The Undertaker Returns, Mike Tyson, John Cena and TNA Impact

– John Cena is getting closer and closer to embracing the hate as he and Kane will wrestle in a “Last Man Standing Match” at the Elimination Chamber Pay-Per-View on 2/19. The male audience has been disillusioned with Cena for years. This story line has made him more aggressive which is essential in order to engage fans going into his feud with The Rock at Wrestlemania. The WWE has done a fantastic job with getting people to start caring about Cena vs. Rock instead of just caring about a Rock match at Mania.

Continue reading “The Undertaker Returns, Mike Tyson, John Cena and TNA Impact” →

2012 Royal Rumble Results: Sheamus is going to Wrestlemania

royal_rumble_2012_by_usmantariqwwe-d4nyn98 — Image by - Usmantariqwwe of deviantart.com

-Daniel Bryan defeated Big Show and Mark Henry in a Triple Threat Steel Cage Match to retain the World Heavyweight Title.

The Finish: Bryan and Show battled on top of the cage and Show held on to Bryan with one arm as he dangled above the floor until Show could no longer hold him and Bryan dropped to the floor for the win.

-Beth Phoenix, Natalya & The Bellas defeated Kelly Kelly, Alicia Fox, Eve & Tamina in an eight-person tag team match.

The Finish: Beth Phoenix pinned Kelly Kelly with the Glam slam.

Backstage, Zack Ryder being rolled up in a wheelchair and a back brace. John Laurinaitis walks up welcoming Ryder to a special room he has setup for him. Laurinaitis says whatever Ryder wants he will provide adding, “Woo Woo Woo…You know it!” Eve walks up and tells Laurinaitis she hopes he gets fired tomorrow on Raw.

-John Cena vs. Kane went to a double countout

After the bell rings, the fight continues with Cena hitting Kane with what looks to be a trash bin. They brawl to the backstage area as Kane slams Cena down face first over a production box. Cena tosses Kane into a few trash bins. Kane grabs a chair and drives it into the gut of Cena. Kane cracks it over his back and then gets in one more shot to the head. Kane sees Zack Ryder’s room and kicks down the door. Kane uses his hand to suffocate Ryder and then rolls him out of the room in his wheelchair. Kane wheels Ryder back inside the arena and dumps him near the ring. Kane tosses Ryder inside the ring and Eve runs in trying to get Kane to stop. Kane picks up Ryder and connects with a Tombstone Piledriver as Eve drops to her knees in shock. Cena hits the ring and starts throwing rights at Kane. Cena attempts an AA, but his back gives. Kane with a chokeslam on Cena. Kane leaves the ring smiling as Eve attends to Ryder. WWE officials hit the ring to check on Cena and Ryder. Ryder is put on a stretcher as Cena sits up looking on upset.

A video package runs hyping The Rock and John Cena’s preparation for their match at Wrestlemania 28. Both videos were really well done

– Brodus Clay defeated Drew McIntyre in another squash match.

CM Punk defeated Dolph Ziggler to retain the WWE Championship.

The Finish: The referee is down as Punk gets the Anaconda Vice locked on. On the outside, Laurinaitis is checking on the knocked out referee. Ziggler was tapping out and the referee was still down. Punk yells at Laurinaitis. Ziggler attempts a rollup, but Punk rolls through and has Ziggler beat for a second time as the crowd counts the pinfall out loud. Laurinaitis puts the referee back in the ring. Punk and Laurinaitis argue. Punk gets Ziggler up for the GTS and hits Laurinaitis out of the ring in the process. Punk with the GTS on Ziggler, hooks the leg and the referee is still trying to recover. Punk yells at Laurinaitis saying “the next GTS is for you clown shoes!” Punk has Ziggler up for another GTS, but Ziggler counters in mid-air with a Fameasser. Ziggler covers and gets a close two. A frustrated Ziggler starts kicking and punching away at Punk. Punk catapults Ziggler into the corner and connects with the GTS. Punk covers Ziggler, Laurinaitis jumps in the ring and counts the pinfall along with the referee.

The Royal Rumble Match

The final two were Chris Jericho and Sheamus. Sheamus yells, “Come on fella!” Lock up and Sheamus drops Jericho. Sheamus tosses Jericho to the corner attempting to toss him over. Jericho is holding on to the bottom rope. Jericho kicks Sheamus away. Jericho with a missile dropkick. Sheamus with a backbreaker over his knee on Jericho. Jericho counters a powerbomb attempt and clotheslines Sheamus over. Sheamus holds on. Jericho with a dropkick to Sheamus. Sheamus is clutching to the bottom rope. Sheamus with a springboard shoulder block taking out Jericho. Sheamus tries tossing Jericho over. Jericho hangs on and elbows Sheamus. Sheamus catches Jericho with a high elbow. Jericho drops Sheamus and gets the Walls of Jericho locked in. Jericho breaks the hold. Sheamus gets to his feet. Sheamus tosses Jericho over. Jericho holds on with his feet nearly touching the floor. Jericho sends Sheamus into the corner. Jericho is getting up on the top turnbuckle. Sheamus is attempting a superplex. Sheamus falls off crotching himself on the top rope. Sheamus nearly eliminates himself, but holds on. Jericho rolls in. Jericho with the Codebreaker on Sheamus. Jericho with right hands to Sheamus against the ropes. Jericho has Sheamus hanging over the top rope. Jericho slaps Sheamus repeatedly. Sheamus pushes Jericho away. Sheamus catches Jericho, tosses him over and Jericho again nearly gets eliminated hanging on. Jericho stands up and Sheamus catches him with the Brogue Kick to eliminate Jericho.

Winner of the 2012 Royal Rumble: Sheamus

My Thoughts: While it was surprisingly refreshing to see Sheamus win the Rumble, the overall event left a lot to be desired. It was a good event but not a good pay per view. Cena and Kane was pretty good and I feel Dolph Ziggler shut up a lot of people in his match against CM Punk. The only good things about the Rumble match were Cobra vs. Mr. Socko, Kofi Kingston’s walking hand stand to avoid elimination and the back and forth between Jericho and Sheamus to end the show. There was not enough seriousness and way too much of that Vince McMahon entertainment/comedy crap. Too many entrants that no one cared about to even get you exited especially when it was hyped up that “Every WWE Superstar could be eligible for the Royal Rumble” Man, the selection committee must have been high.

Look at this list of several Rumble participants and tell me if you thought any of them were going to headline Wrestlemania?

Alex Riley : Done nothing since his feud with the Miz in June of last year.
Justin Gabriel: I forgot he was on the roster.
Ricardo Rodriguez: It was kind of funny but why am I paying for this?
Jerry Lawler: Why?
Ezekial Jackson: Can’t believe he still has a job.
Jinder Mahal: Crickets
The Great Khali: Who cares
Booker T: Again, Why?
Michael Cole: One more time, Why?
Kharma: Glad shes back…….Could have saved her return for Raw though.
Jay Uso: More crickets and looked completely lost in there.
David Otunga: Rolled my eyes

2003 Royal Rumble Review

The bright lights of FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts, shined down on WWE as the Royal Rumble brought mayhem, action, and excitement to a worldwide audience. I attended this event with some good friends, and it was quite the show, even though it was obvious to me that Brock Lesnar would win the Rumble to set up his match with Kurt Angle at Wrestlemania 19.

In my youthful years, I would wait outside the security gates on Causeway St. to catch a glimpse of the wrestlers entering the building on the off chance that one of them would hand out an autograph. I never obtained an autograph in all my years of attending events. However, I did witness Booker T and Rob Van Dam trade backstage passes for a bag of weed with a fan a few hours before the show.

I remember little about the Spike Dudley vs. Steven Richards on Sunday Night Heat, except for fans chanting “ECW, ECW” throughout the match. The opening match for the pay-per-view pitted The Big Show vs. Brock Lesnar, where the winner gained entry into the Royal Rumble match. Both men traded power moves back and forth until Lesnar landed the F5 for the victory. Big Show jumped Lesnar from behind in a jealous rage after the bell and injured his ribs, thus casting doubt over Lesnar’s participation later on.

The Dudley Boyz wrestle Lance Storm & William Regal in a match, with the usual bad guys getting the upper hand for most of the match until D-Von makes the hot tag to Bubba Ray. He cleans house and sets up Regal for D-Von’s dreaded “WAZZZZZ UUUUUP” headbutt from the top rope. They nailed Storm with the Dudley Death Drop and captured their 8^th WWE Tag Team Championship. Torrie Wilson beat Dawn Marie in a forgettable match, and fans were disillusioned with the entire angle due to the storyline involving the fake death of Torrie’s father, which was done in a dull and shameless manner.

Triple H defended the World Heavyweight Championship against “Big Poppa Pump” Scott Steiner, who was making his in-ring return to WWE. This was a WWE vs. WCW dream match that became a nightmare. Steiner got winded five minutes into the match and looked completely lost. Most wrestlers kick, punch, or clothesline, but Steiner threw suplex after suplex until Triple H got himself disqualified to end the match. The fans loved Steiner when he walked in and hated him when he left. This is why you never saw him near the main event again: if Hunter can’t pull a good match out of you, then Fuhgeddaboudit.

The WWE title match was next as Kurt Angle defended against Chris Benoit. This was the single greatest wrestling match I have ever seen in person. The fans inside the FleetCenter witnessed 20 minutes of wrestling poetry. Boston is usually funny regarding technical wrestling since we have been treated to many of the greatest moments in history. The fans were on the edge of their seats as these two gave it everything they had. What made this match unique is that it was a different style than WWE was used to producing.

Angle and Benoit had no restrictions on what they were allowed to do. At the 12-minute mark of the match, Benoit hit a release German suplex that turned Angle inside out and jacked the crowd out of their seats. Benoit applied his fifth Crippler Crossface, but Angle reversed it and secured the Ankle Lock for the fourth time in the match. Benoit used his legs to kick him away several times, but Angle held on like a pit bull. Angle pulled Benoit to the center and sat down on the leg, and with nowhere to go, Benoit had no choice but to tap out.

This match represented the difference between Raw and Smackdown at the time. Raw was the show for big angles, while Smackdown was a wrestler’s wrestling show. The standing ovation Chris Benoit received after the match was a moment I would never forget, as he was the guy who was my professional influence as a wrestler. I also believe that ovation made Vince McMahon realize Benoit could be a world champion.

It is now time for the Royal Rumble!

15 Raw superstars and 15 Smackdown superstars duked it out, with the winner getting a title shot against their brand’s champion in the main event at WrestleMania 19. Even though it was one of the least memorable Rumbles in history, it did have its moments, including Chris Jericho’s MVP performance, eliminating Shawn Michaels almost immediately. Rey Mysterio and Edge came out early and delivered some action-packed moves.

Tommy Dreamer came in at #10 and turned it into a hardcore rumble with a trash can full of weapons, ala New Jack. The innovator of violence cleaned house with an arsenal of household items and hit Jericho with the mother of kendo stick shots. The sound reverberated like a gunshot as Jericho Nestea plunged to the canvas. Y2J got the last laugh as he made Dreamer his 6th elimination of the night.

Rikishi came in at #20 and super kicked the hell out of everyone but was eventually eliminated by Batista. Shawn Michaels came back out to try and failed to illegally eliminate Chris Jericho but provided enough distraction for Test to big boot the Winnipeg native over the top rope and out of the Rumble. The heavy hitters started coming in with Lesnar at #29 and The Undertaker at #30.

The final four came down to Lesnar, Taker, Batista and Kane. Undertaker eliminated Batista and then battled Kane before eliminating him. Batista was angered at his elimination, so he distracted Undertaker by attempting to hit him with a chair, but Undertaker avoided it and nailed Batista with a chair. Lesnar took advantage of the situation and eliminated a distracted Undertaker to win the Royal Rumble.

Overall, the 2003 installment of the Royal Rumble was a thumbs-in-the-middle affair. Raw was exposed while Smackdown reigned supreme. The Rumble sold the show, but the WWE Title Match stole the show with a performance that will be forgotten due to the scandal that scarred Benoit’s reputation forever. However, he wasn’t the only one in that match because it takes two to tango. I remember 1/19/03 as a great time with my best friends, and the night Kurt Angle proved that he was the best wrestler on the planet with a once-in-a-lifetime performance that will never be duplicated.

Batman #5: One of the Best Comics I’ve Ever Read

One of the great things about being a comic book fan is when you find the perfect book that completely captivates your attention from beginning to end.

Comic book nirvana has arrived as Scott Snyder puts Batman through the wringer in a story with the Dark Knight battling his own sanity. Bats has been trapped in a dark labyrinth by the Court of Owls for eight days without food, water, or rest. He hasn’t bathed or shaved, his costume is torn up, and the white left eyepiece is missing from his mask.

The missing eyepiece is excellent because it allows us to see Batman’s true emotions as he faces unspeakable peril. Over the years, I always wondered if a punch or a kick hurt more than he let on or how horrified he was, if at all, when he examined a crime scene.

At one point, the lights inside the labyrinth are turned on, and a stylish Owl-shaped water fountain is revealed. Knowing it’s drugged, Batman drinks the water without hesitation. The mind games begin to take shape as secrets are revealed, and the horror is unleashed.

As you read the book, you come to a page layout where you have to turn the book left-side up to make sense of it all. When you turn from that layout, the next page is upside down, which looks like a mistake.

You naturally turn it right-side up to examine the page, thinking you are correctly holding the book again. As you continue to read, it takes you a minute to realize that you’re reading the previous pages repeatedly, thus experiencing and sharing Batman’s mental madness.

The ingenuity of it all was simple and brilliant. The artwork is almost in sync with the story, more than any other comic book I have read in quite some time. Even this early in the year, Snyder’s number 5 has all the makings to be the single best issue of the year.

Grade: A+

UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller results

(Coverage I provided at gerweck.net)

UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller

Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN

Color Commentators: Jon Anik & Kenny Florian

– Pat Barry vs. Christian Morecraft (Referee: Herb Dean)

Round 1

Pat Barry throws a leg kick and but Morecraft catches it and takes him down. Morecraft is on top and is working for the rear naked choke. Barry turns away and gets back to his feet and lands three stiff jabs. Morecraft ate a few leg kicks as he attempts to shoot for thetakedown. Morecraft shoots again and takes him down and ends up on top in the full mount. He works for a head and arm choke but Barry escapes and Morecraft lands an arm bar but Barry steps over to the right and escapes. Barry misses a head kick and Morecraftthrows a left hook and Barry slips it to land a right hook that drops Morecraft. Jumps on him to land three more punches and Morecraftis out and the ref steps in to call it.

Winner: Pat Barry via KO @ 3:38 of the 1st round.

Pat Barry said during the post fight interview that he knows everyone says James Toneyis his BJJ coach but he proved he can escape submissions and he is here to put on a show. Barry also gave a shout out to all the plankers out there.

– Mike Easton vs. Jared Papazian (referee Mario Yamasaki)

Round 1

There is some bad blood coming from Easton in the pre fight interview. He says he is going to make Papazian’s UFC debut a debacle. This bantamweight fight is under way and Easton runs to the center of the cage and they are not wasting anytime and swinging for the fences while tied in the clinch. Easton holds Papazian against the fence but Papazian sinks the under hooks and reverses Easton. They continue to land punches and knee in the thai clinch against the fence. The ref breaks it up and they restart in the center. Papazian is keeping him at bay with jabs while Easton is looking for his range with combinations. Easton misses a spinning back kick and eats a left hand for his trouble. Easton lands a thunderous leg kick and they trade punches once again in the thai clinch to close the round.

10-9 Papazian

Round 2

Papazian lands two straight right hands and Easton took it like it was nothing and lands a leg kick. Papazian is circling away from Easton’s power but Easton lands a nice left hook. Easton is control the cage while Papazian is looking for an uppercut. Easton lands another leg kick and a nice right hand and pins Papazian against the fence. Papazian reverses while lands some knees to the body. The fans boo andYamasaki breaks it up right away to restart the fight in the center. Easton uses a three punch combo to get Papazian against the fence and secures the takedown. Easton peppers away at Papazian while in half guard until Papazian gets back to his feet. The round ends with Easton stuffing a Papazian takedown and winds up on top to land a few more punches.

10-9 Easton

Round 3

The competitiveness fight this fight is pretty good as both fighters are keeping a non stop pace. They trade some punches in the center of the cage until Easton pushes Papazian against the fence and Easton lands a knee as the ref breaks up the fight for a restart. Papaziansays the last knee hit him low and takes a few seconds to rest. The fight continues and both men are trading punches back and forth in the clinch. Easton has found his range while Papazian is finding the mark with the uppercutt on the inside. Man, these guys are fighting in close and only using a small amount of the octagon. Easton lands several leg kicks and drops Papazian with a right hand but Papazianpops right back up but looks stunned. They clinch and Papazian gains control against the cage. Easton escapes and they trade back and forth, again, for the last 30 seconds. This will be a tough fight to score.

Easton 10-9

Winner Mike Easton via majority decision 29-28, 30-27, 29-29

Easton in the post fight interview says he knew Papazian was tough and he knows he has a lot to work. Says he will continue to work his way up to prove he belongs in the UFC.

– Duane Ludwig vs. Josh Neer (referee Josh Rosenthal)

Round 1

Ludwig caught Neer with a right hand as he came forward but Neer secures a bodylock and works for the takedown. Ludwig avoids thetakedown and hits Neer with another right hand and follows up with a knee to the body and Neer is hurt but signals to the ref that he lost his mouth piece. Fight stops. Ref inserts mouth piece and we resume. Neer eats some serious shots until Neer shoots for a high single and takes him down. Ludwig tries to create some distance with his legs and Neer jumps into his guard. Ludwig tries to get back to his feet but Neer sinks and locks up a high elbow guillotine choke. The ref checks Ludwig’s right arm and he is out and the ref calls it.

Winner Josh Neer via submission at 3:04 of the first round.

Neer said in the post fight interview that he wanted to stand and trade more but Ludwig was getting the better of him and he had to look for the takedown. Says his biggest strength is that he doesn’t like to lose and will to whatever it takes to win. This is Neer’s second straight win in the welterweight division and will fight whoever the UFC puts in front of him.

They air a video package hyping UFC PRIMETIME featuring an inside look at Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit at UFC 143 on 2/4/12. Jon Anikinterviews Dana White about the primetime series and White says they are two completely different people outside the cage but the same exact person inside the cage. White says Diaz is a fighter who truly wants to do nothing but fight and is looking to finish you.

Main Event

– Melvin Guillard vs. Jim Miller (referee Herb Dean)

Pre-fight interview hype, Miller says there is not a guy on the planet he can’t finish when he fights at his best and Guillard guarantees he is going to finish Miller. Miller comes out to “Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Melvin gets the lights out superstar entrance treatment and “Fire Breazze” by Al Bizzare is his entrance music of choice.

Tale of the Tape

Age:

Miller 28

Guillard 28

Height:

Miller 5’8

Guillard 5’9

Weight:

Miller 155 lbs

Guillard 156 lbs

Reach:

Both 71

Round 1

Guillard misses two flying knees and drops Miller with a left hook. Miller presses forward and with a takedown attempt but Guillard uses his power to stop the take down and lands another knee and right hand. Miller pushes Guillard against the fence but can’t take him down. Guillard pushes him off and lands a right hand down the pipe and goes for another flying knee but Miller catches him and takes him down. Guillard fights back to his feet but Miller is still on on his back with his hooks in. Miller takes away Guillard’s balance and Miller cranks Guillard’s neck and moves it enough to get his forearm under the chin for the choke and Guillard taps out.

Winner: Jim Miller via RNC @ 2:04 of the 1st round

Post fight interview: Miller says Melvin is tough and there are a lot of people in lightweight and “the other division” who don’t want to fight him. Says he is the most dangerous lightweight in the world and is ready to prove it against anyone. Also asks for everyone’s thoughts and prayers for his nephew (son of UFC middleweight Dan Miller) who is going through medical issues.

– Nick Denis vs. Joseph Sandoval (referee Josh Rosenthal)

Round 1

They air the first prelim from earlier in the night and Denis opens with some combinations. Sandoval fires back but take a few punches for his trouble. They are tied up in the clinch and Denis unleashed and plethora of elbows and Sandoval is out cold before he hits the ground.

Winner: Nick Denis via KO at 0:22 of the 1st round.

– Ariel Helwani interviews Pat Barry in the locker room and Barry says wrestling and BJJ will always be his weakness. Also says that everyone thinks the Deathclutch is done since Brock Lesnar retired but they are wrong and Deathclutch is moving forward.

– Ariel Helwani interviews Josh Neer and Ariel informs Neer that Ludwig said he spit his mouth piece out on purpose. Neer denies it and says he fought for 30 seconds after the mouth piece fell out. Says he is not going to call anyone out but he wants his next fight to be against a tough veteran.

– Prelim results

Daniel Pineda beat Pat Schilling via RNC @ 1:37 of Round 1

Fabricio Camoes beat Tommy Hayden via RNC @ 4:03 of Round 1

Charlie Brenneman over Daniel Roberts via unanimous decision

Khabib Nurmagomedov beat Kamal Shalorus via RNC @ 2:08 of Round 3

Jorge Rivera defeated Eric Schafer via TKO due to strikes @ 1:31 of Round 2. (Rivera announced his retirement from MMA before the fight and will go out with a win)

Bonuses $45,000 for each fighter

Fight of the Night: Barry vs. Morecraft,

Submission of the Night: Jim Miller

Knockout of the Night: Nick Denis

$45,000 for each fighter

Amazing Spider-Man # 677 Review

The Amazing Spider-Man #677 | Writer: Mark Waid | Art: Emma Rios | Colors: Humberto Rios & Edgar Delgado
Publisher: Marvel Comics | Price: 3.99

Dan Slott takes the month off as Mark Waid places a little Daredevil magic on to the pages of Our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.
Peter Parker is doing his superhero thing while being down in the dumps over being kicked to the curb by Carlie.
Continue reading “Amazing Spider-Man # 677 Review” →

My Digital Illumination

While Wednesday is just the middle of the week for most, It is new comic book day for those of us who live vicariously through 32 pages of color, action, and adventure. Yours truly lived in a galaxy far away at the local comic book shop when the average kid dreamed of being the next Babe Ruth at Little League. Hell, I still live in a galaxy far, far away while most spend their time being responsible adults. The Comic Book Shop is more than just its namesake. It’s a gathering for those who crave to escape from the everyday grind and socialize with others in the same boat. However, that may be coming to an end due to the rise of digital comic book sales. Continue reading “My Digital Illumination” →

EVOLVE 1/14/12 Philadelphia, PA results: The Last Wrestling Show at the ECW Arena

EVOLVE 1/14 Philadelphia, PA results: the last wrestling show at the ECW Arena by Bob Magee of Pro Wrestling Between The Sheets

EVOLVE made its “South Philadelphia debut” last night for the final wrestling event at the ECW Arena (hard to believe I’m writing that). As you’d expect the building was packed, as it was for CZW’s afternoon show.

In the opener, Ahtu had an “open contract”…fans heard familiar music they hadn’t heard anywhere in a couple years…as Low Ki came out to one of the bigger non-ECW pops of the night.

After a sick looking kick, Low Ki defeated Ahtu by knockout

Cheech Hernandez pinned KC “Cloudy” Day

The Scene defeated Alex Reynolds and John Silver when Scott Reed pinned Reynolds

Jigsaw pinned AR Fox after countering a back suplex to the Lo Mein Pain. Fox pulled off the move of the entire day with a spot-on springboard 450 plancha to the floor. Post-match, Sami Callihan came out and tried to taunt Fox into hitting him, clanking beer bottles together (Calihan had hit him with a beer bottle at a previous EVOLVE show)

In one of the few mentions all day of CHIKARA, Jigsaw thanked fans for supporting CHIKARA at the ECW Arena. Given CZW’s strong role in the day’s proceedings, probably not so surprising, given the heat between the promotions and promoters.

As part of the remembrance of the history of the ECW Arena, intermission saw the tape used at the “Then and Now” show when CZW returned to the ECW Arena after XPW had taken over the building in 2002, honoring the history of ECW..and connecting it with 2002 CZW.

Uhaa Nation pinned Pinkie Sanchez after two shooting star presses. This young wrestler is talented as hell, and will wind up with Vince McMahon one day, mark my words. He has the body McMahon likes…but incredible athletic talent.

Ronin (Chuck Taylor and Rich Swann) defeated the Super Smash Brothers (Players Uno and Dos) when Taylor pinned Dos

Jon Davis pinned Kyle Matthews

Bobby Fish (seconded by AR Fox) submitted Sami Callihan with a knee bar. Post-match, Fox tried to goad Callihan into hitting him with the beer bottle, handcuff his own hands behind his back (great visual).

In the final “official match” of the ECW Arena’s history, Johnny Gargano retained his Open the Freedom Gate Championship, submitting Ricoche with the Hurts Donut and the Gargano Escape. Post-match, Gargano was taken out of the Arena by ambulance, with reports of a back injury. He seemed off for the later half of the match, though, which makes me wonder if he got his bell rung.

After the final official match, Joey Styles came out to a huge ovation, Tod Gordon (the first time Gordon’s been in the building in many years), JT Smith, and gart “Pitbull #1″ Wolfe came out to close the Arena, and what everyone assumed was the feel-good moment to close the show.

Not so fast.

DJ Hyde and Team CZW came out to say if anyone were going to close the ECW Arena, it would be them, given that they ran more shows at the ECW Arena than ECW (true, actually) The saves began with Ballz Mahoney. CZW turned the tide again.

Then “Gangsta’s Paradise” kicked in….with New Jack crashing the ring with a garbage can full of crutches, and other plunder. Justin Credible came in…but on DJ Hyde’s side and Sabu make run-ins on ECW’s behalf and Justin Credible on CZW’s.

In the real final match ever at the ECW Arena, Sabu pinned Justin Credible

After the match, Callihan attacked Sabu and cut a promo about how he had “taken ownership of the Arena from ECW”; and in a really charged promo, said he was “tired of extreme reunions, and the funerals”; and said to turn out the lights. The lights went out with Metallica’s “Fade to Black”, a reference which went over the head of a lot of fans, who when the light went off, were waiting for some other sort of run-in to make the save.

There is already a lot of online controversy about this ending. I get that Gabe Sapolsky promoted this as an EVOLVE show well ahead of time, and made clear beforehand that this was what it going to be; but with an ECW remembrance. He used the ending to get over Calihan as a despicable heel…the right thing for his promotion.

In addition, during the afternoon’s CZW show, there was also a Shane Douglas (Douglas had been booked months ago for a Crossfire Entertainment show in Nashville, TN) promo for an “Extreme Reunion” show to be held at the Philadelphia National Guard Armory on April 28. Mike Johnson reported overnight that this is not just a one-off show, but is part of some longer-term “project”. Given open-ended things were…and given the involvement in the night-time show of CZW, it seems that CZW and EVOLVE are somehow involved with this project.

So those two elements somehow come into play with the ending. But a lot of people were pissed. They wanted the feel-good ECW ending. Instead, Gabe Sapolsky gave them a different ending. Only time will tell what effect that will have on any shows EVOLVE intends to run in the Philadelphia area. A lot of people came to the show, not because it was an EVOLVE show…but because it was the last show at the ECW Arena; pretty obviously when some of them got impatient at moment during the Gargano-Ricochet match.

There will be wrestling at Swanson and Ritner at a future date, after the “extensive renovations” are done. I have no doubt about that. But when fans walk into that building, it won’t be the ECW Arena. It’ll be a concert hall at that address.

Wrestling Soap Box: Cena, Kane, Jericho & more!

Welcome to the first installment of my Wrestling Soap Box where I will rant, rave, analyze and make bold predictions on the latest happenings in “sports entertainment”.

– If anyone wanted the blue print on how to make the worst horror movie ever than watch this weeks episode of Raw. Kane played the role of Jason Voorhees while Zack Ryder and Eve Torres played the innocent victims being chased through the woods. They ran from him all episode and found shelter in Ryder’s rental car, only to discover that a tire was slashed. Did they run? No. Did they try to find another car? Nope. Did they call the police using Ryder’s cell phone that he was Tweeting all night from? Oops, I wasn’t supposed to notice that…….and no. Ryder tried to change the tire while Eve hid in the car while screaming in fright. I’m sorry but if I was Eve I would have bounced a long time ago.

Continue reading “Wrestling Soap Box: Cena, Kane, Jericho & more!” →

Fatale #1 Review

Ed Brubaker’s Fatale combines 1950’s noir with the horror approach of H.P. Lovecraft to bring us a crime story. We begin at renowned author Dominic Raines’ funeral, coordinated by his godson, Nicolas Lash. As Lash leaves the gravesite, he bumps into an eye-catching woman named Jo, who reveals a connection to his family.

Later on, catastrophe enters Nicolas’ life going eighty miles an hour as car chases, explosions, attempted murder, a killer airplane, and lost body parts set the stage for a trip to the past that begins to unravel a mystery.

If you are looking for something besides the superhero thing, look no further because this is it! This is not a story you can simply skim through as you really need to read every word balloon and examine every panel to truly take everything in and enjoy. To drive the point home on how good of a tale this is, my wife is an avid book reader who never picks up a comic book.

She read this one and can not stop talking about it and feels February is too long to wait for part two to be released. I completely agree, and so will you if you pick it up.

Grade: A-