SteelChair Wrestling Magazine #5

the women’s

revolution

//

Scott steiner

STEELCHAIR

WRESTLING JOHNNY MUNDO DISCUSSES WWE, LUCHA UNDERGROUND + MORE! AN INTRODUCTION TO INSANE CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

VIRGIL

ANSWERS ALL YOUR TWITTER QUESTIONS

BROOKE ADAMS TNA STAR TALKS WITH US G1 CLIMAX 25 TOP 10 MATCHES

// ISSUE 5

SteelChairMag.com

2015

ROB VAN DAM

AUG

WHOLE FN MAG!

// a tribute to rowdy roddy piper //

WELCOME

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WELCOME FROM THE EDITOR

W

hat a headliner we have for this issue! One of my all time favourites, a former WWE, ECW and TNA world champion, and the Whole FN show, ROB VAN DAM speaks to us.

We also spoke with current Lucha Undercround star Johnny Mundo and TNA’s Brooke, as well as taking questions from Twitter for Mr. #fuckmoney himself Virgil who discusses Hogan, CM Punk and more.

EDITORIAL David Garlick Editor / Design david@steelchairmag.com

Alan Boon Deputy Editor alan.boon@steelchair.co.uk

Shane Bayliss News Editor news@steelchairmag.com

Cover Photo: Lee South

ADVERTISING To discuss advertising please contact advertising@vulturehound.com

This month’s ‘Introduction to...’ is ICW and we’ve also introduced some new features. Sadly this month we saw the passing of ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper so have a tribute section.

David Garlick @davidgarlick

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HIGHLIGHTS

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Copyright 2015 SteelChair Magazine. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written consent of SteelChair Magazine. Requests for permission should be directed to: info@steelchairmag.com.

2 ordinary guys With extraordinary opinions....

The

Altered Angle Podcast Follow us on Twitter @TheAlteredAngle

Listen to us on Stitcher radio, iTunes and Tunein radio.

PAST MONTH MATCHES OF THE MONTH

1

SASHA BANKS VS BAYLEY NXT TAKEOVER

Women’s matches on the Takeover shows are always something special, but Banks & Bayley absolutely topped the previous efforts..

Banks’s farewell?,It was a great way to go out.

2

SHINSUKE NAKAMURA VS HIROSHI TANAHASHI

NJPW G1 CLIMAX

You’d think that, after over a decade of fighting each other, these two would run out of new ways to amaze, but every time they meet they pull something special out.

3

TIMOTHY THATCHER VS

EVOLVE 47

VAMPIRO VS PENTAGON JR LUCHA UNDERGROUND:

OF THE MONTH

CESARO ometimes you have to play the cards you’re dealt and no-one could blame Cesaro for thinking he’d gotten a terrible hand when Tyson Kidd suffered a serious injury two months ago. The two had exploded onto the tag-team scene and Cesaro must have thought that was it for him, at least for a while.

S

But John Cena’s WWE US title open challenge gave the chance to be slotted into the upper mid-card as a singles wrestler again, even challenging Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight title.

And he’s taken that chance with both hands. Without question, the wrestler of the month.

ULTIMA LUCHA

Garbage wrestling, death matches, hardcore... call it what you will/ That’s not to say this didn’t have tons of that, but it also had pace, structure, and two men so utterly convincing in their roles that you couldn’t fail to be absorbed in their battle.

5

WRESTLER

ZACK SABRE JR

Thatcher and Sabre Jr are throwbacks to an era where wrestling was about, well, wrestling, and they put on a clinic here. Both these men have huge futures.

4

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SETH ROLLINS VS NEVILLE RAW, 03/08/2015

This, an open challenge he almost regretted, was fast-paced and hard-hitting, and the live crowd bought into Neville actually having a chance to win the title on a random Raw in the middle of nowhere. Great work.

EVENT OF OF THE MONTH ULTIMA LUCHA AUGUST 2O15 STEELCHAIR 05

ICW

06 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

AN INTRODUCTION TO

INSANE CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING WORDS: COIRÉ MC CRYSTALL | PHOTOS: ICW

S

top me if you’ve heard

As mentioned, Mark Dallas started the

this one before: a young

fledgling Insane Championship Wrestling

lad just barely into his

(ICW) in 2006. As Mark would later say

twenties decides to promote

himself, the first shows weren’t massively

a wrestling show at his

successful. Headlined by future WWE star

local community centre. This type of thing

Drew Galloway, ICW took a hiatus in 2007.

happens basically every weekend - I’d even

Promotions go under all the time; good

hazard a guess and say that some of those

and bad. Rarely does it ever have anything

reading this very article have at one point

to do with potential. For every fire that

or another tried their hand at being the

burns brightly before burning out; there’s

Vince McMahon of their local community

a sham promotion looking to sucker some

centre. Very rarely do these promotions

punters out of their cash before crawling

succeed. Countless ‘feds’ go down the

towards death, unmissed and unloved.

tubes - it’s a tough business and there’s no

With those odds, it’s really hard to try and

shame in failing.

make a promotion work. At the heart of it, promoters need to be fans, and any fan

This would usually be the part where you’d

would prefer their go at ‘the business’ to

mention that this month’s promotion is a

be the flame that burns out rather than the

runaway success; but this isn’t that type of

con that crawls.

story. Mark Dallas’ Insane Championship Wrestling isn’t that promotion. This isn’t

So that’s where it gets interesting - Dallas

the story of that rare indy that lit the scene

would take another swing at making ICW

ablaze on its first go - if you’re looking for

work, because not everyone is Mark Dallas.

a story like that; PROGRESS was in the last

Dave Meltzer, the godfather of writing

issue. This is an even rarer thing - this is

about wrestling, once said that wrestling

the promotion that didn’t get it right first

promoters often book ‘themselves’. Antonio

try and kept going, and going, and going,

Inoki tried to book wrestlers like legit

‘til they cracked it - and that’s part of the

fighters because he fancied himself a legit

reason you should love ICW.

fighter. Bill Watts booked tough guys and

>

AUGUST 2O15 STEELCHAIR 07

ICW seems like a pilot for the two to follow and it is genuinely fascinating to see the growth in the company - from their fear that one unsuccessful show would be the ruination of the whole thing to the heights of the third documentary, where the lads are worried that their expansion into different markets in the UK would well… be the ruination of the whole thing. There’s this nervous fragility to ICW that you only see in the greatest pieces of art - there’s passion and there’s soul in it yes, but even as its gotten bigger there has always been this feeling that ICW isn’t supposed to exist as unapologetically as it does.

In the inaugural Vice documentary, Dallas sneers down a camera phone and effs and blinds his way through a manifesto via promo; hissing all that glistens isn’t gold and how ICW is real.

The people in the ring and behind the

this is the promotion that didn’t get it right first try but kept going, and going, and going bar brawlers because he thought that’s

to do with potential or talent.

what he was. And possibly the most famous example; Vince McMahon books

ICW gained its first big push towards

bodybuilders because, in his heart, he

success when it was featured in a

thinks he’s a bodybuilder. So when it

documentary for Vice magazine entitled

comes down to it, Mark Dallas, with his

‘The British Wrestler’. Initially meant to

endearing sincerity, camaraderie with the

take the piss out of British wrestling,

lads and gritty determination to scrape

the documentary stumbled upon ICW

and claw for every inch of ICW’s success,

and how much it meant to a good

has booked himself. If you take a look at

number of people, transforming an

the roster he’s assembled, from Grado;

attempt to denigrate our hobby into a

the ‘Chubby Wee Chancer Fae the Tap

promotion of it. The documentary did

End of Stevenson’ whose story saw him

a good deal to promote the Glaswegian

having to scheme his way into even being

company and humanise the people

booked for ICW (eventually becoming

who made it happen. Since then, the

one of the top draws in the UK), to Drew

promotion has grown exponentially and

Galloway, who worked his way to WWE

has gone on to be featured in two part

only to be let go and, like ICW, have to

documentary series, ‘Insane Fight Club’.

begin again from where he started. As I

Whilst not officially related, the Vice

said earlier - not succeeding has nothing

documentary on the promotion almost

08 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

curtain are, in essence, cut from the same cloth as those paying for tickets.

You can’t see any strings behind his thinking, because there are none - this is what ICW is. It’s as working class as working class gets. It’s something for people who love wrestling, and not just the ‘sports entertainment’ style, that so many other organisations try to ape. “I’m not meant to have an option,” Dallas says. He went out and made his own option.

Aesthetically, ICW is proudly rough around the edges. The shows are for ages 18 and up, with the earlier postcommunity centre events being held in nightclubs. The show had grown to as big as it was going to get in the same location, relying on regulars and repeat business. Generally in wrestling booking there are a core group of fans, but ICW took their rabid fanbase to another level.

In a world where several American promotions book badly trained wrestlers to cripple themselves with fluorescent light tubes, barbed wire tables and staple guns with nonsensical spots and

Owner Mark Dallas, Drew Galloway and Jack Jester can be seen in the background of an episode of Total Divas

every other guy wrestles in jean shorts

blasphemy; to insinuate that ICW is

The short answer is yes. Whilst the series

and a metal t-shirt, in the hopes of

merely a player of the ECW ‘genre’ is

of documentaries about ICW has helped

being named the heir to the ECW throne,

to extremely sell the promotion short.

the promotions gain recognition across

ICW is probably the closest promotion

Please excuse the pun.

the world, it has become something of a

to claim the honour. (As an aside: what

darling to hardcore fans on the internet.

is with the jean shorts, lads? Get some

ICW is notable for its rabid fanbase;

And so follows the long answer, which

gear.) Their die-hard fans, hardcore

and yet initially, this was cause for

can be attributed to a few things

style and effervescent persona all paint

worry. While ICW could sell out a

ICW as being the Scottish reincarnation

venue in Glasgow based on their name

Firstly, ICW lacks any and all

of Philadelphia’s favourite promotion.

recognition, would crowds in England be

pretensions. ICW does not hold any

Though as the risk of committing

as forthcoming to the Scottish upstarts?

delusions of grandeur and has been

>

AUGUST 2O15 STEELCHAIR 09

ICW decidedly immature. Whether it’s Grados decidedly camp schtick or the constant piss-taking of the commentary team, ICW are legitimately funny. Part of the reason they are so funny leads me to my final reason for why ICW is a darling promotion for serious wrestling fans: it’s relatable.

ICW is a promotion that knows where it’s come from and knows its audience.

It’s an option for those, who Dallas said, “[didn’t] have an option”. ‘The Bucky Boys’ have an incredibly relatable gimmick - they were just a pack of lads who drank Buckfast and wore tracksuits.

You could probably find lookalikes of them in any bus depot or doing donuts in a Homebase car park, but that’s what made the gimmick so good - these were people who existed in the world. Grado, too, is a gimmick steeped in simply being a fan. Exaggerated people, but really, not that exaggerated. ICW is so delightfully Scottish, you could nearly believe it was booked by Irvine Welsh. At a recent event, Grado downed a can of Irn Bru, the most Scottish of all cans, like some kind of Scottish Popeye, to help him muster up the courage to dive 15ft down onto Bram. Why? Because the tag line for the drink is ‘Irn Bru gets you through’. That right there is commitment to a joke.

In terms of watching ICW, you have some great options. Firstly, attending a live event is typically considered to be the best way of experiencing ICW. As ICW has started to tour more and more around the UK this has become easier, so if you’re lucky enough to live in a consistently humble. This can be

help of Brookside legend Jimmy Corkhill

large market, ICW may be coming your

evidenced throughout the ‘Insane Fight

for their show in Liverpool.

way in the near future. If you’re like me, however and live in a near dead-zone for

Club’ series, but it’s also shown in the fact that ICW is a marketing machine.

Another reason for the success of

major players on the UK scene; or if you

ICW are well known for their marketing

ICW is their sense of humour. Insane

live in a part of the world outside of the

stunts, such as defacing landmarks

Championship Wrestling does most

UK, ICW still have a variety of viewing

in towns that they are running, viral

things with their tongue firmly planted

options available to you. As I mentioned

YouTube videos promoting shows and in

in cheek. Whilst the shows are promoted

before, the Vice documentary and two

one memorable instance, enlisting the

as for mature audiences, the humour is

BBC documentaries on the promotion

10 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

Current NXT Champion Finn Balor once held the Zero G Championship

serve as excellent companions to ICW;

a skyscraper going up. Their recording

amongst the larger independent

and if they aren’t required viewing,

setup and presentation get better, the

promotions for a cool $5.99. It’s quite

they are at least highly recommended.

venues get bigger, yet their attitude stays

funny that the WWE invests millions

Furthermore, the ICW YouTube page

the same. The ICW website also offers

upon millions in their own network

is one of the more robust YouTube

a newer series called ‘ICW Fight Club’,

when promotions like PROGRESS and

pages amongst UK independent feds.

which is recommended, albeit not on a

ICW are doing, what is essentially the same concept, for cheaper using an

ICW

off-the-shelf service. ICW’s video library

is proudly rough

is massive, partly because of how long the promotion has been running and recording its shows in comparison to

around the edges

its contemporaries and partly because of how many shows it records whilst it is on tour. Whilst the earliest content is ropey, the latest ICW content is polished

Whilst their output has slowed over the

regular schedule.

past year or so, a lot of very enticing

without losing its charm and is highly watchable not just on a tiny laptop, but

material can be found on that page all

ICW do sell DVD’s via their online shop,

on a big TV as well so you can hear Joe

for the inarguably bargain price for free.

but unless you feel a compulsion to

Hendry in the air every night. As always,

Another interesting reason to watch

‘own’ shows, streaming is recommended

your mileage may vary.

the documentaries and the YouTube

to all but those with the worst of internet

content is to see the development and

connections. ICW’s on demand video

As I said, ICW is a promotion that has

evolution of ICW over the years. When

library is exceptional though, and can

fought for every inch. It’s a promotion

binge watched, the promotion almost

be subscribed to in the pivotshare

which has changed the game by

resembles one of those time lapses of

format which has become quite common

wearing its imperfections on its sleeve unapologetically and has found a way to speak to its core audience without condescending to them - mostly because it is run by those who would be in its core audience. ICW really is something special, from the days when it was this hidden gem for anyone outside of Glasgow, to now where it has become a serious promotion not just in the UK, but also on the world stage, thanks to online word of mouth and its on demand library. There is a chance that ICW isn’t for you - maybe it’s too gritty, or too uncouth, or too Scottish, but isn’t that the case with wrestling as a whole? Aside from the Scottish part, anyway. If you don’t get it, it’s honestly a great loss for you, but if you do get it, you’ll probably love it, because for those who get it, this is a promotion which is made for yersel’.

AUGUST 2O15 STEELCHAIR 11

NEWS

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WHAT’S BEEN GOING ON THIS MONTH?

1

HAVOC FINALLY LOSES THE PROGRESS TITLE

At PROGRESS Chapter Twenty: Beyond Thunderbastard after 609 days with the gold Jimmy Havoc finally lost the PROGRESS Championship to Will Ospreay, I can’t imagine Jimmy will take to lightly to his reign finally so at PROGRESS Chapter Twenty-One in September Ospreay should probably watch his back.

2

CENA’S FACE In what could possibly become the PG Era’s most un-PG moment, Seth Rollins broke John Cena’s nose mid-match turning Cena into a modern day Elephant Man. The knee to the face mid-match severely broke the US Champs nose leaving him off TV for a couple of weeks, taking the Title vs. Title Match at Summer Slam to a personal level.

HULK HOGAN IS ERASED FROM MEMORY

On 23rd July WWE began quietly removing all traces of Hulk Hogan from their website and Hall of Fame, the news that started to break that ‘The Hulkster’ had been recorded making certain racist comments and that ‘both parties’ had decided to part ways.

3

ROLLINS BREAKS

GFW INVADE TNA, KIND OF

In a storyline that everyone saw coming, Jeff Jarrett and his GFW roster invaded TNA Impact, to a degree. With authority figure Bully Ray out of the picture, Jarrett helped out old friend Dixie Carter by booking the some shows, with a number of GFW rosters including PJ Black (formerly Justin Gabriel in WWE) who

RODDY PIPER PASSES AWAY Always the worse kind of news to report on, the wrestling world lost yet another icon when ‘Hot Rod’ Roddy Piper passed away at the age of 61. Hall of Famer Piper needs no introductions and any summery of his work and career would be insufficient, Rowdy was one of a kind that will probably never be seen again.

became new King of the Mountain.

AUGUST 2O15 STEELCHAIR 13

ROB VAN DAM

THE WHOLE FN INTERVIEW:

ROB VAN DAM WORDS: SHANE BAYLISS | COVER + POSED PHOTOS: LEE SOUTH ob Van Dam is a man who

two that I know of that have the same

needs no introduction.

kind of a deal. He created a precedent

Yet, he has many. From

to allow him to tour with Fozzy, and then

ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, ALTHOUGH

Mr Monday Night, to Mr

tour with WWE when he’s not with his

YOU HELD WWE CHAMPIONSHIPS IT

Money in the Bank, to

band. So they decided to try that with

NEVER FELT LIKE YOU WERE BEING

One of a Kind to The Whole F’n Show.

me, which works with me. I really get to

FORCEFULLY PUT OVER AND THAT

So without further ado, ladies and

enjoy my off time a lot more than the

YOU WERE BEING GIVEN A PUSH. IT

gentleman Rob Van Dam.

other wrestlers.

ALWAYS FELT NATURAL AND ORGANIC.

R

for the guys who don’t take a break.

WAS THAT HOW IT WAS FROM THE FIRST THINGS FIRST, I THINK THE

THERE IS THAT ‘SPORT

INSIDE, OR WAS IT ALWAYS VERY

MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW.

ENTERTAINMENT’ STIGMA, WHERE

MUCH “THIS IS OUR PLAN FOR YOU”?

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS IN TERMS OF

PEOPLE DON’T ALWAYS REALISE

A RETURN TO THE RING, AND WHAT IS

YOU AREN’T JUST DOING RAW AND

People always want to ask me “were they

YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH WWE LIKE

SMACKDOWN, QUITE OFTEN YOU

going to do this, were they going to do

AT PRESENT?

ARE DOING 6 OR 7 NIGHTS IN A ROW

that” and the honest answer is I have no

PUTTING YOUR BODY ON THE LINE.

idea what they were or weren’t going to

I expect I will return to the WWE, but

do. I just lived the life. I’m always the

I don’t have plans in the foreseeable

Yeah, and also they don’t realise the

last guy to try and find out information.

future to do that. I have an open door

wrestlers are real people. These are

If it was up to me, I’d turn up at the

policy, and I’m still with them under a

characters they see on TV, and the Rob

arena one hour before bell time, get my

merchandise contract that binds me

Van Dam they know from TV, if he’s not

stretch on and go to work, and actually

to them as opposed to any of their

in the ring going for the championship

90% of the time I do that. I always knew

competitors, so that answers a lot of

belt then he is thinking about it 24 hours

that I wasn’t one of their created guys,

questions people have about me turning

a day, but that’s more of a part that I

or one of their chosen guys, and I always

up anywhere else. I do very few select

play. When I went back to WWE in 2013

knew that being the non-conformist I am,

independent matches in between my

because I had chosen not to re-sign with

there would be limits to my marketability

WWE contracts and that works out best

them years ago, it was because I’d had

from their stand point because they

for me right now. I’m enjoying not being

enough travel to last me three lifetimes

want someone they can really mould,

on the road with WWE too much to start

when I left. When I went back in 2013 I

someone that’s a puppet and can do

thinking about going back.

had a 90 day contract, so I knew when

whatever they want. I don’t mean that

I was coming and going but in that 90

in a bad way. The best employee is

IS IT A SIMILAR CONTACT TO CHRIS

days I did about 66 matches. So you

somebody that will do whatever you want

JERICHO WHERE HE’LL JUST GO BACK

don’t usually travel from or to home on

and I am not able to because I have

AND DO A HANDFUL OF WWE LIVE

the day you wrestle, it’s usually the day

some stubborn old school principles

EVENTS?

before and day after, so figure out 66 of

and values and beliefs that I can’t

90 and then factor in the travel days and

compromise. As an artist, I’m not going

you have an idea what it’s like full time

to get something out of it just serving as

Very similar. Jericho and I are the only

14 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

>

ROB VAN DAM

ROB VAN DAM where they have another ‘guy.’ They always have that ‘one guy’ who stands out as being the face of the company.

You can’t just erase Hulk Hogan from WWE history, from my perspective there are few guys that fans have held up to that level. ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, The Rock and Cena is there, but I don’t think I’m forgetting anyone. I think that’s about it on that level. There is a reason for that, and the reason is Vince knows how to make money. I was very mouldable in my first couple of years.

The Sheik and Sabu told me “it doesn’t matter what they call you, it doesn’t matter what they want to do with you, you are just there to get experience.”

At that point you could call me the International Patriot, the Flying Tiger, the Polish Prince, whatever and I would

someone’s tool. So I always felt that I’d

YOU MENTION THAT YOU FEEL

be limited, but I had my following that

THEY WANT PEOPLE WHO THEY

respected me for that, and the following

CAN MOULD, AND YOUR LAST FEW

that respected me not knowing that,

MATCHES OF YOUR WWE RUN WERE

the ones who appreciated me for what

AGAINST SETH ROLLINS. DO YOU

they saw. That got me further than I

THINK THEY’VE CHOSEN THE RIGHT

ever thought I would go. I never thought

PERSON TO TAKE THE COMPANY

I would be WWE Champion, because

FORWARD, BECAUSE I SEE SOME OF

I knew that they weren’t really behind

YOU HIM IN TERMS OF HIS IN-RING

me, and they were more confused with

ABILITY. IS THAT SOMETHING YOU

how over I was with the crowd and then

SEE YOURSELF?

they were trying to figure out how to capitalise on that, I felt like throughout

I don’t know if Seth Rollins is the right

my whole career. The only exception is

guy, there is a whole bunch of decision

Paul Heyman, the only person who I felt

makers who decide on the actions that

really stood up for me in the office and

take the company forward. Cena I think

had my best interest at heart.

is still the guy, and think he will be until some point that I can’t imagine

16 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

wrestle under all these names. Rob Van Dam was even one of those towards the end of that era where the last name put on me stuck. If I’d have been in WWE at that point I’d have done whatever they said, and that would have been right for me, but because I had so much experience when I arrived that limited how much they could really invest in me. That’s the balance. It’s good to have a lot of experience, but too much

Photo: Mike Kalasnik

I’M ENJOYING NOT BEING ON THE ROAD WITH WWE TOO MUCH TO START THINKING ABOUT GOING BACK.

Despite a record breaking run as TV champion, RVD was never ECW World Champion during their original run

and you become set in your ways, which is not a flaw by the way and I have no regrets. Like I said, I never thought I would have been the top guy and had the belt, and that would have never happened if I hadn’t changed the whole playing field by bringing ECW back and being the right guy to represent that movement.

YOU MENTIONED SABU, AND ONE OF OUR QUESTIONS ON TWITTER WAS, WHAT MEMORIES DO YOU HAVE OF TRIPS TO WALTHAMSTOW IN THE MID-90S WORKING FOR DIRT BIKE KID? I knew him through Sabu. Sabu had been working with the guy, he thought he had a good thing going and that his heart

BEST FROG-SPLASH OF MY CAREER? CENA THROUGH THE TABLE AT THE HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM

was in the right place. That was my first time coming across the pond to London. I think it was ‘97 I was in London for the St. Valentines Massacre and I was also in Germany. That was

and we’d just love to display our art form in that way.” That

my 1st time to Europe, and the start of something I would do

was the idea, and it got such a good reaction it became an

throughout my career.

annual event and we brought the third brand back. At first it had potential and I had a lot of hope and I had a lot of fun

YOU MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT HEYMAN AND ECW.

at first, but when ECW came back it was not the same and

WHEN THEY RELAUNCHED ECW WHAT WAS THE FEELING

we were always fighting against them further bastardising

BETWEEN THE OLD GUARD, BECAUSE IT FELT LIKE THEY

it and them adding really undesirable factors to the brand.

ONLY BROUGHT SOME OF THOSE GUYS BACK FOR THE

But at first, I had some really good matches with Sabu, Test

NOSTALGIA ELEMENT AND TO GET THE BRAND OVER WITH

and Bob Holly. These were really awesome matches and

THE FANS.

I was excited to do that on their stage. A lot more people were seeing the old ECW, and because of that the old ECW

That was the idea originally, I went to Vince and said “let us just do one more show, where we can be ECW. You have enough guys on your books who are former ECW wrestlers

libraries are being watched on ‘the network.’

DO YOU EVER THINK THEY COULD USE ‘THE NETWORK’ TO BRING IT BACK AND HAVE ANOTHER RUN ON A SMALLER LEVEL. THERE ARE SHOWS SUCH AS NXT WHICH ARE NETWORK EXCLUSIVE WHICH ARE WORKING VERY WELL, DO YOU THINK IT COULD COME BACK WITH ‘THE OLD GUARD’ HAVING CREATIVE CONTROL ON A SMALLER BUDGET? Stranger things have happened, it wouldn’t floor me if they did. I don’t think necessarily that would be the right thing to do. The further that it gets away from its nucleus the more fans are disappointed. They want it to stand for what it did and it can never be what it was in the 90s.

YOU’VE HAD MANY MATCHES WITH SABU OVER THE COURSE OF YOUR CAREER, IS IT PURELY DOWN TO YOUR TRAINING TOGETHER THAT HELPED CREATE THAT CHEMISTRY? Knowing each other inside and out?

It definitely gave me an edge with him. He was the first guy that I was in the ring taking bumps with. Even

>

AUGUST 2O15 STEELCHAIR 17

ROB VAN DAM

RVD has never met Jean Claude Van Damne

like this whole generation of wrestlers grew up watching me, and were inspired by me and I never got to pass on the old school fundamentals which are behind why I do what I do, and the style has changed so much I feel like they are my bastard children that I never got to raise.

We also had a number of questions through twitter, so we wanted to put Photo: Mike Kalasnik

some of those to you.

FAVOURITE WRESTLER GROWING UP? It changed, but Ultimate Warrior was the biggest inspiration for sure.

beyond that though, you have to have

had some my favourite matches of my

WHEN THE TIME COMES AROUND

like-minded views of the world to have

career with him. They kind of blend

AND YOU FINALLY WRESTLE YOUR

that chemistry. I could have been one

in, I don’t know difference between

LAST MATCH, WHO WOULD YOU LIKE

of many people that went into Sheiks

my Guilty as Charged match or my

TO WRESTLE AGAINST?

wrestling school that had different

Whatever to Remember match, but I

views, and that didn’t agree with me

don’t remember feeling I could have

Sabu theoretically.

and didn’t want the same things out of

rolled straight over him because I didn’t

a match, didn’t find that same things

feel like that was the right thing to do.

BEST FROG-SPLASH OF YOUR

exciting and then it wouldn’t have

I didn’t even know the guy, we had a

CAREER?

worked. Anyone I’ve had really good

mutual friend Scotty. That first match

matches with were extreme like Sabu or

we had at the Philly Arena ended up

Good question, I guess I’ll go with frog-

Jerry Lynn or even Rey Mysterio or Jeff

being 25 minutes or something, I had

splashing Cena through the table at

Hardy. When I have matches with those

a bloody nose, my outfits ripped, my

the Hammerstein Ballroom because it

guys it’s so good because we both like

hairs all out of place and I’m pulling

brought me and all the ECW lovers to

that same things about what we did, we

splinters out my ass from the tables

the top of the world.

are both turned on by the same kind of

and when I beat him it really meant a

entertainment, like ‘whoa, that was a

lot and it started something beautiful.

HUGE THANKS TO ROB FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF HIS SCHEDULE TO TALK

cool move.’ Some guys don’t think that way. They think inside the box and we

SPLINTERS IN YOUR ASS, SUMS

TO US, AND AS HE SAID THE WWE

think outside the box.

UP YOUR STYLE OF HARDCORE

NETWORK IS FULL OF ECW CONTENT

WRESTLING. IS THAT SOMETHING

THAT IS WORTH A COUPLE OF HOURS

YOU MENTIONED JERRY LYNN, AND

YOU WOULD RECOMMEND TO

OF YOUR TIME.

HE’S BEEN MUCH TALKED ABOUT

THE YOUNGER WRESTLERS, THAT

RECENTLY DUE TO HIS SURGERY.

HARDCORE STYLE KNOWING WHAT

WHAT MEMORIES DO YOU HAVE OF

YOU KNOW?

WORKING WITH JERRY? ANY STAND OUT MATCHES?

I wouldn’t recommend anyone to do what I do, except in thinking for

All my memories of Jerry are good. I

yourself. I always heard don’t try to take

always liked him and chose to take the

somebody’s spot, try to create your

time to see what I could pull out of

own. Don’t try to be ‘this guy’, because

him when we first wrestled, and it was

there is already ‘this guy’. I’ve always

an investment that paid off because I

applied that it has worked for me, I feel

18 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

NJPW

TOP TEN MUST SEE MATCHES OF G1 CLIMAX 25 WORDS: DOMINIC GRIFFIN

f you’ve never had the privilege to partake in NJPW’s G1 Climax tournament, an annual showcase for the roster to prove, time and again, why New Japan is still the King of Sports, then you have been sorely missing out. Every year’s talent pool varies in depth and size, but the two-block round robin style remains the same, meaning that every competitor must have a match with every other combatant in his designated block.

This means you get an insane variety of match-ups between fighters of varying styles. It’s like if the King of The Ring lasted several weeks, or if the Royal Rumble was a month long instead of an hour (kinda.)

After four or so years of casually following the tournament, this is the first year I watched the entire goddamn thing. That’s right. Nineteen shows. Three hours a show. 5 Tournaments. 89 fucking matches.

(Also, a lot of undercard stuff too, but let’s be honest and admit that watching all the undercard stuff is a bridge too far.) Even with NJPW World streaming the shows live and having them available on demand shortly after, it’s a LOT of content to sift through. So here, for you, I give my (very subjective) list of the ten most must see matches of G1 Climax 25. I cannot guarantee you will agree with each of these choices, but at the very

I

20 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

least, they are all great jumping on points to hopefully hook you into the product and to check out the rest of the roost. (The biggest glaring gap on this list is the finals. It goes without saying that you HAVE TO SEE THE FINALS.)

HIROSHI TANAHASHI VS. KOTA IBUSHI (7/20/15) This was originally intended to be the opening night’s main event of last year’s G1 before Ibushi removed from the tournament with an injury and replaced by Tomoaki Honma, so anticipation levels were absurdly high. The current NJPW ace in his first big singles match against a man many believe to be the future of the promotion. This is a hard hitting, brilliantly paced match that is only hindered by Ibushi’s seeming refusal to sell the vicious leg work Tana dishes out. You could argue that he’s just taking fighting spirit to new heights and he is selling his hurt leg, but hiding it to save face against a living legend, which is the narrative interpretation I find comfort in, but regardless, this is not one to miss.

TORU YANO VS. A.J. STYLES (7/24/15) One of my favorite things about the

-

G1 is the variety. You get to see a comedy wrestler like Yano have a match with The Phenomenal AJ Styles and it’s put in a position to succeed, not just suck air in between other matches. Seeing Styles’ no nonsense gaijin persona clash with Yano’s rulebreaker routine elicits some legitimately hilarious moments and leads to a really great looking finish.

Maybe not the workrate bukkake you guys might associate with the G1, but definitely entertaining, and a real breath of fresh air.

HIROSHI TANAHASHI VS. HIROYOSHI TENZAN (7/24/15) Even though Tana is a huge babyface, there are shows where he gets a mixed reaction from the crowd. Unlike John Cena (with his “some’a y’all like me and some’a y’all don’t” shtick), Tana actually plays into it, heeling up his usual routine. Up against a hometown favorite, aging superstar like Tenzan, Tana cranks up the dickishness inherent to his aura, and the crowd laps it up, frothing for a Tenzan upset. It reminds me a little of an old school Flair match, to be honest, and Tenzan, despite being past his prime, brings everything he’s got. A real surprise and a definite treat.

No foreigner has ever won the G1 Climax

HIROSHI TANAHASHI VS. TETSUYA NAITO (7/25/15) On the flipside of that bout, we have Tanahashi back to playing the superhero against newly minted heel Naito. What makes this one so amazing is that just two years ago, Naito was a rising fan favorite, in many ways set up to eventually usurp Tana (as evidenced by Tana putting him over in the finals of the 2013 G1.)

Seeing grizzled ‘Los Ingobernables’ Naito, with his facial hair and stoned gaze, lashing out at his would be reflection, literally spitting in Tana’s face, is incredible, and this is the match that officially cemented his new standing as one of NJPW’s top rudos.

KATSUYORI SHIBATA VS. KOTA IBUSHI (7/29/15) In my humble opinion, no one had a more consistent G1 than Shibata, and the reasoning is simple. He’s a very straightfoward, no frills kinda guy.

His entire offensive strategy is kickkick-kick-forearm-forearm-dropkicksleeper hold-really really hard kick. He sticks out on a roster full of guys with more innovative offense. I used to find him pretty boring, but this year, he’s gotten so much better at selling and facial expressions that all of his bouts crackle with intensity and intrigue.

This one with Ibushi is another example of the young upstart trying to get a big win over one of the Three Musketeers. It’s a huge sprint, full of strikes and reversals. I sincerely hope these two get to go at it again soon.

KATSUYORI SHIBATA VS. BAD LUCK FALE (8/2/15)

An easy way to decide who’s doing well in the G1 isn’t just to measure their performances up against the top contenders, but how well they fare against less interesting opponents.

Fale isn’t without his charms, but he’s far from the promotion’s most compelling figure, so being able to put on a great match with the behemoth is a big achievement. Tana did it. AJ did it. Nakamura’s done it in the past. Shibata, true to form, had maybe the best Fale match of the year, putting a strong style spin on the David & Goliath narrative so many of Fale performances follow. This is a short one, but no less worthwhile for its brevity.

TOMOAKI HONMA VS. TOMOHIRO ISHII (8/12/15) Honma, with the burnt orange tint of his skin and his platinum hair, often resembles a mirror universe Hulk Hogan, but it’s possible that his connection with the crowd as a perennially positive underdog is even stronger than The Hulkster’s. After losing every single match in last year’s G1 and every single match leading up to the tournament’s final days this year, many thought there was gonna be a light at the end of the tunnel in his final bout with Yujiro Takahashi, but Honma shocked the world and picked up a victory over Ishii. That isn’t even really a spoiler.

Even knowing Honma will win going in, the sequences that lead up to his triumph remain edge of your seat tension builders.

HIROSHI TANAHASHI VS. A.J. STYLES (8/14/15) This is two nearly forty year old wrestlers in the prime of their careers

trying to outshine one another for a spot in the finals. There’s not much to say. It’s just the best of the matches these two have had together thus far, an insane, incandescent display of charisma, skill and confidence.

TOMOHIRO ISHII VS. MICHAEL ELGIN (8/15/15) My personal favorite arc of this year’s G1 is seeing ROH mainstay Michael Elgin (#BIGMIKE) finally fulfill a long held dream of competing in NJPW, a promotion he seems to have been born to wrestle for. His strength, quiet charm and broad appeal have him fit in just right, hossing the fuck out of the competition. This match with Ishii, himself no stranger to brolic ass offense and dishing out metric fucktons of pain, is perhaps his finest. Seriously, if you watch this and don’t think Elgin should have a permanent spot in NJPW, you’re dead wrong.

SHINSUKE NAKAMURA VS. KAZUCHIKA OKADA (8/15/15) Thanks to an early injury against Karl Anderson (in a middling match), Nakamura was forced miss a show (and, sadly, his match against Elgin.)

His other matches were solid, but none of them felt of a piece with his more stellar output. Luckily, he brought his A game for the final B Block match against CHAOS stablemate (and IWGP Heavyweight Champion) Okada, a rematch from last year’s final. That match saw Okada decisively prove himself against his elder, but here, Nakamura gets his win back, proving to all the naysayers he’s still the King of Strong Style.

AUGUST 2O15 STEELCHAIR 21

WOMEN'S REVOLUTION

WORDS: LIZZ WHITEHOUSE | PHOTO: CHRIS MARCIANO

WOMEN'S REVOLUTION 22 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

IS NOW THE TIME FOR A WOMEN'S REVOLUTION?

AUGUST 2O15 STEELCHAIR 23

WOMEN'S REVOLUTION

I

t’s easy to be a skeptic when it comes to the female revolution that is said to be happening in the WWE today.

Let’s face it social progression and the world of professional wrestling aren’t exactly the best of pals. It is often hard to break out of the mentality that females are sitting on their best assets with their physiques, especially when you see just how much emphasis is put upon scantily clad women crawling over each other. Even those who claim to be anti anything that has come before them encompass a level of towing the line by grabbing a pair of booty shorts.

For a long time when the WWE showed its audience the females

24 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

on their roster and in proxy their matches, they have been in the ‘bathroom break’ role, wedged in between main event storylines and often adding no real purpose to the card. You only have to take to social media to see how fans mock – and some even detest – women’s wrestling based upon this lack of invested interest that inevitably set females up to fail.

Then there are those who follow the women’s - sorry Diva’s - division just to pass judgment on females who have entered the company, not as previously trained wrestlers or ‘indy darlings’, but instead as swimsuit models or bodybuilders.

It’s surely a running joke by now how many of these people seem to have the memory of a goldfish, as they continuously worship the likes of Trish Stratus, who was brought into the company off the back of

IT'S EASY TO BE A SKEPTIC WHEN IT COMES TO THE FEMALE REVOLUTION.

REVOLU REVOLUTION

Submission Sorority had to change their name as it was already being used by a porn site

being a fitness model.

Fast forward to WWE in 2015, and the saving grace that is NXT glimmers brightly through the dark with gripping matches that show females in the WWE are capable of telling a story, even more so when having the backing of production and fans alike.

Even with the change in NXT, the introduction of the new female talent, the slightly longer matches and more mic time, I have not bought in. My reason being, if WWE were so enthusiastic on making a change they would have done it before it became the ‘popular’ thing to do. They would have been the ones to make the change, they would have been the trailblazers but instead they are the followers.

They follow because ultimately it will make them money for now.

UTION

This is solidified by the way the whole revolution was introduced to the audience. NXT women were not introduced because Paige had been hinting at how she was going to even out the odds and make Team Bella regret throwing their weight around, simply because they out numbered her. No, because that would have made sense. Instead it came in the form of Stephanie McMahon, who torpedoed through everything that came before her with her speech on Raw, and for a split second forgot that she was part of the heel Authority storyline, donned her baby face hat and got angry at fellow heel Nikki Bella for being well…. Heel.

This is solidified by the mention of other female athletes excelling in other sports. The mention of Ronda Rousey, Serena Williams and USA women’s football team winning the women’s world cup made this become a ‘Look over here! Anything they can do; we can do better!” game.

Really, the more things change, the more they stay the same. WWE are once against doing what they do best - exploiting. Exploiting the success of others and turning it into their own, exploiting their female wrestlers – sorry, I mean Divas.

Exploiting the fans – male and female – that have been calling for a change.

Many important conversations concerning the state of WWE’s women’s wrestling needs to happen before this thing can truly be called a revolution: the big one has to be dissolving the ‘diva’ label in favour of the term ‘superstar’ – the same as their male counterparts – better yet; why not call all of them wrestlers? Then there is the garish butterfly championship belt that looks fitting for someone the

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME

REVOLUTI age of five - how about replacing it with something more – you know – championship like? Oh what about, making theme music that doesn’t center on sexual availability. Lets face it I may not want to even look, let alone touch - sorry Bellas!

When you have companies like Shimmer, Chikara Pro, ICW and Lucha Underground taking strides in creating compelling stories, setting up strong divisions for women outside of the stereotypical boobs and catty attitude, women like Candice LeRae holding their own against males, as the so-called standard bearer and easily the company with widest reach the onus is ultimately at WWE’s feet.

Until the company gives its female talent equal screen time and interesting stories – and until it starts teaching the audience to think of women as people instead of objects – WWE, by all means, stay in the Dark Ages.

But as long as we get a trending topic, we’re doing okay ladies! #GiveWomensWrestlingAChance.

AUGUST 2O15 STEELCHAIR 25

MISSING THE MARKS

WORDS: LEE HAZELL | ILLUSTRATION: ERNESTA BANIULYTE

LET GO OF YOUR HEROES S

o, Hulk Hogan has

It’s almost as if they had a button all

is so necessary.

allegedly made a sex tape

prepped and ready to nuke the Hulkster’s

WWE is a large, multinational

with his best friend’s wife

face off the site. Maybe they have one

corporation and a massively influential

in which he made some

for all their employees; after all, we live

presence on both traditional and social

racist remarks. Oh dear.

in a post CM Punk world. Or maybe they

media. To try and sweep Hogan’s

WWE’s emblem of unshakable integrity

were just waiting for the day someone

remarks under the rug would be an

that cost millions of dollars to create

ripped the hinges off his behind-closed-

unforgivable sin to their advertisers and

and promote made a porn film while

doors behaviour and exposed it to the

sponsors everywhere. Oh yes, and to

campaigning to become Grand Cyclops

world.

minorities and marginalised groups of

of the KKK. OK then.

It’s a good thing too. WWE are a publicly

course. It would be a declaration that

Understandably, WWE made the decision

traded company that can’t be seen

they didn’t care about people for whom

to drop him from his contract and

putting profit ahead of ethics. Because

prejudice is still a terrible burden that

cancel all of his appearances. They also

that would be bad for profits. Prejudice

plagues their everyday lives.

withdrew his image from all WWE.com’s

is the great sin of the 21st century. The

Yes, the task WWE have at distancing

pages, and removed all Hogan centric

treatment of ethnic minorities prior to

themselves from their most recognisable

content from the Network, but much like

the civil rights movement remains one of

icon is huge. You may as well ask The

Benoit, his matches are still viewable.

Western Civilisation’s greatest shames.

Walt Disney Company to lay out the

And you’ve as much chance of finding

But the movement was not a magic

traps for Micky Mouse. His presence

anything red and yellow on there as you

wand. Racisim didn’t just magically

permeates both WWE and WCW in their

have finding the confederate flag.

vanish. This is why his exclusion from

most popular incarnations. He was the

They weren’t slow to the punch either.

professional wrestling’s most public face

poster boy for WWE when they made

26 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

>

LET GO OF YOUR HEROES

LET GO OF YOUR HEROES wrestling mainstream. He was the leader of the NWO when they were the Led Zepplin of sports entertainment. Both companies are the most successful in wrestling history and both built their brands around Hulk Hogan. Erasing his influence from their legacy will be hard, thankless and futile work.

But it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try. The message that WWE is sending is one of inclusion. That wrestling is for everybody, not just the white. It’s not a message that they get right most of the time. Another WWE Legend, The Ultimate Warrior, got into a lot of hot water by claiming that Heath Ledger’s greatest act of fatherhood was getting himself killed. All because he dared to star in a film that was sympathetic to homosexuals. Six years later Warrior’s collecting his Hall of Fame award. Seems like the civil rights of the LGBT community are a lot harder to swallow for some folks than those of ethnic minorities.

Not that they’ve had it great in WWE either. Almost every single person on the roster who belongs to a minority or a culture other than American has had to parade themselves around in an insultingly stereotypical gimmick.

African Americans have had to put up with being cast as criminals (Cryme Tyme), voodoo mystics (Papa Sango), and pimps (The Godfather). The Mexicool’s entrance involved them riding to the ring on lawnmowers. Once, Tito Santana was going to be the next WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Then they decided to expand into Canada, not Mexico, so they went with Bret Hart instead, and Tito was left holding a stupid cape as “El Matador.” What a turnaround.

But by refusing to profit from any lucrative Hogan themed merch, they are sending a powerful message. The message that they will not tolerate anyone who would seek to alienate or persecute those different to them. This is a much bigger and important goal than that of keeping the integrity of WWE’s continuity. It’s childish to think that the societal progress of a civilisation still dealing with hate and prejudice is trumped by the need to keep professional wrestling storylines consistent.

After all, it’s better to say that Andre the Giant tripped and fell at WrestleMania 3, than to say he was felled by a racist.

28 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

COURTESY OF FREEMANTLE WE’VE A AN ELIMINATION CHAMBER DVD SIGNED BY SETH ROLLINS, RYBACK AND R-TRUTH TO GIVEAWAY!

WIN WWW.TWITTER,COM/STEELCHAIRMAG

HEAD OVER TO OUR TWITTER @STEELCHAIRMAG FOR A CHANCE TO WIN JULY 2O15 STEELCHAIR 33

JOHNNY MUNDO

JOHNNy

MUNDO 30 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

Jonny Mundo was the winner of Tough Enough III

INTERVIEW: JOHNNY MUNDO ohn Morrison has the world at his feet.

Almost literally. Since his release from WWE in 2011, he’s worked in Mexico - for Lucha Underground’s sister promotion, AAA - and all over the world on the independent circuit, and with several movies under his belt, the Hollywood star he portrayed in the squared circle is now a reality.

J

More than anything, though, his turn as Johnny Mundo, in El Rey’s acclaimed Lucha Underground series, has reminded people just what a talent has been missing from the mainstream for too long. We spoke to Johnny about where he’s ended up and how he got there...

>

>

JOHNNY MUNDO HEY JOHNNY, IT’S A PLEASURE TO SPEAK WITH YOU HOW’S IT GOING? Great bro, good to talk to you.

ARE YOU ENJOYING WORKING FOR LUCHA UNDERGROUND? Couldn’t be happier.

IS IT A BIG CHANGE FROM WHERE YOU’VE WORKED BEFORE? Yes and no. At the end of the day, wrestling is wrestling. I’m in the ring, the seats are pointed at me, and the building is full of people who want to get scream, chant, and have a good time.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HERE VS WWE? This is a group of passionate motivated people collaborating on a vision, Season 1 of lucha felt like working for a Start Up company vs working for a Large Cap company DO YOU FEEL MUNDO IS MORE WHAT YOU HAD ENVISIONED OF THE MORRISON CHARACTER? The Morrison character was best showcased during my early heel run in ECW & on the Dirt Sheet with the Miz- I dropped some of the poetic highbrow narcissism characteristic of Jim Morrison & Charles Baudelaire for the end of my babyface run as John Morrison with WWE & also as Johnny Mundo with Lucha Underground.

DOES THE EPISODIC FORMAT HELP? It helps tape more episodes in less time. From my perspective

32 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

that means that luchadors working for Lucha Underground have the opportunity for something that almost every other professional entertainer & athlete gets… an off season.

YOU WERE ONE OF THE MARQUEE NAMES WHEN THE SHOW STARTED AND PROBABLY THE LEAST “LUCHA”: DID THIS HELP OR HINDER? What?!? The least “lucha”? What about Big Ryck? Haha. I think the fact that there are names coming from different disciplines is one of the things that makes Lucha Underground so engaging.

IS THERE ANYONE YOU’D LIKE TO SEE COME IN TO LUCHA UNDERGROUND?

I’M AN ENTERTAINER. LABELS ARE STUPID. Will Osprey, Noam Dar, Tony Nese.

Ignoring contracts of course...

YOU’VE MOVED SEEMLESSLY INTO AAA - DID YOU FOLLOW LUCHA BEFORE LUCHA UNDERGROUND?

TOP 5 LUCHA UNDERGROUND

MATCHES COMPILED BY ALAN BOON

1

VS. PRINCE PUMA EPISODE 1

PRINCE PUMA+BIG

2

RYCK ($100,000 LADDER MATCH) EPISODE 7

3

KING CUERNO (CAGE MATCH) EPISODE 18

PRINCE PUMA (UP

4

ALL NIGHT IRON MAN MATCH) EPISODE 32

MNM debuted in 2005 vs Rey Mysterio & Eddie Guerrero. I’ve been lucky to get to wrestle some of the greatest luchadors in history during my WWE run.

are accustomed to faster paced acrobatic action, but that doesn’t mean that’s all I do or that’s even what every crowd south of the border wants- there are no absolutes in wrestling

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN HOW YOU WORK NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE BORDER?

DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A WRESTLER WHO ACTS OR AN ACTOR WHO WRESTLES NOW?

North – left, south – right.

Hmmm… NorthLeft would be a cool name, especially if it was a left footed forward playing soccer with Kayne’s kid.

I’m an entertainer. Labels are stupid. Unless we’re talking nutrition facts labels, there’s a lot of wrestlers that should pay more attention to those. Haha-

But I digress… yes. Every crowd is different, crowds in Mexico

DID THE MORE FANTASTICAL ELEMENTS OF LUCHA

5

ALBERTO EL PATRON EPISODE 39

JULY 2O15 STEELCHAIR 25

JOHNNY MUNDO

THIS IS A GROUP OF PASSIONATE MOTIVATED PEOPLE COLLABORATING ON A VISION

UNDERGROUND HELP WITH FIGHTING A JACK RUSSELL IN RUSSELL MADNESS? I filmed Russell madness almost a year before we started taping any episodes of Lucha Underground… that’s one of the biggest differences between pro wrestling & moviesMovies take FOREVER to get finishedwresting is instant gratification.

HOW SATISFYING WAS THE ALL NIGHT LONG MATCH WITH PRINCE PUMA? IT’S A MATCH OF THE YEAR CONTENDER - DID YOU FEEL THAT

34 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

FROM THE OFF? I feel like I’ve had some of the best matches of my career at Lucha Underground- I always have great matches with Puma- I knew that one was going to be epic.

IS THAT YOUR FAVOURITE MATCH SINCE JOINING LUCHA UNDERGROUND? IF NOT, WHAT IS? My favorite match is my next match.

WE DON’T WANT TO GO TOO DARK, BUT HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH ANY SETBACK? My glass is always half full. Even when its all the way full, it’s half full… and when it’s empty, it’s also half full.

ANY PLANS TO COME BACK OVER TO THE UK ANYTIME SOON? Yessss!! I’ll be there for Halloweenwrestling for 4FW in Swindon. Come watch!

ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO SAY TO YOUR FANS?

Morrison / Mundo sunglasses with crosses right now:

I started in this business because I loved watching it when I was a kid. Thank you for being a wrestling fan, without you there would be no me… & no other wrestlers, or pro wrestling for that matter. I’m humbled & honored every time I have the opportunity to perform in front of you all-

www.prowrestlingtees.com/wrestler-tshirts/johnny-mundo/johnny-glasses. html

If you want people know that you are part of the JohnTourage, order your

Follow me on twitter: @TheRealMorrison instagram: @JohnHennigan Get #LeanAndMean with Out Of Your Mind Fitness OutOfYourMindFitness.com

AUGUST 2O15 STEELCHAIR 35

PROGRESS

PROGRESS: BEYOND THUNDERBASTARD WORDS: ALAN BOON / PHOTO: ROB BRAZIER

W

alking through Camden on a Sunday lunchtime

last - chance to dethrone the champ...

ought to mean you’re browsing the market, or

Perhaps because PROGRESS had done such a bang-up job of

maybe going for lunch at one of the bazillion

promoting the main event - they produced an incredible video

places to eat - I particularly liked the look of the

package encapsulating the feud - the rest of the card felt like

Puerto Rican place I passed in some backstreet

an appetiser. Sure, that used to be the thing with professional

- but for over seven hundred people on Sunday July 26th it

wrestling, that everything should build to the final match, but

only meant one thing: a rush to queue up outside the Electric

wrestling has moved on (not always for the better) since those

Ballroom for the last chapter in the PROGRESS story.

days of received wisdom, and it created an odd schism.

Keen readers will remember I’d been to PROGRESS before, in

That’s not to say the matches weren’t good, or that the fellas

January, and I wasn’t sure if it was for me. I tried one of their

working them didn’t work hard and smart. It was more a

trainee shows in April and I liked that, so I figured I owed them

feeling of eating your greens before attacking those sweet roast

one more chance. Not that they’d miss me - the demand for

potatos. The opener was notable for what seemed to be Noam

tickets is phenomenal, selling out in under twenty minutes with

Dar’s last performance (for a while or for ever, it wasn’t clear)

zero matches announced. But, you know, I have an inflated

for PROGRESS, losing to Pastor William Eaver, and then 2015

sense of my importance and so I found myself standing on the

Natural Progression series winner Flash Morgan Webster won a

pavement outside a rock venue in the pouring rain.

four-way filled with crazy spots.

Beyond Thunderbastard was the company’s twentieth main

Self-professed GZR, Sebastian, kicked off the 2016 Natural

roster show and, despite taking place in the height of summer,

Progression series with a win over Damian Dunne, before the

it was the first time it had rained on show day. Ever resourceful

Sumerian Death Squad - tattooed Dutchmen Tommy End &

and cheerful, the fans simply brought umbrellas or toughed out

Michael Dante - downed the Hunter Brothers to keep their

the rain, and the queue was its usual snaking length well before

PROGRESS Tag-Team titles. Humourously, the titles themselves

the doors opened at 2pm.

were held up in customs, so End left an IOU with Smallman,

The big draw for the show was not the eponymous

promising to hand over the titles if the Hunter Brothers won.

Thunderbastard - a gauntlet match, the winner of which is

After a very, very long interval - during which Smallman’s wife

guaranteed a PROGRESS title shot - but the PROGRESS title

had her head shaved for charity, and raised over £1000 from

match itself, the culmination of a feud a year in the making

an impromptu collection in the Ballroom - the Thunderbastard

between champion - and chief prick - Jimmy Havoc and his

match saw Mark Haskins triumph over his rivals to grab a

arch-enemy, the aerial assassin Will Ospreay.

title shot, which he announced he’d use at the next show -

At the previous show, May’s Super Strong Style 16, Havoc had

September’s You Know We Don’t Like To Use The Sit Down Gun

threatened Ospreay with an AXE, and had been running riot all

- whoever won the main event.

over the promotion since turning heel in September 2013. He

And so that main event...

won the title at the following show, forcing PROGRESS owner

In keeping with the big show feel, the entrances were

(and ring announcer) Jim Smallman to count the pin, and had

spectacular. Ospreay, who takes his look from the computer

resisted all challenges since.

game Assassin’s Creed, was accompanied by two other

Ospreay, though, was in the middle of the best run in his career.

assassins, the music - sand samples from the game - building

Announced for Pro-Wrestling Guerilla’s Battle Of Los Angeles

to a crescendo on his arrival. Havoc also brought sidekicks,

tournament, and facing New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s best for

assumed to be his usual Regressionists Isaac Zercher & Paul

Revolution Pro-Wrestling, this was surely his best - and possibly

Robinson, but their appearance later in the match meant Havoc

36 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

had found some other victims to play

the sense of buying into this thing was

those people who said you couldn’t run

gimps for him.

palpable. And that’s why PROGRESS

professional wrestling in central London

The title match was No DQ, an allowance

works. They’ve created their own little

and he has a point. But it’s not enough

made for Havoc not killing Ospreay with

world, where what happens anywhere

to run pro-wrestling, it has to be run

the axe, but Smallman had levelled the

else doesn’t really matter, and if you can

well, and if there are any drawbacks to

playing field by employing the London

accept that a man *might* have his head

the PROGRESS success story they’re

Riots to watch Ospreay’s back at

cut off with an axe you’re going to have a

purely down to that success. PROGRESS

ringside.

good time with anything else they deliver.

aren’t out there on their own as the best,

And then they fought. And they fought

I’m still not sure if PROGRESS is my

they’re not the only innovative promotion

HARD, with blood, and thumb tacks,

thing. I wasn’t anywhere near as annoyed

in the UK, and they’re not really doing

and tables and chairs, and that axe, and

by the fans trying to get themselves

anything that no-one else is doing. But

Havoc destroyed two referees, resulting

over as I had been at previous shows

they’re doing what they do very, very

in Smallman having to make the count

but there are issues I might not be able

well. And while that may not be as PUNK

at the finish. But this time, Smallman

to overcome about the set-up of the

ROCK as Smallman might like, it’s still

counted Havoc’s shoulders down, after

show. I won’t be at Chapter 21, because

pretty ROCK.

Ospreay had hit the 630 Splash - which

I couldn’t get a ticket in the first three

he’d been reluctant to do after getting

rows (they went in seconds) and seeing

hurt doing it before, and the only

much of anything outside the ring is

move Havoc hadn’t kicked out of - and

impossible any further back, but I’ll

PROGRESS had a new champion.

probably be back at some point.

The crowd erupted - reader, I was among

What PROGRESS have built is incredible.

them - with glee and joy and relief and

Jim Smallman is fond of making fun of

AUGUST 2O15 STEELCHAIR 37

BROOKE ADAMS

22 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 38 JULY 2O15 2O15

BROOKE ADAMS

INTERVIEW: BROOKE ADAMS WORDS: SHANE BAYLISS

ith the #DivasRevolution spluttering in motion over at WWE, SteelChair got the chance to speak to the lady representing ‘the other guys’ in professional wrestling. Current TNA Knockout’s Champion Brooke, who recently began her 2nd reign at the top of TNA’s female roster.

W

CONGRATULATIONS ON WINNING THE KNOCKOUTS CHAMPIONSHIP. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE BACK HOLDING THE TITLE? It’s a really awesome feeling. It was kind of unexpected for it to happen > that way. It’s been a long time, I’ve been waiting three years to be in this position and it’s exciting to be doing it the way I want to, with the character I want to, just being myself when I come out there a happy, spunky, excited, athletic person with the fans behind them.

YOU WON THE TITLE DUE TO GAIL, NOT NECESSARILY HELPING YOU OUT BUT EVENING THE PLAYING FIELD IN A MANOR. WERE HERE INTENTIONS CLEAR TO YOU AT THE TIME? IS THIS A VENDETTA AGAINST THE DOLL HOUSE, OR IS HER ULTIMATE GOAL THE CHAMPIONSHIP BELT? I honestly have no idea, they have history but I don’t know what the point was. It is kind of frustrating to have your Knockouts title match, and win the match because of

> >

AUGUST 2O15 STEELCHAIR 39

BROOKE ADAMS

I WANTED TO COME OUT AND STAND FOR A PURPOSE involvement from Gail so that doesn’t sit that well with me at the end of the day because I think I can go out and take on Terryn without the help of anyone. But Terryn had a target on her back and it wasn’t just from me, and Gail obviously felt it was her time to come out and let everybody know she was still there.

word of love, and that’s what I’ll continue to do. I’ve had a handful of people say they want me to go back to being the bad-ass character, or do this or that; but honestly, I want to go out and show the world that it is okay to be happy. I can come out happy, be excited and I can still whoop your ass.

YOU ARE FOLLOWING TERRYN AND HER 279 DAY REIGN, AND THE SAYING GOES “THE PERSON MAKES THE TITLE, AND NOT THE TITLE MAKING THE PERSON.” WHAT HAVE YOU GOT PLANNED, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO TRY ACHIEVE AS CHAMPION AND PROGRESS THE KNOCKOUTS CHAMPIONSHIP.

IS THIS THE CLOSEST TO THE ACTUAL REAL-LIFE BROOKE THAT WE’VE SEEN YET IN TNA?

What I wanted to do was come out and stand for a purpose, and that’s what I’ve been doing. Even when I lose this title, I’m still going to push for my purpose, which is all about one love, and people being loved for who they are, no matter how different they are. I didn’t just want to come out and be a fighting champion fighting for myself, I wanted to go fight for a reason. I have a fan-base, I am lucky to have that fan-base, and with that fanbase I want to push and spread the

40 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

Yes, 100% and it all started when I got into the ring with the rest of the ladies and Christie announced there would be a Night of Knockouts and I started jumping up and down.

I thought I’m going to be Brooke and I’m going to see if these people will love Brooke, and I’m going to be the happy, crazy, over the top Brooke that I usually am and see what I can do with it. Since then I have blossomed into being okay with myself. I’m a pretty quirky over the top person, and I think the fans are loving it also! This is the real me, the person you see every week is me.

TOUCHING ON THE WAY THAT TNA WORK, AND THINGS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE HAPPENED. YOU ARE PRE-RECORDING SO

FAR IN ADVANCE, DOES THAT GET FRUSTRATING AS A PERFORMER THAT RESULTS ARE KNOWN AND PUBLISHED WEEKS OR EVEN MONTHS IN ADVANCE? Of course, it is definitely frustrating, but that just comes with our company and what we are doing right now. It works out best for everybody how we record TV at the moment, and we can’t change the way that is. The internet has killed a lot of wrestling in that way. But there is nothing I can do about it, I’ve got a job to do and at present

Original TNA name Ms. Tessmacher as Eric Bishoffs assistant was based off Lex Luthors girlfriend/assistant in Superman

I’m still the champion. It’s still TV at the end of the day.

January you are back in the UK on the Maximum Impact! Tour, so you enjoy being over here?

Oh my gosh yes! I love our fans stateside, but you guys are amazing.

I have the most fun when I come over to the UK every year, and I wish we did it more often. We are over in January 2016, when we will go to Manchester, London and Birmingham. It’ll be a blast.

Last time you were over here you were in your feud with Robbie E, and ultimately you came out on top and

made him look like a bit of a fool.

Because he is such a big douche. I can tell you I couldn’t wait for my chance to embarrass him and what better way to that by beating him.

He got beat by a girl! It was one of the funniest matches I’ve had in my career to be honest with you.

One of the reasons for getting you in this issue, was to focus on Women’s Wrestling, and we’ve had a large number of question come in from twitter so I wanted to put some of those to you.

WHAT IS IT LIKE BEING A FEMALE,

IN WHAT IS SEEN AS BEING A MALE DOMINATED BUSINESS? Well I feel like that is really something of the past, you are now seeing women get pushed to the top more and more. At Impact we’ve always gotten 9 to 12 minute matches, now would I like to see two segments or three segments?

Yes, but we are getting there. To me it is a male driven atmosphere, but we are making our mark, we’re being heard, the fans are being heard, we’ve set the bar high and companies around us are following >

AUGUST 2O15 STEELCHAIR 41

BROOKE ADAMS

I CAN COME OUT HAPPY, BE EXCITED AND I CAN STILL WHOOP YOUR ASS. suit. It’s really cool to see the change and it’s great to be a part of that.

LOOKING BACK AT YOUR EARLY YEARS IN WWE YOU DEBUTED AS PART OF THE EXTREME EXPOSE, DO YOU LOOK BACK AT THAT WITH ANY RESENTMENT BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T GET THE CHANCE TO WRESTLE? No, because that’s how I got my foot in the door of pro-wrestling.

Did it work out into being exactly what I wanted to do? No. Did my career there last as long as I wanted it to? No. But I did learn a whole lot. I didn’t know how to wrestle when I got to WWE, so there wasn’t a lot more I could do based upon wrestling. I got hired, I was training for a month and a month later I’m on the road full-time doing this dance thing and trying to come home and learn to wrestle on the side. Really it was fine, but it was just how short lived my career was there, I left with this burning desire in me that was saying wrestling, wrestling, wrestling. I really thought it was all over for me, so when I got a call to talk to some people at TNA, I was like “wow I could really do this, but this time I don’t want to be anything that has to do with a dance or just a pretty face, I want to

42 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

show the world how much passion I have for this business” and that’s what I’ve done since day one.

How would you encourage young women to get into wrestling?

For myself I would love to see women go back and start watching matches from earlier on. When I’m lost and struggling I go back and watch matches. I think that’s what a lot of women do not do, they don’t sit and do the homework part of it, they just want to get in the ring and roll around, rather than learn the psychology of the match and learn from the women who paved the way. If pro-wrestling is something you want to do you’ve got to put your entire heart into it, I mean everything you have.

It isn’t an easy sport to understand, it isn’t an easy sport to grown in quickly and you’ve got to do your homework. I’m an athlete and this is the hardest sport I have ever been involved in or had to do.

ANYONE YOU WOULD SUGGEST, AS SOMEONE YOU’VE LEARNT A LOT FROM OR WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU? Mae Young to be honest with you, I love watching her matches and then into the more modern era Trish Stratus is unbelievable, I love a lot of Lita’s work, Victoria and also Natayla.

You can catch Brooke and the other TNA Knockouts every week on Challenge TV on Impact! Wrestling, and the stars of TNA will be in the UK on the Maximum Impact Tour in January 2016.

The new sensation that’s sweeping the nation is TagMeADate.com, the first and only dating site for wrestling fans. Here at TagMeADate, our motto is: “Now wrestling night is date night.” As big fans of professional wrestling ourselves, we want to bring single fans together to meet their “tag team soul mates.”

We have had tremendous support from wrestlers and fans alike. Our brand has sponsored many wrestling events in a year’s time and have a strong relationship with independent promotion Northeast Wrestling. You can join us and NEW’s own Vince Berry on our podcast “The WAR Report,” with the initials standing for wrestling and relationships.

The sky’s the limit as we have many great features coming up, such as women signing up for free, changing our pricing structure, and search by location. One of the most unique features we have is the ability to create your own promo video, giving your possible matches a chance to view your personality. Your first month is free when you sign up for TagMeADate.com

LOOK BACK

A LOOK BACK AT THE 1ST WCW THUNDER WORDS: LEE HAZELL ou won’t find WCW

Y

punishment to end so he pulls the kid up.

Thunder on the WWE

But Ted Turner was adamant that the

Modern wrestling really needs to get back

Network. It already has so

success of a second weekly show would

in touch with the basics. Too bad it’s over

many sorting, browsing

be the final nail in the coffin of their

too soon and ends trying to service three

and searching problems,

trailing rival, so the show was green-

separate story lines.

you really don’t need non-essential

lit with a three pilot. Of course, we all

content cluttering up an already crowded

know it wasn’t the death blow Turner was

Next we have Louie Spicolli vs. Rick

service. And Thunder isn’t essential, as

hoping for. WWE’s new direction would

Martel. Totally uneventful. No story. No

this first show clearly demonstrates.

lead to a bunch of must see TV moments

real direction, no purpose, no action. For

that would cement their characters in the

once I was grateful the announce team

Thunder was created at the tail end of

annals of wrestling history. WCW however,

were talking about something else.

Nitro’s 21 month long streak of beating

would soon be struggling to keep up, and

Raw in the ratings battles. It was an

any attempt to do so would just create

Much better was the next match between

extension of the WCW brand and one

more distance between the two products.

two impressive Eastern athletes from

that Bischoff thought the company could

If Thunder does have one use, it’s to

New Japan. This is where WCW was

ill afford. A second two-hour weekly

showcase the flaws that would eventually

always interesting to me. You have that

render WCW extinct.

international edge that they bring to

THE FIRST EPISODE

North American wrestling. It adds an Thunder begins with a promise. A

extra dimension the program and the

OF THUNDER WAS

promise to clear up the controversy

fact that they cross promote between

surrounding Starrcade’s title match.

companies shows a generosity WWE has

THREE HOURS

That’s it. That’s what they’re enticing

always lacked.

their audience to watch the pilot of their

The match itself has that strong-style

LONG, IF ONLY

new flagship show with. Not a match,

striking that looks like it can knock you

not a long awaited appearance from

out your boots if you’re not careful.

THEY COULD FILL

a beloved wrestler; but a replay of a crappy ending to a messy main event.

Bret Hart and Ric Flair have a video

Throughout the matches and interviews,

package next that is a refreshing antidote

HOUR OF DECENT

all that is discussed is the executive

to the confused muddle that is the WCW/

decision JJ Dillon will make at the end of

NWO feud. Two men. The faces of their

CONTENT.

the programme.

generations, arguing over who’s the best.

That’s not all. There’s also the matter

Too bad the whole thing is punctuated by

of how the Randy Savage match ended.

that God awful lightning graphic.

IT WITH A HALF-

broadcast in the middle of a recruitment

Now, Macho Man vs. Chris Adams did

freeze would be difficult to justify. Over

have its good points. It’s a good showcase

One of the mars of this program

exposure of the stars and the extra

for Savage’s arrogant persona. Shows

(especially during a package like

physical exertion could lead to a talent

every step of his experience. He’s clearly

this which relies on the purity of the

crisis that would affect the already

making mincemeat of a far smaller

storytelling) is the overuse of the gaudy

triumphant Nitro.

opponent, but he doesn’t want the

and distracting graphics. It’s WCW

44 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

Thunder was originally going to be a nWo only show

Thunder, so they have to end every

Steiners. Exciting tag action. Suplexes

segment with an overused and overly

galore and a really subtle but effective

flashy Lightning graphic and a campy

story beat where Scott bags a victory

Firstly, the only glimpse of the WCW

sound effect that wouldn’t seem out of

by himself without the traditional assist

Heavyweight title we get is as its being

place in an episode of Elvira.

from his brother. In the NWO storyline

vacated by J.J. Dillon. It isn’t on the line

you can really sense that WCW are losing

like it should be on the first edition of

Fortunately after that we have the

sight of what subtlety can add to a

such a huge show. Well, it was supposed

first meeting between two legends of

storyline, but moments like this remind

to be a huge show. I doubt anyone will

wrestling. Following up the VT is Flair

you they had a good hold on it once.

remember it that way. Remember the first

and he’s facing Jericho. Not everything

conclusion the main event can’t offer.

edition of SmackDown (to be reviewed in

you’d hope this would be. WCW are

Good news. We get a Sarrcade replay.

the next edition of Look Back)? The end

still undervaluing Jericho as a mid-card

Bad news. It’s Bischoff vs. Zbyszco. And

of that program saw The Rock vs. Triple

talent; here he’s merely jobbing to the

much to my surprise Bisch’s claim to

H with HBK as ref. Now that’s how you

legitimate legend. They really don’t

be a black belt in karate isn’t delusional

start a series.

realise how far the Lionheart could go.

crap. He really moves like a martial artist.

There’s no desire to push here. Jericho’s

He’s even got a pretty quick jab and a

Here we have DDP vs. Nash for the U.S.

only roles in the match are to sell Flair

decent kick. I actually think he could

Title. Hardly an inspiring pairing. It’s

and progress his cry-baby gimmick. It’s

maybe take a couple of wrestlers in a real

a fist fest. Easy. Lazy. Boring. Nash is

a total waste of potential. Still though

fight. Maybe even Larry, especially at his

barely mobile and DDP can’t do a damn

it is a good match (though it could have

age.

thing with him. The cruiserweight battle

been a great one), Flair thrilling get the

Unfortunately, he clearly doesn’t want

ended cleanly and definitively. This was

audience with his “dirtiest player in the

to get too physical. The narrative they

ended without a shred of respect to the

game” routine.

are pulling is that Eric’s moves (even

belt. Hall gets Nash disqualified way too

his entire discipline) have got nothing

easily and quickly. Then The Giant comes

At the end of the first hour we have Meng

on the Living Legend. He’s evasive, he’s

down to tease the battle between him

vs. The Giant, the latter of which we

cowardly and he doesn’t last two minutes

and Nash in the next PPV. During this,

now call Big Show. Show is still around

against the real offence of Zbyszco.

the commentators are trying to work in

in WWE mainly as a name and the last

Also, the longer it goes on for the more

an angle where the cameras are getting

of the great Big Guys. His inability

Bischoff is exposed as an extremely

cut off as the programme goes over

to keep pace with his more modern

limited performer. And his lack of

time. It looks weak and the wrestlers are

contemporaries is a source of genuine

physical fitness is supposed to be an act.

awkwardly dancing around one another

criticism but bloody hell could be move

Somehow I’m not so sure.

waiting for their cues.

for a man of his size back in the day.

The whole thing ends with special guest

The whole show was emblematic of the

Meng is no slouch but next to Paul Wright

referee Bret Hart turning on Bischoff and

company at the time. An indulgently long

he looks like a freshman.

siding with WCW. It’s a total farce but

programme that never needed to exist

did I really need to tell you that? Thus

except to appease the egos running over

Steve McMichael vs. Goldberg next.

begins Hart’s WCW career. It was his only

the company. You’d think that we’d be

McMichael was the first name on Nitro to

contribution to the night after the Flair

thankful that the show was filled with

be plucked from under the nose of Vince

package. After this, we leave the world

wrestling, but the performances from the

McMahon. It must have been a good

of Starrcade behind and stumble back

most high profile matches betray their

investment; he got a good 30 seconds

to Thunder, returning to the messy NWO

roster’s lack of talent.

of offence in. Remember, this is when

angle smearing itself across the program

The first episode of Thunder was three

Goldberg was demolishing opponents left

like a monkey wiping faeces on the

hours long, if only they could fill it with a

right and centre. 30 seconds is quite an

window at the zoo.

half-hour of decent content.

accomplishment. But ultimately this was just another Goldberg squash, and in my

From here the only match of note is

opinion those got old quick. Even if I’m

the Cruiserweight title match between

alone in that.

Juventud Guerrera and Ultimo Dragon.

A great advertisement for the division

Konnan and Buff Bagwell vs. the

and the title change provides the sort of

TWEET US YOUR WCW THUNDER VIEWS @STEELCHAIRMAG

AUGUST 2O15 STEELCHAIR 45

ASK TWITTER

ASK TWITTER

VIRGIL e asked our twitter followers and writer’s for questions for Virgil. Who said he would answer ANYTHING. Nothing was held back,this is what Virgil had to say...

W

46 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

Virgil briefly returned to WWE with Ted DiBiase, Jr. in 2010

HOW IS YOUR

BELT

RELATIONSHIP OUTSIDE THE RING WITH TED DIBIASE?

Olly Hanks

@BrendanMcEleny

owe me $20 and we are

You must be proud. You good.

Man, I love Ted. Him and I are best friends. We go back forever and he is doing his thing and I am doing mine. We good.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE LONELY VIRGIL SITE? @D_EGGPLANT

DO YOU REALLY GO TO CONVENTIONS AND ADVERTISE THAT TED DIBIASE IS GOING TO BE THERE TO TRICK PEOPLE INTO GIVING HIM CASH?

I love it because people

@ctremors

I am born with greatness

are so fucked up and dumb that they think that

HOGAN’S A GOOD MAN. I’VE KNOWN HIM FOREVER MAN. HE NEVER DID SHIT TO ME. I DON’T CONDONE RACISM, BUT THE HOGAN I KNOW IS A GOOD GUY.

the most successful black wrestler of my generation is only one way. How you think i get my fuck money. and you can only see it

That doesnt happen

when you dont see it you

man. I am a straight up

know what i mean?

TIME IN WRESTLING? Just not having sex with

RECENT AND CONTROVERSIAL COMMENTS?

business man. That sign

a couple chicks and

that says me and Ted is

turning down being the

Hogan’s a good man. I’ve

because that is where

lead member of the 4

known him forever man.

horsemen.

He never did shit to me.

they know me from.

That is marketing 101 son. What else should I be doing? I am trying to survive and hit my stride. I am like the most interesting man in the world.

ARE YOU AWARE OF THE RIDICULE YOUR CONVENTION APPEARANCES AND RECENT KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN CAUSE? @D_EGGPLANT Why you talking to me

I don’t condone racism, but the Hogan I know is a good guy.

YOU SEEM TO USE YOUR TIME WITH TED DIBIASE WHY NOT THE MORE RECENT AND POPULAR NWO?

then? I am gonna make

YOU ACCIDENTALLY SPAT SAUSAGE ROLL AT ME DURING CONVERSATION AT THE LFCC ABOUT 3/4 YEARS AGO. NO QUESTION THERE BUT I DID GET TO HOLD THE MILLION DOLLAR

the world fuck money

NWO was hot as fuck.

famous and you will be

I made that shit hot. I

laughing at your mama

made it relevant. Who

when its all said it done. I

else but me? But Ted and

am royalty.

I was just Ted and I.

DO YOU HAVE REGRETS FROM YOUR

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT HOGAN’S

HOW MUCH MONEY HAS YOUR KICKSTARTER MADE? Enough to take me to Olive Garden 4-5 times in a week... but it would be real fine

WHO WOULD HE MOST LIKE TO WRESTLE >

AUGUST 2O15 STEELCHAIR 47

ASK TWITTER AND WHAT FORMAT OF MATCH? Maybe Brock and I would have a great match. Or Rock he and I could tear it down sun. 60 minute iron man

Mary J Blige.

HOW BIG IS BATISTA’S DICK? #FUCKMONEY @oldmanpoodle

TWITTER YOU HAD AN ALTERCATION WITH CM PUNK IN WHICH PUNK ENDED THINGS CALLING HIM A C*NT, WHAT’S THE BEEF THERE AND WHAT DO YOU THINK OF PUNK?

Not bigger than mine.

VINCENT, CURLY BILL OR JUST MIKE JONES @ END OF WCW RUN? #FUCKMONEY @KrisPLettuce Virgil with a bit of Curly Bill... Curt use to crack me up big time man

I got no problem with Punk. He may be upset

WHAT’S WITH THE FRUITY GREEN HAT??? @gdanko What isnt with the fruity green hat... god gave me that.

about something but he can take that shit

ARE OG BREADSTICKS BETTER THAN RED LOBSTER BISCUITS? @MarkTheMammal

elsewhere. I am the most sought after Black wrestler on earth and maybe

HI VIRGIL DO YOU EVER WISH YOU HAD WON A REAL TITLE? @gingervegeta

he just wants to be on Team Virg.

WHAT KIND OF QUESTION

I have won 6 times in Japan.

IS THAT??

WHY ARE YOU THE BIG TIME JABRONI, BUBBA?

EVER KISS BROTHER LOVE ON THE MOUTH? @cranekicker

Your mama

NO CHANCE.

WHY DO YOU HAVE HEAT WITH IRON SHEIK?

Photo: swiftwj

@haidarj101 Sheik just jealous about my 14 inches. I love that man.

WOULD YOU MAKE A FULL VERSION OF THE “FUCK MONEY”? @DapperLadSam

I GOT NO PROBLEM WITH [CM] PUNK. HE MAY BE UPSET ABOUT SOMETHING BUT HE CAN TAKE THAT SHIT ELSEWHERE.

I am working on it and it will win a grammy. you

Breadsticks for LIFE

wait. I cant wait for this to happen and believe I have what it takes to be the next

48 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

RECENTLY ON

FAVORITE CHARACTER:SOUL TRAIN JONES,VIRGIL,

WHAT IS THE MINIMUM DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT QUALIFIES AS #FUCKMONEY? @NXT_FAN916 $1 bro anything counts towards the dream.

YOU GOING TO REAPPEAR ON WWE? THINK YOU CHARACTER HAS A LOT MORE DEPTH NOW AND WOULD BE GREAT DRAMA COMING BACK

Virgil’s real name is Michael “Mike” Jones

@ROBJSTEWARTNZ I would love to for sure

CAN I HAVE SOME OF YOUR FUCK MONEY? @EHEKKER

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NORMAL MONEY AND #FUCKMONEY

You get yours, I get mine.

@paulieB129

man. I mean i could help out the younger talent big time and give them a real taste of what success is...

Fuck Money is that money

6 years on top and than 3

you just fuck with. like

years with the NWO... who else could say that?

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO SEE FANS REACHING OUT TO YOU? @JOEYHUAB

attaching an oliver garden restaurant to your house or buying a mercedes benz just to drive you to Olive Garden and shit. that is my

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DISH AT OLIVE GARDEN? #FUCKMONEY @TYLAW__

I love my fans. I love the lovers and the haters gonna love me because I am too sweeet son. I can bring the world on my side and become the black steve

Pasta with LOTS of meat sauce bro

jobs

jam. I love that place.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER TO JOIN IN ON OUR NEXT ASK TWITTER.

RODDY PIPER

RODDY PIPER 17/04/54 - 31/07/15

A Tribute to Hot Rod

Photo: Miguel Discart

RODDY PIPER

REMEMBERING RODDY...

WORDS: UNCLE LOUIE here are moments that

Just a few short months ago, my 75 year-

mirror, I would be the President of

you remember forever;

old mother, a cancer survivor, handed

Legends of Wrestling? I certainly would

different generations

me a WWF Wrestling lunch box. She said

never have guessed that. My childhood

have different moments.

she kept it all those years because it

friends Mike Tempia and Richie Smith

Moments in time when

was a huge part of my childhood. Front

would have said no way too. We were

you hear about something, when you

and center on the blue plastic Thermos

too busy trading Garage Pail Kids and

receive news that is bad or you hear that

lunchbox that I so proudly carried to

watching movies on our VCR. As a kid,

something terrible has happened. We

elementary school some thirty plus years

we must have watched the Princess

remember the bad stuff in far greater

earlier to Mrs. Bunce’s second grade

Bride movie a hundred times, just to see

detail than the good stuff. I guess it’s

class at Tamarac Elementary School

Andre the Giant. Ok, maybe as an adult

human nature. For my generation, it

was the “Hulkster” Hulk Hogan, Andre

too! I was devastated when I heard Andre

was September 11th, a day that will

the Giant and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.

died, he was bigger than life in so many

forever live in infamy. For many, we can

Hard to imagine but kids once cherished

ways. A couple of weeks ago, I heard

recall where we were the very moment

trapper keepers and lunchboxes, long

more devastating news. Another one of

we heard that sad news. Hopefully we

before Sprint iPhones and iPad tablets

my heroes, Hulk Hogan had done and

were with loved ones to help console

with unlimited data. As a child, I adored

said some horrible things. In my mind, I

each other. Sad news should never be

wrestling and became a fan in the

understood that Terry Bollea was the one

received alone. There is nothing more

days when the WWE was the WWF. The

who whose actions were reprehensible.

three wrestlers on the lunchbox were

I rationalized that it wasn’t Hulk Hogan,

paramount to my childhood, my all time

it was Terry; Hulk was no more than a

favorites. The only one missing from this

TV Character, he was the one we grew

lunchbox was Mr. T! My mom told me to

to love as children. But still, it was like

open it, to look inside. So I did. I clicked

another of my childhood heroes was

the clasp and it popped open, like a time

gone in an instant. Erased. Hulk Hogan

capsule to my childhood and inside was

and I never really saw eye to eye in this

a kilt! I took it out and smiled big; my

business, he even blocked my twitter

mom told me that in the 1980s I asked

account but again I rationalized; that

her to make me a kilt to wear to “Piper’s

was Terry, not Hulk! Funny.

T

Pit” and I wore it to watch Roddy Piper wrestle against Hulk Hogan at Nassau

July 31st was to be one of my most

Coliseum in second grade. I grasped the

triumphant days in the Wrestling

powerful than support from friends and

kilt tightly in my fingers, closed my eyes,

business since being appointed the

family in those times. I often pray that

and returned to that day. My dad was

President of Legends of Wrestling. We

in my lifetime, more importantly in my

still alive back then (he died when I was

were performing at a Major League

kid’s lifetimes, that nothing remotely as

12) and in my trip back in time, in my

Baseball park for the second time

devastating as that 9/11 memory will

memory, he was rooting for Roddy Piper

in two months and to top that off, I

ever occur. Yet, from time to time, bad

too!

was presenting one of MLB’s best

things will and do happen. As they do, I

pitchers (Jose Fernandez) with a special

remember when and where I am when I

Who knew that as a man in my thirties,

Championship Wrestling Belt with his

receive the notification…

a good part of my life in the rearview

likeness etched in gold, adorned with

52 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE

HOT ROD MOMENTS Legends of Wrestling medallions.

Rey was letting me know that he

I was very proud to be a part of

had arrived with our belts. Instead

this, proud of my team, proud of

though, he asked me if I had heard

what we accomplished. Before the

that Roddy Piper had died. My

show, at the hotel, we boarded

stomach dropped. I looked at Brian

a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van;

Knobs who immediately asked me

Tyrus (Brodus Clay) sat to the

what was wrong. I showed him the

‘YOU DO NOT THROW ROCKS

back with the Nasty Boys (Brian

text message. He was in disbelief.

AT A MAN WHO’S GOT A

Knobbs and Jerry Sags) with them

We were in disbelief. Both hoping

sat Gabe Osceola who I spent the

it wasn’t true. Kevin Nash heard

MACHINE GUN’

afternoon with after doing a full

us, his face froze. He and Mick

morning of radio promotions at

Foley stopped talking and instantly

iHeart Radio. WWE Hall of Famer

took out their phones, taking to

Luke of the Bushwhackers sat

the internet in hopes that this was

towards the middle with former

just a cruel hoax. It was at that

WCW Announcer David Penzer. I

moment, in that place, with those

was in the front with Kevin Nash

friends, that I learned Roddy Piper

BOTTLE OF BEER OVER HIS

(Big Sexy) and Mick Foley (Cactus

had gone to heaven.

HEAD’

Jack) sharing stories. We were all in

“LEGENDS NEVER DIE, THEY JUST GET BETTER” BRENDAN MCELENY

PIPERS PIT WITH ANDRE THE GIANT

‘THE PORTLAND PROMO WHEN HE SMASHED A

GREG WATSON

great spirits; chatting, laughing and

Roddy Piper was one of my

catching up during the ride from

childhood idols but to the wrestling

Coconut Grove to Marlins Park. As

legends in the suite with me, he

we approached, Brian Knobs spoke

was much more. He was a friend.

up, gave last minute instructions

No, he was family. The Nasty

to the Wrestlers and thanked

Boys were no longer nasty. Jerry

VS ULTIMATE WARRIOR

everybody for being a part of this.

exclaimed “we lost Roddy” and

MATCH WHERE HE LIFTED

We all felt terrific and nobody knew

Luke burst into tears. I hugged

the tragic news we would soon

Luke as he sobbed. Knobs began

receive.

to cry. Jerry cried. We all cried, we all hugged. We all missed Roddy. It

Within minutes, we were in the

was as if at that moment, we forget

Suite of the Miami Marlins’

the world around us and as we

owner, overlooking the field as we

mourned together, I closed by eyes

waited to take an elevator down

and in my mind, I popped open

for a press conference prior to

that lunch box, put on my kilt and

the start of Legends of Wrestling

returned to the past to say good

Night at Marlins Park. It was at

bye to Roddy. All Legends go to

that moment that I received a

Heaven, some just go too soon…

text message from Rey Rey World Championship Belts. I thought Rey

God speed Hot Rod!

‘THE FIRST TIME I SAW PIP WAS DURING THE RICK RUDE

UP HIS KILT AND MOONED. I BECAME A FAN INSTANTLY’ DANIEL GLOVER

‘PIPER VS BRET HART AT WM 8, SUCH A BRILLIANT MATCH’ BRET MARGIESON

TWEET US YOURS!

TRIBUTE TO A B-MOVIE HERO WORDS: MICHAEL DICKINSON

“I’m here to kick ass and chew bubblegum and I’m all out of bubblegum”. That’s the line everyone remembers Rowdy for the most. With good reason.

It’s a ridiculous and kick-ass line from a ridiculous and kick-ass film in They Live.

Despite being an icon of the wrestling world Piper’s film career never reached the heights it deserved.

Perhaps They Live’s b-movie nature coupled that year with the even more entertaining but bat-shit crazy Hell Comes to Frogtown cemented his feet well and truly in the straight-to-video market. The 90s saw his take on a handful of bland auctioneers like the Billy Banks starring Tough and Deadly where he was called on to look tired, make some substandard Schwarzenegger style quips and punch a guy. Or he could be called on to do the same in tongue-in-cheek schlocker’s like The Portal.

Which is a true shame. One of the most electrifying cutters of the promo who ever graced the screen his acting roles never reflected his demented nature. His performances though could largely be categorised as “stoic”. Always the tough-as-nails law enforcer or criminal he was rarely able to let his best traits come through, the cinema world truly missed something special.

Maybe there was a change in the tide though. A look at his upcoming projects see’s him listed as playing Oscar Wilde in a film called The Green Fairy which also features historical figures such as Vincent Van Gogh. This film can hopefully be nothing but crazy and hopefully we get to see “Rowdy” Roddy Piper in full effect. Also looking at the list see’s that he was busier than ever as an actor, maybe he had that resurgent role yet to come. Maybe there was an upcoming Expendables sequel who could have fit into comfortably or even a Tarantino-esque comeback performance that would have reminded filmgoers of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper that guy with the gun and shades who was seriously lacking in bubblegum.

54 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

HEELS

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE

HEELS? WORDS: LIAM O’ROURKE

motion is the backbone of professional wrestling. Without the characters you love or hate with a burning passion, you’re not compelled to buy merchandise, or pay money to see the guy you don’t like bumped down a peg, whether figuratively in the story they’re telling, or legitimately in terms of their place on the card.

E

Unfortunately, with the quagmire of modern booking emphasizing focus on the WWE “brand” rather than individual wrestlers, and the unfortunate abyss of 50/50 wins and losses, the

56 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

opportunity to project as a true heel seems missing today. For proof look no further than The Authority – Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. These two have been WWE’s anchor heels for two years, but they are inconsistent in the reaction they attempt to garner week to week. One week, they’re backing the cowardly champion Seth Rollins; next week, they’re punishing him. One week, Stephanie is pushing for change in the Divas’ division against the egotistical Team Bella, the next week she’s asking the fans what >

roll

lins

Photo: Anton Jackson

Terry Funk did his first moonsault aged 49

> AUGUST 2O15 STEELCHAIR 57

HEELS they want, then telling them they can’t have it.

LE

SN

It’s lazy writing, and it’s unfortunate. By default, the biggest heel in the promotion is supposed to be Seth Rollins, the current WWE Champion at time of writing. But even then, the presentation of Rollins has been uninspired since WrestleMania.

Rather than Seth being elevated as the centerpiece of the promotion – the handpicked company golden boy finally ascending to his throne – he’s treated exactly the same as he was previously. No obnoxious suits, no ridiculous banners bearing the face of the new king, and no Authority kissing his ass. He’s still wearing a t-shirt like a midcarder. He’s in no better position than he was in February and he’s still secondary to The Authority. Combine that with the quick turnaround of Kevin Owens, the fall of Rusev and the failure to make Bray Wyatt mean more, and it’s not a pretty picture.

The death of Roddy Piper no doubt weighs on my mind in this discussion.

While in later years Piper perhaps became a parody of himself as a performer, in 1984 and 1985, Roddy Piper was at a level as a heel that very few have ever reached. His enigmatic delivery was captivating, his wit was as sharp as a knife, and he was so cutting, conniving and dastardly, that in the land of the giants, Piper was totally convincing as the world’s most hated man. The famous angle where he smashes a record over Lou Albano’s head, then kicks off with Cyndi Lauper, was divine in itself, but lost in that scene is the moment

58 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

A

where, in the midst of all the celebrity bluster and pandemonium, a New York City cop hits the ring for a shoot, pissed off at Roddy Piper.

R

YouTube user “All Out Of Bubblegum” provides all the material you need on peak Piper, and for a man in his position – opposing Hogan as the WWF goes national – he was perfect.

When I contrast Piper to Rollins, even considering how much the business has changed over the years to focus more on athleticism, it’s not a pretty comparison in the personality department. Rollins does not project like a star people would pay money to see.

Obviously, the last truly great heel on the scene was Brock Lesnar alongside Paul Heyman. Unfortunately, as is often the case in wrestling (including with Roddy Piper himself in 1986), he was so utterly awesome in his role that he became a babyface.

But Lesnar is a fantastic illustration of how a true heel projects. He’s fearsome, he’s a bully, he looks impossible to defeat, and he’s as real as it gets. Nobody believes that deep down, Brock is a nice guy or cares

what people think.

Instead, he was utterly superb in his role, and for proof look no further than his first match against John Cena back in 2012. His often overlooked match with CM Punk at Summerslam 2013 is excellent as well, selling appropriately when it’s time, but destroying the babyface and making it look like he has the tallest mountain to climb. And yet when Punk is climbing, Lesnar makes every step look completely believable. Listen to the crowd. They tell the story.

When thinking about classic heels, I’d feel remiss not to mention a man long before my time, but a man who many consider to be the greatest heel to ever live, “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers.

Rogers, who was the biggest draw

Photo: Megan Elice Meadows

Lesnar is the only man to win WWE, UFC and NCAA Championships

WHAT

HAPPENED TO THE in the business throughout the 50s, combined a lot of the elements that were already commonplace within the business, but he packaged them in a way nobody had before by adding his unique touch and charisma. His commanding presence, his natural sneer, the style of his work, these are all elements in the greater equation that made him a fantastic pure heel, the quintessential guy to beat in his era. His understanding of his role

HEELS?

broke it down to brass tacks, as put in his own words, “It’s bread and butter.

And cake for me, too. The more the fans hate me, the more money they pay in hopes of seeing me whipped.

This I enjoy”. And yet as simple as Buddy makes it sound, it apparently isn’t quite that simple to the folks in WWE. Don’t get me wrong. I know times have changed. But this is an art

form that once generated enough emotion to carry incredible events.

Terry Funk, another stellar heel, has spoken previously about how he loved the era of the riots. “They were a form of flattery. The greatest thing is to do your job so well that someone wants to kill you. What could be more wonderful?” And Funk was certainly no stranger to them, even to the point of being stabbed in the neck in Corpus Christi in one such >

AUGUST 2O15 STEELCHAIR 59

terr y instance. Funk’s eccentric style made him the guy to watch at all times in the ring, a skill that the very best heels exude. His raucous promos and erratic behavior made him a star heel everywhere he wanted to be, notably in Florida and Memphis, and for more modern fans, was one of the models for Brian Pillman in late 95/early 96 when he began sculpting the “Loose Cannon” persona. Funk was excellent in his ability to go from soft spoken to crazed wildman, as demonstrated perfectly in his famous Wrestle War 89 angle with Ric Flair.

It’s just so dynamic to watch, it feels uncontrolled, it breaks convention, and it jolts you out of your comfort zone. And it lets you know Terry Funk is a big deal.

The days of starting riots are over, and most weeks you could rename Raw “Monday Night Comfort Zone”.

I’m not longing for the days of crowd violence, simply using it to illustrate a point. Freddie Blassie prided himself on being a villain, and lived his life accordingly, willfully acknowledging how much his character morphed into his real life. Today, people may well be criticized for that, perhaps labeled as marks for their own gimmick. But that conviction that led

60 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

FU

Photo: Mike Kalasnik

NK

HEELS

to Blassie being credited for the fatal heart attacks of five elderly viewers when he sank his filed teeth into the forehead of Rikidozan. He was credible in what he was trying to play, and he went full bore. No apologies, outright acknowledging in his later years that he didn’t care how cheap the heat may have seemed, he would spit in people’s faces, point blank, to be perceived as obnoxious and contemptible as possible.

In terms of the credibility of classic heels, The Sheik deserves a mention.

A fantastic character, his tremendous facial expressions, impressive squash match victories and undeniable presence were likely enough to bluff him through that period. But he protected the character to extreme degrees, never doing a promo, and speaking in public as little as possible. His nephew Sabu in a recent interview recalled how, when Sheik would have other wrestlers staying at his house, he insisted on never being in the same room, even in front of the family. Even after passing away, the priest during his funeral only referred to him as Ed Farhat once, and as “Sheik” the rest of the time.

With no holes to see through, Sheik

was utterly despised in Detroit, and feared equally. No higher an authority than Bobby Heenan has outright stated that Sheik was the best heel this business ever had, and he was a tremendous draw until he eventually wore out his welcome.

The moral of the story? People don’t need be a former UFC Champion to portray a badass MMA fighter. They don’t really need to be Scottish to be an excellent Piper. They don’t need to be from a millionaire from Syria to draw tons of money as the Sheik. And they don’t need to be “middle aged and crazy” to get over. But if WWE expects people to truly care about heels, they need to treat them as more than supporting cast members.

They need to give the attention to detail and real world prominence that a company of that magnitude is capable of. We’ve seen too many greats over the years for mediocrity to be an acceptable standard in this hypercritical age.

And it doesn’t help that every time they put a heel against the top babyface, half the audience cheers them because the babyface is John Cena. But that’s an article for another day.

NXT

NXT TAKEOVER: BROOKLYN REVIEW WORDS: CHRIS MOYSE

he show opened with an excellent, spotlit promo, WWE’s chairman Triple H stating that although the idea was to present NXT as the future of the business, the fans have already decided that there’s no need to wait, and that what Vince and company see as “up and coming” is, in reality, “here and now.”

T

So began NXT Takeover: Brooklyn from the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, NY. A show eagerly promoted by everyone other than the salty NXT hometown crew at Full Sail University.

TYLER BREEZE VS JUSHIN “THUNDER” LIGER Popular Tyler Breeze was accompanied by a squad of models cosplaying as NYC sights, such as the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and a Taxicab with a really unnerving smile.

Seeing Liger in a WWE ring was odd, but wonderful. The legendary Japanese star was having a great time, taking a moment to mock Breeze on the turnbuckle and even pop a selfie on his opponent’s camera. The fans were really happy to see him there, as they should be.

62 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

The two high-flyers worked a nicely paced technical match, with Breeze connecting with the Supermodel Kick and a nice rolling Back Stabber. Liger responded with a Surfboard, rolling heel kick and a quebradora. The crowd were in great spirits but broke out into a “Full Sail Sucks” chant.

Shots fired.

Breeze was given plenty of innovative offence, but it wasn’t enough to stop the veteran Liger, who fired back with a running palm strike and got the pinfall from his legendary Running Liger Bomb.

A great opening match that set the scene for the festivities to follow.

Corey Graves remarked that if he was dreaming, don’t wake him up, which was a heartfelt soundbite to represent Liger’s appearance.

---Hall, Nash and Waltman were shown sitting in the front row. Only Pac looked like he gave two shits about being there. Hall took time out to toothpick the camera. A Fearne Cotton doppelganger sat behind them.

---The Vaudevillains came out. Men are,

indeed, here. Their opponents tonight are tag champs Blake & Murphy, accompanied by this generation’s Sunny, Alexa Bliss. Bliss mocked the challengers for not having any backup, then got really grumpy as Blue Pants made her return to an awesome reception from the NY crowd.

NXT TAG TEAM TITLE: THE VAUDEVILLAINS (WITH BLUE PANTS) VERSUS BLAKE & MURPHY (C) (WITH ALEXA BLISS) The match began with the first of the three thousand “This is Awesome” chants that will emanate from Brooklyn this weekend. I hate this chant. It means nothing. It’s fortunately replaced with the far superior “Blue Pants City” chant.

Aiden English took control early, working over both of the tag champs whilst the undercut, wallet-chained, waistcoast-and-full-sleeve-tattoo sporting Corey Graves complained that they are obnoxious hipsters.

B&M eventually took over and beat on English, hitting a spectacular pop-up neckbreaker. But eventually English was able to make an equally

There was a record (for NXT) 15,559 fans in attendance

spectacular hot-tag.

Gotch came in and cleaned house, reversing a double superplex attempt into a double powerbomb. Bliss tried to get involved but Blue Pants took her out with a piss poor slap and tackle allowing the feisty challengers to hit The Whirling Dervish for the victory. We have new, and deserved, NXT Tag-Team Champions.

Another good match, the Vaudevillains are always fun to watch, and though I personally see no charisma in the B&M duo, they are an undeniably talented team. As much as I adore Blue Pants. The Vaudevillains backup really should’ve been a bearded lady.

A great showcase for clear futurestar Crews and a nice shine for Tye Dillinger, whose scoring schtick is getting over in double quick time.

---William Regal announced the upcoming Dusty Rhodes Tag-Team Classic, a tournament that will begin on September 2nd. Some complete prick actually attempted to start a “What?” chant, but no-one bought it.

----

SAMOA JOE VS BARON CORBIN

---Finn Bálor showed up in a nice FBI wagon, where he was greeted by Cesaro and Neville. The crowd popped for all three men.

TYE DILLENGER VS APOLLO CREWS Dillenger’s “Perfect 10” gimmick is over already. The crowd were into it and many fans brought scorecards to ape the young star’s judgemental nature. Apollo Crews was really happy to be there and was stoked with his entrance ramp. Crews told us that “This is my house,” and somewhere backstage a pasty goth-gal grumbled.

This was a straightforward, TV style match, booked to showcase Crews’s fantastic athletic ability. Dillenger took control of the match, working over his opponent with grounded strikes and holds, but Crews stopped him in his tracks with a gorgeous Ghettoblaster before scooping him up for a gorilla press and a perfect standing moonsault for the win.

This was the one match that didn’t elicit anything from me. It’s an uninspiring matchup between Joe, who is losing his star power, and Corbin, who doesn’t really have any to begin with (even if he does have my face).

The two warriors battled back and forth in a strike-based brawl.

Eventually the fight went to ground, and Joe was able to show off some of his sinew-twisting submissions.

Corbin replied with submission skills of his own, receiving apathy from the Brooklyn crowd.

Joe powered back with an enziguri, but Corbin escaped the Muscle Buster and hit a chokebomb. Joe kicked out of Corbin’s pin attempt and the kindabiker guy fell into the Rear Naked Choke, giving Samoa Joe the win by stoppage.

Not a bad match, but it lacked the excitement of previous matches. Joe needs saving with a solid programme, as his post-arrival momentum is bleeding out fast.

----

A great video package pre-empted the most emotional match of the night, as we were presented with the tumultuous path Bayley has had to tread in order to receive her title shot against the supah-popular Sasha Banks. The backstory was well recounted, and if it did nothing for you then you have a heart of ice.

NXT WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP: BAYLEY VS SASHA BANKS (C) Bayley was wearing a polka dot headband for Dusty Rhodes and she got a great reception from the audience. However, the pop was bigger for the champion, who hilariously showed up in the same wagon that Bálor arrived in earlier.

People adore Bayley’s underdog story, but they love The Boss’s swagger just as much.

The story was that Banks was gagging to kick Bayley’s ass but the spunky challenger just wouldn’t die. Sasha took control and brutalised Bayley with slaps, kicks and punches. The champion started trash-talking and got a kick in the mush for her troubles. Throwing Bayley outside, The Boss hit a picture-perfect flip dive onto the youngster and crush her injured hand in the steps. They were doing great work. Banks was an absolute dick and Bayley was Ricky Morton-ing her way into everyone’s hearts.

Bayley looked a physical wreck and Banks was overflowing with confidence. Locked in the Banks Statement, Bayley reached for the ropes but Boss stomped the tar out of her injured hand. Bayley rolled through into a crossface, which bought the crowd to its feet, and hit a >

AUGUST 2O15 STEELCHAIR 63

NXT Bayley-to-Belly but only gets the two.

The crowd were loving it. As was I. Bayley set Boss on the top but then took an absolutely sickening bump back to the mat. Boss capitalised with a brutal kneedrop, but failed to get the three count and went ballistic.

Back on the top turnbuckle, Bayley delivered a mindblowing reverse rana on Sasha, then charged in to deliver a second Bayley-to-Belly, bagging herself the victory and the NXT Women’s Championship.

Bayley, tears in her eyes, accepted the belt and was joined by buddies Charlotte & Becky Lynch, and – eventually - Banks herself for an emotional celebration. The girls flashed the “Four Horsewomen” sign and, somewhere in the UFC, a bantamweight champion raised an eyebrow.

This was a great match, Banks was fantastic as the bitch in charge and Bayley was awesome as the neversay-die challenger. The story flowed well and both women’s work built to a great final fifteen seconds that legitimately gave me goosebumps, something TV wrasslin’ hasn’t given me in absolute years.

We are actually told that: “Women’s wrestling is back”, which is basically an admittance that the WWE Divas division is shit.

---They announced that NXT is coming to the UK. I’ll see you there, right?

---When I first saw Finn Bálor’s entrance, I was very impressed, but the cynical side of me remarked that it wouldn’t take long before people were bored of

64 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

it. Clearly, I don’t know what the blue hell I’m talking about, as it’s still liveshow phenomenon. Kevin Owens, sat ringside in a desk chair, was less than impressed however and, frankly, looks bored as fuck.

- NXT Championship Ladder Match - Kevin Owens versus Finn Bálor (c) The Ladder match concept has become tiresome through overexposure, but if anyone could rejuvenate one of the business’ oldest gimmicks, it’s NXT’s biggest stars...

NXT CHAMPIONSHIP LADDER MATCH: KEVIN OWENS VS FINN BALOR (C) Bálor and Owens began their rematch with wild brawling, with Owens attempting to acquire the ladder at every opportunity. Bálor took control early, whipping Big Kev from pillar to post, but Owens took over with a rib-shattering senton. The audience became visibly and audibly distracted by an audience member who was being ejected for throwing streamers, but once he was allowed to return to his seat the crowd returned their attention back to the match.

The battle spilled outside, where the ladder is introduced to both the match and Finn Bálor’s ribs. The contenders brawled in the crowd, who started an obnoxious “We Want Tables” chant because it’s 2001. Back in the ring, the warriors repeatedly thwarted each other’s attempts to retrieve the belt. Owens pulled the champion off of the ladder and into a vicious powerbomb. Then, back outside, Finn ate a second powerbomb onto the apron, which is unfortunately losing its status as a

career-ending maneuver.

Back on the ladder, Owens set Bálor up for a Super Fisherman’s Buster in a real “heart-in-mouth” moment, but Bálor escaped and Owens took the brutal fall himself, smashing his head.

Owens has another PPV match in less than 24 hours. Jeezus.

Alone at the summit, the title belt was just out of Bálor’s reach, so he decided to deliver the Coup De Grace to a prone Owens instead.

Sick Bastard. Scurrying back up the ladder, Bálor grabbed the coveted title and retained his status as the NXT champion.

A solid match, which managed to avoid the tropes of the Ladder Match concept to deliver a well-paced and wince-inducing battle between NXT’s golden boys. Owens remains great in his role as the cruel bully who gives no shits, whilst Bálor’s role as division leader is very agreeable and super-over with the NXT faithful. I look forward to further work from both men.

---NXT continues to go from strength to strength. The supposed training ground for greater things is, fast, eclipsing its own master as the place to see talented wrestlers performing quality matches that tell believable stories. One can only assume that as they build international presence this reputation will only be further solidified.

NXT is brighter than its parent company ever imagined it would be. It was supposed to be merely a representation of the future of the business but as Hunter decreed in tonight’s opening the future, clearly, is now.

SUMMERSLAM

SUMMERSLAM REVIEW WORDS: ALAN BOON

ey, it’s WWE Summerslam! And it’s “hosted” by former The Daily Show host, Jon Stewart, who was in the ring as the show started. He was unshaven and hadn’t dressed up for the show – not so much a host as a hobost.

Stewart said he’d spent the last sixteen years talking about politics so it was nice to finally be in reality. He ran down the card, finishing with Brock Lesnar versus The Undertaker, and said he was still upset that Lesnar had broken the streak. He said he wanted to tell Lesnar that but he was a small man and he needed help, so he brought out Mick Foley.

Foley came out, for once not the scruffiest man on the show, and said that when he’d agreed to this he thought Stewart had said “Rock” not “Brock”, and he was terrified of Lesnar, too. He said he’d wrestled all over the world but he’d never been to Suplex City and didn’t want to.

He wished Stewart good luck and that was your opening segment. Huh. They showed a standard PPV intro package and the announcers welcomed us to the show, plugging MTN Dew like the corporate whores they are, and got on with the first match – Randy Orton versus Sheamus. I can’t believe anyone cared for this, other than a live crowd excited to see someone, and even Orton didn’t seem fully-committed to it.

It was an okay match, and that’s forgivable if you buy into the old maxim that a show has to build slowly. Sheamus won, with a Brogue Kick after Orton had missed a Punt.

The crowd groaned, because Sheamus is a terrible prospect as an upper-card heel.

They showed two fellas at ringside who had won some competition called Draft Kings. Yeah, me either. Then it was time for the undoubted highlight of this, or any other recent WWE, show – The New Day. Oh my sweet Jesus they were ace. They heeled on the crowd, said hip hop originated in the south and not in New York, and sang a version of Jay Z’s “New York State Of

H

66 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

Mind” with surprising melody. I love these guys. Then Los Matadores, The Lucha Dragons, and WWE World Tag-Team champions The prime Time Players came out and they had a match.

And it was a good match! Kalisto showed that he’s a better Rey Mysterio than Rey Mysterio has been since he lost his mask the first time, and Sin Cara was reassuringly botchful. Darren Young played a great babyface in peril, Titus O’Neil does a great hot tag, and Los Matadores were also there. And The New Day? Well, what do you think?

From Kofi Kingston’s golden winged trainers to Xavier Woods throwing shade all over ringside, they were a joy. I hope this run never ends.

And, yeah, after a chaotic and entertaining eleven minutes, The New Day re-captured the titles when Kingston stole a pin from O’Neil, and then did a dance while on his back, while Big E ran around the ring in celebration.

Backstage, Jon Stewart spoke to Neville and Stephen Amell about The Undertaker. Suddenly, everything went dark and The Undertaker walked by in the foreground, followed by a small wisp of smoke. It looked like he was trying to outrun a cloud of gloom.

Hey, it’s Dolph Ziggler! He came down to the ring with Lana, who was wearing a terrible acid wash denim affair.

They really, really don’t get it. She used to be over and a hit with the crowd, now no-one cares. Poor girl.

Rusev was out next, with Summer Rae (who’s actually been improved by adopting Lana’s old gimmick), and they had a match. Rusev dominated early doors, and Ziggler fired back, but Rusev had The Accolade locked on and was about to win the match. Then Lana and Summer Rae got into it on the outside, and Rusev released the hold to taunt Lana on the outside. Lana and Summer Rae fought some more, Ziggler roused himself for long enough to superkick Rusev into the announcers’ table, and the whole thing ended in a double count-out. The crowd did not like that and booed it voraciously. Fuck this whole feud.

The show was settling into a bad match, good match

Undertaker last appeared at SummerSlam 7 years ago

pattern, and the next bout continued the sequence with a decent affair.

Stardust and King Barrett came out first, and awaited Neville and his partner, Stephen Amell from that Arrow TV show. Amell wasn’t wearing his full costume, as rumoured, but did have a green hoodie on to give a slight feel of Oliver Queen.

So this was all about whether Amell could hang with the professional wrestlers and he did, reader, he did.

If I have one slight criticism it’s that he, understandably, sold like an actor rather than a wrestler, but everything he did added to the match, which is so rare in celebrity matches. And the good guys got the win, with Neville hitting the Red Arrow on Barrett, after Amell had wiped out both heels on the outside with a crossbody from the top turnbuckle. Good work fellas.

They showed the finalists from Tough Enough at ringside – my predictions are Josh and Sara Lee, because Amanda is a bitch and ZZ looks like Meatloaf’s illegitimate son – and the announcers threw to a video package of the events of Summerslam week, which weirdly didn’t include stealing Ring Of Honor’s thunder with Jushin Liger appearing at Takeover...

Remember that pattern I spoke of?

Yeah, it continued with the WWE Intercontinental title match next, as The Ryback, The Miz, and The Big Show lumbered their way to a passable, if unexciting, contest. At least they kept it short, and The Ryback retained his title in just over five minutes, stealing a pin from The Big Show to cover The Miz. Weird, heelish way for a babyface to win a match but it’s not like anyone cares about this feud, is it?

Backstage, Jon Stewart arrived outside Brock Lesnar’s locker room.

If “hosting” a show involves just walking around backstage, unshaven and wearing sweatpants, I’ve hosted

loads. Heyman came out and told Stewart it was not a good time to talk to Lesnar. Stewart tried to reason with him but Heyman started singing “Glory, Glory, Brock Lesnar” and made a jibe about Stewart not being David Letterman. He went inside and slammed the door in Stewart’s face.

Shoulda dressed up.

Good match time again, as Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper came out to fight Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns. Reigns got booed, because that’s what you do, even though he’s been perfectly fine in his role as Ambrose’s sidekick for a while now.

They had a fine match – the highlight of which was unfortunately the crowd chanting “Roman’s sleeping!” as he sold on the floor – but it felt like it was building to something else. That didn’t come – I guess it might on Raw – but they threw in enough good spots to leave you feeling satisfied.

Reigns pinned Wyatt with the Spear, after Ambrose had hit him with Dirty Deeds.

Match number seven of the ten match card was the WWE World

Heavyweight title match.

Which is odd.

It’s almost like Seth Rollins holding the title has diminished it somewhat... And it wasn’t just a WWE World title match, it was also for John Cena’s WWE Us title, too.

Double weird.

Cena came and got his customary reception, only maybe louder because it was such a “smart” crowd. Except there’s nothing smart about booing the 2015 John Cena and so if you do it you’re pretty much a cunt. Rollins, who does deserve booing – both because he’s a heel and because he’s a shit heel – got cheered. Go figure.

He did have nice gear on, though.

As has been the case with the vast majority of Cena’s matches the last few months, they had a great match.

Well, until the finish, which we’ll get to later. Rollins hit three dives in a row early doors, and then a succession of hot moves which popped the crowd, properly this time. Cena made a brief comeback but Rollins hit more big moves and had him in real trouble.

They’d made a big deal about the fact that, if Cena won, he’d tie Ric Flair’s record, and he locked on the Figure Four at one point, which Rollins reversed for a near submission.

Rollins missed a Phoenix Splash and Cena scooped him up for an AA but bumped the ref with Rollins’s legs before he hit it. He made the cover, and got the visual pin, but the referee was out of it. Uh oh.

Suddenly, Jon Stewart ran down with a chair. Jon Stewart hates Seth Rollins, right? But he kept switching back and forth, teasing hitting Rollins and then teasing hitting Cena, before actually hitting Cena and then throwing the chair down on the mat. Stewart scarpered from the ring and Rollins hit the Pedigree on the chair, then the referee roused in time to count the three to give Rollins both titles. I’m sure it will all be explained on Raw but this was a confusing and bullshit ending. Unfortunately, it >

AUGUST 2O15 STEELCHAIR 67

SUMMERSLAM wouldn’t be the last one...

They hyped the next guests on Steve Austin’s WWE Network podcast – Edge & Christian – and then announced that they’d be broadcasting a house show Madison Square Garden live in October. We can watch it and pretend we’re in the Felt Forum in 1974.

Hey, it’s the Divas! And we’re in the middle of a revolution! A shitty revolution but a revolution all the same! The three teams – because if there’s one way to get nine women over it’s to have six of them be losers – came out to the music of the senior members of each team, which kinda goes against the whole spirit of the thing. Then again, the whole thing goes against the spirit of the thing.

So they had a bad match, which broke the pattern (because I’m declaring the last match bad because of the ending). Sasha Banks, who’d lost the NXT Women’s title to Bayley in the same building the previous night, was easily the most over woman there, so – of course – her team got eliminated first. Before that happened, we did get the hilarious sight of Naomi getting booed for not being Sasha Banks. So it came down to Team Bella and Team Paige, and Becky Lynch got the win for Team Page with the Dis Arm Her armbar on Brie Bella after Bella had botched/missed/botched missing a dropkick from the top rope.

Anyway, forget all that because Cesaro versus Kevin Owens was on next, and those two men cannot have bad matches. And they didn’t, they had a great match, and Owens even sold the effects of his match the night before against Finn Bálor, which is joinedup thinking for a company which had Dean Ambrose recover from a broken trachea in days last year.

Owens is rare for a modern wrestler in that everything he does looks like it’s done with the aim of winning a wrestling match rather than putting on a show. They went back and forth,

68 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

and Owens made me giggle like a schoolgirl when he shouted “Yeah, I am on fire!” in response to the crowd chanting “He’s on fire!” at Cesaro.

After almost fifteen minutes of punishing action, Owens got the win after Cesaro lost control on the top turnbuckle and got hit with a suplex driver and the pop-up powerbomb.

For a while in the last few weeks it seemed like Owens might never win again but he regained his heat here and, since Cesaro’s tower is built on a foundation of having good matches, both men walked out strong.

Hey, it’s our main event! It’s Brock Lesnar versus The Undertaker!

Because The Undertaker is a pissy loser! They’ve spent the last few weeks trying to make The Undertaker a heel, with sneak attacks and low blows, but all that was undone by the live crowd cheering for him when he made his entrance. Would it hurt to play along for once?

Lesnar attacked The Undertaker as soon has stepped in to the ring, tangling him up in his own coat, before The Undertaker hit back and knocked Lesnar out of the ring. The referee called for the bell and the match officially started...

It’s odd trying to watch a match between a legitimate tough guy, whose selling point is that he’s absolutely real, and an old man who still can’t decide if he’s an undead monster, a biker, or an ultimate fighter. It creates a schism that’s not easy to reconcile, even if you try to suspend your disbelief.

Still, Lesnar sold enough for the old fella to make him look semirespectable, even getting two big cuts on his forehead, and they traded big moves – German suplexes and chokeslams and Tombstones – leaving both lying exhausted on the mat.

Lesnar sat up first, and then The Undertaker did his trademark sit up, and Lesnar laughed. Honestly, you

would, too. Then The Undertaker started laughing as well and they fought again.

Lesnar hit three F5s, but still couldn’t put The Undertaker down, and The Undertaker locked on Hell’s Gate.

Lesnar escaped and applied a Kimura keylock and the bell rang to end the match. BUT! referee Charles Robinson began to panic. He hadn’t called for the bell and he started yelling at the timekeeper. Meanwhile, Lesnar had released the hold and The Undertaker punted him in the balls, behind the referee’s back.

The Undertaker applied another Hell’s Gate after the referee ordered the match to continue, and Lesnar – despite flipping the bird to the cheating old man – passed out and this time the referee did call for the bell...

The Undertaker left the ring as Paul Heyman argued with the referee. The crowd didn’t know what to make of it, and then they showed a replay of The Undertaker tapping to the Kimura, and the announcers speculated that the timekeeper had seen it. Weak.

Heyman left the ring, rang the bell over and over, and then unofficially announced Lesnar as the winner.

Lesnar’s music played and that’s your show!

At the end of Battleground, with The Undertaker bringing about an unsatisfactory ending to the card, I declared it a Bullshit Show, and given the finishes to the two main events it would be hard not to give this show the same rating. But, in over half the matches, there was some really good stuff, so what to do? Shows like this, which delight and frustrate in equal measure, are exhausting, and you should never leave a PPV thinking there are so many loose ends and explanations to be tied up on TV the next night. Bullshit or not? Give me a raincheck on that...

JULY 2O15 STEELCHAIR 19

SCOTT STEINER

Agree or disagree? tweet us at @SteelchairMag 70 STEELCHAIR AUGUST 2O15

Steiner has a workout DVD called ‘Freakshow’

LEGEND OF THE RING?

SCOTT STEINER WORDS: BRENDAN MCELENY | PHOTOS: TABERCIL

I

n my first edition of

WWF and WCW tenures. Steiner was a

Legends of the Ring, I

household name to wrestling fans in the

looked at ‘The Franchise’

90’s and, alongside his brother Rick,

Shane Douglas, a man

was one half of a tag team that would

remembered in wrestling

successfully win the WCW Tag Titles 6

for being extremely vocal and widely

times and the WWF Tag Titles twice. The

charismatic. Douglas’ promos were

Steiner Brother’s debuted in WCW in

always unforgettable, so this month I

1989 losing their first high profile match

thought I would stick to a wrestler whose

to Mike Rotunda and Kevin Sullivan;

promos were also memorable. Perhaps

however, they defeated the duo a week

not for their quality as some of Douglas’

later at the Great American Bash. The

were, but for the sheer entertainment

Steiners captured their first major titles

value. He was included in the WWE

on November 1st, 1989 where they

Network’s Countdown for Biggest

defeated the Fabulous Freebirds for the

Blunder’s but let’s not forget that before

NWA Tag Team Championships. In the

he was the ‘Big, Bad, Booty Daddy’, this

three year period the Steiners spent

wrestler had already established himself

at WCW, the brothers were successful

as a one of a kind and an all round

in becoming the WCW Tag Team

legend. This month’s Legend of the Ring

champions. In September 1992, just two

is dedicated to none other than ‘Big

months before the Steiners departed for

Poppa Pump’ Scott Steiner.

the WWF, Scott Steiner was successful in winning the WCW World Television

SCOTT STEINER: CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Championship after defeating Ricky Steamboat. The Steiners then arrived in the WWF and entered into a rivalry with ‘The Million Dollar Man’ Ted DiBiase and Irvin R. Schsyter. Their feud found the Steiners winning their first WWF Tag Team Titles on the June 14th episode

Before he was offering a million dollars

of RAW. The Steiner’s would then lose

to Hulk Hogan if he could bodyslam

the titles to Money Inc at a house show

him, Scott Steiner was a part of many

on June 18th before regaining them

historical moments during in his

the next night. The mighty brothers

>

AUGUST 2O15 STEELCHAIR 71

SCOTT STEINER

Should Steiner be inducted into the hall of fame?

would continue their dominance in

he would see a change in character and

Championship. Steiner became famous

the tag division for a few months

gain legendary status. From 1997, Scott

for his metal pole, his chainmail

before losing their titles to The

Steiner slowly started turning heel

headwear and his incredibly entertaining

Quebecers via disqualification.

after leaving his brother Rick alone

promos. When WWF bought WCW,

A main event spot at Survivor

in the ring during tag matches or

Steiner decided not to move until 2002

Series 1993 was all that was

not tagging him in at all. It was

where he was involved in feuds with

left for Scott Steiner in

in 1998 when Steiner joined the

Triple H and Test before being released

the WWF before he

famous New World Order.

in 2004. Various runs in TNA and the

departed mid 1994.

Steiner was successful in

Once gone from the

his second run in WCW,

Scott Steiner is today and it is clear that

winning the United

he is still living the life of the ‘Big, Bad,

World Wrestling Federation, Scott

States Championship,

spent a year in

World Television

ECW before

Championship

returning to

and the WCW

WCW where

World Heavyweight

independent scene take us to where

Booty Daddy’.

WHERE IS SCOTT STEINER NOW?

DVD features such exercises as deadlifting tree trunks + curling car tyres

TOP 5 SCOTT STEINER MATCHES

1

W/ RICK STEINER VSHIROSHI HASE & KENSUKE SWKI WCW/NJPW

An excellent tag team match that had two great in ring styles mixed together.

2

VS. GOLDBERG FALLBRAW,L 2000

A great No DQ match which saw two of WCW’s best against each other.

3

W/ RICK STEINER VS BRET& OWEN HART WRESTLEFEST, 2O15

Both teams of brothers go at it to outperform each other in a very believable bout.

W/ RICK STEINER VS.

After leaving TNA in 2012, Steiner

Wrestling roster as it works towards

returned to the indies where he

worldwide dominance. However, not

continues to wrestle other legends

much can be said about Scott Steiner

such as Brutus Beefcake, Vader

today, only that he is still wrestling

and Kevin Nash as well as wrestling

wherever he can and continues to

overseas against up and coming

live up to the memories he created

British talent. More recently, especially

on episodes of Nitro. One can only

this year, Steiner was banned from

hope that ‘Big Poppa Pump’ still

attending the 2015 WWE Hall of Fame

gloats about the size of his muscles.

ceremony after an alleged plea to

That being said, it is clear to call

kill Hulk Hogan. However it has been

Scott Steiner a legend of wrestling,

noted that Steiner has denied this.

and hopefully one day he can be

Nevertheless, it is believed his hatred

recognised for his contribution to pro

towards Hulk Hogan is still strong. On

wrestling in the WWE Hall of Fame.

May this year, Steiner was announced as part of Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force

4

STING & LEX LUGER SUPERBRAWL, 1991

A great tag match which showcased just how good early 90’s wrestling was.

5

VS. SAMOA JOE SLAMMIERSARY, 2006

A hard hitting match which saw Steiner go up against up and coming hard man Joe. COMPILED BY BRENDAN MCELENY

AUGUST 2O15 STEELCHAIR 73

JULY 2O15 STEELCHAIR 19

BURIED MEMORIES

WORDS: DANIEL GLOVER

BURIED MEMORIES: NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS ith WWE SummerSlam now out of the way, it’s time to move on to the next PPV on the WWE Network. That event is Night of Champions. This event started in 2007 and every match was for a championship belt.

Since then, every title is on the line, yet WWE like to throw in a few curveball matches that don’t obey the gimmick.

There have been many great matches put on for this show including Dolph Ziggler vs Rey Mysterio in 2009 and The Undertaker vs Kane in 2010. But there are also a lot of things the WWE want you to forget about NOC. Here are just six of them:

I

Let’s start with the elephant in the room. At the very first event CM Punk was due to face Chris Beniot, one on one, for the ECW Championship. At that time, Benoit was unable to make the event for unknown reasons, which, of course, are now well known and written into WWE history.

Johnny Nitro aka John Morrison aka John Hennigan aka Johnny Mundo aka Johnny Blaze aka Johnny Spade took to the stage in his place, and – in a shocker – even defeated CM Punk to become ECW World Heavyweight Champion for the first time. But this will always go down as the event that sounded the alarm bell on Chris Benoit.

Let’s stick with John Morrison. The very next year The Miz had joined Morrison to make the team known as ‘Miz and Morrison’. The very first match at the very first event was these guys vs. Finlay and Hornswoggle. Now, I have never been a fan of the wee little fella, so it won’t come as a shock to you that I consider this one of the worst matches in Night of Champions history. Finlay is a fantastic worker who should one day find a place in the WWE Hall of Fame, but for some reason they made Hornswoggle his son and turned him into a comedy wrestler. Because Finlay is Irish and he obviously needs a leprechaun. A total disgrace.

Daniel Bryan is one the biggest stars that the WWE currently have on their roster. At one point he was arguably bigger then John Cena, and yet, only four years ago Daniel Bryan was in a match against Heath Slater. Not only was he against the One Man Band, but this wasn’t even on the PPV. It was the dark match for the event. The only people

who saw this were the people in the arena. To put this in retrospect, the dark match the year before was Ted DiBiase and John Morrison. Heck even Alex Riley was on the PPV. Who remembers Deuce and Domino? Probably not many people. They were in fact WWE Tag Team Champions and will go down in the record books as such. Who remembers Sim Snuka, the son of Jimmy Snuka? Well, Sim was Deuce.

Now, if this was known to the WWE audience this match could have meant a lot, but it was never recognised on TV and therefore didn’t make any sense. They could have faced the champs off against Paul London and Brian Kendrick in a rematch for the titles, or fought William Regal and Dave Taylor. Instead they got Jimmy Snuka and Sgt Slaughter. And without divulging the family history, this bout had no real purpose.

Let’s look at a recent Night of Champions event from 2013. That PPV saw Rob Van Dam take on Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship. What makes this match something the WWE wants you to forget is the random teaming of RVD and RR. RR being Ricardo Rodriguez, who was the former personal ring announcer for Alberto Del Rio and is now the manager for RVD. You couldn’t get a more ill-fitting pair if you put Bray Wyatt in with The Bunny. That duo is something WWE, RVD and probably even Ricardo want you to forget about.

Let’s finish it off back in 2007. The main event was for the WWE Championship and was contested as a Five-Pack challenge…whatever that means. In this match, there was of course the champion John Cena, Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton, King Booker and who else could be in the match? Batista? Kane? Jeff Hardy? None of them. It was the Hardcore Legend Mick Foley. Now, when reflecting back on Night of Champions I am sure the WWE would like you to forget that Foley, who nine years previous was in the famous Hell in a Cell match against The Undertaker, is now wrestling in the main event for the number one wrestling title in the world. Overweight and out of shape, his presence only took from the match and never gave.

Reports have often said Triple H isn’t a fan of Foley, so if Triple H takes over he might want to remove Foley from this matches history.

AUGUST 2O15 STEELCHAIR 75

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