LOW - Legends of Wrestling

[Kamala]

Rogers and Muraco losing surprised me.

[EpicDave]

Flying Elbows! Heart Punches! And the Wildfire Sleeper! All in Little Rock Arkansas. No doubt the boys took a side trip to Slick Willie's Presidential Library & Gentlemen's Club on the way out of town. Another fine effort from cruefan!

[cruefan68]

Thanks for the comments Pariah, Crimson, Kamala and Daytondave. The main event result on the SWA card was a bit of a surprise to me as well but that match was just amazing to roll out. So much back and forth action plus added tension between both sides when all was said and done. Daytondave I think the guys most likely met up with Slick Willie post-show Now on to some action from the AWE...

LOW American Wrestling Enterprise - War Memorial Coliseum - Ft. Wayne, IN (Card #915)

1) Mikey Whipwreck defeated Virgil by Count Out:
Hardcore favorite Mikey Whipwreck took on “Wrestling Superstar” Virgil of ASW in the opening match. Virgil was spotted trying to sell his autographed photos outside the building earlier and then tried the same on ring announcer Gary Michael Cappetta, even forcing him to cough up twenty dollars. Whipwreck took exception to that and pounced on Virgil kicking off what would be a wild battle. Whipwreck dominated early including scoring a near fall with a slingshot leg drop. Virgil battled back and scored a big near fall of his own with a piledriver. They wound up battling to the outside where Virgil was counted out after Whipwreck planted him with a running tornado DDT. To add insult to injury it was Whipwreck celebrating his win by giving Cappetta his twenty dollars back.

2) Finlay defeated Chief Omega:
The popular Chief Omega of ASW had the tough task of taking on the “Belfast Bruiser” Finlay. Omega looked great in the early going including hitting the Tomahawk Thrust for a two count. He had Finlay in trouble until he was picked off of the top rope with a bodyslam on a deathjump (ch) attempt. Finlay struck with a Celtic Cross but Omega impressively kicked out before the three count. Finlay kept up his attack, though, and hit back to back Rolling Hills covering Omega to score the pin.

3) PG-13 defeated Angelo & Lanny Poffo:
An interesting tag team match-up saw the father and son team of Angelo & Lanny Poffo take on the brash PG-13 (J.C. Ice & Wolfie D). PG-13 were dominant in the early going as they punished Angelo including busting him open after a hubcap shot. They had him pinned with the Backbreaker/Elbow but Lanny made the save. That led to Angelo making a hot tag and “Leaping” Lanny sprung into action. The younger Poffo shined during his time in including scoring two counts with a counter sunset flip on Ice and a victory roll on Wolfie D. It looked like things might turn around for the Poffo Family but then PG-13 caught the bloody Angelo with another Backbreaker/Elbow for a big near fall. Angelo was in a bad way and PG-13 followed with the Tilt-A-Whirl and Ice covered him to score the pin.

4) Mil Mascaras defeated Butcher Vachon:
The fans in Ft. Wayne were in for a treat as the “Man of 1,000 Masks” Mil Mascaras, a record seven-time LOW World Heavyweight champion, took on First Family member Butcher Vachon who was accompanied by manager Jimmy Hart. Mascaras was in control from the opening bell and wound up executing his trademark Flying Bodypress from the top rope but Hart distracted the referee preventing a pin. Vachon went on the attack after that using the backbreaker to soften up Mascaras but a pin cover only resulted in a one count. Vachon roughed up Mascaras some more, including biting on his trademark mask, but was unable to put him away. Vachon went up top but Mascaras countered with a superplex and then hit the Crossbody Attack to score the pin.

5) John Pesek defeated Rick Rude:
The double tough John Pesek went up against the cornerstone of the Heenan Family in one “Ravishing” Rick Rude who was accompanied by his manager Bobby “The Brain” Heenan. Pesek has had his share of problems with the Heenan Family and in particular with his longtime former tag team partner Larry Zbyszko. The “Nebraska Tiger Man” looked determined from the opening bell and he quickly took the upper hand on a stunned Rude. He caught him with a waistlock slam for a big near fall and then locked on the Tiger Man Toehold. Heenan interfered allowing Rude a chance to eye gouge his way out of the hold. A subsequent application of the Double Wristlock saw Zbyszko run down to interfere but Pesek quickly disposed of him. Pesek was on fire as he trapped Rude in an inescapable Double Bar Hammerlock that resulted in a submission victory. Heenan and Zbyszko pulled a stunned Rude out of the ring as Pesek taunted the Heenan Family members in celebration of his win.

6) Midnight Rockers defeated King Kong Bundy & Bill Dundee:
The popular Midnight Rockers (Stan Lane & Marty Jannetty) had the tough task of taking on First Family members King Kong Bundy & “Superstar” Bill Dundee who were accompanied by manager Jimmy Hart. Bundy and Dundee came in riding a wave of momentum having just defeated The Crusher and Hacksaw Jim Duggan in a Loser Leaves AWE match. The Rockers did a great job of keeping the larger Bundy off balance including executing a tandem Flapjack on the 446-pounder. Hart was beside himself at ringside calling for his team to reverse the momentum. Dundee did a good job of that as he could somewhat match speed with the Rockers. Bundy got some revenge late in the bout crushing Jannetty with an elbow drop off the ropes. It looked like the First Family could pull out a win but in the end it was Lane nailing a surprised Dundee with the Superkick to score the pin. The crowd erupted in cheers as the Rockers picked up a huge win over Bundy and Dundee.

7) Dan Severn defeated Mad Dog Vachon:
The semi-final match saw Dan “The Beast” Severn take on Mad Dog Vachon who was accompanied by his manager Jimmy Hart. It was already a tough night for the First Family so Hart was hoping to lead Vachon to a big win. Severn was dominant early using both the choke sleeper and bow and arrow for submission chances. Hart frantically tried to rally Vachon and the Mad Dog struck back biting and clawing at Severn. He scored a near fall with a roll-up after biting his forehead and then hit him with Hart’s megaphone when the manager caused a distraction on another choke sleeper attempt. Vachon held the upper hand until both men went down on a collision in the corner. Severn recovered first and caught the dazed Vachon with a Fireman’s Carry Slam to score the pin.

8) LOW World tag team titles: Road Warriors© defeated Valiant Brothers to retain the titles:
The main event saw the Road Warriors (Animal & Hawk, with manager Paul Ellering) put the LOW World tag team titles on the line against the Valiant Brothers (Jimmy “Boogie Woogie Man” Valiant & “Luscious” Johnny Valiant, with manager Bobby “The Brain” Heenan). The Valiant Brothers were looking to regain the belts that they held one year ago and Heenan was fired up during the introductions. Ellering, meanwhile, remained calm, cool and collected as he watched Hawk and Animal flex their muscles in intimidating fashion. The early action saw the Road Warriors in complete control including Hawk scoring a near fall on Jimmy after hitting the running clothesline. Jimmy was busted open during the heat of battle and left for dead after taking the Doomsday Device. Animal went for the pin but a distraction led to Heenan reaching in and decking him with what appeared to be a pair of brass knuckles. A bloody Jimmy regained his bearings and trapped Animal in the Sleeper Hold to nearly win it via submission. The Valiant Brothers went on a nice offensive from there but in the end it would be the Road Warriors coming out on top when Animal pinned Jimmy after combining with Hawk on a Double Clothesline. Heenan protested the decision but it was to no avail as the Road Warriors were successful in their version two defense of the titles.

[EpicDave]

Nobody messes with the Road Warriors! They snack on danger, they dine on death! Midnight Rockers... PG-13... your victories tonight are meaningless. Virgil being Virgil was epic; he needs to bring in Cryme Tyme to help him make some of that MONEY, MONEY- (yeah, yeah!) Another outstanding effort for King Crue. Keep up the good work!

[Pariah]

Thoroughly enjoyed the electrifying performance of the Midnight Rockers... But, it was the dominance of the Road Warriors that really stole the show...

Superb stuff!

[Crimson Cross]

It's cool to see PG-13 gaining the victory, but I was hoping that the Valiant Brothers would've won the gold from the Road Warriors. The highlight for me was Dan Severn beating Mad Dog Vachon, Severn is one of those guys I like in the game than I did in the real world...

[bookerbill]

Really enjoyed Baker’s battle with big Jim on 914 with Baker needed the assistance of Humperdink to get his arm raised. Jim needs a rematch. Brown and King continue to impress and the heat between the team of Armstrong, Mosca and the House of Humperdink is awesome. Really looking forward to the next match involving those two sides. Was surprised to see Eaton tank against the Macho Man. Eaton can be very capable as a singles competitor but Savage was just too much on 914. Strong looks very impressive in his title run. The main event was simply awesome. I can see the fanzine covers with Wildfire squeezing the crimson from the Nature Boy. It will be interesting to see how long Rogers is out of action and what steps he will take to gain some revenge.

The card 915 opener was fun with the $20.00 angle. Enjoyed PG 13 picking up a big win. Looks like the double teaming was too much for the Poffos. Jimmy Hart lets Vachon climb to the top and it cost him. What was the Mouth of the South thinking!?! Enjoyed the size dynamic with Bundy in the ring with three smaller competitors. Severn overcomes the interference of Hart and gets past the Mad Dog which is all good. Could a title shot be in order down the line for the Beast? Hawk & Animal against the Valiant Brothers is an original set classic and looks like it lived up to its hype. Enjoyed the win for the Warriors and Heenan is back to the drawing board.

[cruefan68]

Thanks for the comments daytondave, Pariah, Crimson and Bookerbill. The Road Warriors nearly lost the belts there and the Midnight Rockers winning was a nice surprise. Glad you enjoyed the action and just to note that Dan Severn is in line for a world title shot upcoming. Up next is another huge night of action from MSG...

LOW Northern Wrestling Corporation - Madison Square Garden - New York, NY (Card #916)

1) S.D. Jones defeated Fritz Von Goering:
The popular S.D. “Special Delivery” Jones of ASW took on rugged German star Fritz Von Goering in the opening bout. Von Goering recently joined the NWC after leaving PCW and he was hoping to continue building a strong start but it was not to be. Jones had his number in this bout and constantly kept him on the defensive. He made a late comeback bid but Jones caught him with the power body slam followed by a stinging Headbutt to score the pin. The crowd erupted in cheers as Jones picked up a huge win. Von Goering, who was busted open during the bout, kicked at the bottom rope and stormed around ringside following the bout.

2) Dupae Rupa & Matt Striker defeated Blue World Order:
A second straight upset by the stars of ASW saw “The Belgian Brawler” Dupae Rupa & Matt Striker defeat the Blue World Order (Stevie Richards & Blue Meanie). It was all bWo early including Meanie hitting the Meaniesault on Rupa but Striker broke up the pin. Rupa battled back and twice hit the Belgian Waffle on Richards but Meanie broke up the pin. The crowd tried to rally around the bWo but in the end it was Striker catching a dazed Richards with the Overdrive to score the pin. Richards argued with the Meanie about the loss post-match but then busted out laughing when Meanie did his Meanie dance to a big pop from the crowd.

3) The Warlord defeated Ilio DiPaolo:
Popular Italian star Ilio DiPaolo had a tough task as he took on The Warlord, the powerful star managed by Captain Lou Albano. The controversial manager was not at ringside, however, as he is currently on the road with Greg Valentine, the reigning LOW International Heavyweight champion. The Warlord was dominant in this bout as he stunned DiPaolo with a high gut wrench resulting in a two count. DiPaolo was in a bad way as The Warlord followed with a crushing Backbreaker over the knee to score the pin.

4) The Sheepherders defeated Bobo Brazil & Tony Atlas:
The popular combination of Bobo Brazil & “Mr. USA” Tony Atlas took on The Sheepherders (Butch Miller & Luke Williams) in a heated bout. The Sheepherders held the edge in tag team experience but Brazil and Atlas held a solid advantage in power. The latter used that advantage early as Brazil dominated Miller and set him up for a crushing full nelson by Atlas. The Sheepherders gained control on the outside and wound up scoring a near fall on Atlas with a double clothesline. They took over on Atlas with a vicious and well timed attack relying on their aforementioned experience as a team. The two would use one of their devastating double-team moves to get the win when they nailed Atlas with the Running Knee Smash with Williams scoring a snake eyes pin. Brazil took exception to the tactics of The Sheepherders and he joined Atlas in tossing Williams out of the ring and laying Miller out with a double-team headbutt drawing cheers from the crowd.

5) LOW Junior Heavyweight title: Gorgeous George© defeated Johnny Saint by Count Out:
The LOW Junior Heavyweight title was on the line as Johnny Saint defended the belt against a two-time champion in Gorgeous George. The flamboyant George was accompanied to the ring by his valet Cherie Dupre who would play a role in the match. Before that, however, the two men had some great technical exchanges that had the crowd in the palm of their hands. Saint executed The Russ Abbot, high cross bodyblock and the double arm stretch and cradle to keep George off balance. George responded with the Spinning Toe Hold for a submission chance and also hit the rolling hiplock resulting in a two count. Late in the bout it was George tossing Saint out of the ring where the battle continued. The two men traded blows before George caught Saint with a hot shot on the guard rail. George then rolled back into the ring at the six count while Saint attempted to recover. As the referee reached eight it was Saint attempting to climb back in when Dupre dropped down and grabbed hold of his leg preventing him from getting back in. George was awarded a controversial count out win in what was the version six defense of the title for Saint.

6) Dick Hutton defeated Frank Gotch:
The crowd was treated to a rare scientific battle as two-time LOW World Heavyweight champion Frank Gotch took on former Olympian Dick Hutton. Gotch has of course reached the very heights of LOW while Hutton, a very talented wrestler, has had limited success. These two were at the top of their game here with some serious technical exchanges. Gotch held the edge in the early going and had Hutton in trouble after executing the rolling kneebar followed by an Iowa backdrop for a two count. Hutton struck back hitting the Cowboy backbreaker several times one of which resulted in a big near fall. A furious exchange of blows on the outside heated things up and nearly saw Gotch lose the match via disqualification. Things cooled down and after some more great scientific wrestling it was Hutton rebounding out of the corner with a forearm smash (substitute for running lariat) resulting in a big near fall. As a stunned Gotch got back up to his feet it was Hutton catching him from behind in the Abdominal Stretch which he cinched on to score a submission victory. The crowd erupted in cheers as Hutton scored one of the biggest wins of his LOW career. Gotch showed great class post-match by shaking hands with Hutton and raising his arm up in victory.

7) Falls Count Anywhere Match: Nikolai Volkoff & Iron Sheik defeated Stars & Stripes:
The war between Stars & Stripes (The Patriot & Marcus Alexander Bagwell) and Nikolai Volkoff & Iron Sheik recently picked up in intensity when The Patriot was put out of action for several weeks with an injury. This was the return to action for the masked man and it came in a violent Falls Count Anywhere Match which had the crowd at MSG rocking. Manager Fred Blassie was away on business so Volkoff and Sheik went at it alone here. The Patriot was fired up for this one and hit the move of the match when he ran along the ring apron and leaped off blasting the Sheik with the Patriot Missile scoring a two count in the aisle. The Sheik returned the favor as he slammed The Patriot on a souvenir table and back inside he trapped him in the Camel Clutch for a submission chance. Volkoff then caught The Patriot with the Backbreaker Drop for a big near fall. Bagwell was very impressive during his time in and caught Volkoff with a nice dropkick and big splash combo. Stars & Stripes put up a nice offensive late but in the end it was Volkoff catching The Patriot with a second Backbreaker Drop to score the pin. The hard fought battle between the two teams will only add fuel to the already burning fire the next time that they meet.

8) SHIMMER title – No DQ Match: Mercedes Martinez defeated Lufisto to win the title:
For the first time in over three years the SHIMMER title, then known as the LOW Women’s title, was at stake at MSG as defending champion Lufisto put the gold on the line against Mercedes Martinez in a No DQ Match. Their recent battle in SHIMMER saw Martinez, a former champion, come away with a disqualification victory over the “Super Hardcore Anime” resulting in this rematch being signed. Lufisto went at the “Latina Sensation” hard and heavy in the early going including hitting the Diving Star Headbutt. She then executed the Burning Hammer and went for the cover but Martinez kicked out of the pin with authority. Martinez mounted a comeback and had Lufisto in serious trouble including scoring a two count with a brainbuster. The two women took advantage of the no disqualification rule and battled out to the floor several times. Lufisto struck with another Diving Star Headbutt and then a flurry of chops and jabs covering Martinez for a two count. Martinez dug down as she mounted another comeback and wound up busting Lufisto open after a series of brutal chops to the head and chest. Lufisto dealt back some stinging blows but another series of brutal chops saw Martinez pounce on the bloody Lufisto to score the pin and win the title. The crowd cheered the victory by Martinez who became a two-time SHIMMER champion and a teary Lufisto, who won the belt from Sherri Martel in a brutal Dog Collar Match at WrestleCade IX, was also applauded for her efforts. It was an emotional post-match scene with the crowd cheering as Lufisto hugged Martinez and congratulated her on her title win.

9) Andre the Giant defeated The Sheik:
This long awaited one-on-one showdown saw the undefeated “Eighth Wonder of the World” Andre the Giant take on former LOW World Heavyweight champion The Sheik who was accompanied by his manager Abdullah Farouk. Andre has been looking for a singles match against The Sheik since he was burned with a Fireball by the Syrian madman on LOW All-Star Wrestling just prior to WrestleCade IX. The two men were on opposing sides in a big match on that card with The Sheik hitting Andre with the ring bell drawing a disqualification. This was a total war between two men determined to punish each other. The Sheik resorted to using his foreign object attack, looking to be a taped piece of steel, and it wasn’t long before Andre was busted open. Seeing his own blood drove the giant crazy and he began battling back aggressively. Andre used a powerful bearhug to crush the ribs of The Sheik and then hit the Big Splash but Farouk broke up the pin by distracting the referee. It was a bad move by the manager as an angry Andre got up and decked him sending him flying off of the ring apron. Farouk would prove to be a non factor the rest of the way as a result. The Sheik battled back biting and clawing at Andre including using a sadistic hammerlock for a submission chance. It was an impressive performance for The Sheik but Andre regained control and busted him open after some ferocious headbutts. He also executed the sitdown splash and went back to the bearhug. In the end it was Andre executing another Big Splash to score the pin and pick up a huge win over his newfound rival. The crowd was treated to a real grudge match with both men busted open and leaving it all out on the table in a memorable battle.

10) LOW World Heavyweight title: Lou Thesz© defeated Bruiser Brody to retain the title:
The main event saw Lou Thesz put the LOW World Heavyweight title on the line against the strong challenge of freelance star Bruiser Brody who was the winner of the PWI Invitational Cup Tournament at WrestleCade IX. Brody has never been very successful in his world title challenges, posting a 1-6-1 overall record, but this was also the first time that he has challenged for the belt in nearly four years. There was some controversy during the ring introductions as Randy “Macho Man” Savage, who is also under a freelance contract in LOW, showed up at ringside in street gear taunting Brody. The two were once bitter enemies turned tag team partners but after a recent falling out in the AWE, where Brody accepted a check from Bobby Heenan to walk away from Savage during a tag team match, the heat has been turned up again. Savage also taunted Brody on a recent edition of LOW All-Star Wrestling wishing him luck saying he wanted him to win the title so he could be the one to take it from him. LOW Commissioner Charlie Cox was not about to let the world title match be ruined and he ordered LOW officials to remove Savage from ringside. Savage put up brief resistance but then opted to leave so that the match could officially get underway.

Thesz got off to a strong start using a side salto to stun Brody before trapping him in the STF, or stepover toehold facelock. Brody bailed out of the ring and Thesz went out after him which proved to be a mistake. Brody took over on offense and went on a good tear hitting such moves as the twisting vertical suplex, big boot to the face and the piledriver. He also executed a one hand bodyslam and covered Thesz for a two count. Thesz came back with a defensive move, a rebounding forearm smash out of the corner, and that resulted in a big near fall for the champion. He then quickly followed with the Thesz Press but Brody impressively kicked out at the count of two. Brody made a good accounting of himself as he took the champion to the limit in what was a really exciting bout. It could have gone either way but in the end it was a battle on the floor that saw Thesz regain control and roll back into the ring. Brody recovered and made his way back in but Thesz got him off guard surprising him with the Thesz Press to score the pin. It was a successful version five defense of the title for Thesz against one of his strongest challengers.

As Thesz recovered in the corner it was an irate Brody grabbing his chain and going after the champion. The referee tried to get in between them but Brody mowed him down and swung the chain. Thesz managed to drop down and roll out of the ring avoiding the chain shot as Brody barked like a mad dog. He swung the chain again and made a move to go out of the ring when suddenly he was jumped from behind by Savage. The crowd erupted in cheers as the “Macho Man” decked Brody with a series of rabbit punches and proceeded to grab the chain which he wrapped around his neck. Cox called for LOW officials to run in as Savage choked Brody with the chain and showed no signs of letting go. Thesz ran back in followed by a number of other wrestlers and officials in order to pull Savage off. They were successful but when Brody recovered he want right at Savage who was pinned down in the corner. The two men traded blows until they were finally pulled apart ending a wild post-match scene. Cox spoke with the press following the incident and said that perhaps against his better judgment he has signed Savage to face Brody in the main event of the next NWC card at the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, NJ (Card #923).

[Pariah]

Congrats to Thesz on continuing his impressive title reign... And the post-show brawl between Macho Man and Brody was brutal! Looking forward to those two squaring off inside the ring... But, I don't picture is getting a clean decision in that one (if we even manage to get something more a complete free-for-all)...

Volkoff & Iron Sheik scored a huge triumph in their rivalry with Stars & Stripes... And the Eighth Wonder of the World was looking as awesome as ever...

My favorite moment was watching Mercedes Martinez come back multiple times to become the new Shimmer Champion... And even though the two competitors pulled out all the stops during the match, Lufisto still acknowledged Martinez with an embrace when it was all over... Classy move by the former champ...

Thoroughly enjoyed the show!

[EpicDave]

Brody vs. Savage was a brawl for the ages- that match will be out of control! Mercedes Martinez owns the Heartland Ladies' Championship and now she brings home another belt for her collection... and NOBODY screws with the Sheepherders!