The Custom Made News Report 09.30.07

Welcome, one and all, to the Custom Made News Report. We’re nearing the end of what was a very busy weekend for wrestling in Japan, Mexico, and on the U.S. independents. The mainstream scene in the States was a little bit more quiet than usual, though that’s not to say that we don’t have topics to discuss there as well. That said, let’s dive straight in to the news . . . and, for those of you who can’t stop talking about it, I do eventually get to the SAVE_US.222 fiasco.

Adams’ Cause of Death Announced

Former WWF and WCW wrestler Brian “Crush” Adams passed away on August 13, making him one of thirteen wrestlers under the age of fifty to die between 2006 and 2007. This week, toxicology reports for Adams’ body were released to the public, and the story of his death sounds all too familiar.

Brian “Crush” Adams

Adams’ passing was ruled an accidental overdose resulting from the combined effects of four medications that were in his system: buprenorphine (a painkiller), carisoprodal (a muscle relaxer), chlordiazepoxide (a sedative), and alprazolam (another sedative). An Associated Press article on the toxicology report stated that all of the drugs were found at “therapeutic levels,” though was silent as to whether Adams currently held valid prescriptions for the drugs or whether he was taking them as instructed. I won’t belabor the point because I have expressed these opinions several times in the recent past, but this is yet more evidence that some sort of change needs to be brought about within the professional wrestling industry. Barring some sort of major freak accident, a man should not, at age 44, have physically deteriorated to the point that he needs to rely on such a combination of prescription drugs. Whether it is fewer days on the road, a less physical style, or better medical care being provided for competitors, something needs to be done immediately in order to curb the tide of young deaths within this industry. WWE recently offered to pay for rehab for former performers dealing with drug and alcohol problems, and I applaud that effort. However, as the old saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and steps still need to be taken to prevent the current generation of professional wrestlers from falling in to the traps that have resulted in so many of their predecessors requiring extensive use of prescription and non-prescription drugs.

Misterio Return Magnificent

On wrestling messageboards and in internet columns covering our favorite faux sport, there is always plenty of discussion of who is “over.” Fans constantly go back and forth about whether Wrestler A or Wrestler B gets better crowd reactions or whether their favorites mean more to the wrestling business than the other guy’s favorites. However, most of the arguments made in these conversations are never backed up by objective proof. It’s always one guy’s hunch against another guy’s hunch.

There is one objective method for determining whether a wrestler truly is over. All you have to do is take a look at pay per view buyrates and/or television ratings when the man is present and compare them to the ratings and buyrates from when they man is gone. Based on those criteria, the MVP of WWE at this point in time may be one Rey Misterio. Though certain individuals within the wrestling industry may think that Rey is incapable of “drawing” or “being a credible World Champion,” one need to look no further than recent television ratings to completely shoot down that theory. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, a few things have changed on Smackdown since Misterio returned from his recent knee surgery. For starters, the program has become the highest rated prime time, English-language network program amongst Hispanic viewers. The show had this distinction prior to Rey’s departure from wrestling, in part due to his lengthy feud with Eddy Guerrero and in part due to his World Championship run. Misterio has also proven to be incredibly popular amongst children, as SD is the most popular prime network television program for kids under eleven. This is particularly important for WWE because, as discussed previously in this column, WWE’s number one source of television income is rights fees paid to them by networks for programming, so the more positive ratings news they have, the better. Having a large audience of children also opens up several low-cost merchandising opportunities that are not present with adults, including wrestling dolls, Halloween costumes, and school supplies. My only hope is that, if the company realizes that they are so popular amongst children, they scale back certain inappropriate content on the show, such as the objectification of women.

Opinion Piece: SAVE_US.222 Dupes Thousands of Wrestling Fans

The talk of the internet all week long as been a fifteen second promo on Monday Night Raw which featured many numbers and computer file names flashed across the screen in rapid succession. This has been referred to as the “SAVE_US.222” promo, because the quoted text appeared the most prominently in the video. Since the package first aired, the ‘net has been overtaken by people with too much free time on their hands attempting to decode hidden messages in the promo in order to figure out what sort of angle this could be kicking off. The majority of individuals viewing the video have declared that it MUST be meant to hype the return of one Chris Jericho. However, it’s easy to come to that conclusion when somebody has already told you it’s the case. Such preconceived notions will lead to people going through the video looking for evidence “proving” that Jericho is the man to which the footage is referring. What I attempted to do was watch the promo with a blind eye, completely disregarding any preconceived notions about who it might involve. After doing this, I came to a conclusion that many people on the net (including 411’s Daniel Wilcox) are too scared to even consider as a possibility. What is that conclusion?

This video has nothing to do with Chris Jericho.

This video has everything to do with another man.

This video is all about the return of a former WWE superstar.

This video is all about Charlie Haas.

Charlie Haas

Yes, that Charlie Haas. Haas has not been seen on Monday Night Raw for several weeks, with many presuming that he was suspended as a result of recent link found between WWE wrestlers and online drug distributor Signature Pharmacy. With the suspended individuals reportedly being able to return to WWE’s television programming as early as tomorrow night, this is clearly an effort to hype Haas’ return and prepare him for a major role with in WWE, perhaps even getting him ready to challenge for the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania 24. Of course, when making a statement like this, most individuals will want some level of proof. As such, let’s take a look at some of the “clues” in the video, most of which people mistakenly believe point to Jericho. What follows is a list of phrases found within the video’s many screens:

~ LIVEWIRE – Much has been made of the fact that “Livewire” is a song recorded by Chris Jericho’s band Fozzy. However, it is also the name of a song recorded by a Christian rock band named Third Day. Third Day’s name is a reference to the fact that Jesus was resurrected on the third day after his crucifixion. When taking this in to account, it becomes clear that “LIVEWIRE” is not a reference to the Fozzy song, but rather a reference to the Christian band’s name and Charlie Haas’ career being “resurrected” after his suspension.

~ CD_VOLUME4_1 – Many people have assumed that this is in reference to the first track of WWF: The Music Volume 4, which is Chris Jericho’s entrance music from 1999. However, that is incorrect. Given that the file/directory names listed in the video seemingly come from a WWE computer, “Volume 4” is not likely to refer to the street name of an album. Instead, it’s more likely referring to the fourth album ever released by WWE, which was 1996’s Full Metal. The first track on Full Metal is a song called “We’re All Together Now.” This is clearly a reference to Haas and the other suspended wrestlers being brought back “together” with their coworkers. “CD” may in and of itself be a play on words, as, in addition to being an abbreviation for “compact disc,” the letters are also Haas’ first two initials.

~ CHAMP_HARD – The common conclusion drawn from this “clue” is that the individual being hyped up by the promo is a former Hardcore Champion. Again, this assumption proves to be incorrect, as the clue has a much deeper meaning. Charlie Haas is primarily known as a tag team wrestler in WWE, and one of the tag teams that he formed was with Bob Holly. The two feuded with MNM in spring of 2005, with MNM being the Tag Team Champions at the time. Thus, the clue is clearly referencing Haas’ attempts to become “champ” with “Hardcore Holly.” In fact, there is a double meaning in the clue. In addition to referring to the name of Haas’ tag team partner, it also refers to the fact that their run at the titles was unsuccessful, as becoming champ proved to be too hard.

~ SMACK_BROUGHT1 – This is one of the easier clues to decipher, and one of the clues that fans of the Jericho theory seemingly cannot explain. However, it applies perfectly to Charlie Haas. Haas debuted on WWE television on December 26, 2002, when Paul Heyman recruited him (alongside Shelton Benjamin) to be Team Angle, proteges of Kurt Angle. The “1” in the clue could be taken to mean “first,” as in Charlie Haas was first brought to Smackdown.

~ RAW_LOWER_DISP – This is an obvious reference to Haas’ status in the company over the past several months. He has been on Monday Night Raw and a part of the lower card. Because he is part of the lower card, Haas has been viewed as disposable to the point that there wasn’t even an explanation given for his recent disappearance from WWE programming.

~ RAW_WAR_BUMPER – This is another clear reference to Haas’ suspension, as he was bumped from Raw is War.

~ BAT_ASS_WEEK – This is the second time that we see a reference to one of Charlie Haas’ former tag team partners. Hardcore Holly was already referenced in the clues, and BAT_ASS_WEEK clearly references the time that Haas won the Tag Team Titles with Rico. Rico’s character was homosexual, and Haas’ character was uncomfortable about this fact. The conflict between the two characters was fueled by the fact that Rico would bat at Haas’ ass weekly.

~ SURVIVOR_RF – This is one of the more interesting clues, as it involves WWE acknowledging an individual in the wrestling industry who has never worked for their company (and probably never will). When you think about pro wrestling and the initials “RF,” who do you think of? That’s right: ROB FEINSTEIN. When he was released from WWE in 2005, Haas did a shoot interview with Feinstein’s RF Video company. The clue is clearly in reference to the fact that Haas survived the interview, perhaps with survival being a coy way of saying that Haas had to fend off homosexual advances from Feinstein.

~ WM99_MATCH, WM99_PROMO, WM00_MATCH – What does “WM” mean in the world of professional wrestling if not Wrestlemania? This is another area in which the supporters of the Jericho theory fall flat on their faces. They claim that “WM00_MATCH” references the match their hero had on Wrestlemania 2000 against Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit. However, what they can’t explain is the fact that “WM99_MATCH” and “WM99_PROMO” are also present despite the fact that Jericho was in no way, shape, or form involved with Wrestlemania in 1999. However, there are perfect connections between Charlie Haas and these clues. Did you know that the number nine is closely tied to two of Charlie Haas’ Wrestlemania appearances? At Wrestlemania XIX, he was in a tag team match which lasted nine minutes. Then, at Wrestlemania XX, he was in the ninth match on the card. That is the true meaning of “WM99” . . . that Charlie Haas is a man who has had two matches related to the number nine at WM. As far as “WM00” is concerned, Haas competed at Wrestlemania XX. Wrestlemania XX was known as the show in which “It all begins again.” If things were being restarted by WWE at that show, it would make sense to refer to it in a numbering scheme as “00” instead of “20,” which is why we see “WM00” in the clue to reference Charlie’s match at ‘Mania XX.

The biggest hint that everybody seems to be relying on, though, is the “222” at the end of “SAVE_US.222.” Most people have tried to tie it in to the Bible verse Joshua 2:2, which references the city of Jericho. However, there are a few problems with this theory. First of all, the verse is Joshua 2:2. It’s not Joshua 2:2:2. If there really is meant to be a biblical connection here, it should involve three instances of the number two, not two instances of the number two. As we start to look through the Bible for verses in which there are three instances of the number two, we find nothing related to Chris Jericho. We do, however, find the following line related to Charlie Haas:

“For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? – 2 Corinthians 2:2

Yes, that’s right. 2 Corinthians 2:2. That’s 222. What is this line discussing? The loss of an individual close to the speaker. Though I hate to think that WWE would actually make it in to part of an angle like this, Charlie Haas did lose his brother Russ at an extremely young age, and that could be the reason why WWE has pointed us towards a Bible verse which includes talk of grieving. Fans know that Charlie Haas has grieved, and that’s why this clue was planted to lead us to his identity.

Of course, some people will still think that Joshua 2:2 is sufficient to tie the numbers at the end of SAVE_US to Chris Jericho. However, if you’re going to insist that only two instances of the number two are necessary in order to point fans to the Bible, there are far more 2:2’s that can connect us to Charlie Haas than those that can connect us to Chris Jericho. Let’s take a look at some of them now:

“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested [a] from all his work.” – Genesis 2:2

This is definitely referring to the time away from WWE that Haas had between 2005 and 2006. It is no coincidence that Haas was released from his contract in July of 2005, with July being the seventh month of the year.

“The Israelites are to camp around the Tent of Meeting some distance from it, each man under his standard with the banners of his family.” – Numbers 2:2

Charlie frequently wears wrist tape which has the name of his deceased brother Russ on it as a tribute. “Banners of his family” is meant to make fans think of this wrist tape.

“‘You shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.’ Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this?” – Judges 2:2

This is the first of two occasions in which WWE has pointed fans to a verse that they want to connect to Haas’ recent suspension under the Wellness Policy. Haas disobeyed the policy by making a “covenant” with Signature Pharmacy under which Haas was sent substances banned by WWE. Many fans and no doubt his employers subsequently asked Haas why he would have done this.

“For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment.” – Hebrews 2:2

This line is not just meant to make fans think of Charlie Haas. In fact, it may be a warning to Haas himself, as WWE is making it crystal clear that subsequent violations of the Wellness Policy will result in additional punishment.

So, after examining all of the evidence, I think you will agree with me on a few things:

1.) Wrestling fans on the internet, in an attempt to prove how smart they are, immediately jumped to conclusions that are not supported by facts.

2.) An objective analysis of the clues in the SAVE_US.222 video reveals that Chris Jericho could not possibly be involved in this angle.

3.) An objective analysis of the clues in the SAVE_US.222 video reveals that it is intended to be the beginning of a major push for a returning Charlie Haas.

If that’s the case, somebody will definitely need to SAVE_US.

Last time, it was women’s wrestling from the 1950’s. This week, it is something entirely different. I give you all highlights from the career of the greatest Dragon in wrestling history . . . the only REAL Dragon in wrestling history. He’s not the Black Dragon, he’s not the Insane Dragon, he’s not the Super Dragon, he’s not the American Dragon, and he’s not the Ultimo Dragon. He is DRAGON DRAGON.

Dragon Dragon is a product of the fine folks at CHIKARA.

A-Train Scores Major Win Abroad

Giant Bernard, formerly known as Albert and A-Train in WWE, has been a part of the New Japan Pro Wrestling roster for quite some time, though this past week he earned what is probably his most impressive win in the company to date. Bernard, who is one half of the IWGP Tag Team Champions with Travis Tomko, pinned IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yuji Nagata in a Tag Title defense on September 24. Nagata’s partner, Manabu Nakanishi, was isolated from him, making the victory easy for the American team. Though in the United States this would be an angle clearly designed to make Bernard in to the number one contender for the championship, there do not appear to be any plans for him to receive a title shot in the near future. Instead, Bernard and Tomko will be participating in the annual G1 Tag League Tournament throughout the month of October, which will more likely than not be used to build up the next challengers for Albert and Tomko’s titles. The tournament includes one particularly interesting match, in which the champs face off with NJPW legend Masa Chono and former sumo wrestler Akebono.

Tomko is currently scheduled to be on New Japan shows from October 18 to November 2. This means that if TNA sticks to its current taping schedule, he will be absent from all episodes of Impact airing in the month of October, as well as the November 1 and November 8 editions of the show. He would be available for the November TNA PPV, which takes place on 11/11. However, it should be noted that the last time Tomko was scheduled to miss TNA dates for a Japanese tour, TNA managed to change his schedule so that he could attend at least one of the Impact tapings.

British Wrestlers Idiotic

At a British wrestling show promoted by IPW: UK on September 23, two professional wrestlers did one of the dumbest things that I’ve ever heard of two professional wrestlers doing. (And think of the ground that covers.) Two long-time competitors on the U.K. indy scene, Darren Burridge and James Tighe, were wrestling each other when what appeared to be two fans rushed the ring. One fan, a grown man, distracted the referee, while a second fan, a twelve year old boy, attempted to perform a swanton bomb off of the ring apron and down on to Tighe. Unfortunately, the boy missed, and he wound up hurting his back on the floor of the venue, immediately crying and running to nearby paramedics. British fans were immediately discussing this incident and attempting to find out why it took place. Was it a planned part of the show? Were the individuals who ran in unruly fans?

The answer is somewhere in the middle. The “spot” was planned. However, it was not planned by the company putting on the show. The only individuals who knew that this incident was going to take place beforehand were the two “fans,” Burridge, and Tighe. Ladies and gentlemen, this was ridiculous. First and foremost, it displays that Tighe and Burride have absolutely no respect for the wrestling promotion that was paying them. Obviously wrestlers in most indy promotions have carte blanche to improvise whatever spots they wish for their matches. However, this wasn’t a normal drop down/leap frog/hip toss sequence. This was a spot in which outsiders interjected themselves in to the ring without the fans, locker room, promoters, event security, or even the referee being informed. This created a dangerous situation for the two “fans” who were in on the act, as Tighe and Burridge risked a situation in which security, wrestlers, or the referee could have attempted to physically prevent the interlopers from making it in the squared circle. Multiple people could have been injured as a result of this incident and arrests or criminal charges could have followed. And, let’s not forget that these two goofs decided to create a situation in which a TWELVE YEAR OLD BOY was doing a HEAD FIRST DIVE towards a HARD ARENA FLOOR. Though it has come out that this child received a small amount of in-ring training, the simple fact of the matter is that no person that young should be involved in the physical end of a professional wrestling angle. No child is competent enough to make an informed decision about whether they wish to participate in such a physically risky activity, and adults encouraging kids to make decisions which they lack the capacity to make are among the most vile, manipulative scum on the planet.

Even though I don’t watch much British wrestling, I’m quite angry about this situation, just because of the sheer stupidity of the individuals who orchestrated the incident. It is so needlessly dangerous on so many levels that nothing like this should ever happen again. If I were a promoter of a British indy, I would make damn sure that neither Tighe nor Burridge ever worked for my promotion again, and I hope that actual promoters take the same stance. After all, how could you trust these men to work on your shows safely after what they’ve done here? If you’re fan of British wrestling, I encourage you to write in to local promotions and let them know you don’t wish to see Tighe or Burridge booked because of this incident, and I further suggest that you not pay for tickets to or DVDs of any show on which these two men appear. They betrayed the trust of a wrestling promotion, and, more importantly, put the physical safety of a child at risk for no good reason. It’s disgusting.

In this segment of the column, I attempt to review wrestling DVDs in three hundred words or less, with the idea being that I enjoy reviewing shows but don’t have the time to make them as long as I otherwise would. The three hundred word limit begins . . . now.

Ric Flair & The Four Horsemen (Disc 2)

Flair/Blanchard/Arn vs. Pez Whatley/Rocky King/Itallian Stallion: Surprisingly long match with more face offense than expected. Most of it the Horsemen dismantling their opponents’ legs to set up the figure four. I miss talented job guys.

Flair vs. Ricky Morton (Cage): The Horsemen had previously destroyed Morton’s face, it’s Flair’s target. He’s a huge dick, taunting Morton and slamming his schnozz in to the cage. If every babyface could sell like Morton, there would never be another bad match.

Blanchard vs. Dusty Rhodes (First Blood): Great match. The highlight is J.J. being the biggest weasel possible. Dusty dodges the bullet on a clean job. Surprising.

War Games 1988: Proof that you don’t need flashy moves to have a great match. It’s ten men beating on each other in a highly dramatic fashion that keeps audiences riveted. Buy the DVD just for this.

Arn/Tully vs. Sting/Nikita Koloff: Faces dominate until J.J. tricks Koloff in to clotheslining the ringpost. Sting rallies, but time expires while Tully is in the Deathlock.

Arn/Tully vs. Barry Windham/Lex Luger: Awesome sprint with bell to bell action. You don’t see this kind of heat anymore because, with a few exceptions, no wrestler can work like these four.

Arn vs. Flair: They put on a very good match, though they’re a step below their primes. Arn wins after Brian Pillman punts Flair’s head.

Promos: Mostly from 1986, with a couple from the ’98 reunion. Everybody remembers Flair being great, but these highlight that Ole was no slouch either.

Overall: This easily could have been a three or four disc set, but, if they were going to keep it at two, this was a very strong effort. Not as good as the Pillman, Benoit, or Bret DVDs but up definitely close.

October 13 SHIMMER Preview (Part 2)

Last week, I began the process of counting down to what promises to be one of the biggest events in women’s wrestling this year. On October 13, SHIMMER: Women Athletes is returning to the Eagle’s Club in Berwyn, Illinois to tape two new editions of its popular DVD series. Less than fifty tickets for the show still remain and can be purchased at SHIMMERwrestling.com. Already announced for the show is a SHIMMER Title match pitting Sara Del Ray against the Amazing Kong, which should be worth the price of admission alone. Though no other matches have been announced at this point, we do know the names of many of the wrestlers who will be appearing on the card. As a way of previewing the show, I’ve been providing background on these ladies, and that process will continue both this week and next. However, before we jump in to running down the competitors, there are a few small notes about the show that I wanted to hit:

~ As many people already know, Amazing Kong at the last set of tapings for TNA Impact and will be a part of their next pay per view, which takes place the day after the SHIMMER show. SHIMER promoter Dave Prazak announced Saturday that, at that time, the match was still scheduled to go on. Prazak has a reputation of being a very honest promoter, so I’m sure that he will pass along word ASAP in the event that Kong is pulled.

~ If anybody wants to support independent women’s wrestling but cannot make it out to Illinois for the tapings, you might consider checking out World Women’s Wrestling, which runs a show TONIGHT in Somerville, MA. SHIMMER wrestlers Ariel, Alicia, and Nikki Roxx (Roxxi LeVeaux in TNA) are all announced as appearing on that card, as is Alere Little Feather, one of the more notable women on the indy scene who has yet to set foot in a SHIMMER ring.

~ SHIMMER wrestler MsChif, who we discussed last week, has recently injured her ankle, and it is unknown at this time whether she will be able to wrestle on the show. However, even if she cannot wrestle, she will still be at the event and will participate in some way.

With that covered, let’s continue our look at the big show’s participants . . .

Fighter Name: Becky Bayless *
SHIMMER Record: 0-0
Career Highlight: Cub Reporter Extraordinaire

SHIMMER Background: Becky Bayless first began her wrestling training several years ago under Homicide, but an injury looked to end her in-ring career before it could even get off the ground. Because of this, the former Special K valet vanished from the wrestling world for a brief period of time, though she resurfaced this year as part of the Ring of Honor announce team. It wasn’t long before she adopted a similar role in SHIMMER, debuting on Volume 9 and immediately pressing Daffney about her goals in the promotion. Since that time, Becky has returned to the ring, honing her skills on shows for smaller promotions such as Women Superstars Unleashed. Though there have been no plans announced for Bayless to step in to a SHIMMER ring, she does have dedicated fans who hope that will somebody be the case. Until then, the crowd will be happy to watch her efforts to get hard-hitting interviews with the entire roster . . . especially because she’s much easier on the eyes than “Mean” Gene Okerlund.

Goals: Getting the scoops, baby.

Fighter Name: Portia Perez *
SHIMMER Record: 1-5 (singles), 0-1 (tag team)
Career Highlight: Inducted in to SLAM! Wrestling’s Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame

SHIMMER Background: When Portia first debuted for SHIMMER in a dark match that was recorded for online viewing, she seemed like a happy go lucky girl out to enjoy the competition of women’s professional wrestling. Little did we know that she was just biding her time before she showed her true colors. On Volume 9, the Canadian star decided that she was going to win by any means necessary, producing a chain (a very loud, colorful chain at that) and using it to pick up her first victory in SHIMMER. Since that time, she has been a far more aggressive presence in the ring, stretching the rules to their limits. This may in part be fueled by a newfound hatred for the fans of Berwyn, Illinois, who have recently caught on to the fact that . . . well . . . there’s really no polite way to put this . . . when Portia appears on a wrestling card, she looks like she cut out on a grammar school field trip in order to be there. Chants of “You look twelve!” have followed Ms. Perez, and it’s left her a little cranky. Adding to Portia’s sour disposition is the fact that, in her last SHIMMER appearance, she had her hand broken in a match with MsChif, which put her out of commission for several weeks. Will everybody’s favorite Lolita-look-alike look lay out the green-clad goth in revenge? Or will her venom be directed towards SHIMMER wrestler and color commentator Allison Danger, who has recently cracked many jokes about the pint-sized Portia’s prepubescent appearance? Time will tell, but fans do know one thing for sure: If Perez keeps pulling tights, choking, and not breaking by five, somebody is going to have to ground her.

Goals: Racking up more wins and making it home by curfew.

Fighter Name: Lexie Fyfe
SHIMMER Record: 4-4 (singles), 5-1 (tag team)
Career Highlight: Former NWA Women’s Champion

SHIMMER Background: Lexie Fyfe is the second most experienced wrestler on the SHIMMER roster, closing in on ten years in the business. As such, it makes sense that the majority of her success in the company has come as one half of the tag team the Experience with partner Malia Hosaka, a twenty year veteran. The duo put together an impressive 5-0 record in tag competition before finally falling to the duo of MsChif and Cheerleader Melissa during the weekend of the SHIMMER Title tournament. Though it looked like the Experience was going to take the loss with some degree of class, things got heated between the two teams on Volume 14, when Fyfe got MsChif’s manager Daffney in the ring. Lexie dissected the former WCW star’s chronically bad knee, procuring the victory and continuing to beat on it after the match with help from Hosaka. This lured MsChif down to the ring, and it became clear that the bad blood between these ladies will have to be dealt with sooner rather than later. If such a match winds up taking place, it could help to resolve once and for all the question of whether Fyfe or MsChif is the better wrestler, as there have been split results in the two singles matches that the women have had in SHIMMER (on Volumes 3 and 11).

Goals: Besting MsChif, whether it is in singles or tag team competition.

Fighter Name: Ariel
SHIMMER Record: 5-4 (singles), 0-3 (tag team)
Career Highlight: Former PWF Mayhem Women’s Champion

SHIMMER Background: Ariel is a competitor whose SHIMMER career has run hot and cold. She started off with an impressive 4-1 singles record (her only loss coming to Nattie Neidhart), but then things started to take a nosedive for the Portugese Princess. Beginning with her match in the first round of the company’s title tournament, she dropped three consecutive bouts, including a four corner survival match that easily could have been hers for the taking. Ariel did manage to snap this unfortunate losing streak at Volume 14 by pinning Amber O’ Neal, but now the question is whether history will repeat itself. Will that win kick off another string of victories for the Boston native, or will she hit the wall and flounder in the middle of the pack? Ariel certainly has a dedicated fanbase who is hoping for the former option, though she’ll have to take down some tough competitors in her road to the top of the card.

Goals: Establishing winning streak number two.

Fighter Name: Eden Black
SHIMMER Record: 2-3
Career Highlight: Reigning RQW Women’s Champion

SHIMMER Background: The United Kingdom’s Eden Black first appeared in SHIMMER during Volume 9. That show was her first trip to the United States . . . and I’m not just talking about her first trip to the U.S. to wrestle. It was her first trip to the States period. For somebody relatively new to the country, Black seems to have adapted well to our grappling game. Though her record is split, she’s looked very impressive even in defeat and has only lost in matches that could have gone either way. Her victories against veteran wrestlers Rain and Lexie Fyfe clearly show that she is every bit as talented as any woman on the roster, and there is no doubt in my mind that Black will continue relish in taking on whatever challenges SHIMMER throws at her. However, it may not be a new challenge that faces Black this time around. It was recently announced that one of her rivals from Great Britain, Jetta, will be making her SHIMMER debut on October 13. These two have wrestled each other extensively throughout Europe, and now the question rises as to whether the SHIMMER roster will be big enough to contain two English lasses at the same time. Will the two former foes come to blows? Or will they be able to ignore each other and move on to new rivalries? Time will tell.

Goals: Keeping an eye on Jetta.

Fighter Name: Allison Danger
SHIMMER Record: 6-7 (singles), 0-1 (tag team)
Career Highlight: Involved in First Ever Ring of Honor Segment

SHIMMER Background: Allison Danger came in to SHIMMER as one of the most recognizable women in the promotion due to her stint in Ring of Honor. However, the former member of the Prophecy has had trouble getting her career in the all-women’s promotion off of the ground. Though she has scored impressive victories over the likes of Cheerleader Melissa and current WWE performer Beth Phoenix, Danger has come out on the losing end of feuds with up and coming wrestlers Rebecca Knox and Cindy Rogers, with Rogers recently defeating Danger in a two out of three falls matchup. On top of that, the Canadian-born star was shockingly put out of the SHIMMER Title tournament in the first round by Malia Hosaka. Though she certainly remains popular with the promotion’s fans, it is time for Allison Danger to finally make an impact in the ring if she wants to be taken seriously as a SHIMMER competitor. She needs to show the same fire that she did in ROH when she attempted to make Dan Maff and BJ Whitmer’s lives a living hell, and she needs to show the same technical prowess that allowed her tag team with Sara Del Ray to compile a massive undefeated streak on the independent circuit. Otherwise she faces the possibility of being forever doomed to the lower half the card, perpetually serving as a stepping stone for younger talent.

Goals: Living up to the potential we know she all has.

Fighter Name: Lacey
SHIMMER Record: 4-7 (singles), 2-1 (tag team)
Career Highlight: 2006 Match of the Year (with Jimmy Jacobs)

SHIMMER Background: Speaking of failing to live up to her potential, that’s certainly what Lacey appeared to be doing during the first half off her SHIMMER run. The long-time ROH performer lost four straight singles matches in SHIMMER competition before finally kicking things in to high gear and defeating Serena Deeb on Volume 9. Afterwards, Lacey went on an impressive run in the SHIMMER Title tournament, besting Eden Black, Nikki Roxx, and Daizee Haze en route to the finals. Though Lacey was not successful in earning the championship that evening, she did reestablish herself as a major threat on the roster and was impressive enough that she was granted a rematch for the championship on Volume 14. With that match being another losing effort for Lacey, the Eddie Sharkey trainee finds herself at a crossroads. Coming in to the October 13 event, she must continue to win against high-level talent if she wants to remain in the title scene. If she cannot do this, chances are good that Lacey will not be seeing another title shot come her way for quite some time, which is something that she will no doubt find intolerable. However, Lacey could also choose to completely forego singles competition, as she is one half of SHIMMER’s more recognizable (and successful) tag teams. With long-time friend Rain, Lacey is half of the Minnesota Home Wrecking Crew, and their talents – along with some illegal tactics – have garnered victories over “dream teams” like Sara Del Ray and Mercedes Martinez or MsChif and Cheerleader Melissa. Though the tag team division in SHIMMER is currently lacking depth, any duo who attempts to enter it will no doubt incur the wrath of the M(n)HWC, and this may keep Lacey busy enough that she no longer has to worry about obtaining gold.

Goals: Regaining #1 Contender status OR patrolling the tag ranks for new competition.

Fighter Name: Daizee Haze
SHIMMER Record: 9-7
Career Highlight: Former IWA Mid-South Women’s Champion

SHIMMER Background: Daizee consistently puts on some of the most entertaining matches in SHIMMER, and she has been doing it ever since the main event of Volume 1, in which she defeated Lacey. Though her career in the promotion appeared to have suffer a bit of a setback due to losses against Rebecca Knox, the Haze quickly turned things around and proved why she belonged at the top of the card. The perpetual underdog has gutted it out and gained wins against some of the best lady wrestlers in the world, including a trip to the semi-finals of the SHIMMER Title tournament. Recently, at Volume 14, she had a singles match against MsChif, which was a first time matchup for SHIMMER despite the fact that the two women had met each other numerous times elsewhere on the independent scene. (In fact, they both got their start on the midwestern independent circuit and clashed many times in the Missouri area.) Daizee managed to pull out the victory in this close bout, and many spectators are claiming that, unless she drops an important match on October 13, the win over MsChif makes Haze next in line for a title shot after the much-anticipated Sara Del Rey vs. Amazing Kong match. Hopefully Daizee can actually earn that match, because she’s had run-ins with both Del Ray and Kong in SHIMMER’s past, and both were entertaining matches which deserve encores.

Goals: Working her way in to a title shot.

NEXT WEEK: The countdown to SHIMMER wraps up, with a look at several unique competitors, including champion Sara Del Rey!

American Gladiators Update

One month ago, I noted that NBC Universal was set to revive one of my favorite television shows of the 1990’s, American Gladiators. I primarily mentioned it here because I figured there would be a strong possibility that former pro wrestlers might be interested in getting involved with the show. Apparently I was quite correct. In a recent interview with F4W Online, “M-Dogg 20” Matt Cross, an independent wrestler who has competed in Ring of Honor, Combat Zone Wrestling, and MTV’s Wrestling Society X, announced that he had applied for the a spot on the show and is currently in the semi-finals of the casting process. This could be a huge career break for Cross, as exposure on mainstream television programs has in the past lead WWE to taking an interest in wrestlers. (Really, how else could you explain the continued employment of the Miz?)

Elsewhere on the internet, PW Insider claims that there is a “rumor” about Hulk Hogan having been contacted to host the new incarnation of Gladiators. If I were Universal, I’d stay away from that just to avoid allegations that the program is rigged, but, in the charisma department, they could certainly pick worse hosts.

Ted Petty Invitational Kicks Off

IWA Mid-South, one of the more prominent independent promotions in the midwest, is running its annual Ted Petty Invitational tournament this weekend. The event, which pays tribute to the wrestler best known as Rocco Rock of the Public Enemy, brings twenty-four prominent indy wrestlers from around the country together to compete in a two-night tournament. As of my deadline for this column, only results for night one had come in, though I’m sure that you can also find results for night two if you check the News section of 411 Wrestling.

I do have the night one results here. All of the matches on the card were first round tournament bouts: Josh Abercrombie def. Ricochet, Joker def. CJ Otis, Human Tornado def. Eddie Kingston, Davey Richards def. BJ Whitmer, Devon Moore def. Dysfunction, Mike Quackenbush def. Billy Roc, Brent Albright def. Tank, Joey Ryan def. Brandon Thomaselli, Nate Webb def. Drake Younger, Claudio Castagnoli def. Nigel McGuinness, 2 Cold Scorpio def. Chris Hero, and Chuck Taylor def. Jimmy Jacobs. Taylor also put his IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title on the line in his first round match and will continue to put it on the line in every subsequent tournament match.

Frankly, the results of night one make this look like a pretty entertaining tournament on paper. One of the things that has bothered me about independent wrestling lately is that there is a core group of twenty to thirty guys who seemingly work for almost every major indy group, whether it’s ROH, PWG, IWA-MS, or even CHIKARA. Though all of these men are good wrestlers, I do get a bit tired of them after a while and am glad whenever I can see fresh matchups. That’s why I’m happy to see a guy like 2 Cold Scorpio advancing over Chris Hero and men such as Richards, Albright, and Castagnoli potentially being eliminated as early as the second round. This allows folks who are talented in their own right yet haven’t gotten the same level of exposure to step up to the plate and prove their worth. At this point I’m hoping for a Taylor versus Claudio versus Abercrombie final, which would include one name big enough to give the match some credibility while also exposing a pair of up and comers to indy fans who may not yet have seen them.

Here are a couple of small updates to stories that I have discussed in previous editions of the report:

~ Last week, I mentioned that Dragon Gate would be sending a team to challenge for the GHC Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Titles at the next major Pro Wrestling NOAH show. It turns out that the team was Genki Horiguchi and Naruki Doi, though reigning champions Kotaro Suzuki and Ricky Marvin managed to beat the visitors and secure their fifth successful defense of the championships.

~ In other Dragon Gate news, BxB Hulk and Yamato competed for FIP on Friday night, winning a tag team match against FIP Champion Roderick Strong and FIP Tag Team Champion Jay Briscoe. (The match was originally scheduled to include both Briscoes, but Mark was injured in a motorcycle accident.) According to some sources, this show resulted in the biggest live crowd in FIP history. Though results had not yet come in as of my deadline, the Dragon Gate boys were also scheduled to team with regular DG gaijin Jack Evans to face the CHIKARA-riffic team of Delirious, Hallowicked, and Jigsaw.

~ Zach Gowen continues to impress in All Japan Pro Wrestling, as he has now been involved in ANGLES~! He recently turned down an offer to join the company’s top heel stable, the Voodoo Murderers. This will no doubt lead to VM seeking revenge against the one legged wonder.

Last week I spent a good deal of time breaking down the ballot for the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame and giving my hypothetical picks. Before we conclude today, I just wanted to respond to a couple of e-mails which I received on that topic.

Up first is 411’s very own Matt Sforcina, who wanted to offer a brief correction:

Actually, the WCW US title was Konnan’s biggest acheviment in the US. Unless you count his time with LAX. But yeah, he was US champ once… Beat One Man Gang for it, lost it to Ric Flair…

I remembered Konnan’s US Title run, and I recognize that it is generally higher than the TV Title on WCW’s championship hierarchy. However, the reason that I called the TV Title Konnan’s biggest accomplishment was because he held it at a time when the company was receiving far more exposure than it was during his time as US Champion. Holding any title belt in the period during which Konnan held the TV strap meant more for a wrestler’s career than holding any title belt during his US reign did.

Following up on that is a lengthy bit from reader Rhuin, who wanted to take issue with some of my votes and non-votes. I’m going to break this one down and respond on a point-by-point basis, so Rhuin will be in italics, and I will be in regular typeface.

Great column, it helped me kill a shitload of time at work. I’ll definitely keep on reading if you keep churning out stuff like this.

1. Call me a mark if you want, but Jericho and The Rock not Hall of Famers? Bah. I’d rather see them in the HoF than the overrated HBK. Jericho’s accomplishments shouldn’t be taken lightly, after all, he was the first Undisputed Champion (regardless of how it played out storyline-wise), he also had a great career outside of WWE as well. To say Jericho is a “secondary legend” is like calling Jerry “The King” Lawler an advocate for women’s rights. Jericho has done far more than Konnan and had far more exposure in WCW and WWE than Konnan ever did in the States and Mexico. Konnan might have helped “introduce” lucha wrestling to a wider audience, but that and his career are hardly proper criteria for giving him an HoF position.

The reason that I didn’t include Jericho in my votes was that, in the criteria for the Observer Hall of Fame, I believe that what a wrestler did for the business in reality is far more important than what he did in storyline. Thus, the fact that Jericho held the Undisputed Championship in and of itself has very little bearing on whether I would vote him in. What actually matters is how his run as champion did for business, and there is no indication that he was any bigger draw than anybody else to be put in to the position. There was also no indication that he could have grown in to that role of being a bigger draw, and, for all we know, business could have dropped off after an extended Jericho run. Though I love watching Y2J wrestle and speak, history will probably look on him much more like a Ronnie Garvin than a Ric Flair. He’s the talented guy who briefly broke through and had a lackluster reign with the championship. That’s enough to get him in to the history books, and it’s enough to get him in to a Hall of Fame that focuses more on kayfabe accomplishments, but I don’t think it’s quite where he needs to be for the Observer hall.

And, as far as Konnan is concerned, Jericho did not have more exposure than he did in Mexico. Period. Konnan was one of the biggest names in professional wrestling south of the border and managed to cross over in to mainstream media with several acting gigs. Konnan was just as successful in Mexico as a guy like Shawn Michaels (or perhaps even Steve Austin) was in the United States, and the accomplishments don’t mean any less just because they took place outside of the U.S. Jericho was never on that level in any of the many territories that he traveled to. I would have picked Konnan for the Hall even if he had never set foot in the U.S. wrestling scene.

2a. If you’re only going to judge The Rock on his time in the WWE, then his accomplishments should be more than enough to give him an HoF nod. As with Jericho, he isn’t a “secondary legend” in any way. He became a co-figurehead of the WWE for years as well as winning multiple World Titles, was involved in programs that not only put himself and his opponent over, but drew the interest of the fans. He was also, unlike many others, very affable and gave great interviews to other media outlets. He’s one of the few bright spots that the WWE had. Like it or not, The Rock helped give wrestling a slightly more “friendly” appeal to a broad base of fans and helped catapult the WWE into ratings success on many occassions.

There’s no doubt that Rock was an awesome draw and a great guy to have in the wrestling business for the period of time that he was there. However, for all we know, the Rock could have been a flash in the pan with only a couple of years at the peak of his game. I’m not saying that to take away from what the man did accomplish, but I’m saying that one of the big criteria for this or any other Hall of Fame is longevity, and we simply have no way of evaluating whether Rock would have met the relevant criteria in that category.

2b. Hell…HBK’s main claim to fame is a worked screwjob and continually thinking of himself and his friends interests. Backstage politics or not, HBK definitely isn’t current HoF material and he should definitely be named a “secondary legend” if even that. I have been happy that HBK hasn’t been on my TV and I honestly hope he doesn’t come back. Let him take a job in the front office shining Vince’s shoes or something.

No, HBK’s main claim to fame is having the best match on the card almost every night for fifteen years and being one of the few guys who could actually generate interest in the WWF product during the company’s leanest period in the mid-1990’s. I think that it’s valid to argue that his backstage politicking should be considered when determining wheter to put him in to a Hall of Fame, and it may even be enough to deny him entry. However, it’s not enough to erase his great matches and his contributions to the business from memory, which appears to be what you’ve tried to do above. Besides, since returning to the ring in 2002, Michaels has been significantly less self-interested than he was during his initial run with the company, and his willingness to help make new stars since that time has helped to make up for some of his past indiscretions.

3. I completely agree with your sentiments on Owen, Rude, Hennig, and RVD. Can’t go wrong with those. Owen gets the “sympathy” vote, Rude and Hennig were superb for a little while, but nowhere near as good as they have been hyped post-mortem. RVD…. well…. I just can’t stand the arrogant pothead.

Indeed.

4. Ventura shouldn’t be judged on his movies or Governor stints, but I do think that he is current HoF Material as well. He used to cut some wicked promos, he had the natural ability to make you despise him and root for anyone who was going up against him (even The Brooklyn Brawler). Then there’s his time as a heel commentator. His commentating actually did what no other federation has currently been doing: putting over the bad guy. (with the exception of JBL…to a degree). Ventura has proven that he was a very skilled wrestler and commentator. His wrestling and commentating skills might not have been your cup of tea, but it was enough to put over many guys who, in my opinion, wouldn’t have been able to get near as over without it.

For this particular Hall, we can’t consider what Ventura did in the ring, because he’s nominated in the non-wrestler category.

5. SHIMMER. Great place and I honestly hope TNA raids it soon. That would be the only way to run a LEGITIMATE Women’s Division. If TNA is smart, that’s what they’ll do…raid or at least have a tenative “working agreement” between the two federations. TNA has their opportunity to at least make the Women’s Division what the X Division used to be. Something unique, different, and filled with actual talent.

Well, if the five-way women’s match from this week’s Impact is any indication, the TNA women’s division will suck no matter how many talented individuals are in it. They had some rather good female performers in that ring but booked the match in such a way that they were incapable of putting on an entertaining performance. This company has been so dumb for so long that I doubt their ability to fix this problem, even with their much talked about two hours. I’m actually glad that SHIMMER hasn’t been raided, just because I prefer to see their roster in an environment in which they can wrestle matches that showcase their talents.

6. The Briscoes suck. They’re like the Dudley Boyz, except not as charismatic.

Yup.

7. Is it me, or is Rob Conway slowly turning into a clone of Buff Bagwell?

They looked remarkably similar during Conway’s last several months in WWE, though I haven’t seen a photo of him since he left the company. There’s no denying that Conway is five thousand times the wrestler, though.

And there are my thoughts on pro wrestling for the week. As always, feel free to keep the feedback coming, and, if you need more to read than the last 9500 words provided, feel free to check out the following links:

~ I’ve got an TNA Impact Review up for the show’s final one hour episode.

~ My string of recent cameos in the Movies/TV Zone continues with a review of Bones: Season 2 on DVD.

~ And let’s not forget about the MySpace blog, which this week features a review of Matt “Rosey” Anoa’i’s performance on episode two of Fat March. While you’re there, be sure to add me as a friend to receive an update every time I post new content to 411.

That does it for me. I’ll be back on Thursday with the first two hour Impact Crater as well as another DVD review in the Movies Zone. Until then, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.