Lost with a standing dropkick/powerbomb combo and then move their attention to Bosh who takes another silver slice from Quicksilver and a sunset powerbomb to the floor. Both Sky and Quicksilver do running topes to the floor but it's difficult to tell if Bosh avoided Quicksilver. Bosh hits Quicksilver with a chair to the head as he was leaning against the ringpost and that's the last we see of Quicksilver. Joey Ryan superkicks Sky moments later which leads to a face-off with the Express's manager Dean Winwood who eventually powerbombs the interfering Ryan to the fans delight but a superkick from Lost sends him packing. Champs now have a 2 on 1 advantage on Sky and mercilessly double team though Sky keeps kicking out, somewhere along the line he gets busted open as well. Scott Lost decides that he's going to get the win using the scorpion deathlock as Bosh exits the ring to celebrate, Sky reverses Lost's attempt and shockingly gets the pin with a roll up. Bosh just assumes that Lost won and continues to high five fans at ringside believing he won. Finally the truth dawns on him and he presents Scorpio Sky with his tag belt though this only leads to a three on one beatdown which left Sky bloody, unmasked but one half of the new PWG tag team champions. ***1/2

2 Skinny Black Guys (El Generico & Human Tornado) vs Arrogance for the Vacant PWG Tag Titles

Before we get the match, we witness a fan winning a pair of Chris Bosh's wrestling boots in the first ever Arrogance auction, Bosh then offers Generico and Tornado the chance to stay healthy and forfeit the match. Arrogance attack before they even get an answer before the good guys come back with stereo dropkicks, armdrags and a huracanrana. Arrogance gain control on Generico through a series of cheap shots and basic offence in which Generico sells to usual standards, Bosh throws Generico through several rows of chairs and a fan gets knocked down. Bosh tells the fan that he should know better at his age. Generico still continues to get beat up as Bosh takes a good 30 seconds to ram his head against the wall. Back in the ring and Lost misses the superman spear into the corner and goes sailing out of the ring, Tornado gets the hot tag and runs wild and an even a low blow from Lost doesn't faze him. He hits a pounce on Lost, Tornado hits a great dive onto Arrogance on the floor. Lost hits an elbow drop from the top on Tornado in which for no obvious reason uses a parasol, he then puts Generico and Tornado in the scorpion deathlock but they power out and Lost is sent crashing into his partner. Tornado hits a particularly brutal DDT on Lost for a close two count, but a brainbuster from Generico is enough to pin Lost and we have new tag team champions. ***1/2

Super Dragon & Davey Richards vs 2 Skinny Black Guys

Davey and Generico start off, Davey looks ridiculously young here I must point out. Generico uses his quickness to avoid Davey's kicks most of the time and generally gets the best of it. Davey tags out, Generico stays in and will be playing the Ricky Morton role this evening. Challengers offence is pretty basic but they do get the heat on Generico for a good few minutes, I'm beginning to think that I have very little time for Super Dragon as a wrestler. Finally Generico dropkicks Davey and can tag Tornado into the match at the 10 minute and hits the shoryuken and the pounce on Dragon, Davey mistimes a slingshot suplex on Tornado who hits harder then he should. Generico's back in and a top rope dropkick and a standing moonsault gets a two count on Davey as Dragon casually walks in and kicks Generico to break up the pin attempt. Generico throws Dragon out and hits a nice corkscrew tope for his troubles, Tornado goes for somekind of springboard move buts falls on his face. Dragon sarcastically applauds him. Tornado hits a huracnrana on Dragon that sends him to the floor and goes for a running dive to the floor. Dragon moves and Tornado badly crashes and burns. Dragon drags him to the ring and goes for a cover but lifts his head up twice. Generico hits a top turnbuckle brainbuster on Davey but Dragon makes the save, Generico hits Dragon with the running yakuza kick and sets him up on the top rope. Dragon reverses whatever was planned with a super tiger driver for the three count. There was some really scary spots in this move and I can't see why they had Tornado doing his big dive if he wasn't going to be caught. ***

ROH Tenth Anniversary Show - Main Event Thoughts By Stuart Rodgers

On March 4th ROH have their 10th anniversary show in New York City and there has been 3 matches announced, but it's the main event I want to talk about. Duckman & I covered it on The Indy Corner last week but I want to write about it here.

The match set for the main event is ROH World Champion Davey Richards & Kyle O'Reily against Eddie Edwards & Adam Cole. Now, I like all these guys as wrestlers, nothing against them at all but I am torn as to having the match as a main event on of all shows, the 10th anniversary show. I think a show of this stature should have a ROH world title match as the main event but the question would be, as I said on The Indy Corner, who would Richards face? Many will say straight away Kevin Steen, and I like most want to see that match too but I want to see it built up more and if that means it takes place at Final Battle 2012 then I'm fine with that. So, if there was an ROH title match at the March 4th iPPV and Steen wasn't involved, who could be a credible challenger for Richards? The way I look at it is not only someone us the fans can actually believe could beat Richards but credible as in are they deserved of a shot? Who in ROH deserves to get in there with Richards with the strap on the line, I mean, we've seen Roderick Strong & Eddie Edwards a few times now, and they will both probably get back in the world title picture somewhere down the line but for now, I don't want to see these guys have a match with Richards.

People will know who listen to The Indy Corner I have said for a while now I think ROH have big plans for Michael Elgin and I still stick by that and maybe, just maybe he would of been a credible opponent for Richards if that choice was made. On this weeks show, that should be available on the weekend, we talk about the latest match to be announced for the show which is ROH TV champion Jay Lethal defending against Tomaso Ciampa. Ciampa is someone who, like Elgin has a bright future in ROH and I think the TV title is ROH's only other singles title next to the world title so Ciampa taking that title would be a great move and make him for me not only a credible challenger to Richards but a legit one.

Now, also on the last episode of The Indy Corner I did say, they're maybe having this tag team main even to build future storylines, Richards & O'Reily are close friends and O'Reily was a tag team partner with Cole in Future Shock and we all know Richards was a partner of Eddie Edwards in the American Wolves so could we be seeing Richards vs. Cole in the future or maybe even a turn by O'Reily on Richards to get himself a title match? I really can't say but ROH has a great roster and I think in the weeks and months to come I'm excited for the product.

Any comments please post them below. Hit me up on twitter @WLHSTU @TheIndyCorner also, now you can follow the MFX on twitter @MFXPodcast.

And finally, not LIKED the page yet, get there NOW please

http://facebook.com/TheIndyCorner

iNeed a ROH Show - February 14, 2012

Kyle Patin and Zach Grigg of iNeedWrestling.com discuss the latest episode of Ring of Honor TV, the 10th Anniversary Show, and much more.

Brawls, Barbed Wire and Bankruptcy - The Short Lived Spectacle of 1PW By Tony Greenhall

It had been several years since Doncaster had seen professional wrestling grunt and groan into town with the demise of the small but perfectly formed Combat Pro Wrestling. It was decades since the likes of Les Kellett, Mick McManus and hometown hero Catweazle had performed to sellout crowds at the Corn Exchange. The Wrestling fans of the former mining town in South Yorkshire were left with their TV sets for twice weekly doses of WWE and nothing more. But one afternoon in the summer of 2005, posters appeared in shop windows across town announcing all that was about to change.

1PW was coming. A wrestling promotion the likes of which had rarely been seen on these shores would debut in October at the Doncaster Dome. Combining the best of the vastly improved British scene with stars of the US Indies,it was a show which blazed brightly for almost 6 years before imploding in infamy, argument and debt.

Over it's short life, 1PW provided British fans with incredible matches, a start for new heroes and a return of aging legends. The British scene had stepped up it's game in recent years with Jody Fleisch, Johnny Storm, Doug Williams & Nigel McGuinness all making a name for themselves on both sides of the Atlantic. They took part in epic battles at 1PW, particularly memorable was Williams & McGuinness vs. Mohammed Yone & Takeshi Morishima for the NOAH GHC Tag Team Championship. A rare appearance for the Japanese title saw a strong style masterclass that thrilled the crowd with every crashing chop and crippling hold.

The 1PW Tag Title saw classic teams matched which were fan dreams. AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels, Ricky Reyes & Chad Collyer, Austin Aries & Roderick Strong, teams which would grace any show from ROH, PWG and other top US promotions. Perhaps the favourite among the crowd were Team Shag,fluffy dice wielding sexual intellectuals, Colt Cabana & Darren Burridge. Their matches never missed an innuendo, to the uproarious laughter of those in attendance.

The Openweight championship brought high flyers like PAC,(the 1st holder of
the belt), El Generico,(who had a tremendous bout with El Ligero at the 1st Anniversary show) and final belt holder the now Rockstar Spud.

The Heavyweight Title was not ignored, held for a long time by the legendary Steve Corino, saw great story lines with increasingly brutal payoffs. No Rope Barbed Wire Hell and Falls Count Anywhere matches in Doncaster just two of the stipulations which saw Corino battle Abyss and 7 foot fire-breathing German Ulf Herman. Brief runs from WWE's Christian & Goldust,(both then with TNA), added to the spectacle. Raven threatening a referee at a Doncaster Rovers match turned up the heat. The show was boiling up until it was ready to blow. Unfortunately, blow up is exactly what it did.

Bringing over big names from the US wasn't cheap. When you try to step up to the next level by bringing Bret Hart and Ric Flair to appear the expense rises considerably. Add to that, an attempt to stage large shows elsewhere, 1PW was hit by a financial piledriver. Late 2009, after a show headlined by Rob Van Dam, an apparent end came. Yet money was pumped in and a resurrection began a year later. Shows across the North West were to build to another epic in Doncaster, complete with a Pro Wrestling Eve vs. Ice Ribbon curtain raiser and an appearance by the Heartbreak Kid himself, Shawn Michaels.

That show never happened. Rumblings began when tickets failed to appear and grew louder when Michaels called out the promoters on Twitter. The writing was on
the wall. Behind the scenes, promised financial backing wasn't forthcoming and 1PW closed it's doors amid bad blood among promoters, wrestlers and fans alike. Terse statements were issued by those within 1PW felt wronged by the money men, but it all came down to one thing, 1PW was gone.

Without talking to those involved, it's impossible to comment on the financial
problems. One thing is for certain, for nigh on 6 years, a great deal of joy was brought to thousands of wrestling fans who flocked to Doncaster from across the UK. The blood and bruises suffered by wrestlers translated to cheers and boos from fans. Memories were made, legends were created which will live on until the next great promotion grips the throats of fans and slams them through a table.

1PW is dead, long live 1PW.

The Indy Corner (11/02/12) Featuring An Awesome Eddie Kingston Interview

Here is this weeks episode of The Indy Corner that was part of the Marks For Xcellence podcast and if you want to hear Sir Ian & Duckman talk all things WWE & TNA then go to http://mfxpodcast.com - Anyway, on this weeks edition of The Indy Corner Duckman & I talked Dragon Gate USA and the announcement of Low-Ki vs. PAC for the first time ever in Miami, we talk Kevin Steen's official debut to ROH TV on SBG, also I do my best to do a review of last weeks New Scene Wrestling Xtreme Limits show and to top it off, we have a GREAT interview with the first ever CHIKARA Grand Champion Eddie Kingston. I hope you all enjoy the show.

The History of The PWG Tag Titles Vol. 2 (Review By Shaun Nichols)

History of the PWG Tag Titles – Disc 2

X-Foundation vs Super Dragon & Excalibur

The challengers aren’t messing around here and want to regain the titles, they hit stereo dives on Excalibur & Super Dragon before they can even get in the ring. A double legsweep and a moonsault from Scott Lost gets them a couple of quick two counts before the champions can settle into the match. Lost misses his superman spear on Excalibur to change the tide, and Super Dragon is quick to take advantage by hitting a psycho driver even though he’s not the legal man. The champs have control on Scott Lost and regularly attack Joey Ryan in the corner which stops Lost being able to tag out on a number of occasions. There is a pretty strange sight in the background where you can see an old lady leading an even older lady past ringside. Did they stumble into the school hall by mistake? I need to know.
Back to the match and Lost is still trying to survive and make the tag, Dragon hits a double stomp from the top for a close two count. Lost rebounds by finally hitting his superman spear and hitting a superkick on Dragon and now he can make the long awaited tag to Ryan. Ryan goes wild with a couple of suplexes for two counts, and we get the start of the big moves as the match moves into the final minutes. Among the highlights being the champs get pinfall attempts with a curb stomp and a brainbuster, while Lost hits an ace crusher before tagging out. Ryan gets double teamed and looks to be in serious trouble though mis-communication allows him the opportunity to tag out, Scott Lost isn’t interested and walks away. Somehow Ryan manages to roll up Excalibur for the win while Dragon got himself distracted. Fun match. ***1/2

Joey Ryan vs Scott Lost (Winner gets the PWG Tag Titles)

After winning the titles, Ryan had offered a belt to Lost but this kind gesture was not accepted. Here they would face off in a Ladder match and the winner gets to take the titles and choose a new partner. Lost as the heel tries to attack Ryan before the bell but gets thwarted. Ryan brings a ladder into play and then goes off to get a second ladder. Excalibur on commentary noted that Joey isn’t very bright because there was no reason not to use the ladder in the ring. Very true. This allows Lost to take the advantage, and among the offence Lost suplexes the ladder from the top rope onto the prone Ryan. Ryan also gets busted open pretty early on. More ladder fun is not good news for Joey, but eventually Scott thinks that he’s weakened Ryan enough to climb the ladder. He’s wrong and he’s cut off, Ryan hits a spinebuster onto a ladder but it doesn’t lead to an extended period of offence. They are trading big moves now, Lost goes for a spin kick but gets caught with a german suplex onto a ladder in a nice spot. More failed climbing attempts, Lost accidently hits referee Rick Knox with the superman spear, he then hits Ryan with the same move. He goes to climb but Joey again stops him and as they battling on the top of the ladders, Ryan hits a DDT to knock out Lost. Ryan then claims the titles but the ref is still out. The First Family (Frankie Kazarian & Babi Slymm) attack Ryan. The belts are left with Lost and he’s declared the winner. After the show he cuts the classic heel promo saying he won the match on his own and he’s moving past Joey Ryan. This isn’t a particularly flashy Ladder match with the ridiculous highspots, but I found it to be a good match with a decent story to tell. ***3/4

Scott Lost chooses his new Tag Team Partner

The First Family are expecting Lost to choose Babi Slymm but Scott goes for Chris Bosh. Kazarian wants to know if Bosh as ever wrestled in PWG before. This is funny as Bosh is a regular, Kazaraian also wants to know if he’s got a good win record. Bosh claims it’s decent and although Kazarian & Slymm aren’t happy they accept Lost’s choice. Let’s hope for Chris Bosh, that they win their first match.

Scott Lost & Chris Bosh vs Super Dragon & B-Boy

B-Boy actually chose Super Dragon for this match at the last minute based on the fact they had teamed on a couple of occasions before including a win over the Briscoes. Dragon dominates Bosh early but when he goes for a rolling kick, Bosh comes out of it with a single leg crab in a very nice spot. The challengers do dominate the early exchanges, especially with Dragon hitting his stiff strikes and kicks to the back. After a few minutes the champs finally get to enjoy a bit of control over B-Boy that enable them to secure a couple of two counts. Dragon hits a big dive onto Bosh on the floor as B-Boy hits a shining wizard on Lost. Fans are now starting to get expectant of yet another title switch. Lost tries to turn things round with a dive from the top rope onto Dragon on the floor, but neither team can really control things. A curb stomp from Dragon get’s blocked and soon he’s receiving his own double stomp from both Lost & Bosh for a close two count. B-Boy hits a shining wizard and a brainbuster for yet another two count. B-Boy & Dragon hit a double stomp on Bosh and then Super Dragon goes for the pyscho driver. Joey Ryan makes an appearance to break things up. Wasn’t he feuding with Lost? Lost hits Dragon with an ace crusher and a superkick for a two count and then gets the win when he makes Dragon tap to the sharpshooter as Bosh stopped B-Boy making the save. ***1/2

Afterwards Joey Ryan explains his actions saying that Super Dragon is the most selfish man in PWG and that he was getting his own back on Dragon for costing Ryan a match against Samoa Joe. He then challenged him to a 60 minute match on the next show., fans approved that one.

For the record he went onto lose 4-3 in overtime.