Tragos/Thesz Hall of Fame Induction

[Chad Olson]

Single Speed sells a Dan Gable beer, where every purchase gives $1 back to the museum. Last year, I was doing some "fundraising" over at Single Speed. Very cool place!

Jim Ross is an annual attendee... except this year! He announced a week ago that he has a conflicting gig that weekend, so he will not be there. He is a big supporter of the Tragos/Thesz HOF, so I'm sure he will be back next year.

Austin Aries is originally out of Wisconsin. He started working for Troy Peterson and IPW years ago. Troy was one of the first promoters to book Aries. He did a surprise visit to an IPW show in Des Moines in November 2017. We were his first pro wrestling appearance after his WWE release. He sold his book in Des Moines in November, so I'm sure he'll have some in Waterloo.

The international star hasn't been announced yet, so I need to wait. The brackets for the first round of the HOF Classic, starting at 1 pm on Friday, were released yesterday.

Austin Aries vs. the IPW rep - to be decided on Tuesday, July 17th, at a show in Des Moines
Brian Cage vs. Curt Stallion
Air Wolf vs. DJ Zema Ion
Colt Cabana vs. Bob Holly

I look forward to seeing you again, IAOaks, and hopefully we can get some other folks from this board to come by!

[iowaoaks]

Vegas (and others that care about KC.)
Here are some more details for you on downtown.
With your degrees and interest, you are going to want some time at the WWI museum. Just a warning. You will look at your watch go, "Oh, My! where did the day go!?!" It is really that good.
Kansas City can be a bit of a rough town to get around without a car. Big, flat and spread out. The sports complex is nowhere close to downtown. If you are flying, that is even further away from everything.
So, the breweries I was talking about are:
Brewery Imperial (tends to specialize in more European fare - as a lot of KC breweries do, for some reason. They make a great ESB.) Double Shift and Border brewing are right down the block. The pizza place is called Grinders (top notch stuff.) The beer bar is International Tap House and one of the record stores - if you are into that sort of thing - is Josey's. All of this with-in a square block and all with in a very acceptable walk from the WWI museum.
If breweries are not your thing and I think you mentioned the Negro League Baseball Museum, that is another great stop. It will also eat a lot of time (and the Jazz museum is next to that!) There is, I have been told, a lot of good BBQ near the NLBM as well.
I'm not an expert on KC, but have been down for a lot of metal shows over the last couple years and am starting to get to know the city decently well.

[iowaoaks]

If that Cabana/Holly match is as good as their's from several years ago, THAT is worth the price of admission alone.

AH, shucks. No JR!!
That is.. Okay. leaves me with a lot of others to meet and or greet. Even without him, I'm still so very jazzed for this.

(real name Matt - e-mail is j7baseball at gmail.com in case any cares or needs to get ahold of me as we plan)

[TTX]

Nice to see Bob Holly still going.

[TDalton]

Waterloo HOF is just a great weekend. Very different from CAC in that it's a smaller gathering and everyone seems more relaxed. There are numerous events sprinkled throughout the weekend, so there isn't a lot of down time, but enough that you'll have some time to explore and relax. The museum itself is filled with one of a kind items and, with the mix of amateur wrestling and pro, is unique to other organizations.

I did not have high expectations when Chad, Connor and I visited the the Iowa Veterans Museum in Waterloo, but it was very well done and interesting. It part of the Grout Museum District, which also has a history & science museum, a science imaginarium, and a couple of old renovated mansions as part of their campus.

Single Speed is a really nice brewery and we definitely raised some money for the HOF by purchasing their Gable beer.

The tryouts and IPW events are always well organized and entertaining.

[Vegas]

Jun 22, 2018 11:33:46 GMT -5 iowaoaks said:

Vegas (and others that care about KC.)
Here are some more details for you on downtown.
With your degrees and interest, you are going to want some time at the WWI museum. Just a warning. You will look at your watch go, "Oh, My! where did the day go!?!" It is really that good.
Kansas City can be a bit of a rough town to get around without a car. Big, flat and spread out. The sports complex is nowhere close to downtown. If you are flying, that is even further away from everything.
So, the breweries I was talking about are:
Brewery Imperial (tends to specialize in more European fare - as a lot of KC breweries do, for some reason. They make a great ESB.) Double Shift and Border brewing are right down the block. The pizza place is called Grinders (top notch stuff.) The beer bar is International Tap House and one of the record stores - if you are into that sort of thing - is Josey's. All of this with-in a square block and all with in a very acceptable walk from the WWI museum.
If breweries are not your thing and I think you mentioned the Negro League Baseball Museum, that is another great stop. It will also eat a lot of time (and the Jazz museum is next to that!) There is, I have been told, a lot of good BBQ near the NLBM as well.
I'm not an expert on KC, but have been down for a lot of metal shows over the last couple years and am starting to get to know the city decently well.

Thanks for the info! Also, to answer one of your questions from an earlier post, Austin Aries now lives here in Las Vegas.

[Cory Olson]

Jun 22, 2018 12:35:39 GMT -5 TDalton said:

Waterloo HOF is just a great weekend.

Agreed with Tim! I haven't been to CAC yet, so I can't compare, but I always look forward to HOF weekend. The years I haven't been able to go, I am always jealous of some story or event that took place that Chad and Tim have to share with me.

Impact Pro Wrestling is a really well-run promotion. For being in a smaller market, the list of talent they have been able to bring in over the years, not only for the Waterloo HOF card always impresses me. Just last night, they had X-Pac and U-Gene come in to Des Moines to take on their Tag Team champions the Stud Club. (Billy Gunn was originally supposed to team with X-Pac, but had a conflict last week, U-Gene was a short notice replacement. Not bad for last minute!) About a year ago, Michael Elgin wrestled now-IPW champion Matty Star in Des Moines in between a date in New Japan and main eventing an ROH PPV. Colt Cabana came to Waterloo for two or three years in a row, wrestling Adam Pearce in a tag team match in 2014, which was the first time they had wrestled each other since their best-of-seven series that led to them quitting the NWA. Even B. Brian Blair has come out of retirement and wrestled in tag team matches on the last two HOF Cards.

As I mentioned in a previous post, IPW has some great regular local talent. James Jeffries has been their Heavyweight and Tag Team champion several times. My wife and I have gotten to know him well the last few years and have watched him wrestle in the Twin Cities for Steel Domain Wrestling. He is such a great talent inside the ring and a great guy outside the ring. Some of my other local favorites are AJ Smooth, Ryan Slade, Matty Star, Ray Feuring, Frankie Jay (current Women's champion, a title they just made last year), and more. Chad mentioned AirWolf, who also wrestles up here in the Cities and trained under Ken Anderson and Shawn Daivari at their Academy. I believe he competed in Chikara's Young Lions' Tournament as well. He is a great high-flyer as well.

IPW does a good job of putting on family-friendly cards, but with lots of great matches, storylines, and interesting characters. Chad and Troy let me sit on their booking conference call about a year ago and it was so fascinating to listen to their planning and ideas. They've come up with some cool Battle Royal variations that I had never seen done in other promotions, such as the Ladder Royal and just this past November the Instant Ticket Match. (The winner got a guaranteed IPW title match, similar to WWE's Money in the Bank, but the match itself was very unique!) These are two matches I want to make rules for in LOW. I have seen other independent cards around Iowa and Minnesota, and while they're all great in some way, IPW really does the best job all-around!

In addition to the IPW card, the HOF activities are always great. In 2014, Chad, Tim, Connor, and I got to the finals of the trivia tournament. We crushed everybody in the early rounds, winning by something like 400 points over the next closest team! We lost in the finals by one question. The Q&As with some of the legends on Saturday morning/afternoon often bring about some interesting stories, as well as the HOF banquet on Saturday night. And of course, we typically conclude Saturday night by hitting some of the local Waterloo bars and performing some karaoke, including "500 Miles" by the Proclaimers, performed by the entire IPW roster.

It's been amazing to meet such a wide variety of wrestling legends over the years. The first HOF in 1999 was held in conjunction with the CAC, so a lot of legends who might not normally attend were there. This was at the original HOF location in Newton, IA. As an 18-year old, I was the only one brave enough out of Tim, Chad, and me to talk to and get my picture taken with Ole Anderson. (I think Tim literally pushed me toward Ole. He was a very nice guy!) In 2003, I got my picture taken with Jesse Ventura, just after he had finished his term as governor of Minnesota. In 2008, Chad, Tim, and I were on the same elevator with "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. There are numerous other legends stories I know I am forgetting!

As far as non-wrestling stuff, I really enjoyed going to Single Speed last year. I donated to the museum as well with a few Gable beers, but my favorite is the Tip the Cow milk stout. They have a good variety of beers for any taste. About two or three years ago, Waterloo got a Marco's Pizza, which Chad and I hadn't seen in about 20 years, since we lived in Ohio. Tim and I always try to find a good place for breakfast and good coffee on Saturday morning. The authentic Mexican restaurant down the street from the hotel and the arena is a typical lunch stop on Friday. I usually have to order for everyone with me, since I'm the only one who speaks Spanish.

If you're able to make the trip, I highly recommend it!

[Chad Olson]

WWE’s The Revival®, Adam Pearce added to 20th anniversary HOF induction weekend

WATERLOO, Iowa—The biggest weekend of the year at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum just got bigger. WWE® Superstars Dash Wilder™ and Scott Dawson™ will attend the Impact Pro Wrestling show on Friday, July 27. Adam Pearce, a five-time NWA champion and current producer for WWE, will serve as the master of ceremonies for the induction banquet on Saturday, July 28.



They join a long list of inductees and luminaries already scheduled to appear:

Dash Wilder: WWE Superstar and half of the tag team The Revival

Scott Dawson: WWE Superstar and half of the tag team The Revival

Adam Pearce: Five-time NWA World champion; current WWE producer

Booker T: Six-time World Champion, WWE commentator
Queen Sharmell: Former WWE and TNA Superstar and Nitro Girl

Road Warrior Animal: AWA, NWA, and WWE World Tag Team Champion

Gerry Brisco: WWE Hall of Famer, NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion, NWA World tag team champion and longtime WWE talent scout

Wes Brisco: Former TNA Impact superstar and son of WWE® Hall of Famer Gerry Brisco

B. Brian Blair: Cauliflower Alley Club president and half of the tag team “The Killer Bees”

Larry “The Axe” Hennig: Former AWA World tag team champion, father of “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig and grandfather of WWE Superstar Curtis

Austin Aries: Multiple time world champion for ROH and TNA, independent wrestling superstar

Dan Severn: NWA World champion and UFC World champion

Stan Hansen: AWA World Champion and All Japan Triple Crown champion

Nikita Koloff: NWA US champion and NWA World tag team champion

Tony Garea: Five-time WWF World Tag Team champion

Ben Askren: Two-time NCAA champion, Bellator and ONE champion

JJ Dillon: leader of the legendary Four Horsemen

Rob Schamberger: WWE artist in residence

Brian Cage: FSW champion, PWG Tag team champion

Colt Cabana: NWA World champion and independent wrestling superstar, host of “The Art of Wrestling” podcast

Ben Brown: WWE archivist

D J Z/Zema Ion: TNA X Division champion

Bob Holly: Former WWE Tag Team champion and Hardcore champion; 15-year WWE veteran

Cowboy Bob Orton: Part of the main event of the first ever Wrestlemania, father of Randy Orton

Charlie Thesz: Widow of Hall of Fame namesake Lou Thesz

Barbara Goodish: Widow of Bruiser Brody

Bill Murdock: 2007 Lou Thesz Award winner

Jason Sanderson: 2008 Lou Thesz Award winner


Koji Miyamoto: Japanese wrestling historian

Wade Keller: Pro Wrestling Torch founder

Bruce Mitchell: Wrestling historian and Pro Wrestling Torch columnist

Hart Family: Ross, Bruce, Diana, and Harry Smith



The George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame inductions are on July 26-28 in Waterloo, Iowa.



All-Access Passes are still available for $130. Contact the Dan Gable Museum at [phone] or [e-mail] to order.


All-Access Passes allow attendees an opportunity to attend all events from Thursday through Saturday, including a ticket to the Hall of Fame Banquet, Thursday social with meal and drinks, a ringside seat to both Impact Pro Wrestling shows on Friday, access to The Torch live podcast, access to an exclusive panel discussion featuring the Hart Family, invitation to the celebrity social at Screaming Eagle, early admission into the museum Saturday, and preferred access at the autograph signing.



There are also events that are limited to All-Access Pass Holders and distinguished guests.



The Gable Museum is also offering an all-access pass and a three-night hotel stay package from July 26-29 at the Ramada Inn for $355. This includes two breakfast buffets each morning.


All-inclusive Hall of Fame packages and all-access passes must be pre-ordered by contacting the Dan Gable Museum at [e-mail] or calling [phone].


Anyone interested in becoming a Lifetime Member should contact the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum at [e-mail] [phone].


Dan Severn and Owen Hart have been selected for induction into the 2018 George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. Award winners are Booker T (Lou Thesz Award), Bruiser Brody (Frank Gotch Award), Ben Askren (George Tragos Award) and Koji Miyamoto (Jim Melby Award).


Impact Pro Wrestling will host the Hall of Fame Classic for the second consecutive year. This year’s tournament first round matches are Bob Holly vs. Colt Cabana, Austin Aries vs. IPW rep to be determined, Brian Cage vs. Curt Stallion, and Air Wolf vs. D J Z.

This one-day tournament begins on Friday, July 27 at 1 p.m. The finals up to date with the latest Hall of Fame information by clicking here. take place during the evening Impact Pro Wrestling show starting at 6:30 p.m.


There will also be a talent evaluation for active wrestlers, referees, and managers with current WWE scout Gerry Brisco and JJ Dillon. E-mail Troy Peterson, owner of Impact Pro Wrestling, for more information on how to take part: [e-mail].



George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Induction Weekend Schedule

All weekend: Hall of Fame "Digital scavenger-hunt". This will be a fun, first-time, event that will engage attendees in a new way.

All weekend: 16-person WWE 2K17 video game tournament at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum.

All weekend: Pro Wrestling “Royal Rumble” pinball machine competition.

Thursday, July 26

5 p.m. – Jason Sanderson social and kick-off event at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum for HOF Inductees and All-Access Pass Holders. Includes food and beverage. (All-access pass holders and distinguished guests only).

7:30 p.m. – Pro wrestling trivia hosted by BCP Live at Ramada.

9:30 p.m. – "Open Mike" with Mike Johnson featuring pro wrestling attendees at Ramada Inn.

Friday, July 27

9 a.m. – National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum opens.

9:30 a.m. – Registration for pro wrestling evaluation at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum.

10 a.m. – First time available to the public, vintage footage featuring JJ Dillon, Jack Brisco, Gerry Brisco and others played in the theater at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum.

11:30 a.m. – Pro Wrestling Evaluation with Gerry Brisco and JJ Dillon at Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center. Open to All-Access Pass Holders.

1 p.m. – Hall of Fame Classic. Eight-person Tournament with the first round held at Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center and finals held at IPW show in the evening. Tickets for the evaluation, Hall of Fame Classic, and IPW show can be purchased for $35 or general admission for $25.

2:30 p.m. – Hall of Fame podcast with Wade Keller and Bruce Mitchell of PW Torch at Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center. No charge for all-access pass holders; $10 for general public.

4 p.m. – Vendors open up in the lobby of Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center prior to opening of Impact Pro Wrestling show.

5:30 p.m. – Doors open to Impact Pro Wrestling show at Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center.

6:30 p.m. – Impact Pro Wrestling show starts at Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center. Ringside ticket included for All-Access Pass Holders. (Tickets are $25 for Ringside and $15 for General Admission for non-Pass Holders)

10 p.m. to 1 a.m. – After Party for All-Access Pass Holders and distinguished guests at Screaming Eagle. Free shuttles available from the Ramada to The Screaming Eagle.



Saturday, July 28

9 a.m. – Lifetime Members Only - Lifetime Members breakfast at Ramada Inn and tour of the room where the National Wrestling Alliance was formed 70 years prior with five-time NWA champion Adam Pearce.

10 a.m. – Doors open to National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum for all-access pass holders. Vendor booths open.

10 a.m. – Pro Wrestling Iowa Podcast in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum conference room.

11 a.m. – Tribute to Owen Hart with the Hart family for All-Access Pass holders only.

Noon – Doors open at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum to general public ($10 Admission for non-Pass Holders).

Noon – Memories of Bruiser Brody panel discussion at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum with Barbara Goodish, Stan Hansen, Herb Simmons, and Tony Garea hosted by Midnight Guthrie.

Noon – Facebook Live independent pro wrestling showcase with Mike Johnson at National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum.

1:30 p.m. – Photo op with Class of 2018 and professional wrestling legends in the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame wing. All-Access pass holders enter first.

2 p.m. – Autograph signing with professional wrestling legends at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. All-Access Pass Holders enter first. $20 Admission for non-Pass Holders required (most individual signers will charge).

5 p.m. – Hall of Fame Reception at Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center.

6 p.m. – Induction Banquet at Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center.

7 p.m. – Induction Ceremony at Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center with Adam Pearce as master of ceremonies. All-Access Pass includes banquet ticket. Banquet Tickets are $60 per ticket for non-Pass Holders.

9:30 p.m. – Informal gathering at Single Speed Brewery.

[Chad Olson]

Jun 22, 2018 11:16:57 GMT -5 iowaoaks said:

- Your tease of International star has my interest up. You wouldn't want to tell us, would you?

Harry Smith will be appearing...

[TTX]

Really nice mix of guys. Have fun at the events, everyone.