When Pride announced that the main focus of 2006 would be an Open Weight Grand Prix, there was a lot of controversy.
After all, in MMA, there was a very good reason weight classes were instituted, like in all major combat sports. Huge weight differences in matches make it unfair for the smaller fighter, and also increase the injury risk. They also denigrate the smaller fighters, who may shine at times as underdogs, but in the end, their aura of invincibility would be smashed at some point. But those who didn’t worry about such things were excited about the prospect of a video game level of dream matches, where all the champions, like Fedor Emelianenko, Wanderlei Silva, Dan Henderson and even Takanori Gomi would compete and face off with each other.
As it turned out, neither side had anything to worry about, or rejoice over, when the first round Grand Prix line-up for 5/5 at the sold out Osaka Dome was announced.
It’s time for another DragonKingKarl mega-show as my “Saga of” series takes a look back at a tag team many consider the greatest of all-time: the Midnight Express.
But if you think the Midnights are only Dennis Condrey & Bobby Eaton or Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane, or if you think Jim Cornette has always been part of the formula, think again.
The Midnight Express was already a highly-decorated veteran unit before Cornette ever came along. With founding members Condrey, Randy Rose, and Norvell Austin, the Midnights ran rampant as the top heels in two different territories long before Mid-South.
Plus, learn about all the different Midnight Express members over the years that included the Mongolian Stomper, the Honky Tonk Man, and more.
Shinya Hashimoto, who was the top headliner for the most successful wrestling company in the world ten years ago, shockingly passed away on 7/11 while being rushed to the Yokohama City Medical Center.
If Shawn Michaels or Hulk Hogan are the king of WrestleMania, and Bruno Sammartino is the king of wrestling in Madison Square Garden, Hashimoto has to be the pro wrestling king of the biggest regularly run wrestling arena in the world: the Tokyo Dome.
His career and wrestling in the building have an eerie correlation. He headlined more successful events in the building than any wrestler in history. His first major break came at the age of 23, on April 24, 1989, for the first pro wrestling event ever in the newly-opened building. He appeared in a tournament for the vacant IWGP heavyweight title, and scored the win that put him on the map as a future star, pinning Riki Choshu, the company’s top star, in the first round. He ended up losing in the finals to Big Van Vader.
I return with another DragonKingKarl mega-show in our Saga series, continuing to look back at a tag team many consider the greatest of all time: the Midnight Express.
As I wrote last week, if you think the Midnight Express is only Dennis Condrey & Bobby Eaton or Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane or if you think Jim Cornette has always been part of the formula, you would be mistaken.
The Midnights were already a highly decorated veteran unit before Cornette ever came along. With founding members Dennis Condrey, Randy Rose, and Norvell Austin, the Midnights ran rampant as the top heels in two different territories long before Mid-South.
Learn more about that plus members you never knew existed (Honky Tonk Man?) in this second part of the series. Check out part one if you haven’t already.
Another DragonKingKarl mega-show in our “Saga” series takes a look back at a tag team many consider the greatest of all time: the Midnight Express.
But if you think the Midnight Express is only Dennis Condrey, Bobby Eaton or Stan Lane, or if you think Jim Cornette has always been part of the formula, think again. The Midnight Express was already a highly decorated veteran unit before Cornette ever came along.
With founding members Condrey, Randy Rose, and Norvell Austin, the Midnights ran rampant as the top heels in two different territories long before Mid-South.
Plus, you will learn about all the Midnight Express members including (yes) the Mongolian Stomper, the Honky Tonk Man, and more.
Click below for part one with part two coming next Tuesday.
NXT TAKEOVER SATURDAY AT 7 P.M. EASTERN ON THE WWE NETWORK FROM THE ALLSTATE ARENA IN CHICAGO
Men’s War Games: Keith Lee & Matt Riddle & Tommaso Ciampa & ? vs. Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish & Roderick Strong
Women’s War Games: Rhea Ripley & Mia Yim & Candice LeRae & Tegan Nox vs. Shayna Baszler & Bianca Belair & Io Shirai & Kay Lee Ray
Pete Dunne vs. Damien Priest vs,. Killian Dain, winner faces Adam Cole at Survivor Series for the NXT title
Finn Balor vs. Matt Riddle
WWE SURVIVOR SERIES AT 6 P.M. EASTERN ON THE WWE NETWORK FROM THE ALL STATE ARENA IN CHICAGO
Brock Lesnar vs. Rey Mysterio no holds barred for WWE title
Becky Lynch vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Bayley
Bray Wyatt vs. Daniel Bryan for Universal title
Adam Cole vs. ? for the NXT title
A.J. Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Roderick Strong
Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Viking Raiders vs New Day
Seth Rollins & Drew McIntyre & Kevin Owens & Randy Orton & Ricochet vs. Roman Reigns & Mustafa Ali & Shorty G & King Corbin & Braun Strowman vs. Team NXT in an elimination match
Charlotte Flair & Natalya & Asuka & Kairi Sane & Sarah Logan vs. Sasha Banks & Nikki Cross & Lacey Evans & Carmella & Dana Brooke vs Team NXT in an elimination match
Raw will be Monday night at the Allstate Arena in Chicago.
F4W NEWSLETTER: CM Punk joins WWE Backstage Joseph Currier gives his thoughts on CM Punk’s return to the pro wrestling world.
When CM Punk first walked out of the company, no one would have guessed that his return to WWE-related programming would come at nearly midnight on an FS1 studio show.
The possibility became more and more of a reality over the past few months, but — with Punk saying FOX hadn’t followed up on his tryout — it was still a surprise when it happened. At the end of the second official episode of WWE Backstage, Renee Young hyped that it was time for the show to have its first iconic, history-making moment. “Cult of Personality” then hit, with Punk making his way into the studio and stepping into the ring at the center of the set.
“It’s as simple as this: Just when they think they’ve got the answers, I change…the culture,” Punk said, “I’ll see you here next week.”
FOX Sports wasted no time confirming that Punk had officially joined Backstage. They sent out a press release announcing that Punk will be a special contributor and analyst on the show and will make select appearances alongside hosts Renee Young and Booker T.
Backstage is a FOX production, which means that Punk will be working for them rather than WWE. That distinction is obviously really important. Just like Punk appearing at Starrcast didn’t mean that he was going to show up at All Out, this doesn’t guarantee that we’ll see Punk at Survivor Series, WrestleMania, or that he’ll ever wrestle another match again. It’s been almost six years since Punk wrestled. He’s 41 years old now, has dealt with injuries throughout his career, and has never sounded passionate about returning to the ring since he’s been gone.
The story behind Jim Cornette’s greatest attribute, his mouth, leading to his latest fall, is covered in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. We talk about the line he said, the background of the line, why Cornette was wide open for this reaction even though others have said worse of late to little or no outcry.
The new issue also covers:
NWA’s decision to get rid of him and what that happened, what opened Cornette up to this, his reaction, Nick Aldis and Dave Marquez speak on the subject, why it is not in the NWA’s best interest to be critical of AEW, Cornette’s line about Justin Roberts which started all this, how Jerry Lawler, Randy Orton and Eric Bischoff fit into the same story and how social media has changed things.
Cornette’s background, how he got started in wrestling, his managerial heyday, his time as a promoter and the lesson of how times have changed.
Five shows in six days in Chicago this week, lineups, ticket sales and ticket demand.
The return of C.M. Punk to WWE television on Backstage, rating, what he said and thoughts on the show.
Paul Levesque press conference and his talking on different subjects, an ACH update, NXT U.K. Takeover card, Starrcade card, Canadian ratings, German ratings, next Mexico show, NXT injuries, main roster injuries, WWE current market value, most watched shows on WWE Network and a rundown of all the NXT and WWE house shows over the past week with business notes.
The career of Ben Askren, including how WWE’s leading scout viewed him coming out of college and why he didn’t get an offer, his amateur background, his strengths in promoting himself, his career and his being forced to retire.
New Japan tag team tournament, standings plus notes and every match in the first week and coverage of the bigger show.
UFC show from Sao Paulo, Brazil with Jan Blachowicz vs. Ronaldo Jacare Souza.
Japan saying goodbye to Dick “The Destroyer” Beyer, what he was best known for in the country as well as coverage of his memorial this past week.
Wednesday ratings, with every match,every segment, viewers, demos and high points, the major lessons of the AEW viewer and the WWE viewer and the NXT viewer.
Full coverage of all the WWE and AEW television shows from the past week.
In-depth looks at the ratings of all the major shows, the key demos and quarters for AEW and WWE, what happened head-to-head and what can be learned from them.
Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week.
ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].
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FRIDAY NEWS UPDATE
A few quick updates regarding the Jim Cornette situation. Cornette gave his explanation of the issues in place regarding the line on the NWA show that aired Tuesday here on his podcast.
The gist is that he meant nothing racial, noted that nobody said a word about it when he said it at first or in the period since he said it. He did apologize to those offended but felt many were out to get him and he wouldn’t apologize to them. He explained how this led to his departure for the NWA and did admit to hanging the phone up on David Lagana when Lagana asked him to apologize publicly. If you’re interested, you should listen. He did try and blame the issue on AEW fans who were mad that he insulted their cosplay wrestlers, which, while correct in some instances as far as his enemies list goes, that was a real bad take on the subject. To label this as AEW fans out to get him misses the entire point.
While he didn’t say this, what went down is that the NWA did want to keep him, although it was tough. They had edited lines out he said before, and were mad that a different line no last week’s show got through after the fact, but that didn’t end up causing serious controversy. They had edited out others as well, but perhaps only one other person. They did want him to take a temporary hiatus from the product, and with that suggestion, he quit. They wanted him to apologize and he wanted to address it on his podcast instead today, or even on the 12/14 PPV show with the idea of bringing attention to that show. They felt the apology had to be immediate. When he wouldn’t do that, it led to Cornette quitting. There were other issues involved as well but that was the key part of things.
Newsweek had a major ROH story talking with Kelly Klein, B.J. Whitmer and Adam Birch. The story talked about claims of improper care of injured talent in ROH, which ROH denied. They went into Klein’s contract situation. In actuality, Klein was offered a $50,000 a year deal for next year, not $24,000, but ROH pulled out of it. The article went after Greg Gilleland hard, as well as Joe Koff and Sinclair. It was mostly about the safety issue but it was clear they were strongly after Gilleland, such as inadvertently letting Maria Manic’s contract expire and her getting a WWE tryout, although she has since signed.
Marty Scurll will be on the 12/13 Final Battle show even though his contract expires prior to that date. Scurll had agreed while talks were going on, that no matter what, he would work that show. He has not signed a new deal with ROH so when that match is officially announced, don’t take it as meaning he has.
The former Oney Lorcan, who has asked for his release from WWE and not had it granted, responded to Paul Levesque saying that going public with these things isn’t the mature, professional way to do it and that talent should talk to the company, saying, “The mature professional thing to say would be no comment and have a private conversation to independent contractor instead of burying talent publicly to the media. That’s how I do business. It’s all about the game and how you play it.”
WWE
205 Live was pulled from tonight’s show in Chicago. It will only be Smackdown tapings and dark matches. No reason was given, but probably simply a workload issue and not wanting to burn out the crowd with a long show on the first day of four straight days in the same building. WWE will stream the NXT show from Wednesday at 10 p.m. tonight. The show is not cancelled and is only being pulled for tonight.
TakeOver (Skybet):
Finn Balor -400 vs. Matt Riddle +375
Pete Dunne +138 vs. Damien Priest +138 vs. Killian Dain +300
Undisputed Era -175 vs. Team Ciampa +125
Team Baszler -120 vs. Team Ripley -120
Even with all the Raw & Smackdown guys, you could have gambled this week with an 800,000 viewer over/under for NXT,which was an easy win. AEW odds were over/under at 950,000.
Survivor Series odds:
Bray Wyatt -1000 vs. Daniel Bryan +550
Brock Lesnar -700 vs. Rey Mysterio +400
A.J. Styles -138 vs. Shinsuke Nakamura +175 vs. Roderick Strong +450
Viking Raiders -138 vs. Undisputed Era +200 vs, New Day +350
Team Raw Men +150 vs. Team NXT +175 vs. Team Smackdown +175
Team Raw Women+150 vs. Team Smackdown +150 vs.Team NXT +210
Bayley +150 vs. Becky Lynch +175 vs. Shayna Baszler +175
WWE added several months of Thunder episodes to the WWE Network earlier in the week. Some of the episodes were missing backstage segments and pre-tapes.
Mya Lesnar, the daughter of Brock, has gotten a track scholarship to Arizona State University.
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Michael Chiesa is being worked on for the 1/25 show in Raleigh according to a report from ESPN and later MMA Fighting.
Aleksei Oleinik vs. Maurice Greene is being looked at for the 1/18 show in Las Vegas according to MMA Junkie.
Amanda Lemos vs. Miranda Granger was announced for the 12/21 show in Busan, South Korea. Granger replaces Veronica Macedo who had to be pulled since she is currently hospitalized in Sao Paulo. Macedo was supposed to fight on the 11/16 show but was pulled for concussion-like symptoms.
Juan Adams vs. Justin Tafa at heavyweight was added to the 2/8 show in Houston.
Konnan will be doing a Q&A at the Expo Lucha in Philadelphia this coming August at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia as the 25th anniversary of Lucha Libre talent debuting at the arena with ECW.
Tomorrow night’s MLW TV show on Bein Sports has Mance Warner vs. Jimmy Havoc falls count anywhere, Zeda Zhang vs. Spider Lady and Alex Hammerstone vs Douglas James for the National open weight title.
Wrestling Travel will be doing a trip to the wXw 16 Carat Gold tournament on 3/5 to 3/9 in Oberhausen, Germany. It will include standing room tickets to all three shows as well as two other shows, photos with all 16 wrestlers and tickets to the after party. You can order starting next Friday at www.WresetlingTravelorg
Wrestling Travel also has a tour for Japan which includes tickets to both Tokyo Dome shows on 1/4 and 1/5.
MCW tomorrow night in Manchester, MD at Manchester Valley High School with a meet and greet with Road Warrior Animal, Jim Duggan and Renee Michelle (Drake Maverick’s wife). Renee Michelle headlines the wrestling show defending her women’s title against Aria Palmer.
Terri Runnels will appear on 4/18 in Nutley, NJ for the IWF Loud & Proud show at the Rec Center.
Brandon Royval (9-4) vs. Nate Williams (29-18) for the LFA flyweight title headlines tonight’s show on UFC Fight Pass from Broomfield, CO at the 1st Bank Center. Josh Huber (22-10) vs. Zviad Lazshvli (11-0) is the No. 2 bout.
Bob Armstrong will be doing a talk show with former Southeastern Championship Wrestling announcer Charlie Pratt in Dothan, AL tomorrow night at Center Stage at 6:30 p.m. with a meet and greet. Tickets are $30 per person, $50 for two people. Ron Fuller will also appear. (thanks to Mike Kuzmuk)
A story on the 35th anniversary of Sgt. Slaughter making his debut in Fresno, CA.
Speaking of this, Wednesday was the 25th anniversary of the biggest women’s wrestling show of all-time (yes, far bigger than the WWE show), the All Japan Women’s card on November 20, 1994 at the Tokyo Dome before 32,000 fans. The show lasted 10 1/2 hours and featured one of the greatest matches of that or any era, Manami Toyota vs. Aja Kong, which is the match that helped inspire Kenny Omega’s style of wrestling.
Shotzi Blackheart, who is already in WWE, vacated her Shine Nova title. There will be a tournament on 12/13 in Livonia, MI and 12/14 in Chicago for the title.
Ten fighters from a tryout in Hawaii have been added to the 12/20 and 12/21 shows in Honolulu.
CWE from Lethbridge, Alberta tonight at the Southminster United Church with Juventud Guerrera defending the Canadian jr.title against Jason Kincaid and Sydney Steele plus Jimmy Jacobs vs. Stormbringer and TK O’Ryan and Brian Johnson appear.
As we do every year, we want to publicize the independent promotions that are working to provide better Christmas seasons for area underprivileged children. Thanks to Bob Magee and all his work each year, We have no less than 112 shows to talk about and if you are in the area, try to either attend or if not, make a donation. These companies get very little if no publicity for what they are doing, and it is for all good reasons. As of November 20, the shows listed below have raised $75,775 cash, 2027 pounds (almost a TON) of canned and non-perishable foods, 700 pounds of dog and cat food, 80 winter coats, and 3 bags of clothes…and things are just getting started. Here’s a list of 112 of these events confirmed or that have been held I’m aware of thus far:
The East Texas Food Bank and Main Event Pro Wrestling presented Brawl At The Brewery” on September 13, at True Vine Brewing Company, in Tyler, TX. Over 1,080 pounds of food was collected that will help provide about 900 meals for hungry East Texans this fall.
Pro Wrestling King came to Benton Harbor, MI on September 14 as a fundraiser for local promoter Jeff Hill who also wrestled in Michigan as Hardcore Norm and raised $800 toward his growing medical expenses as a result of needing a heart transplant. Jeff Hill has since had his heart transplant surgery. Readers, please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
The Alabama Wrestling Alliance held the Steve Hicks Memorial show in Bayou La Batre, AL on September 21 to raise funds for Kane’s Warrior Kids to help battle childhood cancer, raising $2,527 for the group.
ELKMANIA held a show on September 21 in Beverly, MA to raise $427 for the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem, MA.
World League Wrestling returned to Richmond, MO on September 21, proceeds went to buy a service dog for a young girl.
Planet Lucha presented Shares the Love on September 21, in Santa Maria, CA in a benefit show for Chelsee Fuerch, severely injured in a car accident and paralyzed. At least $1500 was raised for the family to help with medical and living expenses.
Tri City Wrestling presented the fifth annual Cassidy Christie Memorial Cup event on September 21 in Bay City, MI to benefit the Cassidy Christie Memorial Scholarship, raising $4100 before a near capacity crowd.
Crossfire Wrestling returned to the Merritton Community Centre in St. Catharines, ON on September 22 for FIRED UP. Partial proceeds went to The Niagara Peninsula Foundation for Children.
Main Event World League presented Wrestling With Suicide at the Stark County Fairgrounds in Canton, OH on September 28 raising $2100 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Wrestling For Autism took place September 28 in Elk Grove, CA to benefit The Fly Brave Foundation featuring Rikishi and The Tonga Kid with $2400 raised.
Amped Up Wrestling presented Wrestle Fest 2: Brawl til you Fall in Inglewood, CA on October 5 raising $4132.40 for the Joan and Harry A. Mier Center of Ability First.
Pacific Pro Wrestling Canada presented “Fall For All” on October 5 in Abbotsford, BC; collecting 20 pounds of canned and non-perishable foods for the Archway Food Bank.
Knockout Wrestling comes together for a fundraising event in support of West Volusia Cancer Ade Organization on October 6 in Deltona, FL, raising $1,500.
Wrestling With Purpose presented Raising the Roof: A Wrestling House Party on October 11 in Pembroke, NC raising $1,100 to benefit area coaches Jason and William Lloyd, who lost everything they owned along with their home to a fire.
IWF Wrestling returned to Wayne, NJ on October 11 to benefit the Semper Fi Fund, which provides resources to critically ill and wounded military veterans, as well as collecting new, unwrapped toys for the USMCR’s Toys for Tots. The show raised $3,500 and 25 toys.
Old Time Wrestling returned to Stockton University in Galloway, NJ on October 12 and raised funds to benefit the Student Veterans Organization, which provides dedicated services to all veterans attending the University ranging from financial aid, career services and peer counseling.
IWE Pro Wrestling presented Wrestling for Alexis on October 12 in Gaston, SC as a benefit for “Goddess” Alexis (DuBose) Brooks, currently battling stage 4 colon cancer and raised $520.
Gangrel’s Wrestling Asylum presented its second annual cancer fundraiser to benefit the American Cancer Society on October 13 at The Casino at Dania Beach, FL; featuring Alundra Blayze, raising $12,000.
IMPACT Wrestling and Ontario independent wrestler Cody Deaner frequently does charity work all year round, much of it for his adopted hometown of Oshawa, ON. This holiday season he’s doing fundraising for a local charitable organization called Community Living Oshawa/Clarington (CLOC), which offers opportunities for growth, inclusion and empowerment to people with developmental disabilities, and their families. He used Oshawa Generals Hockey Club tickets and autographed player cards which were raffled off on October 13, raising $595.
100% proceeds from all of his “Giv’er for Charity” merchandise sold at his wrestling and speaking events, all during his special fundraiser will be happening throughout October and November. For those who can’t make it out to an event in October/November, he has also set-up an online donation option.
It should be noted that Deaner has also raised nearly $4800 for Lansdowne Center, which helps those on the autism spectrum.
Knockout Wrestling presented Knockout Scares Cancer on October 19 at Via Entertainment, Leesburg, FL. The event featured wrestling, trick-or-treating, raffles, food and drink, and a lot more. The event raised $1500 toward medical costs of two students from Umatilla High with cancer.
Pure Wrestling Association/Canada held their annual fundraiser on October 19 show to benefit the Hunter Costello Memorial FUN-dation in Goderich, ON, and raised $3000 toward an accessible playground and to defer pediatric health care costs.
Dynamo Pro Wrestling/Glory Pro Wrestling was part of the annual Eat and Treat event on October 19 at the Chesterfield Amphitheater in Chesterfield, MO, with Dynamo Pro Wrestling and Glory Pro Wrestling matches with $18,000 raised for Maryville University Kids Rock Cancer.
Empire Wrestling Federation returned to Redlands, CA on October 19 at the Redlands Elks Lodge, raising $1500 for veterans programs ranging from adaptive therapy to homeless veterans.
VxS Wrestling raised $830 at For Pete’s Sake, a cancer fundraiser on October 20 at the Knights of Columbus, Ridgefield Park, NJ.
ACTION Wrestling returned to the Roger Spencer Community Center in Tyrone, GA on October 25 and raised at least $1,000 to benefit Promise Place, which exists to prevent domestic violence through awareness programs, educational training and providing safe environments for the victims and their families, utilizing legal advocacy, emergency shelters and transitional housing.
Dynamite Championship Wrestling presented a fundraiser for the Delaware chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention on October 26 at the Marydel Fire Department in Marydel, DE, raising $150.
UWE Pro Wrestling presented Hardcore Halloween on October 26 at the Wexford Civic Center in Cadillac, MI. Fans brought 700 pounds of numerous dog and cat food and other supplies for local animal shelters.
Gangrel’s Wrestling Asylum held its second anniversary show on October 31 at Gangrel’s Wrestling Asylum, Dania Beach, and continued its fundraising campaign for the American Cancer Society (figure raised noted above).
Showcase Pro Wrestling will hold food drives at its three scheduled shows in November; in Showcase Pro Wrestling School, 126 Main Street, Woonsocket, RI (November 1), Taunton, MA (Taunton VFW, November 16), and Attleboro, MA (Attleboro Moose Lodge, November 30), collecting food for the Woonsocket food pantry at St. James Episcopal Church. For every item donated fans, will get an entry for a chance to win free tickets to an upcoming event. They collected 51 pounds of food at the November 1 show and 81 pounds at November 16.
Primal Conflict Wrestling presented “A Night To Remember XIII” on November 2 in Harpers Ferry, WV. collecting 121 pounds of canned and non-perishable foods at the show.
House Of Bricks Pro Wrestling presented #VeteranSlam5 on Saturday November 2 in New Bedford, MA, raising $100 for the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Hoosier Pro Wrestling held the 16th annual HPW Fireman’s Cheer Fund Toy Drive show, part 1 on November 2 in Columbus, IN collecting $700 in cash, $500 in toys and $2400 in bikes for a total of $3600 for Cheer Fund 1.
Canadian Wrestling’s Elite came to Portage Collegiate in Portage la Prairie, MB on November 6 and raised over $300 to benefit the Portage La Prairie Bear Claw Initiative, an Indigenous lead grassroots initiative.
Capital Pro Wrestling returned to Lansing, MI on November 9. $200 was donated to Soles4Vets, a charity that makes sure veterans across Michigan have socks and shoes.
PWA and 3 Hogs BBQ co-sponsored a Food Drive and eight exciting matches on November 9 at the Central Market in York, PA, collecting 450 canned and non-perishable goods for donation to York area food banks.
UWC returned to the Kelly’s Banquet Hall in Wrightstown, NJ for its Annual Canned Food Drive on November 9; collecting five grocery bags full of canned goods and non perishables for the New Egypt Food Pantry.
Crown of Maine Wrestling returned to the Van Buren Community Center in Van Buren, Maine for “Feast or Fury” on November 9 with the first ever Crown of Maine Coat Drive, collecting 80 winter coats, along with hats and mittens/gloves.
MPWA Pro Wrestling returned on November 9 to The Mall of Monroe, Monroe, MI and raised $700 for the Navarre Library Homeless Children’s Literacy Program.
Total Aggression Pro Wrestling returned to Sautee-Nacoochee, GA on November 15 for its annual fundraising event for Caring Hands Ministry Christmas dinner and toy giveaway, and raised at least $5000.
Wrestling With Purpose/EWA came to Weathers Arena in Shelby, NC on November 15 for A Smile for Kairee, raising $4,400 for Kairee Sanders, a 16 year old young lady who has faced adversity her entire life including hydrocephalus, complete hearing loss in her left ear, epilepsy, glaucoma, legal blindness, sleep apnea, and decreased kidney function, as well as beings developmentally delayed, and has been a patient at Chapel Hill’s Craniofacial Team since she was 8 months old.
Brew City Wrestling held its annual Headlock on Hunger show on November 16 at the Elks Lodge in Waukesha, WI collecting 220 pounds of food.
Crossroads Wrestling held a fundraiser show on November 16 for Kathie Fitzpatrick, raising $1,400. Kathie is a long-time friend of the professional wrestling industry, especially to the local independent promotions and wrestlers. She has provided transportation, shelter, and support to talent at no charge for 30+ years, and actively works for Toys for Tots efforts at independent wrestling shows in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Superstar Smackdown took place November 16 at the Incrediplex, Indianapolis, IN. Money raised serves Timmy Global Health, an Indianapolis-based nonprofit that expands access to healthcare and empowers students and volunteers to tackle today’s most pressing global health challenges in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Guatemala.
ELKMANIA held its annual show ELKMANIA 7 on November 16, raising $1726 at a fundraiser for the Elks National Foundation, which provides veterans services, medical research and college scholarships.
Ontario independent wrestler Holden Albright is working with multiple Ontario independent wrestling promotions for the #ToyVanFull campaign. The campaign will accept new unwrapped toys for children (wrestling theme preferred, but not necessary) for the Toy Mountain campaign of Salvation Army Canada.
November 17 and December 15- Alpha-1 Wrestling, Hamilton, ON
November 22 – Cross Body Wrestling, Kitchener, ON
November 23 – New School Wrestling, Hamilton, ON
November 26 – Cigar Slam Toronto, Toronto, ON
November 30 – Bordertown Wrestling, Fort Erie, ON
December 6 – Union of Independent Professional Wrestlers, Toronto, ON
December 7 – Barrie Wrestling and Cross Body Wrestling, Kitchener, ON
December 8 – Courage Pro Wrestling, Hamilton, ON
December 12 – Championship Wrestling from Ontario, Etobicoke, ON
Pro Wrestling Eclipse returned on November 17 to Oshawa, ON, collecting donations for the LIFE Project, a community group seeking warm clothing for the upcoming winter months. 3+ bags of clothing were collected, and $500 was also raised for Cody Deaner’s campaign (see above).
Delmarva Wrestling Digest will hold its 5th annual Toys for Tots Drive on November 20 at Arby’s, 700 N 6th St, Denton, MD…with The Briscoes.
Horror Slam Wrestling is asking for cash donations to be contributed to local church food pantries at their November 22 and December 13 shows at B.V. Goodell VFW Post 552, Lincoln Park, MI.
Xtreme Limit Wrestling will be holding a fundraiser on November 22 in Waukesha, WI to help the 42 families that were victimized by the horrible fires in September at a local apartment complex.
Old Time Wrestling returns to Moose Lodge #548 in Lindenwold, NJ on Saturday, November 23 with a Toys for Tots collection.
James Carver Promotions presents UNITED PRO WRESTLING’s Annual Toys for Tots event on Saturday November 23rd in Bowling Green, KY. The event will take place at the Southern Kentucky Fairgrounds located at 940 Morgantown Road inside Lampkin Park. Doors for the event open at 6PM with a 7PM bell time. Admission to the event is $10 with kids ages 5 and under admitted FREE. You can receive $2 off the admission price by donating a new unwrapped toy to the Toys for Tots of Southern Kentucky. You will see: Damien Wayne, Trent Taylor, “Superior” Tony Evans, LT Falk, Randall Shane, Shawn Hurley, Kyle Maggard and more!
Uprise Pro Wrestling out of Hendersonville, NC will be doing a special event for the Toys For Tots WNC program on November 23 at the East Flat Rock National Guard Armory.
Atlantic Pro Wrestling comes to the Newburyport Elks, 25 Low Street, Newburyport, MA for an annual Toy Drive show on November 23.
True Wrestling holds its annual Tilt-A-Whirl Toy Drive on November 23 (7:00 pm bell time) at the Salvation Army, 320 W 2nd Street, Berwick, PA It is that time again! Our annual Toy Drive show. Help kids in need by donating an unopened toy to save $5 per ticket.
All Pro Wrestling/Food Bank of Northern Nevada present Headlock on Hunger at Reed High School, 1350 Baring Boulevard, Sparks, NV. Headlock on Hunger is a campaign and non-profit event that aims to raise awareness, and combat the hunger issue that is affecting the children of the Truckee Meadows. Throughout the fall, we will have a city wide food drive with dozens of locations where food donations can be made.
Vancouver Island Pro Wrestling will again present “Headlocks for Hunger” on November 24 in Nanaimo, BC; collecting canned and non-perishable foods for the local Loaves and Fishes food bank.
Southern States Wrestling returns to Kingsport, TN on November 27 for Thanksgiving Extravaganza, benefiting Hunger First of Kingsport and The Johnia Berry Memorial Toy Drive.
World’s Finest Wrestling will do a raffle where fans get a ticket for a WFW package with DVDs, T-shirts, stickers, in return for a donated food item at its November 30 and December 28 events in Connersville, IN.
WrestleCade Weekend is a family-friendly convention that celebrates wrestling and sports entertainment from all eras from November 29-December 1 at the Benton Convention Center, Winston-Salem, NC. It is one of the largest 3-day events of its kind in the world, bringing in an estimated 31,000+ attendees since 2012. Proceeds from the event go to the Christmas Toy Drive to benefit The Salvation Army.
Xtreme Mountain Wrestling Alliance presents Khori’s Show: A Benefit Show for Khori Overholt on November 30 at Ft. Craig Boys and Girls Club in Maryville, TN to raise funds for a heart transplant.
Championship Wrestling From Ontario comes to the Germania Club, 863 King Street E, Hamilton, ON on November 30 for Hammering Cancer, to benefit the Canadian Cancer Society.
UWE Pro Wrestling presents its annual Headlock on Hunger event on November 30 at the Wexford Civic Center in Cadillac, MI with ROH’s Beer City Bruiser Matt Winchester.
Xtreme Intense Championship Wrestling presents Hardcore with a Heart, the promotion’s annual show to feed the hungry in Detroit, MI on December 1 at the Hot Rock Sports Bar, 24300 Hoover Road, in Warren, MI.
Ascend Pro Wrestling returns to Norwood, OH on December 1 for Secret Slamta (6:00 pm bell time) at the Village of Woodlawn Recreation and Community Center 10050 Woodlawn Blvd, Woodlawn, OH. This is a pro wrestling fundraiser to buy holiday gifts for children in the Norwood, Woodlawn, and greater Cincinnati area. Tickets are $10 ($5 off with a new, unwrapped toy directly donated
ACTION Wrestling returns to the Roger Spencer Community Center in Tyrone, GA on December 6 with a 7:30 pm bell time for their annual Toys for Tots show.
Big Time Wrestling returns to Newark Pavilion, 6430 Thornton Ave, Newark, CA on December 6 for its annual Rock The Bells toy drive show featuring PENTA 0M, Rey Fenix, Brian Pillman Jr.
Crossfire Wrestling returns to the Merritton Community Centre, St. Catharines. ON on December 7 for the annual Jingle Bell Brawl. Partial proceeds will go to The Niagara Peninsula Foundation for Children.
Barrie Wrestling returns to action for Festivus of Wrestlevus, 49 Ferris Lane, Barrie, ON on December 7, once again partnering with their friends at 931 Fresh Radio and 101.1 BIG FM to donate as many toys and food as we can to Christmas Cheer Barrie. Bring new unwrapped toys and/or non-perishable food items and receive a draw ticket for each item brought.
Innovate Wrestling will be holding a toy drive at its December 7 Christmas Classic in Morristown, TN.
Total Wrestling Federation comes to Ambler’s Hall, Stockton, CA on December 7. Bring a toy for us to take to Shriners Hospital in Sacramento for the holidays. $10 advance/online, $12 at the door, $8 for kids under 18 . Matches include “High Flying Sensation” Matt Fury vs “Archangel” Michael Nothing, Steven “Beast” Smith vs ????, CJ Dirt vs Tuco Montez, “Big MF” Matt Freeman vs Johnny Ink, Andrew Arch vs Ashton Morris
Wrestling With Purpose presents Heart Of A Champion on Saturday December 7, at the Bill Sapp Recreation Center, Lumberton, NC. Proceeds go to help the Robeson County Special Olympics.
Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling returns to Sapperton Hall in New Westminster, BC on December 7 for Wrestling With Hunger Games, teaming up with Share Family Services, Surrey Christmas Bureau and Blanket BC. For each blanket, toy, clothing item or non-perishable food item donated, fans will receive a raffle ticket. The more items a fan brings the more tickets they get! Multiple prizes will be raffled off after the show, including 2 pairs of tickets to BALLROOM BRAWL 13.
Hamilton Pro Wrestling will again present Wreck the Halls at Dom Polski Hall, 4 Solidarnosc Place, Hamilton, ON on December 7, collecting canned goods and non-perishable food items for a local food drive as well as toys.
NAWA Professional Wrestling will hold its annual Canned Food Drive and Toys for Tots collection on December 7 at the Burke County Fair, Morganton, NC.
Empire Wrestling Federation returns to San Bernardino, CA on December 7 at the VFW Post 8737, 2018 Foothill Boulevard for its annual Jingle Slam Toy Drive show.
ECWA Pro Wrestling has scheduled its annual Toys for Tots show on December 7 at Asbury United Methodist Church, New Castle, DE.
UWC Pro Wrestling will hold its 21st annual Toys for Tots show on December 7 at Kelly’s Bar Banquet Hall in Wrightstown, NJ.
Pure Pro Wrestling will present Christmas Clash on December 7 in Flint, MI, working with the Catholic Charities to raise awareness, funds, and food for the North End Soup Kitchen and their efforts to feed the community.
Wrestling With Purpose presents Heart Of A Champion 2 on December 7 at the Bill Sapp Recreation Center, Lumberton, NC to benefit the Robeson County Special Olympics, featuring CW Anderson and Jimmy Valiant.
Hoosier Pro Wrestling will again hold the 16th annual HPW Fireman’s Cheer Fund Toy Drive show, part 2 on December 7 at their home at the 4-H Fairgrounds, Columbus, IN.
Primal Conflict Wrestling presents “StarrClash” on Sunday, December 8 Harpers Ferry KOA, 343 Campground Road, Harpers Ferry, WV as a Toys for Tots show. Doors open at 3 pm for Meet & Greet. 4 pm bell time.
International Big Time Wrestling presents its tenth Annual Toy Drive on Sunday, December 8 with a special 1:00 pm belltime at El Club Detroit, 4114 Vernor Highway, Detroit, MI. Admission is a donation of an unwrapped brand new toy.
Battle On The Border Pro Wrestling presents “Miracle On Main Street” on December 13 at Globetrotters VFW in Addyston, OH. Details to come on the charity to be benefited.
House Of Bricks Pro Wrestling presents Clash For A Cure on Friday, December 13 benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at VFW Post 2892 in Fairhaven MA.
MCW Pro Wrestling/Future of Honor will hold its annual Toys for Tots show on December 14 at the MCW Arena 1000 Joppa Farm Road, Joppa, MD.
DWI Wrestling will hold a Toys for Tots fundraiser on December 14, at 1:30 pm.at the Rivercrest Community Development Rivercrest Clubhouse parking lot, 11560 Ramble Creek Drive, Riverview, FL
Combat Zone Wrestling and DJ Hyde have agreed again to do the annual Toys for Tots collection (in conjunction with the Marine Corps Reserve) for the fourteenth year in a row as they present Cage of Death XXI on Saturday, December 14 at the Colossal Sports Academy at The Coliseum, 333 Preston Ave, Voorhees Township, NJ.
Battle On The Border Pro Wrestling presents “Christmas Chaos” on December 14 at VFW Post 7570 in Harrison, OH. Details to come on the charity to be benefited.
Dropkick Depression presents To Infinity And Beyond on December 14 at the Knights of Columbus, 61 Pine St, Old Bridge, NJ with a 7:30 pm bell time. Main event: Terra Calaway vs Jeff Cannonball in Terra Calaway’s final match of her career. Dropkick Depression helps raise funds for worthy non-profit organizations bringing awareness to depression and suicide prevention.
Gangrel’s Wrestling Asylum presents its third annual Toy Drive on December 14 at The Casino at Dania Beach, FL.
World League Wrestling returns to Troy, MO for Christmas Bash 2019 will be taking place on December 14th at the Race Wrestling Arena in Troy and you’ll get the chance to see the great wrestling action that WLW brings to the table every time, but also help out the needy. This event is a food drive for the Bread For Life Food Pantry in Troy. They are in need of canned food items and dry cereal. To help them out, WLW is hosting a raffle in which you can bring in 5 food items and have the chance to win a free smart tv! If you bring in 10 items, you get 2 chances, etc.
Dynamite Championship Wrestling holds its annual Toys for Tots collection at its December 14 show at the Marydel Fire Department in Marydel, DE.
Eastern Panhandle Pro Wrestling held its Christmas charity event, entitled Absolute Domination, on December 20 at Middleway Volunteer Fire Company, Kearneysville, WV to benefit Martinsdale Rescue Mission.
Total Wrestling Federation returns on December 21 to Colonial Theatre in Sacramento in Stockton, CA for Wreck The Halls to collect toys for children at Shriners Hospitals.
Northeast Wrestling returns to the NEW Arena, 40 Peck Road, Bethany, CT on December 21 for a special Toys for Tots Event with Brian Pillman Jr.
Great Canadian Wrestling/Pop Culture Canada/New School Wrestling return to Oshawa, ON on December 27 for Season’s Beatings to benefit Simcoe Hall Settlement House, collecting canned and non-perishable goods.
Pro Wrestling Eclipse presents its Holiday show in Oshawa, ON on Friday, December 27 (2:00 pm bell time) at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 43, 471 Simcoe Street South, Oshawa, ON in partnership with Feed The Need Durham. The Eclipse Cup is one of the oldest awards in PWE tracing back to before PWE ever existed. Previous winners have included Joshua James, Tyler Tirva and most recently Jake Jones.
DAWG Pro Wrestling will be holding a Toys for Tots and canned food collection at their December 28 show at MaxFit and Sports on 240 Delsea Drive in Glassboro, NJ.
UWE Pro Wrestling presents Christmas Chaos on December 28 at the Wexford Civic Center in Cadillac, MI, collecting Christmas gifts for those less fortunate.
After a week of controversy, Jim Cornette has resigned from his position as television announcer for the NWA Powerrr promotion.
Cornette, 58, to his credit, was arguably the best announcer as far as all aspects were concerned in the business at this point, if you figure in smoothness of delivery, ability to turn a phrase when warranted, knowledge of the moves as well as match and announcing psychology, and the key job of all, getting over new talent and storylines.
Ironically, it was that second aspect, turning a phrase, that led to his departure.
On the 11/19 show, during a match with NWA champion Nick Aldis vs. Trevor Murdoch, in an attempt to get Murdoch over, Cornette said that Murdoch was so tough that he “could strap a bucket of fried chicken on his back and drive a motor scooter through Ethiopia.” The commentary, and the show itself, were done live in Atlanta at the PBS Studio on 9/30.
“Effective immediately: Jim Cornette has resigned from the National Wrestling Alliance. As an announcer on the November 19th edition of NWA Power, Jim made remarks during a singles match between Nick Aldis and Trevor Murdoch that were both offensive and do not meet the high standards of decency and good faith of the National Wrestling Alliance.
To ensure that such an error can never happen again, we’ve established new procedures of review for all NWA programming going forward.
We sincerely regret our failure in this regard.”
During the Aldis-Murdoch match, Cornette said Murdoch was the only man he has ever known that “could strap a bucket of fried chicken on his back and drive a motor scooter across Ethiopia.” David Lagana released an apology and took down the episode temporarily before uploading a new version with the comment edited out.
After silence last night, Cornette tweeted Wednesday morning:
Morning everybody! Heard any good jokes lately?
This coming Friday’s Jim Cornette Experience (wherever you find your favorite podcasts) is liable to be a good one if you like hearing stupid people told what they can do with their stupidity.
During a non-title match between NWA World Champion Nick Aldis and Trevor Murdoch, Cornette said of Murdoch that he was the only man he has ever known that “could strap a bucket of fried chicken on his back and drive a motor scooter across Ethiopia.”
Lagana issued a brief statement on Twitter that read, “On tonight’s episode of NWA Powerr airing on November 19th 2019, one of our talents made comments which some viewers found offensive. We deeply regret the error and apologize. We have temporarily taken the program down while we correct this error.”
The NWA re-uploaded a new version of their seventh episode without the comment shortly thereafter. As of this writing, Cornette has not addressed any of this on social media.
Jim Cornette will be part of the NWA’s new studio wrestling series.
The NWA released a video today announcing that Cornette will be doing color commentary at their television tapings in Atlanta, Georgia on Monday, September 30 and Tuesday, October 1:
Cornette will be working alongside Joe Galli on the commentary team. Galli is the lead commentator and host for the series. Cornette and Galli were both also part of the commentary team for the NWA’s 70th Anniversary Show last October and the Crockett Cup this April.
Cornette’s last scheduled commitment with MLW was in July.
The September 30 and October 1 events are the NWA’s first TV tapings of the Billy Corgan era. They’re taking place at GPB (Georgia Public Broadcasting) Studios in Atlanta. When and where the tapings will be airing hasn’t been announced.
NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis (w/ Kamille), NWA National Champion James Storm, NWA Women’s World Champion Allysin Kay, Eli Drake, and Ricky Starks were the first wrestlers announced for the NWA tapings. Colt Cabana has also been added, and Thomas Latimer & Royce Isaacs have since won the NWA Tag Team titles from ROH’s PCO & Brody King.
Jim Cornette made his Major League Wrestling debut tonight, joining the broadcast team as a color commentator.
Cornette made his appearance at the start of the show, joining announcer Rich Bocchini prior to the start of the first match. PWInsider reported that this is not a one time appearance and he will be joining the promotion going forward as both a commentator and agent. He will also be working the New York City tapings that will take place next month.
Cornette has worked for a number of promotions in the past in a backstage role including WWE, Impact and Ring of Honor. He also booked Ohio Valley Wrestling and was at one time an owner of the promotion while it was a developmental territory for the WWE.
He most recently served as the announcer for the NWA 75th Anniversary show last year and will also be a part of the upcoming NWA Crockett Cup.
The NWA has revealed the commentary team for the return of the Crockett Cup tag team tournament.
In a video uploaded by the NWA today, Jim Cornette announced that he’ll be doing color commentary for the event. The NWA’s Joe Galli and ROH’s Ian Riccaboni will be calling the show with him.
The NWA is partnering with ROH for the Crockett Cup. It’s taking place at Cabarrus Arena in Concord, North Carolina on Saturday, April 27.
Cornette and Galli were also on commentary for the NWA’s 70th Anniversary Show this past October.
Cornette also announced that The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson), The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton, Dennis Condrey, Stan Lane & Cornette), Nikita Koloff, and Magnum TA will be appearing at the Crockett Cup.
Jax Dane & Crimson qualified for the Crockett Cup by defeating Caleb Konley & Jay Bradley at last month’s NWA pop-up event. Villain Enterprises (PCO & Brody King) then became the second team to qualify for the Crockett Cup by winning last month’s ROH Tag Wars tournament.
Cornette noted that there will be teams from ROH, the NWA, Mexico, Japan, and all over the globe in the Crockett Cup. Tickets for the show go on sale for HonorClub members at 10 a.m. Eastern time tomorrow (Wednesday, February 6). They’ll go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Eastern this Friday.
It was announced yesterday that Championship Wrestling from Hollywood’s Joe Galli will be the lead play-by-play announcer and Jim Cornette will be the color commentator for the show. As was noted previously, Tony Schiavone will also be joining the commentary team for the Cody Rhodes vs. Nick Aldis NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship main event.
Cornette tweeted about calling the show: “The return @nwa Title match with @RealNickAldis vs. @CodyRhodes was what enticed me back to broadcasting–it’ll be a real stemwinder! (We’re in Nashville so I must use a Lance Russell-ism!)”
The anniversary event is taking place at the Asylum at the Nashville Fairgrounds on Sunday, October 21 and will air live on Fite TV. In addition to the Cody vs. Aldis main event, the NWA has announced that it will be reviving the National Championship and crowning a new champion at the show.
As part of their convention in Winston-Salem, North Carolina this weekend, WrestleCade presented a show opposite WWE’s Starrcade event last night. Here are the results:
– The Extreme Horsemen defeated The Squad, The Heatseekers, and The Boys
The Extreme Horsemen won with a slingshot superkick on one of the Squad members.
– Billy Gunn defeated Carlito
Gunn sold for most of the match after being posted by Carlito on the outside. For the finish, he hit the Famouser when Carlito accidentally spit the apple in the referee’s face and they were arguing about it.
– Zane Dawson defeated Tommy Dreamer and Luke Hawx
Hawx had a bandage on his head, with Kevin Kelly saying on commentary that he was doing stunt work for a movie and was injured. Dreamer wore Dusty Rhodes yellow and black tights with the House of Hardcore logo on them.
Dawson pinned Dreamer with a lariat after Dreamer gave a Death Valley Driver to Hawx.
After the match, Dreamer got on the mic to say he wears Dusty Rhodes’ colors so nobody will forget Rhodes’ brilliance. He talked about Rhodes making Starrcade an event, saying he knows WWE’s Starrcade was just down the road and thanking the fans for selling WrestleCade out. He said this was where real wrestling and fans were.
– Jerry Lawler defeated George South
The highlight was South’s mic work before the match. He insulted the crowd and said he waited a long time to get Lawler in the ring. He said he was going to dedicate the match to his “good friend” Andy Kaufman and use the piledriver to beat Lawler. Lawler then got on the mic and said he’d use a move from his good friend Steve Austin. He hit a weak stunner on South and the match began.
Lawler won by using his feet on the ropes for the pin. The referee saw it, but he let it slide because South kept pushing him during the match.
– The Veterans of War (Wilcox & Mayweather) defeated Bobby Lashley & King Mo
VOW hit a double team cutter on Mo for the pin as Lashley was tossed to the outside.
– Caleb Konley, Juventud Guerrera & Super Crazy defeated Willie Mack, PJ Black & Jason Kincaid
Konley, Guerrera, and Super Crazy won in a wild finish. Mack went crazy and hit stunners on everyone, including his own team. He tried to hit one on the referee, but the ref blocked it and hit Mack with one of his own. Guerrera was able to hit a big splash and there was a pile on for the pin.
– Jungle Grrrl defeated Amber O’Neal by DQ in a WOW match
This was an overbooked mess. The ref was bumped, then Lana Star tried to help O’Neal but accidentally hit her with some sort of glass object. The ref was knocked down and couldn’t make the count. O’Neal hit an X-Factor, but a second ref was pulled out of the ring.
The Beast ran in and chokeslammed Jungle Grrrl, gave O’Neal a DDT, and gave Star a chokeslam when Star tried to suck up to her. It was announced that Jungle Grrrl won by DQ because The Beast touched her first.
– Dan Severn (w/ Jim Cornette) defeated Josh Woods
Severn pinned Woods suddenly as Woods was trying to lock in an armbar. Cornette and Severn shook Woods’ hand after the match and put him over on the mic.
Cornette then thanked the fans and mentioned this was his last match as a manager after 35 years. He said he didn’t want to keep coming out and risk hurting himself and being laughed at. He noted that he’s been around the world and could have chosen anywhere to end his managerial run, but the Carolinas are what started his career.
He thanked Dusty Rhodes, Jim Crockett Promotions, and The Midnight Express for allowing him to work with them and making his career.
– Hurricane Helms won a battle royal to win the Top Rope Belts title
Other wrestlers in this included Mr. Hughes, Tracy Smothers, Bobby Fulton, Kevin Thorne, Crazzy Steve, D’Lo Brown, Swoggle, and several local names.
– Ryback defeated Joey Mercury
Ryback won with the Shell Shock, which came when he popped right up after Mercury hit a Pedigree.
– The announcers said WrestleCade expected over 4,000 people this weekend.
– Helms received his title for winning the battle royal, which came off like a sponsored segment for Top Rope Belts.
– Ivelisse defeated Taya Valkyrie in a no DQ match
Ivelisse submitted Valkyrie with a choke while using a big steel chain after Valkyrie missed an elbow drop and crashed into a table. A chair, ladder, kendo stick, trash can, table, metal sheet, and chains were used in the match.
This was the only match to feature brawling in the crowd. Ivelisse bled a bit after a shot to the head from the metal sheet.
– Impact Global Champion Eli Drake defeated Johnny Impact and Jack Swagger to retain his title
Swagger was introduced by Dutch Mantell. He came out with his wife Catalina Swagger and they did a fun Dancing with the Stars bit.
Drake got the pin on Impact by using his feet on the ropes following Impact hitting Starship Pain on Swagger.
Catalina Swagger got involved during the match a lot, including Jack making the save when Drake picked her up and pressed her over his head. She slapped Impact, with Valkyrie coming out and carrying her to the back.
Drake got on the mic to brag after his win. Valkyrie and Catalina then came out as friends with kendo sticks and forced him back into the ring. Swagger and Impact held Drake so Valkyrie could chop him, then both women hit him with the kendo sticks. Impact and Swagger put Drake in a double ankle lock before letting him escape the ring.
Bound for Glory is headed to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Impact Wrestling announced today that the Aberdeen Pavilion would be hosting the pay-per-view on November 5th, with television tapings also set for the venue on November 6-10.
When the word got out that the tapings were being moved to Canada, a number of people in wrestling inquired about the status of Jim Cornette, who has been all over the recent television shows as the head of authority for the promotion.
Cornette hasn’t been to Canada for years because he was turned away at the border in 2010 when they ran his record, which included a number of assaults, mostly stemming from incidents involving fights with fans who attacked him while he was a manager at matches in the 80s. He had been going to Canada for years, including his WWF run, with no incident, prior to 2010. When he worked for ROH, he never attended the shows in Toronto.
Because of that, Cornette won’t be at the next set of tapings and is done with the promotion, which he said there is no heat over and it’s just a matter of circumstances.
Cornette is expected to go into more detail on this on his podcast on Thursday.
GFW officials confirmed his being done yesterday as did Cornette today. Cornette noted that he came to GFW after being called in August by Jeff Jarrett, and the agreement was just to work one set of television tapings to facilitate a few storylines, which were the stripping of the championship from Alberto El Patron and the gauntlet match, the on-screen firing of Bruce Prichard so he could return as a heel manager, and to try and make Anthem Sports & Entertainment babyfaces to the wrestling fans.
After the tapings, he and Jarrett agreed that he would come back for Bound for Glory and for a few days at the next tapings in November. Cornette didn’t know his status with Jarrett now out of the company and the company’s creative, headed by Scott D’Amore and Sonjay Dutt, said to be more focused on in-ring action and less on authority figure angles.
Cornette hadn’t heard from anyone in the company other than Bob Ryder, who told him not to believe what he read on the Internet, and spoke to Dutch Mantell, where he explained with the tapings being done in Canada that he wouldn’t be able to appear.
Cornette agreed to come to Nashville and do whatever would be needed on camera to do a storyline exit. Right now there is nothing on the table for it.
