“VACATION, ALL I EVER WANTED”

It feels really nice to get to posting another blog. It feels like it has been so long since I have shared my thoughts on here. A lot has happened since my last blog post, but one of the bigger things was the vacation that I recently took.

It started off as most trips start off, with tons of flights. From Corpus to Houston to Pittsburgh to be more exact. But luckily, I didnt have to deal with the same old annoying people that I usually sit next to on planes.

But I finally made it to the beautiful steel city where I came to visit friends from the Wrestling Mayhem Show. Oh and how the weekend started. After introducing the family to Los Sorgs (spanish for “The Sorgs”), we stopped at Mt. Washington to view the amazing sight that is downtown Pittsburgh.

Family with Pittsburgh in the background.

After this, things got… interesting, as Sorgatron invited us to go visit the annual furry convention in Downtown Pittsburgh. Now, for those that don’t understand the concept of furries, think of mascots that run around and are (illegadly) high on various drugs. The most suprising thing of all was how receptive my brother was to the whole thing. One of them even approached my mom. Creepy. But fun times were had including a brawl I had with Chachi in the trunk of the Sorg mobile.

Chachi v. Wrestlefan

After that day was over, my family spent the day shopping down on the Pittsburgh strip which oddly enough looked like the strips I have been to in Mexico. Except a lot more Black and Gold. Anyways, then came the celebration of my 17th year of birth, which led us to the Sorg casa. Thanks immensly to Intern of the Wrestling Mayhem Show Missie for putting together this delicious spread of food-stuffs.

Birthday Dinner with Sorgs, Silent Ninja and DJ Lunchbox

After dinner came the scrumptious birthday cake also provided by Missie. Very delicious and including the WMS tag.

My B-Day Cake

It was a wonderful day spent with wonderful friends and was absolutely… wonderful. Ha, see what I did there? But the best was yet to come because on Sunday, the Mayhem Crew packed the car as we headed to Cleveland, OH for Chikara Pro Wrestling’s Faded Scars and Lines event. After making a stop at Sheetz, which side note, is my new favorite convenience store, we made it to the West Park Party Center to view some Chikara action.

Mayhem Missie, Doc Remedy, Me, and Intern Missie at Chikara Pro

For my first time seeing Chikara live, I have to say that it was an absolutely amazing event. From yelling at Santa Claus (Tursas), to almost getting killed from a dive from Frightmare, to getting to see the “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson live and in person. The show was absolutely great, especially getting to meet some of the wrestlers that I have only seen on the internet and on DVDs .

Me with The Colony (Green Ant, Soldier Ant and Fire Ant)

After the show, the fun was not over, as I was inducted into the Mayhem Army with a series of chops from DJ Lunchbox, Doc Remedy and Sorgatron.

Overall, I was so happy the entire weekend and it was so great to see all of the guys at the Mayhem show. I am ever so greatful for all of their friendships and I cant wait to come up there again.

Until next time, WRESTLEFAN OUT

TNA Against All Odds: The example of the decline of a promotion

I know I have not made a post in a good while, however, why not come back with a scathing preview of the upcoming TNA PPV, Against All Odds. A show that has been built as the “Road to Lockdown” this card seems to show that TNA is on a slippery slope towards a horrible monotony. Here are my issues with the ppv. (breaths deep)

 

TNA World Title: AJ Styles with Ric Flair vs. Samoa Joe: Eric Bischoff as special referee:

I know what you must be thinking to yourself. And it is true. AJ and Joe are sure to have a great technical match as they have had in the past. But you must look at the closer picture. Samoa Joe’s title shot that was won in the feast or fired is sure to be wasted in this match where they may have used this to propel Joe to the top star in TNA. However, Joe is being used in this match as a filler contender as they moved into Lockdown. It just seems that TNA is finding less and less to do with Joe, which by the way things are going backstage, may lead to Joe walking in the future. Also, the addition of Eric Bischoff as special referee is sure to show some form of storyline progression in this Hogan, Bischoff, AJ, Angle, NWO 2.0, Mick Foley, Jeff Jarrett cluster fuck in TNA, which almost guarantees an un-clean finish to the match.

TNA 8 Card Stud Tournament- featuring Kurt Angle, Mr. Anderson, Matt Morgan, Hernandez, Abyss, Mick Foley, D’Angelo Dinero and Desmond Wolfe:

Now the up side to this is that the people in this match are likely to put on some good matches with each other. The down side is that it will most likely only lead to a continuation in the cluster fuck mentioned before. It will most likely come down in the end with some combination of Angle, Anderson or Foley (now looking at the brackets, Anderson and Angle are in the quarterfinals, ruling out my prediction) with, once again, some unclean finish involving Jarrett, Bischoff or the walking geriatric patients known as “The Band”.

Team 3D vs. The Nasty Boys:

Really TNA. Ok, someone please stand if you are somewhat interested in this match. Both teams are way past their prime, overweight and are sure to gain their own, personal Botchamania.

Also, the thing that angers me the most and shows TNA’s decline. There is absolutely no women’s match or X Division match. And if you think they will put one in, they wont! There is no way to fit it on this card. Plus, the announcement has been made that Destination X will be strictly and X division PPV. Let’s see how that works out with only around 10 X Division wrestlers on the roster. Hope for TNA seems to be lost and unless they pull a rabbit out of their ass, watch for the Rise and Fall of TNA DVD in 2012. If we even make it to 2012 (and im not referring to the rumor that the world will be destroyed according to the Mayan calendar, I’m referring to the seizure we gain from the future of TNA’s abysmal storylines.)

Ok, now I’m done.

Guest Post: DJ Lunchbox

I would now like to show my blog viewers a look at star of the Wrestling Mayhem Show and his own blog “Thoughtful Riot” DJ Lunchbox. He has decided to provide a series of his famous haikus concerning the world of professional wrestling.

 

Sheamus O’ ShoeShine
I actively dislike that
Damn pasty fellow

The answer is yes
Whatever it is you asked
Yes and yes again.

 

Bah bah bah bah bah
Bah bah bah bah bah bah bah
Bah bah bah babble

If you want to visit more of DJ Lunchbox, go to www.wrestlingmayhemshow.com or www.thoughtfulriot.com.

Indy Wrestling Pros and Cons

Over the past couple of years, I have developed very much a connection with independent wrestling. It gives an alternative to what you see on TV and many of times is very diverse from each other. Most of the times, no independent promotion is the same and it implys a lot of free choice. I have decided to take three of the top independent promotions in North America and give those who have never been to an indy show a guide to your own personal indy enjoyment.

Ring of Honor

Pros:

1. Accessibility: Ring of Honor has truly branched out into doing shows all across the United States from New York, to Michigan, to New Jersey, California, Pennsylvania, the list goes on and on. Also, with their television deal with HDNET, people now have a better ability to keep up with the Ring of Honor product as much as WWE or TNA.

2.Best Wrestling: It is not just a moniker or a catchphrase. ROH truly has some of the best wrestling in the world today. With guys like Tyler Black, Roderick Strong, The American Wolves, Chris Hero, Austin Aries, The Briscoes and many others, ROH delivers in almost every show they put on.

Cons:

1.The Fans: The “ROHbots” have been considered by many as some of the worst people to see a wrestling show with. Critiquing everything they see and expecting 5 star matches all the time make them extremely picky and extremely hard to get along with. For example, the uproar by Ring of Honor fans when Jerry Lynn won the Ring of Honor World Title was, in my opinion, some of the most disrespectful acts to a guy with so much experience like Jerry Lynn. Not does it piss off a lot of the fans, but also the wrestlers that try to bust their ass every time they step in the ring.

 

 

 

Combat Zone Wrestling

Pros:

1. It’s a true show: Anyone who wants to watch some of the craziest stuff they have ever seen, this is your show. Whether its men diving off scaffolds or going through tables and barbed wire, CZW always puts on a show with their no holds barred attitude. 9 times out of 10, people will go home entertained when they go to a CZW show.

Cons:

1. Don’t look for wrestling: Obviously, CZW wrestlers are not known for their ring prowess or technical ability. Many of their matches that do not have weapons and ultraviolence are usually considered spot-fests. Doing some of the craziest shit they can is their goal so if you are looking for wrestling, this is not the show to go to.

 

Chikara Pro Wrestling

Pros:

1. Family friendly: Any independent show to bring the entire family to, young or old, is Chikara Pro Wrestling. They will fall in love with their robust amount of crazy characters and will be able to enjoy wrestling without worrying about being age appropriate.

2. Top-notch wrestling: I have seen before that Chikara has as good, if not better, pro wrestling than Ring of Honor. With talented wrestlers such as Mike Quackenbush, Claudio Castagnoli, Delirious, The Colony, The Osirian Portal, FIST and so on, Chikara truly has great independent professional wrestling. Also, their ability to bring in pro wrestlers from Japan, Mexico, England and many other countries makes them a serious force to be reckoned with.

Cons:

1. You can’t take this seriously: If you cannot take things less seriously than promotions such as WWE or ROH, then Chikara may not be your cup of tea. Many people have criticized the promotion for the comedy that they put in their matches and how it can sometimes “break kayfabe.” So if you cannot take the company for what it is then a more serious company like ROH would be more suited to your liking.

Indy Wrestling Profile #2: Drake Younger

 

Known as the “Psycho Shooter” Drake Wuertz started training for professional wrestling under American Kickboxer at the R.A.A.G.E. Dojo. After making his professional debut in 2003, Drake began to get his foot in the door in places such as IWA Mid South, when he competed in their King of the Deathmatch tournament back in 2006, only making it to the second round. However, being in this tournament allowed Drake to gain a spot in the promotion he had the most success in. Combat Zone Wrestling.

Drake made his debut for CZW at their fifth annual Tournament of Death, where to much of the surprise of the fans, he made it to the finals, losing in the end to “Hardcore” Nick Gage. He however, would get retribution on Gage when he defeated him in a No-Rope BarbedWire match to win the UltraViolent Underground Championship, and then going on next year to defeat Brain Damage in the finals of Tournament of Death 6. It would be only be little more than a year after this that Drake Younger would go on to gain his biggest accomplishment, by defeating, once again, Nick Gage to become the CZW World Heavyweight Champion. Since then he is still the champion and has held the belt for over a year, and has become one of the very top names in not just CZW, but in all of death match wrestling.

However, Drake doesn’t just need lighttubes or barbed wire to have a good match. Drake has shown in many companies that he can wrestle both the death match style as well as actual professional wrestling. Take for example the recent match in CZW between Drake and B-Boy that many fans have considered CZW’s match of the year, not being a ultraviolent matchup. Also, take into account when Drake won the 2008 IWA Ted Petty Invitational Tournament, defeating both Sami Callihan and Claudio Castagnoli in the finals. Drake has also competed for Chikara Pro Wrestling on numerous occasions, including the 2008 Young Lions Cup Tournament, where he made it to the semi finals, losing to Vin Gerard. Drake’s southern accent and attitude combined with his both ultraviolent and professional nature makes him a true force to be reckoned with on the indy scene.

TNA makes me think too much.

Just to start off, the title of this blog posts does not assume that this is another rant on TNA.

For those that don’t know, when the announcement was made that Hulk Hogan was going to become a part of TNA Wrestling, I decided to not watch the TNA product because of this. When I first started watching wrestling, I was never a Hulkamaniac and I truly feel that he has taken his time in wrestling, and has used it to boost his ego. When he signed with TNA, I felt overall defeated in this company and had decided to give up on watching. What was the point anymore?

However, after listening to Wrestling Mayhem Show #193, the discussion between “The Rock and Roll Outlaw” and Sorgatron, I really started to think if what I was doing was right. Like they mentioned, the population of wrestling fans is plagued with people who complain about anything they can complain about. Before I started listening to the Wrestling Mayhem Show back in 2008, I listened to a podcast that would chastise WWE, TNA as well as independent promotions. Barely anything good was being said and they would take every single part of the wrestling world and examine it under a microscope. When I eventually gave up and joined the Wrestling Mayhem Show family, I promised myself that I would not get that way.

Now, even though TNA has been filled as of late with bad decisions in booking and at some times an overall bad product, there are some positive things about TNA that I would be missing with my boycott. For example, the strides they have made with their women’s division have been amazing. All the knockouts have their own characters and give a much needed independent style to the division. Without watching, I would be sheltered from getting to see people like Amazing Kong, Cheerleader Melissa, Sarita and Taylor Wilde, ODB, and even the Beautiful People. The same goes with the male wrestlers. I would not be able to watch guys like AJ, Joe, Daniels, the X Division and newly acquired Nigel McGuinness.

Overall, you should never ignore a product even though you don’t like it. As Sorgatron said “Enjoy the product for what it is”. Even though I hate TNA’s decisions, it’s still wrestling. And if I turn away from this, I am no better than the fans that I hate that tear into independent wrestling promotions such as Chikara and ROH. So, I have decided that I will still watch TNA and continued to get informed and learn more as a wrestling fan.

And besides, at least I have something to laugh at on Tuesdays.

Indy Wrestler Profile #1: The Osirian Portal

One of the new ideas I have decided upon for my new move to WordPress, is that I will do a small profile of a independent wrestler so some fans may know these guys better and become just that more intrested in Independent Wrestling. So here we go.

Trained under Mike Quackenbush and Chris Hero in the Chikara Wrestle Factory, “The Funky Pharoh” Amasis and “The Venomous and Vile Serpent from the Nile” Ophidian together form the Osirian Portal. A team dating back to 571 B.C., these two have made an amazing impression to the fans in Chikara, debuting back in 2007.

Amasis known for his dance based manuevers getting the crowd on his side and Ophidian’s high flying and quick style allowed them to rise the ranks in Chikara’s tag team division. In less than a year, the Portal was able to gain three points and challenge the then Campeones de Parejas in Incoherence (Delirious and Hallowicked). Even though they were not able to take the titles, this match solidified them as a top tag team to be reckoned with. However, the Portal would acheive their ultimate dream on October 19, 2008 when they defeated The Super Smash Brothers (Player Uno and Player Dos) to gain the Chikara Campeones de Parejas.

Ever since this huge win of the Chikara Campeones de Parejas, The Portal has gained many accomplishements including making it to the finals of the Tag World Grand Prix 2008 in Oberhausen, Germany, to the quarterfinals in the 2009 King Of Trios with their short lived partner, Escorpion Eqipcio, as well as gaining many bookings in other companies, including a match in Ring of Honor in October of 2008. The Portal has made a tear not just in Chikara but the entire indy field and have established themselves as one of the top tag teams upon the circuit.

Step in the Ring… AND SCREAM!!!

Halloween.

A night for ghouls and gals to roam the streets and let their inner self run wild. To me, it sounds a lot like pro wrestling. We have had many creepy characters enter the squared circle and now, I decided to dive into wrestlers that scare the piss out of you, and those that are just piss poor and not scary.

Brain Damage: This CZW juggernaut looks like he can break you apart in his bear hands. A ultraviolent star known for his knockout punches and his horror film stlye, is definetly not the man you would like to cross in a dark alley. One left and a right to your noggin is all he needs to give you some… well.. BRAIN DAMAGE.

Evil Doink the Clown: I am sorry but clowns are just not scary. In my opinion they are way too top heavy and do not intimidate you. Evil Doink might have been a bit crazy, but scary? The green afro and multi colored leotard beg to differ.

The Artist Formerly Known as Goldust: One word description. Unpredictable. You never knew what he was going to do next. I’d like to call him, the person that could easily knock the shit out of you, or just rape you. Very scary if I do say so myself.

Chocolate… er… Black Reign: A mouse, a black wig and face paint doesnt make you scary. Another one of TNA’s 31 flavors of fail came to life in 2007 and was stabbing us in the eyes, from the pure stupidity of it all. Someone tell Vince Russo, if it doesnt work the first time it wont work the second.

Father James Mitchell: What could be feared more than the devil himself. Not only was Father James Mitchell able to intimidate people throught ECW and TNA, he created himself to become one of the top pro wrestling managers of this day and age. His dark attitude and menacing use of devilry makes him one of the scariest managers in wrestling history.

Phantasio: Come on. A magician. I understand there is a magic to wrestling but this is just out there. Luckily, this wonder only had one match and only scared us into sorrow for about a minute.

Luna Vachon: This is one hardcore bitch. The peircings, tattoos and braids all combine make one intimidating and ass kicking package. She was a major alternative to the Womens division during the days of the WWF and definetly made a lasting impression that made the toughest of men piss themselves in fear.

Mideon: A product of the Undertaker’s dark acts of 1999. Dennis Knight was a general misfit with the tattoos and renegade garb. Now, you would think he’d become a top monster in wrestling. But something seemed to take a turn. Something like…

A FANNY PACK!!!

Sorry Naked Mideon. You had so much hope.

 

So this was my first post on WordPress and I must say I loved setting this up for whoever will read this. Remember that I will have a new post every Saturday so subscribe in any way and enjoy.