United Wrestling League (4/4): Live PPV Report!

Our ringside analyst Larry Goodman was on hand when the United Wrestling League taped its second online PPV. Find out about all the angles and action!

United Wrestling League taped their second internet PPV event Friday night in Cleveland, Tennessee at the Village Green Playhouse.

It will be available at www.unitedwrestling.net starting at 7:30pm EST Saturday.

On this night, The UWL looked like a surefire losing proposition. They produced a show with few redeeming qualities and a lot of strong negatives - not enough talented performers, uninspired if not downright counterproductive booking, and only 115 in the house. There was little to compel fans of indie wrestling to shell out money for the PPV. It was a poor follow up to their first show, which wasn’t exactly gangbusters, but did have its moments. Two of the key players from that show, Bull Buchanan and Bulldog Raines were not on the card. Buchanan is in Japan. I don’t know about Raines.

On the plus side, visually, PPV#2 should be tons better than the first one. They picked a perfect venue. The Playhouse is like an upscale TV studio. Excellent lighting. Plenty of close ups. If only they could have packed the place, which holds maybe 250. The West family has got to be discouraged drawing so badly in their hometown.

In a mind boggling attempt to turn back the clock, they decided to forgo entrance music. I’m all about old school, but it’s a concept that spells doom when 90% of your fans have never seen wrestlers enter without it.

Ole Anderson was introduced by Steve Hartline from FM 104.1 in Cleveland. It dawned on me that Ole’s commentary was possibly the most interesting thing about the PPV, and I couldn’t hear a word he was saying. I loved Hartline’s voice. He sounded a lot like Bill Mercer from World Class. Anderson shared the color commentary duties with Hartline. Michael St. John was back as the lead commentator. The show opened with three “pregame” matches. They made end up using some of this footage to fill out the 2 hours of PPV time.

(1) Derrick King beat Casey Kage in 4:18. King’s performance was the most entertaining thing about this show. He knows how to connect with the crowd and bring out the hate. Kage debuted in the role of the hometown hero. Kage has good size but lacks the physique and athleticism for the spot. King was screaming like a girl as Kage tossed him around. King ridiculed Cleveland as he beat up on Kage. A fan threatened to slap King and his woman. “If you only knew,” said King. Kage came back and mounted the ropes for the 10 punches. King cut Kage off nine and pinned him with his feet on the ropes. Kade was seeing red.

King backdropped Kage over the top and strapped him with a belt - solid licks that produced some nice welts. Kage fired up. King got even more wide-eyed than usual and ran away. Kage vowed to get a piece of King before the night was over. To me, this segment made Kage look like an imbecile.

(2) Stan Lee beat Johnny Rokk (with Jack Lord) in 10:46. Coming off wining the Ultimate Wrestler tournament on the first PPV, this match was designed to get Lee over as the athletically superior babyface. The crowd got behind Lee after an impressive series of armdrags. Some of Lee’s stuff looks really good and some not so much. This match had more high spots than any of the PPV bouts. At one point, Lee took a high angle bump on his neck off a lariat. Rokk hit a top rope lariat and took forever to make the cover. Rook took forever and missed a top rope splash. Lee made the big comeback and won it with his trademark running SSP.

Wicked Nemesis came out and said Lee was not the Ultimate Wrestler because he needed help from Raines. Lee said he earned that title and Raines stole his medal. Orion Bishop joined Nemesis. Lee invited Bishop into the ring. Nemesis told Bishop to wait. Bishop didn’t listen and ate a spinkick for his troubles.

(3) Don Buchanan beat Cameron Valentine via DQ when Lords of the Ring interfered at 3:27. Lord and Rokk came out with Valentine. I liked Valentine. His gimmick is a complete ripoff of Greg, but it’s so well done as to be a fitting tribute. Why Lord has completely different guys in his stable from the first show was never explained. Perhaps they covered it in a backstage interview. Davey Rich (David Haskins) and Damon Taz came out with Buchanan to clear the ring. Referee Gene Johnson sent the other four guys to the back. Good brawl. Valentine shrugged off a dropkick and went for a piledriver but Buchanan blocked it. Buchanan started jack hammering Valentine bigtime. Don’s training with Bull is paying off. His stuff looked good. The other Lords hit the ring and they put the boots to Buchanan until Rich and Taz made the save.

“Nature Boy” Kevin White cut a promo saying he was not a “walk behind.” He was sick of Bill Dundee and it was time for “the natch.” It’s sacrilegious for that term to be applied to anyone but Flair this week. Dundee came out and said the only thing that was bothering White was his ego.

Michael St. John and Ole Anderson did the intro for the PPV. The crowd, which was mostly dead until now, was more lively going forward. The Wrestlemania after glow was evident, as there several times when the kids in the crowd were calling for a superkick.

(4) Casey Kage beat Sky Adams (with Derrick King) in 10:08. Kage was thwarted by King’s constant interference, which allowed Adams to control the body of the match. Still, Adams is a jobber type, and if they want to push Kage as a babyface, it shouldn’t have taken him 10 minutes to beat a guy like that. Adams rammed into the turnbuckle and Kage made a careless pin, not even bothering to hook the leg. Adams was so close the corner that he had to avoid putting his foot on the ropes.

Kage chased King into the ring, but before he could do any damage to King, Adams grabbed him by the leg. King strapped Kage again and put some more welts on him.

(5) Davey Rich beat Derrick King in 5:45. A fine match. Rich looked very good here. Kage came to ringside all in a huff and got dragged to the back by the refs. King attacked before Rich could take off his ring jacket. Rich gave King an atomic drop, and King took a ridiculously exaggerated bump through the ropes. Rich speared the post. King turned Rich inside out with a lariat. Great old school punch series by King with Rich snapping his head back with each blow. King hit a DDT and went for the pin with feet on the ropes again. Not this time. Rich roared back pinning King with a fisherman suplex.

King strapped Rich with the belt and announced “Derrick by God greater than great King” as the winner.

(6) Davey Rich & Don Buchanan beat Lords of the Ring (Johnny Rokk & Cameron Valentine with Jack Lord) 2 out of 3 falls in a total time of 16:33. Match started with Taz as Buchanan’s partner. Rokk took all the punishment. Rokk mule kicked Buchanan in the groin, and Valentine tagged in for the glory. Solid offense from Valentine. Taz saved after a top rope elbow. Hot tag and Taz cleaned house. Taz had Rokk pinned with a stiff kick the the face, but Lord distracted the ref. Not to be denied, Taz pinned Valentine with a powerslam variation at 8:47. Taz got dumped by Valentine. As Buchanan was beating the crap out of Valentine, Lord used a chair on Taz. Valentine then pinned Taz with a neckbreaker in 3:09. Rich and Lee came out to check on Taz, who was injured. Taz was carried out on a backboard. Buchanan wailed away on Valentine, gamely fighting on against the odds. Rich replaced Taz. Hot tag. Bumps all around as Lords did a nice job feeding for Rich. Buchanan hit a middle rope facebuster on Valentine, and Johnson made a fast three count.

(7) Stan Lee vs. Orion Bishop (with Wicked Nemesis) ended in a disputed decision where both men scored pinfalls (11 minutes). Best match of the night. Lee opened hot. Bishop bailed after taking a huracanrana, and Lee scored a near fall after a barrage of stiff kicks. Lee attempted a high crossbody that Bishop converted into a fallaway slam to turn the tide. A series of reversals ended with a devastating wheelbarrow uranage by Bishop. Bishop used a dragon sleeper. There was a weird looking spot where Bishop got dropped on his arm. Lee countered a powerbomb with a triangle choke, but Bishop powerbombed his way out of it. Bishop came up selling the arm and was slow to cover. Referee Joe Evans got bumped. Bishop clocked Lee with a chain he got from Nemesis. No ref to count. Lee nailed a variation of the Phenomenon, the moonsault into a reverse DDT that A. J. Styles uses. Lee hit the running SSP, sort of, and referee Daniel Brooks hit the ring to make the three count. Brooks raised Lee’s hand. Bishop then put Lee’s lights out with the chain, and Evans came around to make the count on Lee. Evan declared Bishop the winner. The referees argued back and forth. Hartline said the decision would be left up to “the committee.”

(8) Kevin White beat Bill Dundee in 12:13. Dundee wore a full bodysuit. He was more over than I expected for a 64 year-old main event babyface. Not much of a match, but it did have decent heat. It was mostly stalling mixed with comedy. The fans made fun of White’s penis size. Dundee then distracted the ref and stomped his tiny nuts. White took over. Lord came to ringside. Shoulder block collision and both men down. Lord held a chair up for Dundee (huh?). White shot Dundee off into the chair and pinned him.

Postmatch, the Lords attacked White. Then they attacked Dundee. Valentine went to piledrive Dundee but White made the save. White and Dundee still weren’t best buddies. Dundee yelled at White for disrespecting Anderson. “He’s Mr. Anderson to you.” Dundee said Ole and Gene were as bad a tag team as there ever was.

The crowd cheered for Anderson. Ole said he appreciated the response but he kind of missed being booed, so the crowd booed him.

NOTES: April 26 was announced as the return date in Cleveland at the Village Green Playhouse. No matches or talent mentioned in connection with that date…Ron West was not at the show because it was the first night of the circus season, which stretches from now through November – seven days a week, two shows per day and three on Saturday.

– Larry Goodman
lagoodman@ aol.com
(4/6/8)

Shannon: Post-WrestleMania Thoughts!

Our resident philosopher, Jay Shannon, gives his after-thoughts on the “Grand-daddy of them all”, Wrestlemania..

Well, Wrestlemania has come and gone. There were some serious swerves, but most of the matches were extremely predictable. In this edition of HeadLocker, I want to run down the results and my reactions to the booking.

Wrestlemania 24 Man Battle Royal

This match was a free “gift” to the fans. It had very few actual ECW stars battling to win a chance at the ECW World title. My original prediction was that Tommy Dreamer would help Colin Delaney win the battle royal. Colin wasn’t even in the match.

Kane has been on a major push, lately. He faced off against a few challenges and a ton of cannon fodder. In the end, the Big Red Machine took the win.

Grade: B

Kane d Chavo Guerrero
ECW Championship Match

This was absurd. Kane strolled in, hit a Chokeslam and walked out as the champion. That showed just how little ECW means to WWE. While Kane probably deserved the title after so many years of dedicated service, Chavo should have been allowed to put up some kind of a fight.

Grade: D

Beth Phoenix & Melina d Ashley & Maria
Bunnymania Lumberjill Match

I expected very little from this match and I wasn’t disappointed. Santino got his butt kicked by Jerry Lawler. Snoop Dogg acted like a moron. I question why he is considered such a celebrity. In the end, Beth surprised the critics and took the pin with her finisher, The Fisherman Buster. This was supposed to be a shocker, but no one cared.

Grade: C

Batista d Umaga
Brand Supremacy Match

The biggest surprise in this match was that the crowd cheered for Umaga and booed Batista. I expect a major face turn for Umaga. I’m hoping that he will take the title from Orton, but I doubt that it will happen. Batista should probably challenge Kane for the ECW title. If Batista could take that, then he and Undertaker could square off in a Unification Match at One Night Stand.

The battle was actually pretty good. Both men used a slew of brutal moves to try and destroy each other. Batista finally took the win over Umaga to the anger of the crowd.

Grade: B

JBL d Finlay
Belfast Brawl

This match was so completely mis-booked. JBL dominated Finlay and pinned him clean after the Clothesline From Hell. While Finlay losing wasn’t a surprise, the way that JBL totally dominated this match was disappointing. Finlay deserved so much better.

Grade: C

C.M. Punk d Shelton Benjamin, Chris Jericho, MVP, John Morrison, Mr. Kennedy and Carlito

Money in the Bank match

This one was so full of surprises and close calls. My original pick for this match was C.M. Punk. I hit the nail right on the head with that pick. No one was more surprised than I was. It seemed logical that one of the Raw or Smackdown stars would get the win. I picked with my heart more than with my head.

MVP might have had the win, if not for Matt Hardy rushing the ring to take out the US titleholder. All of the participants in this match looked good. In the end, it came down to Jericho and Punk. Punk got his tattooed fingers on the case just a split-second before a trapped Y2J could free himself from the ladder. Now, Punk gets his choice of a title shot. Most people might think that he will go after Kane to regain his ECW title. I’m hoping he chooses Orton. I’d love to see him, not Triple H or Cena, end Orton’s title reign.

Grade: A

Floyd Mayweather d Big Show
“Anything Goes” Match

This match was an even bigger waste than the LT/Bigelow match of so many years ago. As expected, Mayweather got the win. He used Gold-Plated Brass Knuckles to knock out Show.

What did this do for Mayweather? Well, it sent him home with $20 Million in his pocket (allegedly). As far as his career, it didn’t really do anything for it. They pushed the fact that Mayweather was risking his career by taking this match. The only way that Mayweather would have been hurt in this one would be if he was too stupid to know how to work a match. I was ready for that, but it didn’t happen.

Rumors were hot that Khali would interfere and cost Show the match. This could have set up a Battle of the Giants, but the writers chose not to go that way. This match didn’t mean a thing. It was more of a waste-of-time filler match than Bunnymania. At least Bunnymania had the ring surrounded by beautiful women. Moneymania was just a disgrace that should have never been booked. Shame on you, WWE.

Grade: F-

Shawn Michaels d Ric Flair
Career-Threatening (and Ending) Match

From one extreme to another, this match is almost a dead-lock for this year’s Match of the Year. This match was the most anticipated match on the card. People were solidly behind the “Nature Boy” in this one. Flair put on one of the best matches of his 35-year career on Sunday.

Shawn had the chance to end the match, early on, with Sweet Chin Music but he held back. That almost cost him the win. Ric talked with Shawn at various times during the match. It was unclear what was being said, but Shawn’s mindset seemed to change. In the end, Shawn whispered “I’m Sorry…I love you”. Shawn then used Sweet Chin Music to “pull the trigger” on Flair’s career. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as Shawn was announced as the winner. It was expected that Shawn would end up as a heel, but he will likely stand as a stronger face than ever.

Grade: A+

Randy Orton d John Cena & Triple H
Triple Threat WWE Title Match

Just about everyone expected Triple H to win this one. A few thought that maybe Cena might sneak in and take the title. No one expected Orton to retain. Orton surprised the wrestling world when he allowed Triple H to take out Cena with the Pedigree. Just as Triple H was going for the pin, Orton shocked everyone and hit his Running Boot to Triple H’s head to keep the gold.

This match was good. Each man was able to highliight his skill set. None of the three have anything to be upset about. I can only imagine that Punk is being prepared as the next challenger for Orton. I’d like to see Punk battle Orton and take the title. Punk could then run a series of matches against Carlito, Santino, Kennedy and others before facing off against either Cena or Triple H at Summerslam. While I questioned the booking, at first, I now feel that it might have been a good choice.

Grade: B+

Undertaker d Edge
World Title v Unbeaten Streak

This match was the number two match of the night, behind Flair and Shawn. Edge is the second most successful performer at Wrestlemania. The only man that is more successful is Undertaker.

As expected, Edge brought the troops with him. Ryder and Hawkins and Vickie all tried to help Edge retain. In the end, Taker took out the former Major Brothers with ease. Vickie was completely neutralized by the “Dead Man”.

Edge seemed to have the match won when he Speared Undertaker. Undertaker locked in a Submission Choke and Edge had no choice but to tap out. Not only had the Dead Man won his 6th World title, he had also forced Edge to submit. That added insult was the revenge that Undertaker had waited almost a year to attain.

Grade A

Final Grade: C+

Final Thoughts:

Wrestlemania XXIV was a rollercoaster ride of highs and lows. Shawn/Flair and Undertaker/Edge were amazing. Mayweather/Show, Kane/Chavo and Bunnymania were pathetic. Am I kicking myself that I didn’t spend the $55+ for the broadcast? No, I’m pleased that I resisted the temptation. I will rent the video when it hits the streets. I applaud the main four men on the card. As for the rest, learn from Shawn, Flair, Undertaker and Edge. Watching them in action will help you to become better wrestlers. Edge just earned his spot in the Hall of Fame, in my opinion. Shawn and ‘Taker are obviously going in, some day. Flair is, of course, right where he should be.

I hope to see Flair take some time off before returning as the manager of the “New Four Horsemen”. I’d include Punk, Triple H, Shawn, and Umaga. Triple H and Shawn could be the Anderson/Blanchard of the group. They could unify the tag team division and make it mean something, again. Umaga could be the Windham/Sid powerman of the team. Punk could take Flair’s spot as the technical wizard that amazes people with his ability. He would never be able to replace Ric, but he could carry on the legacy…at least until Reid Flair shows up.

–Jay Shannon
JayofPWD@SBCGlobal.net
(4/3/08)`

The Ultimate WrestleMania Xard!

Our resident philosopher, Jay Shannon, returns with part three of his WrestleMania series. This time, Jay plays matchmaker for his ultimate Wrestlemania card.

Back in January, I did a Fantasy version of the Royal Rumble. In that HeadLocker column, I used my creative time machine to bring people together that could never have fought each other in real life. Rikidozan, for example, was killed before the Undertaker was even born.

I thought I’d have a little fun with this column. I’ve dug out my own personal time machine, again, to create this…The Ultimate Wrestlemania Super Card. It will be presented in the format of a recap of the entire event. I hope you enjoy it.

The Venue: Madison Square Garden
The Date: The Future

In the future, Vince used his billions of dollars to finally crack the time barrier. Being the manupulative and greedy “evil genius” we all know and love, Vince decided to earn back his investment by putting on the biggest wrestling card of all time. Vince studied all of the WWE video libraries and made a huge list of the stars that he wanted for this card, his Ultimania, the Ultimate Wrestlemania.

The card was set to take place in late March. Vince used every known media to get the word out for the show. Ringside tickets sold out in mere minutes, at $ 15,000 each. The show kicked off with the London Philharmonic Orchestra leading the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in a rousing rendition of America, The Beautiful. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

Howard Finkel made his entrance to a huge roar from the crowd. He welcomed everyone to “Ulll-Tiii–Mania”. Howard called for the bell as he introduced our opening contest.

1. Jake “The Snake” Roberts d. Raven–(No DQ, DDT Challenge Match)

This was a Teacher v Student match, as Raven learned the DDT from it’s creator, Jake Roberts. The rules were simple. The only way to win was to hit the DDT and cover your opponent. The match was a game of pure psychology as both men tried to out-mind game the other.

Jake took the early advantage with sharp punches and Short-Arm Clotheslines. Raven slid to the floor and grabbed his trusty Singapore Cane. He beat Roberts brutally with the cane, busting him open. Roberts went to the floor and got a chair. Roberts swung the chair like a Louisville Slugger into Raven’s skull. Raven dropped like a stone to the canvas, bleeding from a huge cut over his right eye. Jake played up to the crowd, which allowed Raven to recover. Raven used the Chop Block to attack the left leg of Roberts. The two men battled each other with all kinds of weapons.

After a nasty shot to the Roberts’ face with a hockey stick, Raven tried to lock in the Raven Effect. Roberts twisted around and turned the move into a Jawbreaker, which sent Raven flying into the ropes. On the rebound, Roberts booted Raven in the gut and took the win with the original DDT.

Grade: B (for bloody)

We went to the back, where Vince was watching all the action from his private suite. There was a knock at the door. Vince grumbled as he stomped to the door. He swung the door open, only to find Eric Bischoff and Paul Heyman staring back at him. They both smiled and warned the WWE Kingpin that they had a few surprises in store for Vinny Mac, tonight. They laughed maniacally as Vince slammed the door and uttered several strong curse words under his breath.

“Oohh, What a Rush!” echoed from the speakers as Hawk and Animal made their entrance. Paul Ellering and Sunny strolled to the ring with their team. The four got in the ring and Ellering asked for the microphone. “We are the most dominant team in wrestling history. We have destroyed everyone put in front of us. If there is anyone in the back with the intestinal fortitude to walk out here, then come forth for a massacre unlike any in the annuals of wrestling history”.

After a long pause, the Original ECW theme music ripped through the silence. Paul Heyman, flanked by Tommy Dreamer, Sabu, Tazz and RVD, walked out onto the rampway. “Vince, I told you that Bischoff and I were full of surprises, tonight. Here’s the first of them. Mr. Ellering, you feel that your team is the most dominant force ever in professional wrestling. I tend to disagree, sir. Let me introduce you to the 20-time tag team champions…Buh Buh Ray and D-Von, The Dudley Boyz”.

2. The Dudley Boyz v The Road Warriors–No Contest

This match was fast, furious and vicious to levels never seen before. D-Von’s nose was broken by a Clothesline from Animal. Hawk received a cracked orbital bone when Buh Buh ran him into the steel steps. The biggest surprise of the night came when Sunny turned on her team and accepting an ECW T-Shirt from Heyman. She then hit a Low Blow on Ellering and bashed him in the skull with Rocko, the mannequin mascot that Ellering used to bring to the ring. Rocko had been left under the ring.

The match broke down into a slugfest. D-Von got a table from under the ring and set it up in the ring. Ref Earl Hebner yelled at both teams that he wouldn’t allow that in his ring. The two teams looked at each other and then attacked Hebner. Buh Buh and D-Von hit the 3D on Hebner and then rolled the unconcious ref to Animal who hoisted Hebner up for the Doomsday Device. The shot by Hawk sent Hebner through the table as the crowd erupted. The two teams shook hands and left together. Both Hebner and Ellering were out cold.

Grade: A

We went back to Vince who was livid. “What the Hell was that?” he screamed at no one in particular. Shane McMahon came in and asked his dad what was wrong. After Vince explained, Shane said that he would handle it. We then headed back to the ring.

3. Beth Phoenix d. Chyna

This match was actually over in less than 3 minutes. Chyna came out and flexed her muscles. Beth was not impressed. She took the fight to Chyna at warp speed. Beth attacked the legs of Chyna and quickly locked in her Fisherman Buster to shock the crowd.

Grade: B-

The Fabulous Moolah and Wendi Richter were watching on the monitor and shaking their heads in disbelief. They made fun of Chyna’s lack of ability. Lita and Trish Stratus were offended by the comments and challenged the two to a tag match, later in the night.

Bruno Sammartino made his return to the Garden to a huge response. Bruno thanked the crowd for his warm reception. Bruno showed major respect for all the talent, but mentioned that the younger guys just didn’t seem to have the heart and determination that people of his generation did. The arena blacked out as the bell tolled the entrance of the Undertaker and manager, Paul Bearer.

‘Taker stared down at Bruno. “Mr. Sammartino, perhaps you are not familiar with me?” Bruno responded: “Yes, you are impressive in the ring, but you are nothing more than a gimmick. You would not have lasted more than 5 minutes against someone from my era.” The crowd booed loudly. Undertaker actually smiled at the comment. “You don’t feel that I would have lasted 5 minutes against someone of your generation? Let’s find out!”

4. Undertaker d. Bruno Sammartino

Undertaker caught Bruno off-guard with the sudden challenge. Undertaker pounded away on Bruno’s barrel-shaped chest with rapid-fire punches. Bruno used his incredible strength to lift Undertaker up into a Bear Hug. Undertaker surprised everyone by utiizing the Iron Claw, taught to him by his mentor, The Spoiler. Bruno released his Bear Hug and cringed in pain. Bruno inched his way to the ropes to force the break. Undertaker sent Bruno to the ropes with an Irish Whip. Bruno ducked a Clothesline and locked in a Reverse Bear Hug on ‘Taker. ‘Taker made it to the ropes for a break.

Bruno tried to punch ‘Taker, but “The Dead Man” caught the fist, cranked the arm and climbed the ropes. ‘Taker used Old School on the old schooler and sent Bruno to the mat. ‘Taker lifted Bruno and locked in the Last Ride. Bruno kicked out at 2. Bruno caught ‘Taker with a Full Nelson and squeezed with all his might. ‘Taker seemed to weaken, slightly. The crowd was split for this match. ‘Taker walked the ropes to flip backwards over Bruno, thus breaking the hold. ‘Taker scooped up Bruno and finished him off with the Tombstone.

Rating: A

Shane was seen talking with Triple H, Shawn Michaels, X-Pac, Road Dogg and Billy Gunn in the back. He asked for their help in talking out the forces of Heyman and Bischoff. Shane spoke about pride and loyalty. All five agreed to the concept. Shane then went to the ring.

In the ring, Shane called out D-X. The five men, plus Chyna, strolled to the ring. Shane got on the mic and demanded that Bischoff come to the ring. Eric walked out onto the rampway and grinned. “Now, you didn’t think I’d come to this party alone, did you?”

The crowd exploded as Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and Hollywood Hulk Hogan strolled out onto the rampway, wearing nWo t-shirts. The four walked down to the ring and stared at the group in the ring. D-X and Shane moved back as the quartet climbed up the steps and entered. Hogan took the stick from Eric and addressed the crowd.

“I was the reason for Wrestlemania. It was created for me. These follow-ups were still running around in the playground when I was taking care of business. Look at you.” Hogan moved closer to the group. “Forget you, Shane. You’re just a wanna-be that will never be able to escape your daddy’s shadow.” The crowd let loose with a collective gasp at Hogan’s comment. Hogan then began pointing at the group. “What a useless group of nWo-imitators. 1 (Triple H), 2 (Shawn), 3 (Billy Gunn) 4 (Road Dogg), 5 (Chyna) and Syxx!”

At the mention of his former name, Sean Waltman hit Shane with a leaping spin kick. He then ripped off his D-X shirt to reveal an nWo shirt underneath. The two teams began to fight until Also Sprach Zarathustra rang out from the speakers. The crowd let out a rafter-rocking “Whoo” chant as Ric Flair stepped out onto the stage. “You want to talk about being wanna-bes Hogan? Your little group and the degenerates up there would never have been considered were it not for us.”

Suddenly, J.J. Dillon, Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson, Barry Windham, Ole Anderson, Lex Luger, Sting, Sid Vicious, and Dean Malenko joined Ric on the stage. In unison, they all held up the four fingers sign of the Horsemen. “If you Ladies want a fight, then we’re more than willing to join the party.” The Horsemen all stormed towards the ring, until Vince came on the ‘Tron.

“Stop this! Stop it, now!” Vince screamed. “I will not have the inmates running the asylum. If you all want to fight, then let’s make it our main event. I want four members for each team. The nWo seems set with their four. D-X is down to four, if you don’t count Chyna. So, Flair, pick the four you want to use and leave the rest in the back.”
The Horsemen all stood together and discussed the matter. Flair’s hand went up in the Horsemen salute. Arn and Tully’s hands went up in unison. After a moment’s pause, Barry Windham’s hand shot up with the sign of the Horsemen.

The main event was set:

Flair, Arn, Tully and Barry (The Four Horsemen)
v
Hogan, Nash, Hall, and Waltman (The nWo)
v
Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Billy Gunn and Road Dogg (D-Generation X)

We went to a video montage of the various Wrestlemanias while the wrestlers headed to the back. This also gave the crowd time for fresh popcorn, sodas, and a bathroom break.

“Pomp and Circumstance” roared from the speakers as Randy Savage made his grand entrance with the lovely Miss Elizabeth by his side. Randy posed for the crowd as the music swelled. Elizabeth beamed as her man absorbed the love from the crowd.

John Cena’s rap music intro brought about a chorus of boos from the crowd. Cena tried to cut loose with a rap on Elizabeth, but Savage attacked with a fury that Cena couldn’t expect.

5. Randy Savage d. John Cena

Savage beat on Cena like a man possessed. Randy grabbed Cena’s head and then leaped over the ropes to bring the throat over the ropes. Cena flew backwards and landed hard on the canvas. Savage scaled the ropes and waited for Cena to rise. Savage then jumped and nailed an Ax Bomber to send Cena crashing to the canvas. Savage struck his signature pose as the crowd roared with delight.

Cena used a Reverse Leg Sweep to send Savage face-first to the mat. Cena dropped repeated knees to the kidneys of the “Macho Man”. Cena rolled Savage over and did the “You Can’t See Me” hand wave and went for the 5 Knuckle Shuffle. Savage scooted out of the way and Cena hit the mat, instead of Savage.

Savage opened up on Cena with numerous Knife Edge chops. Savage sent Cena crashing down with the Neck Tie Clothesline. Savage backed up and went for the Running Double Ax Handle. Cena slipped under and lifted Savage up and nailed the F-U. Savage stunned the crowd when he kicked out at 2.

The two men stood and stared at each other. They started throwing wild punches at each other. A Haymaker by Cena sent Savage flying. Savage hit the mat with a thud. Cena took immediate advantage by locking in the STFU. Cena was too close to the ropes and Elizabeth was able to reach through the ropes and slap Cena. Cena got to his feet to argue with Elizabeth. This allowed Randy to hit another of his Snap Rope Clotheslines on Cena who fell backwards into the ring. Savage scampered up the ropes and signalled for the end. Savage dropped the Savage Elbow to seal the deal.

Grade: A+

Heyman and Sandman were talking in the back, when “Stone Cold” Steve Austin showed up. Austin smiled at Heyman. “So, you and Bischoff are really giving that sum b*tch Vince Hell, tonight?” Heyman nodded. Austin looked at Heyman and then hit a Stone Cold Stunner on him. “You still owe me money, you bast*rd, and Bischoff didn’t even have the b*lls to fire me in person. I don’t like Vince, but I like you two even less”.

Sandman took a swing at Austin with the Singapore Cane, but Austin ducked and nailed Sandman with a Stunner. “You like beer, huh? Well, have one on me!” Austin then poured beer all over Sandman and walked off.

Cyndi Lauper came onto stage in her full 80’s street urchin outfit. She broke loose with a live version of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” to herald the arrival of The Fabulous Moolah and Wendi Richter. “Captain” Lou Albano escorted the ladies to the ring.
Meredith Brooks’ music broke through the 80’s sound as “(I’m A) Bitch” kicked loose from the speakers. Lita and Trish came out onto the rampway to a mixed reaction. Lita stalked Lauper, until Albano waddled up the ramp to protect her.

6. Lita and Trish Stratus v Fabulous Moolah and Wendi Richter–Double pin/no contest

Richter and Trish started the match. Trish wrestled circles around Richter with Snap Mares and Drop Toe Holds. Richter tagged out in pure frustration. Moolah used her superior power to stun Trish with brutal Fore-arm Shots to the face. Moolah, a true student of the sport, took Trish down and locked in a Figure Four Leglock. Lita made the save with a Frog Splash off the top turnbuckle onto Moolah. Trish crawled to the corner and tagged out.

Lita chopped away on Moolah and moved her to the corner. Moolah dropped as if she were having some kind of seizure, only to grab the ankles of Lita and send her backwards to the mat. Moolah came off the ropes and landed, backside-first, on Lita’s chest. The ref went to count the pin, but Lita kicked out. Moolah tagged Richter back in.
Richter surprised Lita with several Suplexes and a Hangman’s Neckbreaker. Trish ran in to break up the pin attempt. This brought Moolah back into the ring.The four women fought in the center of the ring. Referee Tim White took elbows to the head from both Moolah and Trish. Trish caught Richter with her Stratusfaction finisher, while Moolah dropped Lita with a Piledriver. White, still stunned by the elbows, counted Moolah’s pin of Lita and Trish’s pin of Richter, simultaneously.

The crowd booed unmercifully as we flashed to the back where Rocky Johnson sat and talked with Dusty Rhodes. “You know something Dream? These young kids are showing up the older guys.” Dusty nodded. “I know what ya mean. Imagine if our kids were to fight some of the old-timers like you and me.”

Carlito walked up with Randy Orton. “Hey, why don’t you two face us in the ring? It could be like the old days, only you wouldn’t be facing my old man.” Carlos Colon stepped around the corner and looked at his son. “So, you think you are better than your old man, huh? I tell you what we do. Randy and Carlito…go and find Rocky’s kid and one of Dusty’s sons and let’s make this a Father against Son match. You know, los padres might just teach los hijos a little something…like respect”.

We came back to the ring for the entrance of Andre the Giant. Through his broken English, Andre issued a challenge. “I have heard about the man who once claimed to be my son. Big Show, I want you to show you that there is but one Giant in this business.”
The entrance music of the Big Show filled the Garden, as Big Show walked out with Paul Heyman at his side. Another surprise for Vince was the general feeling in the crowd. Before the Big Show could enter the ring, Andre spoke again. “I wanted this match to be a one on one match, but you want to bring in a manager. That is fine. I have a manager too.” Bobby “The Brain” Heenan entered to a standing ovation from the crowd.

7. Andre The Giant d. The Big Show

This match was slow and plodding but exciting, as well. The Big Show Goozled Andre, only to have the Frenchman laugh at the effort. Andre swatted Big Show with his skillet-sized hand. Andre chopped away at Big Show as the crowd counted along. Heyman screamed at the top of his lungs for Big Show to fight back.

Big Show tried for a Body Slam, but Andre blocked it. Andre sent Big Show crashing to the mat with a huge Headbutt. Andre caught Big Show with a Reverse Choke and slammed his head repeatedly into the skull of Big Show. Show was on Dream Street as Andre continued to dominate.
Paul Heyman jumped on the apron to hand his over-sized cell phone to the Big Show. Heenan trotted around to Heyman and grabbed the ankles. Heyman fell off the apron and cracked his jaw on the ring. He was stunned. Big Show went to grab Heenan, but “The Brain” threw powder in Big Show’s face. Show staggered backwards and Andre sent him flying with a Hip Toss. Andre climbed to the top rope and jumped off. Andre’s full weight landed on the chest of Big Show. Referee Charles Robinson made the easy 3 count.

Grade: A-

We went to some pre-recorded comments from the Ultimate Warrior. While difficult to understand, the comments basically issued an open challenge to any man foolish enough to think they could stop the over-whelming force that was the Ultimate Warrior.

The chaotic rock music that signalled the arrival of the Ultimate Warrior nearly deafened the crowd. Warrior hit the ring at a dead run. He grabbed the ropes and shook them violently. Ultimate Warrior grabbed a microphone and yelled for an opponent. He didn’t have to ask twice.
The pyros exploded as Batista stepped out from behind the curtain. The crowd went from screams of happiness to a dead silence as Goldberg stepped out next to Batista. They were quickly joined by Brock Lesnar.

8. Batista d. Goldberg, Brock Lesnar and Ultimate Warrior–(Elimination Match)

Batista, Goldberg and Brock walked to the ring. Ultimate Warrior stomped back and forth as the three other men entered the ring. All four men began beating on each other even before the bell rang. Batista caught Warrior by surprise with a Running Clothesline that send the former WWF champ flying backwards into the corner. Goldberg Speared Brock, who fell out of the ring and landed hard on the floor. Goldberg and Batista stood and glared at each other. Just as they went to lock up, Warrior climbed the ropes and flew off with a Flying Clothesline to the back of Batista’s head, sending him crashing into Goldberg.

Warrior beat his chest and howled. Goldberg growled as he made it to his feet. Goldberg went for the Spear, but Warrior side-stepped and Goldberg struck the corner post. Lasnar was still down on the floor. Warrior grabbed Goldberg and lifted him for the Gorilla Press Slam. Warrior bounced off the ropes and went for his Warrior Splash. He hadn’t counted on Batista who hit a Big Boot to send Warrior flipping backwards.

Lesnar finally climbed back in the ring and went for Batista’s legs. Lesnar was so focused on his opponent, Batista, that he forgot about the other two men in the match. Goldberg grabbed Lesnar, spun him around and ended Lesnar’s night with the Jackhammer.

Brock Lesnar had been eliminated.

Goldberg taunted Lesnar, which allowed Batista to take advantage of Goldberg’s lack of focus. Batista nailed Goldberg in the back of the head with a Double Ax Handle. Goldberg crashed into the corner. Batista grabbed Goldberg and planted him with the Batista Bomb.

Goldberg had been eliminated.

Warrior, who had several minutes to recover, attacked Batista from behind. Warrior Sledge-Hammered the head and neck of Batista. Warrior used the Gorilla Press Slam to stun Batista. Warrior bounced off the ropes and hit his Warrior Splash onto Batista.The crowd figured the match was done, but they were wrong. Batista kicked out and “powered up”. Both men went into Berserker Mode, shaking the ropes on their own side of the ring. Warrior tried for a Clothesline, but he moved to slow. Batista hit a DDT on Warrior. Batista Irish Whipped Warrior to the ropes and caught the wildman with his own Gorilla Press into a Fallaway Slam. Batista went to the top rope and nailed Warrior with a Flying Shoulder Block off the top rope. Warrior was out of gas as Batista took out his final opponent with the Batista Bomb.

Grade: A-

Vince smiled, for the first time, as he saw medics help Ultimate Warrior out of the ring. Shane walked into the office. “Hey dad, did you hear about that added match? The Legacy team is getting ready to embarrass their dads.” Vince snarled. “Cocky punks always think that they can out-do their fathers”. Shane smiled. “Dad, you know Heyman and Bischoff said that they had surprises for you. They aren’t the only ones.” Shane then blasted his dad out of nowhere. “Bring you sorry self to the ring, pop. You are the Father’s team captain. I’m in charge of Legacy.” Vince clutched his jaw as Shane laughed and exited the ring.

9. The Rock, Shane McMahon, “Goldust” Dustin Rhodes, Carlito and Randy Orton d Rocky Johnson, Vince McMahon, Dusty Rhodes, Carlos Colon and “Cowboy” Bob Orton-(Sins of the Father Match)

The Fathers seemed confused as the match started. Their children had apparently been working on this plan for some time. The Rock started off against Bob Orton. Orton was spun around and smacked hard by The Rock. Rock nailed an Atomic Drop to send Orton to the mat in great pain. Rock then walked over and tagged in Carlito. Carribean Cool stomped away on Orton and then whipped him to the ropes. Orton ducked the Clothesline and hit a straight punch to the face of Carlito. Orton fell into his corner and tagged in Dusty. Dusty stunned Carlito with the Flip, Flop and Fly. Dusty dropped several elbows to the chest of Carlito who crawled to his corner and tagged Randy into the match.
Randy clipped the knee of Dusty. Randy did major damage to the Dream with his Orton Stomp. Randy went to taunt Dusty, which allowed Dusty to hit an uppercut that stunned the Legend Killer. Dusty rolled over and tagged in Rocky Johnson. Rocky punched away at the face of Randy until Randy hit a Short-Arm Clothesline. Randy tagged out to Shane. Shane did his “Ali Shuffle” and boxed the face of Rocky. Rocky stumbled back to the corner and Vince tagged himself in.

Vince walked up to Shane and slapped him across the face. The two men cut loose with some brutal fists to the face of each other. Vince sent Shane to the ropes with an Irish Whip and then dropped his son with a brutal Back Elbow. Vince locked in a Figure Four Leglock on Shane. Shane inched to the ropes to force the break. Vince kept Shane from making the tag. Vince locked in a Sleeper. Shane slid to the mat as Vince shook Shane’s head in the Sleeper. He reached to tag Dusty, but wouldn’t let Shane out of the Sleeper. The Legacy team ran in to break up the hold. This brought the Fathers running. There was a Mexican stand-off in the ring as no father wanted to strike his own son. Goldust broke the stalemate when he elbowed his father. Goldust screamed at his father about “all the years”. Goldust beat his father into a bloody mess as Goldust’s teammates tried to pull him off his father. Cody Rhodes ran down to check on his father. The two half-brothers squared off as Goldust went to attack Dusty again. Cody, fighting on pure heart, took Dustin off his feet and locked in a Indian Deathlock.

In all the confusion, Randy Orton tried to help Dusty up. This was just a ruse, as Randy hit his RKO. He then laid the knocked-out Shane across Dusty to take the pin.

Grade: A

“That’s why families should stay out of wrestling.” These words came from Bob Backlund who watched from the locker room. “Just what’s wrong with families working together in this business.” Backlund turned to see Stu, Owen and Bret Hart standing at the door. They were joined by Matt and Jeff Hardy, Rick and Scott Steiner, Booker T and Stevie Ray, Jimmy, Jerry and Johnny Valiant, Afa and Sika, The Von Erichs, Terry and Dory Funk Jr. and Jack and Jerry Brisco. Bret stepped up to Backlund. “You want to insult family tradition? Maybe I should shut your mouth.” Bret slapped Bob and walked out of the locker room.

10. Bret Hart d. Bob Backlund

Backlund made his entrance with his manager, Arnold Skaaland, at his side. The crowd booed the long-time hero of the masses. You just don’t mess with family.

Hank Williams Jr. and his band cranked up a house-rocking rendition of “Family Tradition”. This brought Bret Hart to the rampway. He was joined by the Guerreros, Von Erichs, Steiners, Funks, Armstrongs, Harts, Valiants, Samoans, Briscos, Harlem Heat, and the Beverly Brothers. They walked down, in unison.

Backlund attacked before the bell rang. He tried to use amateur moves to take Hart off his feet. Hart wrestled a clinic, sending Backlund to the mat, over and over. Backlund was distracted by the sea of humanity that surrounded the ring. Arnold Skaaland tried to help Backlund by handing him the towel Skaalnad had thrown in the ring in 1983. Skaaland wanted Backlund to use the towel to choke out Hart, but Stu Hart intercepted the towel and used it on Skaaland, instead. EMTs ran to the ring to cart Skaaland to the back.

Backlund snapped when he saw his manager downed. He broke from his scientific style to rough house brawling that surprised just about everyone. “You don’t think I learned from Slaughter and Graham and all the other brutal b*stards that I had to fight against for so long?” Backlund punched the face of Bret dozens of time. One shot to the face busted the lip of the “Hitman”. Bret spat the blood in the eyes of Backlund. Bret sent Backlund to the mat with a Side Russian Leg Sweep. Bret grabbed Backlund’s ankle and yanked on it, trying to hyper-extend the knee. Backlund dragged himself to the ropes to force the break. Backlund rolled out to the floor, only to find himself facing six Iron Claws cocked and ready as Fritz Von Erich and his five sons threatened Backlund. Backlund reluctantly rolled back in the ring.

A calmer Bret Hart began to use some basic moves to confuse Backlund. A series of Arm Drags dizzied the former WWF champ. Bret planted Backlund with a Snap Suplex. Bret dropped a knee across the forehead of Backlund. Backlund rolled out of the ring and ran into the brick wall of Afa, Sika, Rikishi, Umaga, Samu and Fatu. Backlund was tossed back in the ring.

Backlund grabbed the ankles of Bret and tripped him. The hard landing knocked the wind out of Bret. Backlund tried to lock in the Crossface Chicken Wing, but Bret fought back. Backlund used three release German Suplexes to incapacitate his younger opponent. Backlund cinches in a Body Scissors to crush the life out of his Canadian foe. Bret rolled over and almost pinned Backlund. Backlund had no choice but to release the hold to avoid the pin. Hart grabbed the leg of Backlund and twisted the knee. The crowd screamed in approval as Bret stepped over to lock in the Sharpshooter. He didn’t get the chance to finalize the hold, as Backlund reached up and brought Bret over with a roll-up. Bret kicked out just before the ref counted to three.

Bret began working on the legs of Backlund. Bret up-ended Backlund with a Leg Sweep. Bret then held the leg of Backlund up so that he could kick away at the hamstring of Backlund. Backlund tried to scoot across the ring to reach the ropes, but Bret pulled him back to center ring. With the crowd and the wrestlers cheering him on, Bret locked in the Sharpshooter. Backlund tried to reach the ropes, but fell just inches short of the mark. After an agonizing 2 minutes of twisting and turning, trying to escape, Bob Backlund tapped out to the “Excellence of Execution” Bret Hart

Grade: A

The ring filled up with all the wrestling families.Bret stared at his younger brother, Owen. All thoughts of feuds and being in his brother’s shadow evaporated as the two brothers embraced.Owen raised his brother’s arm in triumph.

We went to a video highlight for all three of our teams in the main event. The arena went black and neon green spotlights washed over the entrance ramp. The D-Generation X theme music brought the crowd to its feet. Road Dogg, Billy Gunn, Shawn Michaels and Triple H walked out in unison. All four wore new D-X T-shirts which, of course, were available at Ultimania. com, which the announcers made sure that we heard about. The four walked to the ring and Road Dogg grabbed the stick. “Oh, you didn’t know? Your A** better call somebody”. The crowd erupted. Triple H took the mic. “For the thousands in attendance…for the billions watching around the world..and the ancient collection of dinosaurs creaking backstage…” Billy took the mic “We’ve got two words for you…”

The entire crowd ripped loose with the “Suck It” chant.

The four members of D-X stood waiting for their opponents. Brian Johnson of AC/DC stepped out from behind the curtain, wearing an nWo shirt. He raised his arms and a black tarp fell from the ceiling. The entire AC/DC band stood wearing the black and white of nWo. The cranked up a rousing rendition of Back in Black. Various members of the nWo stood behind the drum riser in anticipation of a monster fight, later on.

After the crowd died down, a stage began to lower from the ceiling. Ric Flair, Barry Windham, Arn Anderson, and Tully Blanchard stood with Garth Brooks. Garth broke introduced the Four Horsemen with a new version of Ain’t going down ’til the sun comes up. Garth ended the song with a huge “Whoo” in tribute to Ric.

Michael Buffer stood in the center of the ring and introduced the participants. Age seemed to play a part in determining loyalty in this one. The young kids in the audience were solidly behind D-X. The older viewers threw their allegiance to the Four Horsemen. The nWo seemed to have the least support from the crowd.

11. The Four Horsemen d D-X and the nWo (Texas Tornado match)

All 12 men started battling, even before the bell rang. The D-X members focused their attack on Syxx for betraying them. The rest of the nWo came to his defense. The Horsemen picked their shots as they could. Arn caught Road Dogg with the Anderson Spinebuster. Flair chopped everyone not aligned with his Horsemen. Barry Windham nailed Scott Hall with a Bulldog. He then turned into a Big Boot from Kevin Nash. Nash tried for the Jackknife on Windham, but Flair clipped the knee. Triple H racked the jaw of Syxx with the knee. Tully and Billy traded fists in the corner. Hogan grabbed Flair by the throat and held him up in the Thunderlips Lift he used in Rocky III. Barry tried to save Flair, but was dropped with Sweet Chin Music from Shawn Michaels. Flair finally got free when he brought his leg up and kicked Hogan in the throat. Hogan coughed up blood and retreated to the corner.

Flair kicked Billy Gunn in the back. This allowed Tully to grab Gunn and nail his Slingshot Suplex. Tully tried for the pin, but Triple H made the save. Syxx climbed the ropes and hit a Flying Crossbody on Flair. Barry grabbed Syxx and threw him over the top rope. Syxx cracked two ribs when he landed on the barrier. Nash punched Barry, several times, and then Clotheslined him. Nash then grabbed Tully and Chokeslammed him onto Barry. Nash tried to grab Arn, but “Double A” used a Low Blow to stun “Big Sexy”. Arn and Shawn formed a temporary alliance as they Double Suplexed Nash. Flair climbed to the top rope and dropped the knee to the forehead of Kevin Nash. Scott Hall ran to the aid of his fallen partner. Hall pounded away Shawn. Hall choked Shawn in the corner, until Billy Gunn hit a Flying Knee into the small of Hall’s back.

Hogan, who had recovered, caught Billy with his Triple Fists to the face and then Irish Whipped Billy to the ropes. Road Dogg ran into Billy to prevent the BIg Boot o’ Doom from Hogan. Flair Leg Swept Hogan, who was off-balance from his booting attempt. Flair placed his foor into the hip of Hogan and flipped backwards, snapping the hamstring. Hogan clutched his knee in agony. Hogan backed into the corner. Shawn slipped out of the ring and climbed back on the apron to choke Hogan. Syxx fought through his broken ribs to grab Shawn and pull him off the apron. Shawn suffered a concussion when his head struck the corner of the steel steps.

Hall moved to help Hogan, but Triple H took Hall and threw him into the steel post. When Hall staggered back out, Triple H nailed the Pedigree and rolled him to the floor. Kevin Nash stood and moved nearer to Hogan. Barry and Billy took Nash out with a Double Cactus Clothesline. Hogan looked at the chaos that his partners had endured and went on alert. Hogan struck out at Tully, first. He grabbed the throat of Tully and lifted him to throw him into Flair. Tully shifted his weight and Hogan collapsed. Hogan’s knee gave out and he crumpled in the corner. Triple H and Tully each grabbed an arm of Hogan and dragged him to center ring. Flair laughed at Hogan and motioned to the back. Eric Bischoff and Paul Heyman both walked out onto the rampway. Flair called for a microphone. “Hogan, you and McMahon are fools. Did you really think that it was just coincidence that Bischoff and Heyman just showed up, tonight? I sent them here to confuse and undermine this little show.” Hogan tried to kick at Flair, but was still restrained. “Hogan, I gave most of these men their start. Bischoff, Heyman, Paul (Triple H), Brian (Road Dogg), and so many more. We’ve known about this for months and knew that we had to make a statement. What better way than to use Vince’s own family against him.”

Flair instructed Triple H and Tully to beat on Hogan and throw him to the mat. Flair locked in the Figure Four Leglock. Triple H, Tully Blanchard, Road Dogg and Arn stood guard on the four sides of the ring as Flair continued to cinch in the Figure Four, deeper adn deeper. Hogan crawled to the ropes, but he was prevented from reaching them by Triple H. Triple H laughed as Hogan faded from the pain. Charles Robinson rushed to the ring and checked on Hogan. Hogan fought back with his last remaining strength and began to unlock the legs. Triple H climbed the ropes and dropped a knee into the head of Hogan. The blow was the death knell for the legend. Hogan was out cold. Flair re-locked in the Figure Four, but it was unneeded. Charles Robinson counted the three count.

Grade: A+

After the bell, the various members of D-X and the Four Horsemen gathered in the center of the ring. Flair took a microphone and asked Barry and Arn to help Shawn back into the ring. Flair had Tully and Charles Robinson retreive four chairs so that the injured men could sit down for a few moments. After they were all seated, Flair spoke:
“Gentlemen, my time in the ring is done. Arn, Tully and Barry have also reached the ends of their careers. It is time for the next generation of stars to take up the mantle.” Flair turned and took a box from Jim Ross. “Thank you, J.R.” Flair turned to face the four men seated in the ring. Flair opened the box and then walked up to Triple H. On Flair guidance, Triple H reached in and took out a Black satin jacket. Flair then offered the box to Road Dogg and Billy Gunn. Each one took their own satin jacket. Since Shawn was still in bad shape from his concussion, Flair sat the box down and took out a final satin jacket. He wrapped the jacket around Shawn’s shoulders.

“My friends, I talked with all the members of the Horsemen before we came here tonight. We felt that the name of the Four Horsemen needed to continue forward. There are no finer men in this industry that you four. On behalf of Arn, Ole, Tully, Barry, Sting, Sid, Lex, J.J. and Dean, we would be honored if you would retire your D-X unit, in favor of the name Four Horsemen. I would also like to offer my services as your manager.”

The four seated men stared at each other. Without uttering a word, Billy Gunn raised his four fingers. Road Dogg, Brian Armstrong, raised his fingers, next. Shawn lifted four very shaky fingers up as well. Triple H then stood, slipped on his jacket and raised his fingers higher than all the rest. Behold the re-birth of the Four Horsemen. The show faded to black.

Over-all Grade: A

In Conclusion:
This was all a work of complete fiction, obviously. There were dozens of stars that I had to leave out, due to column length restrictions. I hope you all enjoyed this. This was the most fun that I’ve had in my five years of writing wrestling columns. This column is dedicated to all the members of the wrestling family who have passed on. Thank you all for the time you shared with us. May your souls rest and your memory never fade.

–Jay Shannon
JayofPWD@SBCGlobal.net
(3/6/08)

NWA Showcase Challenge (2/13) Recap: Pierce Picks His Spot!

Our Resident Philosopher, Jay Shannon, brings us all the action, both in-ring and behind-the-scenes, on this re-broadcast of the first episode of NWA Wrestling Showcase.

The show began with an introduction by NWA World Heavyweight Champion, “Scrap Iron” Adam Pierce. Pierce promoted both himself and the NWA. Pierce is very at-home on the mike. He welcomed ColoursTV and the fans back to the NWA.

After a run of commercials, including the one and only season of Wrestling Society X, Thw hosts for this new program. David Marquez and Rob Conway were at the Plaza Hotel to present the show.

Conway demanded that Marquez introduce him. After the forced intro, Marquez reminded us that there are four episodes already taped. They will be shown over the next few weeks. Assuming that they do not have anymore episodes taped, then we will have a month’s worthof great action. Conway told the watchers that his goal is to win the NWA World Title.

Marquez and Conway took us to Houston, Texas for our first match of the night. It was a battle between Hidaka (from Japan) and T.J. Perkins. The match was called by the announce team that worked for Wrestle Society X.

T.J. Perkins d. Hidaka

The two men locked up with a Collar and Elbow. Hidaka took advantage with a Go-Behind. Perkins manages to escape and tried to lock up the legs of the Japanese warrior. Hidaka spun through the grasp of Perkins and regained control. Hidaka used a wrist lock to keep Perkins on the mat. P

erkins used numerous flips and rolls to try and break free from Hidaka’s grasp. Perkins grabbed the arm of Hidaka and twisted it into a Hammerlock. Hidaka broke the Hammerlock and grasped one of his own. Hidaka then used a Forward Rolling BodyLock to try and pin Perkins. Hidaka wrenched the arm and locked in a modified Octopus Lock to try and force Perkins to submit. Hidaka Arm Dragged Perkins to the mat and then Kipped Up. The crowd was dead for this match.

The men grabbed each other’s hands for a Knuckle Lock. Perkins Cart-wheeled over Hidaka and used a Back Heel Trip to send Hidaka to the mat. Hidaka tried for a Front Face Lock, but Perkins rolled through. Hidaka sent Perkins to the ropes, but ended up on his back, thanks to a Shoulder Block. perkins went to the ropes, but Hidaka Leap-frogged the charging Perkins. Perkins bounced off the opposite ropes and dove over the head of Hidaka.

Hidaka sent Perkins to the ropes, and it appeared that Perkins was tangled in the ropes. When Hidaka charged the ropes, we learned that it was a ruse. Perkins dropped down, at the last moment, and Hidaka flew out of the ring. Hidaka, angry at being made to look foolish, rushed back in the ring. Perkins was ready for his and tossed him out of the ring, on the opposite side. Perkins gloated to the crowd, which allowed Hidaka to attack from behind. Hidaka tried for a Front Suplex Face Plant, but Perkins rolled through the move. Perkins grabbed the legs of Hidaka and locked them under his (Perkins’) upper arms.

He then positioned himself over Hidaka and grabbed the wrists to lock in a Swinging Crab. Perkins released the hold and then cradled the arm and tried for a roll-up. Perkins rocked Hidaka with a pair of European Uppercuts. Hidaka reversed an Irish Whip, but hit nothing but empty turnbuckle when he charged the corner. Perkins smapered up the ropes and launched himself into a Crossbody. The problem with that move was that Hidaka saw him coming and got the knees up, so that Perkins landed flush across the knees of Hidaka. Hidaka stomped away on Perkins. Hidaka used the Irish Whip to send Perkins to the corner.

Hidaka followed up with a Handspring Leg Lariat. Hidaka Snap Mared Perkins to the canvas and then climbed the ropes. Hidaka used the Warrior’s Way (double stomp to the chest) from the second rope. Hidaka wasted a huge amount of time, playing up to the crowd. Hidaka picked up Perkins and popped him in the face. Perkins rolled to the corner and kicked Hidaka in the mid-section. Perkins began to stick and move to keep Hidaka off-balance. Hidaka kicked Perkins in the chest and then Irish Whipped him to the ropes.

On the rebound, Hidaka locked in a Sleeper. Hidaka did a Headstand to add extra pressure. The ref checked the arm, but Perkins shoed renewed life, on the third arm check. The crowd half-heartedly stomped and clapped for Perkins. Perkins took Hidaka to the mat with a Leaping Head Scissors. Perkins sent Hidaka to the mat with a Drop Toe Hold. Perkins then rolled over Hidaka and turned to hit a Dropkick. Hidaka reversed an Irish Whip, but was blasted by a Back Elbow from Perkins. Perkins planted Hidaka with a Tornado DDT, for a 2+ count. Perkins slammed Hidaka and then climbed the ropes.

Perkins switched his trajectory in mid-air, when he noticed Hidaka had moved. Hidaka caught Perkins with a nasty shot to the chest and then went to the ropes. Perkiins wasn’t as stunned as he appeared and he was able to Dropkick Hidaka into the ropes. Hidaka recovered and caught Perkins with a Spinning Heel Kick. Hidaka nailed a Superkick on Perkins. Hidaka then grabbed the head of Perkins, flipped himself over and planted Perkins with the Reverse DDT. Perkins, somehow, managed to kick out at two. Hidaka sent Perkins to the ropes, but Perkins hung on. When Hidaka charged, Perkins grabbed the legs and tripped his opponent. Perkins then rolled over Hidaka and tried for a Belly to Back Suplex. Hidaka elbowed his way free. Hidaka went to the ropes, but was caught in a Hurancanrana with a Double Leg Lock Bridge pin.

Hidaka kicked out at two. Perkins lifted up HIdaka and dropped him into a Backbreaker across Perkins’ knee. Perkins climbed to the top rope and flew off. Hidaka sensed the move coming and lifted the knees, again, to stun Perkins. Hidaka lifted the leg of Perkins and then slid underneath to elevate Perkins for a Sit-Out Powerbomb. Perkins kicked out, again. Hidaka tried for another SUperkick, but Perkins grabbed the leg and spun Hidaka around. Perkins then missed with a Crescent Kick. This allowed Hidaka to hit a Spin Kick to the ribs of Perkins.

Hidaka tried for a Diamond Dust, but Perkins flipped out. Perkins cinched up a Belly to Back SUplex, but Hidaka managed to escape. The two men exchanged several Go-Behinds and switches. Perkins went to the ropes and leaped over Hidaka. Perkins caught Hidaka off-guard and rolled him up and Bridged over to take the pin.

Rating: A-

After the match, “Machine Gun” Karl Anderson and Joey Ryan, better known at the Real American Heroes attacked Perkins, out of nowhere. Ryan tossed the ref out of the ring. Los Luchas (Zokre and Phoenix Star) sprinted to teh ring and attacked Anderson and Ryan. Adam Pierce, who is a stablemate of the ‘Heroes, joined in the fray. We faded into a promo screen for NWA Georgia, before heading to break.

Marquez and Conway returned to further promo the “new” NWA broadcast. We took another look at the run-in at the end of the last match.

Our next match came from my old home-town, Las Vegas. It pitted the Real American Heroes (Anderson and Ryan) against Los Luchas (Zokre and Phoenix Star) in a Flag Match.

Joey Ryan and Karl Anderson d. Zokre and Phoenix Star-Flag Match

Star and Ryan started the match. Ryan tried to play up to the crowd, only to be horribly booed. Star jumped onto the turnbuckle for support and the crowd rocked the house with cheers. Ryan tried again to get support, only to fail. When Star climbed the ropes for a second round of cheers, Ryan attacked from behind. Ryan punched Star in the corner and then Irish Whipped him to the corner. Star floated over the charging Ryan and then turned to hit a huge Dropkick. Ryan tried calling for a time-out.

Of course, There are no time-outs in wrestling. Star ducked a Clothesline by Ryan and then unleashed a flurry of Fore-arms. Ryan reversed an Irish Whip, but Star Springboarded off the ropes to Arm Drag Ryan across the ring. Ryan blocked a Monkey Flip, and wailed away with chops to the chest of Star. Ryan Irish Whipped Star to the corner, but Star kicked the charging Ryan in the chest.

Star flew off the ropes with a dynamic Hurancanrana to send Ryan sliding, crotch-first, under the ropes and into the steel post. Anderson tried to jump in the match, and ended up falling on his face. Zokre tagged into the match, while Anderson and Ryan shared a hug. Anderson and Zokre locked up with a Collar and Elbow. Anderson used his strength to send Zokre to the mat. Anderson Scoop Slammed Zokre to the mat.

Anderson broke out his Machine Gunner pose and then went to the ropes. Anderson missed with a Double Leg Drop. Zokre hit a big Dropkick and then a Tilt-A-Whirl Head Scissors. Zokre charged Anderson, who had moved to the corner. Anderson elevated Zokre, who landed on the apron. Zokre his a Flying Head Scissors off the top rope to send Anderson sailing across the ring. Zokre tried to toss Anderson over the ropes, but Anderson used the old Skin the Cat to flip back into the ring. Anderson gloated to the crowd, which allowed Zokre to CLothesline Anderson over the ropes and to the floor.

Zokre faked Anderson with an aborted Tope Suicida. Anderson and Ryan tried to walk out of the arena. They were pelted with all kinds of garbage. The ref instructed Zokre and Star to retrieve their flag to win the match. When Los Luchas turned to head to the flag, Anderson and Ryan re-entered the ring and attacked. Ryan and Anderson stomped and punched their smaller opponents. Los Luchas were both Irish Whipped to the ropes. Both Luchas members ducked Clotheslines and hit Stereo Arm Drags.

Los Luchas did SIde Sunset Flips to try and roll up the Heroes. All they managed to do was pull down the trunks of Ryan and Anderson. The announcers scream like some 16-year old in a slasher film as the backsides of Ryan and Anderson were exposed. Star ends up out of the ring, thanks to a Low Bridge by Ryan. Ryan, on the floor, lifted Star and dropped him across the steel railing. Anderson tried to grab the American Flag, but Zokre grabbed the leg to stop him.

Ryan tossed Star back in the ring. Anderson chopped the chest of Star and then Irish Whipped him to the ropes. Anderson dropped STar and then tagged his partner, Ryan. Anderson and Ryan used their boots to choke Star in the corner. Zokre tried to rush to help his partner, but it only made it worse for Star. Ryan Irish Whipped Star to the ropes and then hit one of the highest Dropkicks that I’ve seen in a long time. Ryan kept trying to pin Star. Pins don’t count in a Flag Match. Star tried to throw some elbows, but Ryan over-powered him. Anderson tagged back into the match and attacked the exposed ribs of Star. Anderson Irish Whipped Star to the ropes. Anderson used a Flying Leg Lariat to send Star to the mat. Star floated over an Irish WHip to roll-up Andrson for a near fall.

Anderson rolled out of the ring. He then dragged Star to the outside and bounced him off the steel railing. Zokre kept trying to help his partner, but his attempts just made things worse. Anderson slid Star back in the ring. Ryan dropped a Double Ax Hangle to the back of the neck of Star. STar was sent to the ropes, but managed to rebound with a Body Swirl into a modified Hurancanrana. Anderson ran into the ring to prevent Star from tagging his partner. He failed, as Zokre flew off teh top ropes with a Clothesline to drop Anderson.

Zokre dropped Ryan with a Flying Knee. Zokre slipped on his attempt to go Old School on the Real American Heroes. Zokre recovered and did walk the ropes , before sending Ryan flying with an Arm Drag and Andderson with a Head Scissors. Los Luchas used a Double Irish Whip to send Ryan to the ropes. Zokre elevated Ryan into the waiting Spear by Phoenix Star. Anderson is dropped with a Double Leg Sweep.

Star grabbed the legs of Anderson to slingshoot him into the corner. At that same moment, Zokre flew of to nail a Blockbuster. Anderson landed across the knees of Star. Anderson and Star stood on the floor as Phoenix Star flew over the top with the Tumbleweed. Anderson and Ryan made it to their feet, only to be dropped with a Plancha from Zokre. Star made a run for the flag, but Anderson stopped him. Ryan tried for the Superkick, but Star stopped and dropped. Anderons picked up Star to try to fix the botched move. Ryan nailed the Superkick on Star. The announce team mentioned that the rules of the match were changed so that pinfalls would count in this flag match. Anderson caught Zokre with the family specialty, the Anderson Spinebuster.

Anderson motioned to the flag. Ryan and Anderson were rolled up by Los Luchas and nearly pinned as they tried to retrieve the American Flag. The Heroes lifted Los Luchas in simultaneous Gorilla Presses. Both Zokre and Star slipped loose and then ran the heads of Rayn and Anderson together. Zokre and Star went to the apron. After a little sign language, they agreed to hit Dual Springboard Sentons on Ryan and Anderson. All four men were down and injured. C. Edward Vanderpyle, the manager of Ryan and Anderson, crawled his huge carcass onto the apron to yell at the ref. Phoenix Star actually grabbed the Mexican flag, but the ref didn’t see it. Witht he ref still distracted, Adam Pierce rushed the irng and attacked Star.

Pierce grabbed the flag and used it like a baseball bat to wallop both members of Los Luchas. The flagpole actually brokeacross the ribs of Zokre. Zokre fell out of the ring. Pierce grabbed the unconcious Ryan and rolled him onto Star. The ref noticed the pin and counted down Los Luchas.

Rating: A

Next came the Legends segment. David Marquez is talking with Bob Caudle. This was taped in CHarlotte. Caugle sounded and looked great. Marquez threw some major respect to Caudle and Gordon Solie. Caudle talked about the old days in the NWA.

After that, Marquez introduced Ricky Vega. Vega was working for the IWA promotion before heading into the NWA. Ricky battled Cassidy O’Brien in this match. This match was also filmed at The Orleans in Las Vegas.

Ricky Vega d. Cassidy O’Brien

O’Brien attacked Vega, from behind, as the bell rang. Vega reverses and Irish Whip and dropped O’Brien with a pair of Steamboat-like Double Chops. O’Brien let fly with some Reverse Knife Edge Chops on Vega, who just shrugged them off. Vega Irish Whipped O’Brien to the corner. O’Brien tried to float over, but Vega caught hte legs. Vega then hit a modified Alabama Slam on O’Brien. Vega lifted O’Brien into a Fireman’s Carry. Vega then planted O’Brien with the Viva La Vega aka San Juan Slam (Spinning Samoan Drop/Faceplanter).

Rating: B

Marquez and Conway returned to hype the Fremont Street Experience. Conway complained about the crowds cheering the Mexicans in the flag match. Marquez tried to remind us that COnway used to be a part of La Resistance, but Conway stopped him cold.

We went othe ring for our main event. Rey Mysterio, Sr. and El Hijo De Santo teamed together to face Blue Demon Jr. and Psicosis (now known as Nicho el Millionairio). This match took place in El Paso, Texas.

Nicho tried to attack before the bell, but Rey Sr. moved and Nicho crashed and burned in the corner. Rey laid in some heavy chops. Nicho reversed an Irish Whip, but Rey stopped short. Rey sent Nicho to the ropes and then Arm Dragged him across the ring. After a second Arm Drag, Rey planted Nicho with a Powerslam. Demon ran in to break up the count. Ray caught Nicho with a Tilt-A-Whirl Backbreaker. The announcers claimed that Blue Demon Jr. was the son of the original Blue Demon (I think the kid in the ring was too young to be Demon’s real son). El HIjo tagged into the match and sent both Nicho and Demon flying. El Hijo came off the ropes, but when Demon elevated him, El Hijo Dropkicked the back of Nicho. El Hijo sent Blue Demon out of the ring with a Flying Head Scissors. Rey and El Hijo both hit Tope Suicidas onto their opponents. We were sent to break.

Rey and El Hijo De Santo were celebrating as we returned. Rey and El Santo went out and got their opponents. THey rolled them back in the ring, but ended up paying for it. Nicho and Demon Jr. attacked Rey Sr. and El Hijo as they tried to get back in the ring. Rey and El Hijo were run into each other on the apron. Rey was Double Irish Whipped to the corner. Demon and Nicho slid out of the ring and then posted Rey’s nether regions into the steel post. Demon attacked El Hijo. Demon rolled El Hijo back in the ring and caught him with a vicious Backbreaker. Nicho climbed the ropes. Demon slid El Hijo into the ropes so that Nicho could launch himself off and nial a Guillotine Leg Drop. Demon tried to unmask El Hijo De Santo. That would have been the ultimate insult to the masked man. Demon kicked and punched El Hijo. Rey Sr. managed to tag in, but he was taken down with a Back Elbow. Rey was Irish Whipped into the corner. Blue Demon then whipped Nicho into Rey. Demon nailed a Running Clothesline on Rey. Nicho refused to take the pin. Demon shopped the chest of Rey. Nicho dropped El Hijo with a Dropkick. Demon and Nicho each grabbed a leg of El Hijo and pulled in opposite directions. Demon draped the head of El Hijo across the top rope and Nicho jumped off the apron while holding onto the back of El Hijo’s neck and mask. Los Rudos (Demon y Nicho) took the opportunity to double team El Hijo, while the ref reprimanded Rey Sr. in the far corner. Demon kicked away at the ribs of El Hijo. El Hijo finally made a tag, but the ref didn’t see a thing. Nicho tagged in and went to the ribs of El Hijo. When Nicho went to attack Rey, El Hijo climbed the ropes and flew off with a Head Scissors.

Nicho got back in the ring, only to be grabbed by Rey. Rey locked in a Full Nelson and fell backwards. El Himo dove off the ropes, landing on Nicho. El HIjo just kept moving forward and flew through the ropes iin a Tope Suicida onto Blue Demon Jr. Rey climbed to the top ropes and launched into a High Crossbody onto Nicho, who had rolled to the arena floor. We went to another break.

Blue Demon Jr. and El Hijo De Santo stared each other down, as we returned. El Hijo climbed the ropes and hit a FLying Headbutt from the top rope. El Hijo tried to lock in a Camel Clutch, but couldn’t quite get it set. The ref turned to talk to the men on the floor, which allowed Demon to get a low kick to the groin. Blue Demon Jr. climbed over the pained body of El Hijo De Santo for the pin.

Rating: A-

David Marquez quickly returned to give us the rundown of next week’s show. The main event is scheduled to be Adam Pierce vs. Sean Waltman for the NWA Heritage championship. Plus, we will see Brian Danielson in action. NWA Showcase Challenge is available on channel 9407 on the Dish Network. I will be back with you all, next week, for all the action.

–Jay Shannon
Boxworld@SBCGlobal.net
(2/15/08)

The Katz Files – Arnie Katz

iMPACT (2/7) Recap: Pre-PPV Fireworks!

The Kingfish Arnie Katz presents a report on this week’s TNA TB show along with his inimitable commentary.

Babe of the Day - Monday

Today’s Babe of the day is April Hunter. Click the image to view large version.

Potshots! by Bill Kunkel

Let’s send out a huge welcome back to Bill “Potshot” Kunkel, PWD Editor Emeritus, who sent us this special guest Cartoon!

You can still buy Bill’s autobiography, Confessions of the Game Doctor, at http://www.rolentapress.com

On the Mat!

Mr. J’s cartoon Drawing Blood appears in Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine every month. Now look for a new On the Mat every Monday, Wednesday and Friday here at PWD!