Cory's USWA

[TTX]

Awesome main event and glad to see Patriot continue his winning ways. USWA action is on fire.

[throwingtoasters]

Love that the dice have cooperated to bring you to 7 matches between Pearce and Cabana.

[Pariah]

As much as I'm hoping for Pearce to take the series, I have to agree with the previously voiced sentiment that it's very cool the series is going the full seven... Independence Day Bash inside a Steel Cage -- No better way to settle it all!

[Cory Olson]

Thanks to Joe Breakdown, Victory Roll, Troy, Grant, and "The Major Rager" for the comments!

Highlights of USWA Championship Wrestling from June 23, with more matches announced for Independence Day Bash 2018!
• Coming off last week’s second main event at the Rupp Arena, we now have it confirmed that Colt “Boom Boom” Cabana and “Scrap Iron” Adam Pearce will meet one more time in the seventh match of the Seven Levels of Hate series! This will be a Loser-Leaves-Town Steel Cage Match! This also means that for the first time in USWA history, two Steel Cage Matches will take place on the same card!
• Footage of a “Press Conference” from Bill Apter of Pro Wrestling Illustrated aired with former Mid-America champion Tommy Rogers from his home in Los Angeles. Apter asked Rogers how he was doing with his arm injury from back in December caused by the Tolos Brothers. Rogers said that he has been training hard the last six months and feels that he is better than ever. Apter asked when wrestling fans can expect to see him back in the ring. Rogers said that he has talked to Commissioner Long and he will make his return on July 4 at Tim McCarver Stadium in Memphis! Apter asked if this means he will reform his Uptown Boys team with Marty Jannetty. Rogers said that Marty and Ric McCord have been having success on their own and he thanked them for battling the Toloses on his behalf. He said that while he would be to team up with them in a six-man tag team match, he has found a new partner that he wants to bring to the USWA to go after the Toloses! Rogers introduced former Big Time Wrestling (from Detroit) star Bobby Fulton! Long-time USWA fans remember that Rogers and Fulton had a great series of matches two years ago, as well as a tag team match last summer with Rogers and Jannetty against Fulton and “Flying” Fred Curry. Fulton said that he and Rogers have had a great deal of respect for each other’s skills and that he thinks they will make a great tag team. Fulton said that he knows the Toloses well from their time in BTW, as he and Curry battled them on several occasions, including at last summer’s joint USWA-BTW card in Findlay, OH. Rogers said that their team will be known as The Fantastics and that their first goal is to get revenge on the Toloses. He said beyond that, they would love to win the USWA World Tag Team titles! You can read the full transcript of this “Press Conference” in latest issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated, on newsstands now!
• Another tag team match was announced for the Bash, as The Flying Redheads will take on The Heavenly Bodies in a match that could have implications for the USWA World Tag Team title scene!
• Speaking of the World Tag Team titles, Commissioner Long announced that John and Chris Tolos will receive another rematch for the titles, when they challenge Brad and Brian Armstrong in the main event on July 16 at the Civic Coliseum in Knoxville!

It’s the last stop before Independence Day Bash 2018, when the USWA makes its debut in Tuscaloosa, AL at the Jaycee Fairgrounds Arena on June 25!
• In a preview of the six-man tag team match at Independence Day Bash, one-half of the World Tag Team champions “The Road Dogg” Brian Armstrong will battle Mad Dog Vachon! Both of these men can brawl it out. Who will win this dogfight?
• “Wildfire” Tommy Rich and “Superstar” Bill Dundee scored a huge win by a countout last week in Lexington over the former World Tag Team champions the Heavenly Bodies. This week, they will take on the next challengers for the titles—John and Chris Tolos! Rich made his USWA debut in March in Nashville, teaming up with Dundee and “The Boogie Woogie Man” “Handsome” Jimmy Valiant to defeat the Toloses and “Classy” Freddie Blassie. Rich also holds singles wins over each Tolos brother. You can bet that the Canadian brothers will be more vicious after scoring another win over the World Tag Team champions but not leaving with the belts. Can Rich and Dundee score another big win or will the Toloses triumph?
• Two former World Heavyweight champions and long-time rivals will collide again when The Patriot faces “The Gamesmaster” Kevin Sullivan! There is a long history between these two, when Sullivan made Doug Gilbert into the Dark Patriot back in 2016 after having claimed that he and Sir Oliver Humperdink had gotten the real Patriot to join the House of Humperdink. The Patriot and Eddie Gilbert eventually revealed the Dark Patriot as Doug. Since the Patriot won’t be able to be a part of the Rage in The Cage Match since he is challenging for the World Heavyweight title on July 4, this is opportunity to get his hands on “The Gamesmaster” one more time. Sullivan is returning from the attack by the Gilberts at Derby City Stampede and you have to wonder if he is at 100%. Who will win the latest chapter in this long-running feud?
• In the first of two title matches, “Dastardly” Danny Doring will make his first defense of the USWA Mid-America Heavyweight title when he defends against two-time former champion and the man he defeated for the title—“The Man with The Cast Iron Stomach” Pepper Gomez! Doring shocked the world twice in the last month, first by winning the 15-man Battle Royal at Derby City Stampede to earn the title shot against Gomez. And then he did it again by defeating Gomez on Memorial Day at Engel Stadium. The ending was not without controversy, as Gomez hit an exposed turnbuckle and was knocked out. Doring has his chance to prove that his title win was not a fluke. The winner won’t have long to rest, as he will defend against Luke Harper at Independence Day Bash in Memphis. Can Doring defend the gold successfully or will Gomez become a three-time champ?
• The main event will be for the USWA Southern Heavyweight championship. Current and three-time champion “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson will defend against “The Monday Night Messiah” Tyler Black! Black reinvented himself at the start of 2018 and has been impressive, having a 9-0 record as of this writing. This will be the first time he and Danielson have met. Many wrestling experts are looking forward to this match, as it could be a high-impact match. Can Black win his first USWA championship or will Danielson hold on to the gold?

All these bouts, plus “Exotic” Adrian Street and Mr. Hughes team up before their tag team bout at Independence Day Bash! Plus, three members of the House of Humperdink will be in six-man tag team action, as Hugh Morrus, Ivan Koloff, and Mr. Saito team up! As well as Dutch Savage, Luke Harper, and the USWA debut of Mike Jackson!

[victoryroll84]

Independents Day Bash is fast approaching! looking forward to reading the write ups Cory

The Fantastics in the USWA? sign me up, should be fun!

[neilybob]

Looking foward to the next card Cory.

[cruefan68]

Harley Race vs. Fred Blassie was great, and the interference by John & Chris Tolos has me intrigued. Blassie has no love lost for the "Golden Greek", and I assume his brother as well, so that is a situation that bears watching.

The card in Lexington was absolute perfection. I enjoyed every match and what could be better than Seven Levels of Hate going to a seventh and final match. Incredible.

[Cory Olson]

Thanks to Victory Roll, Neilybob, and Crue Fan for the comments!

June 25, 2018
Card #549: Jaycee Fairgrounds Arena in Tuscaloosa, AL

1) Luke Harper dominated and defeated S.D. Jones in the opener. It only took Harper one minute to defeat “Special Delivery.” He hit a Black Hole Slam (a spinning version of Mr. Hughes’s spike slam) but rather than go for the cover, he picked up Jones, whipped him into the ropes, and delivered the big boot to score the pinfall. Harper looks ready for his shot at the Mid-America Heavyweight title on Independence Day. (Whom will he challenge? Read on!) DUD

2) The House of Humperdink trio of Hugh Morrus, Ivan Koloff, and Mr. Saito defeated “The Anarchist” Arik Cannon, Tony Ledoux, and Aron Holt in six minutes. Ledoux is from here in Alabama and Holt hails from Mississippi but neither got to tag in as the House of Humperdink kept “The Anarchist” in the ring the entire bout, tagging in and out. “The Russian Bear” got up Cannon in a Russian backbreaker, showcasing a submission move, which is important in Rage in The Cage. Cannon stayed strong and Koloff tagged to Saito, who locked Cannon in the Scorpion Leglock to score the submission. These three were impressive tonight. How will they and “The Gamesmaster” Kevin Sullivan fare against the Gilberts and Andre the Giant on July 4? DUD

3) Former SCW Alabama Jr. Heavyweight champion Mike Jackson made his USWA debut and scored a countout victory over George South. The Tuscaloosa fans gave Jackson a big ovation in his home state. Jackson showcased his great technical wrestling skills. South had some control but Jackson rallied back. He nailed South with a dropkick, which sent South over the top rope and to the floor. South was unable to get back into the ring by Tommy Marlin’s 10-count, so Jackson got the win in six minutes. It might not have been the type of win which Jackson wanted in his debut but he was happy to get his hand raised in victory. *

4) Dutch Savage was victorious over S.T. Jones when Tom Branch stopped the match after 10 minutes due to excessive bleeding by “Soul Train.” Savage pounded on Jones from the opening bell. He busted him open early in the bout with a knee drop, which is how he pinned Jones’s partner S.D. Jones last week in Lexington. Savage used his thumb to the throat four times on S.T. throughout the bout. The blood started to flow and the thumbs to the throat were causing him to cough. Savage hit a belly-to-back suplex and went for a cover but “Soul Train” somehow kicked out. After Savage’s last thumb to the throat, Branch checked Jones’s cut. He was finally left with no choice but to stop the bout and award it to Savage. Savage snickered at the destruction he had caused, while the fans booed him mercilessly! “Special Delivery,” recovered from his opening bout, came down to the ring to check on his partner and help him to the back. *½

5) Jim Cornette’s team of “Exotic” Adrian Street and his bodyguard Mr. Hughes scored a dominant win over Jake “The Milkman” Milliman and “Sodbuster” Kenny Jay. The two former Southern Heavyweight champions Street and Hughes kept Milliman in the ring for the entire bout. They made quick tags. Street hit a vertical suplex on Milliman for a near fall, then tagged back to Hughes. Hughes sent Milliman into the ropes and caught him on the rebound with the spike slam to score the pinfall in about three minutes. Cornette was very pleased with his men’s win. How will they fare against “The Boogie Woogie Man” “Handsome” Jimmy Valiant and “Superstar” Bill Dundee on Independence Day? DUD

6) One-half of the World Tag Team champions “The Road Dogg” Brian Armstrong scored a huge win in singles with a pinfall on Mad Dog Vachon in 12 minutes. Both grapplers had control several times throughout the match. Midway through the match, the Algerian brawler hit the piledriver and went for the cover but Armstrong got a foot on the bottom rope. Vachon continued the attack, hitting the Mad Dog Pounce. Vachon bit Armstrong’s forehead but the former Mid-America champion fought free with some punches to the stomach. Armstrong took over and hit a drop toehold sending Vachon throat-first into the middle rope. Armstrong hit his own rope straddle, pulled Vachon off the ropes, and went for a cover but only got a two-count. Armstrong kept up the attack and hit the pump handle slam to secure the victory. It was a very impressive win for “The Road Dogg.” It will be interesting to see how all three Armstrongs will fare against Vachon, Baron Von Raschke, and their mystery partner at Independence Day Bash! ***

7) “Wildfire” Tommy Rich and “Superstar” Bill Dundee scored a big tag team win over John and Chris Tolos in 14 minutes. The Toloses had the Aussie “Superstar” in trouble for a few minutes midway through the bout. John hit the flying knee drop but Dundee kicked out. Chris tagged in and immediately slammed Dundee’s head to the mat. He too went for a cover but again Dundee kicked out. John tagged back in and tossed Dundee out of the ring. He rammed Dundee’s head into the ring post and tried to get a countout win but with Rich’s help and the Tuscaloosa fans behind him, Dundee returned to the ring by the count of eight. Chris tagged back in and the Toloses attempted to trap Dundee in their corner. They each grabbed an arm but Dundee blocked them and rammed their heads together. He then dove to his own corner and tagged Rich! Rich was fired up and hit two fist drops on Chris. John broke up the pin attempt. Dundee tagged back in a few moments later. He hit a double foot stomp on Chris, then went up top and came off with the Superstar Bomb. He covered Chris and scored the pin, while Rich kept John at bay. The fans went wild for the fan favorites’ win! If Rich and Dundee decide to team up on a regular basis, they could be a formidable tag team in the USWA tag team division! ***½

8) The Patriot took a beating but rallied back to score a pinfall on “The Gamesmaster” Kevin Sullivan. If Sullivan was still hurting from his back injury, he overcame it by using illegal tactics. He attacked the masked American right at the bell and hit the double foot stomp early. The Patriot kicked out. The Boston brawler pulled out his golden spike and used it three separate times during the bout, while Sir Oliver Humperdink distracted Sam Platania. After the third use, blood came out of the Patriot’s mask. Sullivan got the Patriot down on the mat again and went for the double foot stomp but the Patriot rolled out of the way and Sullivan landed hard. The Patriot got back to his feet and caught Sullivan in a small package to score the pinfall after eight minutes. The Tuscaloosa fans went wild for the Patriot’s comeback win! Can he have similar success when he tries to regain the USWA World Heavyweight title on the 4th of July in the main event? **¾

9) Pepper Gomez became a three-time USWA Mid-America Heavyweight champion by regaining the title from “Dastardly” Danny Doring! “The Man with The Cast Iron Stomach” was fired up in this bout, going right to work on Doring, sending him into the ropes and nailing him with a wind-up punch to the stomach (which is how he pinned Doring’s tag team partner the Amish RoadKill last week in Lexington). He covered the “Dastardly One” but only got a two-count. The champion surprised Gomez with a Bareback and took control. He got the Mexican superstar down on the mat and came off the second turnbuckle with the Panty Drop elbow to score a near fall. Doring went up to the top and came off with the Danaconda but took his time in making the pin attempt. When he finally did, Gomez kicked out at two. Gomez rallied back and had Doring in trouble, locking on a stomach claw. Doring wouldn’t surrender, so Gomez released the claw, tossed him into the ropes, and delivered another wind-up punch, sending Doring up and over. Gomez covered Doring and scored the pinfall in 10 minutes to become Mid-America champion once again! The Tuscaloosa fans erupted at seeing history made in the first USWA card in their city! Gomez was joined in celebration by “Wildfire” Tommy Rich, “Superstar” Bill Dundee, the Patriot, and more fan favorites! (With the win, Gomez is now in a four-way tie for first place for most Mid-America title reigns, sharing that accolade with Nigel McGuinness, current Southern Heavyweight champion “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson, and Gomez’ long-time rival Ray “The Crippler” Stevens!) ***

10) Speaking of the current USWA Southern Heavyweight champion “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson put his title on the line in the main event against “The Monday Night Messiah” Tyler Black. Black had been on a roll in 2018 since debuting his new look, a new nickname, and a some new moves to his already impressive arsenal. Black, naturally, had bodyguard Luke Harper in his corner and Harper made an impact throughout the bout. At one point, Danielson had control and went for a back superplex on the Iowan challenger. Harper grabbed Danielson’s foot, which threw him off, and allowed Black to end up on top in a pinning combination. “Dragon” kicked out of that attempt but was in trouble. Suddenly, Colt “Boom Boom” Cabana made a surprise appearance at ringside, since he was not booked to wrestle on this card. He cheered on his ally Danielson. Black stayed in control and hit the Curb Stomp. He covered the champion but Danielson got his foot on the bottom rope for a break. Black nailed Danielson with a diving knee strike but only got a two-count. Danielson rallied back and whipped the challenger into the buckles but Black reversed it. Harper grabbed Danielson’s leg while Black nailed the Southern champion with a forearm smash. Cabana saw this and went over to Harper. The big Nebraskan pie faced the host of The Art of Wrestling! Cabana went down but got back up and went after the bodyguard, with Harper rolling into the ring! Meanwhile, Black had landed a second Curb Stomp on Danielson and then got in Cabana’s face. Cabana responded by nailing Black with some stiff punches, right in front of Tom Branch. Branch had no choice but to call for the bell after 10 minutes of action and disqualify “Dragon.” Black came out the winner but did not leave as the Southern Heavyweight champion. As he got his hand raised, Black seemed content getting the win and potentially a rematch for the title down the line! As he and Harper returned to the back, Cabana apologized to Danielson for his temper costing him the match. Danielson understood and the two returned to the locker room together. **¾

[TTX]

No surprise Gomez regained gold. Monday Night Messiah...fun nickname. Great action as always in the USWA.

[Pariah]

I foresee a rematch between Danielson and Black in the not too distant future... Totally stoked!