HIAC: Death of a Gimmick By Shaun Nichols

Above: Kane & The Undertaker squaring off as Shawn Michaels lays battered & bloodied in the first Hell in A Cell match back at WWF Badd Blood in October 1997

Hell In A Cell as been one of the better creations in the WWE over the last 15 years. The concept made its debut at the Badd Blood PPV in October 1997 when Shawn Michaels defeated The Undertaker to become the number 1 contender to the WWF Title.

The match was a fantastic one, with two great performances and a match which was filled with lots of drama. It was a tremendous success and was a definitely a step up from the old school cage matches we had seen before. The concept worked because it was billed as The Undertaker's match of choice and he was going for revenge against Shawn, the man who had accidently cost him the WWF title at Summerslam.

The second HIAC match was actually a tag match on Raw in June 1998 which ended in a no contest. But thankfully less than two weeks later was the match which made the HIAC a legendary gimmick. The Undertaker's victory over Mankind which featured two infamous spots which saw Mankind crashing through the commentary table right at the start and then later on was chokeslammed through the structure's roof. The match saw Mankind become a genuine main eventer and the HIAC had secured its status as the place where feuds should come to their conclusion.

The following few outings came nowhere near the quality, The Undertaker defeated Big Bossman in a decidedly average affair at Wrestlemania 15. However the following year we got the third HIAC classic. At the No Way Out 2000 PPV, Triple H defeated Cactus Jack to retain the WWF title in a match which saw Cactus Jack have to retire. Sadly he was back a few weeks later as a part of Wrestlemania 16's main event. Triple H's success against Cactus Jack helped him solidify his ability to be a credible top draw with an ability to produce strong and violent matches.

At this point we see a change of strategy from the company, it should be clear that HIAC works best when you have two main eventers involved in a strong and extended feud and the HIAC would be the final and fitting chapter. It's next outing was at the Armageddon 2000 PPV where Kurt Angle defended the title in a six way, despite the talent involved which included Triple H, The Rock, Steve Austin and The Undertaker. The main spot was Rikishi taking a fall off the roof. Although it was a good match it simply lacked the drama of the earlier outings.

Following HIAC matches of Triple H defeating Chris Jericho at Judgement Day 2002 and another Triple H win this time over Kevin Nash at Bad Blood 2003 were pretty underwhelming due to different factors. The Triple H vs. Chris Jericho lacked the intensity of the great feuds and wasn't helped by the fact that Jericho was booked in such a way that no-one saw him as any kind of threat to Triple H. As for the Kevin Nash feud, it was clear that Nash had his limitations that could not be hidden.

Between those average encounters was arguably my favourite HIAC match between Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker for the WWF title. Although this wasn't the finale of a long and violent feud it told a simple and straight forward story. Lesnar was portrayed as unbeatable and went over all the top stars but here was a new challenge. Having to defend the title against The Undertaker, in a match that the challenger was considered unbeatable in, as the WWF did a nice job in re-writing the history so the fans forgot he actually lost the first HIAC match.

Lesnar was successful and was fully cemented as a main eventer for the rest of his first WWF run. Over the next few years we typically had one HIAC match a year. Some matches had more reason for taking place than others and it was the matches with the long and careful build that were to be the most successful and more memorable matches. The longest HIAC match took place at Badd Blood 2004 between former partners Triple H and Shawn Michaels which went over 45 minutes with the set up being that both men wanted to beat Chris Benoit for the World Heavyweight title and therefore kept interfering in one another matches so they met here to settle things once and for all.

Batista got a major win at Vengeance 2005 over Triple H, this again benefitted from a decent storyline. Batista had defeated his former Evolution partner at Wrestlemania and had gone onto successfully retain at Backlash. Frustrated Triple H had attacked Batista on Raw and challenged him to a HIAC match where he had enjoyed great success but also that Batista had so far not wrestled in a HIAC match. Putting Batista over gave him three straight victories over Triple H including wins at the biggest show of the year and also in the HIAC demonic structure.

Things started to go arguably wrong with the DX winning a match against Big Show, Vince & Shane McMahon where the big spot was DX forcing Vince's face into the Big Show's backside. Comedy had entered HIAC and at least in my view it wasn't particularly welcome. The Undertaker had two further HIAC matches against Batista and Edge in 2007 and 2008 which were reasonable but didn't leave the same impression as the great HIAC matches of earlier years.

From 2009 we have had the Hell In A Cell PPV which featured three matches all fought in the structure. The problem was now we had a PPV and therefore they had to book matches in the cell rather the match needed or should be put in the cage. Feuds were put in the cell halfway through the programmes when common sense should dictate that HIAC works best as the final installment.

At the 2009 show, the card actually opened with The Undertaker beating CM Punk in less than 15 minutes. DX beat The Legacy (Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase) and Randy Orton defeated John Cena. The HIAC was only a stepping stone in the Cena vs. Orton feud that dominated the second half of 2009 and at the next show they wrestled a 60 minute match and it was like their HIAC match counted for nothing.

I don't think any of those matches were particularly memorable and that's really been the story at least at those HIAC matches that have featured at the same titled PPV. In 2010 there were two HIAC matches which saw Randy Orton beating Sheamus in an entertaining affair and Kane beating The Undertaker in arguably the worst HIAC match out of the 26 that as actually occurred.

In 2011 it became clear that we had long since seen the end of blood in these matches, it also became apparent that making matches to take place HIAC without the proper timing is a underwhelming experience. There is little doubt that having HIAC as a PPV draw used to be a tremendous success but over time the concept as been over played to the point where it no longer as that special feeling attached to it. The lack of blood I think as also watered down the effectiveness of the HIAC match.

The Undertaker's victory over Triple H at this year's Wrestlemania was a rare example of a match which did deliver. But it did have the advantages of a long build up and the storyline that this match was the end of an era. They had Shawn Michaels as a part of the story with the intriguing question of if Shawn would call it straight down the middle or not. They also could get away with flaunting the no blood rule which I don't think any of the current roster would be able to do so at least not for the foreseeable future.

Looking back at the history of Hell In A Cell matches shows that it did deliver a lot of really good matches but not many in the last few years. So it might be time to put away the cell for a while or take a step back to realise what made the legendary HIAC matches so special. And it wasn't because it's October's PPV so we better put a couple of matches into the cage with no rhyme or reason. Which is what we have seen over the last four years.

From Which Mexico? By Rock Rims

It was in Los Angeles during the 70’s, and the proud young Mexican Man had had enough of his rival, his adversary, and was letting him know in no uncertain terms that there was soon going to be a day of reckoning.

However his adversary seemed un-phased by the young man’s words, and stood with a look of both defiance and smugness, then in response said, “You will not do anything! You’re just a wetback!”

Now I don’t know who was more startled by the comments, the young Mexican man or me. But the young Mexican was so shocked and angry by the derogatory and inflammatory words that he stumbled over the first couple of words in his response.

“What?! What?! What do you mean calling me a wetback?!!” With disdain and that same smugness his adversary explained in a matter of fact way, “Because that’s how you got here…by swimming!” And he then proceeded to mimic doing the backstroke.

The young Mexican certainly didn’t seem prepared for what he was hearing, and neither was I. And in spite of the young Mexican man being one of my heroes at the time, and in spite of my being Mexican-American myself, Chicano, and knowing that if anyone had ever said those words to me, they had better be fast runners… I had to laugh…

I couldn’t believe what I had just witnessed and I immediately went to tell my mom who was in the next room. She just shook her head and said, “He just never changes…” It was the late 70’s, I was in elementary school, and I had just seen of my wrestling heroes, Chavo Guerrero, in a verbal confrontation with wrestler Black Gordman on local TV channel 52. And as much as that confrontational promo made me want to see Chavo thrash Black Gordman (which of course was the desired result of the promo) at the next live event, I somehow couldn’t bring myself to hate Gordman. Maybe part of that had to do with me always having a dark sense of humor, even at an early age, but there was still something oddly appealing about the wrestling heel. And what made the whole scene all the more memorable, more intriguing, and somewhat ludicrous was, that Gordman seemed more Mexican to me than Chavo Guerrero was! And what I mean by that is, that while both Gordman and Chavo were Mexican, Gordman spoke with a heavy accent, while Chavo didn’t.

Long before JBL was doing the “anti-immigrant” angle in his feud with the late, great Eddie Guerrero, and long before Eddie and his tag partner Art Barr were inciting riots among wrestling’s Mexican fans in the early 90’s, Black Gordman had become a genius in generating heat from Mexican wrestling fans in the Southwest and in Southern California. And he wasn’t alone. Along with long time partner the Great Goliath, who would both make a point to claim to be from “New Mexico” rather than Mexico, he became a part of the 70’s tag team that was greatly successful in both raising the ire of the fans, and in winning multiple tag team titles in various promotions.

But even before they hit this side of the border, Black Gordman and the Great Goliath had already experienced a taste of success in the wrestling business. In spite of Goliath being paid with a 6 pack of Coca-Cola for his first wrestling match, as singles wrestlers in Mexico, both Gordman and Goliath had their share of success and individual reigns as holders of the Mexican National Heavyweight wrestling title. And Gordman had gained enough attention for his success in the ring to have been giving an acting part opposite Lucha Libre legend El Santo in the movie “El Tesoro de Dracula.”

And they would quickly gain success in the U.S. as well. Each of them would have reigns as the “Beat the Champ” TV champions in the LaBelle wrestling territory during the 70’s. And Gordman would also go on to win the America’s Heavyweight title as well, engaging in notable feuds over the belt with such wrestling greats as John Tolos, Mil Mascaras, Porkchop Cash, and Victor Rivera. But it was as tag team partners that Black Gordman and the Great Goliath would see the most success and their greatest impact on the wrestling scene. And while it was Aristotle who made the observation that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”, it didn’t take a genius to see that the pairing of Gordman and Goliath was pure wrestling gold.

Black Gordman and the Great Goliath displayed a good working ability in the ring, displaying great timing and wrestling with bursts of quickness and great tenacity. And while their out of the ring chemistry has been in dispute, there is no doubt about their in-ring chemistry. And sadly, it’s that kind of great in-ring chemistry that is rarely seen these days, as tag teams are often haphazardly thrown together, with the participants looking to function as individuals rather than a cohesive unit.

Tag team championships would soon follow for Gordman and Goliath, with the pair winning the NWA Western States Tag Team titles, The Georgia Tag Team titles, The Texas Tag Team titles, the Central States tag team titles, as well as the San Francisco version of the NWA World Tag Team titles. And their abilities were not only recognized stateside, as they would also be invited to tour Japan as well. Unfortunately, very little video footage of this great tag team exists these days, but footage of a couple of their matches from Japan is among the footage that does. In viewing the footage while beginning to make a DVD compilation, I was once again reminded of some of the things that made them so great.

Besides their ability to execute moves (with Gordman performing the “DDT” years before Jake “The Snake” claimed to have invented it), their ability to get the crowd involved was also apparent. They had a great way of balancing the way they executed their offense as well as “selling” for their opponents. It wasn’t unusual to see them flying out of the ring, really selling their opponents prowess. Although according to Jeff Walton, the publicist and one of the key figure in the NWA Hollywood promotion of the 70’s and early 80’s, selling their opponent’s offense wasn’t always the motivation for their sailing into the front row of seats. “I'll never forget the Great Goliath… with his partner, Black Gordman, they would often fly out of the ring to check out a pretty girl or to land on someone's foot. Then they would get back into the ring look at you square in the face and laugh their heads off. “(1)

They always had a unique way of being tenacious while on offense, yet often comical in the way they’d scream in agony while their opponents cranked up the pressure while performing a wrestling hold. Gordman in particular, who would blurt out expletives and verbal expressions of pain, many of which were in Spanish, and were particularly comical to those who understand it. Yet, the often stoic Japanese fans could be heard laughing and reacting to the antics of the great Mexican tag team. And that’s just one example at how skilled they were in being able to communicate with the audience and get them involved with the match.

However, it would be in California, especially Los Angeles, where they would experience their most success and make their greatest impression with the fans. Beginning with their victory over Los Medicos on November 26, 1970 in Bakersfield, Calfornia, Gordman and Goliath would go on to hold the America’s tag team titles a record 18 times as a team, from that first title in 1970 until 1982, which was the final year of the NWA Hollywood territory. And their longevity as a successful tag team is a testament to their ability to perform at high level of quality for an extended period of time, as well continuing to provide a product that continued to maintain an appeal with the fans. Whether they were battling the Hollywood Blondes, the Guerrero Brothers, the Twin Devils, or anyone else, they made us alternately boo them, cheer for them, hate them, love them, but most importantly of all…want to watch them. And while I am more “sophisticated” now in my understanding of Pro Wrestling and how it works, of what the tactics were that Gordman and Goliath employed to generate heat, how they used ring psychology, and how they manipulated the emotions of the fans, it doesn’t lessen my enjoyment of watching them. It doesn’t diminish the fondness of the memories I hold of watching them perform. On the contrary, I appreciate their artistry all the more so. They caused me to “mark out” then, and they cause me to “mark out” now when I watch that classic footage of them and relive those days in my mind. And in that respect, there is no shame in being a “mark”, it’s not a derogatory name or a badge of shame. For in order to truly enjoy and fully appreciate the true art of Pro Wrestling, one has to “mark out” to a degree, to suspend disbelief. Because when I stop doing that, then it’ll stop being fun, and it’ll be time to find a new hobby.

And while very little video footage of them still exists, what continues to remain, what has never been lost or destroyed are the impressions they made on us, and the fond memories that they helped to create. It is the reason that they, and many others of that Golden age of Wrestling in California, are still the subject of discussion among long time fans, the subject of conversation on Podcasts like California Classic Wrestling. They were also an inspiration to the next generation of wrestlers, like Jesse Hernandez, who is a former wrestler and the promoter of the Empire Wrestling Federation in San Bernardino. After the closing of the L.A. promotion, the Great Goliath would continue to wrestle in California, as well as go on to form his own wrestling promotion and wrestling school in the San Bernardino area. Hernandez was one of his students, who would later train future wrestlers as well when he opened up his own Wrestling School, “The School of Hard Knocks” also in San Bernardino.

And there’s no doubt about it, Jesse learned much from Goliath and he shared some of that with me recently. “Great Goliath inspired me with great stories that he shared with me about himself as a wrestler and his early struggles. He taught us Pride, Honor, and Respect for the business. Great Goliath always talked about never shutting a door behind us, how to dress properly in and out of the ring, and how to learn from our mistakes. What he taught back then is exactly what I teach now to my students. Goliath’s legacy and teachings are what we are passing on to our students here at School of Hard knocks.”

And Jesse also continues to honor the memory of his former mentor, friend and trainer by holding the Annual Great Goliath Battle Royal. “Those who have won those Battle Royals will remember many matches throughout their career…but I truly believe that winning that Battle Royal is something special that they will never forget, making it a part of their history in this business.” While regrettably, the Great Goliath is no longer with us, thankfully his legacy continues to live on.

Gordman who currently in retired in Guadalajara, Mexico, would also continue to wrestle as well after the closing of the L.A. promotion, particularly in Texas, where he would wrestle for Joe Blanchard’s Southwest Championship wrestling promotion as well as a few shots in Fritz Von Erich’s World Class Championship wrestling. But for those of us in Southern California during the 70’s and early 80’s, it was here that we considered the rightful place of Black Gordman and the Great Goliath, and in our hearts and minds, they will always have a home.

I’d like to thank Jesse Hernandez for both sharing his thoughts regarding the Great Goliath, as well as his efforts to continue to pass on the traditions and teachings of his mentor. For more info regarding the “School of Hard Knocks” and Jesse’s Empire Wrestling Federation, as well as his Annual X-mas toy drive Wrestling card being held this Friday in Covina, you can click this link: http://empirewrestlingfederation.com/ And by the way, the main event features former ROH and current TNA star (and former Hernandez student) Joey Ryan defending his EWF championship belt!

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(1) “Remembering the Great Goliath” by Jeff Walton and Scott Walton – Slam! Wrestling April 20, 2004
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2004/04/20/429787.html

Jeff Walton and Scott Walton are the authors of the book “Richmond 9-5171, a Wrestling Story” which covers his experiences as the publicist and a key figure in the old Los Angeles Wrestling Territory. You can buy the book for only $20 plus $6 for shipping and handling by contacting Scott Walton at: ScottMWalton@gmail.com

PWG: Mystery Vortex Review By Jose Haze

Last weekend Pro Wrestling Guerilla returned to the American Legion Hall in Reseda, Ca. for a show that had no name and which 95% of the card was unknown till the day of the show. In any other fed this type of non-promotion would have led to a dismal turn out. The result here? The biggest crowd since Threemendous III earlier in the year.

The show as it turned out was given the name "Mystery Vortex". Which given the facts mentioned earlier and what would transpire the rest of the night,turned out to be a perfect fit.

This show was truly magical for a number of reasons which included the return of The Super Smash Brothers, who would be defending their PWG tag titles for the first time in six months. The return of Adam Cole, who had not wrestled in PWG since his shocking and impressive performance at BOLA 2012 where he slayed some of the Indies greatest talents to capture the BOLA title. Also making his return for the first time since BOLA was one of the newer PWG fan favorites, Drake Younger. This also would be the night PWG original Joey Ryan would wrestle his final match in PWG, which would lead to many emotions from the fans.

The show took a while to get started due to PWG staff adding seating for the show, but once it did we in attendance were treated to what many fans in attendance would call the show of the year in PWG.

Kicking things off was a match that was originally scheduled for "Failure to Communicate" in October, The Young Bucks vs Eddie Edwards and Roderick Strong. In my preview for "Failure to Communicate" at Wrestlingslasthope.com before the card was changed, I sort of insinuated that Edwards and Strong's time had passed in PWG. I could not have been more wrong!

This match was fast, explosive and at times bordered on perfection. Both teams were truly in sync. Edwards and Strong particularly seemed like a team that had been working together exclusively for 20 years, working in a massive number of chops, chest stomps and back breakers all while flying around the ring in unison like men half their size. The Young Bucks with their assortment of flips, back rakes and super kicks were acrobatic, sinister and 100% entertaining. In any other promotion, the guys opening the show would be hand cuffed from really going beyond more than getting the crowd going for the rest of the show. Here these two teams put on what would be classified as a main event match anywhere else. Edwards and Strong were eventually rewarded for their exceptional team work, going over the Bucks in a truly remarkable opener. This would not be the last we heard from Edwards and Strong.

The second match consisted of two men who know each other well from time in CZW. Drake Younger made his big return after spening a couple months in Japan and Germany. He would face the "Death Machine" Sami Callahan in a brutal contest of strength, will and blood.... a lot of blood. Both men received huge ovations when they were introduced. As soon as the bell rang, the shit hit the fan. With crazy bumps, head turning head butts and brutal stretches, Younger and Callahan brought a flavor that is very unique to most matches seen in PWG. There were several intense spots, including one where Sami suplexed Drake like 8 or 9 straight times. Not to be outdone Drake nailed Callahan with a couple "cop killers". Eventually after a couple attempts where Drake broke free, Callahan finally was able to submit Drake, via "stretch muffler". After receiving a well deserved ovation, both men shook hands in a great show of sportsmanship.

Following that "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" of a match The Super Smash Brothers, making their long awaited return, battled The RockNES Monsters for the PWG tag titles.The RockNES Monsters have had alot of success in PWG as of late, which led to this title shot(they must have naked pictures of Super Dragon and Excalibur, because I personally don't understand their push... anyway). The match was wild and zany as you would expect, with the SSB working from seemingly one brain. They are so cohesive, and their timing always seems impeccable. Meanwhile the RockNES monsters, were heeling it up big time. At one point one half of the monsters, Johnny Goodtime, got some scissors and cut off pieces of his beard to throw in the eyes of the SSB, which was kind of funny. The SSB eventually got the "fatality" for the win.

After the match Excalibur came into the ring to congratulate the SSB on their victory, and to let them know since their flights are so expensive and haven't wrestled in a long time, they would have to make up for it by wrestling again later in the night. More on this later.

The fourth match right before intermission was the farewell match from PWG for Joey Ryan. His opponent would be none other than his former tag partner, Scorpio Sky. Ryan was one of the founders of PWG, and was a major part of the Indy fed's success. The fans chanted his name and a few were actually shedding tears. The two men looked into each others eyes and took a deep sigh then hugged, like they had done many times before in comedy pieces in PWG.

The match itself was a very good match. There were a few spots that were homages to former PWG alumni like Scott Lost and Chris Bosh. Joey Ryan did few things I had not seen him do in a while, like a tope suicida through the ropes and he gave Sky a "mustache ride" (I know, it sounds nasty) off the apron onto the floor. My favorite moment of the match was when Sky stood in the corner waiting for a fallen Ryan to get up so he could super kick him, and right before he mouthed "I'm sorry" ala Shawn Michaels vs Ric Flair from Wrestlemania 24. Funny shit. Scorpio eventually got the pin over Ryan to win the match.

After Joey Ryan address the crowd, starting out by saying "I'v waited 10 years for this moment...10 years to tell you all..... to go fuck yourselves!!!!". Which immediately was followed by a "Fuck ourselves" chant.... ah PWG. Then Ryan got deep, talking about his many moments and the many hats he wore in the company and how he did everything PWG ever needed of him. Touching speech, that was met with the approval of the fans. He also asked all the women if one of them wanted to volunteer and give him a blow job. Anyway... Then Excalibur went into the ring to tell Joey "you go to Orlando, make as much money as you can and never come back" which was followed by a hug. A truly awesome heart felt moment. I too wish Joey Ryan the best. I hope he goes on to make millions of dollars because the guy paid his dues, and truly deserves it.

The first match after the intermission was a 4 way 1st to a pinfall between T.J. Perkins, B-Boy, Brian Cage AKA Mr.Get My Shit In AKA The Fuckin Machine (I just love saying both of those nicknames) and Willie Mack. I'm guessing this match was originally set to be an elimination match and due to the time constraints was changed to 1st pin fall. None the less it was an incredible and entertaining match. There was so much going on inside and outside the ring that you had to stand the whole time to try and catch everything. T.J. Perkins was really on his game tonight, putting on an offensive explosion. The match also included a moonsault over the top rope onto an opponent on the floor from Brian Cage. It is truly incredible to see him do stuff like this, because the guy is freaking huge, and you would not expect someone like him to do some of the things he does. There were alot of multiple submissions, double suplexes and so many other things that make a 4 way unique. Usually controversial finishes suck. Usually they leave a bad taste in your mouth after the match and you feel ripped off as a fan. Here theres was a controversial finish that I thought was absolutely perfect. I liked it so much, I'm not gonna tell you about it(You probably know already anyway). Buy the DVD.

Next was another match that was originally scheduled for "Failure to Communicate" between Rich Swann and El Generico. In his debut at said show vs Roderick Strong, Swann got over in 5 seconds. he also received the "please come back" chant, which essentially is the key to the front doors of American Legion, allowing a wrestler a spot in future shows. Swann came in for his introduction recording the crowd on his phone as he ran around the ring, even stopping mid intro to take pictures with fans on said cell phone. Awesome. Generico not to be left behind, got a pop from the crowd that was bigger even than his usual receptions, As the crowd sang "Ole" in unison at a deafening volume. This match was wrestled at the speed of light, with Swann and Generico going back and forth trading mind boggling offensive maneuvers and counters. Swann truly is a special talent. he is so funny and is so skilled in the art of high flying, that you almost want to pinch yourself, In my opinion he is that good and is only going to get better. Generico meanwhile put in his usual world class effort, even showing some heeliness, kicking at Swann's head with his foot while Swann was down, which I thought was great. Another layer to his body of work. Generico eventually got the victory, with a crazy vetical suplex powerbomb that I will call the "vete a la chingada"(look it up). After the match Generico got the crowd to chant for Swann and the two shook hands, which call me corny, I am always a mark for.

The next match was another great tag team match. This was the community service fine match SSB were forced to wrestle due to their flights and not wrestling in a long time. their opponents were none other than Eddie Edwards and Roderick Strong. the match would be non-title but it wouldn't be non-awesome! From the get go both teams pulled out their heavy artillery and went balls out against the other. Again Strong and Edwards were 1st rate in their team work. Aside from that, I noticed they were wrestling as heels in this match where earlier they wrestled as the faces. The difference was subtle, but I noticed it and I tip my hat to these two men for it.The Smash Brothers pretty much took the brunt of pain early on, with Player Dos getting the worst of it as Strong and Edwards worked their best heel tag stuff, not allowing Dos to get to his corner while pummeling him at the same time. Eventually the SSB made a gutsy comeback, but on this night Edwards and Strong were too tough. They eventually got the pin after some chest stomps from Edwards and a crazy brutal combo in the finish for the win. Again the match was non-title, but the ref forgot and tried to give the belts to Edwards and Strong, which led to a "You fucked up" chant that no doubt will make Botchamania some day. Again get the DVD.

And now to the main event. Earlier in the night Adam Cole came out and did a promo that was interrupted by Kevin Steen, where he informed Cole and the fans that since he had some pull around the PWG office, he got the main event to become a Guerilla Warfare match!(insert crowd pop) Which in PWG is the ultimate way for a nasty feud to get evened out. Being that Adam Cole stole Steen's PWG belt at BOLA and there was no love lost between the two combatants, this was a perfect way to settle things. Ring announcer Angelo Trinidad even warned the crowd to "Move the fuck out of the way" if they saw wrestlers coming their way. From the opening bell Steen beat the living shit out of Cole. At one point taking him to all four corners of the ring and giving him a pole ride, nuts first on each pole. The match included chairs shots, ladders, trash cans and it was brutal, with Steen doing most of the ass kicking, then Cole began to make a comeback and handed out his own brutality towards Steen. It was utter madness. Steen at one point made his way to the announce table and got a beer pitcher.... that was full of the longest tacks I had ever seen in my life, and threw them in the ring. At one point he event put the tacks in his mouth and spit them in Cole's face..... yes he spit tacks (insert "you sick fuck" chants here). The crown jewel of the match was after Steen and Cole made sort of a pyramid of chairs with the top chair having the back support part pointing up, Steen suplexed Cole right on top as both men came crashing down through the chairs, leaving Cole with a huge deep gash in his back. Eventually after fighting around the tacks, like two guys trying not to fall overboard off a boat, Adam Cole was able to counter a number of attempts by Steen and Germaned Steen into the tacks and got the clean pin.

This match was almost like a gang initiation. Cole got his ass kicked for a long time before getting the win and the PWG title, and he passed the initiation with flying colors. The fact PWG would allow Cole the clean win in a Guerilla Warfare match, making Cole look as strong as possible vs the toughest opponent possible says everything you need to know about the confidence they have in him. I think it also says something about Kevin Steen. The guy is a true professional, and hats off to him for passing the torch. Adam Cole, whether he is in ROH as the wholesome face or heeling it up as the super talented sinister heel champion, he is a shining light in the world of professional wrestling, and no doubt will be a star on that 3 hour show on Monday nights someday.

Also I want to highlight the performances of Eddie Edwards and Roderick Strong again. As I said before watching them work together was truly impressive. In one show the amount of things they did over the course of two matches was remarkable. The fact they worked one match as faces and the next as heels, and how they changed up their game was another thing that impressed me, all the while maintaining a world class level throughout the show. hats off to them, I hope they team up at DDT4, because they are a joy to watch as a tag team.

Mystery Vortex was everything you hope for when you go to a PWG show. It is a must purchase show for your DVD collection. Pre- order it today!

Follow me on twitter @Jose_LL_00

DVD Retro Project: Part One By Shaun Nichols

A few weeks back I came across some old video listings from tape traders that I used to use many years ago. I was always interested in trying to find tapes from promotions all over the world. For example I must have been one of the first UK wrestling fans to have seen ECW's Ultraclash 1993 which was featured in the Superstars of Wrestling magazine (the forerunner to Power Slam). For the record the show certainly does not stand the test of time but fun if you want to see a Headhunter throw someone through a wall.

However the idea that as fans we could actually get to see ECW, SMW, USWA, NJPW, AJPW and FMW was an exciting idea especially when WWF and WCW were not exactly hitting the creative highspots in the early 1990's. Enter the world of tape traders who would then send you a list of their videos and a world of viewing opportunities were there for the taking.

Some tape traders were obviously better than others, with I think Rob Butcher standing out and I remember being sent a 60 page video list with full match listings with some stuff I had heard and some stuff I hadn't. To aid you in what you might actually buy were the occasional match rating in brackets with the name of Dave Meltzer attached to add credibility.

Shockingly tape traders were charging £7 a tape which seems now to be completely insane when you can order pretty much anything on either DVD or download for a fraction of the price today. But and this may come from a feeling of nostalgia I quite miss carefully going through the various video listings and working out what to buy or trade next. It was a time when it seemed that if you didn't buy the latest set of ECW Hardcore TV or Best of Japan then you really weren't such a big wrestling fan after all.

Today obviously things have changed, you only have to look at the exhaustive DVD catalogue Stuart has amassed and the vast amount of that is just the title of the show rather than the actually listings.

What this rather rambling set up is leading to is actually a DVD review, it would be nice if other contributors wanted to join in and maybe share in their thoughts of older or classic shows that they haven't watched in years or that may have gone unnoticed by most of us.

I'm starting with Best of NJPW in the 1990's Disc 1. The set is actually in total a 5 disc set which was created after members of the death valley driver board voted for the favourite NJPW matches. The set as a whole is very much dominated by junior heavyweight matches featuring Liger, Benoit and Sasuke among others. Thirteen of the twenty matches fall under this category, however in part one there is more of a mix of styles.

The Review

20. El Samurai vs. Shinjiro Ohtani (UWA Title 29/01/1996)

I never thought that Samurai was that great a worker but rather that he was fortunate to be around in a period where there was so many talented wrestlers to work with. This is a really good example that showcases that Samurai is better than I previously gave him credit for. Ohtani is the challenger here and brings great intensity and a desire to win. In the early stages Ohtani has an ankle lock on Samurai, Samurai tries to escape by basically kicking Ohtani in the face numerous times without success. This nicely illustrates the importance of the match and also that there is going to be more mat wrestling than you would expect.

A lot of it is down to a battle between Ohtani's ankle lock against Samurai's cross armbreaker. Samurai dominates the majority of the match which works well because Ohtani's outstanding springboard offence here focusing on Samurai's knee with pinpoint accuracy need to be saved for the big comeback spots. Frantic kickouts and attempts to make the ropes in the final minutes sends the fans on a rollercoaster journey until Samurai finally prevails with the cross armbreaker for a devastating loss for Ohtani. ****1/2

19. Big Van Vader vs. Stan Hansen (Superfight 10/02/1990)

This was quite the match back in the day because it gives the impression that neither man is willing to co-operate with the other. Of course this was a period when NJPW (represented by Vader) and AJPW (by Hansen) were both big and successful promotions in the own right. Vader is at this point the IWGP Heavyweight champion. Simply put this is just two big men having a brawl around ringside while back in the ring they trade big chops and lariats. Neither man gets to stay on offence for any great period of time, during the match it appears that Hansen thinks Vader was working too stiff, so he thumbs Vader's right eye. Vader's mask comes off during the match and his eye was very badly swollen.

The match ends in a double count out when the referee finally gives up trying to get them back in the ring. In many ways this match shouldn't really rate any higher than ** because purely from a technical point of view there isn't a lot to get excited about. However that wouldn't take into account the intensity of the match, the fans reactions to what they were seeing or for that matter the historical context of seeing a NJPW vs. AJPW stars battling it out. ****

18. Great Muta vs. Hiroshi Hase (14/12/1992)

The famous bloodbath match where Muta really does wear the crimson mask. The early part of the match sees Hase getting the best of it. Muta starts by trying to intimidate Hase and uses his mist but finds himself hit by a great dropkick. Hase is just out wrestling him, Muta heads to the outside where he skulks about looking for weapons and throwing chairs into the ring. Hase meanwhile just lays in the ring relaxing waiting for Muta to return.

Muta returns and distracts the referee and attempts to use a spike on Hase, Hase gets the spike and busts Muta good and proper. Muta really does get covered in blood and every time he's on the mat all you can see is blood dripping onto the mat. Hase just dismantles him but can't get the pinfall and as time goes on he becomes more frustrated. Muta who started as the heel starts to get the fans behind him when he gets the occasional comeback. This is a fine example of getting a lot out of very little but benefits from great psychology. Muta finally gets the win after hitting a moonsault at the second attempt. ***3/4

17. Keiji Muto & Masahiro Chono vs. Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki (IWGP Tag Titles 01/11/1990)

The final match of the DVD and what a way to finish, Muto & Chono are defending, and the future Power Warrior is looking for his first title belt. The early stages make it clear that Sasaki isn't quite as good a wrestler as the other three but his strength enables him to compensate. The fans really do also help this match a lot because they react really big to everything. At the halfway point Chono as Sasaki in his finisher the STF and if you didn't know that that there was another 8 minutes to go you would easily believe that you were witnessing the finish.

The final few minutes are just insane with all four guys breaking out all the big moves but being continually thwarted by an opponent coming out of nowhere to break up the pin. The difference is that this is really done to perfection so all the dramatic kickouts and saves just continue to build to the final moments where Hase gets the win and the titles with his Northern Suplex. It would have been so easy for them to take it too far like so many ROH or PWG matches do but thankfully they didn't do that, just an awesome match. ****3/4

As you can tell by my listings if I had chosen my top 20 NJPW matches of the 1990's then they wouldn't have been in that order and I wouldn't have either Muta vs. Hase or Vader vs. Hansen in there although they are both very famous matches. The tag match really was a lot of fun and I think everyone should go out and see it. The full 5 disc set is available from numerous DVD sites just do a google search and then choose where you want to buy it from.

Feeding My Habit By Rock Rims

I was addicted. There’s no two ways about it. While the people who were close to I thought I was doing one thing, I was actually doing another. I was sneaking around in the middle of the night, always worried about being discovered, paranoid, jumping at every sound… and I was only 7 years old…

Yeah…that’s right… a 7 year old addict. Because when I was supposed to be sleeping, I was sneaking out of bed and getting my night time television Wrestling fix. I was always worried about getting caught, because I knew if I did, I’d probably get as bad a thrashing as any of the wrestlers on the TV show I was watching. But to me it was worth the risk. Those are just the kind of risks that an addict is often willing to take. Not that I didn’t take precautions though. I’d turn the volume on the television down really low, sit so close to the set that you’d think I was in the ring itself, and I’d shove a blanket under the door to my parent’s bedroom so that they wouldn’t see the flickering light from the TV set. And of course I’d pray that my Stepdad didn’t have too many beers before he went to bed, and as a result have to make a late night trip to the bathroom.

But in reality, he was partly to blame for my addiction. After all, one of my first memories was when I was 3 years old and living in East Los Angeles (Yeah, I’m Latino), and we were both climbing the fence in the backyard, in a hurry to catch the bus in order to make that evening’s wrestling matches. Even now, I can vividly recall the excitement and anticipation I felt that night, and it truly was a supercharged night, due in large part to the main event that evening. For the main event was going to be a feud match between “Classy” Freddie Blassie and “Maniac” John Tolos. The year was 1971, and when I got older I would learn what a special place that feud would hold in Los Angeles Pro Wrestling History. But in all honesty, even at 3 years of age, a couple of years before I would even learn to read, I knew that the match was something special. We sat high up in the nose bleed section, but the drama of that intense and bloody match was strong enough to be felt even where I was sitting.

And I was hooked, hooked for life. And my first Halloween memory was from the age of 3 as well. I don’t remember anything about the candy, but I definitely remember that my parent’s had a hell of a time trying to get me out of my wrestling mask at the end of the night. It was itchy as hell, but there was no way I was going to submit.

And through the years I would have many more pleasant experiences as a result of my love for wrestling. And during those critical formative years, before the days of cable TV, before wrestling programs were being broadcast from various territories around the country, and before tape and DVD trading would expose fans to international wrestling, there was only one wrestling world for me. And that wrestling world was Mike LaBelle’s Southern California Wrestling Territory, particularly wrestling from the famed Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium. And what a world it was!

Through the years, I’d watch either on television or at the occasional live event, local mainstays and future legends such as the Guerreros, Carlos Mata, The Twin Devils, Black Gordman & The Great Goliath, Bad News Allen Coage, Victor Rivera, Maniac John Tolos, Classy Freddie Blassie, The Hollywood Blondes, and many more. And then there were the visiting greats, people who up until that time I had only read about in the wrestling mags, or heard being hyped about by Jeff Walton either during the television programs or in his souvenir wrestling programs. People like Harley Race, Superstar Billy Graham, Terry & Dory Funk Jr., Wahoo McDaniel, the Original Sheik, El Halcon, Moondog Lonnie Mayne, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Adrian Street, the Eighth Wonder of the World Andre the Giant, Tatsumi Fujinami, Seiji Sakaguchi, and my absolute favorite visiting wrestler, the legendary Mil Mascaras.

But as great as it was to have those visiting greats (some of whom I’ll be writing about in the near future), it was always the mainstay local wrestlers who were the foundation that the territories were built upon in those days. These were the talents that the fans would watch week in and week out, and these were the ones that the fans became emotionally invested in. And of those mainstay wrestlers in L.A. during the 70’s, the one who stood head and shoulders above everyone (in esteem and position if not physical stature) was Chavo Guerrero Sr. And for the rest of this piece, I’m going to drop the “Sr.”, because no offence to his son, who is talented in his own right, but there really is only one Chavo Guerrero.

From 1975 through 1980, Chavo Guerrero, the eldest of the legendary Guerrero brothers was the main “face” in the L.A. territory. In addition to having a great wrestling pedigree, being the son of the Mexican Wrestling Legend Gory Guerrero, Chavo had a great wrestling background, having been an accomplished amateur wrestler in addition to having trained in judo. And more importantly, he was trained from a young age by his father in the fundamentals of professional wrestling, and had great athletic ability.

But it takes much more than physical attributes and skill sets to become a success in the world of professional wrestling, especially when it comes to the long term, something that many of today’s “stars” fail to recognize. For one thing, one has to be willing to learn from the veteran’s, and fortunately, Chavo was both willing and able to do that. When visting veterans and World Champions like Terry Funk, Dory Funk Jr., Harley Race, and Superstar Billy Graham would come through the territory, they would talk, and Chavo would listen. This on the job experience paid off both for Chavo and those of us who would watch him.

And another thing that Chavo had going for him was that he understood the importance of good ring psychology. He understood and practiced the art of telling a story in the ring, of building a program, and getting the fans to become emotionally invested in him, the match, and the program. And it’s that high emotional involvement, and that escapism, that are such critical factors in a wrestling fan’s enjoyment. And Chavo understood that and delivered.

These things contributed to his becoming a 15 time America’s Heavyweight Champion, a 10 time America’s tag team Champion, and the NWA World Jr. Heavyweight Champion during his run in the territory. And several times during his career in L.A., he would be the man to challenge the visting NWA World Heavyweight Champion for title. And he did a great job of balancing those roles. For Chavo not only was the perennial Champion, but the perennial challenger as well. He was both the capable and accomplished Champion, as well sometimes being the underdog, albeit a capable underdog.

And those qualities contributed to his appeal. For while we all knew and had faith that going into a match, Chavo could beat his opponent, he did a great job of leaving us hanging, wondering if he would in fact defeat his opponent. Because another part of ring psychology that Chavo understood was that when you make your opponent look good, you look good. For another part of good ring psychology is putting over your opponent. After all, how fun is it to watch a wrestler beat a nobody, someone who appears to be infinitely inferior? And that’s another thing that some wrestlers fail to recognize. In their fixation to get in their “spots” or as many spots as possible, in their fear that their opponent getting in any offense will make them look “weak”, they often fail to build a story or put over their opponent. And yet, if you watch videos of some of the all-time legends in Pro Wrestling, like Harley Race, Ric Flair, Bret Hart, and Superstar Billy Graham just to name a few, you’d see them bumping all over there place for their opponents. And their place and stature in Wrestling History cannot be disputed. Fans who truly appreciate the true art of professional wrestling want to eventually find themselves sitting on the edge of their seats with anticipation. And Chavo was one of the ones who both understood that and delivered.

Without a doubt, as both a young fan of Pro Wrestling, and a Mexican-American growing up in the L.A. area, Chavo Guerrero was one of my boyhood heroes. I don’t think that when he started out in the wrestling game that he set out to or even imagined holding such an important place in the hearts and memories of those that watched him perform. I don’t think that any Pro Wrestler sets out to do that in the beginning. But some do accomplish that very thing, especially for those of us who grew up during the territory days, and hopefully, just hopefully for some of those who will grow up with the Independent Wrestling promotions.

I finally had the pleasure of meeting Chavo in person several years ago, and we enjoyed a pleasant conversation together, talking about our memories of the 70’s L.A. promotion. He said then what he’s also said on many other occasions, that he was just “in the right place at the right time.” While I agree with that, as that’s really the case with anyone who ever earns a place in history, it really doesn’t tell the whole story. While he benefited from being Gory Guerrero’s son, while he was in the right place at the right time, Chavo still had to have the ability to carry the ball and run with it. Even if a football coach can get his son on a team with his connections, and even if the offensive line can create a “hole”, the running back still has to be able to run with the ball. And Chavo ran, and ran hard.

And he’s one of the ones that contributed greatly to my being hooked on the true art of Professional Wrestling. And I don’t think I want to find a cure.

WLH Book Review By Jimmy Wheeler - Say Uncle! : Catch-as-Catch-Can Wrestling And The Roots of Ultimate Fighting, Pro Wrestling And Modern Grappling By Jake Shannon.

Published by ECW Press, released June 1st 2011, 240 pages, paperback.

Jake Shannon an author of many subjects varying from hypnotism to catch-as-catch-can wrestling, he is currently the Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Utah and a life long member of the Cauliflower Alley Club, Jake is also a well respected grappling historian. He has been trained by many of the true legends of catch-as-catch-can and also learned in other forms of grappling, Jake is also the inventor of the Macebell.

Say Uncle! Is not an in depth look at the history of professional wrestling, UFC or modern grappling, it is more of a guide to what it takes to be a catch-as-catch-can wrestler. Starting with an introduction to the author, Jake Shannon, explaining his training and how he has studied the traditional sport of catch-as-catch-can. Then going on to lay out the basic rules of the sport followed by a small explanation of what is required by a participant, this is all very useful providing just enough knowledge to understand what it really was like in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Jake naturally then flows on to how the sport has effected the sports or forms of entertainment mentioned in it's title, all the while providing sources for information at the bottom of each page, including stories that explain exactly how catch-as-catch-can directly influenced other forms of grappling. The main focal point of the work is the collection of 10 very interesting interviews with various legends and modern day grappler’s such as Karl Gotch, Billy Robinson, Gene LeBell, Yoshiaki Fujiwara and Josh Barnett. Some of the interviews are quite lengthy whilst others are more straight to the point, discussing the history of wrestling, where they trained, who they were trained by, what the training consists of and certain holds. Shannon wraps up with his conclusion, which he quotes the ever acclaimed opening of Martin “Farmer” Burns' Lessons in Wrestling and Physical Culture II.

With the included 51 page manual breaking down catch-as-catch-can in a scientific manner including tips, methods and techniques, all of which are explained using examples of how it would work. Covering principles, conditioning and a 32 page pictorial demonstrating holds and transitions, the book is a necessity for any aspiring catch-as-catch-can grappler and for any other form of grappler at that. Then taking into consideration the short but captivating history at the beginning of the book, the interviews, Karl Gotch's modern rules to the sport combined with the lexicon Say Uncle! Catch-as-Catch-Can Wrestling is a real gem of a book for any wrestling historian also.

5/5 Stars

By Jimmy Wheeler

@MadDepth

What The Shield Need To Succeed – by Paul Renwick

With John Cena and CM Punk lying on the canvass, the crowd rose in anticipation for what seemed to be the inevitability of Ryback shocking the world and becoming the new WWE champion. Though, through the sea of excited faces emerged three assailants from the crowd dressed in black intent on making an impact on the biggest stage possible. Before anyone could react the three men had turned their attention to Ryback, savagely putting him through the announcers table and decisively ending his championship dream.

In the replays that followed it was revealed that the three mystery attackers were in fact NXT roster members, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns accompanied by maverick Dean Ambrose. At that moment a new faction was born.
During a sit down interview with Michael Cole two weeks later on Raw, the men would explain that they had come together to fight injustice and decided to name their alliance, The Shield.

Interestingly, during the interview they were quick to point out that they were unique and should not be compared to previous factions like the nWo and Nexus. However, despite their protests comparisons will inevitably be made. So, what will The Shield have to do to be considered a success in WWE and avoid the pitfalls of previous groups and factions.

The Shield has an immediate advantage in that like many successful factions it has three strong and unique members. Seth Rollins is a man with a huge reputation on the independent circuit after his successful Ring of Honour championship run under the name Tyler Black. This success continued in the WWE development territory, NXT where before his emergence as a member of Shield he was the brand’s champion.

Dean Ambrose is widely recognised as one of the most dynamic communicators in wrestling. His edgy promo style led to him becoming embroiled in a fascinating twitter war with Mick Foley earlier this year. While little is known about Roman Reigns, he has the advantage of an enormous physical presence, which will allow him to be an effective enforcer for the group.

It is clear that as individuals the group has a number of strengths. Though, in order to succeed as a faction they need to be booked as a credible threat.
Back in 2010, a similar group of NXT rookies would come together and make a sensational impact. Nexus led by Wade Barrett was seen as a faction that could shake up the wrestling world and bring a new twist to the increasingly stale WWE product.

After a captivating few months, this powerful heel stable would face a hastily assembled Team WWE containing John Cena, Edge, Chris Jericho, Daniel Bryan and Bret Hart at Summerslam. While it seemed inevitable that the red hot Nexus would pick up the victory at that event in Los Angeles, this would not be the case as after withstanding a beating, the dysfunctional Team WWE would emerge victorious.

The effect of this defeat would be devastating on Nexus as they would be unable to rediscover the momentum they once had as they were not seen as a credible threat to the WWE and in particular John Cena.

After making a similarly impactful debut, The Shield must avoid the fate that befell Nexus. They must be placed in situations where they are seen as equal to if not superior to their WWE counterparts. Of course, the moment will arrive when The Shield will have to lose a high profile match-up, but that must not happen for several months after a period of sustained dominance for the faction.

As well as being portrayed as a threat to the entire locker room, this can be aided by how the group is presented on television. What made the nWo so successful in WCW was that in the early months their actions seemed incredibly spontaneous and it appeared to the fans that it was not part of the regular storyline. A positive start has been made with the introduction of The Shield from the crowd. This should continue as The Shield should be presented as something unique from the rest of the programme. Even the way they deliver promos should be completely different from the rest of the roster.

The final element to ensure that The Shield succeeds is something that is beyond their control, and that is the opponents that they are up against. Whether it was Dusty Rhodes with the Four Horseman, Sting with the nWo or Stone Cold Steve Austin with the Corporation, every heel faction needs a string hero to come up against. The desire of the fans to see their hero overcome the overbearing bullies is what sells out arenas, increases television ratings and brings pay per view buys.

Currently, The Shield is up against the dominating Ryback. While he is undoubtedly backed by the fans, he is young and inexperienced. It is difficult to see how The Shield can gain the upper hand on a superstar who will undoubtedly be protected as he is being positioned as a top star in the company for years to come.

At the moment few potential opponents seem feasible for The Shield. John Cena would not be a suitable option as he already draws a mixed response from the crowd and was heavily involved in the failure of the Nexus storyline. Randy Orton has spent most of 2012 consistently losing on television. An interesting angle could involve The Shield becoming embroiled with Daniel Bryan and Kane as they are both adored by the crowd and have the experience to enhance these new superstars.

After two weeks on television, The Shield has many positives in its favour. They have three strong characters in the group who are capable of having good matches and delivering strong promos. Though, in order for them to succeed it is important that the WWE follows the formula of other successful factions from the past.

They have to be developed as a group that is a serious threat to all the top WWE superstars and the action that they are involved with must be fresh, innovative and daring. Furthermore and most importantly they must be pitted against opponents who the crowds can really get behind and connect with. The Shield needs a strong babyface to make their cowardly and dastardly acts seem important to the programme. Hopefully, The Shield can continue to make a massive impact in the WWE universe as the programme desperately needs a catalyst to spark it back to life.