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  • ICW Fear and Loathing VIII Results: Grado vs. Drew Galloway

    Submitted By Tony Cottam

    Results and notes from the ICW Fear And Loathing VIII show.

    Results:

    — ICW Zero G Championship
    Davey Boy (w/ The Wee Man) defeated Stevie Boy (c)

    — 6 man Tag 
    Joe Hendry, Noam Dar & Kenny Williams defeated Liam Thomson, Lionheart & Doug Williams (Jimmy Havoc run in attack on the Thomson, Lionheart & Doug Williams team; after the match Carmel challenged Liam Thomson to a match at the next show, Square Go)

    — Tournament final for the new ICW Women’s Championship
    Mick Foley banned any ringside interference and added Viper to the match, making it a Three Way Dance
    Viper defeated Nikki Storm and Kay Lee Ray to become the first ICW Women’s Champion

    — Joe Coffey defeated Rhyno

    — ICW Tag Team Championship
    Polo Promotions (c) – Jackie Polo & Mark Coffey (w. Coach Trip & DCT) defeated The 55 – Kid Fite and Sha Samuels (w/ James R Kennedy and Timm Wylie to retan their titles

    — 6 Man Steel Cage Tag
    Teams win by all three members escaping.
    The New Age Kliq – Chris Renfrew, Wolfgang & BT Gunn eventually defeated The Legion – Tommy End, Dante & Mikey Whiplash. Order of Elimination: Wolfgang, Dante & Tommy End, Chris Renfrew and then Gunn & Whiplash crashed through tables at ringside at the same to make it a draw; Whiplash demanded that Gunn face him one on one and the match restarted as sudden death, with a pinfall to finish – Gunn pinned Whiplash for the victory.

    — Big Damo defeated Jack Jester

    — ICW World Heavyweight Championship
    Grado defeated Drew Galloway (c)
    Suspended GM Red Lightning tried to get involved, but was stopped by Mick Foley; ICW owner Mark Dallas counted the pinfall after a ref bump.

    Notes:

    — Legitimate sold out and packed 4000 crowd in Hall 3 of the SECC (Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre) the second biggest venue in Scotland.
    — Mick Foley as guest GM for the night, the only other import was Rhyno, who has a history of working ICW shows – no one shot big names to help pad the card.
    — Owner Mark Dallas announced next year’s Fear And Loathing would be in the larger SSE Hydro – on paper, the second busiest venue in the world after the O2 Arena in London. This is absolutely HUGE for ICW, the same arena that TNA ran their televised shows from and that the WWE run on their tours now.
    — Show started on time at 7pm, no mean feat with the size of the queues outside when the doors opened at 6.30pm
    — Stars of Scottish TV police sitcom “Scot Squad” appeared after the first 6 man tag match and “arrested” Lionheart to a big reaction.
    — The Grado vs. Galloway match had a legitimate “big match feel” to it – there was an atmosphere like nothing else I’ve ever experienced at any wresting show I’ve been too.
    — Mick Foley’s involvement was minimal, but he was well used.
    — Excellent show, well worth checking out on the ICW On Demand service.

  • UFC Fight Night 78- By The Numbers

    9
    Number of fights for Neil Magny since February 2014 as he fights for the fifth time in 2015, the second straight year he has fought five times in a calendar year

    5
    Number of wins for Magny in 2014, which tied the UFC record for most in a calendar year

    27
    Number of takedowns landed by Magny in his UFC career, tied for fifth-most among active UFC welterweights

    524
    Significant strikes landed by Magny in his UFC career, currently ninth-most among active UFC welterweights

    2.17
    Strike differential for Magny, which is the highest differential among active UFC welterweights

    21
    Age at which Kelvin Gastelum won “The Ultimate Fighter”, making him the youngest winner of TUF in history

    2
    Number of times Gastelum has officially missed weight for a welterweight bout out of five UFC bouts at 170 pounds

    71.6
    Significant strike defense percentage rate for Gastelum as a welterweight, which is the best among active UFC welterweights (min. 5 fights)

    9
    Inch reach disadvantage that Gastelum will have against Neil Magny

    15
    Current ranking for Gastelum in the UFC’s welterweight rankings

    4
    Current ranking for Ricardo Lamas in the UFC’s featherweight rankings

    10:04
    Average fight time for Lamas in the UFC

    7
    Submission attempts for Lamas in UFC competition, tied for seventh-most among active UFC featherweights

    282
    Number of UFC events that have occured since Diego Sanchez won the inaugural season of “The Ultimate Fighter”

    4:37:57
    Total fight time in the UFC career for Sanchez, which is fourth-most in UFC history

    3
    Times Sanchez has won “Fight Of The Year” in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Year-End Awards

    3
    Current ranking for Jussier Formiga in the UFC’s flyweight rankings

    10:08
    Average fight time for Formiga in the UFC, which is the shortest in the short history of the UFC’s flyweight division

    14
    Guard passes for Formiga in his four UFC wins as he has zero in his two UFC losses

    9
    Straight wins for Henry Cejudo to start his MMA career

    4.09
    Significant strikes landed per minute for Cejudo, third-best among active UFC flyweights

    184
    Significant strikes landed for Cejudo in three UFC bouts

    3
    Number of UFC stints for Efrain Escudero, who is the only TUF winner to be cut and then brought back to the promotion

    5
    Knockdowns by Escudero in the UFC, which is tied for eighth-most among active UFC lightweights

    1722
    Days between UFC wins for Escudero, who won at UFC 114 in May 2010 but didn’t score another Octagon win until UFC Fight Night 60 in February

    2.63
    Average number of takedowns landed per 15 minutes for Leandro Silva in UFC competition

    55.5
    Submission finishing rate percentage for Silva, who has scored ten of his 18 wins by submission

    10
    Takedowns landed by Silva during UFC competition

    532
    Days since Erik Perez’ last fight, a loss to Bryan Caraway at UFC Fight Night 42 in June 2014

    13
    Takedowns landed by Perez, tied for sixth-most among active UFC bantamweights

    7:33
    Average fight time for Perez, shortest among active UFC bantamweights (min. 5 fights)

    6
    Inches of reach advantage Taylor Lapilus will have over his opponent, Erik Perez

    5.18
    strikes landed per minute by Lapilus

    371
    Days since Hector Urbina’s last fight, a submission win over Edgar Garcia at UFC 180 in November 2014

    67
    Win percentage rate by knockout for Bartosz Fabinski, who has scored eight of his 12 wins by KO/TKO

    1
    Number of wins by Scott Jorgensen since the start of 2013 as he enters UFC Fight Night 78 having gone 1-5 in his last six fights

    23
    Length of the last fight, in seconds, for Alejandro Perez, who is coming off a submission loss to Patrick Williams at UFC 188 in June

    7
    Number of times Gabriel Benitez has been taken down over his two UFC bouts

    3.57
    Average number of takedowns landed per 15 minutes for Andre Fili

    178
    Number of significant strikes landed in two UFC bouts for Valmir Lazaro

    13
    Number of takedowns landed in four UFC bouts by Michel Prazeres

    2
    Number of first-round wins of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 2 by welterweight finalist Erick Montano during the season

    6
    Straight wins by TUF: Latin America 2 welterweight finalist Enrique Marin

    80
    Finishing percentage rate for TUF: Latin America 2 lightweight finalist Enrique Barzola, who has scored eight of his ten wins by finish (4 by KO/TKO, 4 by submission)

    3
    Career fights for TUF: Latin America 2 lightweight finalist Horacio Gutierrez, making him the most inexperienced fighter on the fight card alongside Vernon Ramos

    302
    Number of days in the professional MMA career for Vernon Ramos, who made his professional debut on January 23 of this year

    1178
    Number of days since Alvaro Herrera last fought, which came on August 30, 2012

  • WWE TLC 3 – A look at the new December classic

    Tables, Ladders, and Chairs… Oh My! Part 3

    By: PeachMachine (@hendosfoodblog and @parkingcone)

    This week…

    TLC 3 – December 18, 2011 – Baltimore, Maryland – 1st Mariner Arena

    I’m actually looking forward to watching this show this week, as I know it can’t be three stinkers in a row.  The hype video to open the show was a really well written WWE version of The Night Before Christmas poem.  It’s only a two man announce crew tonight with The King and Cole having to fill the void of Matt Stryker. 

    Dark Match – Drew McIntyre defeated Alex Riley

    Zach Ryder defeated Dolph Ziggler (c) (with Vickie Guerrero) in a singles match for the US Championship

    • I’m predicting Zach gets axed in the post Mania clearinghouse this year.
    • We are in the middle of the “WWE must talk about twitter all the time” horrible period. 
    • Michael Cole just made as many social media references as he could. 
    • Vicki got booted for putting Dolph’s foot on the rope.  Why do refs allow anyone at ringside at anytime, ever?  What percentage of time does the person at ringside NOT get involved? 
    • This match is pretty good.  A lot of heat actually.  Too bad Zach accidentally got popular.
    • Ryder wins with the Rough Ryder.
    • I feel bad for Cole.  No way could he actually be that big of a dork.  He must hate himself.
    • Zach celebrated with his dad in the crowd. 

    Backstage, Alicia Fox chatted up Booker T until Cody Rhodes jumped him.  

    Air Boom (c) (Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne) defeated Primo and Epico (with Rosa Mendes) for the Tag Team Championship

    • Primo and Epico wore some sweet serapes to the ring.
    • The tag belts are awful.  They’re bronze.  “I’m the best at tag team wrestling.  If you don’t believe me, check out my bronze belt.”
    • King claims that Air Boom breaks the laws of Physics.  So, either Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston are wizards, or King doesn’t understand Physics.
    • Heat on Bourne is just an excuse to focus on Rosa’s, ahem, assets. 
    • Cole, “Air Boom is trending.  People are actually talking about the tag champs.” He really said that.
    • Why don’t tag matches ever end during the time of the match where two men are kicking the crap out of one? 
    • Air Boom wins with Trouble in Paradise

    Then there was a skit with Teddy Long as Santa and Hornswaggle as an elf.  They do some awful race relation’s humor, and then Swaggy gets a gift from Teddy, which is Rosetta Stone in Ebonics. I wonder if they’ll follow up with this angle and bring Hornswaggle back as a jive talking elf.

    Randy Orton defeated Wade Barrett in a tables match

    • Orton body watch:  He’s tanned out of this world, and jacked.  Definitely the best shape of his career to this point.
    • Your pretty standard table fare with a lot of brawling.  A better than average match.
    • The finish was Orton catching a diving Barrett in an RKO through a table. 

    Then we got another Santa skit with the Bella’s arguing over who was the good one.  Santa Teddy said they both were bad so Teddy gave them his card with his number.  Then Jack Swagger showed up and griped about Mark Henry.  Then Sheamus showed up and told us a story about someone getting their head in an arse. 

    Beth Phoenix (c) defeats Kelly Kelly

    • They replay the angle from the Slammy’s with Kelly Kelly winning Diva of the year.  Very prestigious.
    • Remember when these two quit WWE for no real reason?  Do you think they regret not being around for this amazing diva’s revolution? 
    • Women wrestlers can just go ahead and not make sound when selling.  It’s unsettling to hear Kelly Kelly screaming “no” and making horrible death noises while getting beaten up. 
    • Beth Phoenix wins clean after the Glam Slam.

    Alberto Del Rio is seen yelling at Ricardo when the Miz walks up to talk about their alliance.  Del Rio admits he was playing the Miz, so Miz has to take a dig at the Baltimore Ravens.  That ought to shut up world famous Baltimore Ravens fan Alberto Del Rio.  Then Ricardo come back with a pie or something and gets it shoved in his face.  They need to teach a WWE rules class at the performance center.  I’ll start a tally.  WWE Rule 1) Don’t carry a pastry anywhere.

    Booker T. vs. Cody Rhodes

    • Cody jumps Book before Book even gets to the ring and the doctors determine he is unfit to perform.  No match.

    HHH defeats Kevin Nash in a sledgehammer ladder match

    • Home Depot must have sponsored this match.   Actually, Home Depot should sponsor the whole PPV.
    • This was the ridiculous feud where Nash murdered HHH, as he laid unconscious strapped to a gurney. 
    • “The sledgehammer can be used legally to beat your opponent.” Announcer, real quote.
    • Nash comes out to the nWo music.
    • HHH spends the opening part destroying Nash’s legs, including a figure four around the ladder.  I think a higher percentage knee-destroying move on Kevin Nash would be to run an infinite crisscross.  It would be funny just to see these two in a race.  Quads vs. Knees.
    • Nash comes back and does his side slam on a ladder. 
    • Nobody has gone after the sledgehammer, because in a ladder match, you’ve already been supplied with plenty of alternate types of sledgehammers. 
    • HHH back drops Nash over the announcers’ table.
    • Here comes the table from under the ring.  So I guess tables are allowed in a sledgehammer ladder match.
    • HHH hits Nash in the head with the hanging sledge, and Nash takes a bump through the table.  That’s a decent bump for Nash. 
    • HHH starts the sledgehammer beating.  HHH connects with the pedigree and goes back to the sledge.  Nash, in desperation, throws up the click hand sign, and HHH responds with a crotch chop and a final sledge shot.  HHH wins.

    Strkyer interviewed CM Punk about the beating he took on Raw.  Punk’s promo was great.  He ran down everyone in the match, and Cole, and John Laurinitis.  Then Big Johnny showed up and they talk about the Slammy Punk was supposed to get.  Punk get’s in a “future endeavors” line, and then Johnny has to point out that he’s taller than Punk.  This company is so petty.

    Sheamus defeats Jack Swagger (with Vicki Guerrero)

    • Good thing these guys didn’t get along backstage earlier or we would not have this buffer match.
    • I guess they’re giving Vicki a second chance to behave herself.
    • Boring match.  Sheamus wins after the Brogue kick.

    Big Show defeats Mark Henry (c) in a Chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship.

    • This was the feud where they did the ring implosion spot.
    • Show starts the match by making it rain chairs.
    • Henry had his ankle heavily taped. 
    • Show wins the title after delivering the Knock Out Punch through a chair.
    • Then Henry comes back and lays out Big Show with a DDT on the chairs.
    • I honestly wrote, “Mark Henry defeats Big Show” before watching the match because I couldn’t remember Show having a title run.  Then I remembered why…. Daniel Bryan runs in after the match and cashes in his Money in the Bank contract and pins the Big Show.
    • We just saw two title changes.

    Josh Matthews interviews Booker T and T says he’s going to fight Cody tonight!  Oh thank heavens we get that match tonight!  

    Cody Rhodes (c) defeats Booker T for the Intercontinental Championship

    • This is the storyline where Booker T had been retired for two years.  Was anyone dying for Booker T to come out of retirement?
    • I’ve never liked Booker T in any of his roles.  Ok, King Book was pretty good, but nothing else.  Well, I really liked when he and Goldust reviewed movies.  But that’s it. 
    • Cody wins after the Disaster kick, which Cole identified as, “another kick to the head.”

    CM Punk defeats Alberto Del Rio (with Ricardo Rodriguez), and Miz, in a three way TLC match for the WWE Championship

    • Champions usually fare pretty well in three ways.  WWE loves declaring the 33% chance of winning, which is absolutely incorrect, unless of course Roxy Roxborough actually says it.
    • Punk starts climbing and as he does, Ricardo Rodriguez manages to handcuff Punk to a ladder. 
    • Punk broke free by breaking the ladder strut, to which he was attached.  In hindsight, the handcuffing was ridiculously unnecessary.
    • Del Rio delivers an enziguri on Punk and then Punk takes a bump through a table to the floor.
    • Why does Ricardo cut his hair so he looks like a vampire?
    • Del Rio gets up alone, with enough energy to dilly dally on the floor before easily setting up a ladder.  I guess he accidentally swallowed a Qualude somewhere in there, because as he steps on to the ladder, he lost the ability to move his muscles, and could not climb.
    • Rodriguez takes a bump off the ladder through a table on the floor.
    • Oh wait, now Miz handcuffs Punk to the turnbuckle which is ridiculous, but then Punk actually tries to reach for the belt, as if, maaaaaybe he can win the match from his knees attached to the ring post. 
    • Super Punk breaks free from the handcuffs a second time, climbs the ladder and dumps Del Rio, catches Miz in the GTS and climbs again to grab the belt, in really good TLC match.

    Analysis:  This show has been the best TLC to date.  The main event was very good.  The HHH match was pretty good.  The Air Boom match was short but fun, and everything else felt appropriately placed.  Even Big Show and Henry had a decent chairs match.  We saw Z Ry and D Bry win belts, and we may have seen Booker T’s last match.  I’d call that a thumbs up show. 

  • Daily update: Holly Holm defeats Ronda Rousey, Nick Bockwinkel passed away

    We’re looking for your thoughts on UFC 193 and also the Tenryu retirement show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to Dave Meltzer

    We’re also looking for reports on the WWE show yesterday in Minehead, England and NXT shows in Winter Haven, Orlando and Sebring, Florida, and today’s Lucha Underground taping in Boyle Heights and ICW show in Glasgow to Dave Meltzer

    Raw will be live Monday night from Greenville, SC.  The show will feature the quarterfinals of the WWE championship tournament.  The quarterfinals have Roman Reigns vs. Cesaro Alberto Del Rio vs. Kalisto, Kevin Owens vs. Neville and Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler.  I believe all four bouts will be on the show Monday but it’s possible they may hold one of them off until Smackdown.  Undertaker and Kane will be back on Raw this week to build Survivor Series. 

    Smackdown tapings are Tuesday night in Knoxville.

    Figure Four Weekly:

    Figure Four Weekly (10/2/15): WWE 2K16 Review
    2K Sports and Yuke’s turnaround WWE video game series with a reinvigorated title boasting huge roster.

    Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

    Exclusive news on WrestleMania, how SummerSlam has changed due to the Seth Rollins injury, updates on Rollins, notes on the WWE title tournament and what key stars besides Rollins and Randy Orton are now unlikely to wrestle at WrestleMania is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

    We also look at the different potential finishes of the WWE title tournament, how it looks to be progressing, a look at the Royce Gracie vs. Ken Shamrock fight and look back 20 years to their two previous fights, lots of notes on the fight, and the back story.

    We also look at WrestleMania tickets, the Wayne Rooney angle, Dwayne Johnson and Dave Bautista update, More on Alberto Del Rio’s outside business and his angle in Puerto Rico, Undertaker week, WWE make more network predictions, notes from the next Madison Square Garden show, notes on Raw this week, Ronda Rousey talks WWE Divas division, what WWE star is ready to return from surgery, plus notes on all the WWE & NXT arena events of the past week and business note.

    We also have our monthly business rundown of WWE and TNA, to see how both groups are doing as compared to the same period last year, as well as a breakdown on how every different WWE main event is drawing over the past month.

    CLICK HERE FOR A FULL WRESTLING OBSERVER PREVIEW

    The latest Wrestling Observer: November 16, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Seth Rollins injury, Wrestlekingdom 10 matches

    You can also order the print Observer right now and get it delivered to your door via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to dave@wrestlingobserver.com” target=”_blank”>dave@wrestlingobserver.com

    You can also order print issues at www.paypal.com directing funds to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

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    For the United States, it is $13 for 4 issues, $32 for 12, $61 for 24, $101 for 40 and $131 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $14.50 for 4, $35 for 12, $67 for 24, $111 for 40 and $144 or 52.  In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to moonsault@mediaplusint.com  For the rest of the world, rates are $16.50 for 4, $44 for 12, $85 for 24, $141 for 40 issues and $183 for 52.

    If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.

    If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today.  With a 40 issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues sent to you today. We’ve got coverage of every major PPV event and world wide spectacular, every major star switching promotions, histories of companies like FMW, Rings and New Japan, retirement and obit issues of every major star who fits into those descriptions over the past 11 years, as well as our biggest issue every year, the annual awards issue, and our most controversial issue of every year, the Hall of Fame issue.

    Click here for the most requested Wrestling Observer back issues.

    SUNDAY DAILY UPDATE

    • I’m sorry for being so shaken last night in the show about Nick Bockwinkel.  Thanks to Bryan for doing a show so quickly after already completing a show.
    • All-time great Nick Bockwinkel passes away
    • Nick Bockwinkel on Hollywood Squares
    • Scott Bowden remembers Bockwinkel and Lawler feud
    • Holly Holm downs Ronda Rousey in major upset
    • Insane Championship Wrestling out of Scotland, the group Grado and Drew Galloway are the big stars of, announced after selling out a 4,000 seat arena today that they are going to take a much bigger step and try and run the 13,000 seat SSE Hydro Arena.
    • Roderick Strong didn’t wrestle last night in the ROH Survival of the Fittest match in Hopkins, MN, due to suffering a concussion in his Friday night match in Milwaukee, from a kick by Cedric Alexander.  The impression we got last night is they don’t think it’s a bad concussion, but it is a concussion and you can’t be risking it.
    • Aside from needing plastic surgery on her lip that was split in two, Ronda Rousey was okay physically last night.  Even though she was knocked out, the reports were that they don’t believe she suffered a concussion.
    • Ronda Rousey got more than 10 million searches on Google this weekend, more than anything but Paris.  Usually that correlates to a buy rate number, which would be through the roof, but in this case I don’t think it predicts anything.  Joanna Jedrzejczyk had 50,000 searches yesterday.
    • After Michael Elgin won Survival of the Fittest, which earns him a title shot, he said he’d like to get the shot in Tokyo.  The plan is for 1/4 at the Tokyo Dome.

    WWE

    • Congratulations to Randy Orton, who got married to Kim Kessler yesterday in Las Vegas.
    • Tickets for the 2/21 Fast Lane PPV in Cleveland at the Quicken Loans Arena go on sale to the public on 11/21.
    • Reader Reed Benson, who lives in mainland China, noted that the CCTV English news channel covered the Wayne Rooney appearance on Raw with King Barrett, on Friday.  Then on Saturday, they showed it again and the anchor said he just wanted to see it again.  Benson said that’s the only two times he’s seen anything wrestling related on CCTV’s news in either English or Chinese.

    UFC

    • Ronda Rousey’s UFC comeback story starts with her desire to write it
    • Joanna Jedrzejczyk suffered a broken hand in the co-main event last night where she defeated Valerie Letourneau​ by decision.
    • On Friday Meredith Vieira on her show talked about the thing in Ronda Rousey’s book about beating up her boyfriend when he shot nudes of her without her knowledge.  She said the UFC should step up and do something and set a precedent like Major League Baseball.
    • In UFC 193 picks, David Bixenspan led the way again with 4-1. Dave Meltzer, Josh Nason, Jack Encarnacao, Front Row Brian, John Pollock, and Mike Sempervive all went 3-2. Steve Juon and Mike Sawyer were each 2-3.
    • Tim Kennedy said he’s positive Vitor Belfort is still using steroids and implies others are as well 
    • Cris Cyborg wasn’t sad last night.  But she probably should have been

    MISCELLANEOUS

    • In honor of Eddy Guerrero, this was his first match on U.S. national TV against Terry Funk.  Funk brought him in to get him a job,and after this match, he didn’t get hired believe it or not
    • Friday night’s Rush vs. La Sombra match
    • Things I wish I hadn’t seen:  “What I really think the world needs is another Holocaust, but this time for the Islams of the world…The ones who REALLY should be extinguished.  HAIL TRUMP.”  That was from Tammy Sytch.  
    • St. Louis Anarchy from last night in Alton, IL:  Christian Rose b Jojo Bravo, Matt Cage b Danny Adams, Trik Davis b Mike Outlaw, Devin & Mason Cutter b Mikey McFinnegan & Zakk Sawyers, DJ Zema Ion b Everett Connors, Jordan Lacey b Gerald James-DQ in a 2/3 fall match, Mat Fitchett won Royal Rumble
    • Here’s a seven-minute Kevin Nash “shoot” interview.
    • St. Louis Anarchy from Friday night in Alton, IL:  Paco Gonzalez b Steve O Reno, Alex Castle b Mike Outlaw, Matt Cage b Trik Davis, Jeremy Wyatt & Christian Rose b Mikey McFinnegan & Zakk Sawyers, Gerald James b Davey Richards to retain title in a 2/3 fall match, Ricky Starks won four-way over Mallaki Matthews, Jordan Lacey and Jay Howard, Davey Vega b DJ Zema Ion, Mat Fitchett b Jojo Bravo, Evan Gelistico & Adam Caster & Danny Adams & Everett Connors b Devin & Mason Cutter & Alexandre Rudolph & Jake Parnell-DQ (thanks to Patrick Brandmeyer)
    • Santana Garrett retained her NWA women’s title today in Tokyo at Korakuen Hall over Holidead on the Stardom show.  It was the first time the NWA women’s title was defended in Japan in a long time.  One report dated it back to when Moolah went, and I don’t think Moolah went after the late 60s.   Results saw Jungle Kyouna b Morno Watanabe, Haruka Kato & Saori Anou b Hiromi Mimura & Starlight Kid, Act Yasukawa & Kris Wolf & Kyoko Kimura b Alex Lee & Datura & Kaori Yoneyama, Kairi Hojo b Mika Iwata, Io Shirai retained her Wonder of Stardom title over Sendai Sachiko, Meiko Satomura retaied her World of Stardom title over Mayu Iwatani via ref stoppage after she passed out from a choke (thanks to Al Haft)
    • Acclaim Pro Wrestling on 11/21 in Ottawa at the SPK Dom Polski Polish Combatants Centre
    • Lucha Toronto on 1/24 in Scarborough, ONT at 3107 Danforth Ave. with L.A. Park, Pantera, El Hijo del Pantera and Lince Dorado.
    • Chaos for Canines on 11/22 at 2 p.m. in Toronto at the Longbranch Legion.
    • CWF on 11/20 at the Mid Atlantic Sportatorium in Gibsonville, NC with Shane Helms, appearing for a meet and greet and a 2/3 fall triathlon match.
    • Lucha Xtreme from last night on Fresno TV:  Guerrero de la Muerta b Jesse Poole, La Mascara (not the CMLL wrestler) b Chad Dougals, Mortal b Brandon Groom to win the Lucha Extreme title.  Next TV taping is Saturday in Merced, CA at the American Legion Post at 939 W. Main St. at 5 p.m.
    • Main Event Wrestling in Rushton, LA last night before 350 fans with Drew Gulak and Timothy Thatcher.  Action Jackson b Soldier Ant, Safari b Devyn, Manimal b Rodney Mack, Matt Justice b Raphael King, Chase Stevens & Cassidy Riley b Timothy Thatcher & Drew Gulak, Big Daddy Yumyum b Moonshine Mansell (thanks to Charles Humprhreys)
    • Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling from last night in Swansea, IL before 400 fans:  Barracus b Brent Meyers, Gunner b Jimmy D, Sean Vincent & Chas Wesson b Bubba Troll & Curtis Wylde, Jake Dirden DDQ Ax, Chris Hargas & Brandon Espinosa b Bobby D & Ironman Ken Kasa, Bobby D won Battle Royal, Flash Flanagan b Gary Jackson-COR (thanks to Larry Matysik)
    • Maryland Championship Wrestling from last night in Joppa, MD:  Bruiser b Fenix Fury, Kai Katana b Hoss Hagood, Hell Cats won three-way over Punk Rock All-Stars and Dixon Line, Renee Michelle b Tessa Blanchard, Eddie Smooth b Bo Nekoda, Eric Chapel & Dirty Money b C-Fed & G-Fed, Mickie James b Amber Rodriguez in a loser leaves town match, King McBride b Brandon Scott.  Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, JJ Dillon and Baby Doll were there talking about their memories of their days wrestling in Baltimore.  They have shows on 12/4 in Felton, DE at the Delaware Auto Exchange with Mick Foley and The Headbangers, and 12/26 in Joppa, MD at the MCW Arena with Chyna, Ethan Carter III and Ashley Massaro.
    • UPW November to Dismember in Rochester, NY from last night:  Ryan Cassidy b Jordan Falco, Marc Hauss b Carter Mason, Cheech b Kevin Bennett, Ethan Page b Coconut Jones, Tigerslayer 08 b Home Wreckers and Rochester Wrecking Crew in three-way to win tag titles, Lionel Knight b Space Monkey, Venomous NC Rik Matrix, Mattlick NC Cloudy, Professor Wessler & Dewey Lee & Chip Stetson & LaDiva & Eric Rosecroft b Victor Lord & Ron Falco & Thomas Torrens & Yamaraj & Dave Jacobs in a Survivor Series match, Maximo Suave b Tito Santana-DQ (thanks to Todd Brantley)   
    • Kevin Nash interview

    ON THIS DAY IN PRO WRESTLING HISTORY INTERNATIONAL (thanks to Graeme Cameron)

    1947 – Bert Assirati beat The French Angel in London to win the European version of the world heavyweight title

    1967 – Al Hayes (Lord Alfred Hayes) beat Bruno Elrington in a tournament in London to win the Southern Area heavyweight title

    1996 – Emilio Charles Jr. & Rey Bucanero beat Hector Garza & Mr. Niebla in Mexico City to win the CMLL Gran Alternative tournament

    2001 – Mima Shimoda & Etsuko Mita beat Rie Tamada & Gami in Chicago to win the UWA womens’ tag tiltes.

  • UFC 193 Fan Feedback

    Hi Dave,

    I was at Etihad Stadium for UFC 193 today and saw the whole show from the first fight.  A long day and the Struve fight took the wind out of the sails, but everyone left buzzed after the main event.

    Thumbs up, even without the historical main event.

    Best Fight: Ronda & Holly

    Worst Fight: Struve & Rosholt (although at times this looked more like training and sparring)

    Prior to the main event I wasn’t sure what I thought he best fight was, as there were several goods ones and several impressive performances, particularly from Nguyen, Matthews and Whittaker.  The co-main event was also very good, although there was a mexican wave during round 4 for some reason.

    Holly’s performance was stunning and near faultless.  To see it unfold, see Ronda start to succumb to damage and fatigue and culminate in the KO was amazing.  At the end of round 1 it looked like Ronda was in big trouble, but you still never bet against a champion with a reign like hers.  Holly winning felt like a feel good moment too and the place erupted.  This was a fight we won’t be forgetting.

    Crowd reactions were good all day, although there were a few flat spots, so will be interesting to see how that translated to TV.  Ronda got the biggest reaction for the day, but the biggest overall reaction was the finish to the main event and then the start of Holly’s interview.  We couldn’t hear what she was saying at first.

    Daniel Arnephy

    UFC 193

    Thumbs Up. This event didn’t have a classic back-and-fort fight but from a historical standpoint (first show on that part of the world, massive attendance, and the end of Ronda’s streak) this was a classic show. Saw the event at a local bar and like Ronda’s last few matches the place was packed with more women than ever. She, Floyd Mayweather and maybe Miguel Cotto, are the only ones who moves the needle that way, and the other two don’t draw as much young-single women. As for the future I think that UFC just hit the lottery; instead of just having Ronda vs. Cyborg as the next big fight, now they have all kinds of potential ones: Rousey vs. Holm 2 (UFC 200 with Ronda talking more than ever), Rousey vs. Cyborg (who now looks like the biggest idiot because of all the wasted opportunities to make the weight and face Ronda), and Cyborg vs. Holm, plus all the future combinations out of those matches. Fedor, Silva, Barao, and now Ronda; Aldo next?

    Best Fight: Holm vs Rousey. Just because of the result. The reaction to that result was like when Lesnar beat Undertaker at Mania, total disbelieve. As to why it happened is anyone’s guess. Holm played her plan perfectly; Ronda walked into Holm’s forte instead of insist on her clinch and ground game strength. Also, and this is just trying to find out something where there is nothing, on the weigh-in Ronda looked skinnier than ever and in the fight she looked bigger than ever; maybe that weight change has something to do with her less than stellar performance. Again, Holm fought the perfect fight, so she deserves all the credit. 

    Best KO: Holm. Her name is Holly and she’s “The Preacher’s Daughter”, so maybe it was a miracle; we’ll see at the rematch.

    Leonardo II Mendez

    San Sebastian, PR

    Dave,

    I’m not going to get into details about the fight itself but Rousey didn’t look like herself.

    However this was the first UFC PPV I have ever purchased and my wife was just as pumped as I was.

    Thanks

    Craig Staunton

    Thumbs sorta down. Kinda lackluster card, even with the upset. Usual shitty homie local yokel officiating (and production work on this one. Lotta indy mistakes.)

    Best fight: Matthews-Arreola, except the finish.

    Worst fight: Walsh-Kennedy & Rosholt-Struve

    Best performance: Holm

    Worst performance: Rousey

    KO:  Holly (HM to Moontasri)

    Sub: Nguyen by default

    Ben Nguyen remains impressive blowing away Ryan Benoit with a clean quick KD, mount, backtake and RNC. Late sub Anton Zafir gasses doing 1stR top control and James Moontasri coming up from 155 to 170 takes him out with a SBK/SBF combo that breaks some bones. Patrick Walsh and Steve Kennedy go three almost comically inept rounds that have the Ozzie crowd booing both homies. Kennedy loses. Dan Kelly dominates Steve Montgomery early and late and should take a 29-28 and does on all cards. 

    Danny Martinez just too strong for Richie Vaculik and takes a competitive but clear 30-27. Very easy night for Gian Villante, paint job on Anthony Perosh, who suffers his second consecutive quick KO and at 43 might wanna rethink things. Kyle Noke blows Peter Sobotta away, dropping him quickly with a front kick to the floating rib and finishing with G&P. In a smelly finish to the most dramatic and competitive fight of the night, veteran Akbarh Arreola drops local phenom Jake Matthews with a HK in the 1st and has him in trouble but Matthews survives and finishes the round on top. Matthews gets the early TD in the 2nd and busts Arreola up with elbows till the bell. The Ozzie cut guy doesn’t use the Enswell and the Ozzie doctor stops the fight in the corner with Arreola clearly still able to see out of the eye.

    Jared Rosholt plop and schmops Stefan Struve for 2R then Struve sort of wakes up and probably wins the 3rd. The joint with great force is stunk out. 29-28 UD. Dreadful.

    Uriah Hall steps in late again this time with nothing to gain and everything to lose, having just beaten a much higher profile guy in Mousasi and Robert Whittaker being no gimme. Whittaker keeps Hall off balance most of the fight. Uriah makes a few too many mistakes than you can with this guy. Hall gives his best shot to pulling it out in the 3rd but too little too late. 30-27 or 29-28 and it’s 2 column from A and 1 column B.

    Bigfoot Silva looking visibly aged and Mark Hunt looking comparatively lean, for him. WAY anticlimactic after their war a couple years back as not much action for 3+ minutes then Hunt scores a KD with a right to the temple and the Ozzie ref VERY quick to jump in and stop it. Feh.

    Valerie Latourneau more competitive than expected with Joanna J and stays in the fight all the way. Doesn’t come close to winning but shows JJ may not be as all that as she looked the last couple times out (against smaller fighters, Valerie is bigger.) I had 50-47 (3-0-2 in rounds), cards were 49-46 x 2, 50-45 (VL appeared to at least draw the 1st.)

    The main has already been beat to death so here’s the 20/20 hindsight.  Like I and many others said going in, Holly Holm was the right style to trouble Ronda Rousey. Like was obvious, Ronda wasn’t her usual self mentally or physically. And obviously Holly’s MMA cred was a big question mark. But here’s what the key turned out to be: the assumption going in was was the the question was, has Ronda’s striking improved to the point where she could neutralize Holly’s enough to impose the clinch or ground game where she would have an overwhelming advantage, or rather how long would it take. It turned out that the answer was Holly’s grappling was more than good enough to neutralize Ronda’s and that the overwhelming advantage was Holly’s on the feet, or it was last night anyway. Ronda’s gotten away with that stupid side headlock on everybody else (except McMann blocked it and it didn’t matter anyway). Holly was the first one to use the basic counter every wrestler knows, the Greco Roman Backdrop, successfully. Edmund was no help and Ronda needs better wrestling, better Muay Thai, and somebody in the corner who’ll tell her that she just got her ass kicked when she did, not that she ‘did great’, and that if you’re getting countered to STOP FUCKING LEADING. Bad part for business is obviously that Holly has the personality of Wonder Bread but oh well.

    Crimson Mask

    First…I LOVE HOLLY HOLM!

    Now, onto business… What do you do if you’re UFC? Putting on my Promoter/Fantasy Booker hat for a minute…

    The plans, as I understood them, was to do Rousey V Cyborg at UFC 200 in July. That’s now out the window. So now, it’s the Holly v Ronda rematch/ Scrap that too, and do THIS instead…

    HOLM v CYBORG -and- ROUSEY v CARANO

    –Gina “retired” with 1 loss. Rousey has 1 loss. 
    –Gina was the absolute darling of MMA. But left before the explosion. UFC, open your pocket book/do whatever it takes to compel Gina to come back.
    –Ronda: chance to rehabilitate your holier-than-thou attitude.
    –“Embedded” –and the media of course– could build THIS fight
    to be bigger than an immediate rematch of Rousey v Holm could ever be
    –On the same card, the “indestructible” bad guy (well, bad girl) Cyborg invades to attempt to destroy the now also-seemingly-indestructible-but-everyone’s new darling Holly Holm.
    –The winners face one another later in the year. And oh yeah, now that Rousey is no longer the call-all-the-shots-boss, if weight is an issue –for any of these ladies– go to catch at 140lbs., which is probably better for all 4 anyways.
    –Now, you have a division with real depth and fan and media appeal. And that’s BEFORE you get to Zingano and Meisha (which –all due respect Dana– feels lackluster at this point)

    You’re welcome Dana. If you wanna throw me 10 cents for each PPV buy, I won’t turn it down.

     Rick Bassman

    Good show overall. For what it’s worth the place I watched the fight at tonight had close to about 300 people packed in. Would say 3/4’s of the crowd stood and cheered the finish of the Holm fight. Very few left with their heads down. Hall/Whitaker was my favorite fight aside from the main event 

    Ken Phillibaum

  • Ronda Rousey’s UFC comeback story starts with her desire to write it

    Photo: Getty Images

    If there’s one thing that appeals to us, it’s a comeback story. As much as we like to tear down fame and accomplishment in some bizarre effort to cover up our own inadequacies, we love when someone that’s knocked down gets back up and rages against the dying of the light.

    On this Sunday, there’s no better case for The Great American Comeback Story than with former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.

    Let’s hang on that word: former. We now live in a world where the unthinkable is now reality: Rousey has a loss and a bad one at that. In front of a record 56,214 in Melbourne, Australia, what was hailed as the world’s most dangerous woman got her comeuppance against a woman in Holly Holm that is six years her elder and much less her level of fame. As crisp as Holm looked, Rousey looked as stale. While everything during fight week appeared as normal (even with that odd forced/farced pull-apart at the weigh-ins) something or someone put sugar in the machine’s gas tank.

    In retrospect, we should have expected this at some point. With Rousey’s increased level of celebrity in 2015 came more opportunities for the outside world to creep in through the cracks of what was previously an impenetrable exterior.

    Just look at the level of distraction this year alone: a) a book release, b) appearances in several movies, c) a whole lot of ESPN attention and awards, d) being asked about fighting Floyd Mayweather 10,000 times, e) getting cited by mainstream female stars like Beyonce, f) an appearance on Ellen and other mainstream talk shows, g) her head coach filed for bankruptcy, h) her mother did interviews ripping said coach where she mentioned running over him with a car, i) her relationship with Travis Browne went public, j) she had to defend her name against domestic violence from a past relationship and k) the bulk of the promotional load for three main event PPVs. Looking at all of that, it’s clear that it became too much to bear.

    The Rousey that was knocked silly Saturday wasn’t the Rousey that started off 2015 and, as a result, she is now without a giant piece of metal and leather. Just as she was about to nearly fully escape the MMA bubble most of us exist in, the cold hand of reality grabbed her ankle and pulled her back down with the rest of us. She’s still a professional fighter — even if her agents and PR people are likely hoping for otherwise.

    So, now what?

    The prevailing thought is Rousey disappears for months and we get an early springtime announcement of a rematch with Holm at July’s UFC 200. While she will have shed off many of the fringe fans who like their stars perfect and without tarnish, the thought of Rousey coming back with something to prove has got to be tantalizing for Dana White & crew.

    Depending on where we’re at when/if that fight gets announced, she should be favored. However, while we can expect that Rousey will be as motivated to get her title back as we think she should be, eight months is a long time away. A second loss would be devastating and a major setback to any Hollywood hopes. Her handlers have no doubt done a risk assessment, and perhaps they are saying, “Enough’s enough. If we’re going to do this movie thing, now’s the time.” They also might suggest that a big win in a Holm rematch would make her an even bigger star.

    That’s the risk with athletes who want to go outside their lane and be known for more than what brought them to the dance to begin with. Dwight Howard famously wanted to go to the L.A. Lakers so he could branch into movies and entertainment. One less-than-thrilling season later, he found himself in Houston far away from the bright lights. It’s tough to be truly great at one thing, much less two. Look at today’s top tier athletes and compare their level of focus for their primary sport and what else they could be doing. There’s a big difference between building a brand vs. being a champion, and doing both extremely well.

    If Rousey truly wants to be known as an all-time great fighter, she’s got to focus on doing just that and reclaim all that was lost in Australia. UFC legend Georges St. Pierre provided the blueprint as he won 12 straight over six years with nine title defenses to close out his career (we think) after being embarrassed in a TKO loss to Matt Serra in 2007. But GSP didn’t have machinations at being a pop culture icon as he was doing it. He simply wanted to win fights, and to be the best. Does Rousey still want that?

    Especially in Hollywood, there’s nothing better than a comeback story. Rousey can literally write her’s in the blood of her opponents, but only if she truly is motivated to pick up the pen.

  • Daily pro wrestling history (11/15): The Rock wins vacant WWF Title

    1951

    Kansas City, Kansas: Attendance was 3,200 (sellout)
    – Buddy Rogers beat Roy Graham in 2 out of 3 falls
    – Heart of America Champion: Jimmy Coffield and Dennis Clary went to a 45 minute draw

    1954 

    Edmonton, Alberta, Canada:
    – Tex McKenzie & Ilio DiPaolo defeated Tiny & Al Mills to win the NWA Canadian Tag Team Title 

    1955

    Minneapolis, Minnesota:
    – Verne Gagne beat Kinji Shibuya by countout
    – Red Bastien beat Duke DeMetri

    1962

    Kansas City, Kansas:
    – Bob Orton defeated Roy Collins
    – Bob Geigel & Lee Henning defeated Matt Jewell & Sonny Myers in three falls
    – Tiny Mills fought Red Bastien to a no contest
    – Pat O’Connor fought Bob Ellis to a draw in three falls

    1972

    Honolulu, Hawaii:
    – Ed Francis & Billy Robinson beat Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens in 2 out of 3 falls to win AWA Tag Team Title (Title change only  
      recognized in Honolulu)
    – Dusty Rhodes beat Sam Steamboat in 2 out of 3 falls to win North American title
    – Giant Baba beat Bulldog Brown dq 
    – Lonnie Mad Dog Mayne beat Jack Carson
    – Tony Borne drew Ray Glenn

    1973

    Kansas City, Kansas:
    – Mike George & Jim Brunzell fought Baron Scicluna & Bob Orton ton a draw
    – Kit Conway defeated Bob Brown via DQ
    – Steve Bolus & Gentleman Ben the Wrestling Bear defeated Tokyo Joe & Taro Kabayoshi
    – Roger Kirby & Lord Alfred Hayes defeated Jose Rivera & Black Angus
    – Harley Race defeated Dory Funk, Jr. in three falls

    Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada:
    – No dq Match: Superstar Billy Graham beat the Crusher
    – Billy Robinson & Geoff Portz beat Larry Heiniemi & Buddy Wolff
    – Mad Dog Vachon beat Reggie Parks
    – Rene Goulet drew Billy Red Cloud
    – Greg Gagne beat Ric Flair

    1976 

    Augusta, Georgia:
    – Dick Slater defeated Mr. Wrestling #2 to win the Georgia Heavyweight Title 

    Omaha, Nebraska:
    – No dq Match: The Crusher beat Baron Von Raschke
    – Pierre Poisson beat Peter Maivia (sub Greg Gagne)
    – Jim Brunzell beat Bobby Duncum
    – Pedro Morales beat Moose Morowski

    – Greg Valentine defeated Tim Woods to win the NWA Mid-Atlantic Television Title

    1977 
    Macon, Georgia:
    – Tommy Rich & Tony Atlas defeated Jacques Goulet & Ole Anderson to win the Georgia Tag Team Titles 

    1983 

    Allentown, Pennsylvania:
    – Tony Atlas & Rocky Johnson defeated The Samoans (Afa & Sika) for the WWF World Tag Team Titles 

    1985

    Denver, Colorado: (Attendance was 7,500)
    – Road Warriors drew Fabulous Freebirds
    – AWA Champion Rick Martel drew Stan Hansen
    – AWA Tag Team Champions Jim Garvin & Steve Regal beat Fabulous Ones

    1989

    Troy, New York:
    – Ric Flair defeated Terry Funk in an “I Quit” match
    – The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane) defeated The Dynamic Dudes (Johnny Ace & Shane Douglas) 
    – Rick & Scott Steiner defeated The Skyscrapers (Dan Spivey & Sid Vicious) via DQ

    1998 

    St. Louis, Missouri:
    – The Rock defeated Mankind to win the vacant WWF Championship in the finals of a one night tournament

    2009

    Orlando, Florida:
    – TNA Champion AJ Styles defeated Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels to retain the title
    – Kurt Angle defeated Desmond Wolfe (Nigel McGuinness)
    – Scott Steiner defeated Bobby Lashley in a no DQ street fight

  • WWE Superstars results: Fandango comes ‘home’, Dudleys team with Ryback

    The Big Takeaway:

    The Manchester crowd made this show infinitely better. Fandango was like a hometown hero in his win over Bo Dallas and The Dudley Boyz and Ryback were hugely entertaining in their win against The Ascension and Stardust.

    Show recap:

    Fandango beat Bo Dallas (3:48)

    Fandango comes out to a huge pop with literally everyone doing the Fandango; to the untrained eye, you’d think he was one of biggest stars in this company. It must have been a gigantic ego boost for him. They lock up and Dallas locks in a headlock. They chain until Dallas runs into a drop kick. They lock up again and this time Dallas slips round and uses an O’Connor roll for a two count and this means its victory lap time. Of course, it is scouted by Fandango who clotheslines Dallas out of his boots.

    Back in the ring, Dallas uses the top rope to choke Fandango, hits a big clothesline for two and then starts working him over with knees to the back. Dallas puts on a rear chin lock and Fandango is able to get out with a side suplex. Fandango then gets the heat with clotheslines and uses his newly acquired Randy Orton scoop slam. Fandango then goes up top and they tease the superplex but Dallas is fought off and Fandango hits The Last Dance for the win. The finish was kind of out of nowhere, but the match was never going to live up to that stellar reaction.

    The Dudley Boyz & Ryback beat The Ascension & Stardust Neville (7:43)

    This is all very whacky, but it sort of works and this is the ideal show for it. In the markets that this still gets TV airtime, this is very much aimed at the younger demos and so, no, we didn’t get tables. Konnor and D-Von lock up, “we want tables” chants immediately echo around the arena. Bubba Ray then tags in and runs right into a big boot. Konnor tags in Stardust, who ceremoniously strips off his glove and uses it to slap Bubba Ray round the face. This act of heinous disrespect makes Bubba Ray so mad that he hip tosses Stardust and then does the Dusty elbow on him, complete with Dusty moves and gyrations. This was great. Then the ring fills, and The Dudleys hit the 3D on Viktor and the babyfaces stand tall as we go to a break.

    When we get back, D-Von and Stardust are in and D-Von now plays babyface in peril for some time. Viktor blind tags in to take out D-Von and stomps away on him. Konnor comes in and they double team on D-Von. Konnor then works over D-Von in their corner until Stardust comes in to take over with kicks and stomps on him. Stardust leaps outside and teases going for a table, mockingly whipping the apron up and miming looking for one. He then comes off the top rope with a double axe handle. Then he knocks Bubba Ray off the apron but then runs into D-Von who uses a backbreaker and is finally able to give the hot tag to Ryback.

    Ryback takes out everyone, Viktor and stardust take press slams and Konnor takes a huge powerbomb. All three do the “feed me more” together while the numbskull heels get to their feet and stagger into triple meat hook clothes. Then they do the Whassup on Viktor followed by a crowd lead “D-Von, get the tables!” They hit the 3D on Viktor for the win. This was goofy, house show fun in front of a great crowd. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

  • 5 things you may not know about WWE’s Robbie Brookside

    By Alan Boon for WrestlingObserver.com

    One of the more fascinating aspects of WWE’s new reality show Breaking Ground is the appearance of the trainers: seasoned grapplers performing in front of the cameras in a whole new way. One of the WWE Performance Center’s faculty who may be unfamiliar to some American viewers is Robbie Brookside, a long-time face on the British wrestling scene, who spanned the transition from the old ITV television days of Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks to the current, thriving scene.

    Here are five things about Robbie Brookside that you may not know:

    1) He could have been professional soccer player.

    Brookside’s father played as a goalkeeper for Preston North End, a former powerhouse of the English game. He encouraged his son to follow in his footsteps and the younger Brookside was a prodigious talent, catching the eye of scouts on his native Merseyside. But wrestling got under his skin after a trip to Liverpool Stadium, a famous old boxing venue in the city, and he began training in secret at the Liverpool Olympic Wrestling Club. He was sent to Blackpool to begin his career, where he met a young grappler by the name of Regal.

    2) He and William Regal have worked together before.

    Brookside formed a tag-team with Regal – then known as Steve Regal – called the Golden Boys, working for British mainstay Brian Dixon’s All-Star Wrestling. Their most infamous bout came in the dying days of British wrestling on ITV, when they faced the legendary Kendo Nagasaki and “Rock & Roll Express” Blondie Barrett. Yes, a man named after a tag-team. During the match, Brookside unmasked Nagasaki, who then fixed his gaze upon the young grappler, hypnotising him into attacking Regal, his own partner. It would be Nagasaki’s last appearance on TV and the show itself was cancelled two months later.

    3) Breaking Ground isn’t his US TV debut.

    After his tag-team with Regal ended, Brookside teamed up with Ian “Doc” Dean as the Liverpool Lads. In the mid-1990s, Regal invited the pair over to WCW where they spent six months as enhancement talent, racking up a dozen appearances on WCW Saturday Night, WCW Main Event, and a solitary appearance on WCW Nitro, where Brookside lost a WCW Cruiserweight title match to Dean Malenko. The hook-up even extended to a short stay in New Japan Pro Wrestling, where they took part on the 1997 Best Of The Super Juniors tournament.

    4) Breaking Ground isn’t even his first reality TV show.

    In 1993, Brookside was invited to record a video diary for a BBC2 series imaginatively-titled Video Diaries. The hour-long show revealed British wrestling in one of its down periods, and a visit to Regal in Florida – made before he got Brookside into WCW – reveals the stark difference between wrestling life in the two countries. Brookside also detailed his love for heavy metal music and showed him on tour in Germany, a popular destination for British wrestlers during that time. The show is available on YouTube.

    5) He’s been training wrestlers for a while now.

    Brookside opened his own training school in the UK — Wrestleicester — in 2006. Among his graduates, who were taught a style which was based in the British hold-and-reversal catch wrestling style, are Becky Lynch and his own daughter, Xia, who has recently moved over to Orlando to further her nascent career. In addition, Brookside worked as a talent scout for WWE in Europe before moving to the Performance Center in 2013.

    *****

    Brookside should become something of a cult figure on Breaking Ground with his no-nonsense approach to life. If ever a man were going to call a spade a spade, it’s Brookside, only he’d probably do it in a more sweary, British-accented way. The talent that graduates from NXT will do so with a healthy respect for the professional wrestling business, instilled in them by one of the last of the old school of the British wrestlers, even if – and I know from bitter, personal experience – he doesn’t put much stock in the “wrestler’s handshake”!

  • All-time great Nick Bockwinkel passes away

    Nick Bockwinkel, one of the greatest pro wrestlers of the last 50 years, passed away a few hours ago just shy of his 81st birthday.

    Bockwinkel, whose father was noted pro wrestler Warren Bockwinkel, started pro wrestling in the mid-1950s after losing his football career at the University of Oklahoma ended due to a knee injury.  He was a star on the West Coast first, and traveled all over the world for 32 years as a headliner.

    He was most famous in the AWA.  He arrived there around 1970 and quickly became the go-to heavyweight singles heavyweight main eventer, and the main rival of Verne Gagne, the owner and perennial champion, for a decade.  He held the AWA title on four occasions, most notably from 1975 to 1980, and again from 1981 to 1984.  He was also AWA tag team champion three times, with Ray Stevens, in what was generally considered the best tag team unit of the 70s.

    Bockwinkel took the AWA title out of just the Midwest and wrestled all over the country as champion, including places like Houston, San Antonio, Stampede Wrestling and Memphis, where the title became as big or bigger than the NWA title.

    Bockwinkel was a pro’s pro in every way, a masterful worker, great promo, who carried himself like a champion at all times, even well into his 50s.  Bockwinkel was just of his 52nd birthday when he had his 60 minute draw with Curt Hennig on ESPN that was one of the best matches of the 80s.

    On a personal level, Nick was one of the great teachers and philosophers in this business and the amount that I learned from him can never to put into words.  It was very sad the past year when this brilliant performer was battling memory issues and hearing about his last public appearance at the Cauliflower Alley Club this past year. Bockwinkel was the longtime President of the Club before giving up his duties due to health issues over the past year.