Post by Cory Olson on May 26, 2020 14:31:29 GMT -5
Thanks to Zeke and Chad for the comments!
The December 24 edition of USWA Championship Wrestling featured a video package, with analysis of all 25 competitors in the 25-man Battle Royal at New Year's Knockout XIII for a shot at the World Heavyweight champion in 2017!
“Hacksaw” Jim Duggan: The American hero first debuted in the USWA in 2005. He left in the summer of 2006 but returned in 2009 and has been here since. While fans see him as a superstar, he still has yet to win a USWA championship after having challenged for all five (including the now retired Texas championship). His power and brawling skills favor him in a Battle Royal setting. It will be interesting to see if he works with his two allies in the match.
Steve “Dr. Death” Williams: An eight-time former Southern Heavyweight champion and a two-time former World Tag Team champion; Williams and Terry Gordy both wanted into this Battle Royal after losing the Tag Team titles back to Doctor X and Billy Black Lyons a few weeks ago in Dixon, KY. Commissioner Bob Armstrong granted them their request wanting to get as many top talents into this huge match-up. Williams has been in several main events since his debut seven years ago but has only challenged for the World title twice. He would love to start 2017 by capturing that title!
Terry “Bamm Bamm” Gordy: A former Southern Heavyweight champion and World Tag Team champion; While Gordy and Williams have focused more on their tag team in the last few months, “Bamm Bamm” would love another shot at the World title, as he has had only one since debuting in the USWA almost three years ago. His combination of power, speed, and endurance could help him prevail in this environment!
“Mr. USA” Tony Atlas: Atlas debuted in February of this year and has made a big impact, main eventing against then-World champion “Ravishing” Rick Rude at Independence Day Bash and challenging “Classy” Freddie Blassie for the Southern Heavyweight title last month in Huntsville. Atlas has performed impressive feats of strength, including press slamming Big John Studd over his head in their match in October in Nashville. The press slam could be an effective way to eliminate opponents in a Battle Royal!
“Superstar” Bill Dundee: Dundee debuted in September 2015 and has become one of the most popular wrestlers in the area. He has a knack of fighting back against seemingly unbeatable odds to win. His ability to take punishment could help him in the wild and violet Battle Royal setting!
Red Bastien: A former World Tag Team and Texas champion; Bastien challenged “Ravishing” Rick Rude for the World title three times this year, including the main event of Derby City Stampede. He went into the Stampede match with a neck injury and would love to get another shot at 100%. He fared well in the 2012 Battle Royal. His combination of speed and agility could help him surprise and eliminate opponents.
Billy Gunn: A three-time former World Tag Team champion; Gunn has transitioned from tag team to singles competition the last few months. While he has more to achieve, he has gotten big singles wins over Larry Zbyszko and Mr. Saito this year. His athleticism could lead to a Battle Royal victory!
Tommy Rogers: A former Mid-America Heavyweight champion; Rogers surprised many wrestling experts with his long winning streak after his debut at last year’s New Year’s Knockout, as well as his capturing of the Mid-America title. His speed and great dropkicks are great weapons in this every-man-for-himself setting.
Colt “Boom Boom” Cabana: The Chicago native has built up a good record so far, suffering only one decisive loss to David Taylor on the last card in Knoxville. Cabana is a student of the game, having watched videos of many wrestlers and styles. That knowledge coupled with his unique offense are strengths in this type of match.
“The Anarchist” Arik Cannon: Another Chicago native, the PBR drinker has scored big singles wins in the past, including over his former partner Claudio Castagnoli, “Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert, Fit Finlay, and David Taylor. He has a hard-hitting style and can brawl as well. He has yet to win a singles match in 2016 and that desire could lead him to survive!
Hillbilly Jim & Cousin Luke: While their win-loss record is not the strongest, the country boys remain popular among USWA fans. They have gotten many upset wins in the past, both in singles and tag team competition. In a Battle Royal setting, their brawling skills are enough to throw opponents over the top rope!
S.D. Jones: Jones has yet to receive a title match but holds upset wins over some big stars in wrestling, including former USWA World, World Tag Team, and Southern Heavyweight champion Johnny Valentine and current Mid-America champion Ray “The Crippler” Stevens. His quick footwork and crushing head butts can bring down opponents of any size and could lead to some eliminations!
Jim Powers: Powers has been in the USWA for four years. His last championship match was challenging for the Mid-America title in February 2013. He has scored some big wins over the years, including defeating three-time former Mid-America champion Nigel McGuinness, two-time former World champion “Playboy” Buddy Rose, and in May of this year, defeating the One Man Gang. Like other wrestlers in this match, he has a good blend of speed and power that could surprise opponents as it has in the past!
Jake “The Milkman” Milliman: Milliman has been in the USWA for nearly three years. He has gotten victories in the past but not to the level of what wrestling experts would consider an upset. Perhaps this is “The Milkman’s” time!
Big John Studd: Studd is one of three wrestlers in this match who exceed the 300-pound mark. While he has primarily focused on tag team competition this year, he does hold singles wins over “Mr. USA” Tony Atlas and “Ravishing” Rick Rude. His height, weight, and power are going to be major strengths for him in this type of match-up!
Superstar Bundy: A former World Tag Team champion, Bundy has never challenged for any USWA singles championship. The New Jersey giant’s size and power are definitely pluses for him in this match!
Bobby Shane: Shane debuted in January of this year and has gotten some big singles win. While his Japanese sleeper probably won’t benefit him as much in this type of match, he is known for pulling out any type of tactics that will help him win. He also has large allies on his side in Studd and Bundy!
Larry Zbyszko: A former Southern Heavyweight and two-time World Tag Team champion, Zbyszko has never challenged for the USWA World title. He has two allies in this match that could benefit him. His brawling and martial skills are also strong tools in his favor!
Mr. Saito: A three-time former World Tag Team champion, the Japanese Olympian has also never challenged for a USWA singles championship. His amateur wrestling skills, power, and ability to bend the rules when needed are all deadly weapons.
One Man Gang: The giant from Halsted St. joined the House of Humperdink at Derby City Stampede in May. He has yet to challenge for any USWA titles. He is a dangerous competitor with his size and power but tends to underestimate opponents. With two House of Humperdink allies in the ring with him, the Gang could prevail!
“Dastardly” Danny Doring & The Amish RoadKill: Doring is a former World Tag Team champion (from a brief reign in 2008 with “Playboy” Buddy Rose). Both members of this bizarre duo have scored upsets in both singles and tag team matches. While they will probably work together at the start of the match, if they make it far in the match, most fans feel that the “Dastardly One” will turn on the “The Angry Amish Warrior” if he means he can get a championship match!
Virgil: One of the last two competitors added to this match, it has been nine years since Virgil last had a title match. He showed some more fire in last week’s tag team match for the last two Battle Royal slots so perhaps the possibility of a shot at the World title could lead him to an upset victory. He was the last wrestler eliminated in the 2009 Battle Royal at New Year’s Knockout VI and has scored upsets in the past!
“The Unpredictable” Johnny Rodz: Rodz was the other one of the last two qualifiers. In his eight years in the USWA, he has only won two singles matches, one by pinfall over “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan in July 2010 in Knoxville. (Granted, Duggan was ambushed by Boris Zhukov on the way to the ring!) But Rodz isn’t nicknamed “Unpredictable” for nothing! The New Yorker could definitely use his brawling and wrestling skills to shock the world! s
The video also narrated the history of Battle Royals in the USWA:
• While the first Battle Royal was a smaller one with only 10 wrestlers, it had a huge prize, as it determined the first-ever USWA Texas champion. The Battle Royal took place as part of New Year’s Knockout II in 2005 at Texas Stadium in Irving and saw Nikolai Volkoff prevail after throwing out B. Brian Blair. Volkoff had become a fan favorite that fall and was aligned with “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan and the Sandman. Many wrestling experts predicted that the debuting Buff Bagwell would walk away champion. Bagwell had been hyped for weeks on Championship Wrestling, was the last wrestler introduced into the match, and received a big entrance with his “Buff Daddy” music and fireworks (which fans found out he later paid for himself). But Bagwell was the first one eliminated after the Killer Bees double teamed him and Blair tossed him out of the ring! Others in the match included the Dream Team (Greg “The Hammer” Valentine and Brutus Beefcake), “The Birdman” Koko B. Ware, Red Bastien, Virgil, and “Luscious” Johnny Valiant.
• The second Battle Royal had an unusual number of wrestlers: 11. But there was a method to Chairman Jerry Jarrett’s matches, as the order of elimination of the wrestlers in this match would determine a series of one-on-one matches for the rest of this card! The winner of the match would wrestle a second match as well, as he would challenge “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase for the Southern Heavyweight title in the main event that same night! This unique “mystery card” took place on August 25, 2006 at the Nashville Fairgrounds. Giant Baba emerged the winner after eliminating Nikolai Volkoff (then in his second reign as Texas champ) in a battle of two giant fan favorites! Both men shook hands after the bout. Others in the match included “The Russian Lion” George Hackenschmidt (whom DiBiase had brought into the USWA that year to aid in his feud with Frank Gotch and Dick Hutton), Bruiser Brody, Gorgeous George, “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers, Justin Credible, “The Mormon Giant” Don Leo Jonathan, Bobo Brazil, Chris Candido, and the Sheik. While the Sheik would later become a three-time Southern champion, he was eliminated first by Brody in what was the only time those two wild brawlers ever wrestled each other in the USWA!
• The third Battle Royal took place at New Year’s Knockout VI in 2009 at Reunion Arena in Dallas. “The Suicide Blonde” Chris Candido won a 12-man Battle Royal to challenge “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton for the USWA Texas title in February 2010. Candido had been primarily in a tag team with Buff Bagwell that year. This match showed how anything can happen in a Battle Royal, as Virgil eliminated four wrestlers (Cousin Luke, “Playboy” Buddy Rose, “Pretty Boy” Larry Sharpe, and Bagwell) before getting eliminated in the end by Candido. Candido would go on to defeat Eaton by DQ in their first title match in Belton but then won the title in April in San Antonio, ending Eaton’s historic 18½-month reign. Others in the match included the Killer Bees, George South, S.D. Jones, and Johnny Rodz.
• The fourth Battle Royal took place on the USWA’s debut card in Springfield, TN on August 22, 2011. This was another 10-man Battle Royal with a shot at the World Heavyweight champion on Labor Day at stake. (“American Dragon” Bryan Danielson was champion at this time in his first reign.) Curt Hennig came out the winner by eliminating his ally in the Heenan Family at the time, “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka. Hennig went on to defeat Danielson for the title in Jonesboro. Other wrestlers in this Battle Royal included “Playboy” Buddy Rose, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, “Da” Crusher, Ted DiBiase, “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton (at the time one-third of the World Tag Team champions with “Sweet” Stan Lane and Dr. Tom Prichard), “The Nebraska Tiger Man” John Pesek, Ed “Strangler” Lewis, and Mid-America Heavyweight champion at the time Nigel McGuinness.
• The fifth Battle Royal took place at New Year’s Knockout IX in 2012 at the Louisville Gardens. B. Brian Blair came out the big winner in a 15-man Battle Royal by eliminating Red Bastien. Both fan favorites showed great sportsmanship by shaking hands before they wrestled to win the match and after as well. Blair went on to challenge the Masked Superstar for the Southern Heavyweight title on January 28, 2013 in Evansville but the Superstar retained. Other wrestlers in the Battle Royal included Blair’s tag team partner “Jumping” Jim Brunzell, Bastien’s tag team partner at the time Pepper Gomez, Ray “The Crippler” Stevens, the Samoan Swat Team (Samu and Alofa), Johnny Rodz, Virgil, “The Ragin’ Cajun” Lash LeRoux, Jim Powers, “Dastardly” Danny Doring, and the Amish RoadKill.
• The sixth Battle Royal was the largest Battle Royal at the time. It was the only time a Battle Royal has been fought in two rings and it was for two prizes: $25,000 and a shot at the USWA Southern Heavyweight championship. This mega match took place on August 25, 2014 at Engel Stadium in Chattanooga and was the first of a double main event. “Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert came out somewhat of a surprise winner in this match. At the time, Gilbert was the manager for Hot Stuff, International (which later morphed into the House of Humperdink). While he did wrestle, he was primarily outside the ring managing his own charges. This match came down to three-time former Southern champion “The Southern Dandy” Gorgeous George as the winner in Ring 1 and Gilbert in Ring 2. George was one of five former Southern champs returning just for this huge match, as he hadn’t wrestled in the USWA in nearly seven years. For the final two wrestlers, victory could be achieved by pinfall, submission, or by throwing your opponent over the top rope. Gilbert scored the pinfall after an elbow drop off the second rope. An interesting fact is that one of Gilbert’s charges at the time, Terry “Bamm Bamm” Gordy won the Southern Heavyweight title from Steve “Dr. Death” Williams in the second half of the double main event! Originally, Gilbert would have challenged Gordy the next month in Knoxville but the manager decided to hold on to his shot. He eventually challenged Williams at New Year’s Knockout XI in Evansville. While he didn’t win the title that night, he would go on to win the Southern title three times in 2015. The victory in this Battle Royal really started a good stretch of wrestling achievements for “Hot Stuff”! In addition to George, other one-night returns for this match were Bobo Brazil, Antonino “Argentina” Rocca, Johnny Valentine, and Killer Kowalski. Other wrestlers in the match were “Cowboy” Bob Orton, Jr., Red Bastien, Pepper Gomez, Tracy Smothers (during his first reign as Mid-America Heavyweight champion), Brian Kendrick, Paul London, Magnum T.A., Bryan Danielson, Doug Gilbert, David Taylor, Fit Finlay, Claudio Castagnoli, Giant Bernard, Mad Dog and Butcher Vachon, “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton, and Jim Powers.
Who will win the 25-man Battle Royal at New Year’s Knockout and kick off 2017 with the chance to become the World Heavyweight champion? Find out, on December 31 from the Louisville Gardens!
The December 24 edition of USWA Championship Wrestling featured a video package, with analysis of all 25 competitors in the 25-man Battle Royal at New Year's Knockout XIII for a shot at the World Heavyweight champion in 2017!
“Hacksaw” Jim Duggan: The American hero first debuted in the USWA in 2005. He left in the summer of 2006 but returned in 2009 and has been here since. While fans see him as a superstar, he still has yet to win a USWA championship after having challenged for all five (including the now retired Texas championship). His power and brawling skills favor him in a Battle Royal setting. It will be interesting to see if he works with his two allies in the match.
Steve “Dr. Death” Williams: An eight-time former Southern Heavyweight champion and a two-time former World Tag Team champion; Williams and Terry Gordy both wanted into this Battle Royal after losing the Tag Team titles back to Doctor X and Billy Black Lyons a few weeks ago in Dixon, KY. Commissioner Bob Armstrong granted them their request wanting to get as many top talents into this huge match-up. Williams has been in several main events since his debut seven years ago but has only challenged for the World title twice. He would love to start 2017 by capturing that title!
Terry “Bamm Bamm” Gordy: A former Southern Heavyweight champion and World Tag Team champion; While Gordy and Williams have focused more on their tag team in the last few months, “Bamm Bamm” would love another shot at the World title, as he has had only one since debuting in the USWA almost three years ago. His combination of power, speed, and endurance could help him prevail in this environment!
“Mr. USA” Tony Atlas: Atlas debuted in February of this year and has made a big impact, main eventing against then-World champion “Ravishing” Rick Rude at Independence Day Bash and challenging “Classy” Freddie Blassie for the Southern Heavyweight title last month in Huntsville. Atlas has performed impressive feats of strength, including press slamming Big John Studd over his head in their match in October in Nashville. The press slam could be an effective way to eliminate opponents in a Battle Royal!
“Superstar” Bill Dundee: Dundee debuted in September 2015 and has become one of the most popular wrestlers in the area. He has a knack of fighting back against seemingly unbeatable odds to win. His ability to take punishment could help him in the wild and violet Battle Royal setting!
Red Bastien: A former World Tag Team and Texas champion; Bastien challenged “Ravishing” Rick Rude for the World title three times this year, including the main event of Derby City Stampede. He went into the Stampede match with a neck injury and would love to get another shot at 100%. He fared well in the 2012 Battle Royal. His combination of speed and agility could help him surprise and eliminate opponents.
Billy Gunn: A three-time former World Tag Team champion; Gunn has transitioned from tag team to singles competition the last few months. While he has more to achieve, he has gotten big singles wins over Larry Zbyszko and Mr. Saito this year. His athleticism could lead to a Battle Royal victory!
Tommy Rogers: A former Mid-America Heavyweight champion; Rogers surprised many wrestling experts with his long winning streak after his debut at last year’s New Year’s Knockout, as well as his capturing of the Mid-America title. His speed and great dropkicks are great weapons in this every-man-for-himself setting.
Colt “Boom Boom” Cabana: The Chicago native has built up a good record so far, suffering only one decisive loss to David Taylor on the last card in Knoxville. Cabana is a student of the game, having watched videos of many wrestlers and styles. That knowledge coupled with his unique offense are strengths in this type of match.
“The Anarchist” Arik Cannon: Another Chicago native, the PBR drinker has scored big singles wins in the past, including over his former partner Claudio Castagnoli, “Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert, Fit Finlay, and David Taylor. He has a hard-hitting style and can brawl as well. He has yet to win a singles match in 2016 and that desire could lead him to survive!
Hillbilly Jim & Cousin Luke: While their win-loss record is not the strongest, the country boys remain popular among USWA fans. They have gotten many upset wins in the past, both in singles and tag team competition. In a Battle Royal setting, their brawling skills are enough to throw opponents over the top rope!
S.D. Jones: Jones has yet to receive a title match but holds upset wins over some big stars in wrestling, including former USWA World, World Tag Team, and Southern Heavyweight champion Johnny Valentine and current Mid-America champion Ray “The Crippler” Stevens. His quick footwork and crushing head butts can bring down opponents of any size and could lead to some eliminations!
Jim Powers: Powers has been in the USWA for four years. His last championship match was challenging for the Mid-America title in February 2013. He has scored some big wins over the years, including defeating three-time former Mid-America champion Nigel McGuinness, two-time former World champion “Playboy” Buddy Rose, and in May of this year, defeating the One Man Gang. Like other wrestlers in this match, he has a good blend of speed and power that could surprise opponents as it has in the past!
Jake “The Milkman” Milliman: Milliman has been in the USWA for nearly three years. He has gotten victories in the past but not to the level of what wrestling experts would consider an upset. Perhaps this is “The Milkman’s” time!
Big John Studd: Studd is one of three wrestlers in this match who exceed the 300-pound mark. While he has primarily focused on tag team competition this year, he does hold singles wins over “Mr. USA” Tony Atlas and “Ravishing” Rick Rude. His height, weight, and power are going to be major strengths for him in this type of match-up!
Superstar Bundy: A former World Tag Team champion, Bundy has never challenged for any USWA singles championship. The New Jersey giant’s size and power are definitely pluses for him in this match!
Bobby Shane: Shane debuted in January of this year and has gotten some big singles win. While his Japanese sleeper probably won’t benefit him as much in this type of match, he is known for pulling out any type of tactics that will help him win. He also has large allies on his side in Studd and Bundy!
Larry Zbyszko: A former Southern Heavyweight and two-time World Tag Team champion, Zbyszko has never challenged for the USWA World title. He has two allies in this match that could benefit him. His brawling and martial skills are also strong tools in his favor!
Mr. Saito: A three-time former World Tag Team champion, the Japanese Olympian has also never challenged for a USWA singles championship. His amateur wrestling skills, power, and ability to bend the rules when needed are all deadly weapons.
One Man Gang: The giant from Halsted St. joined the House of Humperdink at Derby City Stampede in May. He has yet to challenge for any USWA titles. He is a dangerous competitor with his size and power but tends to underestimate opponents. With two House of Humperdink allies in the ring with him, the Gang could prevail!
“Dastardly” Danny Doring & The Amish RoadKill: Doring is a former World Tag Team champion (from a brief reign in 2008 with “Playboy” Buddy Rose). Both members of this bizarre duo have scored upsets in both singles and tag team matches. While they will probably work together at the start of the match, if they make it far in the match, most fans feel that the “Dastardly One” will turn on the “The Angry Amish Warrior” if he means he can get a championship match!
Virgil: One of the last two competitors added to this match, it has been nine years since Virgil last had a title match. He showed some more fire in last week’s tag team match for the last two Battle Royal slots so perhaps the possibility of a shot at the World title could lead him to an upset victory. He was the last wrestler eliminated in the 2009 Battle Royal at New Year’s Knockout VI and has scored upsets in the past!
“The Unpredictable” Johnny Rodz: Rodz was the other one of the last two qualifiers. In his eight years in the USWA, he has only won two singles matches, one by pinfall over “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan in July 2010 in Knoxville. (Granted, Duggan was ambushed by Boris Zhukov on the way to the ring!) But Rodz isn’t nicknamed “Unpredictable” for nothing! The New Yorker could definitely use his brawling and wrestling skills to shock the world! s
The video also narrated the history of Battle Royals in the USWA:
• While the first Battle Royal was a smaller one with only 10 wrestlers, it had a huge prize, as it determined the first-ever USWA Texas champion. The Battle Royal took place as part of New Year’s Knockout II in 2005 at Texas Stadium in Irving and saw Nikolai Volkoff prevail after throwing out B. Brian Blair. Volkoff had become a fan favorite that fall and was aligned with “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan and the Sandman. Many wrestling experts predicted that the debuting Buff Bagwell would walk away champion. Bagwell had been hyped for weeks on Championship Wrestling, was the last wrestler introduced into the match, and received a big entrance with his “Buff Daddy” music and fireworks (which fans found out he later paid for himself). But Bagwell was the first one eliminated after the Killer Bees double teamed him and Blair tossed him out of the ring! Others in the match included the Dream Team (Greg “The Hammer” Valentine and Brutus Beefcake), “The Birdman” Koko B. Ware, Red Bastien, Virgil, and “Luscious” Johnny Valiant.
• The second Battle Royal had an unusual number of wrestlers: 11. But there was a method to Chairman Jerry Jarrett’s matches, as the order of elimination of the wrestlers in this match would determine a series of one-on-one matches for the rest of this card! The winner of the match would wrestle a second match as well, as he would challenge “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase for the Southern Heavyweight title in the main event that same night! This unique “mystery card” took place on August 25, 2006 at the Nashville Fairgrounds. Giant Baba emerged the winner after eliminating Nikolai Volkoff (then in his second reign as Texas champ) in a battle of two giant fan favorites! Both men shook hands after the bout. Others in the match included “The Russian Lion” George Hackenschmidt (whom DiBiase had brought into the USWA that year to aid in his feud with Frank Gotch and Dick Hutton), Bruiser Brody, Gorgeous George, “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers, Justin Credible, “The Mormon Giant” Don Leo Jonathan, Bobo Brazil, Chris Candido, and the Sheik. While the Sheik would later become a three-time Southern champion, he was eliminated first by Brody in what was the only time those two wild brawlers ever wrestled each other in the USWA!
• The third Battle Royal took place at New Year’s Knockout VI in 2009 at Reunion Arena in Dallas. “The Suicide Blonde” Chris Candido won a 12-man Battle Royal to challenge “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton for the USWA Texas title in February 2010. Candido had been primarily in a tag team with Buff Bagwell that year. This match showed how anything can happen in a Battle Royal, as Virgil eliminated four wrestlers (Cousin Luke, “Playboy” Buddy Rose, “Pretty Boy” Larry Sharpe, and Bagwell) before getting eliminated in the end by Candido. Candido would go on to defeat Eaton by DQ in their first title match in Belton but then won the title in April in San Antonio, ending Eaton’s historic 18½-month reign. Others in the match included the Killer Bees, George South, S.D. Jones, and Johnny Rodz.
• The fourth Battle Royal took place on the USWA’s debut card in Springfield, TN on August 22, 2011. This was another 10-man Battle Royal with a shot at the World Heavyweight champion on Labor Day at stake. (“American Dragon” Bryan Danielson was champion at this time in his first reign.) Curt Hennig came out the winner by eliminating his ally in the Heenan Family at the time, “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka. Hennig went on to defeat Danielson for the title in Jonesboro. Other wrestlers in this Battle Royal included “Playboy” Buddy Rose, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, “Da” Crusher, Ted DiBiase, “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton (at the time one-third of the World Tag Team champions with “Sweet” Stan Lane and Dr. Tom Prichard), “The Nebraska Tiger Man” John Pesek, Ed “Strangler” Lewis, and Mid-America Heavyweight champion at the time Nigel McGuinness.
• The fifth Battle Royal took place at New Year’s Knockout IX in 2012 at the Louisville Gardens. B. Brian Blair came out the big winner in a 15-man Battle Royal by eliminating Red Bastien. Both fan favorites showed great sportsmanship by shaking hands before they wrestled to win the match and after as well. Blair went on to challenge the Masked Superstar for the Southern Heavyweight title on January 28, 2013 in Evansville but the Superstar retained. Other wrestlers in the Battle Royal included Blair’s tag team partner “Jumping” Jim Brunzell, Bastien’s tag team partner at the time Pepper Gomez, Ray “The Crippler” Stevens, the Samoan Swat Team (Samu and Alofa), Johnny Rodz, Virgil, “The Ragin’ Cajun” Lash LeRoux, Jim Powers, “Dastardly” Danny Doring, and the Amish RoadKill.
• The sixth Battle Royal was the largest Battle Royal at the time. It was the only time a Battle Royal has been fought in two rings and it was for two prizes: $25,000 and a shot at the USWA Southern Heavyweight championship. This mega match took place on August 25, 2014 at Engel Stadium in Chattanooga and was the first of a double main event. “Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert came out somewhat of a surprise winner in this match. At the time, Gilbert was the manager for Hot Stuff, International (which later morphed into the House of Humperdink). While he did wrestle, he was primarily outside the ring managing his own charges. This match came down to three-time former Southern champion “The Southern Dandy” Gorgeous George as the winner in Ring 1 and Gilbert in Ring 2. George was one of five former Southern champs returning just for this huge match, as he hadn’t wrestled in the USWA in nearly seven years. For the final two wrestlers, victory could be achieved by pinfall, submission, or by throwing your opponent over the top rope. Gilbert scored the pinfall after an elbow drop off the second rope. An interesting fact is that one of Gilbert’s charges at the time, Terry “Bamm Bamm” Gordy won the Southern Heavyweight title from Steve “Dr. Death” Williams in the second half of the double main event! Originally, Gilbert would have challenged Gordy the next month in Knoxville but the manager decided to hold on to his shot. He eventually challenged Williams at New Year’s Knockout XI in Evansville. While he didn’t win the title that night, he would go on to win the Southern title three times in 2015. The victory in this Battle Royal really started a good stretch of wrestling achievements for “Hot Stuff”! In addition to George, other one-night returns for this match were Bobo Brazil, Antonino “Argentina” Rocca, Johnny Valentine, and Killer Kowalski. Other wrestlers in the match were “Cowboy” Bob Orton, Jr., Red Bastien, Pepper Gomez, Tracy Smothers (during his first reign as Mid-America Heavyweight champion), Brian Kendrick, Paul London, Magnum T.A., Bryan Danielson, Doug Gilbert, David Taylor, Fit Finlay, Claudio Castagnoli, Giant Bernard, Mad Dog and Butcher Vachon, “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton, and Jim Powers.
Who will win the 25-man Battle Royal at New Year’s Knockout and kick off 2017 with the chance to become the World Heavyweight champion? Find out, on December 31 from the Louisville Gardens!