Post by michaelporter on Jul 6, 2005 20:54:46 GMT -5
Michael Porter's WrestleBeat (7-6-05)
Hey there again, Wrestling Fans! And welcome to another edition of WrestleBeat. I've got a lot of news and notes from the World of Professional Wrestling. So, let's get right to business.
First up...here's an e-mail that I received on Wednesday June 29th, along with a long-awaited health update from my friend, Earthquake John Tenta:
"Hi Michael,
Sorry, I'll keep this kind of short. Just returned from Jeff's wedding. It turned out pretty nice. Nothing fancy, but a good time. Had to have a biopsy today, they found a 2 cm growth in the hip area. I was kind of worried it would be somewhere else as I once again had blood in my urine but I'll get that tested Friday. Feel pretty good. Hope all is well with you.
John"
OK...it's time to get back into the praying, GOOD and POSITIVE thoughts, and well-wishes modes for 'Quake! Let's get some comments coming in so John knows that we're STILL with him! THANKS!
WCWA returned to the WCAW Arena on Saturday July 2nd for another night of Pro Wrestling Action. I was NOT booked nor was I in attendance, but here are the results and WCWA news, as reported by WCWA Promoter, Brian Elliot and http://www.wcwaprowrestling.com:
"First of all, many thanks to all our loyal fans that turned up for last night's show. We at the WCWA were a little concerned that the holiday weekend would cause more than a few empty seats. But you guys came through and we appreciate it.
Also, kudos to the janitorial staff who came up with some HUGE fans to keep the arena fairly cool in 90 degree weather.
But things were definitely hot between the ropes last night.
It started off with a vengeance as Blackie attempted to interview new WCWA Champion Eric West. In mid-sentence, West grabbed the microphone and said,
"Forget about all this stuff - did you or did you not empty a garbage can on me at the last show?"
With that, he began pummeling Blackie in the corner (always a good development in my book). Alas, the crowd's pleasure was short, as Helfyre hit the ring and attacked West from behind. After a DDT and a Demon Spike, West was flat on his back and Blackie counted a pinfall.
Apparently the message from Devil Mountain was: it can happen JUST LIKE .... THAT!
The scheduled matches started with a bang also, as the first event was a 4 Corner Elimination Match pitting the following superstars against each other with a Ring of Fire Title Match on the line: Bonsai Bruce Bukake, Hijo de Chupacabra, U.S. Steele and former Ring of Fire Champion Steel.
Action was fast and furious with Chupa and Bukake in particular going all out, along with the grizzled veteran U.S. Steele. Only the former champ seemed hesitant to get in the ring much.
Chupacabra was the first eliminated as he fell victim to an extraordinary lucha-ish manuever that resulted in his head and neck being compressed into the mat. Hard. Bukake triumphed and eliminated the game youngster.
U.S. Steele entered the fray next and used his superior size and strength to good advantage and eventually got the better of his smaller foe. This left longtime pals Steel and Steele to settle it.
Former champ Steel, after a hardy handshake, threw it all out the window as he started pounding on the stunned wearer of the red, white and blue. The battle pitched back and forth and ended with Steel claiming the victory via pinfall. Using a handful of tights.
Speaking after the match, Steel was furious he was even in the match to begin with.
"Why wasn't I still the top contender? Schmirnoff didn't beat me last time. He ran and we both got counted out. Why did they stick me in this stupid match to win something I ALREADY HAD? That's what you get for being a nice guy - you get stepped on. From now on, it's all about the GOLD."
Next up was a battle of the behemoths as Bad Apple DD (with brother Adam) squared off with monstrous Apollo Green. The ring (and building) shook as these massive men took turns bashing each other around the ring.
The turning point came when DD charged at Apollo in the corner and new ref Kyle Snow got squashed in a wrestler sandwich. Adam then interfered in the match and both Apples strained to get Green up into a double suplex and the still shaky Snow counted the pinfall.
Next up, Sir Samurai matched up with former WCWA Champ Jason Vega. After some initial hilarious byplay between the ref and the Dojo-Dweller, these guys went at it tooth and nail for over 10 minutes. Samurai particularly showed tremendous dexterity and toughness. At one point Samurai suplexed Vega from in the ring to the unforgiving ramp in a crash that was heard in Antioch. Vega was relentless though, carrying on and hitting the Vega Bomb Splash, only to have Samurai kick out at 2. Vega finally sealed the deal with a variation of the Walls of Jericho and Samurai tapped out. Great match.
It all came unhinged in the first ever Devil Mountain Rules Match as Helfyre (w/Risa de Muerte) put his new belt on the line against Bad Apple Adam (w/DD). This quickly degenerated into a free-for-all, with liberal interference from both burly outsiders. Weapons included a cane, a garbage can lid, multiple chairs, poles, the ramp and more. Helfyre hit a senton splash to the concrete floor on both Apples and both brothers were whipped into the side of the ramp.
The end came with Adam and Helfyre battling in the ring while Risa hooked DD in an unmentionable place with a metal cane and dragged his 300 pound frame to the outside by this very delicate area.
Adam was distracted by his brother's scream of pain and Helfyre hit the Demon Spike for the win.
The Apples are vowing revenge and have challenged Devil Mountain to a tag match.
And that was just the first half of the show!!
D.J. Rizz and "The Franchise" Rik Luxury were set to go in the next match. After Luxury made some comments about supporting the troops (by sleeping with their lonely wives), there was an unscheduled visit by WCWA Champion Eric West.
He took exception to Luxury's remarks, told him that HE was a veteran and he wasn't going to put up with Luxury dissing his buddies in the Gulf. He challenged Luxury to a match on the next show and promised him the beating of his life.
After West exited, the fireworks began. The wiry Rizz tore into the wily veteran and the ring was a whirlwind of activity. Both men gave it their all and it was an outstanding match. Rizz actually seemed to do more damage, but, in the end, the ringwise Luxury cheated his way to another win.
Next up was the maiden title defense of the new WCWA king Eric West as he locked up with Risa de Muerte (the only man to score a legal pinfall on West thus far). This match was not for the traditionalist wrestling fan. With his recent Devil Mountain beatdown lodged in his mind, West roared out of his corner and attacked the Sinister Surgeon of Pain. This was brutal, take-no-prisoners action that made its way outside the ring where the ramp, the posts and the back wall of the building were used to inflict damage.
It looked like the end when Risa managed to hook West in the Tree of Woe and prepared to drive a chair through the champ's skull. Ref Kyle Snow intervened and took the chair away. As the two argued, West escaped from the corner and surprised the masked man with a rapid series of judo arm drags and culminated with his version of the FU for the pinfall.
The Ring of Fire title was on the line in the finale of the evening as Alexis Schmirnoff Jr. faced the always spectacular Chance Calloway. This was an interesting mix of skills as the bulky mat-wrestling brawler hooked up with the high-flying wiry youngster. Calloway took Schmirnoff to the limit, forcing the sneaky Russian to play dirty, removing a corner pad and trying to bash Chance into the naked steel. It backfired, as Calloway proved too quick and sent the champ into agony.
The end came when Steel strolled out to ringside, climbed the apron and began yelling at the ref and Calloway. Schmirnoff took the opportunity to hit a low blow and polished off the young super star in short order.
As for the 16th, the following matches have been tentatively scheduled:
WCWA Title: Eric West vs. Rik Luxury
Ring of Fire Title: Alexis Schmirnoff Jr. vs Steel
(to avoid another count out, I have made this a Lumberjack Match)
Devil Mountain Rules: Bad Apples vs. Devil Mountain"
WCWA returns to the WCWA Arena, located at 2312 Monument Blvd. (next to the Dome Theatre-Monument Exit off I-680) in Pleasant Hill, CA. on the above-noted Saturday Night July 16th."
And in a prior BLOCKBUSTER announcement made by WCWA Promoter Elliot, well...let me put it in Brian's own words...read on:
"We MAY be doing a show on the grounds of the Oakland Coliseum in August before an A's game. STAY TUNED..." How's THAT for a HUGE step up the INDY ladder for WCWA?
Also, the UWA will be returning to the Fat Cat Music House and Lounge 930 11th Street Modesto, CA. on Tuesday Night July 19th.
Matches will include Round Two of the UWA Heavyweight Championship Tournament, with THREE matches. The participants in these three matches will be winners of Round One Tournament matches held at Fat Cat's on June 14th. And those winners were The Innovator Vinnie Massaro, Modesto's own, BOTH Rage and Steel (UWA Tag Team Champions, Full Metal Jacket), UWA Hardcore Champion, Ridiculous Mike Rayne, Chris Ward and Flamboyant Rik Luxury. The winners of these three Round Two matches will meet in the FINALS...which will be a Triple Threat Match, with the ultimate victor becoming the NEW UWA Heavyweight Champion.
Tournament match-ups and more matches will be announced in the coming weeks. And I will announce them as I learn of them, which SHOULD be SOON, as I have not heard from booker Rob Wilds in some time.
And once again, THANKS to the UWA and Fat Cat Modesto, admission will be ABSOLUTELY FREE!
However...due to venue restrictions, you MUST be at least 21 years of age to attend.
(card subject to change)
For more information, go to www.unitedwrestlingalliance.com , www.fatcatmodesto.com , or call Fat Cat's at (209) 524-1400.
And now, on to the national news:
Dave Meltzer and WrestlingObserver.com reports these stories:
Dan Severn and Ricco Rodriguez both came out victorious at a show last night before a poor crowd of about 1,000 at the NBC Arena in Honolulu for a promotion called X-1. It was the first of three major shows in Honolulu this month (7/23 SuperBrawl and 7/29 is the big Aloha Stadium event), so it was clearly odd man out. Severn was caught in a kneebar by Shannon Ritch and admitted he was saved by the bell in the first round. That is so scary considering Ritch (said to have a 32-49 record but he's fought far more than that) is about 60 pounds lighter and, while he's improved, is still considered MMA's best known jobber. Severn rebounded with a second round choke to win. Rodriguez beat Ruben Villarreal (THIS reporter's note...Ruben Villarreal is also known as INDY Pro Wrestler and the former UWA (United Wrestling Alliance) Heavyweight Champion, the MASSIVE Native American, Warpath) with an armbar midway through the first round after cutting his eye badly with an elbow. Also in a Hawaii vs. Mainland six fight series it was: Johnny Sampino (H) b Josh Hinger, Brian Gaurattti (M) b Kalea Kwon, Harris Sarmiento (H) b Josh Smith, Fernando Gonzalez (M) b Sidney Silva, Kaleo Padilla (H) NC Adam Lynn, Chris Brennan (H) b Mark Moreno to win it for Hawaii.
Roddy Piper, Bobby Heenan and Gene Okerlund will be performing at a Toronto Blue Jays-Seattle Mariners game in Toronto on 7/20. Okerlund will sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and there will be a live Piper's Pit on the field.
Ryan Clark reports the following:
Edge and Lita, as has been reported, are not an item. Edge is currently working on repairing his marriage. And, although Matt Hardy and Lita are back on good terms, they too, are not dating.
The following is from WWE.com:
WWE.com has learned that RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff and SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long have agreed on a blockbuster 11-person deal that will likely have a big impact on both rosters.
RAW brand gets:
Mark Jindrak: Former WCW Tag Team Champion
Rene Dupree: Former WWE Tag Team Champion; former World Tag Team Champion Danny Basham: Two-time former WWE Tag Team Champion
Kenzo Suzuki (with Hiroko): Former WWE Tag Team Champion
Chavo Guerrero: Five-time former Cruiserweight Champion; two-time former WWE Tag Team Champion
SmackDown! brand gets:
William Regal: Four-time former WCW Television Champion; three-time former Hardcore Champion; four-time former European Champion; former Intercontinental Champion; four-time former World Tag Team Champion
Candice: 2004 RAW Diva Search contestant
Sylvain Grenier: Four-time former World Tag Team Champion
Simon Dean: Former RAW sponsor
Steven Richards: Former two-time ECW Tag Team Champion; former 21-time Hardcore Champion
The Shawn Michaels Sweet Chin Music turn on Hulk Hogan on RAW, as part of the WWE RAW/SMACKDOWN SuperShow on Monday Night from Arco Arena in Sacramento, CA. was indeed a shocker, as was the RAW Diva Search, when Diva contestant, Leyla's bikini top fell off, and she in turn had to be covered up with a towel by Referee Earl Hebner!
Then on SMACKDOWN, a SURPRISE appearance by ECW's bWo (Blue World Order), including The Blue Meanie and Stevie Richards, arriving in JBL's Limo! Meanie and Bradshaw had a confrontation. Many of you know of the SHOOT incident between the two at the ECW One Night Stand PPV. Anyway, the exchange leads to a match between Meanie and JBL.
Then in the match, The Blue Meanie pinned JBL after Batista ran in and gave a spinebuster to JBL and threw an out of it Meanie on top of JBL. Stevie Richards delivered a nasty chairshot to JBL that appeared to bust him open hardway.
And with ALL of this action going down, I'm REALLY upset, because I WAS supposed to be in attendance for this RAW/SMACKDOWN SuperShow in Sacramento, however the person who was SUPPOSED to pick up my ticket, for whatever reasons, despite several e-mail and I.M. inquiries from me, failed to respond. And I was left with no time to make alternate plans for transportation down to Arco Arena. I was VERY disappointed...to say the LEAST, as I had made contact with one of my old WWF/E friends to get this person a SURPRISE backstage pass! Oh well...HER loss!
And this from WWE.com along with a footnote from Joey Styles:
July 5, 2005:
World Wrestling Entertainment has come to agreements on the release of the following Superstars, WWE would like to wish them the best in their future endeavors.
Mark Jindrak
Maven
Shannon Moore
James Yun (Akio)
David Heath (Gangrel)
Billy Kidman
Notes from Joey Styles: Mark Jindrak was just traded to RAW. The release of Maven makes the failure of Tough Enough official. Billy Kidman is the real life husband of Torrie Wilson.
And finally...this late-breaking report from Bob Ryder and 1Wrestling.com:
Two more names were added to the releases announced by WWE.com on Tuesday.
Spike Dudley and Kevin "Mordecai" Fertig were added to the previous six names announced earlier on Tuesday.
Sources we spoke to on Tuesday evening expect more names to be added to the list. One source, who had spoken to one of the wrestlers being cut, said to expect up to ten releases. It wasn't clear if that meant ten in addition to the six already listed at that time, or if a total of ten wrestlers would be released. With the addition of Spike Dudley and Kevin Fertig, the number stands at eight.
It's the largest, and most significant, cut of talent since WWE began trimming their roster 18 months ago.
This round of cuts comes as WWE prepares for a significant reduction in revenue as a result of their move to a less profitable programming deal with USA Network this fall.
Well, that does it for another edition of WrestleBeat. I'll be back next time with more news and notes from the Wonderful World of Professional Wrestling.
So, until next time, KEEP BOTH FEET ON THE MAT AND YOUR PUNCHES ABOVE THE BELT! Later, Michael.
(contact Michael Porter by e-mail at kmichaelporter@yahoo.com or by snail-mail at P.O. Box 5282 Marysville, CA. 95901-8521)
Hey there again, Wrestling Fans! And welcome to another edition of WrestleBeat. I've got a lot of news and notes from the World of Professional Wrestling. So, let's get right to business.
First up...here's an e-mail that I received on Wednesday June 29th, along with a long-awaited health update from my friend, Earthquake John Tenta:
"Hi Michael,
Sorry, I'll keep this kind of short. Just returned from Jeff's wedding. It turned out pretty nice. Nothing fancy, but a good time. Had to have a biopsy today, they found a 2 cm growth in the hip area. I was kind of worried it would be somewhere else as I once again had blood in my urine but I'll get that tested Friday. Feel pretty good. Hope all is well with you.
John"
OK...it's time to get back into the praying, GOOD and POSITIVE thoughts, and well-wishes modes for 'Quake! Let's get some comments coming in so John knows that we're STILL with him! THANKS!
WCWA returned to the WCAW Arena on Saturday July 2nd for another night of Pro Wrestling Action. I was NOT booked nor was I in attendance, but here are the results and WCWA news, as reported by WCWA Promoter, Brian Elliot and http://www.wcwaprowrestling.com:
"First of all, many thanks to all our loyal fans that turned up for last night's show. We at the WCWA were a little concerned that the holiday weekend would cause more than a few empty seats. But you guys came through and we appreciate it.
Also, kudos to the janitorial staff who came up with some HUGE fans to keep the arena fairly cool in 90 degree weather.
But things were definitely hot between the ropes last night.
It started off with a vengeance as Blackie attempted to interview new WCWA Champion Eric West. In mid-sentence, West grabbed the microphone and said,
"Forget about all this stuff - did you or did you not empty a garbage can on me at the last show?"
With that, he began pummeling Blackie in the corner (always a good development in my book). Alas, the crowd's pleasure was short, as Helfyre hit the ring and attacked West from behind. After a DDT and a Demon Spike, West was flat on his back and Blackie counted a pinfall.
Apparently the message from Devil Mountain was: it can happen JUST LIKE .... THAT!
The scheduled matches started with a bang also, as the first event was a 4 Corner Elimination Match pitting the following superstars against each other with a Ring of Fire Title Match on the line: Bonsai Bruce Bukake, Hijo de Chupacabra, U.S. Steele and former Ring of Fire Champion Steel.
Action was fast and furious with Chupa and Bukake in particular going all out, along with the grizzled veteran U.S. Steele. Only the former champ seemed hesitant to get in the ring much.
Chupacabra was the first eliminated as he fell victim to an extraordinary lucha-ish manuever that resulted in his head and neck being compressed into the mat. Hard. Bukake triumphed and eliminated the game youngster.
U.S. Steele entered the fray next and used his superior size and strength to good advantage and eventually got the better of his smaller foe. This left longtime pals Steel and Steele to settle it.
Former champ Steel, after a hardy handshake, threw it all out the window as he started pounding on the stunned wearer of the red, white and blue. The battle pitched back and forth and ended with Steel claiming the victory via pinfall. Using a handful of tights.
Speaking after the match, Steel was furious he was even in the match to begin with.
"Why wasn't I still the top contender? Schmirnoff didn't beat me last time. He ran and we both got counted out. Why did they stick me in this stupid match to win something I ALREADY HAD? That's what you get for being a nice guy - you get stepped on. From now on, it's all about the GOLD."
Next up was a battle of the behemoths as Bad Apple DD (with brother Adam) squared off with monstrous Apollo Green. The ring (and building) shook as these massive men took turns bashing each other around the ring.
The turning point came when DD charged at Apollo in the corner and new ref Kyle Snow got squashed in a wrestler sandwich. Adam then interfered in the match and both Apples strained to get Green up into a double suplex and the still shaky Snow counted the pinfall.
Next up, Sir Samurai matched up with former WCWA Champ Jason Vega. After some initial hilarious byplay between the ref and the Dojo-Dweller, these guys went at it tooth and nail for over 10 minutes. Samurai particularly showed tremendous dexterity and toughness. At one point Samurai suplexed Vega from in the ring to the unforgiving ramp in a crash that was heard in Antioch. Vega was relentless though, carrying on and hitting the Vega Bomb Splash, only to have Samurai kick out at 2. Vega finally sealed the deal with a variation of the Walls of Jericho and Samurai tapped out. Great match.
It all came unhinged in the first ever Devil Mountain Rules Match as Helfyre (w/Risa de Muerte) put his new belt on the line against Bad Apple Adam (w/DD). This quickly degenerated into a free-for-all, with liberal interference from both burly outsiders. Weapons included a cane, a garbage can lid, multiple chairs, poles, the ramp and more. Helfyre hit a senton splash to the concrete floor on both Apples and both brothers were whipped into the side of the ramp.
The end came with Adam and Helfyre battling in the ring while Risa hooked DD in an unmentionable place with a metal cane and dragged his 300 pound frame to the outside by this very delicate area.
Adam was distracted by his brother's scream of pain and Helfyre hit the Demon Spike for the win.
The Apples are vowing revenge and have challenged Devil Mountain to a tag match.
And that was just the first half of the show!!
D.J. Rizz and "The Franchise" Rik Luxury were set to go in the next match. After Luxury made some comments about supporting the troops (by sleeping with their lonely wives), there was an unscheduled visit by WCWA Champion Eric West.
He took exception to Luxury's remarks, told him that HE was a veteran and he wasn't going to put up with Luxury dissing his buddies in the Gulf. He challenged Luxury to a match on the next show and promised him the beating of his life.
After West exited, the fireworks began. The wiry Rizz tore into the wily veteran and the ring was a whirlwind of activity. Both men gave it their all and it was an outstanding match. Rizz actually seemed to do more damage, but, in the end, the ringwise Luxury cheated his way to another win.
Next up was the maiden title defense of the new WCWA king Eric West as he locked up with Risa de Muerte (the only man to score a legal pinfall on West thus far). This match was not for the traditionalist wrestling fan. With his recent Devil Mountain beatdown lodged in his mind, West roared out of his corner and attacked the Sinister Surgeon of Pain. This was brutal, take-no-prisoners action that made its way outside the ring where the ramp, the posts and the back wall of the building were used to inflict damage.
It looked like the end when Risa managed to hook West in the Tree of Woe and prepared to drive a chair through the champ's skull. Ref Kyle Snow intervened and took the chair away. As the two argued, West escaped from the corner and surprised the masked man with a rapid series of judo arm drags and culminated with his version of the FU for the pinfall.
The Ring of Fire title was on the line in the finale of the evening as Alexis Schmirnoff Jr. faced the always spectacular Chance Calloway. This was an interesting mix of skills as the bulky mat-wrestling brawler hooked up with the high-flying wiry youngster. Calloway took Schmirnoff to the limit, forcing the sneaky Russian to play dirty, removing a corner pad and trying to bash Chance into the naked steel. It backfired, as Calloway proved too quick and sent the champ into agony.
The end came when Steel strolled out to ringside, climbed the apron and began yelling at the ref and Calloway. Schmirnoff took the opportunity to hit a low blow and polished off the young super star in short order.
As for the 16th, the following matches have been tentatively scheduled:
WCWA Title: Eric West vs. Rik Luxury
Ring of Fire Title: Alexis Schmirnoff Jr. vs Steel
(to avoid another count out, I have made this a Lumberjack Match)
Devil Mountain Rules: Bad Apples vs. Devil Mountain"
WCWA returns to the WCWA Arena, located at 2312 Monument Blvd. (next to the Dome Theatre-Monument Exit off I-680) in Pleasant Hill, CA. on the above-noted Saturday Night July 16th."
And in a prior BLOCKBUSTER announcement made by WCWA Promoter Elliot, well...let me put it in Brian's own words...read on:
"We MAY be doing a show on the grounds of the Oakland Coliseum in August before an A's game. STAY TUNED..." How's THAT for a HUGE step up the INDY ladder for WCWA?
Also, the UWA will be returning to the Fat Cat Music House and Lounge 930 11th Street Modesto, CA. on Tuesday Night July 19th.
Matches will include Round Two of the UWA Heavyweight Championship Tournament, with THREE matches. The participants in these three matches will be winners of Round One Tournament matches held at Fat Cat's on June 14th. And those winners were The Innovator Vinnie Massaro, Modesto's own, BOTH Rage and Steel (UWA Tag Team Champions, Full Metal Jacket), UWA Hardcore Champion, Ridiculous Mike Rayne, Chris Ward and Flamboyant Rik Luxury. The winners of these three Round Two matches will meet in the FINALS...which will be a Triple Threat Match, with the ultimate victor becoming the NEW UWA Heavyweight Champion.
Tournament match-ups and more matches will be announced in the coming weeks. And I will announce them as I learn of them, which SHOULD be SOON, as I have not heard from booker Rob Wilds in some time.
And once again, THANKS to the UWA and Fat Cat Modesto, admission will be ABSOLUTELY FREE!
However...due to venue restrictions, you MUST be at least 21 years of age to attend.
(card subject to change)
For more information, go to www.unitedwrestlingalliance.com , www.fatcatmodesto.com , or call Fat Cat's at (209) 524-1400.
And now, on to the national news:
Dave Meltzer and WrestlingObserver.com reports these stories:
Dan Severn and Ricco Rodriguez both came out victorious at a show last night before a poor crowd of about 1,000 at the NBC Arena in Honolulu for a promotion called X-1. It was the first of three major shows in Honolulu this month (7/23 SuperBrawl and 7/29 is the big Aloha Stadium event), so it was clearly odd man out. Severn was caught in a kneebar by Shannon Ritch and admitted he was saved by the bell in the first round. That is so scary considering Ritch (said to have a 32-49 record but he's fought far more than that) is about 60 pounds lighter and, while he's improved, is still considered MMA's best known jobber. Severn rebounded with a second round choke to win. Rodriguez beat Ruben Villarreal (THIS reporter's note...Ruben Villarreal is also known as INDY Pro Wrestler and the former UWA (United Wrestling Alliance) Heavyweight Champion, the MASSIVE Native American, Warpath) with an armbar midway through the first round after cutting his eye badly with an elbow. Also in a Hawaii vs. Mainland six fight series it was: Johnny Sampino (H) b Josh Hinger, Brian Gaurattti (M) b Kalea Kwon, Harris Sarmiento (H) b Josh Smith, Fernando Gonzalez (M) b Sidney Silva, Kaleo Padilla (H) NC Adam Lynn, Chris Brennan (H) b Mark Moreno to win it for Hawaii.
Roddy Piper, Bobby Heenan and Gene Okerlund will be performing at a Toronto Blue Jays-Seattle Mariners game in Toronto on 7/20. Okerlund will sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and there will be a live Piper's Pit on the field.
Ryan Clark reports the following:
Edge and Lita, as has been reported, are not an item. Edge is currently working on repairing his marriage. And, although Matt Hardy and Lita are back on good terms, they too, are not dating.
The following is from WWE.com:
WWE.com has learned that RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff and SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long have agreed on a blockbuster 11-person deal that will likely have a big impact on both rosters.
RAW brand gets:
Mark Jindrak: Former WCW Tag Team Champion
Rene Dupree: Former WWE Tag Team Champion; former World Tag Team Champion Danny Basham: Two-time former WWE Tag Team Champion
Kenzo Suzuki (with Hiroko): Former WWE Tag Team Champion
Chavo Guerrero: Five-time former Cruiserweight Champion; two-time former WWE Tag Team Champion
SmackDown! brand gets:
William Regal: Four-time former WCW Television Champion; three-time former Hardcore Champion; four-time former European Champion; former Intercontinental Champion; four-time former World Tag Team Champion
Candice: 2004 RAW Diva Search contestant
Sylvain Grenier: Four-time former World Tag Team Champion
Simon Dean: Former RAW sponsor
Steven Richards: Former two-time ECW Tag Team Champion; former 21-time Hardcore Champion
The Shawn Michaels Sweet Chin Music turn on Hulk Hogan on RAW, as part of the WWE RAW/SMACKDOWN SuperShow on Monday Night from Arco Arena in Sacramento, CA. was indeed a shocker, as was the RAW Diva Search, when Diva contestant, Leyla's bikini top fell off, and she in turn had to be covered up with a towel by Referee Earl Hebner!
Then on SMACKDOWN, a SURPRISE appearance by ECW's bWo (Blue World Order), including The Blue Meanie and Stevie Richards, arriving in JBL's Limo! Meanie and Bradshaw had a confrontation. Many of you know of the SHOOT incident between the two at the ECW One Night Stand PPV. Anyway, the exchange leads to a match between Meanie and JBL.
Then in the match, The Blue Meanie pinned JBL after Batista ran in and gave a spinebuster to JBL and threw an out of it Meanie on top of JBL. Stevie Richards delivered a nasty chairshot to JBL that appeared to bust him open hardway.
And with ALL of this action going down, I'm REALLY upset, because I WAS supposed to be in attendance for this RAW/SMACKDOWN SuperShow in Sacramento, however the person who was SUPPOSED to pick up my ticket, for whatever reasons, despite several e-mail and I.M. inquiries from me, failed to respond. And I was left with no time to make alternate plans for transportation down to Arco Arena. I was VERY disappointed...to say the LEAST, as I had made contact with one of my old WWF/E friends to get this person a SURPRISE backstage pass! Oh well...HER loss!
And this from WWE.com along with a footnote from Joey Styles:
July 5, 2005:
World Wrestling Entertainment has come to agreements on the release of the following Superstars, WWE would like to wish them the best in their future endeavors.
Mark Jindrak
Maven
Shannon Moore
James Yun (Akio)
David Heath (Gangrel)
Billy Kidman
Notes from Joey Styles: Mark Jindrak was just traded to RAW. The release of Maven makes the failure of Tough Enough official. Billy Kidman is the real life husband of Torrie Wilson.
And finally...this late-breaking report from Bob Ryder and 1Wrestling.com:
Two more names were added to the releases announced by WWE.com on Tuesday.
Spike Dudley and Kevin "Mordecai" Fertig were added to the previous six names announced earlier on Tuesday.
Sources we spoke to on Tuesday evening expect more names to be added to the list. One source, who had spoken to one of the wrestlers being cut, said to expect up to ten releases. It wasn't clear if that meant ten in addition to the six already listed at that time, or if a total of ten wrestlers would be released. With the addition of Spike Dudley and Kevin Fertig, the number stands at eight.
It's the largest, and most significant, cut of talent since WWE began trimming their roster 18 months ago.
This round of cuts comes as WWE prepares for a significant reduction in revenue as a result of their move to a less profitable programming deal with USA Network this fall.
Well, that does it for another edition of WrestleBeat. I'll be back next time with more news and notes from the Wonderful World of Professional Wrestling.
So, until next time, KEEP BOTH FEET ON THE MAT AND YOUR PUNCHES ABOVE THE BELT! Later, Michael.
(contact Michael Porter by e-mail at kmichaelporter@yahoo.com or by snail-mail at P.O. Box 5282 Marysville, CA. 95901-8521)