LOW - Legends of Wrestling

[gabe72]

Tremendous action from LOW: Pacific Coast. You can never go wrong with a Freddie Blassie vs John Tolos main event. This is one feud I'm looking forward to doing in the WWA when the time comes.

[cruefan68]

Thanks for the comments Pariah, Bookerbill, Crimson, Jobber83 and Gabe72. The PWI Cup is also one of my favorite parts of the year and was the reason I came up with doing a Real World Tag League with KRU. I am going to run it like a traditional Japan tag league event so it will feature a mix of teams, including some first time pairings, and will not feature all superstar or high level teams. I want to make it similar to what you would see in New Japan or All Japan. One team I am considering putting together is Johnny Saint & Zack Sabre Jr. but the event is still in the planning stages. It kicks off at the Tokyo Dome and will run until mid-year with the finals taking place at the Seibu Dome.

Pariah: Unfortunately your two main guys (Sabu, The Mountie) have tough draws in the qualifying round. However take solace in the fact that Sabu took George Hackenschmidt to the limit and really only lost because he missed the TJM. He came very close to winning that match. The Young Bucks in the Tag League is a definite possibility. The Snuka return was one I was looking forward to doing and it couldn't have come at a better time.

bookerbill: I knew that you would be on board for the tag league as you have always been a big supporter of the KRU action. As for Blassie vs. Tolos yes there will definitely be more to come from those two.

@crimson Cross: I was also happy to see Jushin Liger advance as he has a disadvantage facing heavyweights so it was cool to see him topple The French Angel. Ray Stevens is a guy I really want to see get going and that was a good win for him.

jobber83: I am using the official FG card for Andre the Giant and thus far he has proven to be unbeatable. I originally used a bootleg for Andre but disposed of it once we got the official card.

gabe72: I look forward to your take on Fred Blassie vs. John Tolos when the time comes. I held off for a while due to them being in different territories in my fed but once I had the chance to put them together I knew it was one feud I had to have.

[cruefan68]

Ok as usual it is time to check your brain at the door and enjoy some wild and wacky sports entertainment style wrestling from 80's Mania Wrestling. I hope you have fun reading this one...

80's Mania Wrestling - Losin' It - Silver Stadium (Card #1067)

● Honest Al opened up the show at ringside greeting the Silver Stadium crowd when he was interrupted on the video wall by Rex Spectrum. The robotic interviewer asked Al why acting 8MW Commissioner Mr. Fantasy chose Losin’ It as the title for the show. Al said that as a “film aficionado” he recommended the title of the show to Mr. Fantasy and he was given the go ahead to run with that theme. All said that it was in reference to “one of the greatest movies of all-time”. Some in the crowd groaned as Spectrum said that he would compute the numbers and get back to him. Al was in high spirits as he introduced three of the actors from the film – Jackie Earle Haley, John Stockwell and Shelley Long – who sat at ringside to a mixed reaction from the crowd. Al got a few comments from Haley and Stockwell and then went over to Long who proceeded to go on a lengthy tangent about her life and career drawing more groans and even some angry chants from the crowd. When she finally came up for air Al frantically introduced the next star from the film, John P. Navin Jr., but he failed to show up which actually drew some cheers from the crowd.

Al had to compose himself and said that it was time for the big payoff and introduced his “very good longtime personal friend” and the star of the “hit 80’s film” – Tom Cruise. The crowd began cheering and techno music played seemingly to bring Cruise out to the stage but he never appeared. Al introduced him again but with the same result. The crowd began jeering loudly as Al fumbled around with his microphone. Spectrum reappeared on the video wall and said that by his computation the film was a bust drawing only 1.7 million at the box office and having a very low score on Rotten Tomatoes. He also said that Mr. Cruise never responded to Al’s numerous calls or invitations and therefore he was not at Silver Stadium. The crowd jeered again as a red faced Al told Spectrum to mind his own business. Spectrum let out a robotic laugh and told Al that next time he should be consulted when it comes to 80’s pop culture. Al continued fuming and shouted down Spectrum saying that he had an even bigger star than Tom Cruise lined up for later on the show drawing more laughs from Spectrum.

1) Star Boy defeated Johnny Kobra:
The opening contest saw the popular Star Boy from Mexico taking on the arrogant Johnny Kobra out of the Kobra Dojo. Kobra was accompanied to the ring by Valley Girl and was verbally abusing her to the surprise of no one. This was an exciting back and forth battle especially coming after a counter roll-up by Star Boy out of the corner leading to an angry Kobra unleashing a strong offensive. Kobra hit the knee to the groin setting up his trademark Leg Sweep netting a two count. Valley Girl was loyal to Kobra despite his treatment of her and interfered saving him from being pinned after a Somersault Kick. The referee ejected her from ringside, however, and Star Boy took advantage of that hitting another Somersault Kick soon after to score the pin.

2) Keith Blood defeated Rad Racer:
Rad Racer, a native of SoCal, had his work cut out for him as he took on the dangerous Keith Blood who was accompanied by Gothica. Racer showed no fear and went right at Blood scoring a two count with the Tail Whip. Blood took over after winning a battle on the floor and nearly put Racer away with Nightbreed, a modified sleeper hold. Blood dominated the latter part of the match and with Gothica looking pleased at ringside he hit the Crucifix, a crucifix driver, to score the pin.

3) Lazer & Buzzsaw defeated Arizona Chance & Red Pirate Rogers:
A battle of good guy tag teams saw The Adventurers (Arizona Chance & Red Pirate Rogers) take on the powerful team of The BladeBlasters (Lazer & Buzzsaw). The two teams matched up pretty well but The BladeBlasters would dominate the latter part of the match. After a Super Soldier Shoulder Block by Buzzsaw on Rogers it was Lazer applying the Lazerlock going for the submission. Chance, a former 8MW World Heavyweight champion, made the save and put Rogers on top of Lazer for a two count. Rogers was unable to tag out from there, though, and Lazer got the Lazerlock back on getting a submission victory for his team.

● The obnoxious Tennis Pro came to ringside following the tag team match and called out both members of The BladeBlasters. He said that neither one of them were capable of beating him in a sporting competition including an Arm Wrestling Match. Lazer laughed it off but Buzzsaw became unhinged at the sight of Tennis Pro and called him into the ring. The two got into arm wrestling position and within a millisecond Buzzsaw slammed the arm of Tennis Pro down for the victory. The crowd cheered the double victory by The BladeBlasters and a defeated Tennis Pro was left lying perhaps with a case of tennis elbow. Tennis Pro was irate backstage and he confronted acting 8MW Commissioner Mr. Fantasy demanding a match with Buzzsaw which will take place at the Olympus Coliseum (Card #1087).

4) Bug Buster defeated Slashmaster by DQ:
The popular Bug Buster from New York, NY, is known for exterminating his opponents but that was far from the case here as he took on the terrifying Slashmaster out of Your Worst Nightmare. Slashmaster dominated from the opening bell including using the torture rack for a submission chance. Bug Buster bailed out of the ring but Slashmaster followed and brutally assaulted him resulting in the disqualification decision. Bug Buster quickly escaped to the back as Slashmaster scared off a number of fans at ringside while being surrounded by 8MW officials.

Following the match there was some commotion in the front row as Jackie Earle Haley was jumped from behind by a man in a Freddy Krueger mask. Haley managed to pull the mask off during the scuffle and the attacker was revealed as none other than fellow actor Robert Englund. It was a battle of the original Freddy (Englund) versus remake Freddy (Haley) right there in the front row of Silver Stadium. The two continued to trade blows as Stockwell, Long and the crowd watched on. The onlookers soon dispersed as Slashmaster climbed over the ring barrier and grabbed the two actors by the collar. He then lifted both men up off of the ground staring at both intently as the 8MW officials rushed in attempting to restore order. Slashmaster picked up the Freddy Krueger mask and ripped it in half sending the two actors running for cover. Eventually Keith Blood arrived with Gothica and convinced Slashmaster to return to the back much to the relief of everyone at ringside. Englund and Haley, meanwhile, shook hands as cooler heads prevailed. Honest Al took credit for Englund being at the show referring to him as his “very good longtime personal friend” drawing a look of disbelief from the popular horror movie star.

5) Ace Arcadium & Mighty Leo vs. Dark Invader & Hammerhead was a Draw:
A feature tag team battle saw Ace Arcadium & Mighty Leo going up against Dark Invader & Hammerhead. The bad guy team was accompanied by manager The Gargoyle giving them a decided advantage. That advantage nearly didn’t come into play as in the opening moments Arcadium dodged a running forearm by Invader and hit 8-bit Explosion, a somersault kneedrop, for a big near fall. Leo hit Thunderstrike, a roaring elbow, on Invader moments later with Hammerhead making the pin save. A second dose of Thunderstrike saw The Gargoyle interfere and slip a potion to Invader reviving him. After an assault on the floor by both Invader and Hammerhead, Leo was nailed with The Corrupter by Invader for a big near fall. From there it was off to the races with both teams giving it everything they had including Arcadium kicking out with authority after taking The Corrupter and Hammerhead doing likewise after being hit with Cheat Code by Ace. The finish saw Hammerhead deliver the Soviet Sledge, a crushing 2000 psi punch, on Arcadium but he kicked out just before the three count. Moments later the bell rang ending the match in a time limit draw.

6) Metalheads defeated Neon Express:
Huge news was announced before this grudge tag team match as the Neon Express (Chet Skye & Jesse Wild) took on the Metalheads (Cesar Sleaze & Dizzy Lixx). It was announced by acting 8MW Commissioner Mr. Fantasy that the winning team would be the first to challenge the Master Minds (Cobalt Commander & Skullgore) for the 8MW World tag team titles at the Olympus Coliseum (Card #1087). That only added to the tension as both teams faced off in mid-ring. The Metalheads were on point for this one as they seemed to be one step ahead of the popular Neon Express. They scored a near fall on Skye with Bang Your Head and then Lixx nailed him with the controversial Drum Stick Jab. Skye was in a bad way as Sleaze delivered Twisted Mister but Wild made the save. Then as the referee escorted Wild out of the ring the Metalheads double teamed Skye allowing Sleaze to hit Twister Mister again to score the pin. The Metalheads scored a huge win over their rivals and will now go on to face the Master Minds for the tag titles in a battle of the bad guys.

● A beaming Honest Al returned to the stage and said that while his earlier surprise didn’t pan out he came through this time as he lined up a performance by one of the greatest pop icons in history. He read a glowing introduction for who he called another “very good longtime personal friend” and said that this great star would perform her signature hit song of the 80’s. The buildup was tremendous and as the music played out came none other than Madonna to perform Like A Virgin, a humorous tie in to the theme of Losin’ It. It would have been great if only it were Madonna hiding behind that bridal veil. Instead when the veil came off the performer was actually revealed to be Mandonna, an aspiring wrestler looking to gain a contract with 8MW. The jeers of the crowd shook the rafters of Silver Stadium and once again Al was red faced over his failure to produce an entertainment icon. Rex Spectrum appeared on the video wall and actively interfered in the performance causing the lip synching of the song to be revealed. Mandonna got upset and grabbed Al by the lapels but he/she was surprised as The Piranha hit the stage. The dangerous grappler hailing from the Amazon rushed at Mandonna who quickly dove off of the stage and bid a hasty retreat. Al ran off as well followed by the band leaving The Piranha by himself and he ended the performance on a violent note destroying the instruments while Spectrum let out another robotic laugh.

7) Pierre the Enormous, Cobalt Commander & Skullgore defeated Dude Brohan, Dangerzone & Warhawk:
A big trios match took place in the semi-final as Dude Brohan, Dangerzone & Warhawk took on Pierre the Enormous and 8MW world tag team champions the Master Minds (Cobalt Commander & Skullgore). Brohan made a huge impact beating Pierre in the in-ring debuts for both men on the last 8MW card while Dangerzone and Warhawk lost to the Master Minds in the tag team title tournament final that same night at the Canada Centre (Card #1057). Pierre was still raging from that defeat at the hands of Brohan and he took that out on all three opponents in this match. That made the work easier for the tag champs who tagged in when needed and giving the bad guy team a strong offensive. Dangerzone took the bulk of the punishment but to his credit he impressively survived the Cobalt Clutch and Crossbone Body Block. The finish saw Skullgore use the invisible foreign object on Dangerzone, who was busted open, allowing Pierre to hit the Ginormous Drop for the pin.

8) 8MW World Heavyweight title: Jet Set Strutter© defeated Pelvis Pressly by DQ to retain the title:
The main event saw an unlikely challenger in Pelvis Pressly as he took on Jet Set Strutter, accompanied by Big Boss Jr., for the 8MW World Heavyweight title. Pressly earned the golden opportunity by winning a Battle Royal, also involving Strutter, on the last 8MW card drawing the ire of the world champion. Pressly was making his in-ring debut for 8MW in that Battle Royal and he was also the man responsible for eliminating Strutter who had entered the match hoping to win and avoid having to defend the title at Silver Stadium. Strutter tried to jump Pressly at ringside but that backfired and the hip shaking star took over. Moments into the match it was Pressly with a roll-up using the tights for a big near fall. Strutter was beside himself and begged off hoping for a break but Pressly kept up his attack much to the delight of the crowd. He had Strutter in serious trouble but then made the grave mistake of delivering the Guitar Smash in full view of the referee. Strutter went down like a shot but the bell rang with Pressly being disqualified for his actions.

Strutter retained the title as Pressly argued with the referee in disbelief over the decision. Big Boss Jr. got into the ring laughing at Pressly as Strutter recovered from the blow. Pressly grabbed the mic and pleaded with Mr. Fantasy for another shot and the acting 8MW Commissioner appeared on the video wall granting him his wish. Mr. Fantasy said that Pressly would face Strutter in a No DQ Match for the 8MW World Heavyweight title at the Olympus Coliseum (Card #1087) drawing cheers from the crowd. Strutter was irate and charged at Pressly but was dumped over the top rope. Pressly then grabbed Big Boss Jr. and laid the manager out with Heartbreak Hotel, a swinging neckbreaker, to more cheers from the crowd. Strutter recovered and pulled his manager out of the ring while Pressly taunted them with a hip shaking dance bringing a wild night of action to a close.

[Pariah]

Wow! Did we just witness a monumental face turn by Pelvis? Looks like he certainly won over the crowd in the Silver Stadium... Very cool that he's getting a no DQ rematch for the belt on the next 8MW show...

Though I'm a big fan of Arizona Chance & Red Pirate Rogers, there is no denying that Buzzsaw & Lazer will probably become a dominant force in the tag division of they decide to pursue that avenue... Also very pleased with Keith Blood's victory - My new favorite character on the roster...

As always, 8MW offered lots of great cameo appearances... And the mouthpiece rivalry between Al and Rex is great fun... Nice work!

[cruefan68]

Thanks for your nice recap of the 8MW action, Pariah. I always have fun with those shows especially coming up with the celebrity angles such as the battle of the Freddy's. Poor Honest Al as he really took it on the chin all night long courtesy of the merciless robotic comments from one Rex Spectrum. I had no plans to have Pelvis Pressly be a face but the dice rolls led to it happening which is a cool thing. I also hope you enjoyed the Mandonna guest appearance. We may never get a card for he/she but it was fun to use the character for a cameo. Up next is action from SHIMMER, I hope that you enjoy it...

SHIMMER - Women Athletes - Volume 40 - The Eagles Club - Berwyn, IL (Card #1068)

1) Madison Eagles, Jessie McKay, Evie & Heidi Lovelace defeated Vanessa Kraven, Madison Rayne, Mia Yim & Marti Belle:
Atomicos action kicked things off as “The Punisher” Madison Eagles, Jessie McKay, Evie & Heidi Lovelace took on “The Mountain” Vanessa Kraven, Madison Rayne, Mia Yim & Marti Belle. The crowd was pumped for Eagles against Kraven and they did not disappoint. The two had a great exchange in the early part of the match before Kraven hit a hangman’s neckbreaker. That led to her team getting in a good offensive run against Eagles. When she finally tagged out Team Slap Happy (Evie and Lovelace) did a great job turning things around. That set up the finish with McKay nailing Belle with the Boyfriend Stealer, a sit-out uranage, for the pin.

2) Nicole Savoy defeated Deonna Purrazzo by DQ:
Two promising SHIMMER newcomers squared off as Nicole Savoy out of Sacramento, CA, took on Hackettstown, NJ, native Deonna Purrazzo. Things got off to a slow start with the two testing each other out before Purrazzo took over hitting vicious headbutts and a running knee lift. A turnbuckle reversal by Savoy led to her hitting both the tiger suplex and her trademark Dragon Suplex for near falls. Purrazzo, perhaps out of desperation, took it to the outside where both began trading blows. Purrazzo got the upper hand and sent Savoy head first into the ring post resulting in an automatic disqualification win for Savoy.

3) Lufisto & Jordynne Grace defeated Daizee Haze & Saturyne:
Daizee Haze & Saturyne joined forces to battle the new pairing of Lufisto & Jordynne Grace called Team PAWG. Lufisto and Grace have been working out as a team on the independent circuit using posterior based offense as their signature. That would come into play in their SHIMMER debut as a team as well. The veteran Haze was in fine form taking the fight to both members of Team PAWG including hitting her trademark Daizeecanrana. Saturyne had some success as well but then fell pray to some solid teamwork from Lufisto and Grace. Lufisto planted Saturyne with a J-Driller and Chibi Stomp setting her up for the finish – Weapon of Ass Destruction – with Grace covering the masked star to score a snake eyes pin.

4) Shayna Baszler defeated Delilah Doom:
The popular Delilah Doom from San Dimas, CA, had a tough draw here as she took on former MMA competitor Shayna Baszler, a native of Sioux Falls, SD. Baszler struck quickly with a back suplex dropping Doom on the back of her head. Doom was shaken up and the referee tried to back Baszler off but she moved in and quickly hit a Single Leg Slam on Doom to score the pin. Baslzer won it in two moves and afterward Amber Gertner met her at ringside for an interview. Baszler showed no mercy on the mic running down Doom and said that was just an example of what she will do to the rest of the SHIMMER roster drawing jeers from the crowd.

5) Allison Danger, Leva Bates & Davina Rose vs. Crazy Mary Dobson, Rhia O’Reilly & Courtney Rush was a DDQ:
Grudge trios action saw Regeneration-X (Allison Danger & Leva Bates) team up with Davina Rose to face Crazy Mary Dobson, Rhia O’Reilly and the bizarre Courtney Rush. Many fans were shocked when Rush, a former SHIMMER champion, showed up at Volume 39 with a completely changed look wearing grotesque face paint and displaying a wild new attitude. All of the heat built up going into this match was let loose and it didn’t take long before it raged out of control. After Rush assaulted Danger on the floor she fired her back into the ring where O’Reilly took over. O’Reilly then planted Danger with the Rhiadjustment, a double underhook DDT, and went for the pin but Bates broke it up. That set off a six-way brawl between the two teams with the end result being a double disqualification call by the referee.

6) Taeler Hendrix defeated Trish Stratus:
The very popular Trish Stratus made her return to the SHIMMER ring taking on newcomer Taeler Hendrix in a highly anticipated match. Hendrix made a successful debut at Volume 39 and was looking to build on that hitting The Kiss Goodnight, a roundhouse kick, for a big near fall early. She also planted a kiss on the lips which Stratus objected to and took over on offense hitting Air Canada and the Chick Kick. She also assaulted Hendrix on the outside before going up to the top rope. That was a mistake as the “Pretty Badass” Kelly Klein showed up at ringside holding her leg. The referee missed that interference and Hendrix took full advantage of it with a top rope bodyslam followed by a second dose of The Kiss Goodnight to score the pin. The crowd jeered the decision as well as a post-match attack by Hendrix and Klein on a downed Stratus. Barbi Hayden, who was on hand for a standby match if needed, then hit the ring with a chair to save Stratus from a further attack. SHIMMER promoter Dave Prazak later announced that he had signed Stratus and Hayden to face Hendrix and Klein in a tag team match at Volume 41.

7) SHIMMER tag team titles: Made In Sin defeated Sassy Stephie & Nevaeh to win the titles:
The SHIMMER tag team titles were on the line as Sassy Stephie & Nevaeh, the S-N-S Express, defended the belts against Made In Sin (Allysin Kay & Taylor Made). It was a blitz by the challengers in this match as Made In Sin honed in on Stephie isolating her from Nevaeh. The statuesque Kay, billed as 5’10” and 150-pounds, was particularly effective as she assaulted Stephie both in and out of the ring. A top rope flying bodypress by Made on Stephie resulted in a two count as a frustrated Nevaeh waited for a tag. Made In Sin then combined to hit Eighth Deadly Sin, a wheelbarrow and cutter combination, on Stephie with Made scoring the pin as Kay prevented Nevaeh from making the save. History was made at Volume 40 as Made In Sin were crowned the new SHIMMER tag team champions.

Amber Gertner caught up with the new champions at ringside but they were interrupted by Stephie and Nevaeh who demanded a rematch at Volume 41. The two teams got into a verbal battle until four-time champions the Canadian Ninjas (Portia Perez & Nicole Matthews) showed up and demanded their rematch as well. SHIMMER promoter Dave Prazak put a stop to that and said that on the next show it will be Stephie and Nevaeh against the Ninjas with the winning team challenging Made In Sin for the titles at Volume 42. The only ones that seemed please by that were Made In Sin who will get to sit back and watch as the potential challengers battle it out.

8) SHIMMER title: Saraya Knight© defeated Jessicka Havok to retain the title:
The main event was the rematch everyone had been waiting for as “Sweet” Saraya Knight defended the SHIMMER title against former champion Jessicka Havok, aptly nicknamed the “Havok Death Machine”. Havok, who was accompanied by “The Mountain” Vanessa Kraven, lost the belt to Knight in a memorable Steel Cage Match at Volume 38 and was looking for some revenge. The referee refused to allow Kraven to stay at ringside and sent her to the back before calling for the bell. The best word to describe this match is brutality. Both women unleashed some of their best offense as they battled in and out of the ring. Havok was determined to regain the title as she overpowered Knight at one point blasting her with the standing lariat and chokeslam. Knight had to dig down deep to battle back into it and she did by going to the floor and roughing up Havok including slamming a chair across her back. The referee could have called for a disqualification but opted to allow the important about to continue. The finish saw Knight plant Havok with a DDT before trapping her in the Bridled Rocking Horse, a grounded stretch hold. Havok struggled to escape and almost made it the ropes but she seemed to pass out from the pain dropping her hand just short. The referee checked for a response from Havok and got none so he called for the bell awarding a submission victory to Knight. It was a successful version one defense of the belt for Knight who no doubt was fortunate to survive a strong challenge from the former champion.

[Pariah]

It was awesome that Sweet Saraya fought off that tough challenge by Havok to retain the belt... And I'm looking forward to the upcoming top contender bout between the Canadian Ninjas and the S-n-S Express... Either team should be able to give the new champs, Made In Sin, a run for their money...

Crazy Mary, Rhia O'Reilly and 'Rosemary' Rush are a wicked trio... Even though the match got thrown out, I'm sure they were pleased with handling things on their own terms... Vicious!

Shimmer never fails to add an exciting dimension to the LOW universe... Nice work!

[Crimson Cross]

The 80's Mania action continues to be fun stuff and I was hoping the Rad Racer would've won, but seeing Strutter retain was top stuff. I agree with Pariah on that cool but crazy as a fox trio of Crazy Mary, Rhia O'Reilly and 'Rosemary' Rush with a wild and cool brawl...

[aceldamas]

SHIMMER Vol 40 was some good action. It's cool to see the newcomers making a splash. Especially Taylor Hendrix getting the win over Trish Stratus. I can see that being a quality feud!

[gabe72]

Awesome action from Vol 40. Saraya is always a dangerous opponent whether she's got the belt or not in her possession.

[joebreakdown]

I'm back....and catching up on one of my favourite territories....or multiple territories I should say! I've just spent twenty minutes playing catch up...oh my! I'll post a proper review later.
Joe