LOW - Legends of Wrestling

[Pariah]

Stellar main event... 'Bullet' Bob looked to be in great form, but Greg Valentine simply wasn't willing to let go of the gold... By hook or by crook - Just as we'd expect from the Hammer...

Awesome match lined up for the next SWA show... Who will Johnny Valentine select as his partner to go up against Armstrong and Blackjack Mulligan?

The encounter between Muraco and Magnum TA was truly exciting... And I enjoyed watching D-Lo Brown and Kenny King pick up a big win over Cornette's Midnight Express...

Unfortunate loss for Rikidozan against the Strangler... But, it really sets the table nicely for him and his protege, Giant Baba to square off against Lewis and Blassie at the Seibu Dome show...

Another top notch delivery from the first name in LOW... Excellent work!

[bookerbill]

Just stellar booking Crue. Awesome work.

[cruefan68]

Thank you for the comments Pariah and Bookerbill. I have an idea for the partner of Johnny Valentine and he is someone that the House of Humperdink has been scouting so he is not a current member. The group as it stands now consists of Humperdink, Valentine, Ox Baker, Kevin Sullivan, and Eddie Gilbert. I was not expecting to see the Midnight Express lose there but it played in perfectly with their recent struggles. Cornette may need to seek medical attention soon.

The Rikidozan vs. Strangler Lewis match was really fun but I was expecting Rikidozan to win which would have likely ended the brief feud. The dice rule all, though, and what came out of it was a nice way to set up a feature match at the Seibu Dome with Rikidozan & Baba vs. Lewis & BLassie plus Antonio Inoki against reigning LOW World Heavyweight champion George Hackenschmidt (should he still hold the belt).

Thanks again as I always enjoy the feedback. I should have the next show posted soon and that is an AWE card with Hackenschmidt defending the title against Dan Severn.

[Crimson Cross]

It's cooling seeing the House of Humperdink opening the card with that victory for Sullivan and Baker, plus I loved that Muraco defeated Magnum and him smiling at the end was cool stuff. Too bad Bob Armstrong didn't win the International Title from Valentine, but maybe the "Bullet" will get another shot and that ending was killer cool...

[cruefan68]

Thanks for the comments Crimson. That Magnum vs. Muraco match was a lot of fun to roll out and it was a big win for Muraco. The evil smiling at the end seemed liked something Muraco would do so I went with it. I was hoping to see "Bullet" Bob take the gold myself but the DQ saved Valentine there. I am hoping to have my next show posted later today if all goes well.

[cruefan68]

LOW American Wrestling Enterprise - Mecca Arena - Milwaukee, WI (Card #937)

1) Finlay defeated S.D. Jones:
The popular S.D. “Special Delivery” Jones of ASW had the tough task of taking on the “Belfast Bruiser” Finlay in the opening contest. Jones handled himself well and had Finlay in trouble several times including coming off of the second rope with a flying headbutt (deathjump). He also locked on a sleeper hold but Finlay battled out of it and after a counter off of the ropes he laid out Jones with the Celtic Cross to score the pin.

2) Mildred Burke & Tina Moretti defeated Jazz & Angel Orsini:
The stars of Ring Angels were featured in tag team action as Mildred Burke & Tina Moretti joined forces to battle the double tough Jazz & Angel Orsini. Past battles between Burke and Jazz were a highlight of SHIMMER events and the two continued their long standing rivalry here. Burke, a two-time former SHIMMER champion, is one of the few women capable of matching Jazz in both strength and intensity. Moretti and Orsini both looked good during their time in but the focus seemed to be more on Burke and Jazz. In the end it was Burke getting the better of her rival when she pinned her following a Power Bodyslam and press. Jazz complained to the ref that Burke pulled her tights for extra leverage on the pin but there was no such infraction and the decision stood.

3) Rick Rude defeated Jim Brunzell:
The high flying “Jumpin” Jim Brunzell took on the cornerstone of the Heenan Family in “Ravishing” Rick Rude. Both men are natives of Minnesota but couldn’t be any more different with Brunzell being a respectable competitor while Rude relies on arrogance, shortcuts and even Heenan to gain an advantage. Brunzell took the fight to Rude early and often including punishing him with the figure four leglock. He also scored quick two counts with a counter roll-up out of the corner and a flying headscissors hooked into a cradle hold. Rude struck back hitting the top rope kneedrop and swinging neckbreaker for near falls. A big moment in the match saw Rude execute the Rude Awakening for what looked to be a sure pin but Brunzell got his leg over the bottom rope on the two count to break it up. Brunzell gave Rude some more anxious moments leaving Heenan to watch nervously from ringside. Eventually Rude took over and executed a Suplex floating over on top of Brunzell to score the pin. Heenan afterward praised the victory by Rude and vowed that he would one day bring championship gold to the Heenan Family.

4) PG-13 defeated Midnight Rockers:
Two of the most exciting teams in the AWE squared off as the popular Midnight Rockers (Stan Lane & Marty Jannetty) took on PG-13 (J.C. Ice & Wolfie D). It was all the Rockers in the early going as they isolated Ice and had him near defeat several times. That included combining on the Rocket Launcher but Wolfie D made the save. Jannetty later hit the Rocker Dropper on Wolfie D but Ice broke up the pin. It seemed like the Rockers were going to cruise to victory but then Wolfie D helped turn things in the favor of PG-13. Ice got back into it and hit Jannetty with the hubcap on the floor nearly leading to a count out decision. PG-13 then went to some nice double-team attacks and that was what led them to a big victory. The finish saw PG-13 combine on the Backbreaker & Elbow on Jannetty with Wolfie D covering him for the pin as Ice cut off a save attempt by Lane. It was a huge win for PG-13 and one that many might view as a big upset so it will be interesting to see how the Rockers can bounce back from the tough loss.

5) John Pesek, Angelo Poffo, & Lanny Poffo defeated Larry Zbyszko & Valiant Brothers by DQ:
Big six-man tag team action saw John Pesek team with Angelo & Lanny Poffo to battle the Heenan Family team of Larry Zbyszko and the Valiant Brothers (Jimmy “Boogie Woogie Man” Valiant & “Luscious” Johnny Valiant). Manager Bobby “The Brain” Heenan and his men took exception to a fan made sign held up by Pesek and the Poffo’s that read “Tickets $20.00, Souvenirs $25.00, Larry Zbyszko losing to Jim Powers – PRICELESS”. The sign, of course, referred to the two recent wins that Powers, a member of the LOW All-Star Wrestling roster, holds over the self proclaimed “Living Legend” of professional wrestling. The action was fast and furious throughout this match with all six men having a chance to shine. Pesek nearly won it via submission over Jimmy with a body triangle and crossface but Johnny made the save. Angelo likewise came close to scoring a fall on Johnny with the running stomp but Zbyszko made the save there. The Valiant Brothers looked really good by tagging in and out at one point and Heenan was overjoyed with the performance of his men. However in the end it was “Leaping” Lanny hitting the Sky Drop on Zbyszko for what looked to be a sure pin but Heenan interfered. He reached in and decked Lanny with a roll of quarters in full view of the referee and that resulted in the disqualification decision. The crowd jeered the actions of Heenan who retreated with his men while Pesek and Angelo checked on the condition of the fallen Lanny.

6) LOW Tex-Arkana Television title: Roderick Strong© defeated Yukon Eric to retain the title:
The LOW Tex-Arkana Television title was on the line as Yukon Eric made his bid to win the championship from IWA star Roderick Strong who was accompanied to the ring by his manager Truth Martini. Strong, a two-time holder of the belt, went into this match having successfully defended it an impressive eight times. Strong was equally impressive in the early going as he scored big near falls with Death by Roderick, Gibson Driver and Olympic Slam. Eric then countered a rolling elbow with the Woodsman’s Chop and floored Strong with a running tackle netting a two count. Eric put up some solid resistance in this one but towards the end he was busted open and nailed with a Sick Kick by Strong resulting in snake eyes for the three count. A jubilant Martini grabbed the title belt off of the timekeeper’s table and handed it to Strong who is now at a run of nine successful title defenses which ties him with Curt Hennig for third place on the all-time list.

7) Andre the Giant defeated Mad Dog Vachon:
Many men have attempted to end the undefeated streak of the “Eighth Wonder of the World” Andre the Giant and First Family member Mad Dog Vachon, who was accompanied by his manager Jimmy Hart, was the latest to try. The rugged Vachon gave away a lot of size to Andre but he was determined to make his mark on history by challenging the freelance star to this one-on-one match. Andre came into the match with his head bandaged from a recent battle with The Sheik but still dominated the early action. He had Vachon in serious trouble several times and Hart twice interfered with distractions to prevent a pin. Vachon battled back with the maniacal chokehold, mouth ripper and eye rake among other roughhouse moves. He managed to get a two count on Andre after hitting the Mad Dog Pounce. Andre battled back and was going for the pin after an underhook suplex but Hart jumped up on the ring apron and hit the referee in the back of the head with his megaphone! Vachon took over for a good stretch after that and was even able to execute an airplane spin on the 45o-pound Andre which was quite impressive. After the referee recovered it was Andre back in control and he went for the Big Splash but somehow Vachon rolled out of the way. Vachon, who had been busted open, fought back hard but Andre was able to weather the storm and trap him in a Bearhug to score a submission victory and keep his undefeated record intact.

8) LOW World Heavyweight title: George Hackenschmidt© defeated Dan Severn to retain the title:
A highly anticipated main event saw Dan “The Beast” Severn take on the “Russian Lion” George Hackenschmidt for the LOW World Heavyweight title. Severn scored a count out win over former champion Lou Thesz in a recent title match and as such was awarded this huge second opportunity at the title. Hackenschmidt knew that he would have to be at his best to battle Severn and he did a good job controlling the early portion of the bout. He tortured Severn with the twisting heel hook and nearly won it by submission with a keylock armbar. Severn survived the Russian Bearhug and used a choke sleeper for a submission chance. Severn then began dominating and hit the German Suplex and fireman’s carry slam among other effective moves. It looked to be over when Severn locked on the Wakigatame but somehow it was the defending champion grabbing the ropes for a break. The two men traded blows in and out of the ring from there and both wound up being busted open. Hackenschmidt won out in another battle on the floor and twice ran Severn back first into the ring apron. As both men rolled back in under the bottom rope it was Hackenschmidt who alertly hooked the waist of Severn and trapped him in a grounded variation of the Russian Bearhug. Severn struggled to break free and then tried to grab the ropes but Hackenschmidt cinched the hold on and pulled back towards center ring. The crowd urged Severn to escape but he passed out from the pain of the hold and the referee called for the bell giving Hackenschmidt a submission victory. Severn put forth a valiant effort to win the title but Hackenschmidt survived the strong challenge in his version one defense of the championship.

[Pariah]

The main event was absolutely superb... Severn definitely appeared to be in his game, but Hackenschmidt was determined to get that first defense under his belt...

Mad Dog Vachon turned in an impressive effort against the Eighth Wonder of the World... Just not enough to beat Andre, who's legacy just continues to grow in LOW...

Was hoping to see the Midnight Rockers come out on top, but a great match nonetheless... And it's cool to see Roddy Strong hanging tough with the LOW Tex-Arkana Television title... Excellent stuff!

[joebreakdown]

My man Mad Dog put up a brave fight! I reckon Andre will respect that!

[Crimson Cross]

I like both Roderick Strong and Yukon Eric, so either one winning would've been fine, but Strong keeping the belt is good stuff. Seeing PG-13 over the Midnight Rockers is a good thing, plus seeing the "Russian Lion" retaining the strap over the "Beast" was a good ending to the card...

[cruefan68]

Thanks for the comments Pariah, Joebreakdown and Crimson. Both the Severn vs. Hackenschmidt and Andre vs. Vachon matches were pretty intense and a lot of fun. I was surprised when PG-13 beat The Rockers so I may have to set up a rematch soon. Up next is action from SHIMMER I hope you enjoy it. After that will be an IWA card which I hope to post sometime during the week. Thanks as always for reading and commenting...

SHIMMER - Women Athletes - Volume 28 - The Eagles Club - Berwyn, IL (Card #938)

1) Candice LeRae, Madison Rayne, & Barbi Hayden defeated Kimber Lee, Rhia O’Reilly, & Crazy Mary Dobson:
Trios action opened the show as Candice LeRae, Madison Rayne, & Barbi Hayden teamed up to battle Kimber Lee, Rhia O’Reilly, & Crazy Mary Dobson. The former team jelled like a well oiled machine while the latter team was never able to kick it into gear. A wild spot saw Hayden have Kimber Lee pinned after a Hayden Halo but O’Reilly broke it up setting off a wild six-way brawl. LeRae got things under control and caught Kimber Lee with a series of moves before executing the Balls Plex to score the pin. As the former team celebrated their big win the latter team argued with each other and almost came to blows before Kimber Lee calmed things down.

2) Made In Sin defeated Kay Lee Ray & Delilah Doom:
Tag team action saw Kay Lee Ray out of Glasgow, Scotland, team up with San Dimas, CA, native Delilah Doom to take on Made In Sin (Allysin Kay & Taylor Made). The duo of Made IN Sin came in with plenty of experience as a team so they had the edge going against Ray and Doom. Ray was quite impressive during her time in including nailing Kay with a German Suplex capping off a heated exchange. Doom also looked good but in the end she was overpowered by Made in Sin. The finish saw them execute the Eighth Deadly Sin, a wheelbarrow and cutter combination, on Doom with Made scoring the pin. Amber Gertner caught up with Made In Sin at ringside following the match and they said that they needed some “serious competition” and that led to Cherry Bomb & Evie, who were on standby, coming out to take up that challenge. It was then agreed that the two teams would meet in a feature match at Volume 29.

3) Madison Eagles defeated Angelus Layne:
Two of the hardest hitting women in SHIMMER squared off as “The Punisher” Madison Eagles took on Angelus Layne. The early action saw Layne in control hitting such moves as the running senton and cannonball into the corner. Eagles bailed out of the ring and then pulled Layne outside blasting her with a forearm shot before nailing her with a running big boot. Eagles kept up her momentum back inside and trapped Layne in the Cattle Mutilation. Layne tried to fight out of it but was unable to and she conceded the match giving Eagles a very impressive submission victory.

4) Jessica James & Jessie McKay defeated Malia Hosaka & Heidi Lovelace:
A grudge tag team match saw Jessica James team up with “Everybody’s Favorite Girlfriend” Jessie McKay to take on Malia Hosaka & Heidi Lovelace. James won over McKay at Volume 27 but then came to her rescue when Hosaka and Lovelace tried to intimidate the Australian star. James and McKay were on point in this match and did a great job of controlling the action. They had Hosaka in trouble several times leaving a frustrated Lovelace looking to tag in. McKay nearly scored the pin when she nailed Hosaka with the School Girl Crush. James then tagged in and came off of the top rope with a flying bodypress on Hosaka but Lovelace made the save. The finish saw James nail Hosaka with the Best of Both Worlds, a fisherman cradle neckbreaker, to score the pin. McKay fended off a save attempt by Lovelace to secure the win and the crowd cheered the victory by her and James.

5) Sassy Stephie & Nevaeh defeated Global Green Gangsters by Count Out:
SHIMMER promoter Dave Prazak entered the ring prior to this match and said that the winning team between the Global Green Gangsters (“Rate Tank” Kellie Skater & Tomoka Nakagawa) and Sassy Stephie & Nevaeh would receive a huge opportunity – a shot at SHIMMER tag team champions the Canadian Ninjas (Portia Perez & Nicole Matthews) at Volume 29. Both teams were primed and ready for this one as were the SHIMMER faithful who appeared to be throwing their full support behind GGG. The action went pretty quickly in this bout and for a good stretch it was Stephie and Nevaeh, who are also known as the S & S Express, that were in control. The Sass Squash, a running hip into the corner by Stephie, lead to a big near fall on Skater but Nakagawa made the save. Nakagawa made another big save for Skater when Nevaeh had her pinned with a bridging German Suplex. The battle wound up on the outside where Skater had the upper hand on Nevaeh until Stephie caught her with an underhook DDT. Nakagawa ran over to assist Skater but Stephie cut her off and the two fought into the guard rail. Moments later it was Nevaeh rolling back into the ring to score a count out victory as Skater failed to recover in time. It was a disappointing loss for GGG but a huge win for the S & S Express who will now face the Canadian Ninjas for the SHIMMER tag team titles.

6) Jessicka Havok defeated Cheerleader Melissa by DQ:
It was at Volume 27 where Jessicka Havok, also known as the “Havok Death Machine”, called out Cheerleader Melissa, a two-time SHIMMER champion, claiming that she would make an “example” out of her en route to earning a title shot. Melissa barely made it to the ring when Havok jumped her with a chair. Melissa managed to get the chair away and hit Havok with it nearly getting disqualified in the process. The two then brawled into the ring and Melissa caught Havok in the Kondo Clutch, an inverted cloverleaf, going for the submission but it was broken up in the ropes. The two women then fought back to the outside several times resulting in some very heated exchanges. Melissa came back hitting the Kudo Driver but Havok kicked out just before the three count. Havok then found herself trapped in the Kondo Clutch again but this time the feared Vanessa Kraven showed up providing a distraction to break the hold. The referee quickly ejected Kraven from ringside as Melissa went to work on Havok. They fought out to ringside again and Melissa lost it drawing a snake eyes disqualification as she delivered several chair shots across the back. Kraven returned and helped Havok in a double-team attack on Melissa until suddenly Sara Del Ray hit the ring. That led to all four women engaging in a wild brawl before a host of SHIMMER officials ran out to break them up. It was later announced that Melissa & Del Ray will face Havok & Kraven in a tag team match at Volume 29.

7) 2-out-of-3 Falls Match: Mercedes Martinez defeated Saraya Knight (2-1):
A shot at the SHIMMER title was at stake in this best 2-out-of-3 Falls Match as the “Latina Sensation” Mercedes Martinez, a two-time SHIMMER champion, took on “Sweet” Saraya Knight. The two are no strangers to each other and in fact have had some torrid battles in the past and now a title shot would go to the winner upping the ante ten fold. Knight entered the building arguing with ringsiders and even threatening physical harm to some of them. SHIMMER officials made sure she got to the ring and there she threatened the ring announcer until Martinez entered to big cheers from the crowd. The two women then got into a stare down in mid-ring trying to intimidate each other but it was not going to work. Martinez and Knight are at the top of the intimidation food chain and neither was going to budge. The referee then bravely stepped in between them and called for the bell getting the action underway.

First Fall: The pre-match intensity shown by both women factored into the opening fall as the two battled it out. Martinez scored a big near fall with a brainbuster and then shook up Knight with the 3 Amigas. Knight struck back hitting a corner dropkick and scored a two count with a counter side suplex. A battle on the floor saw a fired up Knight nearly lose it via disqualification. Martinez regained control and back inside went for a spinebuster but Knight made a slick counter hitting a DDT to score the pin and take a 1-0 lead in the match.

Second Fall: Something woke up Martinez during the thirty second rest period as she came out firing blasting Knight with a barrage of brutal chops. She also took the fight back to the outside and busted Knight open with a run into the guard rail. A bloody Knight battled back but was unable to put up a sustained offensive. Martinez regained control and after another dose of 3 Amigas she nailed Knight with the Fisherman Buster to score the pin. That evened things up at 1-1 going into the third fall with the shot at the SHIMMER title hanging in the balance.

Third Fall: With Knight suffering from blood loss she was at a clear disadvantage going into the deciding fall but she would not go down without a fight. Early in the fall she caught Martinez in the Bridled Rocking Horse, a painful grounded stretch, going for the submission but it was broken up in the ropes. Martinez recovered and staggered Knight with the repeated forearms before blasting her with a huge boot. Knight showed her trademark toughness by coming back and executing the running Samoan Drop but an attempt at a Tombstone Piledriver (ch) was reversed by Martinez. That led to both women going down from a collision in the corner and it was Martinez who recovered first and nailed Knight with the 3 Amigas to score the pin. Martinez edged Knight by a score of 2-1 and earned the title shot at Volume 29.

8) SHIMMER title: Courtney Rush defeated Lufisto to win the title:
It was an all Canadian battle for the SHIMMER title in the main event as Courtney Rush out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, challenged defending champion Lufisto, the “Super Hardcore Anime” out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada by way of Japan. The crowd showed equal support for both women who shook hands before locking up. It was all Lufisto in the opening moments but after taking the repeated headbutts Rush countered with a T-Bone Suplex scoring a two count. An alert Rush then slipped in behind Lufisto and planted her with the Olympic Slam to score the pin in shockingly quick fashion. The crowd erupted in cheers as a tearful Rush was crowned the new SHIMMER champion capping off a long quest to earn the shot at the title. Lufisto was dumbfounded over the loss, her second loss of the title since winning it from Sherri Martel at WrestleCade IX, and rolled out of the ring as Rush celebrated. Amber Gertner wasted no time in cornering Rush for a ringside interview and the new champion said that it took a lot of heart and determination to make it to this moment and that she planned to hold the title for a long time to come. Mercedes Martinez, a two-time SHIMMER champion, stood in the aisle applauding Rush on her victory but then held up three fingers indicating that she was looking to regain the title.