On today’s DragonKingKarl, I continue my look at acts which have not yet been voted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame with a focus on the Hart Foundation.
While Bret Hart is already in, his team with Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart is not. Why?
Then, we travel in time back to the mid-1930s for a look at what was happening at Madison Square Garden as the big name of Danno O’Mahoney enters the scene. Plus, I provide an extensive look at a 1990s Tokyo Dome card during the midst of the mixed martial arts influence.
The Hart Foundation (Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Brian Pillman Jr.) defeated Los Mercenarios and Richard Holliday defeated Chessman to put MLW 4 -2 up in the Super Series vs. AAA.
Show Review
We opened with a reminder that entering tonight’s action, we are 2-2 in the MLW vs. AAA Super Series.
Richard Holliday defeated Chessman in a no disqualification match to retained “his” Caribbean heavyweight title (6:07)
Holliday took the mic before the match and asked the “la consumidores” (the consumers) to quiet down for a moment so he could remove his Air Pods. He also used hand sanitiser before he piefaced Chessman to kick things off.
In recent weeks, Holliday has been belittling Chessman, calling him a low rent nWo Sting and even forgetting his name after a night out in Tijuana. Holliday certainly got a faceful of Chessman when he came flying toward him in a suicide dive attempt, but the Dynastic Holliday had the wherewithal to swing a chair at the flying luchador to halt the effort. However, a few minutes later, Chessman was successful with another dive attempt as he sent Holliday crashing into the guardrail.
We were told MLW filed a complaint to AAA about their officials and their slow counts on pinfalls, and we saw more slow counts this week as the official took a very long time to even get down to the mat to count a pin attempt while Holliday had Chessman down. Holliday looked to have the match won when he hit his twisting 2008 suplex, but after yet another slow count, Chessman was able to kick out. Later in the night, we would see a video package of all the complaints of biased officiating so far in the Super Series.
Chessman used a steel chair he brought to the ring a few times, but the no disqualification rule did not come into play in the match other than that. Holliday kicked out of a top rope moonsault as the match broke down, but Chessman went to the well once too often and missed a top rope corkscrew, giving Holliday the chance to hit his Market Crash gut wrench powerbomb for the win and a 3-2 MLW lead in the series.
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– Alicia Atout welcomed Mance Warner who apologized for ruining her party last week by smashing Alexander Hammerstone’s face into her cake. He gave her a beer to say sorry, but she said he already gave her the best birthday present by getting rid of MJF. They segued to Hammerstone and his National Openweight title, so their clash over the title is looming ever closer.
– We heard a medical report on Douglas James after he was knocked out by an Averno forearm last week. His medical report read “Transient disorder of brain function without long term sequelae. Evaluated for a subdural hematoma. Barred from contact for 180 days unless cleared by a neurologist.”
– It was time for another wacky LA Park segment. After seeing him in the kitchen cooking eggs and sausage a few weeks ago, this week he was in bed with “Mrs. LA Park” in a segment called Pillow Talk. Mrs. Park was complaining that he was already asleep and wanted a kiss and for him to say goodnight. All she got in return was a sharp dose of flatulence before we cut away due to “technical difficulties.” Even those he was sleeping in bed, LA Park had on his mask and face paint the whole time.
– We heard from Pagano again as his clash with MLW Champion Jacob Fatu seems to be getting closer and closer.
– Hammerstone then recorded a message for the fans and Mance Warner from his home. He warned Warner that he didn’t know what was coming his way. He said Warner and people like him are his biggest enemy as they take pride in mediocrity, are proud to be out of shape, and proud to bleed every night in the ring. But, those people can’t relate to Hammerstone. He complained about all the speed bumps he has to go over, like Warner, on his way to success. He said he will wreck him when his title is on the line.
– Thee was an update on Col. Robert Parker as he has yet to resurface in MLW in recent weeks due to the pandemic. We were told there are allegations against him for promoting unsanctioned wrestling contests on barges and the events being shut down by the U.S. Coast Guard, but Parker has denied involvement with the outlaw barge shows.
– MLW Tag Champions The Von Erichs were happy to tell us that they will see Team Filthy “on the flip side” before cliff diving into a pool at home in Hawaii.
– The cameras caught up with Low Ki moments after he supposedly interrupted a Team Filthy party, and he ended up calling them all out, saying he can easily “make a call” and he told them the party was not yet over.
The Hart Foundation (Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Brian Pillman Jr.) defeated Los Mercenarios (Rey Escorpion and El Texano Jr.) (10:28)
Escorpion and Texano cut a promo before the match that was interrupted by Pillman who fired back, taking offense from the words from the luchadors. He ran wild on Texano early on but was cut off and ate a double flapjack and a double kick to the chest. Smith hit a big delayed suplex that garnered another slow count from the official.
Injustice made their way through the crowd to the front row, distracting the Hart Foundation and allowing Texano and Escorpion to take control. The referee seemed distracted by Smith and spent more time telling him off than watching the double teaming that was going on behind his back. Pillman had a hope spot dashed when Escorpion yanked him down by the hair, which enraged Smith. But, once again, the official spent his time yelling at Smith and missed another pinfall attempt in the ring. Texano even used a bull rope across Pillman’s knee behind the referee’s back to rub salt into the wound.
Smith got the hot tag, but the referee was distracted and did not allow it, ordered Smith back out. Smith eventually ran wild after Pillman came off the top with a springboard double crossbody and made a successful and official hot tag to his partner. Smith backdropped Escorpion into Texano and clotheslined them both to the floor. Pillman then went flying to the outside with a somersault plancha and landed on his feet. Back inside, they set up for the Air Pillman Hart Attack-style and connected with Smith pinning Texano to pick up the win and put MLW up 4-2 in the series.
As AJ Kirsch and Rich Bocchini were signing off for the night, CONTRA interrupted with their propaganda video and warned MLW that they were watching and they were coming.
Next Week:
AAA World Trios Champions El Hijo del Vikingo, Myzteziz &vOctagon Jr. vs. Injustice (Jordan Oliver, Kotto Brazil & Myron Reed)
LA Park’s cooking segment (“En La Cocina Pendejos”) returns!
In Two Weeks:
Los Parks vs. Psycho Clown and two mystery partners
The MLW Tag Team titles will be on the line in a ladder match at Kings of Colosseum.
MLW has announced that The Hart Foundation (Teddy Hart & Brian Pillman Jr.) will defend their Tag Team titles against The Dynasty (MJF & Richard Holliday) in a ladder match at the promotion’s television tapings at Cicero Stadium in Cicero, Illinois on Saturday, July 6.
In another Hart Foundation vs. Dynasty match, Davey Boy Smith Jr. is challenging for Alexander Hammerstone’s National Openweight Championship at the Kings of Colosseum tapings. Smith & Hart were the Hart Foundation team that won the Tag Team titles, but Hart & Pillman are defending the titles in the ladder match.
MJF and Holliday attacked Hart on the most recent episode of MLW Fusion and took his Tag Team title belt.
Hart also holds the MLW Middleweight Championship.
Here’s the updated lineup for Kings of Colosseum:
MLW World Heavyweight Champion Tom Lawlor defending against Jacob Fatu
LA Park & El Hijo de LA Park vs. Dr. Wagner Jr. & El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr.
MLW Tag Team Champions The Hart Foundation (Teddy Hart & Brian Pillman Jr.) defending against The Dynasty (MJF & Richard Holliday) in a ladder match
MLW National Openweight Champion Alexander Hammerstone defending against Davey Boy Smith Jr.
Ross & Marshall Von Erich vs. Contra Unit (Josef Samael & Simon Gotch)
Robert “R.D.” Evans is gone from WWE, reportedly over a situation that developed during the Hall of Fame ceremony this past weekend.
There was an incident during the ceremony that led to Evans either being fired or qutting on the spot. He wrote a line during Bret Hart’s Hall of Fame speech where Hart thanked Vince McMahon for giving him and Jim Neidhart their break together. Writers were either told ahead of time or it was expected that they knew that McMahon’s name was not to be mentioned in any speech.
One person who was there said that as he was being berated, and was about to be fired, he quit on his own. It was explained that the attack on Bret caused such a frenzy that it created a very tense atmosphere backstage when the speech was over. The incident took place right after Hart & Neidhart’s speech was over, and it was something of a you can’t fire me because I quit scenario.
Whether Vince was in a bad mood because of the attack on Hart ruining his planned show, he was furious when it was over and tore into Evans, even though the thanking of Vince was on the teleprompter, meaning it had gotten through a number of channels after Evans wrote it. One person said that it’s possible it could have been resolved but Evans quit.
Evans is best known for portraying a number of characters in Ring of Honor and CHIKARA before joining WWE as a writer in 2016, including Archibald Peck and Mixed Martial Archie.
While interest has inevitably decreased over the years, the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony feels like less of an essential part of WrestleMania weekend than ever.
There are a few major reasons why the Hall of Fame ceremony has lost some of its luster. As WrestleMania week has become a destination for promotions from the United States and abroad, fans have to make difficult decisions on how they’re going to spend their time and money. It’s impossible to attend or stream everything that you want to — and in-ring events are going to be the priority for a lot of people. That’s especially true this year with the ceremony going head-to-head with ROH and NJPW’s G1 Supercard at Madison Square Garden.
This year’s class is the first time that it has really felt like WWE is running out of options for Hall of Fame headliners.
The final day of the July Classic Wrestling Marathon is finally here. And for the last show, host Karl Stern takes a listener request deep cut looking at the lesser successful member of the Hart Foundation, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart.
Neidhart did have a wrestling career prior to the Hart Foundation working in Memphis, Mid-South, Florida, and of course Stampede. His career also closely followed another contemporary until his time in the WWF.
Today the marathon concludes with Jim Neidhart, father of current WWE star Nattie Neidhart.
Today also concludes the Super Stern Stick 16gb pro wrestling history flashdrive. The product will be pulled at Midnight U.S. Central Time tonight and discontinued. This is version 6.0 of the flashdrive and it will not be sold again in it’s entirety. There are many audio series, audio documentaries, interviews, question and answer shows and much more on the flashdrive — over 500 in all.
In addition, there is in excess of 500 pdf and text files dealing with pro wrestling history including old fanzines, newsletters, the entire run of the DragonKing Press Newsletter, match clippings, results, and much more. Order today or be left out. You can order at Karl’s website.
