|
Post by Justin Case on Apr 8, 2023 5:43:18 GMT -5
Sounds like a busy day 1! Thanks for sharing! And thanks for the signing!
|
|
|
Post by Vegas on Apr 9, 2023 3:47:07 GMT -5
OK, time for a Day 2 recap from last weekend/Mania Weekend before I get some sleep:
Day 2 (Friday March 31st)
After going to bed around 3 AM, I woke up at 6:15 AM as one of my friends I was staying with had to get to The Collective early since he was working for GCW. But I am used to not getting much sleep during Mania Weekend.
The first show was Jimmy Lloyd's D-Generation-F show which is one of my favorite shows as it highlights upcoming talent. It was great getting to see Bodhi Young Prodigy (Sinn Bodhi's son) who wrestles for FSW here in Las Vegas make his GCW debut at this show. I think Bodhi Young Prodigy is a 9th grader but he has a very bright future ahead of him. I liked getting to see Sandra Moone vs Kenzie Paige as Sandra was a student who I knew a little at the high school I work at and Kenzie is somebody who I think has a very bright future (she is only 21 years old and she just became the first-ever NWA Womens TV Champion this weekend after already being a 2 time NWA Womens Tag Team Champion) and I enjoyed getting to meet Kenzie at a recent show. Titus Alexander and Starboy Charlie, who as you know are about to get Filsinger Games cards released this month, both wrested on this show. I like both the Bang Bros and Wasted Youth alot and the main event was great.
After Jimmy Lloyd's show, I went with 4 friends to ROH's Supercard of Honor 2023. I did not know until we got there that this show was taking place on USC's campus. Before the show, we went to a Chinese restaurant on the campus but we left when we scanned the menu and saw things such as bullfrog, pigs feet, deep fried intestines, and stir fried chicken gizzards on their menu. Instead we went to a different USC campus restaurant that featured burgers and beers (more my speed than the authentic Chinese menu.) I actually liked this year's Supercard of Honor better than last year's Supercard of Honor which I also attended in Dallas as last year's show was a transition show where all the winners were clearly obvious. I especially really liked Komander vs Vikingo, the tag team ladder match, and the main event of Claudio Castagnoli vs Eddie Kingston. I was surprised that Mark Brsicoe lost to Samoa Joe.
After Supercard of Honor, our friend Brian who lives here in Las Vegas and who refereed some of the matches at the Santino Brothers show at the Collective, drove us back to The Collective. Brian is an excellent driver and he got us back there in good time and we only missed part of the first match of Joey Janela's Spring Break. Since I knew we were going to be late coming from ROH, I only bought a GA ticket to Spring Break which was sold out and packed but I could see everything fine from my spot on top of the stairs next to the bar (which I visited a couple of times.) My favorite match at Spring Break was Mike Baily vs Vikingo. After the show, Maki Itoh had an outside meet and greet. I waited for the line to go down because I wanted to meet her and talk to her about the game but they canceled that line because they needed the sidewalk space for the line for the Mindnight Emo show so I did not get to meet her, hopefully I will meet her when GCW is here in Las Vegas next month though as she has already been announced for that show.
The last show of Day 2 was the GCW's Emo show. The talent came out to Emo songs and wearing Emo-like gear. Orange Cassidy, KiLynn King, Jungle Boy, Skye Blue, and Willow Nightingale (she was dancing to the Emo ring entrance songs) were in attendance for this show. Between matches they had 3 Emo music performances. The first singer was good, The second singer, Horse Head, was OK. The 3rd singer sucked so bad that I had to go to the bar and get a couple cans of beer as I could not listen to him without drinking. Overall though I had fun at this show. Afterward I got to meet Jimmy Jacobs (who is now in the Independent Wrestling Hall of Fame) for the first time and he autographed my copy of his color card.
Again, we got back to the hotel late and then I set my alarm early to wake up to get to NXT the next morning (bell time was 9:30.)
I will post a Day 3 recap next.
|
|
|
Post by TTX on Apr 9, 2023 6:59:44 GMT -5
Very cool meeting Jimmy jacobs.
|
|
|
Post by on_the_edge on Apr 9, 2023 15:28:42 GMT -5
I am a bit jelly that you got to meet Jimmy. I have mentioned before that a few years back he was at a Meet and Greet for VIP pass holders after an Impact show. It was the first time in a while that I was excited and got in line. I just wanted to shake his hand and thank him for all the entertainment he brought to me. Sadly, after just meeting a few people, he had to leave for some reason. I was so bummed. Maybe one day.
Keep up the great recaps. Having no life these days it is nice to see others that have one lol.
|
|
|
Post by Vegas on Apr 10, 2023 0:41:53 GMT -5
Day 3 (Saturday April 1st)
Woke up early to get to Crypto.com Arena (formerly known as Staples Center, where the Lakers play their home games) for NXT Stand & Deliver as bell time was 9:30 AM. I liked this year's Stand & Deliver better than last year's Stand & Deliver in Dallas. The opening ladder match for the WWE NXT Woemns Championship, the 5-way for the NXT North American Championship, Johnny Gargano vs Grayson Waller, and the main event where Carmelo Hayes defeated Bron Breaker for the WWE NXT Championship were all good matches.
After NXT, we went to the nearby WWE Superstore and that place was amazing! The movie posters for almost all of the WWE Superstars looked incredible and I really enjoyed going to the action figure area were they had lots of Wrestlemania exclusive action figures on sale as well as previews for all of the upcoming different WWE action figure lines even though the only WWE action figure line I collect is the Retros (based on the old Hasbro figures) from Mattel Creations. At the WWE Superstore, I bought a shirt that had KO Mania on one side and then WrestleZaynia on the other side, it is the shirt design that was shown on RAW recently.
After lunch, we then went to SoFi Stadium for Wrestlemania Day 1. SoFi Stadium, across the street from the Great Western Forum where the Los Angeles Lakers used to play before moving downtown to Staples Center, is an awesome-looking stadium, but unless you go in the exact gate for your seat then it becomes a maze to find your seat (having to go up and down escalators and elevators, etc.) We had a decent view of the ring but it is also cool how SoFi Stadium has those big screens going around in a ring in the inside center of the roof. But after two days at that stadium, I think the food at SoFi Stadium is only so so compared to what I have experienced in other NFL stadiums. But the bar was good though as we could get cans of Stone Cold's Broken Skull beer which is delicious. Also, I had the specialty drink of Wrestlemania which was a Can of Whoop Ass. It was OK, it was a whiskey-based drink and I rarely drink liquor (first time since New Orleans last November) other than beer.
I thought this year's Wrestlemania Night 1 was overall even better than last year's Wrestlemania Night 1. I think the only bad match was Pat McAfee vs The Miz. My favorite match was Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, while wearing the PWG logo on their gear, winning the WWE RAW Tag Team Championship and the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship from the Usos. The WWE still screws up alot, but one really good thing they did this year was the storyline with Sami Zayn and the Bloodline and this match absolutely deserved to be the main event of Night 1, regardless of what Ric Flair later said.
Afterward, we went back to The Collective for GCW's Gringo Loco's The Wrld On Lucha 2023. Vikingo vs Laredo Kid was my favorite match of that show.
I will try to post a Day 4 recap tomorrow.
|
|