LOW - Legends of Wrestling II

[TTX]

I agree about the bootlegs including the CWFH stuff. However as I only play digitally, I just enjoy the efforts of TB and Vegas on those cards.

Great action all around.

[Pariah]

Superb show from the City of Brotherly Love, my friend... Here's my Top 3 Countdown for this one!

3/ Rikidozan retains the international strap against one of the most fearsome men to ever step inside a ring... Vader looked very strong in this match, but it wasn't enough.

2/ The Road Warriors get their revenge against Hot Rod & the Ace Cowboy in brutal fashion... Gotta respect Orton's effort, but this tables match was not a match that the former NINE-TIME tag champs were going to lose.

1/ The Birdman & the Bees score a shocking upset over Kurt Angle and his pair of stooges, Benjamin & Haas. A thrilling outcome and I'm absolutely stoked for the rematch!

[cruefan68]

Thanks for the comments Troy and Pariah. I'm just not feeling the boots anymore, nothing against the cards or the creators but if I use them it will just be to roll out matches outside my fed. As it stands only the Championship Wrestling cards will remain in my fed. I'm even phasing out Jumbo Tsuruta which was a tough call but I'm going to enjoy using the replacement I have in mind for him to join Kings Road United.

Vader came close to unseating Rikidozan but it didn't work out in favor of the big man. Vader has three defeats in my fed, and two are in title matches so it has not been good for him thus far going for the gold. I haven't done a ton of Tables Matches but that Road Warriors-Piper/Orton one was a lot of fun. Up next is action from Pacific Coast Wrestling, I hope that you enjoy it...

Card #1406 - McNichols Sports Arena - Denver, CO - Pacific Coast Wrestling

01) Midnight Heat (with Guy Tweakacetti) defeated Bill & Randy Mulkey

* As a new year begins in PCW, “The Party Captain” Guy Tweakacetti has promised big things for Midnight Heat, “Rockin” Ricky Gibson & “Precious” Eddie Pearl. Their opponents, Bill & Randy Mulkey of ASW, were the victims of that promise by the partying manager. Midnight Heat unleashed a strong offensive winning this one in quick fashion as Gibson pinned Bill after The Heat Magnet, a top rope flipping legdrop combo.

02) Alexander Hammerstone (with Jimmy Hart) defeated Frank Dalton

* Veteran journeyman Frank Dalton, newly signed to PCW, had a tough draw in facing Alexander Hammerstone of Jimmy Hart’s First Family. Hammerstone recently returned from injury and was anxious to get started, jumping Dalton on the outside during the introductions by Gary Michael Cappetta. Hammerstone tested the strictness of referee Dick Woehrle with an outside the ring assault before taking it inside and delivering the Nightmare Pendulum for the quick pin.

03) Penny Banner defeated Jetta

* Penny Banner, the inaugural Empress Ring Champion, has been very impressive since returning to LOW. Her opponent, Jetta, a native of Coventry, England, was making her Low debut so this was a big test for her. This was a solid bout that was officiated by Joey Marella. He did a good job of calling the action which saw Jetta impress on defense as well as show great resilience kicking out of both the Small Cradle and Sunset Flip finishers of Banner. It was a defensive counter by Banner late that led her to victory as she trapped Jetta in a Reverse Surfboard for the submission.

04) Love Brothers (with Rock Riddle) defeated Johnny Mantell & Scott Casey

* Johnny Mantell & “Cowboy” Scott Casey have been very impressive in tag team outings, but they were put to the test facing the Love Brothers, Reginald & Hartford Love, of Hollywood Inc. Manager Rock Riddle was in the corner for the Love Brothers but wound up being ejected by referee James Beard when he broke up a pin attempt by Casey on Hartford following a Bulldog. Beard also wound up being knocked down on a deathjump by Mantell during the wild bout. It was a deathjump missed by Mantell that ended it as Hartford locked him in the Boston Crab for a submission victory.

05) Manny Fernandez vs. The Spoiler was a Draw

* Two of the tougher competitors in PCW squared off as the “Raging Bull” Manny Fernandez faced The Spoiler, master of the Bionic Claw. Referee Joey Marella was assigned this contest and both men tested his limits battling in and out of the ring. Fernandez nearly won it with the Flying Burrito, but The Spoiler got his foot over the bottom rope. The Spoiler was able to apply the Bionic Claw, but Fernandez likewise escaped with a rope break. The tension mounted as the two waged war but neither man could gain a fall or submission over the other. With time running out, The Spoiler again applied the Bionic Claw, but Fernandez refused to concede, and the bout ended in a hard fought time limit draw.

06) Playboy Buddy Rose & Doug Somers (with Jimmy Hart) defeated Rob Van Dam & Adrian Quest

* Rob Van Dam and his protégé, “Young Fuego” Adrian Quest, paired up to take on Playboy Buddy Rose & “Pretty Boy” Doug Somers of Jimmy Hart’s First Family. This was a fantastic bout with referee James Beard in charge. RVD and Quest were dominant early, including Quest hitting the Phoenix Splash on Rose for a big near fall. Hart was clearly losing it at ringside until his men were able to turn the tables. Rose and Somers showed great teamwork and timely tagging which kept them in control getting the heat on Quest. RVD tagged back in and reversed the momentum, but in the end, it was Rose getting the better of Quest and delivering the Inside Backbreaker for the pin.

07) Don Leo Jonathan defeated Pepper Gomez

* The popular Pepper Gomez locked horns with the “Mormon Giant” Don Leo Jonathan with referee Dick Woehrle in charge of the action. This was a real struggle from start to finish. Gomez overcame the size difference with a mix of speed and veteran guile. He had Jonathan on the defense a few times but was unable to put him away. Jonathan battled back fiercely scoring near falls with the giant swing and atomic drop. Gomez showed his resilience, forcing Jonathan to take more extreme measures. He battered Gomez outside the ring, running him back first into the guard rail several times, before hitting the Mormon Swing for the pin. It was a huge win for DLJ kicking off the new year in PCW.

08) The Fantastics defeated Nikolai Volkoff & Iron Sheik (with Fred Blassie)

* Two teams involved in a brewing rivalry squared off as The Fantastics, Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers, faced Nikolai Volkoff & Iron Sheik, who were accompanied by their manager Fred Blassie. Their bitter battle during the Tag Team Gauntlet Match at WrestleCade 14 only heated things up and put referee Joey Marella in a tough spot as he attempted to officiate the match. This one had a little of everything as both teams came close to winning. The Fantastics hit the Rocket Launcher at one point and with a failed distraction by Blassie it forced Volkoff to kick out and he barely did. It was after that where The Fantastics, using their timely tags and teamwork, got the better of things. The finish saw Fulton score the pin on Volkoff after the Fantastic Flip; a partner assisted top rope senton. Blassie complained about the “illegal” double-team move, but Marella was having none of it and raised the arms of Fulton and Rogers in victory.

09) LOW Junior Heavyweight Title: Tiger Mask© defeated Dynamite Kid to retain the title

* Following the double disqualification between the Dynamite Kid and the 56th LOW Junior Heavyweight Champion Tiger Mask at the Tokyo Dome, every territory in LOW put in a bid to host the rematch and PCW won out. This all-important rematch in Denver had referee James Beard in charge and the crowd on the edge of their seats. Both men worked at a lightning fast pace that showed off their great skills. Tiger Mask seemed one step ahead most of the way, including avoiding a deathjump attack and hitting the twisting moonsault for a near fall. Dynamite Kid came back, surviving the Tiger Suplex and hitting his own Diving Head Butt finisher for a near fall. After a breathtaking Space Flying Tiger Drop to the outside, Tiger Mask hit a running flip kick in the corner followed by a Jumping Spin Kick for the pin. It was a successful version three title defense for Tiger Mask, but it would not be surprising to see a rematch at some point.

10) LOW World Heavyweight Title: Adrian Adonis (with Jimmy Hart) defeated Randy Savage© by DQ

* 48th LOW World Heavyweight champion Randy “Macho Man” Savage put the gold on the line against First Family member “Golden Boy” Adrian Adonis in the main event. Adonis, a former LOW International Heavyweight champion, was accompanied by his manager Jimmy Hart. LOW senior referee Morgan Dollar was on the call, and he was calling a strict match. Hart really had to watch himself at ringside as Dollar looked to toss him at any minute.

Adonis didn’t need any help early as he dominated the action, twice hitting a DDT and applying Goodnight Irene. Savage got a rope break and then thwarted a deathjump (ch) by body slamming Adonis off the top rope. He followed with a flying axe-handle that had Adonis in serious trouble. Adonis eventually bailed out of the ring resulting in Savage going out after him. That is when things broke loose, and Savage upped the intensity as he gave Adonis a bodyslam on top of the timekeeper’s table. He then proceeded to choke out Adonis with a microphone card leading to Dollar calling for the bell. It was a snap judgment call by Dollar resulting in Adonis getting a disqualification win. It was a successful version five title defense for Savage, but no doubt Adonis and Hart will be seeking a rematch.

PCW Top 10 Singles Rankings:

01) Adrian Adonis
02) Fred Blassie
03) Dutch Savage
04) Don Leo Jonathan
05) Pepper Gomez
06) Jeff Cobb
07) The Grappler
08) Pampero Firpo
09) Mark Henry
10) The Spoiler

PCW Top 5 Tag Team Rankings:

01) The Fantastics
02) Love Brothers
03) Playboy Buddy Rose & Doug Somers
04) The Quebecers
05) Nikolai Volkoff & Iron Sheik

*Current champions not included in rankings*

[bookerbill]

Fun show from Denver my friend. Hot double main event closes out the show with Adonis in line for another shot at the gold down the road likely with a stipulation attached.

[Pariah]

Stellar stuff, my friend... As always! Here's my Top 3 Countdown:

Honorable mention goes to the Love Brothers scoring a victory a victory over the cowboys, Mantell & Casey.

3/ Dynamite Kid challenges Tiger Mask for the junior heavyweight belt... Even though the action didn't seem quite as furious during the sequel, I have to give credit for the decisive finish... I'll be looking forward to part three of this inevitable trilogy.

2/ The protégé of RVD angle has definite potential... Quest eating the fall during that tag team encounter works great too... No matter what story you eventually want to tell.

1/ The Macho Man unleashes the beast and Adonis pays the price! OHHH, YEAH! Does Adrian really want a rematch? Who knows what kind of harm Savage might inflict if pushed completely over the edge?

[cruefan68]

Thanks for the comments Bookerbill and Pariah. A Savage vs. Adonis rematch is in the works. I'm liking having RVD as a mentor for Adrian Quest and I'm interested to see how they will fare in future tag outings. Pariah, I'm really liking the Top 3 idea it's a lot of fun seeing what you pick out. Coming up next is a big night of action from Golden Age Wrestling, I hope you enjoy it...

Card #1407 - Mecca Arena - Milwaukee, WI - Golden Age Wrestling

01) Ilio DiPaolo defeated Johnny Rodz

* A competitive opening contest saw popular Italian star Ilio DiPaolo face the “Unpredictable” Johnny Rodz of ASW. The wily Rodz had DiPaolo in trouble at one point scoring two counts with a counter sunset flip, a piledriver and a Shoulder Breaker. DiPaolo got the better of an exchange outside and, after a submission chance on a body scissors, he executed the Airplane Spin on Rodz with referee James Beard making the three count on the pin.

02) Dutch Mantell defeated Bob Roop

* Referee Dick Woehrle was on the call for this battle of GAW newcomers as “Dirty” Dutch Mantell faced Bob Roop. This was a tough back-and-forth bout that could have gone either way. Roop, the former Olympian, dominated the midpoint of the match and looked on his way to victory until Mantell hit a counter running lariat out of the corner. Mantell followed up with the Double Dutch Clutch for a near fall and then caught Roop with a Short-Arm Clothesline for the pin.

03) Gorgeous George & Sputnik Monroe (with Cherie Dupre) defeated Danny Hodge & Billy Wicks

* Two rivalries featured in tag team action as Danny Hodge & Billy Wicks faced their respective rivals, Gorgeous George & Sputnik Monroe. This was a wild affair with referee James Beard caught in between, including having to deal with George’s interfering valet Cherie Dupre. She factored into it more than once including setting up Wicks for a near fall on a leg trip from ringside. Hodge and Wicks had some shining moments but, in the end, it was George and Monroe having their arms raised in victory. That came in controversial fashion as George caught Hodge in the Spinning Toehold using the ropes for leverage. Beard missed that infraction and unable to escape Hodge was forced to concede.

George wasn’t satisfied with the submission win as he locked the Spinning Toehold on post-match as Monroe fended off Wicks. He repeated the turn on the hold several times injuring the leg of Hodge before Beard and LOW officials could pull him off. Hodge had to be assisted out of the ring by Wicks and Beard as George admired his handiwork.

04) Empress Ring Tag Team Titles: Fire 'N Flava© defeated Heather Monroe & Viva Van (with Halston Boddy) to retain the titles

* Referee Dick Woehrle returned to officiate this championship match as the 3rd Empress Ring Tag Team Champions Fire ‘N Flava, Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz, faced “The Killer Bae” Heather Monroe & Viva Van. The flamboyant manager Halston Boddy was at ringside for his charge Monroe and Van as they looked to snare the gold. Monroe and Van have been in training for this opportunity, and it showed as they had the champs in trouble several times. That included Monroe catching Hogan with the Bitchbreaker for a near fall. It was a tremendous effort put forth by the challengers but in the end Steelz caught Monroe with Okurrr, her version of the cutter, for the pin. That marked a successful version two title defense for Fire ‘N Flava.

05) Great Gama defeated John Pesek by DQ

* The popular Great Gama out of Amritsar, Punjab, India, had his hands fall taking on the “Nebraska Tiger Man” John Pesek. Referee Joey Marella also had his hands full with Pesek, a technically sound roughhouser. Pesek impressed in this match as he dominated for a good stretch, one which included Gama almost being counted out twice. Gama was unable to build a sustained offensive but came away with the win in the end. Pesek shoved Gama hard out of the ring against the warnings of Marella and found himself disqualified for his aggressive actions. Gama was hardly pleased with winning in such a manner and demanded the match continue but Pesek bailed to the back.

06) Jim Londos defeated Frank Gotch

* Referee Joey Marella remained in the ring to call this one, a battle of legends as Frank Gotch faced Jim Londos. It is always a classic when Gotch and Londos lock horns and this match was no exception. Londos was dominant early and nearly put Gotch away several times. Some clever counters by Gotch reversed the momentum and he nearly scored the submission with a guillotine choke. Gotch also twice connected with the Iowa backdrop keeping Londos on the defensive. A series of counter trades late led to Londos surprising Gotch and executing the Airplane Spin for the pin. Gotch thought it might have been a quick count, but Marella confirmed it allowing Londos to secure a big victory.

07) Fabulous Kangaroos (with Wild Red Berry) defeated Strangler's Inc.

* The Fabulous Kangaroos, Al Costello & Roy Heffernan with manager Wild Red Berry, faced Ed “Strangler” Lewis & Evan “Strangler” Lewis, otherwise known as Strangler’s Inc. Referee James Beard was on the call for this all-important tag team showdown. Both teams were in prime form, and this could have gone either way. Berry had his men prepared as they did a great job of avoiding the dreaded Strangler’s Headlock employed by Ed Lewis and the Stranglehold of Evan Lewis. The Strangler’s instead focused on various other submission holds and strongarm tactics. This kept them in the thick of it until the finish where Costello caught Ed with the Australian Backdrop for a two count. Moments later, it was the Kangaroos hitting the Boomerang on Ed with Heffernan diving on top of him to score the pin.

08) George Hackenschmidt defeated Bob Backlund (with Arnold Skaaland)

* This was a rematch from the qualifying round of the PWI Invitational Cup Tournament as Bob Backlund faced the “Russian Lion” George Hackenschmidt. In a surprise, Backlund was accompanied to the ring by his new manager, veteran wrestler Arnold Skaaland out of White Plains, NY. Hackenschmidt did not seem phased by Skaaland being in the corner of Backlund, but referee Joey Marella made sure to inform the manager about potential interference. Backlund won that qualifying match over Hackenschmidt and so the “Russian Lion” was looking for a bit of revenge.

Both men brought their A game to this one which nearly ended in a time limit draw. Hackenschmidt survived both the Atomic Drop and the Crossface Chicken Wing, forcing Backlund to rethink his strategy. Apparently Backlund and his new manager were prepared as Backlund expertly avoided being trapped in the feared Russian Bear Hug. That could have been a problem for Hackenschmidt, but the former three-time LOW World Heavyweight champion has other ways to win. This was a real struggle down the stretch with both men picking up near falls. Hackenschmidt managed to catch Backlund with a late counter in the ropes and delivered a Single Leg Pickup and Slam to score the pin. Skaaland thought that Backlund got his shoulder up, but Marella confirmed the pin.

09) Lou Thesz, Antonino Rocca & The Crusher defeated Buddy Rogers, Johnny Valentine & Bobby Heenan

* A most interesting trios match saw Lou Thesz, Antonino Rocca & The Crusher join forces to take on “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers, the debuting Johnny Valentine, and Rogers’ manager Bobby “The Brain” Heenan. Valentine, who most recently battled Antonio Inoki at the Tokyo Dome, has joined Golden Age Wrestling after leaving ACW where he had a successful tenure. Valentine and Rogers were originally to be joined by Larry Zbyszko, but he was awol, reportedly having left GAW, so Heenan took the contract. It was a peculiar move by Heenan but perhaps he wanted some ring time before he and Rogers face Rocca and a mystery partner on the upcoming 100th episode of LOW All-Star Wrestling.

This was a real barnburner that featured plenty of near falls, and notable outside interference at one point. Referee James Beard was distracted as Rocca caught Rogers in the Argentine Backbreaker leading to King Kong Bundy, formerly of World of Sport, and free agent Big John Studd interfering. The massive men hammered away on Rocca and bailed out allowing Rogers to apply the Figure Four Grapevine. Somehow Rocca was able to reverse out of the punishing hold getting a beak on the ropes. After tags were made, and with confusion still reigning with Bundy and Studd shoving officials at ringside, Thesz caught Valentine with the Greco-Roman Backdrop and scored the pin.

Heenan and Rogers quickly left the ring followed by Bundy and Studd, leaving Valentine behind. Thesz, Rocca and The Crusher, “The Man Who Made Milwaukee Famous”, celebrated their win to great applause from the crowd. If Heenan had intended to add Valentine to his stable, it likely wouldn’t happen after this. However, there is every indication that Bundy and Studd are aligned with Heenan who also manages Rogers and Nick Bockwinkel in GAW.

10) The Sheik & Abdullah the Butcher (with Abdullah Farouk) defeated Andre the Giant & Bobo Brazil

* A huge tag team main event saw Andre the Giant & Bobo Brazil take on The Sheik & Abdullah the Butcher, who had manager Abdullah Farouk in their corner. Farouk acquired the services of Abdullah for this match, making a deal with fellow manager Sir Oliver Humperdink. It was a shrewd deal and one he hoped would lead to victory as it did for The Sheik at WrestleCade 14 where he scored a controversial count out win over Andre. Referee Joey Marella was the man in charge, and he had his work cut out for him as this match took place as much outside the ring as it did inside.

Andre nearly had it won in the opening minutes when he delivered the Big Splash on The Sheik. Farouk, however, distracted Marella, preventing a pin from being counted. An enraged Andre took out his frustration on both Sheik and Abdullah battering them at every turn. Brazil joined in and this one got crazy, going to the outside several times. It wasn’t looking good for the villains but then they caught a break as they homed in on Brazil preventing Andre from getting the tag. Brazil was busted open and bleeding badly but, somehow, he survived the Camel Clutch of The Sheik. The crowd urged him to tag but the big tag never came. As Abdullah went after Andre, The Sheik used a Stab with Sharp Object on the bloody Brazil and covered him for the pin. The crowd jeered the decision, but Andre got some post-match revenge by ramming the heads of The Sheik and Abdullah into each other driving them out of the ring.

Injury Report:

* Danny Hodge suffered a left calf injury due to the repeated use of the Spinning Toehold by Gorgeous George. Hodge is expected to miss several weeks of action as a result.

GAW Top 10 Singles Rankings:

01) Nick Bockwinkel
02) Lou Thesz
03) The Sheik
04) Antonino Rocca
05) Buddy Rogers
06) George Hackenschmidt
07) Jim Londos
08) Bob Backlund
09) Frank Gotch
10) Bobo Brazil

GAW Top 5 Tag Team Rankings:

01) Fabulous Kangaroos
02) Strangler’s Inc.
03) Lou Thesz & Jim Londos
04) Gorgeous George & Sputnik Monroe
05) Antonino Rocca & Ilio DiPaolo

*Current champions not included in rankings*

[Pariah]

Totally stoked that you're enjoying the Countdowns, my brotha! I find it makes a lot more sense to draw particular attention to my favorite moments than giving a basic recap of the whole card... After all, you know what happened... You don't need me to summarize it all for you. HA!

On that note, here's my Top 3 Countdown for this installment of Golden Age Wrestling...

3/ Hackenschmidt scores a major victory over Backlund, getting his win back from the PWI Invitational qualifying round... This must have been especially satisfying for the Hack, considering that Backlund's new manager appeared to have his Russian Bear Hug very well scouted. (I'm going to assume that you rolled on Skaaland's training chart from the handbook before this match which is part of the reason why it's making the countdown. Excellent use of that special mechanic. Kudos!)

2/ The Tiger Man goes one-on-one with the GREAT ONE! And in order to avoid a clean defeat, he gets himself disqualified... On the surface, this might look innocent enough... But, based on Pesek's reputation, I'm left with more than a few questions... Was Pesek working as an enforcer for someone who fears Gama (which would be a mighty long list, I might add)... And if that's the case, who is he working for?

1/ The Sheik & the Butcher team up to face Bobo and the Eighth Wonder of the World in a monstrous tag team event... Honestly, the outcome was not important to me... Not one iota... Just getting these four guys in the ring at the same time guarantees a confrontation of EPIC proportions... The brutal finish followed by Andre running off the demented villains after the bell... Classic stuff!

[bookerbill]

Golden Age Wrestling seems to always deliver and the action from Milwaukee was no different.

The Hodge injury angle was well done and George cheating with the ropes was a nice touch.

Gama really looked to struggle against Pesek so I hope that he will get a chance for some redemption down the road. Speaking of potential rematches, Gotch is going to want to get Londos back in the ring with a proper official this time.

Hackenschmidt over Backlund was huge. The Russian Lion has struggled at times in my Maple Leaf Gardens Fed and seeing him get a big win in Milwaukee was excellent.

Six man tag team match was fun and the addition of the Bundy and Studd was well booked my friend. You have to think leaving Valentine behind may be a critical error by The Brain. That is one individual you do not want to get on the bad side of.

The main event was absolute insanity and stellar match making. There was some much realism to the booking and write up and the finish was about a good as you can get. Payback is coming and there will be more mayhem before these four competitors are finished with each other.

[cruefan68]

Thanks for the awesome feedback, Pariah and Bookerbill. Yes indeed I rolled on the strategy card for Arnold Skaaland prior to Bob Backlund's rematch with George Hackenschmidt. I love that idea for the Skaaland card. Abdullah the Butcher was a one-time appearance only as Abdullah Farouk acquired him for the match from Sir Oliver Humperdink. Stay tuned on an upcoming show for where Abdullah and Humperdink are headed next. Coming up this time is action from England as we feature World of Sport. I hope that you enjoy it...

Card #1408 - Civic Hall in Guildford - Surrey, England - World of Sport

Seconds away, Round One…

01) Benjamin Carter (Isle of Jersey) defeated Biff Busick (USA) (1-0)

Round One: Benjamin Carter By Pinfall – Top Rope Spanish Fly

* A hotly contested opening bout refereed by Bryce Remsburg saw the high-flying Benjamin Carter face the technically sound Biff Busick. Carter exploded out of the gate and quickly took a one to nil lead in the first round as he pinned Busick with a Top Rope Spanish Fly (ch). Busick took exception to the quick loss and battled back hard, controlling most of the next few rounds. He was unable to even the score, though, as a resilient Carter kept escaping defeat. It went the full six rounds and by virtue of his opening round win, Carter was awarded a 1-0 victory.

02) Tommy Gilbert (USA) defeated The Trooper (USA) (1-0)

Round Two: Tommy Gilbert by Pinfall – Standing Dropkick

* Two newcomers to WOS squared off next as The Trooper faced Tommy Gilbert, both men based out of the USA. The Trooper joined WOS from Pacific Coast Wrestling while Gilbert, formerly of ECW, had a more controversial move. His son, Eddie Gilbert, who runs ECW, claimed that Jerry Lawler used a favor from LOW Commissioner Teddy Long to have his father transferred to WOS. Whatever the situation, Gilbert looked to impress, and he did that using his veteran guile to pin The Trooper with a Standing Dropkick in the second round. The Trooper looked to even the score over the next four rounds but couldn’t put Gilbert away. Gilbert was awarded a 1-0 decision win after a tough six round bout.

03) Rohit Raju (India) defeated Jody Fleisch (East London) (1-0)

Round Two: Rohit Raju by Pinfall – Neckbreaker and Gourdbuster

* Making his long awaited return to WOS, Jody Fleisch got a big pop from the crowd as he entered the ring to take on a WOS newcomer in Rohit Raju based out of Hyderabad, India. Fleisch looked dominant early but a counter in the second round by Raju led to him hitting a Neckbreaker and Gourdbuster combo for the pin. The match was fought at an even pace from there with each man controlling at least one round. It went into the sixth round where a late flurry of offense by Fleisch led to a big near fall from a running shooting star press. Raju survived that scare and hung on for a 1-0 victory as confirmed by referee Bryce Remsburg.

04) WALTER (Austria) defeated Trent Seven (Wolverhampton) (2-0)

Round Two: WALTER by Submission – Gojira Clutch
Round Three: WALTER by Pinfall – Slam on Apron

* After a bitter exit from the PWI Invitational Cup Tournament during WrestleCade 14 weekend, WALTER was in a foul mood as he took on Trent Seven, one-half of Moustache Mountain. He intimidated ring announcer Gavin Loudspeaker prompting Seven to come to his rescue. Seven dominated into the second round before WALTER snatched him in the Gojira Clutch and scored a submission. Up one to nil, WALTER pounced on Seven and early into round three hit a Slam on Apron leading to a pin. It was a dominant 2-0 victory for WALTER who continues to roll in WOS.

05) Josh Alexander (Canada) defeated Davey Boy Smith Jr. (Canada) (2-0)

Round Three: Josh Alexander by Pinfall – Twisting Tombstone
Round Six: Josh Alexander by Pinfall – Twisting Tombstone

* It was a battle of Canada as Davey Boy Smith Jr. hailing from Calgary faced “Walking Weapon” Josh Alexander from Toronto. Alexander, one-half of The North along with Ethan Page, looked strong as he took a one to nil lead in the third round hitting the Twisting Tombstone for the pin. That move shook up Smith Jr. who gamely hung on in the ensuing rounds, taking a good deal of punishment from Alexander. Smith Jr. showed great resilience amidst concern from referee Bryce Remsburg and made it to the sixth round. Alexander, growing frustrated, bailed to the outside and sent Smith Jr. into the ring post. It was a controversial move and, back inside, Alexander delivered his fifth Twisting Tombstone of the match to score the pin and earn a 2-0 decision.

06) Zack Sabre Jr. (Isle of Sheppey) defeated Tyler Bate (Dudley) (1-0)

Round Six: Zack Sabre Jr. by Submission – Cross Armbreaker

* Sometimes all it takes is one mistake to end it and that was the case as Tyler Bate, one-half of Moustache Mountain with Trent Seven, faced former LOW Junior Heavyweight champion Zack Sabre Jr. This was a classic crossing six rounds of action with neither man scoring a fall. It was early in round six when Bate sent Sabre Jr. into the ropes, but Sabre Jr. executed a counter sunset flip for a two count. Sabre Jr. then slickly transitioned into a Cross Armbreaker forcing Bate to tape out. That whip into the ropes backfired on Bate and Sabre Jr. capitalized on it for a 1-0 victory.

07) British Bulldogs defeated Ironfist

* Tag team action was featured next as the British Bulldogs, Dynamite Kid & Davey Boy Smith, faced Ironfist, “The Iron Demon” Shane Mercer & KTB. Ironfist couldn’t have worked a better match using timely tags and brutal double-teams, including the assisted suplex power bomb on both Bulldogs. Smith took a beating and was busted open though somehow, he managed a kick out after taking Go To Beast. The Bulldogs had to dig down deep and they managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat when Kid caught KTB with a Snap Suplex floating over into a snake eyes pin. Referee Bryce Remsburg had to call for backup as the two teams continued fighting after the bell.

08) Johnny Saint (Greater Manchester) defeated Ethan Page (Canada) (2-0)

Round One: Johnny Saint by Pinfall – Johnny Saint Special
Round Two: Johnny Saint by Pinfall – The Russ Abbot

* Looking to avenge a prior loss to “All Ego” Ethan Page, Johnny Saint headed into this rematch with a game plan. He would simply counter the offense of Page with some classic counter wrestling. It worked to a T. With Page in control in the opening round, Saint countered him with the Johnny Saint Special trapping him in a pinning combination. Down one to nil, Page got aggressive and delivered RKEgo, but this time Saint lured him right into The Russ Abbot, a rolling reverse pinning combination, for the three count. Saint took a 2-0 victory in just two rounds leaving a frustrated “All Ego” to complain to referee Bryce Remsburg.

09) Dan Severn (USA) defeated Jonah Rock (Australia) (2-0)

Round Four: Dan Severn by Pinfall – Fireman’s Carry Slam
Round Six: Dan Severn by Submission – Snake Eyes – Choke Sleeper

* Another man looking to avenge a prior loss was Dan “The Beast” Severn as he faced Jonah Rock. This was a brutal bout that stretched across six hard fought rounds. Severn looked strong by taking the fight to Rock, including tossing him around the ring several times. Not an easy feat against a 315-pound adversary. Rock withstood that abuse, firing back with strong strikes and some big power moves of his own. Severn went up one to nil in the fourth round when he caught Rock with a Fireman’s Carry Slam for the pin. Rock had to regroup but Severn kept coming. It built to a great finish in the sixth round when Rock fought out of an Armbar only to have Severn transition right into the Choke Sleeper scoring a snake eyes submission victory.

A most interesting development took place post-match as WALTER headed to the ring to confront Severn, but Rock was not pleased. After a momentary standoff, Rock nodded to WALTER and the two jumped Severn. Things were looking bad until Zack Sabre Jr. raced in and provided some backup for “The Beast”. It took a number of officials to clear the ring and led to a big announcement from WOS ambassador Henry Irslinger. Speaking with local reporters backstage, he said that Severn and Sabre Jr. will face Rock and WALTER as part of a double tag team main event in Bolton (Card #1417) as the British Bulldogs will also be challenging for the LOW World Tag Team Titles currently held by Jack & Jerry Brisco.

10) LOW Trios Titles: Fit Finlay, David Taylor & Pete Dunne vs. Vampiro, Kevin Thorn & Darby Allin© was a DDQ

* The main event was for the LOW Trios Titles as Shelly Martinez led the 3rd champions El Ejercito de la Noche of Vampiro, Kevin Thorn & Darby Allin against challengers Fit Finlay, David Taylor & “Bruiserweight” Pete Dunne. The Night Army won the belts at WrestleCade 14 and looked to turn back a strong challenge from three top WOS stars. Team Finlay was on point dominating during a couple of stretches which had to make Martinez nervous at ringside. Allin finally struck back for his team hitting the Coffin Drop on Taylor for a big near fall.

That brought the Night Army back into it and from that point forward it was an intense battle fought in and out of the ring. That kind of activity led to a heated battle on the outside where Taylor used his British flagpole on Thorn. That set off Thorn and led to the other four men joining in for a six-way brawl at ringside. Referee Bryce Remsburg was unable to restore order calling for a double disqualification which resulted in a successful version one title defense for El Ejercito de la Noche.

WOS Top 10 Singles Rankings:

01) WALTER
02) Dan Severn
03) Zack Sabre Jr.
04) Jonah Rock
05) Exotic Adrian Street
06) Johnny Saint
07) Pete Dunne
08) Benjamin Carter
09) Josh Alexander
10) Fit Finlay

WOS Top 5 Tag Team Rankings:

01) British Bulldogs
02) Moustache Mountain
03) Subculture
04) The North
05) Ironfist

*Current champions not included in rankings*

[Pariah]

Without further ado... My Top 3 Countdown for this installment of World of Sport... Bet you already know what grabbed the number one slot.

3/ WALTER and Jonah Rock surprise everyone (well, me at least) by joining forces against Severn... It's not too often that you can see The Beast brought to his knees, but that was a brutal double team beatdown until ZSJr arrived to make the save... Setting the stage for a highly anticipated tag team encounter.

2/ Actually an announcement instead of a match or segment for this one -- The British Bulldogs are set to challenge the Briscos for the LOW World Tag Team Championship... That will be a title match to remember... Hail, Britannia!

1/ No surprises here, my friend... Martinez leads El Ejercito de la Noche into main event mayhem... The official decision might have been a double DQ, but the end result remains the same... A successful version one title defense! TRUTH!