The Wrestling Press Issue 9 by Greg Kelly

INSIDE: UFC VS WWE n ALEX WRIGHT n WADE BARRETT n WORKED SHOOTS n MORE

thewrestlingpress.com CONTENTS

CONTENTS 4

6 ISSuE 9

CONTACT

ed@thewrestling press.com www.thewrestlingpress.com

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.

wrestlinG is still seeminGly real to me, dammit!

reliGious references in wrestlinG “But if characters like Brother Love, Reverend Slick and Reverend D’Von were harmless enough to the majority of wrestling fans, the mixture of religious symbolism and professional wrestling has not been without its controversy.”

CONTRIBUTORS

Phil Austin John Milner The CYNIC Adam Testa David Schmida Dark Kitty Darren Wood

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

aBdullah the Butcher shoot dvd competition 5 copies of the Wrestling Observer’s 1st ever DVD up for grabs!

could Brock lesnar do what eric Bischoff couldn’t? “With the current downturn in the popularity of pro wrestling, the opportunity is there for MMA to steal away a large portion of those fans disenchanted with what they see in WWE and TNA.”

2 worldwide wrestling magazine TWP

lizzy valentine interview/pictorial "The fans treat you like royalty over there, and since I’m an American girl with blonde hair, they love me even more! haha."

our BlessinGs 22 GivinG with the wrestlinG priest: wade Barrett

"Are the companies who tailor their product to ‘fool’ the internet fans radical in their booking strategy, or are they themselves the fools...."

THE WRESTLING PRESS cover: Main shot courtesy of Warren Powell

world news

"Barrett was so impressive in the ring and on the microphone that he rapidly became the star of the show, eclipsing even the exceptional Bryan (Danielson) in the process."

wriGht interview 24 alex "After my contract with Time Warner expired, I was contacted twice by WWE. Both times I rejected the offer because it wasn’t the right time for me."

draGon Gate special 28 one year on 34 messaGe from GaBe 35 mark sloan interview 38 introducinG draGon Gate uk 40 marty scurll interview

GreG lamBert interview 44 “Running the Coventry SkyDome at British Uprising 3 left a lot of people in a ton of debt,” Explains Lambert. “Many of us chipped in financially to get that show off the ground. I personally lost about £3,000. Others lost more.”

thewrestlingpress.com CONTENTS

interview with ipw:uk star danny Garnell

“I’m taking the match very seriously and I am working hard to make sure I do my best in the cage, I think the feud has been received well by the fans and I’ve even got hate mail sent about it.”

one to one with German powerhouse murat Bosporus

"On November 11, 1947, Gorgeous George appeared on television for the first time and, with his flamboyant persona, was an instant hit."

“A movie called “El Mala Pata” began filming in my city and some wrestlers who were extras decided to do two wrestling events there, so I managed to meet several of my idols who I’d seen on television and in magazines.”

Letter of the Month

rene lasartesse: kinG of villains “Getting spit in the face, chairs thrown at him, stung by an injection needle or spitting teeth after getting batted with a steel pipe by a spectator: only a few things that happened to the once most hated wrestler in Europe.”

“In my opinion, the title match was built up wrong and came too fast. If it had been done right I could have proved that I would have been able to lead a promotion as champion and help build up the next big face.”

lucha veteran arGho speaks to twp

GorGeous GeorGe: mini BioGraphy

konnan has always been underated.

a cynical mind: sellinG the sizzle, not the steak “These are ridiculous, stupid, pathetic ideas. And no worse than some of the ridiculous angles TNA have right now. Don't believe me? Bringing back the 4 Horsemen is bringing back the Crockett age when we are in the Dana White age; a retread shows that they have no new ideas.”

he Month t f o r L ette

A Cuban/Puerto Rican American influencing Lucha Libre in Mexico and then influencing the United States? That's unheard of. Since many wrestlers have incorporated Lucha style in their wrestling since the mid 1990's. Ask him about his experiences with Ole Anderson, Dusty Rhodes, and Vince McMahon. A lot of people (workers and staff) did not even want him to return to AAA, and he turned things around for them. He even has honest opinions on racist stereotypes casted by white promoters on Blacks, Asians, and Hispanics. Ask him if Masked Warriors was originally going to be an AAA Wrestling project on MTV. Ask him if he watches the WWE product now. Is he going to do more US shows with AAA in the United States more often? Please try to cover and interview more AAA wrestling in the future. The La Parka vs. LA Par-K feud has to be the feud that gave AAA new energy. Seriously, AAA in recent years, 2007 to now, has been more consistent in storylines and action in comparison to both WWE and TNA. Konnan needs to be acknowledged for all his accomplishments in pro wrestling. courtney marshall (noth666@yahoo.com)

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thewrestlingpress.com NEWS

World News n

by Mike Aldren Courtesy of THE WRESTLING GLOBE Newsletter

Michael McGillicutty and Kaval won the FCW tag titles over Los Aviadores (Hunico and Epico) at the television tapings in Tampa on Thursday 15th July. Apparently the finish was botched as Hunico mistimed his kick out and referee Rod Silva had no choice but to count three. The timekeeper wasn’t ready to ring the bell and the look on the faces of everyone told the story. They switched the titles back at a house show the next night in Sebring so the title change may end up on the cutting room floor. Chris Jericho has announced a multi-date Fozzy tour in the UK and France from 10th-20th October. Several readers noted that journeyman wrestler Jimmy Golden played Jack Swagger's dad on Smackdown. Golden, 59, wrestled in Alabama and Florida during the 1970s and 1980s and also had a brief run in 1994 for WCW as Bunkhouse Buck. Ring of Honor wrestler Jerry Lynn is among those TNA have contacted about coming in for the Hard Justice pay-per-view on 8th August. Lynn was recently inducted into the ECW Arena Hardcore Hall of Fame at the ROH tapings. Vince Russo has scripted TNA television as far in advance as the next four months, according to Eric Bischoff via his Facebook page. The voice of Jim Ross has been removed from the 20-second opening of Raw since he's no longer going to be utilised as an announcer. 4 worldwide wrestling magazine TWP

Apparently this was a decision made by WWE Producer Kevin Dunn. It's not a major deal as they tweaked other stuff too, including removing clips of Hall of Famers Gorilla Monsoon, Superstar Billy Graham and Bruno Sammartino. A women managed to jump the rail and get in the ring with John Cena after Raw went off the air recently. Security grabbed her but she latched her legs around the rope – said to be quite the struggle which took three security staffers and a referee to eject her. A young boy jumped the ring during a Matt Morgan-Mr. Anderson match. Security got the boy out of there but apparently he ruined the finish of the match. Ric Flair's wife Jackie Beems was cleared of misdemeanor assault charges after Flair refused to testify against her. The couple had gotton into a physical altercation at their home in Charlotte following a night of drinking back on 23rd February. They have long since reconciled. Hollywood actor Paul Giamatti said he turned down the forthcoming WWE Studios movie ‘Chasing the Hawk’. The film will star Edge as a lawyer hunting down a stolen car. Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked AJ Styles No. 1 in its annual Top 500 list of pro wrestler's in the world. He's the first TNA wrestler to hold that spot that has never worked for WWE. The magazine goes on sale on 3rd August.

thewrestlingpress.com NEWS

Chris Hamrick, 43, best known for his appearances in the original ECW, attempted suicide recently. He had posted some strange messages on his Facebook page including, "BIG announcement tonight. Stay tuned. Its to die for!" followed later by "Hey world I just took 25 sleeping pills. Goodnight !" He had also sent out what were described as unusual text messages to friends. Last night authorities visited Hamrick's residence in Rutherfordton, NC, to check on his welfare. He's said to be getting the help he needs now with the support of his family. There is talk of a new upstart promotion in Florida with a major backer in the form of entrepreneur Milton Wilpon, who's family own the New York Mets. The business end will be run by Pete Karoftis and Sean Davis. Several former WWE and TNA names have been signed up to the project including Leon "Vader" White and Sean Waltman. Little else is known at this point but those involved signed non-disclosure agreements. An interesting note regarding Bryan Danielson. When he originally signed with WWE last summer, he signed over the rights to his American Dragon gimmick, so he cannot promote himself as the Dragon on the independents. WWE have another new DVD project in the works – "Best of the High Flyers," is slated for release in October. During a talent meeting Dixie Carter said she was thrilled with the Victory Road PPV, talked about the success of TNA programming in Australia, and also brought up that some guys need to tighten up on their ring work, which when needs to be said never goes over too well. Jimmy Hart is reportedly working with a group in Chicago to get them on cable television in a deal that would spotlight independent wrestlers who aren't already getting national exposure from TNA or WWE.

TOP STORy Ric Flair is interviewed in the latest issue of Bizarre magazine on sale now in the UK. Regarding his womanising in the 1980s: "My flings were always 'one time only' affairs in my eyes, but my partners didn't always think so. I wasn't trying to break their hearts, though; I wanted to make an impression – to give those girls a great memory for life – and to make sure I was a hard act to follow for the next guys in their beds. (laughs) Once a lady's lived through 'The Legend' there's no going back!" He said back in the day he loved to drink, but never did any drugs. He said he once witnessed Andre the Giant guzzle 106 bottles of beer while he could only manage 20 before getting drunk. When asked if he would ever do a reality show like Hulk Hogan, he mentioned the pilot he filmed two years ago with son Reid. He claimed they had to cancel production because Reid got sick with glandular fever from making out with so many women. That's a good one. He was also asked what an adult movie between himself and Brooke Hogan would entail. He said: "It'd be called 'Dare To Live The Legend', and it'd contain everything Brooke would dare to do with me. I make love to my wife at least twice everyday, so I'm not sure Ms Hogan could handle me." Titan is releasing a special #0 prequel WWE comic at this year's San Diego Comic Con with a cover drawn by Jerry Lawler who will be signing copies at the convention. WWE have another new DVD project in the works – "Best of the High Flyers," is slated for release in October.

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

thewrestlingpress.com WORKED SHOOTS

o it would appear that daniel Bryan (or Bryan danielson for those of us who prefer) is now done with the wwe. But for what seemed like an eternity on the news sites, but was actually only a matter of days, experts were discussing whether this was just an elaborate ‘worked shoot’ designed to fool the internet fans. Ah the internet. Whenever you bring up the internet, you invariably have to discuss its impact on the wrestling business, and how the openness of the internet has shaped how wrestling companies book their shows, and how the business itself has changed to embrace a ‘smarter’ breed of fan.

But should it? Are the companies who tailor their product to ‘fool’ the internet fans radical in their booking strategy, or are they themselves the

fools, marketing their product to a vast minority of their fanbase. One thing that people seem to forget when they decry the ‘worked shoot angle’ as trying too hard to fool the fans is that fooling the fans has always been part of the purpose of pro wrestling. As far back as wrestling began being a ‘work’ wrestling has presented ‘real’ angles in order to try and fool the fans into believing their angles are real. Look back as far as the famous plane crash that featured Mr Wrestling Tim Woods and others. Woods had to wrestle straight away after the crash so that word didn’t get out that he was in the same plane as the heels that had been injured in the same crash. Or the time that Hacksaw Duggan and the Iron Shiek were pulled over in a car for drug possession. The actual possession was far less punishable by Words: Phil Austin

6 worldwide wrestling magazine TWP

thewrestlingpress.com WORKED SHOOTS

forward the argument that ‘oh, it was the Survivor Series screwjob that broke the walls of kayfabe down’. But that was only the final nail in the coffin. Think back a couple of years. A fledgling promotion named ECW entered the fray. Eastern Championship Wrestling was all about the wild side of wrestling, with brawling, exciting wrestling and some truly innovative angles. And fans who liked to refer to themselves as ‘smart’.

the WWF than the two feuding stars being caught driving together. Speak to any old schooler, from Bill Watts to Jim Cornette to Nick Bockwinkel, and they will tell you how the heels and faces kept separate in bars and hotels so as not to be seen together by the fans. So how did it all change? The fans, many of whom had already realised things in wrestling weren’t entirely ‘legit’, began to get hold of reports on the internet that gave away the previous ‘secrets’ of the wrestling business. Small trickles of fans went online and began by word of mouth to communicate with others about what they’d found out about how the business of wrestling was ‘put together’. And this included information that was as false as the rivalries being presented to them! (How many Ultimate Warriors were there again?)

These were the guys who, at least seemingly, knew the insides of the business (they didn’t). These were the guys who appreciated the truly great aspects of wrestling and wouldn’t be fed with the same crap the WWF and WCW presented (not true, as can be seen by their reaction when the likes of Sid Vicious and Scott Hall came over to wrestle for ECW). These were the guys who knew that there was more to the wrestling scene than the ‘Big Two’ (ok, that was undoubtedly true as these were the fans who had tape-traded Japanese and independent wrestling tapes, and who could tell you exactly who D.C. Drake, Masato Tanaka and Kintaro Kanemura were). But these fans could also be easily fooled. Take the early angle between the Sandman and then ‘pretty boy’ Tommy Dreamer. Dreamer and

Then came 1997, and the Survivor Series and... oh, but wait a second! Everyone likes to throw sandman

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thewrestlingpress.com WORKED SHOOTS

Brian pillman

Then there was Brian Pillman. Pillman’s behaviour became increasingly erratic on WCW TV, veering from turning a worked wrestling match into a ‘real’ brawl, advertising his own phone hotline on WCW TV, causing Bobby Heenan to drop the F-bomb on live TV, to using the insider term ‘booker man’ against head booker Kevin Sullivan on PPV.

buT IN THE END, IT WAS PILLMAN WHO WAS WORKING bISCHOff HIMSELf Most fans had no idea what was going on. Come to think of it, most of the guys in the back didn’t know what was going on. Eric Bischoff and Brian Pillman decide to ‘work the boys’ with the gimmick, even going so far as to have Eric ‘fire’ Brian Pillman, terminate his contract and send him to ECW where he continued being a curiously difficult character to pin down. But in the end, it was Pillman who was working Bischoff himself, as the ‘fake’ contract termination enabled Pillman to negotiate, and jump to, the WWE.

Sandman were engaging in an increasingly heated rivalry, when an errant can shot threw Sandman’s cigarette into his eyes, blinding him permanently. The ECW faithful were mortified. One of their heroes had suffered a horrific career ending injury. And when the Sandman remained indoors, and was never seen in public since that time, it only confirmed their fears that this was ‘real’. So, when Sandman pulled the bandages off of his eyes to attack Dreamer at his retirement ceremony, their reaction was of very real shock. And you know what? They liked it. Fans liked to be surprised and fooled by these things. It made wrestling more real to them (dammit!) 8 worldwide wrestling magazine TWP

And that’s one of the problems, if you make your angle too real, then it can become real. So when Kevin Sullivan had Chris Benoit run off with his real life wife Nancy Sullivan, and even take it so far as to be seen in public with her, then it resulted in Benoit and Nancy Sullivan engaging in a very real relationship (with unfortunate tragic endings). Likewise when Vince Russo ‘shot’ on Hulk Hogan in the midst of a worked angle, the comments lead to a very real lawsuit between the two. So what of the Survivor Series itself. This was, without a doubt, the most high profile event that had ever made the average fan open their eyes to there being something ‘below the surface’ of what was being presented. And when Vince McMahon subsequently appeared on TV claiming that Bret ‘screwed Bret’ and ‘didn’t do what was tradition in the business’. It really began making fans curious to find out what was really going on.

thewrestlingpress.com WORKED SHOOTS

Fans sought out answers in the internet, the Wrestling Observer and other magazines that ‘exposed’ the real deal behind the screwjob, and gradually more and more of these supposedly ‘smart’ fans were coming to shows. Which made life a bit more difficult for promoters. Promoters were challenged with finding more and more intricate ways to ‘fool the fans’. Some went the way of continuing to produce a product that made people suspend disbelief, but others went an entirely different route. The ‘internet angle’ was born. So you had D-X battering down WCW’s doors asking for ‘Kevin and Scott’ to be set free, you had Matt Hardy attacking Edge for his very real love triangle issues with Lita at the same time Edge and Lita had a worked love triangle with Kane in the same promotion, and you had the NXT guys going on TV and talking about ‘management holding them down’.

IT REALLy bEGAN MAKING fANS CuRIOuS TO fIND OuT ON WHAT WAS REALLy GOING But there are some major issues with doing these ‘internet angles’. While we would all like to imagine that, like ourselves, everyone goes online these days to get their wrestling information, that really isn’t the case. There is still a large proportion of wrestling fans that don’t use the internet regularly, and those that do don’t always use it to get their wrestling information. A friend of mine who works for a particular online wrestling DVD company told me that he regularly gets customers buying WWE DVDs off of his website that genuinely don’t know that WWE.com exists!

The Daniel Bryan situation was a prime example. If that HAD turned out to be an angle (and all accounts suggest it wasn’t), having Wade Barrett come out and randomly talk about it without explaining it certainly would have alienated a good proportion of the fans (as the aforementioned Matt Hardy angle did). But as he explained it, with them having ousted Daniel Bryan for ‘feeling remorse’, it enabled the internet followers to still see what was really going on, but didn’t alienate the other viewers who had no clue that Daniel Bryan had left the company under those circumstances. There is a place for the internet angle, like it or not. The internet is a large part of the wrestling business these days (as we see from wrestling ‘promoters’ who feel the only way to get the message across about upcoming shows is to ‘post it on the net’, the fools!). But the internet and ‘shoot’ angles have to be used in careful conjunction with the rest of the package in order to give a complete storyline for all the viewers. Everything need to be correctly explained and comprehensible to all, and everything needs to be consistent and believable across all media. If you don’t, we get what we’ve seen far too often....an angle that is played out to the masses that is understood by the few. n contact phil at philuk1@aol.com

daniel Bryan

So if a promoter is insistent on fooling fans using internet angles (and I’m certainly not going to suggest that it is a bad thing as to me that’s just an extension of the ‘kayfabe’ that existed before the internet, and everyone needs a little ‘kayfabe’ in their life!), he or she needs to do it carefully, and still present a programme that can be understood by those fans who haven’t had access to that angle. TWP worldwide wrestling magazine 9

Words: John M. Milner

bout fifteen years or so ago, i was writing for a short-lived “dirt sheet” my friends and i tried to get off the ground. in one of a handful of issues we published, i wrote “if God were a wrestler, he’d be ric flair.” Sacrilege? I thought not. After all, wouldn’t God be, in my own darn opinion, the world’s greatest wrestler? But is it wrong to make a religious-themed reference while discussing pro wrestling? Certainly the industry leaders and players don’t think so, although just how openly one should incorporate religion into wrestling is a matter of opinion. Above and beyond any storylines or characters, pro wrestlers, like other pro athletes, often reveal evidence of their faith. Back in the mid-80s, WWF Championship Wrestling began with footage of then-World Champion Hulk Hogan, who often wore a crucifix around his neck, heading down the hallway in Madison Square Garden, crossing himself as he did so. And after many a successful title, he would, as commentator Gorilla Monsoon pointed out, “thank the Man upstairs.” 10 worldwide wrestling magazine TWP

Fast-forward to the new millennium, and Shawn Michaels, himself a World Champion, made no secret of his own religious beliefs, incorporating getting down on both knees to pray to his Lord into his ring entrance. And while Hogan and Michaels are just two of the many who will acknowledge their religious beliefs inside the ring, there are many instances of wrestlers who have taken the pursuit of their beliefs to the next level outside. Tully Blanchard and Ted Dibiase have both started their own ministries. In 1989, Blanchard became a bornagain Christian and continues to teach the gospel to prison inmates through Prison Ministry. Having founded Heart of David Ministries in 1999, Dibiase also promotes a Christian wrestling organisation called the Power Wrestling Alliance. And Dibiase’s PWA is not as unique as you might think, as there are several wrestling organisations that use pro wrestling events to help spread the gospel. A quick Google search turns up organisations with names like Christian Wrestling Federation, Christian Wrestling Alliance and Christian Wrestling Evangelists. One of the earlier attempts the WWE made to incorporate even pseudo-religious overtones

thewrestlingpress.com RELIGION IN WRESTLING

into its storylines was the introduction of The Brother Love Show during the summer of 1988. Despite Brother Love (Bruce Pritchard) being an obvious jab at the televangelists of the era such as Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart, the WWE was careful never to have Love use the word “God”. Instead, Pritchard substituted the word “Love” whenever a more religious-based term might have otherwise been used. However, in 1991, Brother Love became too controversial for WWE after a segment where he mimicked a faith healer. Part of the gimmick was to restore the sight to a “blind” audience member. Shortly after the controversial segment aired¸ the Ultimate Warrior beat up Brother Love, ending Love’s run on WWE television (although he has made several return appearances in the years since).

RELIGIOuS SyMbOLISM AND PRO WRESTLING HAS NOT bEEN WITHOuT ITS CONTROvERSy While Brother Love may have been the first, he was hardly the last religious-based character to appear on wrestling programmes. Within months of Brother Love’s demise, Slick (Ken Johnson) became Reverend Slick, a veritable 180-degree turn from his former “Jive Soul Bro” persona. Initially his appearances were limited to vignettes, where the WWE was again careful to limit the references to God or Jesus. Soon, however, Reverend Slick would return to managing, this time taking on Kamala as his charge (perhaps in homage to the Christian missionaries travels to Africa). The “Reverend Slick” character came easy to Johnson, himself a born-again Christian who became an ordained minister in his native Fort Worth, Texas. And in the aftermath of the split of the Dudley Boyz (now Team 3-D) as part of the 2002 Brand Extension, D’Von Dudley became Reverend D’Von. (In yet another example of wrestling drawing from real life, Devon Hughes’s father is a bishop and his mother is a priest.) But the character never took off and in November of 2002, the Dudley Boyz would re-unite and the Reverend D’Von character would disappear, the storyline

Brother love

uneventful, save for the debut of Deacon Bautista (later simply Batista). But if characters like Brother Love, Reverend Slick and Reverend D’Von were harmless enough to the majority of wrestling fans, the mixture of religious symbolism and professional wrestling has not been without its controversy. In October 1996, Philadelphia-based Extreme Championship Wrestling ran an angle where the Sandman was the victim of a post-match beat down by his arch-rival, Raven. As Raven continued to assault the Sandman with his kendo stick, the Blue Meanie and Stevie Richards pulled a wooden cross from under the ring. Sandman was then tied, Christ-like to the cross by Raven, and carried from the ring. ECW fans had developed a reputation for enjoying more “extreme” action than they would find in the WWE or WCW at the time. However, on this night, even ECW fans could not stomach what they were seeing. The response was so negative that promoter Paul Heyman forced Scott Levy to leave his Raven persona behind and return to the ring to apologize to those in attendance. Backstage, a visiting Kurt Angle would leave in disgust, even going so far as to threaten legal action if his image was included in the same broadcast as the angle. TWP worldwide wrestling magazine 11

thewrestlingpress.com RELIGION IN WRESTLING

While ECW received wide-spread criticism, that didn’t prevent the WWE, just over two years later, from carrying out their own “Crucifixion” angle, to further a feud between “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and the Undertaker. In December 1998, the Undertaker beat down Austin and tied him to what the commentators were very careful to refer to, not as a cross, but as the Undertaker’s “symbol”. The WWE had seen the controversy ECW had created. They, therefore, went to great pains to insist that while Austin’s predicament was adding insult to injury, there was no religious reference intended. (Of course, we would be remiss if we did not mention Stone Cold’s “Austin 3:16” catchphrase, a play on the biblical John 3:16, which was often seen referenced at sporting events.) But in 2006, the WWE would finally launch a wrestling angle that would place its CEO, Vince McMahon, on the opposite side of the ring from no less than God. The move came as part of a larger feud between McMahon and Shawn Michaels. As mentioned earlier, since his return in 2002, “The Heartbreak Kid” had made no secret of his Christian beliefs. McMahon decided to use that in a WWE storyline. At Backlash on April 30th, 2006 McMahon challenged Michaels to a No Holds Barred tag team match. Vince would team

with his son, Shane, while Michaels would have God as his tag team partner. “God” would be portrayed by a spotlight that made its way down to the ring. McMahon played the gimmick to the hilt, ordering the referee to “check” Him for foreign objects and, in mid-match, as the McMahons assaulted Michaels, Vince announced that “God had left the building”. Due to the interference of the Spirit Squad, the McMahons would gain a victory over Michaels and God. Since that time, the WWE has largely kept religion out of its storylines. But there still remains an aspect of their characters that make some subtle hints toward religious overtones. Although not so much recently, Triple H went through a period where he added “the King of Kings” to his list of nicknames, alongside “the Cerebral Assassin” and “the Game”. And in even more recent times, C.M. Punk has adapted what many feel is a Christ-like character, proclaiming that he is here to act as a saviour to the WWE audiences, saving them from the evils of drugs and alcohol addiction. There is an argument that could be made that Punk’s Straight Edge Society is being portrayed as less a religious group and more of a cult. The head-shaving ritual and Serena and Gallow’s devotion to their leader could be used to support the latter claim. But even in real-life cults, religion or one group’s take on religion plays a major role. The crucifixion of the Sandman shows that wrestling organisations must be careful just how far they press that presence. There is a limit to the religious overtones that wrestling fans will accept as being in good taste. So far, no matter what your take on C.M. Punk’s current character, you have to admit it has helped elevate Phil Brooks back up the Smackdown card. And so far, there has been little Backlash to his “saviour” character. Whether Punk and the WWE can keep the storyline from crossing the line with fans remains to be seen. Meanwhile, for as long as wrestlers wear a cross around their neck, as long as they say a prayer before their match, there will always be at least a spiritual if not religious presence in the world of pro wrestling. n contact John at jmilnerresume@gmail.com

! ! ! N I W ! ! ! N I W WIN!!! T EvER S IR f E H T f O S IE P 5 CO ER DvD v R E S b O G IN L T S E WR uP fOR GRAbS* ‘THE LIFE & TIMES’ OF WRESTLING LEGEND “ABDULLAH THE BUTCHER” on this dvd abby covers everything! flair, Brody, Japan, carlos colon/puero rico, stu hart, the sheik, wwe, the undertaker, the hall of fame, dragongate, superstar Billy Graham, racism, Generosity, wcw, plus he does some awesome impressions! all of this in the 2 hour interview, plus over an hour of abby's classic matches, an in-depth tour/exposé of abby's restaurant, alternative commentary of matches by Bryan & vinny from wrestlingobserver.com, and a full length original music soundtrack!!

for price and ordering details go to www.wrestlingobservershoots.com

Win yourself a copy of this great DVD by answering the following question....

What is the name of Abdullah’s Atlanta based restaurant? Send your answer (and address) to ed@thewrestlingpress.com

Watch the Trailer available on youtube

*Competition available to UK readers only. Competition closes Sept 1st, 2010

thewrestlingpress.com MMA vS WWE

l l a f n w o The D of wwe

thewrestlingpress.com MMA vS WWE

Words: John Milner

n my office, my two closest cubicle mates are very different when it comes to the odd discussion of pro wrestling around the lunch table. One, let’s call him “Dale”, was a long-time wrestling fan who still throws a mean DX Crotch Chop when the situation warrants. However, recently, he has found he can no longer watch more than a few minutes of Raw or Smackdown before turning it off and calling it a day. The other, we’ll tag him as “Ian”, was, like many, a fan back in the glory days of the mid-1980s. He lists Koko B. Ware as his favourite wrestler, stemming from an appearance at a then-WWF house show back in the late 80s, and does a pretty fair Macho Man impression. A few weeks ago, my two coworkers began discussing the results of the recent UFC 116 pay-per-view. Ian has long been an advocate of UFC and other Mixed Martial Arts organisations. He regularly attends, and even hosts, UFC pay-per-view viewing parties. For this particular event, Ian had hosted a small gathering of UFC fans to watch

Brock Lesnar battle Shane Carwin in the main event. Just prior to the event, Ian had tossed out the invite and Dale had taken him up on the offer. (Ironically, that night, I was at a local indy wrestling show in a neighbouring small town). What Dale saw certainly impressed him, especially when compared to those few minutes of Raw he has been reduced to watching. And Dale is certainly not alone in being a former wrestling fan, tempted by MMA. In fact, over the past few years I have talked with many people who, after being wrestling fans for many years, have stopped tuning into wrestling and started watching MMA instead. Brock Lesnar’s ascension to the top of UFC has down little to slow down that trend. About six years ago I interviewed an indy worker who expressed his own admiration for MMA. At the time he stated that if MMA could incorporate storylines, its popularity would soon surpass that of professional wrestling. At UFC 116, that storyline was there. UFC Champion Brock Lesnar was returning from health issues; diverticulitis that caused a previous LesnarCarwin meeting at UFC 106 to be scrapped. The producers of UFC billed Carwin, crowned the interim

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thewrestlingpress.com MMA vS WWE

UFC Champion with a 12-0 record, as a legitimate threat to the powerhouse that Lesnar had become in MMA. Lesnar needed to prove his health problems wouldn’t curtail his career in UFC. Carwin wanted to seize this opportunity to claim the top spot in UFC. By the time Lesnar and Carwin met at UFC 116, even non-fans knew of the magnitude of the match. In the audience that night were not only many wrestling fans, but a handful of former pro wrestlers as well. And the names of those former wrestlers transcended the sport the way Lesnar more recently has. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock and Bill Goldberg, all former Lesnar foes, were sitting ringside to watch. Lesnar’s former WWE manager, Paul Heyman, was also at the event.

THEy NEED TO SEE WHAT MMA IS DOING RIGHT AND WHAT THEy ARE DOING WRONG Lesnar is not the only former pro wrestler to make a name for himself in UFC and MMA circles. Both Dan Severn and Ken Shamrock already have their names in the record books in both UFC and pro wrestling. And in the future, pro wrestling fans may see a couple of familiar faces on UFC and MMA pay-per-views. Former WWE and TNA star Bobby Lashley is already active in MMA and Dave Batista, late of the WWE, has made some noise himself about entering the sport’s ranks, having said he would sign with the Californiabased Strikeforce. And last November even Shane McMahon, along with former WWE Canada Head Carl De Marco, met with UFC President Dana White. Rumours still continue regarding Shane’s future involvement in UFC and other MMA organisations, but at this point these rumours are yet to be confirmed. Certainly, there’s little doubt that MMA and pro wrestling already share a similar fan base, but while few MMA fans are probably checking out WWE to see where Lesnar came from, many wrestling fans, like Dale, are checking out MMA.

16 worldwide wrestling magazine TWP

And the trend will only continue. The more names like Lesnar, Lashley and Austin pop up in articles and websites associated with UFC and Mixed Martial Arts, the more wrestling fans will become aware of this alternative to pro wrestling. At any other time in the industry’s history, this may not have been a problem. But with the current downturn in the popularity of pro wrestling, the opportunity is there for MMA to steal away a large portion of those fans disenchanted with what they see in WWE and TNA. In talking with Dale about his growing dissatisfaction with wrestling, he has mentioned certain factors such as the number of backstage segments, the addition of Guest Hosts on Raw, and the simple fact that there just doesn’t seem to be as much actual wrestling on wrestling shows anymore. And while certainly, the “entertainment” aspect of sports entertainment can be just that: entertaining, I believe there is a large and evergrowing portion of the wrestling fanbase who, no matter how pre-determined the matches might be, are tuning in to Raw, Impact, Smackdown or any other wrestling program for the sport, not the entertainment. But if those fans have to wait for several commercial breaks between actual matches, they, like my friend Dale, will soon look for an alternative, and that alternative looks to be MMA. Anyone who has even seen commercials for Mixed Martial Arts action knows there’s not a lot of comedy routines, no celebrity guest hosts, and while there are promos, the backstage segments are kept to a far greater minimum than on Raw, etc.

thewrestlingpress.com MMA vS WWE

What UFC and other MMA organisations do offer is the same kind of straight-up, hard-hitting action that was the appeal of pro wrestling to many fans. UFC has not altered their product to a more “family-friendly, PG-Rated” offering, certainly not in the way WWE has.

THE OPPORTuNITy IS THERE fOR MMA TO STEAL AWAy A LARGE PORTION Of fANS So far, the experiment in toning down the violence in WWE has only resulted in the lowering of ratings and fan satisfaction. Meanwhile, MMA has been there to cash in, both literally and figuratively, on that fan discontent in WWE and other wrestling organisations. They are able to offer and focus on a much more physical product than the often promo-driven presentation of pro wrestling in 2010.

It’s no secret that if pro wrestling is to return to the popularity they enjoyed in the mid-80s and late90s, they need to severely alter what they are delivering to their fans. They would do well to look to MMA for guidance. This is not to say they need to strip away all of the entertainment from sports entertainment. Instead, they need to see what MMA is doing right and what they are doing wrong. The reason why fans like Dale are abandoning pro wrestling and finding a new hobby in following MMA is simple: they are seeing what they liked about pro wrestling in a separate sports entity. They are seeing the storylines, although not as elaborate and vastly more subtle, being played out in a sport where those “angles”, as you might call them, lead to ‘must see’ matches. It’s time for Vince McMahon, Dixie Carter and other top wrestling figures to tune in to the next UFC pay-per-view...and to learn something from what they see. n contact John at jmilnerresume@gmail.com

TWP worldwide wrestling magazine 17

thewrestlingpress.com

DIVA

ELIzABETH MIKLOSI IS A WOMEN WHO DOESN’T LIKE TO SIT IDLE. NOT ONLY IS SHE A WRESTLING VIXEN, THE NEW YORK NATIVE IS ALSO AN ACCOMPLISHED JAzz MUSICIAN, ACTRESS AND MODEL. HOWEVER, TWP MANAGED TO EXPLOIT A GAP IN HER BUSY SCHEDULE AND FIRE SOME qUESTIONS AT THE YOUNG LADY BETTER KNOWN TO WRESTLING FANS AS.....

Lizzy valentine were you a wrestling fan growing up? who were your favourites? I was always a huge fan of wrestling! I grew up playing with wrestling dolls and barbie dolls. Barbie was in love with Macho Man, haha. I was a really big fan of Jimmy Snuka! I jumped off the couch and broke my arm when I was 3 trying to do a splash, haha.

“Its really hard to make a female promotion work, and I don’t think people understand the humour of Wrestlicious, and that its meant to be a joke....”

what was it like being trained by current tna wrestler homicide early in your career? I couldn’t have asked for a better trainer. He trained me for about 3 hours a day for 3 months. He was preparing me for a tour I was about to do for the troops. Homicide was pretty tough on me, but it was worth it. He was excited because I was his first female student. I am still so grateful to him. He’s the best! what memories do you have of your professional debut? Hahaha well, I was wrestling in a bar in a 10x10 ring…what else can I say, hahahaa.

18 worldwide wrestling magazine TWP

you have spent a little time with tna. what was that like, what roles did you play and did you form any friendships? I was in the group Bytch Slap with Nurse Veronica and Trinity. It was short lived. I was “Cheerleader Valentina”. We basically feuded with the cage dancers. It didn’t go any further than that. My only really good friend in TNA is Homicide. did you have high hopes for mtv’s wrestling society x and what do you attribute to its downfall? I seriously had the best time working for WSX and I thank Kevin Kleinrock for giving me the chance and believing in me. I thought the show was amazing, and really wish it would have taken off. The show had great ratings the first 2 weeks, but then MTV stopped playing commercials for it, and I think that’s what caused it to fail. People just didn’t remember that it was on, and it was also up against ecw at the time.

ÂŠ michael Bell photoGraphy thewrestlingpress.com news

Lizzy Stats height:

5'4

weight:

120

years pro: 10 signature moves: Tornado DDT off the ropes websites: www.myspace.com/lizzyvalentine www.facebook.com/lizzyvalentinexoxo www.twitter.com/iamlizzyxoxo ambitions: To make a difference in this world...

worldwide wrestling magazine 19

ÂŠ MICHAEL BELL PHOTOGRAPHY

thewrestlingpress.com news

QUICKIES favorite male wrestler? Shawn Michaels and Homicide favorite female wrestler? Sunny and Maryse favorite band/musicians?

Justin Timberlake, Danity Kane, Luis Fonsi favorite tv shows? 90210, Nip/Tuck, reality tv favorite movies? Dirty Dancing, The Notebook

20 worldwide wrestling magazine

thewrestlingpress.com

WRESTLICIOuS

press play or click here for external link

Lizzy’s Wrestlicious debut as pop superstar Kandi Kisses.

you’ve also had a short spell in mexico with Juventud Guerrera, leaving amid some controversy. would you care to comment on that? Juventud had drama with a lot of the wrestlers in AAA, which led to a really bad backstage fight. I wasn’t involved in it, and I don’t have any issues with the company. what were your first impressions of Jimmy hart’s all girl promotion wrestlicious, and how successful do you think it could be? I thought it was really cool that it was an all female group. There aren’t many of them, so it’s nice to showcase the females. However, it’s really hard to make a female promotion work, and I don’t think people understand the humour of Wrestlicious, and that it’s meant to be a joke. I think most people are under the impression that some of the material on the show might be a little outdated for 2010, haha. is there much competitiveness among female wrestlers? Yes of course! There are only so many spots available for women, and we all want it!

DIVA

have you ever encountered jealous co-workers or heard comments that you’ve only experienced success due to your looks? Hmm, well yes I do have my fair share of haters, but for the most part, people that I have worked for respected me and know what I’m capable of, even if they might have thought I was just some dumb blonde model before they hired me. I don’t get too many complaints! your favourite place/country to wrestle in? Definitely Mexico! The fans treat you like royalty over there, and since I’m an American girl with blonde hair, they love me even more! haha. what would you rank as your top 3 competitive matches? When I was 18 I wrestled for the troops in the middle east against Malia Hosaka….those were my toughest bouts. who has been your favourite opponent of all time? I really like working with Morgan. I feel like we really click. I also loved working with Malia Hosaka. She taught me so much.

SINCE I’M AN AMERICAN GIRL WITH bLONDE HAIR, THEy LOvE ME EvEN MORE! any advice to other girls wanting to get into wrestling? It really depends what your goals are…if you want to go to WWE, don’t waste time on the indies. Move to Florida and enroll in FCW. If you want to work for TNA, establish yourself on the indies. Be healthy, and train your body in many different ways. You need to be really strong, so wrestle, do weight training, cardio, yoga, etc.

TWP worldwide wrestling magazine 21

n this crazy world of wrestling there are men and women who achieve, there are men and women who entertain, and there are men and women who make us proud. men and women who deserve the blessings that The Wrestling Priest will dish out each issue. Every issue The Wrestling Press will give another deserving individual the blessings they so rightly deserve. Blessings bestowed due to outstanding contributions to the sport, spectacular matches, great achievements, or other notable qualities.

WADE Stats Billed height:

6ft 5in

Billed weight:

265 lb

Born:

10th August, 1980 Preston, England

Billed from

Manchester, England

trained by:

Jon Richie Al Snow

debut:

June 2004

22 worldwide wrestling magazine TWP

The first recipient of the TWP blessing is....

wade Barrett Imagine you are a young wrestler who has not long started a TV role, and you find yourself thrust into the spotlight as the main man in the hottest angle to appear in the largest wrestling company in the world for some time. Sounds daunting, doesn’t it? So do you let it overwhelm you, or do you run with it and prove yourself worthy of the push? Do you sink or do you swim? Wade Barrett started his career in Hammerlock wrestling and the Dropkixx wrestling school in 2004. After just a couple of years working in the UK, Barrett gained a developmental contract (alongside Paul Burchill) with the WWE. The reaction of many UK fans when they heard the wrestler then known as Stu Sanders was signed was ‘who?’. Having not been a star in the FWA or IPW:UK, many just had no idea who this man was.

thewrestlingpress.com bLESSINGS

Barrett honed his skills both in the ring and on the microphone in Florida Championship Wrestling, particularly working behind the announcer’s booth as FCW’s version of Jesse Ventura. Then it was time for NXT. Barrett was called up as part of the first season. But it was Bryan Danielson (now known as Daniel Bryan) who was clearly the man who was being groomed for success.

I’ll pause here. Let me take you back to the WWF of 1997. The WWF wanted to build an exciting international Light Heavyweight division to counter WCW’s Cruiserweight Division. They pinned their hopes on one man, the Great Sasuke. But they needed an opponent for Sasuke at the Canadian Stampede PPV to introduce him to the fans, so they chose another man from the Michinoku Pro organisation, TAKA Michinoku. While Sasuke was impressive, it was Michinoku who the fans and management ended up being amazed by and who got the big contract and push as star of the division. Fast forward back to Daniel Bryan and Wade Barrett in NXT. When NXT started, the ‘smart’ money was on Bryan being the star of the show. But Barrett was so impressive in the ring and on the microphone that he rapidly became the star of the show, eclipsing even the exceptional Bryan in the process. Then NXT was all over, Wade Barrett had won, and gained a WWE contract. End of story? Not so much. Barrett came out on Raw and instigated the now infamous angle where the NXT guys ripped apart announcers, wrestlers, the ringside area and even the hallowed (and previously kayfabe protected, as Lance Storm revealed on an edition of Figure Four Daily that Vince wouldn’t even let outsiders touch the ring let along see under the canvas) ring.

Barrett was so impressive in the ring and on the microphone that he rapidly became the star of the show....

It was an auspicious debut on Raw for the NXT crew, and Wade Barrett, with his crew of guys who were still a little too green and inexperienced (Daniel Bryan not included) to come to the forefront of the angle, had to step forward and run with the angle. And run he has. Barrett has come across like a confident, professional, polished performer on Raw, someone who can make this angle work, and who can be relied on to not drop the ball on what he has been given. For someone so young in the business this is outstanding. And for that, TWP bestows its first blessing on Wade Barrett.

TWP worldwide wrestling magazine 23

alex wright appearing at a German wrestling promotion in 2007 © www.dragonhearts.de

Words: DAviD schMiDA

He was known as “Das Wunderkind”, wrestled as one half of the Boogie Knights and punished his opponents as the obscure Berlyn. Alex Wright is the only German who ever achieved success in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). TWP talked to the 1996 WCW Rookie of the Year, who is now running his own wrestling school and promotion.

24 worldwide wrestling magazine TWP

thewrestlingpress.com ALEX WRIGHT

your father is a famous wrestler (steve wright). therefore, wrestling is in your blood. tell us a little bit about the time when you started in wrestling, especially the catch wrestling association (cwa). how did you deal with the pressure of being the son of steve wright? It was already hard enough to start out in such a tough business as a 16 year old. In addition to that you have to consider that my father had a big name in the business. He was a 16 time CWA World Middleweight Champion, CWA European Champion and CWA European Tag Team Champion. Of course, every single one of my new colleagues was eager to see what I was capable of and many of my opponents tested me. That means: “Grit your teeth and get to it”. If you have respect, give your best and fight back when necessary. This period is over fast though. That’s why I was granted a match for the CWA Junior World Championship at the sold out arena in Bremen against Japans Hiro Tenzan. That was the night I felt the biggest pressure in my, at that point, short career. Japanese wrestlers are known for their tough technical style. Everybody, my father, who wrestled very successfully for New Japan Pro Wrestling, my colleagues, the promoter, the fans, wanted to see if the son of Steve Wright came to stay. That was pressure! The bout was great and I managed to pass my first huge test. But of course it wasn’t the last.

constantly have to be on top of your game or someone else gets your spot. That kind of life is a lot of fun but you shouldn’t forget your principles and you should always try to make the right decisions. It was a huge chance for me that WCW trusted in me and gave me a PPV match, especially at Starrcade. Levesque and I were two young upcoming wrestlers who got their opportunity to prove themselves and we did the best we could. We had a good match and the bosses were happy. you didn’t just establish yourself in wcw but were able to win a few titles there. describe the feeling you had after beating chris Jericho for the world cruiserweight title. That’s right. I won the World Television Title, the World Tag Team Title and the World Cruiserweight Title in WCW. It’s a fantastic feeling to win a World Title in front of thousands of people. It’s even

1997, wcw world television champion © alex wright

relatively fast after your debut as pro wrestler for cwa in october 1992 you were taken under contract by wcw and had your first ppv match in december 1994 against Jean paul levesque (triple h). how did you perceive that time? It was life on the fast lane, every day a different city, different people, different arenas and different wrestlers. You have many matches and become known quickly. But there’s a constant pressure from the office. If you have too many bad matches in a row, they don’t see any progress. If you have many injuries or TV ratings go down as soon as you have a segment, you can be gone very quickly. You

tling magazine 25

thewrestlingpress.com ALEX WRIGHT

better if it’s against such a great wrestler like Chris Jericho. You realise that all the years of hard work and the extreme training pay off. It’s simply a great moment. you retired from wrestling when you were 25, except for a match against chris raaber in 2003. that’s very early considering that many wrestlers step into the ring for much longer. I was 26 when WWE took over WCW. Actually, I never officially retired. I’m just taking a long time out. if wcw hadn’t been acquired by wwe, would you have taken a time out anyway? No, I think I wouldn’t have taken it at that time. If you have that kind of life you don’t give it up that easily. You don’t realise how much you actually need a time out. That’s why many wrestlers end up so tragically. From that point of view I’m very glad that the end of WCW made the after his match vs decision easier for me. chris “the Bambikiller” raaber

wwe took over many © www.dragonhearts.de contracts of wcw wrestlers. did you have an offer from the promotion based in stamford at that time or later? WWE wasn’t able to take over my contract because I had one with Time Warner and not WCW itself. There were only a handful of guys who did too, like Diamond Dallas Page, Goldberg and Sting for example. After my contract with Time Warner expired, I was contacted twice by WWE. Both times I rejected the offer because it wasn’t the right time for me, for WWE or my fans to return. If I step in the ring, I have very high aims and always want to give

26 worldwide wrestling magazine TWP

my best. I wouldn’t have been able to meet these goals at that time. I was totally burned out mentally and physically. Don’t forget that I was one of the wrestlers who continuously worked for WCW for a long period of time. That means a lot of travelling, many fights, many injuries and the backstage politics. The worst was the backstage politics though. That can really take away the fun and it was one of reasons why I needed the distance and the time out. i was told you worked at a gym after your return to Germany. you also had rare appearances at wrestling shows. how was it to return to a “normal job” after working as a pro wrestler for so many years? I got the job at the gym due to a coincidence. I worked out there on a regular basis and became friends with the owner. One day he needed someone on short notice and I took the job because, I didn’t want to leave him hanging. It wasn’t really difficult to get used to that job since it was only part time and training people is a lot of fun. I’m receiving many offers to get back in the ring or for appearances. Whenever it was possible, I made one or two guest appearances in 2007 you opened your wrestling school “the wright stuff” in nuremberg. why did you decide to do so in Germany and not in a country where wrestling is more popular? That’s right. What made me decide to do so? It’s simple; I love wrestling and want to help elevate the wrestling in Europe and especially in Germany. My wrestling roots are here in Germany, I had my first fight in Wuppertal, Germany. Through my father, with whom I went on tour, I grew up with wrestling in Germany and Austria. I have many beautiful memories of cities

thewrestlingpress.com ALEX WRIGHT

like Hannover, Bremen, Dortmund, Vienna, Graz and more. Germany has a lot of loyal fans and many people who are interested in learning how to wrestle and do it as a profession. The sport has given me so much that I want return the favour in form of new young and talented wrestlers. They are the ones who are going to secure the future of the sport in Germany and represent it proudly. in october 2009 you had your debut as promoter. the card consisted entirely of your former students. why did you decide not to hire any established wrestlers from Germany and europe? Right, with my new promotion “new european championship wrestling” (new) I had my debut as promoter with the event “Hoch Explosiv” (Highly Explosive). The reason why I didn’t use any established guys is simple; the card was already full. I would have really liked to add one or two. On the other hand I’m committed to giving these young wrestlers a chance, especially if they were trained by me. Every one of the wrestlers who had a match that night trained at least 18 months with me. They worked very hard and proved to me that they really wanted to be a pro wrestler. I think hard work, discipline and respect should be rewarded. the venue was, if i’m informed correctly, sold out. tell us a little bit about the show. was it a success and what are the plans for new? Yes, from my point of view it was a success. I received a lot of positive feedback and I think the audience really liked it, which is the most important thing. For my part, I was able to gain valuable experience and learned what to do better the next time and what not to do again at all. I was very proud of my students for what they achieved that night. For a coach it’s wonderful

NEW WRESTLING press play or click here for external link

“Hoch Explosiv” – Alex Wright’s first show as a promoter.

to see how your former students apply what they learned in the ring. As a promoter it’s great to see that you chose the right wrestlers for the event. Of course it was very stressful and the whole event meant a tremendous amount of organisational work. But it was worth it. new is still facing some hurdles which it has to overcome but plenty of things are planned. what are the chances to see you back in the ring? Well, it’s fifty-fifty. As mentioned earlier I haven’t retired yet and I get plenty of offers. But right now I want to concentrate on my wrestling school, my students and new european championship wrestling. If there’s time left, it’s possible that I might get back in the ring. Wrestling is in my blood. If you want to find out more about “The Wright Stuff” and New European Championship Wrestling go to www.prowrestlingschool.de or www.new-wrestling.de. n contact david at dschmida@hotmail.com

TWP worldwide wrestling magazine 27

TWP SPECIAL fEATuRE

Dragon Gate uSA

One Year On Words: ADAM testA

n July 25, 2009, dragon Gate usa ushered a new brand of professional wrestling onto the american independent scene. Supported by Japanese promotion Dragon Gate and led by former Ring of Honor booking agent Gabe Sapolsky, the company aimed to mix toptier talent from both the United States and Japan to produce a product unrivaled by anything on the market. Despite low attendance at some live events – including the promotion’s first double shot in Phoenix during WrestleMania weekend – DGUSA has found a foothold and established itself as a niche product with a loyal following that seemingly grows with each outing. From the opening bout of the “Enter the Dragon” pay-perview, subsequently released on DVD as “Open the Historic Gate,” the promotion has offered high-quality bouts earning praise and support from fans, critics and the media alike. 28 worldwide wrestling magazine thewrestlingpress.com

TWP SPECIAL fEATuRE

While many Dragon Gate performers - including Naruki Doi, SHINGO, and Genki Horiguchi have graced American wrestling rings in the past for promotions like ROH, Pro Wrestling Guerrila and even the short-lived MTV series “Wrestling Society X,” DGUSA has presented them in a new light to a more widespread North Americanbased audience. In addition to placing these foreign stars in the spotlight, the promotion has also highlighted top American independent talent like Bryan Danielson and Davey Richards, as well as contributed to the meteoric rise of others like Matt and Nick Jackson of the Young Bucks (known as Max and Jeremy Buck of Generation Me in TNA Wrestling), Jon Moxley and up-and-comer Johnny Gargano, who recently became the first wrestler to sign an official DGUSA contract.

Dragon Gate uSA 1st Anniversary Celebration, July 24th Main Event *1 - Open The freedom Gate Title Match bxb Hulk defends vs. Masaaki Mochizuki Main Event *2 - battle Of The Aces bryan Danielson vs. Shingo Main Event *3 - Elimination Match CHIKARA Sekigun - Open The Dream Gate Champion Masato yoshino, Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw and Hallowicked vs. Kamikaze uSA - yAMATO, Akira Tozawa, Gran Akuma and Jon Moxley Special Challenge Match Naruki Doi vs. Dragon Kid

the reemergence of the American Dragon in a DGUSA ring, as Danielson returns to the independent circuit after a disappointing stint in World Wrestling Entertainment.

DEvELOPING THE STORy From the opening bout between BxB Hulk and YAMATO to its main event between Doi and SHINGO, DGUSA’s “Open the Historic Gate” show clearly completed its objective: Showcase the Dragon Gate stlye and remove any doubt that existed in open-minded naysayers. Now, after expanding from the independent wrestling comfort zones of Philadelphia and Chicago into new markets including Phoenix and Toronto, the company finds itself preparing for its hallmark one-year anniversary show, “Enter the Dragon 2010,” which will be hosted at The Arena in South Philadelphia on July 24. This show will see the culmination of one of the promotion’s most prominent rivalries, as well as

But as the company moved forward with its shows, the unanimous praise began faltering, though just enough for a few unsatisfied critics to slip their opinions through the cracks, and for the most part, they spoke with a unified voice. DGUSA had nearly every component to be successful: A very strong talent roster, access to top-level talent from the U.S. and Japan, a national pay-per-view deal and, perhaps most importantly, affordability. thewrestlingpress.com worldwide wrestling magazine 29

TWP SPECIAL fEATuRE

on the tandem of SHINGO and Dragon Kid at November’s “Freedom Fight.” In storylines, Dragon Kid had sacrificed his opportunity to compete in the Open the Freedom Gate Championship tournament to square off with his rival once again. Therefore, he earned the opportunity to face the inaugural champ at January’s “Fearless” show in Chicago. Their rivalry also took a backseat during the “Open the Ultimate Gate” DVD taping in Phoenix during WrestleMania weekend in March, but the next night, it reignited as Yoshino joined BxB Hulk and Doi to represent World-1 and do battle with Dragon Kid, Gamma and CIMA of Warriors in an intense and unforgettable main event.

Dragon Kid

But the one thing that really seemed to be missing in the eyes of critics was the presence of clear-cut storylines. The absence of over-the-top antics and challenges clearly drew the ire of some, though the presentation of building feuds and developing stories were as plain as day to those willing to look a little deeper than the surface and use their own minds could see what was brewing. Language barriers made the concept of DGUSA promos a limited option, and most of the storytelling happened in the confines of the ring. At the forefront of the promotion’s story angles were two battles being waged in very different ways. First, the masked Dragon Kid engaged in a competitive rivalry with Masato Yoshino, which saw the duo face off on nearly every card throughout the year. They took each other to the limits in singles matches at July’s “Enter the Dragon” and September’s “Untouchable” before dueling in a tag team match that saw Yoshino and Doi taking 30 worldwide wrestling magazine thewrestlingpress.com

And in May, the two superstars seemingly put an end to their back-and forth rivalry in superior fashion with a 2-out-of-3-falls match-up at the “Open the Northern Gate” DVD taping in Windsor, Ontario, which marked DGUSA’s official expansion into the Canadian market.

TWP SPECIAL fEATuRE

Watching the feud between these two blossom from a purely competitive affair to a more personal matter and, ultimately, into stable warfare before coming to an exciting climax has been an enjoyable, engaging and fascinating ride. If DGUSA cards weren’t so stacked, these two could easily steal any show.

KAMIKAZE uSA

press play or click here for external link

A CROSS-bRAND bATTLE The other top storyline, which will come to a close at the one-year anniversary show, stemmed from DGUSA’s working agreement with another top independent promotion and has evolved into the creation of stables and factions specific to DGUSA. On the debut show, the technico team of Mike quackenbush, Jigsaw, Fire Ant and Soldier Ant battled the rudo squad of Amasis, Icarus, Gran Akuma and Hallowicked (actually a technico but forced to side with the bad guys for this one) in

Yamato vs Jigsaw

a CHIKARA showcase that some reviewers say stole the show. A meshing of Philadelphia-based CHIKARA, which adopts its style from both Japanese puroresu and Mexican lucha libre, and a Dragon Gate affiliate was literally a dream-come-true for many independent and international wrestling fans, and this contest and the post-match antics didn’t leave any sense of disappointment. quackenbush cut a promo before the Philadelphia crowd talking about the connections between the companies that come through Jorge “Skayde” Rivera, the famed lucha performer who has served as a trainer for both companies. He also says there’s a brewing friendly rivalry between his company and DGUSA and issues a challenge to any Dragon Gate star in the back. YAMATO answered the call and attacked quackenbush. As Jigsaw and Gran Akuma came to make the save, Akuma turned on his CHIKARA cohorts, aligning himself with YAMATO. The CHIKARA versus Dragon Gate battles would continue through coming shows, as quackenbush and Jigsaw battled YAMATO and Akuma in September and quackenbush participated in the Open the Freedom Gate Championship tournament in a “Salute to Skayde” qualifier also featuring CIMA, Super Crazy and Rivera himself. In Phoenix, the battle continued brewing as YAMATO and company made their presence felt thewrestlingpress.com worldwide wrestling magazine 31

TWP SPECIAL fEATuRE

Ryo Saito and Matt Jackson (Young Bucks)

a rudo on the debut show, he could return in his current technico role with partner Ophidian. Rookies Frightmare and Green Ant could also benefit from the experience of working with international talent and competing on a bigger stage. No matter what winds up as stipulations and team representations, this match will surely be a satisfying and exhilirating culmination of the CHIKARA versus Dragon Gate feud. It also creates interest in seeing how the relationship between the companies develops and grows in the wake of this inaugural storyline.

A fIGHTING CHAMPION DGUSA competitors participated in a uniquely styled 14-man tournament to crown the first ever Open the Freedom Gate champion in November. The tournament featured four opening round bouts, and the winner of each advanced to a fatal fourway elimination bout later in the night.

after quackenbush and Jigsaw defeated the Young Bucks in what will likely be their final DGUSA. All that and more has led to the formation of two factions: CHIKARA Sekigun of quackenbush, Jigsaw and Hallowicked and Kamizake USA of YAMATO, Jon Moxley, Gran Akuma, SHINGO and Akira Tozawa. These two stables will meet in the ring on July 24 to settle their score once and for all. DGUSA officials have not announced how many men will participate in the match or if there will be any stipulations, but there are plenty of likely candidates to be added to the CHIKARA side of the equation, especially Jimmy Jacobs, who has found himself in a bit of a brewing war with Moxley in recent months. This could also create an opportunity to introduce other members of the CHIKARA roster to a DGUSA crowd. While Amasis competed as

32 worldwide wrestling magazine thewrestlingpress.com

Naruki Doi and Bryan Danielson

TWP SPECIAL fEATuRE

BxB Hulk and Brian Kendrick battled in “Redemption,” an opportunity for each winless athlete to literally redeem his standing in the company. Ultimately, BxB Hulk would earn the victory on his path to championship gold. The stars of tomorrow were on display when Gran Akuma defeated Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, Hallowicked, Gargano and Lince Dorado in a six-man, one-fall contest that teased tension between the Young Bucks and ultimately shaped Kamizake USA.

multi-show feud culminating with a title vs. title match against YAMATO, something needs to be done to continue giving fans a reason to recognise BxB Hulk’s reign and accomplishment. A fighting champion can only go so far without a credible nemesis.

Genki Horiguchi

Breakout stars also collided as Dragon Gate’s YAMATO clashed with American standout Richards in an epic battle that justifiably drew unanimous praise from critics. In the end, the future Open the Dream Gate champion emerged victorious, attempting to add American gold to his resume. In the other opening match, CIMA defeated quackenbush, Super Crazy and Rivera in the aforementioned “Salute to Skayde.” At the end of the night, however, it was BxB Hulk who walked away from The Arena with gold around his waist, and in the year since, he’s turned back challenger after challenger. The champ has successfully retained gold against a slew of top challengers, including Dragon Kid in January, Doi in March and Yoshino in May. A match against Richards had been scheduled, but contract issues with ROH removed the American Wolf’s presence from future DGUSA events. While BxB Hulk has not failed to produce entertaining and exhilirating title defenses, none of the bouts this far have really had that sense of impending doom, where it seems plausible that the champion may lose his gold. The same can be said for his upcoming defense against Masaaki Mochizuki at the one-year anniversary show. BxB Hulk has proven himself a fighting champion, accepting challenges from even his own teammates, but the time has come for a serious threat to enter the title picture. Whether the challenge comes from an extended program with a certain returning Dragon or a

ONE-yEAR RETROSPECTIvE DGUSA has come a long way in the past 12 months, and with each show, more people seem to take notice. The company has taken great strides in the right direction: Establishing a long-reigning champion, developing slow-building but compelling storylines and entering new markets where fans can emerge. But while the company’s still young and growing, continued success and expansion in year two will be crucial to keeping the promotion alive and at the forefront of an ever-crowding U.S. independent scene. Coming out of its infancy, DGUSA will soon find itself in a sink-or-swim predicament, but the foundations are there to build not only a raft but a battleship to keep the company above water. n contact adam at adamtesta@gmail.com

All photos courtesy of dgusa.tv

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Message from uSA promoter

Gabe sapolsky

nniversary events always stand out to me a little more. the main reason is that it marks a good time to look back and reflect on the past year. as we approach the first anniversary of the debut dragon Gate usa event, "open the historic Gate", i can't think of a better time to sit down and think of the last year. The email that changed the course of my life came in early 2009. CIMA contacted me about holding a stand alone event on Wrestlemania weekend in Houston. You see, Wrestlemania weekend was when Dragon Gate first made its name in the United States. Wrestling in front of those fans from all over the world, who all congregated on this one weekend, was something the entire Dragon Gate roster took great pride in. They always would change their schedule, fly far distances and sacrifice to perform in front of the fans that traveled in for this weekend. At the time, I told them it was far too late to get a building, start advertising and attract fans to the show. However, it certainly didn't end there. As we sat and thought about holding a Dragon Gate show in the United States, new possibilities came up. Why can't we hold several events every year so fans in various cities and areas of the country could attend the shows? Why couldn't we release highly collectible DVDs of these shows? Why can't we put this on pay-per-view? Why can't we take the extremely talented and charismatic Dragon Gate roster and use it as the backbone of

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creating pro wrestling's premium brand? It was suddenly clear that all these things were possible. We all got together, presented a plan, went over some numbers and Dragon Gate USA was born. Over the past year we have seen some tweaks and additions to the business plan. Originally, we were going to just have single shots. Then it became clear that it would be more beneficial to us and the fans if we ran double shots. We introduced Seminars / Tryouts for American independent wrestlers, giving them the opportunity to train under Dragon Gate wrestlers, learn a different system and even possibly get booked in Japan. Some other interesting ideas also came on the table that you will hear about soon. The year has had its ups and downs, but everything has led to another lesson, more dedication and reinforced our will to persevere. It remains clear that our best days are ahead of us, not behind us. The most important thing about anniversaries is to make sure to give an extra big "Thank You" to everyone that got you there. That includes our partners, the wrestlers, the refs, the crew, the unheralded people that spend countless hours working on websites, editing and promoting. Most importantly, it goes to the people that supported you. For every person that bought a ticket to a DGUSA event, bought a DVD, shirt or other merchandise and spread the word, we can't thank you enough. There is no saying more true than we wouldn't be here now without you. Thank you all and here is to many anniversaries together in the future!!!

Interview with uK promoter

MARK SLOAN Words: DArren WooD

fter successfully bringing dragon Gate to the uk last year for their debut show at the regal in oxford. mark sloan, who has previously promoted frontier wrestling alliance, will once again be bringing the Japanese promotion to these shores for two shows this september. TWP: you were instrumental in bringing dragon Gate to the uk last year, how proud are you to have brought stars from the company over two years in a row now? MARK: I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say proud was the right word; honoured may be a better term. Dragon Gate is an extremely professional company and I was blown away by just how good and how professional the talent was, the 3 days (in Spain, Germany and then they arrived with us) left them very tired and some of them sick, having picked up a virus, but come Showtime they did what they do best and that is entertain every single person in that room, from the sceptical security guards right through to the seasoned pro wrestlers who were in attendance. Nobody was expecting to be quite that good. DG:UK superstar Lion Kid ÂŠ amerchandise.co.uk

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TWP: how did the idea for the dragon Gate shows in the uk come about? MARK: Originally the idea was pitched to us just nearing the Pro Wrestling Noah event and we decided to wait until after the shows to go any further but credit is due to WXW of Germany, they (as long time partners) were in direct contact with Dragon Gate and around a month after the Noah event we started talking seriously about bringing DG to the UK.

Mark Haskins © dragon Gate

TWP: what were your opinions on the matches that the uk wrestlers had last year on the shows? MARK: I was happy with all of the British participation on the main show. The bonus match I was disappointed in and although it was still decent, it wasn’t what we needed and therefore we have to make sure the same mistake doesn’t happen again. Storm and Scurll had a seriously underrated match with Real Hazard, Marty showed why he belonged on the show with an excellent outing and Mark Haskins proved why he was considered at the time to be one of the best young unsigned talents in the world. Of course that was to change given his strong showing…. TWP: mark haskins gained a roster spot after his match last year do you think uk wrestlers could do the same? MARK: It wasn’t so much a roster spot but they offered him a chance to tour with them, and so impressed with him were they, that upon the end of the first tour the offered him a longer tour, which is where he is right now. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets another one too. There are plenty of guys who could do the same but the question is who WANTS to do it? You have to dedicate your life to being the best in your field, you can think about, dream about, talk about it but it is another thing actually go out there and do it. Haskins made the choices to get it done and is now living out his dreams, nobody can quite understand how much it changes your life, Haskins could try to tell you but he is having the time of his life. TWP: after last year’s tour where you immediately setting out a plan for a follow up in 2010? MARK: Not really a plan, they had indicated that they were open to the idea, but given that 36 worldwide wrestling magazine thewrestlingpress.com

we had already sold out the event in the lead up, the deciding factor would be the show. Which they couldn’t have been happier with. They really enjoyed the show, the set-up and most importantly the fans, that’s what sealed the return in 2010. I would hope these shows aren’t any different and when they think about their plans for 2011 they remember just how good the European shows are. TWP: haskins vs lion kid is a match confirmed for dragon Gate on september 10th what can fans expect from this match? MARK: They can expect a fast paced encounter which is likely to prove just how talented both men are, Haskins has already established himself as one of the best cruiserweights around and Lion Kid has really come into his own this

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year. Both have incredible matches on the second night but if I know one thing they will both put in the fight of their life for the fans in Broxbourne. TWP: for fans who have not watched a lion kid or mark haskins match what do you think people can expect and what wrestlers would you compare them to? MARK: Each fighter is unique, Haskins, while looking very much like a more defined version of CM Punk is a perfect fusion between workrate, charisma and just raw talent. The guy has unlimited potential and if he so chooses, he could end up wherever he wants in the industry. You can expect the hardest working talent in Europe to go out there and try and steal the show and giving a performance like nobody else. Lion Kid is currently wrestling all over Europe from All Star to BCC in Belgium to possible outings in Spain and Germany. He is primarily known as a high flyer, but is also ridiculously charismatic and his ground skills far surpass his aerial ability. LK is probably one of the most underated guys on the scene at the moment and he is rated relatively highly, that in itself shows just how talented he is. I wouldn’t really compare either one to anybody else. They are their own men.

HASKINS HAS ALREADy ONE ESTAbLISHED HIMSELf AS HTS EIG RW ISE Of THE bEST CRu TWP: marty scurll vs cyber kong has been confirmed as well. what can fans expect from that match and what are your opinions on scurll and kong? MARK: Cyber Kong was somebody who I really wanted for the first event, but due to various reasons he was unavailable, so when the opportunity came up again, it was a must have. He is soo different to the rest of the roster and he really adds a different dimension to the events. Scurll is somebody who has been around for a while but has never really had any guidance, he has just been kind of there. You know he is talented but it wasn’t somebody you had to have

on your event. That’s all changed now, Scurll is one of the most sought after UK fighters and proved his worth at last years event. I think it also really benefited him in another way, as he saw what it was like to try and hang with world class opponents and since then he has really stepped it up, training like a madman and come Sept 11th, when Kong and Scurll meet, it will be explosive! Kong is a monster but Scurll in his hometown, as fired up as he is, I wouldn’t bet against him…. TWP: some fans may have not seen a dragon Gate uk show before; please describe what they are in for and explain the differences between this company and others. MARK: The sheer pace and perfection of everything they do has to be seen to be believed, not one person left last years show without knowing they had witnessed an incredible show. The last two matches were just simply amazing, and so diverse, the heart and soul of Shingo and Yokosuka as they literally destroyed each other in one of the most brutal matches I have ever seen and then it moved on to the signature 6 Man tag team match, which really defies description but if I had to try, I guess I would say the spectacle of 6 super athletes and going at it with no regard for their own bodies and action all over the place, the last 10 minutes were something that you, as a wrestling fan, owe it to yourself to experience live. At a lot of shows they give standing ovations and such but the fans we brought to their feet for over half the matches and the air of genuine respect for the fights they witnessed is something I won’t soon forget. TWP: thanks for agreeing to this interview. TWP would like to wish you every success in the future. finally do you have anything else you would like to add? MARK: Not really, I don’t need to plug the shows but the one thing I would say, is if you don’t go you’ll probably end up wishing you did when you read the reports/magazines and watch the DVD. It’s going to be one if not the two best shows in Europe this year. No doubt about it. thewrestlingpress.com worldwide wrestling magazine 37

Introducing

DRAGON GATE UK Words: DArren WooD

t was truly an amazing night in which 500 fans witnessed one of the best shows ever to grace British soil. last year unique Japanese promotion dragon Gate hosted their debut uk show at the regal in oxford which was hailed by many as the best wrestling event of 2009. At the end of the incredible Dragon Gate: Invasion UK event British superstar and Dragon Gate regular PAC sent out a clear message to the fans in attendance when he said: “We promise, we’ll be back”. Not a company to let its fans down Dragon Gate (in association with A-Merchandise, organisers of last year’s event) are back and ready to take these shores by storm once again, with not one... but two shows. Dragon Gate left a huge mark that night in Oxford, since then fans have eagerly anticipated the world’s most exciting wrestling promotions return to the UK. The two night tour starts with the first venue being the Broxbourne Civic Hall in Hertfordshire on Friday 10th September, finishing up at the Burgess Civic Hall in Cambridge on Saturday 11th September.

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CIMA in action © warren powell

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DvD TRAILER

press play or click here for external link

Shingo and Cyber Kong. Fans can also enjoy seeing some of the best wrestlers that the UK has to offer, scheduled to appear are Pac, Mark Haskins, Marty Scurll and Lion Kid. It’s worth noting that as this issue goes to print there are currently two matches signed for the September 10th event at the Broxbourne Civic Hall. Both of these contests already has TWP drooling with excitement as Shingo will go one on one with Susumu Yokosuka in a rematch from their epic first encounter at last year’s show.

TWP spoke to CIMA, Dragon Gate’s number one star and easily the most recognisable face on their roster about what he expects from fans coming to see the shows. “I expect the British fans to be there with the highest tension and highest voltage. I am looking for a historic show.” Dragon Gate was originally named Toryumon Japan and most of the performers were trained by ex WWE and WCW star Ultimo Dragon, but when he left the promotion in 2004 the company was forced to come up with a new name.

RES READy TO TAKE THESE SHO H WIT , AIN AG E by STORM ONC WS SHO O TW buT ... NOT ONE Over the years Dragon Gate has had comparisons with the high flying Mexican wrestling style Lucha Libre but CIMA, who is a two-time Open the Dream Gate Champion, the highest accolade in Dragon Gate, is quick to stress that the promotion has its own style. “A lot of our wrestlers were trained in Mexico. However, Dragon Gate style is totally different from Lucha Libre. “Please be ready to see and feel only Dragon Gate-style wrestling. CIMA has never been a high-flying wrestler. What I can tell you is that I love my style, no matter what other people say.” Also making the trip from Japan to join CIMA will be Dragon Gate regulars Susumu Yokosuka,

TWP hopes that this match can live up to the huge expectations set by last year’s breathtaking meeting between the two. In a battle between two extremely talented UK stars the second match announced sees Lion Kid go up against Mark Haskins, these two had an intense contest last November for IPW:UK and it wouldn’t surprise TWP if this match ended up stealing the show on night one of the tour. Night two of the tour sees Marty Scurll who put in a truly career making performance last year go up against the monstrous Cyber Kong. Kong is completely unique, having picked up huge wins over some of the very best talent Dragon Gate has to offer and it is fair to say these shores have never seen anyone quite like him.

Dragon Gate comes to the uK live for two nights only on September 10th at the broxbourne Civic Hall, Hertfordshire and September 11th at the burgess Civic Hall, Cambridge. for more information or to buy tickets please e-mail mark@amerchandise.co.uk or go to www.dragongateuk.com

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Interview with DG-uK Wrestler

MARTY SCURLL Words: DArren WooD

ast year he was asked to perform on dragon Gate’s debut uk show and put on what many have described as a career-making performance, since then marty scurll has had some tremendous clashes in singles action and with tag team partner Jack sabre Jr as the ldrs of the new school. TWP caught up with Scurll about his upcoming appearance on Dragon Gate’s second UK tour, the difference between tag team and singles wrestling and his thoughts on the UK wrestling industry.

TWP: you had a great match alongside Jonny storm against ryo saito and Genki horiguchi at last years dragon Gate event what were your thoughts on the match? MARTy: I remember being extremely nervous and having no idea how the crowd would take to me! It was certainly my biggest match to date and I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well. Even though I was very nervous, I was still totally excited and couldn’t wait to get in the ring and try and see how I measured up with such notable talents. I was satisfied with my performance although it showed that professionals like Saito and Horiguchi are on another level, it helped me step up my own game, certainly my career highlight thus far. TWP: did you ever think that you would get the opportunity to appear for the company again?

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DG:uK INTERvIEW press play or click here for external link

MARTy: When I was asked to do the first show I was ecstatic and certainly felt honoured, but to be asked to be involved with the next shows is an even bigger deal to me. The first time I think the fans didn’t know exactly what to expect of me, so to be asked to return and perform on such a big stage among some of the best wrestlers in the world is truly the biggest honour I have had. TWP: when did you find out you were going to be working the dragon Gate shows in the uk this year? MARTy: Promoter Mark Sloan contacted me earlier this year to see if I was free for the specific dates. I wasn’t told at first it was Dragon Gate but when I did find out, not only was I overwhelmed but was so grateful that I have been given such a fantastic opportunity. Mark Sloan has been a massive influence on my career thus far and I can’t thank him enough. TWP: what are the main differences between uk and Japanese wrestling? MARTy: Both have a wide selection of companies’ specialising in different aspects but in UK wrestling there are more than cater towards audience involvement where as

in Japan I believe more companies focus on the in-ring action. Companies in the UK like IPW:UK, FWA and such will help benefit me on both aspects leading up to the two big shows in September. TWP: you face cyber kong as part of the tour, what are your opinions on your opponent and have you seen many matches of his? MARTy: I have to admit that I have a huge amount of respect for Cyber Kong. His look and his intensity, it makes him standout, there’s no one in Dragon Gate like him and that immediately made him stand out to me when I first saw the Dragon Gate product. The fans have waited long to see Cyber Kong debut in the UK, and now he is finally coming here I have the opportunity to compete against him, it’s certainly going to be the toughest match in my career. I have been studying tapes of him no end as I want to be 120% prepared and give it my all in my home county of Cambridgeshire on September 11th. TWP: it’s fair to say that fans in the uk have never really seen anything quite like kong,

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what can uk fans expect from him and what wrestlers out there would you compare him to? MARTy: I think you’ve hit the nail on the head, no one has ever seen anything like Kong on these shores. I think it would be unfair to try and compare someone to him as he is one of the most unique wrestlers I have seen in some time. When I showed my family footage of Kong and told them this is what I am up against, they couldn’t believe it. It’s safe to say I haven’t come across any wrestlers like Kong yet!

TWP: are you optimistic that if you have another good match with kong then you could well be offered a slot on the dragon Gate roster like mark haskins? MARTy: It would be a dream come true to compete on that level. Mark Haskins who followed in the footsteps of Pac has done us so proud, he’s really made an impression and I’m made up for him. He is one of my best friends and I would love to join him in Japan, he put in the work and that’s what I am aiming to do, it is something that is always my focus.

TWP: what do you think fans can expect from this match? MARTy: Like I said before I will be bringing my all, a lot of heart and determination. Last year I matured as a performer and went into the show having prepared like never before. Afterwards on reflection, I learnt I have to step it up so much more. I have left a full time job and gone part time so I can train and recover quicker – I have been waiting for this match for a long time. My schedule is now catering more for training than competing in the lead up to the shows and I’m positive it’ll be exciting and dramatic.

TWP: for people who have not seen a dragon Gate uk show, please describe what they are in for and what are the differences between this companies shows to others. MARTy: Last year’s show, I was in the first match which made it easier for me to witness most of the event. I can honestly say it was the most exciting show I have ever had the privilege of watching. The atmosphere was like I have never heard and the wrestling itself was to the very highest of standards, I had certainly not seen anything quite like it in person before. Dragon Gate brings the excitement of Japanese

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Wrestling at its best and adds to it the most colourful and interesting characters and gimmicks. So many shows you hear about are billed as ‘can’t miss!’ but that statement has never been so appropriate for these shows.

TWP: you are in a successful tag team with zack sabre Jr as the leaders of the new school, how different is tag team wrestling to singles action? MARTy: Tag team wrestling you need to know that you can rely on your partner. Fortunate for me, myself and zack have been friends for years and I know I could trust him to always be there. Singles though, you can only rely on yourself. You always have to bring your A-game, if stuff doesn’t go to plan you can hold nobody responsible but yourself. Its great teaming up with zack and at the same time I love the experience of competing in singles matches, so being able to do both at the moment is a great happy medium. TWP: for fans who have not watched a marty scurll match what do you think people can expect and what wrestlers would you compare yourself to? MARTy: I tried to pride myself on having a hybrid style – an outgoing interesting charisma mixed with a technical wrestling skill and an ability to show crowds unique manoeuvres that they haven’t necessary seen before. People have said I am similar to the likes of Alex Shelley and a Pre year 2000 Chris Jericho. Each of which I am huge fans of and I wouldn’t compare myself to them, but can see why fans draw similarities, I believe my style of wrestling is similar to theirs. I also try and model myself after British Wrestling legend Danny Boy Collins, and you could often see stuff in my matches which I would have taught myself from watching hours of footage of him. TWP: what do you think of the uk wrestling landscape at the moment? MARTy: There are some fantastic promotions out there and we have some amazing talent, I think more so now than ever. The recession I believe has hit a lot of shows hard but there are still many who are putting on such strong shows that

the fans keep coming back. I would certainly say it is a great time to be involved in British Wrestling and I truly believe it is only going to get better. TWP: thanks for agreeing to this interview. TWP would like to wish you every success in the future. finally do you have anything else you would like to add? MARTy: My pleasure. I’d certainly like to do a quick shout out to my fans that support me, your messages and support always makes everything worthwhile. For anyone that is interested you can keep updated with my progress leading up to Dragon Gate UK by following me on twitter.com @martyscurll. Thanks again and I hope to see you all there! Marty Scurll will be in action on both nights of the tour, teaming up with Jack Sabre Jr as The LDRS of the New School face The Allstars – Robbie Dynamite and Mikey Whiplash in the bonus match of the Friday 10th event. Then on Saturday 11th September Scurll will face the monstrous Cyber Kong in singles action. n contact darren at news@thewrestlingpress.com

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Words: DArren WooD Portrait: tony Knox

thewrestlingpress.com GREG LAMbERT

e debuted as an obnoxious heel manager in 2003, but now seven years on xwa owner Greg lambert is one of the uk’s finest wrestling promoters. The 38-year-old was a recognisable face in the original FWA managing many talents including Britain’s own hardcore legend Iceman and heel stable The Family. But it wasn’t until the summer of 2004 that Lambert started to get more involved with FWA shows, asking Alex Shane if he could become his assistant booker.

“I spoke to Alex and told him I wanted to promote under a new name and ‘kill’ the FWA.” For Lambert the name ‘FWA’ was like an albatross around his neck, carrying a massive weight of huge expectation from fans and wrestlers alike. He no longer wanted to be associated with the big budget events that the FWA was famous for. “Alex suggested the FWA v IPW:UK ‘Losing Promotion Must Fold’ storyline which actually regenerated some of the fans’ interest in the FWA. The story culminated at the Final Frontiers show of March 2007, when Flash Barker lost to Martin Stone and the FWA was forced to close.

“I wanted to learn more about the business,” recalls Lambert. “As his assistant I was responsible for writing and booking the shows, although Alex still had the final say on everything. At the start of 2006 he decided he wanted to make a clean break from FWA altogether and from this point, I booked the shows alone.”

“That whole feud was really successful, a lot of fun and at least ensured this stressful chapter of my life had a happy ending.”

Lambert admits making mistakes at that time due to inexperience and fully believes that the FWA worked successfully for a long period because many people involved with the group were willing to work for little reward, happy sharing a vision of what they wanted for the company.

Lambert felt he was spreading himself too thin, struggling to juggle his personal life and promoting shows every couple of weeks up and down the country. He decided his new promotion would run solely in Morecambe, which was a place where FWA drew big crowds and always had so much success.

“Running the Coventry SkyDome at British Uprising 3 left a lot of people in a ton of debt,” Explains Lambert. “Many of us chipped in financially to get that show off the ground. I personally lost about £3,000. Others lost more. Some of them didn’t want to be involved with FWA any more after that.

In 2007, less than a month after the FWA closed, XWA was born and held its first show on April 7th in front of a sellout crowd at the Morecambe Dome. Knowing there was a loyal fan base to the FWA in Morecambe; Lambert ensured there was as much continuity as possible going into the first show.

“The big problem we had was we weren’t in a financial position to fly in overseas talent any longer. The fans’ expectations had been set so high that the cheaper shows we ran in 2005/6 dominated by British talent, failed to spark anywhere near the same level of interest as previous shows.” With the FWA in turmoil Lambert considered walking away from the wrestling business altogether but instead decided to do something that would mark a huge change in the UK wrestling landscape.

His new outfit started exactly where FWA had left off. Champions from FWA were now recognised in XWA, and event names like ‘War on the Shore’, which were synonymous with FWA, were now being used and unfinished storylines continued to develop in XWA. “I wanted to be faithful to the legacy of FWA, which held great memories for so many people. The XWA British Heavyweight Championship is one of the most important titles in British wrestling today. That belt has direct lineage to the original FWA Title stretching all the way back to Mark Sloan, the first FWA champion, in 1999.”

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thewrestlingpress.com GREG LAMbERT

Since the inception of XWA, Lambert has made a conscious decision to focus more on British talent. “American wrestlers have two, arguably three places in the States where they can work, make a decent living and gain TV exposure. They don’t have to come over here. The British wrestling scene needs all the help it can get. I would much rather spend my time, energy and money helping to establish a platform for homegrown stars. “I’d rather not put myself through the stress of worrying if the big name import has actually managed to get on a plane. What’s the point when I’ve got British wrestlers down the road who are just as good and will draw just as many if the show is promoted properly?” So far 2010 has been a groundbreaking year for XWA, which has seen the Morecambe based company grow in leaps and bounds. In April the company moved from their long time home of The Dome to a new venue in Morecambe, The Carleton. In many ways Lambert believes this new home to be a better suit for XWA. Big screen music videos are now used at shows and inside the ring, wrestlers can push the boundaries a little more because unlike its predecessor, The Carleton is not a council-owned venue.

“The Morecambe fans love Phere because he’s a Steve Austin-style anti-hero.” Believing that some UK promotions keep costs down but their shows aren’t much of a spectacle, Lambert sees the XWA as getting the balance right. “We put on a fantastic show and always has done,” Lambert explains. “The best part about our show is the atmosphere. Those fans react to everything, which creates an amazing setting for the wrestlers to perform in. “They truly believe what’s happening in the ring and have a genuine emotional attachment to the characters and storylines.” results from xwa vendetta. Attendance 250. • Nathan Cruz pinned Joey Hayes • Axl Rage beat Action Jackson by submission to retain the XWA Best of the North West Cup • El Ligero defeated ‘Bollywood Dream’ RJ Singh in a ladder match to regain the XWA British Flyweight Title • ‘Heavyweight House of Pain’ Stixx pinned ‘Rockstar’ Spud • ‘The Ascension’ Alex Shane and ‘The Psychotic Warrior’ Johnny Phere fought to a no contest.

MORE DETAILS AT www.xwawrestling.com n contact darren at news@thewrestlingpress.com

On July 17th 2010 XWA presented Vendetta at the new venue and there was one match Lambert was particularly looking forward to; ‘The Ascension’ Alex Shane vs “The Psychotic Warrior” Johnny Phere. “When Alex was in charge of the old FWA, I touted Phere to him for years” Lambert explained. "I tried to get him to see what an amazing performer he is and how much potential there was. Alex never saw it, only when he came into XWA in 2009 and saw Phere’s work firsthand, he realised he had developed into a well-rounded main eventer. “Alex and Johnny are very similar in a lot of ways. I don’t know of two other people in British Wrestling who are so dedicated, who put so much effort, intensity and attention to detail into their matches and their character.

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oD Words: DArren Wo r Azie br b Portrait: ro

ith the motto ‘pro wrestling at its best’ ipw:uk since being founded in orpington six years ago has delivered some of the greatest matches that the uk wrestling scene has to offer. Matches such as Bryan Danielson vs. Pac, The epic rivalry between The Thrillers & The Leaders and Dave Mastiff vs Takeshi Morishima have helped strengthen the promotions claim as one of the leading companies’ in British wrestling. Now IPW:UK is set to put on another night of world class action with their biggest show to date as they celebrate their sixth year in business with the ‘Six year anniversary show’ live from Swallows Leisure Centre in Sitting-bourne, Kent. A fantastic line-up has been put in place as James Tighe will face Joel Redman, Japanese star Go Shiozaki challenges Dave Mastiff for the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship and Martin Stone challenges long term rival Danny Garnell inside a 16 foot high steel cage. TWP spoke to Garnell about how he feels stepping inside the cage with Stone. “I’m taking the match very seriously and I am working hard to make sure I do my best in the cage, I think the feud

48 worldwide wrestling magazine TWP

thewrestlingpress.com DANNy GARNELL

has been received well by the fans and I’ve even got hate mail sent about it.” Garnell, who was voted in Pro wrestling illustrated’s top 500 wrestlers poll in 2003, has been a mainstay in LDN wrestling for many years. Coming into IPW:UK he was immediately put into a feud with Stone which for the last 12 months has entertained fans all over the country.

“He has a tremendous attitude, is a great talker and now he is getting the chance to work with a higher calibre of opponent. I’m sure we will see him progress leaps and bounds to the extent where he is considered the top guy in the whole of UK. “I firmly believe him to be one of the top heavyweights in the country. With every performance he is getting better and better and that’s a scary thing for the rest of his competition especially Martin Stone, come Sunday August 1st. “The fans are going to see a heated, hard hitting war. This has been one year in the making and it’s going to be something quite special.”

He first watched wrestling when he was 8 years old, enjoying WWF Summerslam in 1991 and it was that event that got him hooked. His father took him to wrestling shows at Lewisham theatre and once he realised there was a British version of what he watched it was all he wanted to do. Whilst reading a wrestling magazine, Garnell found an advert for the Hammerlock training school and convinced his dad to take him down to Sittingbourne to see what it was all about. At just 14 years of age, Garnell started training at Hammerlock, learning from Andre Baker, Justin Richards and Jon Ryan. “It taught me a great deal of respect for the business and taught me first-hand the effectiveness some of the moves and holds we used can have when applied in a shoot situation. “Everything I could have wanted to learn was taught there. Andre always made sure we were being taught correctly and that what we were doing looked credible.” Garnell uses everything he was taught in Hammerlock and IPW:UK booker Andy Quildan believes that before he came to the promotion he was one of British wrestling’s best kept secrets.

IPW:UK is regarded by many as the finest promotion in the country at the moment and TWP strongly urges any fans with an interest in the UK wrestling scene to attend this show on Aug 1st. IPW:UK proudly celebrate their 6th anniversary with the ‘Six year anniversary show’ live from Swallows Leisure Centre in Sittingbourne, Kent. Doors open at 5:00pm, show starts 5.30pm. For more information please visit www.ipwuk.com n contact darren at news@thewrestlingpress.com

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s u r o p s o B t a r u M Photos:

DA Words: DAviD schMi g n hurricane Wrestlin rma Ge d an www.dragonhearts.de

urat Bosporus, former amateur wrestler, who debuted as a pro wrestler in 2002 after being trained by tony st. clair and christian eckstein, has worked for promoters all over europe and the rest of the world. The man born as Özgür Bakar continues to rise ever since his first match for the European Wrestling Promotion (EWP). “I started out at the EWP wrestling school run by Tony St. Clair and Christian Eckstein. The first units went well so they told me I had talent and should continue. My first match was a battle royal during a EWP tour in 2002. I took a tremendous beating. Also participating were guys like Doug Williams, who later helped me on many occasions throughout my career, Drew McDonald, Robbie Brookside, James Mason and many more. A man who particularly supported me was Tony St. Clair. He made my WWE try out happen, supported me very much in my development and always had very helpful tips. Without him I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

E I LOST THE bOuT buT WAS AbL IN ED ONG bEL I T THA TO SHOW THE MAIN EvENT Soon after his first year in pro wrestling was over, Bosporus went on to work for westside Xtreme wrestling (wXw), where he was able to start a long list of accomplishments. After advancing to the finals of the prestigious 16 Carat Gold Tournament in 2006, where he lost to the colossal Baron von Hagen and important victories over Steve Douglas, Chad Collyer, Nigel McGuinnes and Absolute Andy in the following months, he set his eyes on the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title held by Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Takeshi Suguira, whom he faced for the strap at wXw’s True Colors in July 2006. He lost the match but winning wXw’s Tag Team Titles

50 worldwide wrestling magazine TWP

thewrestlingpress.com MuRAT bOSPORuS

twice in 2007 eased his pain a little bit. In August 2007 Bosporus suddenly left wXw. He and the people behind wXw had a dispute which resulted in Bosporus getting excluded from wXw shows. Until this day, he has never wrestled there again.

In 2003, the man known as the “Turkish Wrestling Machine” made his way to German Stampede Wrestling (GSW), the pendant to wXw. He quickly found himself battling it out with Crazy Sexy Mike for the Breakthrough Title. After losing a Best of 3 Falls match against the champion, he came back even stronger and was able take the strap away from Mike in October 2004 in a four way match at International Impact 2. “I had the impression that GSW trusted me right away. I had my first title match there, which I won. I was able to prove that I could be a champion and lead a division. Later they gave me the chance to work with guys like TJ Wilson, Joe E. Legend, Kid Kash, Chistopher Daniels, Abyss and many more. That helped me to continue progressing.” He defended the title in a technical treat against TJ Wilson, but eventually lost it to Absolute Andy in a classic European rules match in July 2005. Bosporus’ fallout with wXw led GSW to use the confusion among fans and turned him

heel. After feuds against Eric Schwarz and Joe E. Legend, he went on the hunt for GSW’s World Heavyweight Championship. Together with his new manager, German rapper Eko Fresh, he turned the promotion upside down and certainly had to be taken into consideration for a title match. “They could have done so much more with Eko Fresh. The feud he had with Eric Schwarz was very good but not the office’s idea. They should have done a lot more PR in general to create more buzz in the media. Instead, later they only used him to accompany me to the ring and create heat” Murat vs Atsushi Aoki © dragonhearts.de

After winning an important four way including Ares, Legend and Chris Hero, he seemed to be the next in line for a match for the Heavyweight

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thewrestlingpress.com MuRAT bOSPORuS

Murat vs Doug Williams

Title but still had to go through four other men in a Gauntlet match in September 2008. The day had finally arrived: at X-Limits in November 2008 he faced champion Michael Kovac. He actually held the title in his hands after pinning the Austrian, but the officials decided to restart the match due to outside interference and Kovac retained his title. “I lost the bout but was able to show that I belonged in the main event. I think I wasn’t made champion because the promoter preferred to use me to solely build up other guys and take heat. That’s my job as heel but I lost too many bouts during that time and therefore wasn’t able to build up the heat. They didn’t realise how much potential I actually had and relied on the same wrestlers as before. No one had reactions on the same level at that time. In Addition, in my opinion, the title match was built up wrong and came too fast. If it had been done right I could have proved that I would have been able to lead a promotion as champion and help build up the next big face.” Bosporus didn’t stop at being successful in Germany. While 2004 saw his first fights in the USA for IWA Mid-South and Chikara, in October 2006, the Far East in the form of Pro Wrestling NOAH was calling and Bosporus listened. Bosporus became the first German since Horst Hoffmann and Wolfgang Saturski to wrestle in Japan. “I had very good matches against some of NOAH’s wrestlers in Germany. Besides that, Doug Williams put in a word for me. He thought I would fit in well at NOAH. Every match there was very special to me. But if had to name one in particular it would be the bout at Korakuen Hall teaming with Doug Williams against Naomichi Marufuji, the GHC Heavyweight champion at that time, and Takeshi Morishima. Not only was it my first match there but it was the main event and live on TV.” 52 worldwide wrestling magazine TWP

By this time WWE and later TNA certainly took notice of him. While WWE tested him before their shows during their tour through Germany in April 2007, TNA decided to add him to their cards, which meant that Bosporus opened two TNA shows in Germany in September 2009. “The try out at WWE was a very good experience. It was conducted by Ricky Steamboat and Mike Rotunda. I had practice matches with Absolute Andy, Santino Marella, who is actually a very good wrestler, and Val Venis. We didn’t acquire contracts but I was told that we left a very good impression. The tryout with TNA was great since I had the chance to wrestle two actual matches in front of live crowds. I wrestled Absolute Andy in Nuremberg and Axel Dieter Jr. in Hannover. Both fights went really well.” Regular appearances on South Africa’s World Professional Wrestling’s (WWP) TV show Thunderstrike and touring in Canada round up his international success.

NOT ONLy WAS IT My fIRST MATCH THERE buT IT WAS THE MAIN EvENT AND LIvE ON Tv His achievements in the ring made it possible for him to expand his career into German TV and print media. He remains a welcome guest on numerous talk- and sport shows. This summer he will be part of a prime time show on one of Germanys’ most important channels. “I always tried to use these appearances to show that clichés about wrestlers are wrong and that it’s an honourable business which deserves and needs more attention.” The 30 year old, who is in a relationship with German female wrestler Jazzy Gabert, currently very successful as Alpha Female, thinks that “the business doesn’t owe you anything. If you want something from it, go and get it. You need to have endurance to be able to get through the tough times, when bookings are canceled or you are short on money for example. Fortunately my girlfriend and I can support each other during those difficult times.” n contact david at dschmida@hotmail.com

INTERvIEW WITH

by Dark Kitty

restling in the state of michoacan has had several highs and lows since it was started, a faithful witness to this is former state welterweight champion argho, with his 20 years of experience in the ring (he debuted in June 1990), and a total of thirty years being around wrestling as a child and as an amateur. Here Argho talks to TWP about the past, present and future of wrestling in Michoacan, Mexico and of his career. twenty years ago you started to fight and struggle in the world of wrestling, what do you remember about those early years darkas kitty oro and anwith amateur? The first event I attended featured wrestlers of Michoacan, and it left me with a very high opinion of Máscara Plateada and Licántropo, a couple of faces that were so refined in the ring. Although the match was very tough and they were being massacred, they managed to recover and eventually win the bout. Their desire to please the fans made me want to be a fighter, so

shortly after I started working some matches with local fighters such as Bombero Atómico, Magisterio and Corsario. A movie called “El Mala Pata” began filming in my city and some wrestlers who were extras decided to do two wrestling events there, so I managed to meet several of my idols who I’d seen on television and in magazines, Súper Bengalí and Gran Kendor were measured up against zafiro Infernal and Mensajero de la Muerte. The seed was planted in me and many of the people of my city and in the fighters that eventually began to compete regularly in the city, I had the opportunity to meet most of the stars of Azteca Pavilion. who do you remember from that time? Look I’ll tell you a story that almost nobody knows. Since I began buying magazines there was a wrestler I wanted to be like, right down from the beautiful mask he wore to his wrestling techniques. So one day in 1987 I got to meet my idol, Mano Negra. I began to explain that I admired him and wanted to be a wrestler just like him. He told me to look for him at the end of the show. After he and Korak beat Rambo and Cuchillo, Mano invited me to the locker room and meeting him without a mask was an indescribable mo-

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thewrestlingpress.com ARGHO INTERvIEW

ended up having a great deal of respect for each other, so we have made a pact – we will both wrestle mask for mask when the two of us decide to fight our last fight. Cara Dura was also one of my first rivals, we had bloody battles and one day in front of my fans in Apatzingan we wrestled for our identity. Although we both had the same amount of fans I still wanted to go out and win. We also had a follow up match in Arena Morelos, which I fortunately won. ment, he was, is, and always will be my hero and role model. Just by telling you that the day he lost his mask to Atlantis I cried. I am not ashamed to say it, but it was a sad day for me. tell me a little bit about your admirers and enemies. who are they and why? In twenty years I have had the opportunity to meet and compete against many wrestlers. Rey Mysterio of the WWE and I have been partners many times as we were both starting our wrestling careers at the same time. However the wrestlers who I have become stronger wrestling partners with were Tiburón, Tritón and Rey Payaso. I started to train with Tiburón when I got to Morelia. We started learning wrestling holds together, and got to know each other not only as wrestlers but as friends. In the case of Tritón I identified with him because is a humble and simple guy, very charismatic. Rey Payaso was one of my teachers and I learned a lot, I admire and respected him. Out of my rivals, although there have been many, four of them come to my mind: Sable Rojo, Cara Dura, Maniaco Crazy and Obituary, Sable Rojo was the first opponent for me to face, it seems that Gardel was right when he said: “Twenty years are nothing”, because from being bitter rivals for so many years we

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Maniaco Crazy is a young man who is eager to excel and does not stop for anything. It will be a good battle if I ever get to wrestle a mask for mask match with him, but he has to remember he defeated me for the welterweight championship from the State of Michoacan and I’d be out for revenge. Obituary is the best heel of the state, and as I am used to fighting the best it was obvious that we would have to fight each other. We had an epic match which ended with me winning his mask.

RE y My ST ER IO Of TH E WW E AN D I HAvE bE EN PA RT NE RS MA Ny TIM ES from all the places you have fought, which do you consider to be the best? The question is not very difficult to answer, I have fought in many places but I don’t think there has been a place like the Arena Morelos, located in downtown Morelia. It was great to get there, if only to train. In that place I met people such as Obituary, Ángel Dorado II and Maniaco Crazy. There were about thirty wrestlers training, but only ten or twelve had the opportunity to participate on a weekly basis, so it was a healthy competition, you had to train and prove you wanted to be part of the cartel.

thewrestlingpress.com ARGHO INTERvIEW

well time is running out arhgo, what would you like to say to your fans? God has surrounded me with many very good people, but there is one person I met

around 1993 and I began to follow in 1994. We became engaged and in December 1998 I married my most passionate fan, Adriana Maria Cano Tinoco. My greatest critic, I owe her much of what I have in my life, especially the beautiful family that we have formed. Along with my wrestling career, a few months ago I met this young lady who trains hard and has the intelligence to stick it out in this sport. Her name is Dark Kitty. She reminds me of a younger me, a person who wants to stand out, understanding that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a long way to get where you want to be but remembering you need patience and discipline. Believe me she will get there in the near future! n contact dark kitty at medianoche@corp.paltalk.com

WSUWrestling.com

even decades after his death in 1963, the career of Gorgeous George still has a profound impact on professional wrestling across the globe. But Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s influence was not limited to simply the world of the squared circle. muhammad ali, James Brown and even Bob dylan all admit to owing some of their public and professional personas to Gorgeous George. 56 worldwide wrestling magazine TWP

thewrestlingpress.com HISTORy

Shortly after Wagner began wrestling, he read an article in Vanity Fair magazine about Lord Patrick Lansdowne, who came to the ring clad in a velvet robe and accompanied by two valets. Wagner admired Lansdowne’s bravado, but believed he could do more himself. BeGinninG in 1941, waGner created an inrinG persona that involved a level of s h o w m a n s h i p n o t s e e n B e f o r e i n professional wrestlinG. He enlisted Betty’s mother to sew him capes and robes that he would wear to the ring. He grew his hair long and dyed it blonde. His ring entrance became a show all onto itself, as Wagner, in an elaborate robe, strode a red carpet, laid down by his valet “Jeffries” to the ring. Once in the ring, Jeffries would spray disinfectant or perfume and spread rose petals at Wagner’s feet.

Before he was Gorgeous, however, he was George Raymond Wagner, coming into the world in Seward, Nebraska on March 24, 1915. In the early years of his life, Wagner lived in small-town Nebraska, Waterloo and Sioux City, Iowa and finally Houston, Texas. It was in Houston that Wagner began training at the local YMCA and staging matches with his friends. At the age of 14, Wagner dropped out of high school, needing to work odd jobs to support his family. He began wrestling at local carnivals. A win netted him 35 cents. Although he was never physically imposing or a gifted athlete, he was a solid in-ring worker who caught the eye of Morris Siegel, the region’s top promoter. Siegel began booking the 17-year-old, and in 1938, Wagner defeated Buck Lipscomb for the Northwest Middleweight Championship. A second title, the Pacific Coast Light Heavyweight Championship, came Wagner’s way on May 19, 1939 in Eugene, Oregon. It was in Eugene, Oregon where he met Betty Hanson, a local cashier whom he later married in an in-ring ceremony that was later repeated when Wagner realised the drawing power of the event.

He was often referred to as “the Human Orchid” but after overhearing several female audience members call him “Gorgeous” he adapted the name “Gorgeous George”. And while this new persona would be enough to incense the fans, once the bell rang, George’s non-stop cheating drew incredible heat with the fans. As George’s fame began to increase, promoter Johnny Doyle took him to the West Coast to wrestle in Los Angeles. On March 26, 1947, he defeated Enriques Torres to win the Los Angeles Heavyweight Championship.

They say timing is everything and the timing of the transformation from George Wagner to Gorgeous George could not have been better. George became one of the industry’s top draws at the same time a new invention called television was becoming widely popular. TV stations were looking to fill schedule time with cheap programming and pro wrestling, a spectator sport that didn’t need much more than the primitive cameras in use at the time could provide, fit the bill. And with the advent of television, the professional wrestling industry changed forever, and Gorgeous George was the biggest reason why. TWP worldwide wrestling magazine 57

thewrestlingpress.com HISTORy

On May 26, 1950, George became involved in a controversial title change. Don Eagle held the Boston-version of the AWA World title and was booked by Fred Kohler on a Chicago show against George. Boston promoter Paul Bowser allowed Kohler to book Eagle on the condition Eagle would retain the title. Instead, with the help of Toledo promoter Jack Pfefer and a referee’s fast count, George was given the victory. He would leave with the title, although was never officially recognised as champion. By 1951, Wagner had divorced Betty and married Cherie Dupre, who later became his valet.

on novemBer 11, 1947, GorGeous GeorGe appeared on television for the first time and, with his flamboyant persona, was an instant hit. In fact, many believe that George was equally responsible as Milton Berle for selling so many early TV sets. Soon he became a household name, spoken in the same breath as Lucille Ball and his good friend, Bob Hope. And as professional wrestling and the Gorgeous George character grew in popularity on television, the industry began to put more emphasis on theatrics and characters like George in order to increase ratings. Pro wrestling had not been booked in New York’s Madison Square Garden in over a decade until, on February 22, 1949, it returned with Gorgeous George in the featured bout. Ironically, George’s appearance, (a victory over Ernie Dusek) was a flop, drawing only 4,197 fans and being panned by New York newspapers who didn’t take to George’s character. As the 1940s ended and the 1950s began, Gorgeous George was perhaps the top draw in the industry, and he reaped the benefits of that status. He was making over $100,000 a year and was able to demand 50% of the gate for his performances. 58 worldwide wrestling magazine TWP

During the late 1950s, he had a long-running rivalry with Whipper Billy Watson. That rivalry would cost him his famed gold locks, shaved after a loss to Watson on March 12, 1959 in Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. A week later, the loss of a rematch with Watson cost Cherie her hair as well. as the 60s BeGan, the career of GorGeous GeorGe would come to an end. That career crossed paths with an up-andcoming Bruno Sammartino before George stepped into the ring for the last time on November 7, 1962. He lost a hair-vs-mask match against the Destroyer in Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium and his hair was shaved once again. His doctors advised him to quit wrestling. After years of alcoholism, he had developed a serious liver condition. Although he owned a 195-acre turkey ranch in Beaumont, California, “Gorgeous George’s Ringside Restaurant” cocktail in Van Nuys and had made reportedly $2 million during his career, bad investments and wild spending had robbed him of any fortune. On Christmas Eve, 1963, “Gorgeous” George Wagner suffered a heart attack. He passed away two days later at the age of 48. In 2010, Gorgeous George was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. n contact John at jmilnerresume@gmail.com

All photos kindly provided by duff Johnson: www.houseofdeception.com

D schMiDA Words: DAvi

etting spit in the face, chairs thrown at him, stung by an injection needle or spitting teeth after getting batted with a steel pipe by a spectator: only a few things that happened to the once most hated wrestler in europe. in a time when tv had yet to take over the wrestling world in europe, rene lasartesse was the king of villains. After his father forced a young Rene, who was born in Basle, Switzerland, to take lessons in amateur wrestling so he’d be able to fight back against bullies at school, he was hooked. Rene finished school and joined an amateur wrestling club so he could continue doing what he loved so much. Only interrupted by a short stint as an amateur boxer where he participated twice at the Swiss amateur boxing championships, placing second on both occasions, he returned to his real love - amateur wrestling. It was 1953 when Erich Mäder, an official of the amateur wrestling club who wanted to manage Lasartesse, back then 25 years of age, towards pro wrestling, informed Lasartesse and his friend that a group of pro wrestlers under the administration of Paul Berger, a wrestler himself, would hold a show in Basle. They went to see Berger and persuaded him to give them a shot. So it happened that after being trialed by two of Berger’s wrestlers the two were allowed to wrestle at the show without pay. If they proved themselves worthy, they would be booked for the

next shows in Germany. They used their chance and went on to wrestle their first tournament in Bielefeld. At that time, wrestlers who started out wouldn’t get a fixed wage, only the stars had guaranteed pay offs. Promoters used the collective system, which meant that after they deducted their expenses, the wrestlers got their share according to their ranking in the tournament. After three days he had earned his first 50 Deutsche Mark as a pro wrestler. Not even one full year around as pro wrestler, the Swiss won his first tournament. Lasartesse was announced the winner of the 1953 Grand Prix of Cologne and placed second in the tournament for the 1954 “German Championship” behind “The Stranger of Vienna” Hans von Waldherr. Throughout the following years the Swiss would work himself up the cards. But he knew something was still missing. A coincidence helped him figure out TWP worldwide wrestling magazine 59

thewrestlingpress.com HISTORy

what it was. It happened in 1954 in Karlsruhe. The usual wrestler’s parade at the beginning of the show, where wrestlers were introduced to the audience, was already underway. The announcer introduced Lasartesse’s name but he didn’t react at all, he was actually thinking about something else and simply overheard his spot. Spectators started booing and there it was. He waited a little bit more, the announcer called him twice already, and then he slowly walked towards the middle of the ring giving the audience a snobbish look, letting them know that he was better than them. A new character was born. Promoter Gustl Kaiser didn’t really like his new persona, he wanted to advertise him as a clean good looking technician. But Lasartesse knew he was onto something. From now on Lasartesse was working his way up to being the top heel. He became the snob who would use any dirty tactic to win a match. The audience started to really hate him. Soon after his first “European Championship” in 1957, where he beat Rudi Saturski in the finals, he received an offer to work in the United States for promoter Kola Kwariani. For the next couple of years he would wrestle as Ludwig von Krupp, a stereotypical German of course, up and down the east coast. He was the number one in Europe but now in the United States he was just one of many, and he knew he had to learn from a world that seemed to be much more colourful regarding its characters. So he observed, took notes and soaked up everything like a sponge. With a suitcase full of ideas to cause more heat, astonishment, sometimes hate and disgust, he returned to Europe. He was more evil than ever. Inspired by such legends as “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers and Gorgeous George and Dr Jerry Graham, from whom he learned the work on the microphone, he took his persona to a new level. He, now wearing a glamorous cape, would walk towards the ring, holding his head very high indicating that he wouldn’t even breathe the same air as average people. At the same time he added manoeuvres to his repertoire such as the piledriver. The audience was shocked - yes, literally shocked - the first time he used that move on his opponent. Another manoeuvre he used was launching his prostrated opponent from the 60 worldwide wrestling magazine TWP

second or third rope drilling his knee into the chest or throat. After using that move in Krefeld, Germany against Horst Hoffmann a riot broke loose and he was never allowed to wrestle there again. By this time, just seeing Lasartesse on posters or hearing his name drove people mad. After negotiations with worldwide promoters to have a universal “World Champion” failed, European promoters decided to crown their own “World Champion”. In September 1970 a huge tournament with forty wrestlers from all over the world was organised by promoter Edmund Schober in Hannover, Germany. Lasartesse, already a multiple “European Champion” and winner of numerous tournaments throughout Europe, was one of the favourites. So it happened that after eight weeks, Lasartesse and the German Axel Dieter qualified for the final match. Lasartesse won the match after 45 minutes and held on to the title until 1978 where he lost to another German named Roland Bock. The Catch Wrestling Association Hall of Famer went on to win many more tournaments in his career and eventually retired in 1988 at the age of 59, only returning for a legend’s match in 1996 against Big Otto Wanz. He certainly changed the sport in Europe and remains to be one the biggest names in the history of European Wrestling. With his analytical way of thinking, he constantly evolved his character, always walking on the edge of what was acceptable at that time. n contact david at dschmida@hotmail.com

L A C I N y C MIND CyNIC E H T h wit

on’t panic. let’s not panic. no need to panic. Just because i’m out of work in the worst recession since 1929. stay calm. i knew labour wouldn’t win. But i didn’t think i’d get the curly finger. and even less the order of the golden boot. it was the Bigotgate thing that did it. or the pie eating contest with eric pickles. anyway, i’m out. slightly cowed. fairly upset. But unbowed. i’ve got some cash. But only some. who shall i jump to: david? ed? diane? Get it wrong and it’s a generation in the wilderness. I might actually have to sign on. I might have to make savings. And the Virgin box would be the first thing. So no wrestling. No TNA. Ah well, every cloud... Except, I’d miss Ditsie’s big announcement. Something’s coming that will change the face of wrestling

forever! No, not a washed-up 90’s star. That would be foolish. But something’s going to have to pull their conkers out of the fire. They are spending lots of money and getting no growth. Unlike Jordan. What they need is something that transcends wrestling; AJ Styles finding the cure for cancer or Hernandez inventing a car that runs on cardboard. Exciting, isn’t it? Like Christmas. Before your dad gets pissed on advocaat and feels up Auntie Jean. Come on, admit it; you can’t watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” without curling up in a foetal position. But if Hogan can’t halt the slide by the force of his blond ‘tasche and inane mumblings, who can? What about Bill Watts? There’s not enough (alleged) casual racism in wrestling is there? He could bring in Col DeBeers as champ and Papa Shango to do his voodoo schtick. Actually, Charles could pull double duty as the Goddfather TWP worldwide wrestling magazine 61

thewrestlingpress.com A CyNICAL MIND

and maximise the stereotype. And Watts could then ban all top rope moves, thus cutting all wrestling down by 90%, all matches down to 2 minutes each and clearing the decks for many more Russo-written skits. Happy days!

love of repeats of “You’ve Been Framed” (“Oh look, he’s fallen into a large vat of acid!” “Oh look, his head’s come off!”) marks you as microbe – yes, even with Harry Hill doing the voiceover.

Or Jim Helwig? In these Obama-supporting, liberal, Socialist times, what TNA needs is a supposedly right-wing, public healthcare-despising, alternative lifestyle-debunking onecewas who gets out of breath running to the ring and doesn’t know a surfboard from an ironing board. He can snort, wear ridiculous clothes and hog the limelight way past his sell-by date. Like that McBloke in WWE. You can’t go back. Can you, Terry? Can you Eric? Can you Ric?

But at least the Horsemen recalls a time of some success, unlike the decision to call in Easy E and Terry B to repeat exactly the mistakes they made when they lost millions of billionaire Ted’s money. And as for the Desmond Wolfe/Abyss valet story, we don’t know what they’re doing with it and neither, I posit, do they. (Posit Is a word that’s not used very often and since you mouth breathers don’t even know words that are used very often, you have no chance. And no, I won’t help you.)

Or they could pick up short-term business by just bringing in a big bloke to run through a few midcarders until the top blueye stops him. Abdullah just needs to wipe his brow to bleed these days and can fork off just like he used to. And he’ll gets an old age pension, so you won’t have to pay him so much! Imagine that heavy breathing face atop rolling waves of blubber and curly shoes. That’s buys right there! If Abdullah is busy (and strangely, he still is), get Giant Gonzalez to halfheartedly chop and nervehold his way through the best that TNA has to offer. Shouldn’t take long. And you get some merchandise out of selling the fake Gonzalez beards. It’ll look more real than the one he grew. Or call Nailz. He could be an aggrieved tin tack salesman who Abyss done wrong. Here’s a tip though; if you’re travelling with him and you need fuel, don’t ask him to “pump gas”. These are ridiculous, stupid, pathetic ideas. And no worse than some of the ridiculous angles TNA has right now. Don’t believe me? Bringing back the 4 Horsemen is bringing back the Crockett age when we are in the Dana White age; a retread shows that they have no new ideas. That’s why your

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TNA is in a frightening mess. We have been here before. We know what happens. People lose money, then interest, then hope. And it all ends in a fire sale. Vince thumbing through a glossy auction brochure isn’t good for wrestling. See my columns on wrestling capitalism for examples. Well, look them up. On the internet. No, you won’t find them at www.hunksintrunks.com. TNA has had an expensive refit. It hasn’t worked. They are on a time limit. They are running out of money. Call Carter and Hogan the Stradivarius Twins. Perhaps because I feel humble. Perhaps because I now see how the other half live. Perhaps because I might soon be standing in line with you. I’m going to give TNA advice to keep their business afloat. This is what the big surprise should be: keep the ratings But improve it How many times? Half a dozen. That’s how many times I’ve raised this. Now TNA have done it; a ratings system, which adds some much-needed excitement and point to the matches. But don’t make it too difficult; it seems that ROH

thewrestlingpress.com A CyNICAL MIND

have it right, their system works like this - beat an opponent and get his spot. The brass usually cry about the restrictions of a top ten system, but here there’s flexibility built in; work your way up the ladder or push your way to the top with an outrageous act. See, it’s simple but it’s exciting. Welcome to entertainment. sack sting He’s not sure he wants to be there. His work isn’t exciting. He seems to be in two minds. Make his up. Junk him. Sting is an old man with an old gimmick. We’ve seen it. It can’t go anywhere. It just provides us with a link to the past; in an exciting Fed, that’s the kiss of death. And another thing. It shows that when management don’t understand what they’re doing, they pander to what they think the fans want. What do Feds always look longingly at? ECW. And why? Because they attracted a hardcore audience and had a huge impact. Did they do that by second guessing the crowd? No, they just gave the wrestling they wanted to and the fans reacted to their honesty. Honesty, Ditsie. Can’t buy that. hogan see sting. Honestly, what can this old man tell us about wrestling now? sort out the crowds They are almost completely silent, aren’t they? Even us who are in the know can’t help but think it’s a moribund show. We are then proved right, of course. Watching “Slammiversary” recently, the crowd was dead, even when Dessie Wolfe went through the stage, except for a woman doing her Daffney bit by screaming AARHG! annoyingly AARGH! every few AARGH! minutes. What’s to be done? Stop aping the WWE. McMahon’s folly has a history and a long list of hardcore fans. TNA doesn’t have that. What they should do is stick to smaller venues for recordings and slightly smaller ones for PPV. No-one is going to think they can’t compete, they’re just going to seem plugged into their fans. The atmos will be great and those punters will hear a vibrant, exciting product. That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? Pack ‘em in. Squeeze ‘em close. Make ‘em howl. That’s the way.

find some wrestlers Yes, I know they have some, but they need more. Many more. Don’t listen to what the lowest common denominator commentators say, the WCW was getting popular with wrestling fans before the NWO angle caught fire. And that was because of grapplers like Eddy G, Chris J and those Lucha masters. This is simple. Why not be good at what your business is about? Diversification can add cash. But if you lose your focus and become a brand, you are good at nothing. So grapple. Grapple as if your life depended on it. TNA’s does. wolfie works Desmond has it. Not all, but most. He can wrestle. He has a great turn of phrase. He has a superb character. Fans live to hate him. And he’s predictably fine. Won’t let you down. Oh, for God’s sake, give him a limited run at the title. It would be a great to and fro with RVD too. starters for 10. All free. Unless you wanna get to Paypal, DC, EB, HH. A band once had a lyric “Don’t change your focus in the hope of getting one”. It’s XTC. They’re an undiscovered gem. Rather like yours truly. Long-burn angles keep fans. Think of your fave wrestling bit ever. Was it a bit that lasted a week? Or one that developed every week to pull you in? Like comparing “The Wire” to “Skins”. Well, Darren likes it, but he’s morbidly obese with adenoid trouble; and he couldn’t even feel up Mandi Palmer, and she was just marginally easier than your mum. Yes, yours, Rob. TNA is sick. This is essential medicine. Don’t concentrate on changing wrestling. Just change your little bit of it. If you don’t, Ms Carter, you’ll have nothing to play with. Getting our hopes up and then presenting Tommy Dreamer just won’t do it. n contact the cynic at hearditallbefore@hotmail.com

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