The Wrestling Press Issue 8 by Greg Kelly

N E W F E AT U R

VIDEGOE

FOOTAE IN S ID

PLUS

80’S WRESTLING JACK SWAGGER WWE DRAFT

OVER AS A FACE?

ThE FANS DECIDE

INSIDE: DOUG WILLIAMS n A CYNICAL MIND n EVOLVE n INOKI n WOLFE PIT n WORLD NEWS n MORE

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CONTENTS THE WRESTLING PRESS

WoRlD neWS

tHe WolFe Pit

too MuCH, too Soon?

ISSUE 8 CONTACT

ed@thewrestling press.com www.thewrestlingpress.com CONTRIBUTORS

Dusty Wolfe Phil Austin John Milner The CYNIC Froggy David Schmida Dark Kitty Rob Sivell Darren Wood Mark Allen Laurence Mozafari Tony Knox The Wrestling Press is an independent publication and is in no way endorsed by or affiliated with any wrestling group, including WWE and TNA. The views expressed by the writers does not necessarily represent the views of The Wrestling Press. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.

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WWE have fired Carlito (Carlos Colon Jr.) for an alleged Wellness Program violation and subsequent refusal to enter rehab.

evolution

Julio toRReS inteRvieW

tRADinG PlACeS

Antonio inoKi PRoFile

I can’t speak for others, but I find James E’s blunt honesty refreshing in a world of double dealing back biters.

It’s not easy to go from mid-card afterthought to World Heavy-weight Champion in the span of 48 hours, but Jack Swagger did it.

WHy tHe 1980S WAS A buMPeR DeCADe FoR WReStlinG In fact, the 1980s was one of the most exciting of any decade for professional wrestling. It certainly shaped the industry like none other. Territories died out, Jim Crockett Promotions really pushed forward into one of the best wrestling organisations in the US, and the WWF took over worldwide.

2010 heralded the start of a new decade and with it, along came a new independent wrestling promotion. Fronted by revered booker Gabe Sapolsky, Full Impact Pro promoter Sal Hamoui and indy wrestling standout Davey Richards, the EVOLVE promotion was launched.

You can still include the high spots, but you need to be safe, because at the end of the day it’s about career, it’s about longevity.

Whereas WrestleMania used to be the unofficial season-ender for WWE, the Draft can now be considered the basis on which a new year of booking begins.

After meeting with the legendary Rikidozan, a 17year-old Inoki returned to Japan to compete for the Japanese Wrestling Association (JWA), where his fellow Dojo members included Giant Baba.

thewrestlingpress.com contents

tRAininG FoR SuCCeSS

A CyniCAl MinD

DouG WilliAMS

lionHeARt

A SnAKe in tHe GRASS

Safety is very important so we show them how to take bumps, teach them break fall techniques and clinching, learning how to do the collar and elbow tie up.

And, like a diamond pawned for a rock of crack (and not even a big one, but I needed it for research, research I tells ya!) theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve let Daniels go. Or misused him so badly that he had no choice but to go.

There are a lot of very talented wrestlers at the moment, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a shame there is nowhere here where any of them can make a proper fulltime living from it.

It was a real honour to get a title shot at the time; Wolfe was really helpful and after that match gave me advice of how I need to add more depth to my offence.

Introducing Video Content

So it seemed ironic that one of the predominant features on the wrestling forums just recently has all been about how wonderful it is now that Orton is a face once again. Is it really that wonderful?

eRiC SCHWARZ PRoFile

oRo ii inteRvieW

inteRvieW WitH A WReStlinG StoRe oWneR

Working for WWE meant a lot to me. That's why I became a wrestler in the first place. I slept in a tiny car at temperatures way below zero just to be there the next day all suited up.

I held the Tag team titles with Dorado and the Triple Championship with the Metalicos, along with holding the world champion title.

Since I was a fan for so many years I had the opportunity to meet many wrestlers and the idea of selling wrestling collectables just seemed to fall into place.

FWA FRONT LINE press play or click here for external link

For the interactive Yudu version of this magazine we have started to embed video footage. This, we feel, might help readers make more of a connection with some of the lesser known wrestlers and promotions you may read about in the magazine. Although it is a neat little addition, we will only add video when it genuinely enhances a feature (and when copyright is not an issue!). If you are a wrestler or promoter who would like to be featured in the magazine, please contact us for consideration.

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World News n

by Mike Aldren Courtesy of THE WRESTLING GLOBE Newsletter

Booker T made a surprise appearance at a TNA house show in Lake Charles, LA. He faced Rob Van Dam in the main event apparently as a late replacement for AJ Styles. He cut a heel promo stating that he had returned for one-night only and didn't give a damn about TNA or its fans. Styles didn't make the show as his flight from Atlanta was detoured to Houston. Booker made the little over two hour drive from his home in Houston to Louisiana. WWE have fired Carlito (Carlos Colon Jr.) for an alleged Wellness Program violation and subsequent refusal to enter rehab. A report posted on the WWE website noted that his termination followed a first violation of the program. However, WWE sources indicate that Carlito, 31, did not fail a drug test but instead was fired after he arrived at Monday's Raw in Toronto and management felt that he was unfit to perform. Mike Jones did in fact return to RAW as Virgil, aligned with Ted Jr as his hired lackey. He's 47 years old now and has spent recent years working on-and-off in the Pittsburgh area as math teacher as well as various convention appearances at weekends. He was last seen on national television with

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WCW during the mid-late 90s. Dusty Rhodes, who was booking when he came in, gave him the name Vincent, which was a knock on Vince McMahon, as the name Virgil during his WWF run was knock on Rhodes, who's real name is Virgil Runnels. Layla becoming WWE Women's champion week makes her the first ever Brit to hold the belt. She grew up in London and after college started working as a dancer on cruise liners-from there she got a job with the Miami Heat Dancers and then entered the Diva Search to where she is today. John Cena has been talking about recording another rap album. Earlier this month he cut a track with rapper Bumpy Knuckles for the upcoming WWE Studios film Legendary. Hogan had a recent heart scare, according to TMZ. He was reportedly undergoing tests for a future back surgery during which doctors thought they may have found an abnormality. He was then sent to a specialist cardiovascular center for further testing. The doctors there ran more tests and eventually determined that there wasn't a problem after all. The Pope is said to be targeting June/July for a return to the ring following his shoulder injury. There is some talk about TNA producing its own series of shoot interviews to sell on their website.

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Speaking of shoot interviews, Dixie Carter taped one with Kayfabe Commentaries at the legends convention in New Jersey. The interview took place in a room before 75100 fans and workers. She was well received and didn't dodge any questions. The two biggest pops came when Jim Cornette's face popped up on a screen as a video submission question, and later when a fan asked, "How much would you sell TNA to Vince for?"... and she replied, "How much will he sell to ME?" TNA has hired a PR agency in the UK to help them with media exposure. They are sending one major star and a Knockout soon for a promotional tour. Cody Rhodes debuted a new gimmick at house shows recently. He's calling himself "The Uncommon" Cody Rhodes complete with new ring attire and leather jacket. At one show he cut a heel promo saying, "Hey, you guys remember a guy named The Rock? ... Oh well, he doesn't remember you!" Steve Austin is coming to the UK in August to promote his next movie The Stranger on DVD. Austin plays a material witness in an FBI investigation. Matt Hardy posted the following message on his Twitter: "I'm gonna push the WWE to take me places that I've never ever been to before-& I'll hold up my end-Promise. Print that quote dirtsheets!" Cannot imagine what he means. A Gym perhaps? Former TNA production manager, Randy Ricci recently wrote a blog claiming that Madison Rayne has been forced to miss house shows this year as she was unable to pay for travel to make the shows. Ricci wasn't specific but I assume he means road expenses. Rayne countered and wrote her own blog denying any issues. The Band (Nash, Hall & Young) are now defending the tag titles under the Freebird

TOP STORy Scott Hall, 51, was arrested recently on charges of disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest, according to a report in the Orlando Sentinel. Police were called to a disturbance just before 2am at Hitching Post Bar in Chuluota, FL on 5/14. When they arrived at the bar they found Hall cursing at a female bartender and several other customers. A deputy attempted to place Hall in custody but he resisted. He was eventually carted off in a patrol car. The bartender told police how Hall was cut off after drinking too much at which point he became very aggressive. Outside the bar he punched out the window of a cab that had arrived to take him home and also shoved two females. When he was booked back at the station, he claimed he was an unemployed wrestler and made no mention of working for TNA Wrestling. This incident took place just days before the Sacrifice pay-per-view. rule. Waltman is said to be gone for now due to personal reasons. Stars & Stripes have a story on Jesse Neal which details his former career in the US Navy and how he survived a suicide bomb attack on his ship which later led to a battle with posttraumatic stress disorder. Dixie Carter is quoted saying that TNA fans have accepted and gravitated towards Neal in a short space of time. John Cena recently passed his 1,000th day as WWE champion putting him on a count on one hand list along with the likes of Bruno Sammartino (4,040 days), Hulk Hogan (2,185 days), Bob Backlund (2,138 days) and Pedro Morales (1,027 days).

To receive all the latest professional wrestling news and gossip direct to your mailbox send an email to wrestlingglobe-subscribe@topica.com worldwide wrestling magazine 5

the wolfe pit thewrestlingpress.com

Dusty Wolfe

the Wolfe Pit

STORIES AND OPINIONS FROM AN ORIGINAL WRESTLING jOURNEYMAN

was reminded of this issue’s deadline, and once again, i had to remind “M” that i am always in need of some prompts. the list i received this month didn’t have any one subject that stood out as something i could bore you with over a page or two of fine writing. but, each item on the list had something of interest to me. And that is accomplishing a good bit, when one realises just how burned out on wrestling i’ve become. Rob van Dam as the TNA champ? I say, why not? For once, TNA put their belt on a man who was actually over in recent history. And TNA actually put the belt on a man that can get over with their core fans. AND Rob is a man all fans have at least heard of. I’ve never been a big fan of his work, although I have always been a fan of RVD the man. I dare the dumbasses in creative to leave the belt with RVD for awhile and see if anything positive occurs. Mentioning dumbasses in TNA creative is such a natural transition to my next subject. James E. Cornette threatens Vince Russo, leading to a court restraining order, and an unrelated(?!) hiatus for Russo. I loved reading every word in James

E’s email to Terry Taylor. I know Terry much better than I do James E. And in his defense, Terry had to say something about the email. A snowball has as much chance in hell as Russo has being throttled by James E. But as long as there is a chance, Terry did the right thing in the BUSINESS world. I hope James E realises that in the future. James E has shown himself to be slightly high strung in the past, and his pure honesty can make him seem a bit “off” to some. I can’t speak for others, but I find James E’s blunt honesty refreshing in a world of double dealing back biters. As far as the hiatus.....how’s the projected pornography company developing, born again Vince? The WWE crew stuck in Europe? Being that far from home, with so much uncertainty, can play games with a man’s mind. Somehow, I don’t think a few days in a hotel the WWE would have their talent staying in, can compare with 3 days of house arrest in South Africa. Or 3 days stuck living in the Milan, Italy airport due to some serious misunderstandings. I guess it comes down to, the guys had limited sympathy from me. And yes, I’m glad everyone is back and safe. The Honky Tonk Man, Koko B Ware, Jimmy Hart, and Hillbilly Jim thinking about forming a band? I have been in the midst of some jam sessions involving these guys. And I can PROMISE you, there is more musical talent among those wrestlers than a whole list of musical superstars out there today. They would be great, and fun. Somehow, I think so many have forgotten music is supposed to be fun. And until next month, there will be a few items and semi coherent thoughts over at www.dustywolfe.com.

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oo much oo soon

Has WWE Success Sabotaged Swagger? Words: John M. Milner

t’s not easy to go from mid-card afterthought to World Heavyweight Champion in the span of 48 hours, but Jack Swagger did it.

When it was announced that Swagger, with a victory over Santino Marella, had qualified for this year’s Money in the Bank Match at Wrestlemania XXVI, few eyebrows were raised. It was what is referred to as “barely a blip on the radar”. Swagger’s inclusion in the ladder match was seen less as the first step on his road to the World Championship and more likely just a way to get another participant into the match, another name on the card.

but eyebrows were raised when, as the dust cleared, there was Swagger atop the ladder, Money in the bank briefcase in hand. While fans may have scratched their heads at the result, this writer believed that 2010 would be the first year a Money in the Bank winner didn’t become champion when he cashed in his title shot. But 48 hours later, at the Smackdown tapings in Las Vegas, NV, Swagger took advantage of a fallen Chris Jericho (speared by rival Edge) to swoop in, cash in his title opportunity, and win the World Heavyweight Championship. Since that title victory, Swagger has retained his championship against both Edge and Chris Jericho, as well 8 WoRlDWiDe WReStlinG MAGAZine tWP

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as Randy Orton at Extreme Rules. But amid those wins, non-title losses to Orton, the Undertaker and John Morrison have combined to make a less than auspicious start to his reign as World Champion. And while even the best champions take a nontitle loss now and again, Jack Swagger isn’t the calibre of champion who can afford to be made to look weak this early in his brief title reign. Swagger is, as of this writing, only less than two months removed from his title victory and, for that matter, his victory at Wrestlemania. In other words, he’s less than two months away from being almost an afterthought in the match that gave him that World Championship opportunity.

favors. To be a credible World Champion, a wrestler needs to be among the top guys in his respective organization or, in this case, brand. Swagger is far from being at that level at the present time. In fact, prior to the 2010 WWE Draft, the two top guys on Smackdown were arguably Edge and Chris Jericho. Swagger pales in comparison to either of those two stars, and will for some time to come, no matter how the WWE books him as champion.

A LESS THAN AuSPICIOuS START TO HIS REIGN AS WORLD CHAMPION

Perhaps the very thing that has made Swagger what could have been the same type of breakout star in 2010 that Sheamus was in 2009 is the exact thing that may doom Swagger and his title reign. He’s come too far, too fast and now seems stalled in the worst place he can be for both he and his brand: at the very top. Certainly, Swagger has been in WWE for longer than a cup of coffee. Since arriving in the fall of 2008, Swagger has been ECW Champion and a contender for the U.S. title. He’s feuded with Tommy Dreamer, Christian and Kofi Kingston. But lately, you were just as likely to see him on WWE Superstars or, when he was on Raw, taking on Santino Marella in a match more suited for comedy than establishing him as a future Champion. And Swagger from mid-card afterthought to placeholder World Champion in a matter of days is not doing “The All-American American”, the title or Smackdown any

This is not to say that the whole situation can’t be recovered. Look at JBL, who won the WWE Championship from Eddie Guerrero in June 2004, and used it as a way to elevate his game to the point where he became credible as the top man on the Smackdown brand. Of course, JBL’s character and experience made that possible. And because Swagger could use some improvement in both of those categories, he shouldn’t have been given the World title immediately. He had the Money in the Bank title shot, which could have been used for the better tWP WoRlDWiDe WReStlinG MAGAZine 9

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SWAGGER FACTS

The All-American American Height Weight born From trained by

6 ft 5 in 260 lb March 24, 1982 Perry, Oklahoma Deep South Wrestling Ohio Valley Wrestling Florida Championship Wrestling Debut September 7, 2006 eCW Debut September 9, 2008 RAW Debut June 29, 2009 title Beat Jericho to become WWE World Heavyweight Champ, March 30, 2010

the background. For example, imagine this scenario on Raw, where Cena has been talking with a guest host about his upcoming title match on pay-per-view. As he does so, Swagger steals into the scene, smirk on his face and briefcase in hand, to remind Cena not to over-exert himself, since “maybe this Sunday is when I’ll cash in my Money In the Bank Title Shot!” This would have helped to elevate Swagger to a position where, when he finally did cash in his Money in the Bank opportunity and if he were to win the title, he would be in a better position, in terms of being a believable champion, than he is now.

but with the title on Swagger and the memory of his comedy feud with Marella still fresh in the minds of many, the WWe needed to book him totally different. With the strike of being just fresh out of the mid-card level against him, the WWE needed to do whatever it took to make people believe that Swagger would make a credible champion. Non-title loss after non-title loss is not the way that happens.

part of a year to slowly elevate Swagger to the point where, when he finally cashed in his title shot, he would have been seen as a legitimate contender to the title. In a way, the WWE was off to the right start, with Swagger claiming he was cashing in his MITB title shot on a fallen John Cena, on Raw the night after Wrestlemania. Swagger, however, backed out when Cena recovered. And THAT is the modus operandi Swagger should have adapted. Perhaps not every week, but every now and again, when Cena or Jericho (or future champions) had been beaten up by an opponent, have Swagger rush in and attempt to cash in. Meanwhile, even when the champion wasn’t hurt, the WWE could have Swagger lurking in

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Now, one might argue that the loss to Orton set up the match at Extreme Rules (at which time Swagger avenged his defeat), and a loss to the Undertaker is nothing to be ashamed of. But just weeks into his reign, those aren’t the matches (and losses) he should be having on his record at this point. To elevate Swagger, they need to be booking him strong, with key wins over top stars. So far, that’s not happening. With so much criticism surrounding the WWE over their reliance on familiar faces like Triple H, Randy Orton, the Undertaker and especially John Cena in their main event scene, elevating Jack Swagger should be seen as a positive turn of events, not unlike the elevation of Sheamus, C.M. Punk and, to a lesser degree, Drew McIntyre. But if they continue to mis-book Swagger, he will become less likely the next John Cena and more likely the next Tommy Rich. n Contact John at jmilnerresume@gmail.com

SuPPORT THE WRESTLING PRESS If you enjoyed the free interactive version of our magazine perhaps you’d like to show your appreciation and sign up to the Member’s Area at www.thewrestlingpress.com. From there you’ll have access to the PDF version of this edition, and all back issues, which you can download and read at your leisure. It only costs £0.50 GBP ($0.74 US) to sign-up, with a renewal required each time a new issue is released (currently bi-monthly). All proceeds will help cover our hosting costs and allow TWP magazine to continue. the interactive version will remain free for the forseeable future. The whole site will be revamped soon, with particular improvements being made to the Members Area. We appreciate your support (and input) and hope you continue to enjoy TWP magazine for many years to come, sticking with us while we grow from strength to strength. Please direct all comments, plugs, classifieds, media requests, readers letters etc to ed@thewrestlingpress.com As we’d love to build a wrestling community of like-minded wrestling fans, as well as get immediate feedback on our work - with your suggestions helping to mould the magazine - we have relaunched TWP’s Facebook page. Please take a few moments to sign up and post your comments on the latest wrestling pay-per-views, angles, matches or whatever subjects you feel compelled to discuss. Interact with other wrestling fans and TWP staffers. Click the banner below and join the group...

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Why the 1980s was a

Bumper DecADe For Wrestling Words: Phil Austin

s someone born in 1970, my formative years took place in the 1980s. the decade of thatcherism, some great pop and rock music, the birth of the home computer and videogaming, and a decade that has some of the most memorable television programmes of any, the 1980s really were one of the most exciting for a youngster craving entertainment. And it was the 1980s that brought me to professional wrestling, first in watching itv’s World of Sport wrestling on Saturday afternoons, and then discovering the replacement, the WWF. In fact, the 1980s was one of the most exciting of any decade for professional wrestling. It certainly shaped the industry like none other. Territories died out, Jim Crockett Promotions really pushed forward into one of the best wrestling organisations in the US, and the WWF took over worldwide. Meanwhile in the UK the British wrestling scene started to sputter, and eventually left television, while Japanese wrestling continued to provide some of the most outstanding competition anywhere.

The members of the Deathvalleydriver.com website are currently celebrating this wide and varied decade of wrestling. The ‘80s Project’ has a team of volunteers scouring the entire library of all 80s wrestling currently available, selecting the very best 100-200 matches from each promotion or territory, and then offering the DVD sets of each promotion to any member of the board who wants to get a copy and then vote for 12 WoRlDWiDe WReStlinG MAGAZine tWP

their favourite bouts, with the aim of then compiling a ‘definitive’ chart of the best matches from that promotion. Already released are sets on the WWF, ‘Other Japan’, Memphis, Mid South and New Japan, with a Texas set being released in June. So what better reference point to take when discussing just what made 80s wrestling so tremendous? Most of us will only really know of 80s wrestling in terms of the WWF or the NWA, with maybe a smattering of New Japan or All Japan thrown in. But 80s wrestling had so much more to offer. With this occasional series (which will be added to as I get through each additional DVD set), I aim

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to show the rich variety of talent, matches and downright excitement and entertainment that each promotion or territory had to offer. And where better to start than the big one?

THE WWF The WWWF had officially changed its name to the WWF in 1979, and with Vince Jr forming Titan Sports in 1980, the decade of the 1980s really was the biggest decade of change in the WWF’s history. Vince Jr expanded the North Eastern territory, buying up and taking over other territories, and becoming a worldwide promotion. TV stations began broadcasting more and more WWF programming, the wrestling stars in the company became mainstream celebrity performers, and the WWF began to expand beyond even the boundaries of the United States. It’s a story we as wrestling fans know all too well. The birth of Hulkamania, the ‘Rock n Wrestling connection’, the controversies, the ‘three ring circus’, the marketing of wrestling to families and, in specific, to children. But have we really taken the opportunity to examine just how much the WWF in the 1980s had to offer? It wasn’t all Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior wrestling beanie buddies! Let’s have a little perusal of some of the Death Valley Driver’s top 20 matches from the WWF 1980s set and see just what it can reveal to us about how much the promotion had to offer: SGT SLAuGHTER V IRON SHIEk (bOOTCAMP MATCH) Yep, even before Hulkamania ran wild, the WWF had some good stuff to offer. Sgt Slaughter’s bootcamp matches are legendary, and for good reason. Solid brawling using some great psychology and blood aplenty that would appease even the most hardcore of the ECW or CZW lovers, this was the type of bout that neatly transitioned from the more adult-oriented WWWF to the cartoonish WWF of the later 1980s.

RICky STEAMbOAT V RANDy SAVAGE One thing that the WWF can really be proud of is its rich history of great Intercontinental champions. The Intercontinental title was ‘the wrestling belt’. While the WWF title in the 1980s was the belt that the top stars (and that usually meant ‘the bigger guys’) fought over, the Intercontinental title allowed the WWF to bring in solid technical wrestlers who could put on tremendous wrestling bouts. This match also is a demonstration of the crowds that the WWF drew. And that’s another thing you cannot deny, especially when it comes to Wrestlemania. A large, loud crowd can push a good match to a great match. And for that the WWF was second to none. How many of us as kids were riveted to what were fairly dull and ‘samey’ Hogan matches that seemed ten times more exciting to us because they took place in front of a huge crowd? ADRIAN ADONIS/DICk MuRDOCH V THE bRISCO bROTHERS Another sometimes overlooked aspect of the 1980s WWF was the tag team division. The WWF brought in many great tag teams, from the Briscos to the Brainbusters, and it made the division as strong as it ever was. Adonis and Murdoch also demonstrated another aspect of 1980s WWF wrestling that is often forgotten. They had a load of terrific heels. And it was as much the heels that made the crowds turn up to the arenas as it was the beatings they wanted the faces to give them. bRET HART V RANDy SAVAGE Aside from a one year title run for the Macho Man, neither Savage or Bret had major runs with the top belt during the 1980s. Yet both are remembered far more fondly by fans than the bigger stars such as Hogan and the Warrior. And that is another key to the WWF’s success in the 1980s. The sheer depth of talent really made the WWF ‘something for everyone’. Savage and Hart weren’t the archetype performers that you associate with 1980s WWF, but both were integral additions to the promotion, and additions that would spearhead the promotion into the next decade.

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bRET HART V MR PERFECT As good as Bret Hart was, Mr Perfect was every bit as good. The depth of talent pool made..ahem...perfect match-ups like this very easy for Vince McMahon. Performers that worked well with each other could easily be paired up to make exciting undercard bouts. bOb bACkLuND V ADRIAN ADONIS Bob Backlund is a very important cog in the WWF’s 1980s wheel. Backlund provided an ‘All American boy’ image to the WWF title that countered the more rough, tough image that previous champions had given it. Backlund was also the popular champion who would lose the title to the nefarious Iron Shiek, who would go on to lose to the birth of Hulkamania. Adonis is himself an example of how a solid performer was given a gimmick in his later run. Some of these gimmicks worked. Others, and Adonis is one example of this (as we will see in later parts of this series, guys like Duggan and the Bushwhackers are others), were more of a

detriment to them. Biker Adonis is pretty awesome as a heel. Flower Shop Adonis not so much. GREG VALENTINE V RONNIE GARVIN One of the things that is absolutely terrific about the WWF in the 1980s are the feuds. These weren’t feuds based around who gets the best shampoo commercial or who can rap the best. These weren’t feuds around comedy. These were believable feuds between two competitors you really believed hated each other. So Hogan gets beaten up by King Kong Bundy. The Hart Foundation screw over the British Bulldogs or, in this case, Greg Valentine and Ronnie Garvin have a real rivalry in the ring based on little more than ‘who is the better man’. It wasn’t always the case that 1980s WWF did feuds well (see the ‘Bossman’s mother’ routine) , but when they did they did them really well and made you believe and care. Something today’s WWE might try harder to do sometimes! GLAMOuR GIRLS V JuMPING bOMb ANGELS Women’s wrestling has been a hotly debated topic over the past few years. It’s a Marmite effect in that you either love it or you hate it. With the current crop of Divas in the WWE, hatred is unfortunately far too easy as we are ‘treated’ to botchery and ‘bowling shoe ugly’ matches. But in the 1980s, the WWF had some stellar performers in the women’s division. From Sherri Martel to the Jumping Bomb Angels, WWF Women’s matches in the 1980s had a real ability to shine and to excite. Let’s not forget the Glamour Girls either. Judy Martin and Leilani Kai were another duo who showed that women’s wrestling could be far more than just about preening and posing. RICky STEAMbOAT V JAkE RObERTS A master of psychology, Jake Roberts was a tremendous addition to the WWF. A man who could use the tiniest inflection in his voice or twitch of an eyelid to make you either love him or fear him, Roberts was a tremendous mental performer in the ring and on the microphone.

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uLTIMATE WARRIOR V RICk RuDE Say what you want about the Warrior, but he was marketable. And that was a real key to the success of the 1980s WWF. Larger than life characters who you wanted to see compete. These days too many wrestlers look like ‘just another guy from the audience’ rather than the larger than life superhero , and it’s difficult to be in awe when the most marketable guy on the roster is a guy who walks to the ring in jean shorts! On the opposite side of this match, Rick Rude was one of the top all-round performers the WWF had on their roster. With a look, the presence, the charisma, the microphone skills, and the ability to work a good match with anyone (including the Warrior!), Rick Rude was the type of wrestler that the WWF had on their roster to really benefit their product. bRAINbuSTERS V HART FOuNDATION As we have already said, the WWF of the 1980s was a hotbed of tag team wrestling. The Brainbusters being pilfered from the NWA was a major coup that only added to the division. Anderson and Blanchard were excellent technicians in the ring who had amazing bouts with the Hart Foundation and Rockers, among others. bRITISH buLLDOGS V HART FOuNDATION How can we talk about the WWF of the 1980s and not mention the Bulldogs. Not only were they pretty much the best tag team the WWF ever had on their roster, but they were very important to the international market too. The Bulldogs, and later Davey Boy Smith as a solo act, were a vital part of getting the product over in Europe and providing ‘hometown heroes’ for the European audience. Something WCW tried later with Davey Boy to slightly less success. bRET HART V TED DIbIASE One thing that Vince McMahon in the 1980s was very good at was playing on people’s desires and fears. Ted Dibiase as the Million Dollar Man was a great example of this, as his character of ‘the rich man with all the money’ played off the feelings of the primarily working class audiences. These

were often people who had to work hard just to get enough money to pay the bills, and this ability to produce characters that fed off the audience’s own personal experiences was a key factor to the WWF’s success. HuLk HOGAN V bIG bOSSMAN And the final factor in the WWF’s success was quite simply... It had stars. Superstars that were followed by millions around the world. And the biggest of them was Hulk Hogan. When Hulkamania hit, the WWF’s audience skyrocketed beyond any previous audience that pro wrestling had. Vince McMahon understood that, to be successful, wrestling had to transcend just what the hardcore fans liked and produce stars that could be huge celebrities in their own right. Ask anyone in the street who Hulk Hogan is and they will know. And that’s a very important key! The WWF took all of these factors and put together a product in the 1980s that combined them all. By doing so, it was a product that not a single person watching couldn’t relate to. Hardcore wrestling fans had the technical brilliance of Mr Perfect, the Brainbusters, Bret Hart or the British Bulldogs producing top calibre matches, while mainstream fans could enjoy Hulk Hogan, the Ultimate Warrior, Jim Duggan or the Junkyard Dog in engaging storylines. But as we said, the 1980s wrestling scene was about far more than just the WWF. But that is a subject for the next part in the series.... If you’d like to participate in the 1980s project, the guys at deathvalleydriver.com have a tremendous set of DVDs put together. Go visit the 80s project section on their board to find out how you can take part. n Contact Phil at PhiluK1@aol.com tWP WoRlDWiDe WReStlinG MAGAZine 15

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Evolution Or Just the same face with a different Mask? Words: Rob Sivell Portrait: Tony Knox

010 heralded the start of a new decade and with it, along came a new independent wrestling promotion. Fronted by revered booker Gabe Sapolsky, Full impact Pro promoter Sal Hamoui and indy wrestling standout Davey Richards, the evolve promotion was launched. but is it something to get excited about, or have we seen it all before? Due to the aforementioned three men leading this promotion, it is inevitably going to draw some comparisons with Ring of Honor. Let’s analyse the promotion to see whether EVOLVE brings anything new to the table. EVOLVE is being built around a mission statement (which sounds a bit familiar). The focus is athletic, highly skilled pro wrestling, where sportsmanship is inherent and respect amongst athletes is required. This draws comparisons with the ‘code of honor’; Ring of Honor’s five original governing rules that the promotion was built around. A good concept, but as it showed in RoH, it lacks the longevity to be upheld when you want to build a hate-filled feud amongst two foes. So I don’t think rehashing it seven years later may be the smartest thing to do.

Jimmy Jacobs © tony Knox www.tonyknox.org.uk

EVOLVE has also set specific divisions, in which wrestlers will compete. A singles and tag team division has been formed, where wrestles will compete in their chosen domain. In the tag team division, participants wishing to be a tag team must register set teams, which can be composed and interchangeable of trio stable members. This is a good move on the part of the EVOLVE top brass as it stops two random guys being chucked together with no identity, which should give the division more prestige. Another focus of EVOLVE is to put the meaning back into win/loss/draw records and to establish

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a winning percentage, which will determine a wrestler’s position on the card. EVOLVE’s website claims that ‘There will be much more revealed about the importance of individual records as EVOLVE grows’. Hopefully this will be clarified soon otherwise it undermines the whole meaning of a result based percentage table. Another flaw with this current system is that if a winning record determines your place on the card, then the third EVOLVE show that took place May 1st should have been headlined by Jimmy Jacobs, Kyle O’Reilly and Brad Allen as they were all 2-0-0, and boast the best records after the first two EVOLVE events. This was not the case though as Jacobs defeated Allen in a battle of the undefeated and TJP beat O’Reilly. Without meaning to disrespect Allen and O’Reilly, they are hardly the sort of guys who should be headlining. Although in its infancy, EVOLVE will also have

EVOLVE 2 HyPE press play or click here for external link

to work out a way to tone down the importance of foreign imports, if it is not to hurt the overall focus of win/loss percentages. This may also haunt EVOLVE later down the line; if they have held twenty events and a wrestler has a record of 15-4-1 and is not at the top of the card, because they bring back in the likes of Ikuto

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Hidaka who could hypothetically only have a record of 4-1, then it seems to undo the whole legitimacy of the format. One thing that seems to lend itself favourably to the winning percentage formula is that a set roster seems to have been established. This should hopefully help to avoid the scenario of a wrestler competing against another with a vastly contrasting record (i.e. 9-3-0 vs. 0-0-0). What does EVOLVE‘s roster have to offer independent wrestling fans? Well it is a mixture of established standout wrestlers such as Chris Hero, Jimmy Jacobs, Claudio Castagnoli (pictured right), Mike Quackenbush and Ken Doane, mixed with foreign imports of Kota Ibushi, Ikuto Hidaka and wrestlers waiting to ‘breakout’ and show the world what they can offer. People like Johnny Gargano, Brad Allen and Kyle o’Reilly will be hoping to achieve this.

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Again parallels can be drawn between the infant stages of EVOLVE and RoH, with a mixed roster of established talent and newcomers longing to show the world what they can do, via the medium of athletic wrestling. Although we have seen this mixture and blueprint before in Ring of Honor, is it such a bad thing? The loss of Gabe Sapolsky from Ring of Honor, seems to have been less than favourable to the die-hard fans, with the product losing some direction and being blighted by DQ’s and runin finishes never before seen on such a constant level in the promotion. EVOLVE then looks like the perfect product for the die-hard smart fans to follow, now that RoH doesn’t seem to offer that much of an alternative anymore. With only three shows under its belt EVOLVE does look to have promise. It has a good talent pool, some defining if not familiar guiding principles and is under the guidance of a very good creative mind in Sapolsky. As more and more EVOLVE events take place, hopefully this promotion will start to find its feet and go from strength to strength, because after all, good wrestling makes us all happy fans. n Contact Rob at sivz04@yahoo.co.uk

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lot can change in twenty-one years. Rookies become veterans, veterans become legends and stars can breakthrough or breakdown. nevertheless, the core fundamentals of wrestling stay as prevalent as ever. Julio torres a.k.a ‘the brooklyn brawler’ explained that new generations are lacking the logic that has kept him in the business for so long. “There is a lack of properly trained guys coming into this business at the moment. They could do with somebody teaching them how to learn the fundamentals, which can give them longevity in this life and not just a short-term career.

“At the moment their careers are being cut short, they’re doing crazy stuff when they don’t need to do. Your career can end in a moment, someone’s life is in your hands and I would hate to think that someone’s life could easily end or be transformed. You can still include the high spots, but you need to be safe, because at the end of the day it’s about career, it’s about longevity.” The New York native is speaking from experience, having wrestled all over the world including AZTEC promotions in Mexico, “they work from both left and right hand sides and are very acrobatic in their moves, it takes getting used to and they never seem to blow up.”

Words and pictures: Laurence Mozafari

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Julio also worked in Big Japan Pro Wrestling. “I loved Japan; it was a great place to work. They were doing a lot of crazy matches at the time, barb wire matches and even explosive matches which were so dangerous.” In America Julio wrestled a few matches for ECW and did some dark matches at WWE with his good friend, the late Tiger Khan and Crash Holly, who has also passed away. Additionally he has competed against big names including Jimmy Snuka, Goldust / Dustin Rhodes, Ken Patera and The Undertaker. Whilst working in Puerto Rico, he fought The Bushwhackers, Public Enemy, Tatanka, Val Venis, King Kong Bundy and Bam Bam Bigelow. In Europe he has worked alongside promoters such as Orig Williams, John Freemantle, Dale Martin and Scott Conway. Travelling so much helped Julio refine his skills a lot, he said: “I believe wrestling worldwide makes you a complete wrestler, because it gives you all the different styles. “England has its chain wrestling and specific moves that you wouldn’t find anywhere else in the world, Japan is very tenacious type of wrestling, they take it right to you and the best man wins.” Julio learnt from the best from day one, training at Johnny Rodriguez’s Unpredictable School of Wrestling in New York. Johnny ‘The Unpredictable’ Rodz wrestled for the WWE for two decades and was inducted in to the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996. Julio trained alongside other big players such as Taz, Big Vito and D’Von Dudley. “Even back then they were all tough guys, I knew they had the potential to make it in this business.” But despite their subsequent rise to fame, Julio has seen many who were less fortunate. “I’ve seen this job break some lives, I’ve seen people turn to drugs and drinking and run wild with a crazy life. If you can always remember why you came into this business and keep your dream and focus in front of you, you will go a long way.”

The Brooklyn Brawler is still optimistic about his own future, having managed to avoid any serious injuries throughout his career, he added: “I’ve done 21 years and feel like I could do another 10. And there are a lot of other guys out there who can’t say that.” In the ring, Julio works the American gimmick well, comfortably telling the English crowds that the town they live in is “a rat hole, in the middle of hell.” A brawler by name and by nature, the 230-pound grappler “takes the fight to you” comparing himself to Kane and the late Chris Benoit.

HE HAS COMPETED AGAINST My bIG NAMES INCLuDING JIM R kE TA DER uN E TH D SNukA AN Currently Julio has worked with All Star Wrestling for the last 10 years, since meeting his wife in England. “I have to give them credit, it is the biggest company in Europe and probably outside of the United States and Japan. Having such a heavy schedule and being on the road seven days a week, makes for a top notch company.” Similarly to many, Julio thinks what British wrestling needs is television, to take it to the next level. “The company can just elevate itself when you can reach the masses, you can create household names. I’m surprised All Star Wrestling is as big as it is without TV, but it could be so much bigger.” When looking back at over two decades in the business and his defining moment, Julio simply said everyday. “Everyday I can win, leave and come home in one piece is definitely an achievement in this business. So many people end their careers in the ring; so many people have freak accidents. I just thank God I am able to go home in one piece.” For booking enquiries: juliot42@hotmail.co.uk n Contact laurence at laurencemozafari@hotmail.com tWP WoRlDWiDe WReStlinG MAGAZine 21

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Trading Places EDGE

K E L LY K E L LY CHRISTI A

CHRIS JERICHO

uring the last week of April, World Wrestling entertainment completed their now annual Draft. Whereas WrestleMania used to be the unofficial season-ender for WWe, the Draft can now be considered the basis on which a new year of booking begins. Much like last year’s live draft, the picks are chosen via winning wrestling matches. Representatives from the two brands (RAW and SmackDown) battled each other with the winning person or team earning a draft choice for their respective brand. the new draftee is chosen via a “random” lottery rather than the brand’s General Manager making the pick. During the live Draft on Monday night RAW eight men and women switched brands: Michelle McCool & Layla (SD) beat Maryse & Eve Torres (RAW) when McCool pinned Eve. SmackDown gained Kelly Kelly from RAW. CM Punk pinned Evan Bourne after a GTS and interference from a mystery man. SmackDown gained the big Show from RAW. 22 WoRlDWiDe WReStlinG MAGAZine tWP

Each year WWE shakes things up with their live draft, refreshing the shows with new rivalries and match-ups. Here Mark Allen describes this year’s changes and the implications they’ll have on the months to come....

Ted DiBiase and Santino Marella (RAW) won a ten man battle royal featuring RAW and SmackDown wrestlers to earn three Draft picks. Other participants included MVP, Mark Henry and Yoshi Tatsu (RAW) and Shad Gaspard, Drew McIntyre, Kane, Rey Mysterio and R-Truth (SD). RAW gained John Morrison, R-truth and edge from SD. Chris Jericho (SD) pinned Christian (RAW) after a Codebreaker. SmackDown gained Kofi Kingston from RAW. Post-match Kingston ran down to the ring and hit Jericho with Trouble in Paradise. World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger (SD) pinned John Morrison (RAW) after a gutwrench powerbomb. SmackDown gained Christian from RAW. Hornswoggle (RAW) beat Dolph Ziggler (SD) by count out. RAW gained Chris Jericho from SD. Also just like last year, a supplemental draft was held on wwe.com, and it featured another twelve roster members switching brands. In total twenty wrestlers changed brands in hope of fresh-

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ening up their careers and the landscape of WWE. First here is an analysis of the picks made on Monday Night RAW, followed by those who made the move via the supplemental draft. Kelly Kelly (from RAW to SmackDown) Kelly isn’t known for her impeccable wrestling ability and is more known for her looks and sunny disposition. While she has greatly improved since she began her wrestling training she isn’t a five star wrestler. With Mickie James being released recently, moving Kelly to SmackDown will fill a void of a “good girl” who can provide foil for SmackDown’s villains like Michelle McCool and Layla. She should do well on SmackDown as partner to new Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix and fellow cheery blonde Tiffany. Plus she was behind both Gail Kim and Eve Torres on the wrestling pecking order on RAW and behind The Bella Twins when it came to arm candy. the big Show (from RAW to SmackDown) The Big Show is the largest utility player in pro wrestling. Just like I said last year when he was moved from SmackDown to RAW, he has portrayed the ruthless monster, a big friendly giant, an enforcer, an under-utilised big man who didn’t live up to his potential, amongst a variety of other roles. Since his initial debut in WWE back in 1999, The Big Show has changed from villain to hero probably more times than anyone. He has been used quite well in the past year and a half and that wave of momentum should continue upon his return to SmackDown. He is a multi-time World Champion and built-in main event star that will make him a valuable commodity on the top of SmackDown’s roster, which is admittedly lacking in major league star power.

John Morrison (from SmackDown to RAW) John Morrison was quizzically turned into a “good guy” when he was transferred to SmackDown last year during the supplemental draft. While it allowed him to display his flashy offense much easier, he never really broke out like it seemed he would. The Morrison character works much better as a villain, but now that he is back officially on the RAW brand he will find himself stuck behind a plethora of talent on either side of the fence. At the very least he can rekindle his feud with former partner The Miz and make a solid impact on the mid-card. R-truth (from SmackDown to RAW) R-Truth is the definition of mid-card filler. His entrance and sing-along theme music make him a hit with fans but he doesn’t seem destined to climb the ladder up the card. On the bright side he was drafted alongside his current tag team partner John Morrison so their partnership can continue on the RAW brand. At the very least a permanent move to RAW will give Truth the most consistent exposure he has experienced since he returned to the company in 2008. edge (from SmackDown to RAW) No matter where Edge moves to, it’s a big deal! His return in 2004 and subsequent draft to RAW put him in the main event stratosphere and earned him the ‘Rated R Superstar’ moniker. Then in 2007 he made a hasty move back to SmackDown by cashing in the Money in the Bank briefcase and started to earn his reputation as The Ultimate Opportunist. After returning from another injury at Royal Rumble 2010 he was welcomed by the fans as he looked to take out former tag team partner tWP WoRlDWiDe WReStlinG MAGAZine 23

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and even bigger villain, Chris Jericho. While he worked in the hero role in his war against Jericho, now that he is back on RAW it looks as if his true wily traits have returned. During his first appearance back on RAW, Edge made an enemy of former World Tag Team Championship partner Randy Orton and then on the following episode of SmackDown he confirmed a return to his villainous ways during a confrontation with long time partner Christian. Edge will surely excel once again as the top villain on the company’s flagship and mix it up with the company’s top players. Kofi Kingston (from RAW to SmackDown) There was no bigger move that needed to be made in this Draft than the transfer of Kofi Kingston to SmackDown. Since his arrival in 2008, Kingston had been a happy-golucky babyface with an aerial offense, a flashy smile and a bright look that was a great undercard show stealer. Then in late 2009 he got his chance to move up the card with a hot feud against Randy Orton that made Kingston into more of a player than he had ever been. Unfortunately his push completely stalled out early this year, and he barely made the WrestleMania XXVI card. This move to SmackDown will instantly freshen up Kingston and hopefully propel him back up the card. SmackDown is much more wide open when it comes to main event talent and this move has the potential to put Kingston higher up the card than he has ever been to this point. Christian (from RAW to SmackDown) Like Kingston, this move should instantly benefit Christian and his stock within the company. Since his WWE return in early 2009 he was the big fish in the small pond of ECW. He became the focal point of the brand and it made him look like a big star. But

once ECW folded and he was absorbed to the RAW brand he had become just a cog in the mid-card. On SmackDown he will instantly look like a player, especially now that his old rival Jack Swagger is the current World Champion. And now that his fellow blonde Canadians (and former World Tag Team Championship partners and subsequent rivals) Edge and Chris Jericho are both on RAW, Christian will have an easier time moving up the card in their absences. Christian will match up well against guys like Swagger, Rey Mysterio and CM Punk on the blue brand and not look completely out of place while still work great in the underdog role against SmackDown’s giants like Undertaker, Kane and The Big Show. Chris Jericho (from SmackDown to RAW) With this move it is evident that once again RAW is the flagship brand in WWE and where the main event guys truly play. With Jericho (and Edge) transferring to RAW, the red brand will now boast seven current and former World Champions, which includes John Cena, Randy Orton, Batista, Sheamus and Triple H, who will be out of action for the foreseeable future. However Jericho’s move is really more of clerical one than anything else as even though he was drafted to SmackDown last April he had spent the majority of the past year as one half of the Unified Tag Team Champions, which allowed him to appear on RAW regardless. This move just puts Jericho back in the upper echelon of WWE’s talents, where he should be.

SuPPLEMENTAL DRAFT RESuLTS: the Great Khali and Ranjin Singh (from SmackDown to RAW) Khali has played many roles since his 2006 WWE debut and has roamed all across WWE’s brands. After playing ContinueD on PAGe 24...

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the menacing monster and winning the World Heavyweight Championship, Khali has slipped comfortably into the role of big friendly giant. With a man of his stature and limited in ring skills his appearances have more impact when they are spread thin and not overexposed. After a loss to Dolph Ziggler weeks ago on SmackDown, Khali and his handler Ranjin Singh announced that the big man would be returning to India for a stay in order to recharge. When he does return it will be to the live brand where he will most likely be used sparingly in comedy segments. Plus putting him on RAW will keep him away from the company’s other giant, The Big Show. Chavo Guerrero (from SmackDown to RAW) Last year Chavo moved to RAW, which was seen as a good sign so that he could be next to his aunt Vickie Guerrero. Since then he has been embarrassed at every turn by RAW’s celebrity guest hosts and the diminutive Hornswoggle. A move to SmackDown should be a good thing for Chavo. He can’t get any worse than he was on RAW. He will be away from the RAW guest hosts and be back with his aunt Vickie, who again is back in power on SmackDown. Cody Rhodes (from RAW to SmackDown) This is another move I pegged to happen from the onset. After Legacy imploded at WrestleMania XXVI it was obvious that one of the three would have to leave the RAW brand. And with Rhodes coming out of the feud with the least upward momentum it seemed logical he would be the one to move to the blue brand. On SmackDown Rhodes will be able start anew and rebuild himself away from his old cohorts.

natalya neidhart (from SmackDown to RAW) Natalya is the manager of the new Unified WWE World Tag Team Champions The Hart Dynasty and thus can travel to any show they choose in order to defend the Tag Championships. So this move was more of a clerical one than anything else as it gives Natalya (and The Harts) a home base once they inevitably lose the Tag Championships. She also brings something new to the Divas division on RAW and provides fresh match-ups for the women of the division, including Eve, Gail Kim, Jillian Hall and Maryse. Chris Masters (from RAW to SmackDown) Since Masters returned to WWE in July 2009 he has done absolutely nothing of note. Upon his return he resumed his old gimmick as t h e p r i m a donna Masterpiece and reintroduced The Masterlock Challenge. Then during the Ozzy and Sharon Osborne hosted episode of RAW, Masters displayed his talent of making his muscled pecs “dance” and thus he was transformed into a comedy character. This new trait led to a brief push as a good guy and the services of Eve Torres as a valet, but the push all but evaporated in the build up to WrestleMania XXVI and he hasn’t been seen since. While a move to SmackDown could help revitalise his career I personally don’t expect much of a change for Masters, only a new crew of wrestlers to lose to.

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ezekiel Jackson (from SmackDown to RAW) Big Zeke had all the momentum in the world coming out the death of ECW. He defeated Christian to become the final ECW Champion and received a lot of fanfare upon his return to SmackDown. Unfortunately a family tragedy kept him away from WrestleMania XXVI and an unfortunate knee injury while on the most recent European tour has kept Jackson from reaching the heights expected. While injuries are never a good thing, the timing of his most recent one may help him in the long run. Shad Gaspard has filled in his “big scary black guy” role on SmackDown and a rejuvenated Jackson returning to the flagship RAW brand once he is healed may be the best thing for his career. Goldust (from SmackDown to RAW) At this point in his career Goldust works well as an in-ring trainer for younger talents and in comedy skits where the bizarre nature of the character can be played up. While a move back to RAW won’t help him climb the ladder of in-ring success, it should give him plenty of face time to interact with the weekly RAW guest host and work with new and young talent. Plus it keeps him separated from his legitimate half-brother Cody Rhodes, as that is apparently a story the company is not ready to work with at this point. Hornswoggle (from RAW to SmackDown) As much as I completely dislike what the Hornswoggle character has become he is popular with WWE’s young fans and provided “comedy” relief on the RAW brand. A move back to SmackDown will hopefully reunite him with his “father” Finlay, who has been completely absent from WWE TV for months now. Rosa Mendes (from RAW to SmackDown) Mendes’ move is one of the few bad moves of the supplemental draft I feel. She had been gaining traction on the RAW brand as the valet

of Zack Ryder. The two were a great Jersey-like obnoxious couple that could have grown into an entertaining attraction. A move to SmackDown separates her from Ryder and puts her at the bottom of the pecking order of SmackDown’s female villains. WWe unified tag team Champions the Hart Dynasty tyson Kidd & DH Smith (from SmackDown to RAW) It only makes sense to keep The Hart Dynasty all together in one brand, as they are more useful at this point as one unit. Like I mentioned earlier with Natalya, this move was more of a clerical one than anything else as it gives the entire Hart Dynasty a home base once they inevitably lose the Tag Championships. But it is also a great move by having young talents like Smith and Kidd showcased on the company’s biggest program, where their superior in-ring talents will be seen by the most eyeballs. Montel vontavious Porter (from RAW to SmackDown) MVP came over to RAW in last year’s Draft as the United States Champion and with all the promise in the world to rise up the card. Unfortunately his potential star-making feud with Randy Orton was given to Kofi Kingston instead and MVP has been stuck on the low end of the card and in a tag team with Mark Henry. While the team with Henry actually showed some potential and promise, the company didn’t get fully behind the pairing and it just kind of wilted apart. Hopefully a return to SmackDown, where Porter has enjoyed his most profitable days in WWE, will reignite his career. The SmackDown upper card is wide open after the draft and Porter has just as good a chance as any to make the climb up the ladder of success. n Contact Mark at markallen@insidepulse.com

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Antonio Inoki P R O F I L E

Words: John M. Milner

Japanese wrestling legend Antonio inoki was born Kanji inoki, on February 20th, 1943. He was the sixth son of yokahama businessman and politician Sajiro inoki. the second youngest of eleven children, Kanji lost his father at the age of five and, after World War ii, the family fell on hard times.

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In 1957, 14-year-old Kanji, his grandfather, mother and brothers immigrated to Brazil. (Tragically, his grandfather passed away during the trip from Japan to Brazil.) Having been a high school shotput champion in Japan, Inoki continued to compete in his new homeland. He won the All Brazilian Championship in shotput and discus throw as well as regional championships in javelin throw. After meeting with the legendary Rikidozan, a 17year-old Inoki returned to Japan to compete for the Japanese Wrestling Association (JWA), where his fellow Dojo members included Giant Baba. After wrestling in the United States, Inoki began wrestling for Tokyo Pro Wrestling in 1966, only to watch as the company folded a year later, due to backstage politics. Inoki and Baba would reunite in the JWA and, as the B-1 Cannon, the pair would win the NWA International Tag Team Championships on four occasions. In 1972, a year after being fired from JWA for planning a takeover of the company, he founded New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). His first match for the new promotion was on March 6th, a loss to Karl Gotch in front of 5,000 fans. Inoki would go on to win NJPW’s thentop title, the NWF Heavyweight Championship, four times. In 1976, Inoki earned international exposure when he stepped into the ring for a 15round boxing vs wrestler match against boxing great Muhammad Ali. The much-panned match, which ended in a draw, saw Inoki staying close to the mat and peppering the boxer with kicks to the leg. Ali was not the only non-wrestler that Inoki would face in his career, as he battled boxer Chuck Wepner, Judo gold medalist William Rusko and World Karate Champion Willie Williams in a career that predated Mixed Martial Arts. On November 30, 1979, Inoki defeated WWF Champion Bob Backlund in Tokushima, Japan. A week later, on December 6th, Backlund pinned Inoki but the match was declared a no-contest by

WWF President Hisashi Shinma due to the interference of Tiger Jeet Singh. Inoki refused the title and Shinma declared the championship vacant. Backlund would defeat Bobby Duncum in a Texas Death match on December 12th to regain the title. Inoki’s title reign was not acknowledged by the WWF. After retiring the NWF title in 1981, the IWGP, in 1983, initiated the “IWGP League”, a tournament held every spring. After losing to Hulk Hogan, in controversial fashion, in the finals of the 1983 tournament, Inoki won the League in 1984, 1986 and 1987. Following his League victory in 1987, Inoki became the first IWGP Heavyweight Champion. Even as he continued to compete, Inoki gained a victory in another arena: the political arena. He was elected to Japan’s House of Councillors in 1989 and represented his country in meetings with Fidel Castro and Saddam Hussein. When Inoki met with Hussein, to negotiate the release of prisoners from the Gulf War, he received a gift of a pair of golden swords. In the early-to-mid-1990s Inoki began his “Final Countdown” series as he headed into retirement. During this series Inoki battled the Great Muta, Vader, Yoshiaki Fujiwara and the original Tiger Mask Satoru Sayama. In 1995 he would head to Pyongyang, North Korea for a two-day wrestling festival for peace. In the main event, Inoki defeated Ric Flair in front of 190,000 fans. On April 4, 1998, the Final Countdown series came to an end as Inoki’s last match came against Don Frye. Less than five minutes after it began, Inoki’s final match was over, with a victory in front of 70,000 people at the Tokyo Dome. Over the years after his retirement Inoki has continued to promote both with NJPW and with other promotions. In 2010, Inoki was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. n Contact John at jmilnerresume@gmail.com

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TRAINING for success WITH THE bRITISH WRESTLING ALLIANCE Words: Darren Wood

or over ten years the british Wrestling Alliance training school based in Stoke-on-trent has been building its reputation as one of the finest wrestling schools that these shores have to offer. Head trainer Chris Curtis has more than twenty years worth of experience under his belt and has trained some of the top talent the UK has had to offer, people like Bubblegum, Dean Allmark and Johnny Phere have all begun their quest to become professional wrestlers at the BWA. The training school which is situated at Fitness First at Ravenside Retail Park, Victoria Road in Fenton hosts open training sessions every month for anyone who fancies giving wrestling a go. “The first few lessons are what people probably feel is boring, repetitive and dull,” states Curtis. “Safety is very important so we show them how to take bumps, teach them break fall techniques and clinching, learning how to do the collar and elbow tie up. “We do a lot of drills, showing the trainees how to do them and then they will go away and practice it. Repeating it over and over again until it is perfected. “If someone is doing something wrong I will tell them, but I will also be constructive, saying they need to change certain things to make it look better.” Curtis who is a certified 3rd degree black belt in the martial art of jiu-jitsu never had the intention of becoming a wrestler until one day when he was sitting down to watch ITV’s World Of Sport. “Wrestling just intrigued me,” said Curtis. “Some of the submissions in wrestling were quite similar to Jiu Jitsu and I liked not just the

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physical aspect of wrestling but also the showmanship side of it. “The more I watched wrestling, the more I fell in love and I started to attend shows at the Victoria Hall In Hanley, Stoke-On-Trent. “There’s nothing like going to a live wrestling show, the buzz and excitement that surrounds it really is indescribable. I remember the first time I saw a show live. Going to the building, seeing the ring, the big bright light from the ceiling shining down on the two competitors in the ring, it was just like a magnet to me. “I couldn’t take my eyes off the squared circle, around age 16 I knew this was what I wanted to do, it took me until I was 19 to pluck up the courage to go and train to become a professional wrestler.” Curtis believes that there are a lot of companies who don’t really care about the wrestlers they are training at their schools and that is giving wrestling a bad name. “Wrestling has to get rid of these promotions whose trainers at their schools don’t know how to train properly and only train them for a couple o f m o n t h s b e f o r e booking them on a show in front of people. They will be inexperienced and are going to hurt themselves

BWA trainer Chris Curtis © tony Knox www.tonyknox.org.uk

thewrestlingpress.com training

or somebody else. I try and teach my guys to slow the pace of a match down and tell a story, there are some lads out there who could be really talented with the right training.” “Trainees need to have a professional attitude to wrestling,” Curtis stresses. “They need to go to the gym and work out in their spare time, hit sun beds and get a tan. You need to be dedicated to make it in this business and you need a certain work ethic. I get e-mails off people telling saying they would do anything to become a wrestler then the minute they take a few bumps, receive a few bruises or get a bollocking from me they make excuses why they can’t come to training. If they want it badly enough, they will continue to train.”

L . . . HE HAS ALL THE POTENTIA E WW FOR N SIG D AN ON TO GO AND bECOME A HuGE NAME “I got the crap kicked out of me when I trained but every opportunity to train I was there. I wasn’t just going to the training sessions I was going to live shows, watching matches and trying to absorb as much as I could.” Ghent Wakefield has been training with Curtis for nearly a year; he now wrestles for the BWA under the name Demetrious, he tells TWP about his start in professional wrestling. “Chris had been trying to get me to train for a couple of years, I kept saying no but then I felt the time was right and thought I’m going to give this a shot, I love wrestling. “Since starting training in late 2009, my body is still trying to get used to all the bumps, I ache all the time but once I get used to it I will be fine. I have sprained my ankle, torn a muscle in my shoulder all in the space of these last few months.

bWA TRAINING press play or click here for external link

star in this country and Curtis sees a big future ahead for him and so it seems do the WWE. “If anybody at this school is going to make it, it’s Ghent,” States Curtis. “He has all the potential to go on and sign for WWE and become a huge name.” Wakefield attended a trial for WWE back in November 2009 but was too inexperienced at the time and told to come back in April when WWE were over again to have another trial for them. “WWE told me to get the necessary experience and that if I can keep a match going for 10-15 minutes then I would be signed because they liked my look. “For the last six months I have worked hard and I do 10-15 minute matches all the time now so I should be good to go. It was a harrowing experience having people like Finlay, Batista and Triple H watching my match.” The BWA has a rich history of being the starting platform for many wrestlers who have gone onto be big names, especially on the UK circuit, and there is no doubt that the BWA will continue to produce great wrestling talent for years to come.

“Chris will, at first, make you go through the basics every time you start a training session, because they are your foundation. He teaches you to keep yourself and your opponent safe.”

For more information on the British Wrestling Alliance and their training school go to www.britishwrestling.vze.com or you can email bwacrippler@hotmail.co.uk or telephone 07746 529363

20 stone Wakefield who has competed in body building competitions has the potential to be a

n Contact Darren at news@thewrestlingpress.com tWP WoRlDWiDe WReStlinG MAGAZine 31

L A C I N y C MIND c e Cyni h T h t wi

TNA TURN TO WRESTLING, SACK WRESTLER

ou know those people who say “i’m not racist, but...”? you do? you’re mixing in the wrong circles. Well, tnA could say “i like wrestling, but...” And then follow it with “i got rid of Christopher Daniels”. Whether they pinked slipped him or pissed him off, they lost a grappling talent who wrestling fans love. even hard-to-please main-event crock Angle liked to work with him.

And, like a diamond pawned for a rock of crack (and not even a big one, but I needed it for research, research I tells ya!) they’ve let Daniels go. Or misused him so badly that he had no choice but to go. Hogan and Bischoff are not clowns. I repeat, not clowns. Their behaviour over the past few years might have led you to believe otherwise, but they are actually savvy wrestling practitioners. But they live in the 80’s and 90’s. Which of us didn’t

thewrestlingpress.com a cynical mind

wince when we heard Ditsie Carter had rushed into their arms, possibly because the panic of “nothing works, nothing works, what am I going to do?” blurred her vision. We expected wacky skits. We expected programming that didn’t make sense. Oh, we got that. We got that in large, indigestible chunks. But there’s an unpalatable aftertaste too. Favouritism. I actually worried that Brother Bruti might cut and strut his way down to ringside, putting his hip out on the way and stink up the place quicker than SuBo at a karaoke. He didn’t, but the unnecessary Waltman and unusable Hall certainly did. And with the arrival of friends comes the squeezing of talent. Daniels was crushed thinner than Bryan Danielson’s chances of making it in Vinnieland. Now, the Fallen Angel can make it anywhere and has been signed up by a bargain-seeking ROH. It’s perhaps not all he might want, but...By the time you read this, I might be pink slipped too, although I doubt if I’ll be wished well in my

future endeavours after the mix-up with the Duffy woman and Bigotgate. She WAS a bigot; you can’t talk about immigrants FLOCKING here without making it seem like you’re making a comment on it. Language, ain’t it grand? Anyway, I’m getting used to the silence. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Oh, you weren’t.

. . . . WORRIED THAT bROTHER uT bRuTI MIGHT CuT AND STR IDE GS RIN TO y WA HIS And so will Mr D. He is one of the best wrestlers around. Never mind Luger, this is the total package. He has the wrestling skills to make a broom look good (take a bow, Dusty McMophead, ROH jobber) and also has the character work and acting ability to be absolutely compelling. He came back to work the ridiculous “is he, isn’t he” Suicide angle and didn’t attract much ordure (shit, dear readers), took Angle to a place few can (no, not Cockfosters) and tried

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a cynical mind thewrestlingpress.com

they lost a grappling talent who wrestling fans love....

to hit any curveball the brass threw at him. He’ll have a long, independently successful career with less money than he thought but much better memories. Hogan and Bischoff have missed the zeitgeist. They think they’re still young, hip scenesters, ahead of the curve. They are actually old, fat men wheezing for the bus. So keen on sipping their mochchochlattefrappacappacinos and firing off nonsense lawsuits to take note of where wrestling is. It’s passed them by. Either that, or they don’t know how to play it. Because wrestling is now most interested in...wrestling! Amazing, isn’t it? Fans want mano a mano action, good action at that, proper competition. Examples? UFC’s massive success, the rejuvenated boxing world, the cognoscenti’s love of Dragon Gate, a wrestling promotion, even pretty decent WWE matches; it’s all there if you take a look at it for even a moment. The new TNA management believe that skits pay. Throw enough ordure (shit, wageslaves) at the wall and some is bound to stick. So you’ll come back next week, to get a whole lot of other shit. It’s a win-win! Except that wrestling loses. Ah, but, you might mumble into your Angus burger, Bischoff has just instituted a ranking system, exactly what you proposed. You’re right. But it’s based on fans voting via the stupidity superhighway, so it probably won’t be a strenuous grappling-based list. 34 WoRlDWiDe WReStlinG MAGAZine tWP

But hang on, you might dribble into your pint of pernod, they’ve just hired and crowned RVD, a proper wrestler who has character, isn’t that what you want? It is, but there’s something you should consider; Hogan and Bischoff have a love of the new. Like someone who has a box set of “The Wire” and buys another because it has a Spanish commentary, they believe everything new is good and exciting – they demean what’s there (look at the hobbling of AJ, a brilliant worker with limited stick skills given a role with big character work, the messing of Abyss, the elevation of Rob Terry) and parachute in saviours who have done it in the past, ergo can do it now. In the meantime, Daniels languishes in the indies and Abyss farts around with Flair. What made you your fortune? Wrestling. What brought you to the dance? Wrestling. What do you peddle? Wrestling. So what have you decided to ignore? Wrestling. They tried to push the grappling a few weeks ago, and it was ok, but one week later, the confusion was back. You see, you can’t have wrestling without wrestlers. With Daniels, they had options. Without him, there’s a hole. Carry on like this and TNA will be right in the ordure. And you know what that means. n Contact the Cynic at hearditallbefore@hotmail.com

Words: Darren Wood Portrait: Tony Knox

STIFF DOuG WILLIAMS VS DAVE MA MAy 29TH, 2010 LIVERPOOL, OLyMPIA

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“Doug has been a standard bearer for 10 years or so in British wrestling and deserves every success he has had,” admitted Mastiff. “This match will truly be two talented wrestlers giving everything they have. “There should be something for everybody at this show, it’s held in a great venue and there will be some great talent appearing.”

or many years, Doug Williams has been one of british wrestling’s finest talents, and since 2009 Reading born Williams has regularly appeared for tnA wrestling. The former TNA X-Division champion will appear for 1PW as part of their star studded card at the new Divide on Saturday May 29th, which will take place at the Liverpool, Olympia – a venue capable of housing up to 1,600 spectators. Appearing alongside Williams are TNA stars The Pope D’Angelo Dinero, Beer Money, Desmond Wolfe and former WWE star Kevin Thorn. Williams, who reigned as the X-Division champion for 3 months until being unfairly stripped of the title, will take on one of the UK’s biggest and best known wrestling talents, ‘The Human Hate Machine’ Dave Mastiff. The last time these two faced each other it was Mastiff who came out on top and Williams will be hoping that the result will be in his favour this time around. “I am looking forward to this match immensely because I consider Dave to be one of the new breed of UK Wrestlers with real talent as well as a unique look” he told The Wrestling Press. “Dave’s got a good chance to make it somewhere like WWE or TNA. As long as he can stay focused and patient he’ll be OK.” Mastiff believes that this contest against Williams will be one of his greatest tests to date and the bout is something that he eagerly awaits. 36 WoRlDWiDe WReStlinG MAGAZine tWP

Since the last encounter, Mastiff, who was featured in TWP issue 6 on his trip to train with US promotion Ohio Valley Wrestling, has been using every bit of knowledge he gained at OVW to improve and he will look to prove himself against Williams. “I have an open invite to return any time I would like,” said Mastiff. “It was a great experience for me but at the present time I have other avenues to explore in wrestling, and have no plans to return in the immediate future.” When asked to express his thoughts on the talent in the UK, Williams was optimistic about the calibre of British wrestlers.

“There are a lot of very talented wrestlers at the moment, it’s just a shame there is nowhere here where any of them can make a proper fulltime living from it. “I think it needs to be on television to move forward from what it is now. Unless somebody is prepared to invest millions of pounds into it, that’s just not going to happen. Williams believes that 1PW stand out from other promotions in the UK now as they are the only company that bring over talent from the USA on a regular basis. Williams was however quick to stress that having wrestlers from abroad does not necessarily guarantee a sell out crowd.

“By bringing in talent from all over the world they can provide unique matches not seen anywhere else. “But no individual wrestler draws sell outs any more. At most the promoters can hope to attract an additional 50-100 fans with an imported wrestler. In order to sell out, a promoter needs to focus on proper advertising or promotion.

“There are enough fans out there with a desire to watch wrestling live, I just think most of the time they are not even aware it is on in their area.” Standing 6ft tall and weighing 235 pounds, Williams says he is excited to return to Liverpool after last competing in the city on TNA’s first ever tour of the UK in June 2008. He received a great reception from the fans that night and looks forward to performing there again. “I hope fans will turn out in force to 1PW, to see not only me but also some of the others stars of TNA and of course, several of the most talented UK wrestlers on the scene today. “It will be definitely be a great night of wrestling action!” 1PW presents the new Divide on May 29th live from the Liverpool, Olympia. Doors open at 7.00 pm and the show starts at 7.30pm. For more information about 1PW the new Divide go to www.oneprowrestling.com

FOR OuR PREVIEW OF DESMOND WOLFE VS LIONHEART SEE PAGE 38 tWP WoRlDWiDe WReStlinG MAGAZine 37

od Wo x n no re ar ny K D s: t: To rd i Wo rtra Po

onsidered by many to be the biggest breakout star of 2009, lionheart has proven himself to be one of the top wrestlers in the uK. over the last year he has had classic battles with the likes of Davey Richards, Jimmy Jacobs and Martin Stone to name a few.

May 29th will be one of his biggest tests as Scotland’s finest wrestling star goes up against one of tnA’s top names Desmond Wolfe at 1PW’s new Divide from the famous liverpool, olympia.

LFE LIONHEART VS DESMOND WO MAy 29TH, 2010 LIVERPOOL, OLyMPIA

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1PW THE NEW DIVIDE press play or click here for external link

This match is one of the most anticipated bouts of the UK wrestling circuit in 2010 and has the makings of a classic encounter. 1PW Owner Danny Rodd believes that the Scot can make it big in the USA and is eagerly anticipating the match. “This will be a true dream showcase match,” Claimed Rodd. “Which has all the makings of a classic match of the year. This match could be Lionheart’s defining moment.

The match was a triple threat match with Keith Myatt but to this day Lionheart remembers his last encounter with Wolfe. “It was a real honour to get a title shot at the time; Wolfe was really helpful and after that match gave me advice of how I need to add more depth to my offence. He told me I was doing good work that was crisp and impressive but it was generic stuff that didn’t make me stand out. “I took all that he said on board and worked to improve, coming out of the match with him I was eager to see what I could do with him in singles action, now I have my chance.” Since coming into TNA Wolfe has been on an impressive run, starting out with a major feud against Kurt Angle he has proved himself to be a valuable addition to the Florida based outfit.

“He’s got all the talent in the world.” This event looks set to be one of the biggest wrestling cards that the UK has seen for years and it will no doubt be a highlight of the 2010 UK wrestling calendar. 1PW presents the new Divide on May 29th live from the Liverpool, Olympia doors open at 7.00 pm and the show starts at 7.30pm. For more information about 1PW the new Divide go to www.oneprowrestling.com n Contact Darren at news@thewrestlingpress.com

Wolfe was really helpful and after that match gave me advice . . . .

A lot has changed since their one and only clash and British born Wolfe who hails from London still remembers the bout to this day. “Me and Lionheart never had the chance to go at it 100%,” Wolfe told TWP. “He has a strong drive to get better and I look forward to him showing it against me when I come over. I look forward to Braveheart part II” tWP WoRlDWiDe WReStlinG MAGAZine 39

While this will be the first one on one encounter between the two they have been in the ring together before. When Lionheart became the first ever Scottish wrestler to receive a Ring Of Honor World Championship shot against then champion Wolfe.

“Since lionheart was introduced into 1PW I’ve watched him progress into an amazing performer. He represents the new movement of British Wrestling. He’s young, talented, has a thirst for knowledge and evolving himself on a level that few can match.

Words: Froggy

thewrestlingpress.com world wrestling entertainment

have to be straight from the offset; i have never been a Randy orton fan. i’ve always had the overwhelming impulse to punch his smug face if i want to be brutally truthful. So it seemed ironic that one of the predominant features on the wrestling forums just recently has all been about how wonderful it is now that orton is a face once again. is it really that wonderful?

will be interesting to see the reactions from fans from different arena’s to see how huge his fanbase is at the moment.” - therock4life. This point I like too, and it’s something I wondered myself, just how over would Orton be across the board, though to be honest I think he has been winning hands down at all venues for biggest cheers. Shame I wasn’t able to get to any of the recent UK tours as it would have been interesting to witness first hand.

Crediting the original poster’s and keeping the spelling exactly as it is on the thread i examined the general feeling towards him right now.

Of course, I came across the long term fans on the forums, one felt the need to start a topic with the headline “wow Orton isn’t face...he is mega face.” Can’t argue with that right now I guess.

On one forum alone I found that the first seven pages, all from the same week, contained nine threads all Orton related, and not one was saying he was rubbish. Plenty of Cena hate, but nothing new there! ”Orton came out of nowhere tonight and stole Cena’s spotlight and I loved every minute of it”- Jasonviyavong

The post went on to say “ Orton is getting massive pops and crowd support. Bigger support than Cena as of late. Orton is the badass face the wwe needs. As a face Orton is also able to showcase how awesome he actually is in the ring. As a Heel he had to be more methodical about how he moved. Orton is definately a huge face...hope the wwe dosent screw this up!!!” Ahh, back to the writers being simple people, and time will only tell if they screw it up.

So exactly what have fans been saying, and has anyone helped me make up my mind over whether I could possibly get to like him or not? Could I too suddenly watch a match and say “Orton has been just electric lately...awesome!” I wasn’t going to hold my breath as I begun to trawl the forums. A good place to start examining the Orton Mania was why they turned him face in the first place. I found good basic solid responses such as this from “sky high.” ”I just think that they had no idea what to do with Legacy, and it just happened that Randy Orton was becoming more and more liked by the fans, so they just decided to turn him face, because, like I said, they didn’t know what to do with them. Sometimes we just over-analyze the writers. They are really simple people” - sky high. Nice touch at the end there, I’m sure the writers will be endeared to such a remark, but at the same time, it’s quite true!

Andromeda 1979 begged “to the wwe: dont change anything about ortons face run...the austin/ rock attitude era can breath a little out of orton. Later turn cena heel and boom...the biggest rivalry of this era of wrestling.” Hmmmm, possibly a good idea here, I mean Cena and Orton did have a feud in OVW, might be fun to revisit this but in the big time? I would be up for that. Writers, take note, simples!

”I don’t think Orton was scheduled for a face turn if fans didn’t cheer him like they did while he was a heel. He is massively over now, it tWP WoRlDWiDe WReStlinG MAGAZine 41

world wrestling entertainment thewrestlingpress.com

antdvda has some reservations and I was glad to see I wasn’t the only one. “I am curious to see wtf they do with him though. I mean I don’t think the WWE had anything to do with this...all the sudden he just started getting huge pops. Are they gonna make him some straight up babyface or a tweener?” ”It’s kinda odd to see him go from some psychotic dude with anger problems and next thing you know he’s teaming up with Mr. Good Guy John Cena? Hope they handle the transition properly”.laurentzai also thought the same way. Others were a bit more basic in the overhaul that was needed. “Orton needs a new song now. If hes gonna be that bad-ass face then he needs a more upbeat heavy type rock intro. That intro he h a s n o w i s m o r e l i k e a s l o w m o v i n g psychological type song.” Ahhh if it were only so easy.) All of a sudden I hit the jackpot, someone else who couldn’t quite understand the Orton love going on right now. “I’d be lying if I said I ever disliked Orton, but I’m also a little confused as to just how he got so damn over. Seriously, what did I miss? Why all of a sudden are people just starting to realize they want to cheer for this guy. What is it about him that people seem to love all of sudden?” – Greenbax. Thank you Green Bax, I am not alone in this wide world web of wrestling fans! Of course then came the inevitable…. ”If you use to hate Orton then he did his job as a heel rather well”- tombo2326. Arrrghhh, smartie pants! Then another shocker and I’m not talking Horace Pinker! “Randy Orton is one of my favorite wrestlers but he WILL NOT overtake John Cena. Randy Ortons anti hero character is a good contrast to Cenas traditional face and it is very refreshing to see that but Orton will not take Cenas spot because when it comes to marketing and advertising, John Cena has that over Orton especially with the kids and always will. John Cena is the modern day Hulk

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Hogan and Orton is the modern day Steve Austin.” Aceofspades7778 Wow! That almost comes across as praise for Cena! I think?!?! Straight_edge76 summarised one of the best arguments so far in that “I think that Orton’s face turn was beautifully done. It seemed that for the last year or so the fans slowly started getting behind Orton. They wanted a reason to cheer him, the WWE never forced it or tried to tease it. Much like Austin, they just realized that the people love the badass anti-hero that Orton is.” 1chilban concurred “The face turn, as it was natural, has actually been good. I don’t think he’ll ever be a complete ‘true’ babyface ala Cena or whatever, as it didn’t suit him a few years ago and won’t suit him now - especially with the tattoos. However, as a tweener he is going to be cheered by large sections of the crowd. Keep him in that position and he can face heels and faces - the crowd can decide who to cheer for then.” Both good points and straight forward they actually made me proud to find such posts on the forums. So what did I gather on my position over Orton at the end of it all? I still don’t “get him” and his smugness still annoys the hell out of me, but now, I think I can tolerate him a little bit. Just as long as he backs off from yelling at Kofi that is! If he does that again then it’s war! But the jury is still out on Orton, time will tell. The final word has to go to Kobra860 who asked “Why does he always have the gas mask theme on his shirts? I think it’s cool but I never understood how it related to his character .” There were various sensible remarks but ladycroft stole the whole thread in my opinion……. ”And here I thought it was because he was a fan of the movie My Bloody Valentine.” Yum…. Jensen Ackles…..I just lurvvvvee those Southern guys…what do you mean Orton is from the South???? n Contact Froggy at FRoGGylllC@aol.com As Froggy has decided to make this her last contribution to tWP i’d like to thank her for all her hard work and advice (going back many years). All the best Froggles!!! ---- ed.

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WRESTLER PROFILE

Eric Schwarz Words: David Schmida Pictures: dragonhearts.de

ric Schwarz, who was trained by Keith and bruce Hart, certainly left his mark in the wrestling industry and continues to be one of the most important figures in Germany. Decorated with titles from many different promotions, he can already look back at a long list of accomplishments.

After his wrestling debut as Eric The Bounty Hunter in 1996, the 193 cm tall heavyweight quickly moved on to wrestle for the Catch Wrestling Association (CWA), the then biggest wrestling promotion in Germany run by Otto Wanz. "I was brought in by Franz Schumann and after being tested, I got booked for two days in Austria, which I guess was my try out.

After that I received a phone call from Peter William asking me if I wanted to work for CWA, which I did from 1998 onwards." Despite, of course, not winning every match in his first year there, he paid his dues and was given the opportunity to win the vacated CWA Junior Heavyweight Championship in October â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;98. He lost the match to Karsten Kretschmer, but was definitely on his way up and he never let that title out of his sight. Although CWA and Schwarz parted ways after one year, he went on to become one of the leading Wrestlers in Germany: "I wrestled in a tournament for another promoter in Hannover and had to leave it due to a serious injury after nine days. After that, I wasn't booked for the following CWA tournament. I think they didn't want to run the risk of having a wrestler on the card who is not 100 %". After his arrival at the Athletic Club Wrestling (ACW), he almost instantly became one of the dominant guys on the roster and helped put ACW on the map. The time at ACW marked a period in his career where he was able to finally win the CWA Junior Heavyweight title from Kretschmer as well as the ACW German title. His biggest success was yet to come though. tWP WoRlDWiDe WReStlinG MAGAZine 43

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Until this day, his bitter feud against Big Tiger Steele, whom he eventually beat to win the Heavyweight Title, is remembered as one of the reasons why ACW filled the venues at that time. After matches including I Quit rules and a Texas Bullrope, bringing no decision, Schwarz beat his nemesis to win the gold in their third encounter in September 2002. He was able to hold on to that title for more than a year but eventually lost it to Doug Williams, with whom he later had a classic Iron Man Rematch which took place only three days after Schwarz was involved in a serious car accident. "They already drew good crowds before I came in, I just advised them and protected them from cheap criticism. I am so happy about the fact that I was part of the biggest feud they ever had against Big Tiger Steele. It's a shame the quality of the tapes weren't as good as today; my matches with Doug Williams and Michael Kovac, for example, would still pass the test."

giving you the respect you should get for doing that." Meanwhile, WWE took notice of him and invited him for try outs during their tv tapings in England. In addition to that, he was able to prove himself in matches on World Wrestling Entertainment’s televised Heat, where he teamed with Domino against The Heart Throbs in 2005 and together with Andy Simmonz against Snitsky and Goldust in 2006. "Working for WWE meant a lot to me. That's why I became a wrestler in the first place. I slept in a tiny car at temperatures way below zero just to be there the next day all suited up. I guess the fact that I am married with children and being thirty at that time didn't make it easy for them to hire me. Actually at one

A WORkING FOR WWE MEANT I y WH ’S AT TH . ME TO LOT bECAME A WRESTLER At German Stampede Wrestling’s (GSW) International Impact in October 2004, he faced Chris Hero and beat him in a show stealer which put him in a good position to become the first GSW Heavyweight Champion. But he lost his semi-final match against his friend Michael Kovac at the next event. Nevertheless, he didn't have to wait much longer for his first title in GSW. Four months later he was able to win the Tag Team Title teaming with Michael Kovac against Swiss Money Holding, consisting of Claudio Castagnoli and Marc Roudin. Schwarz and Kovac would later go on to have a hatred filled feud, but you can read about that in issue seven. "It was very important for me to be part of GSW. I really liked working for them but didn't have too many great matches there, except for the ones against Hero and the Streetfight with Kovac. It didn't help my career since they never really knew what to do with me. You lose your motivation if they just use you to build up other guys while not 44 WoRlDWiDe WReStlinG MAGAZine tWP

eric Schwarz vs Michael Kovac, Streetfight

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eric Schwarz vs big tiger Steele

point the only thing they had to figure out was a gimmick for me. I suffered a ruptured acl ligament just four weeks before my try out in November 2005, but of course I went anyway and you could really see that there was something wrong with me. It didn't work out, but it was good time anyway and maybe I’ll get another shot in the future.”

boiled up to a point where a match, of course, was the only way out. Since Schwarz has a background in martial arts, which he is as well very passionate about, and Eko Fresh not really being a wrestler, the match was fought in a shoot fighting style. Fresh actually looked very good, was able to put in a few moves, but in the end he had no chance against the veteran. Being mentioned in youth magazines and the yellow press was the result and that created a little buzz for him and everyone involved. "The match against Eko is one of my favorites at GSW because it was different." Despite suffering many career-threatening knee injuries, the 35 year old is still passionate about getting in the ring. Just recently he aligned himself with German Hurricane Wrestling, a new promotion run by one of his students, to take them under his wing and help them grow. Besides that, he loves teaching the art of wrestling. "To be honest I don't know if I am always going to be part of this business, sometimes I hate it, sometimes I love it. It's like in ICPs song "Some of these days are shiny diamonds". I’m doing this for the good days and I think I actually can't get away from it anymore. As you can see, I still wrestle although many people think I am done. If one day I accept that I am done stepping in the ring, I might work as coach, referee or even as a promoter. We will see.” n Contact David at dschmida@hotmail.com

CEREMONy OF VIOLENCE press play or click here for external link

At home, the man now also known as ‘Made in Germany’ continued to play a key role in the plans of German promoters. So it was no surprise that GSW chose him to be involved in a publicity stunt to promote a big event in January 2008. What had happened? During a match against Murat Bosporus, he and Bosporus' manager Eko Fresh, a German rapper, didn't get along too well. Actually that’s an understatement. The musician ran into Schwarz, enraging the grappler who in return pushed Eko into a barrier. Over the next weeks, the whole thing, including a press conference that went out of hand, was tWP WoRlDWiDe WReStlinG MAGAZine 45

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INTERVIEW WITh

Oro II OF CMLL by Dark kitty

What match do you feel was the worst match of your career and against whom? The worst match I have had was when I lost the world championship to Negro Casas. What is the name of the company that you are wrestling for this evening and when did it start? The company is called GLW (Grandes Luchas Wrestling) and it started on December 6, 2009. So itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a rather new independent wrestling group. How many years have you been training and with who?

Dark Kitty with oro

When did you begin your career in wrestling? I started wrestling in 1992, in Mexico Arena Naucalpan. Do you have any other family members in wrestling and who are they? Calaveras Jr are my cousins. Who inspired you to become a wrestler? My brothers, Oro and Plata, and my father Calavera II. If you had the opportunity to wrestle any wrester in the world, who would you choose and why? I would choose Randy Orton of WWE because to me he seems like the toughest wrestler they have. 46 worldwide wrestling magazine

I have trained for one year with my brothers and my father. What idea or character gave you the idea for the mask you wear? My brother Oro gave me the mask design and I am proud to wear it. Have you ever won any titles or wrestled in mask for mask or hair matches? I wrestled in two mask matches which I won, both defeating Depredador and Poseidon. I also wrestled in hair matches where I defeated Carta Brava. I held the Tag team titles with Dorado and the Triple Championship with the Metalicos along with holding the world champion title. What advice would you give to a person wanting to become a wrestler? You have to be well prepared because it is not an easy sport and your training has to be constant in your life. n

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Interview with store owner

Ignacio Vargas So many times we as wrestling fans seem to take for granted those people behind the scenes and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even think about what it takes to complete the entire wrestling world we know and love. Such as the wonderful people that supply us with different collectables that we will remember and cherish for many years. Here is a short interview with one of these people, Mr. Ignacio Vargas of Zamora Michoacan Mexico. When did you start selling wrestling collectors items? I started about two years ago. Out of all the items you sell which do you feel are the most popular? The wrestling figures of Santo, Blue Demon, Mil Mascaras and Rayo de Jalisco, along with all the American wrestling figures.

Above: Dark Kitty holds the mask of la Parka, the first wrestler she ever stepped into the ring with.

Other than selling wrestling collectables have you ever stepped into the ring and competed as a wrestler? No, ever since I was a child I liked wrestling and became a fan over the years. What made you want to make a business selling wrestling items? Since I was a fan for so many years I had the opportunity to meet many wrestlers and the idea of selling wrestling collectables just seemed to fall into place. What do you think about women wrestlers? I personally feel it is very good for the sport because it changes the way that people think about wrestling today.

worldwide wrestling magazine 47

thewrestlingpress.com mexico

Which wrestler is your personal favourite and why? My personal favorite is of course Santo because he was the most famous wrestler of his time, not only being a wrestler but a movie actor as well. What differences have you noticed between Mexican wrestlers and wrestlers of other countries? There is a lot of difference in the way Mexican wrestlers work compared to other countries. Physically the difference is size. The Mexican wrestler is usually smaller in stature compared to some of the other countries who prefer using very large wrestlers. I personally favour the Mexican wrestlers because in my eyes I see them being more efficient with wrestling holds and acrobatic manouvres.

FO R MA Ny yE AR S IN ME xI CO ON Ly ON E CO MPAN y Ex IST ED , TH E CM LL Which is your favorite wrestling organisation and why? I would have to say I really donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a favourite organisation because for many years in Mexico only one company existed, the CMLL, and from that a separation occurred which created more groups throughout the country. I notice the people like an organisation based on the wrestlers they have, the popularity of the performers is more crucial than that of the organisation. As a businessman in this type of field are you always looking for new items that will draw more attention to your business? Yes, definitely because it is always good to keep the fans in touch with the

48 worldwide wrestling magazine

wrestlers they like, and be able to supply them with collectables they want to purchase. Have you ever attended conventions that would assist you in this field? No, mainly because the distance of such a convention normally is not a benefit to a businessman such as myself based on economic factors. It would be wonderful for companies to get together and hold conventions throughout the country to benefit the collectors and small businessmen to help promote and distribute items to the fans. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re visiting Mexico and interested in wrestling merchandise then you can visit Mr. Ignacio Vargas at Ocampo #69 Oriente, Zamora Michoacan Mexico. n Contact Dark Kitty at medianoche@corp.paltalk.com