Kofi is Champ!

Four weeks ago, Kofi Kingston became the first black WWE Champion at WrestleMania 35. While other wrestlers of color have held the world title, Kofi’s win was the first time a person of his ethnicity held the industry’s most coveted prize. What makes this accomplishment special is that it had nothing to do with race or color.

At the beginning of 2019, Kofi Kingston was nowhere near the WWE Title picture. On the way to Elimination Chamber, the newly featured cruiserweight Ali suffered an injury. Kofi was his replacement, and the news was met with faint praise. Kofi’s cool and all, but come on now. It’s not like he was going to win, right?

Then, something amazing happened. Kofi reminded everyone how good he is by putting on an incredible performance in the gauntlet match to determine the last entrant to enter the chamber. In one hardworking hour, Kofi went from placeholder to the guy everyone wanted to win the title. Despite WWE’s lack of ability to keep things hot over a long period, Kofi’s popularity increased.

Augmented by the story of his eleven-year journey on the roster, the audience’s desire to see Kofi Kingston win the big one was irrefutable. The company switched plans, and we saw the result at WrestleMania. Kofi not only went over at the biggest show of the year, but he had the best match, which produced the most heartfelt moment at ‘the granddaddy of them all.’

The story of Kofi’s ascension, again, had nothing to do with race. Instead, the genuine question of a mid-card act becoming champion was used to develop the story. The hypocrisy of Daniel Bryan branding Kofi as a B+ player was the perfect ingredient. While many fans felt the race card would rear its ugly head, thankfully, it never did.

As a lifelong wrestling fan and a person of color, seeing Kofi Kingston win the title put some concerns to rest. Before Kofi, the fact there had never been a black WWE Champion made some people wonder if Vince McMahon was or is racist.

No one actually “wins” the championship; however, being booked as champion puts that wrestler in the lead role. Sports, television, music, and movies can have a person of color in the top spot; however, WWE never had?

What about The Rock? What about Booker T? Both are valid questions, but allow me to elaborate.

Booker T was the World Heavyweight Champion, which is not the same thing. The Rock was the WWE Champion. However, he is half African American/half Samoan and primarily identifies publicly as Samoan. Therefore, you cannot call Dwayne Johnson the first black WWE Champion.

President Barack Obama is half African American/half Caucasian. The reason why Obama is the first black president is that he identifies as African American.

In 2019, we have an African born WWE Champion who wears afro pigtails with pink accents, skips to the ring on a yellow brick road, throws pancakes out into the crowd and is all about that unicorn life. On paper, that sounds like a recipe for disaster. In reality, a fabulous performer name Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah made it work exceedingly well due to his undeniable talent.

Zeus: America’s First Mixed Martial Artist

The UFC has been lying to you for twenty-six years. The first American Mixed Martial Arts event didn’t occur on November 12, 1993, in Denver, Colorado. It wasn’t the first televised card, and Royce Gracie wasn’t the sports first champion.

On June 2, 1989, the World Television Network broadcasted a no-hold-barred competition called ‘The Battle of the Tough Guys. The inaugural champion was a six-foot-eight-inch ex-con named Zeus.

The proud practitioner of Gracie Ju-jitsu is, without question, a legend. However, his accomplishments pale in comparison to the “Human Wrecking Machine.”

Royce Gracie won the first UFC tournament by beating Art Jimmerson, Ken Shamrock, and Gerard Gordeau, in three separate bouts, in the same evening, with a break in-between bouts, and all inside the comfortable climate-controlled McNichols Arena.

However, on that hot June evening four years earlier, Zeus defeated Bulldog McPherson, Brock Chisler, Klondike Kramer, and Neanderthal, all at the same time. This occurred within the humid and unsanitary confines of Tootsies Bar.

Rorion Gracie, Royce’s older brother, founded the Ultimate Fighting Championship and booked its first five events while WTN President, who merely went by the name, Brell, organized the Battle of the Tough Guys.

Brell, the controversial figure whose name spread “Keyser Söze” like fear in the television industry, was unapologetic in his pursuit of Nielsen rating dominance. Brell often uttered the phrase “Jock-Ass” when expressing his disdain towards individuals.

Royce won $50,000 for his win at UFC 1, while Zeus won twice that amount for his victory at BOTG 1, which means Brell pays better than Rorion.

Zeus is the first fighter to reign supreme inside the Octagon. Rorion deserves credit for updating the design from ropes and tires to steel posts and chain length fence.

UFC has always had a referee for their events, but there wasn’t a zebra in sight during Battle of the Tough Guys. Zeus’ life was actually on the line in every bout while Gracie could have been saved at any time.

Zeus was also the more well-rounded fighter of the two. Gracie could only fight on the ground and was battered in his bout with Kimo at UFC 3. Zeus displayed a wide array of striking skills by punching through concrete cinder blocks with his bare hands. At Battle of the Tough Guys 3, Zeus exhibited Floyd Mayweather like head movement to dodge the oversized crescent wrench of Lugwrench Perkins.

Again, Gracie fought comfortably inside an arena while Zeus fought for his life inside an active industrial plant.

After a few more shows, the two athletes all but retired from the fight game and embarked on similar journeys in scripted entertainment. Royce Gracie went on to become a stunt and fight choreographer for the critically acclaimed film, Lethal Weapon 4.

Zeus transitioned to the circus-like environment of professional wrestling. As a legitimate fighter, his background landed him a high dollar contract with the genre’s top organization, the World Wrestling Federation.

If history is written by the winners, then UFC and the Gracie family are the victors in Mixed Martial Arts’s convoluted origin story. Royce Gracie gained the glory, but those who frequented that little dive bar on that faithful 1989 evening know that Zeus will forever be the sport’s original pioneer.

Revisiting A Night of Thunder

Jushin Thunder Liger announced last Wednesday at a press conference that he will retire in January. Liger, 54, said he wants to wrestle all over the world until the next Tokyo Dome event and hopes to get on the G1 Supercard event next month at Madison Square Garden.

Born Keiichi Yamada, had his debut match in 1984. However, it wasn’t until 1987 when Yamada adopted the popular character he is known for today. Liger was an innovator of the high flying style of wrestling and created the shooting star press.

Despite his age, Liger put on a stellar match where he was denied a 12th IWGP jr. heavyweight title in a losing effort to Taiji Ishimori at New Japan’s Anniversary show. During his near 40 year career, Liger captured numerous championships, won many tournaments and match of the year accolades.

It’s fitting I was working on this blog amid Liger’s retirement announcement. He’s been one of my favorite wrestlers ever since his WCW debut in 1991. I hope you enjoy my love letter for a moment. I never thought I would see.

-Jushin “Thunder” Liger vs. Bryan Danielson: Ring of Honor – Weekend of Thunder – Revere, Massachusetts – Greater Boston Indoor Sports Center. May 11, 2004.

WWE acquiring WCW in 2001 meant the end of seeing talent from New Japan Pro Wrestling appear in the United States. That all changed when ROH unexpectedly announced Jushin “Thunder” Liger was coming back to the U.S. for two nights only. One of those nights was in my home state of Massachusetts. Nothing was going to stop me from seeing this show!

For the uninitiated, Yamada Keiichi aka Jushin Liger, revolutionized junior heavyweight wrestling. While known for his death-defying highflying ability, Liger also mixed up his work with mat wrestling and martial arts to make for an exciting all around style.

While Liger was tearing it up in Japan, he made is American debut in 1991 for WCW when he feuded with Brian Pillman for the promotion’s light heavyweight championship. Liger appeared spasmodically over the years as fans were entranced by the red-clad anime-inspired character.

Third-row seats and the purchase of an authentic Liger action figure was all I needed to enjoy the show. The fans came unglued when the first notes of Liger’s entrance music hit the airwaves. Multicolored streamers cascaded the ring to provide the Japanese legend with a little taste of home.

Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan) was the perfect opponent for Liger. A five-star match was expected; however, what we got was a five-star show. It was a well-worked competitive match that exhibited how both wrestlers superbly apply their craft. As the match unfolded, things became clear. The goal wasn’t to convince the audience Danielson could win. It was to let Liger shine in all his glory.

Every single person in the building paid to see the masked lion/tiger hybrid. Everyone in the building paid to see Jushin Liger. It was a best of compilation unleashed before our very eyes. We held our figurative lighters in the air as Liger performed all of his signature hits.

Liger’s surfboard submission got things off to a nice start, and he followed up with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. After some time on the defensive, Liger nailed a bald heel Danielson with a thunderous shotei palm strike. Liger would follow up with another shotei in the corner and hit a top rope hurricanrana.

The audience popped as Liger unleashed his rolling koppu kick and delivered his patented running Liger bomb for a shocking nearfall. There was only one move left to make. One hit left to play on the set list. Danielson was propped up top, lifted up, and drilled with an avalanche brainbuster to close the show.

Not only was it a privilege to see Jushin Liger in the ring, but from an insider perspective, it was nice to see a promotion use a legitimate draw the right way. No shenanigans, no convoluted plot. Liger was the reason why we were all there, and once we got him, Ring of Honor produced a marquee performance.

Becky and Ronda and Charlotte, Oh My!

What many people feared would happen, has happened.

Becky Lynch was suspended in storyline by Vince McMahon for 60 days. Since her suspension ends five days after WrestleMania, she out of the main event. McMahon named Charlotte Flair as Ronda Rousey’s new opponent.

It’s obvious Lynch will get back into the match at some point, thus making it a triple threat encounter no one wants to see. In a previous blog I wrote about the possibility of Charlotte’s inclusion, I referred to WWE’s inability to create a worthwhile story that doesn’t feel as if Charlotte is shoehorned into the match.

The reason Vince McMahon suspended Becky Lynch is that he doesn’t like her attitude. Furthermore, he picked Charlotte, who is on SmackDown, to go against Rousey for the Raw Women’s Title.

The segment was rushed due to the new edict by USA Network, stating Raw must end at 11:00 pm on the dot. Vince fumbled most of his lines as he made the announcement.

Also, it makes no sense because Vince McMahon and Becky Lynch have never had any interaction on television. Wrestlers over the years have done a lot worse to the McMahon Family than merely having a bad attitude. Yet, Vince never did something so drastic as to take away their WrestleMania main event.

Except for Stone Cold Steve Austin.

“The Man” has drawn many comparisons to “The Texas Rattlesnake” in terms of persona. Perhaps, Vince doesn’t want another Austin on his hands and is trying to put Lynch in her place before that happens. This would make sense. After all, there are some parallels between the two

Austin was already WWE’s top star going into WrestleMania 14 in 1998. He just needed his coronation via the WWE Championship while rubbing shoulders with Mike Tyson. Today, Becky Lynch is the top star going into WrestleMania 35. She needs WWE to make that point loud and clear, by having her beat Ronda Rousey.

There is a theory suggesting Charlotte was only put in the match to take fall. Thus Rousey avoids doing the job. I get it, and it wouldn’t surprise me. Still, I don’t see that being the case.

Ronda Rousey has been undefeated since she debuted at last year’s WrestleMania. Lynch ending her streak is the key ingredient in setting up Lynch for true superstardom. It’s literally the biggest contribution Ronda Rousey can make to WWE.

Charlotte, for her role, is doing a fantastic job on the promotional side of things. She’s been trolling everyone on social media to the nth degree and doing the same on television. The fans hate her right now, which means her inclusion might have been a good idea after all.

Last night on Raw, the suspended Lynch once again blindsided Rousey. In return, Rousey threw down the women’s title in protest to the McMahon family not reversing the suspension. Rousey said she wants to fight the best, and it’s not as if security can stop Lynch anyways.

Now that makes sense. Rousey is the ultimate competitor and has made her money. If WWE doesn’t give her what she wants, which is also what the fans want, she’ll just walk away.

It’s nice to finally have some faith in WWE’s writing, even though their track record is abysmal when it comes to creating clear and concise character motives.

A convoluted road to a finished product is, unfortunately, their modus operandi. In this case, however, seeing Lynch, Charlotte, and Rousey in the ring on April 7th might be worth the mess we get along the way.

Wrestling and Power Rangers on 2/20 in Malden, MA

MASSACHUSETTS, February 20, 2019 – The Bell Time Club & Dante Luna presents a fun-filled day of professional wrestling, artists, storytellers and the original leader of the Power Rangers at the Malden Irish American Club, 177 West Street, Malden, MA on Wednesday, February 20, 2019.

The same group of creators who brought you Wrestling at Fenway Park with El Mundo Boston are now presenting two NEW showcases to the community. The Bell Time Club Pre Show Experience and a live professional Wrestling Show that is titled The Bell Time Club.

The Bell Time Club’s Pre Show Experience is a great way to try something new with your friends and family. It is an event that was created as a celebration of wrestling, art empowerment, and pop-culture! Doors open at 1:00 PM where fans can meet some of the top professional wrestlers from New England including Hall of Famers and BELL TIME CLUB founders “The Dynasty” Beau Douglas and Jason Rumble!

Our friend JOHN CENA SR will be signing and doing photo ops from 2pm to 5pm! It will be Morphin Time in Malden as Austin St. John, the original Red Ranger on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, will be signing autographs and doing photo ops from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM. St. John will also be appearing at the wrestling show that evening.

Rodney Levoie Jr. from SURVIVOR season 30, Kevin Schlehuber from BIG BROTHER 19 and Chardas Freeman from WHOLE FOOD, SOUL FOOD will be at the Pre-Show Experience.

After the conclusion of the Pre Show Experience, the doors will close to the public as our team will prepare for Belltime. Doors will reopen for seating of the action-packed evening of professional wrestling at 6:00 PM. “The Masshole” Mike McCarthy defends the El Mundo Boston Championship against multi-time champion Slyck Wagner Brown.

Adding to the evening’s action will be two additional championship matches, the inaugural Kowalski Classic Tag Team Battle Royal, and a special attraction bout featuring the masked sensation Todo Loco taking on rising star Channing Thomas. Also, Impact Wrestling’s Alisha Edwards will be in action!

Tickets for the wrestling show are $15.00 and will be available at the door. Tickets from the Wrestling Show will not get you into the Pre Show Experience with Austin St. John. Entrance fee for the Pre Show Experience is $10.00 and will be available for purchase at the door!

The Bell Time Club & Dante Luna promise to deliver a night of professional wrestling you don’t want to miss. Make sure you join us fun filled day of pop culture and wrestling the whole family can enjoy.

About The Bell Time Club – The Bell Time Club is one of the premier professional wrestling schools in New England. Owner and Trainer Beau Douglas provide quality instruction and fundamentals that were taught to him by the legendary Walter “Killer” Kowalski. The facility is located at 40 Broadway St, Wakefield, MA.

Professional Wrestling @ The Malden Irish American Club

177 West Street, Malden, MA 02148

Doors open at 6:00 pm – Bell Time at 7:00 PM

Tickets: $15.00

El Mundo Boston Championship: “The Masshole” Mike McCarthy vs. Slyck Wagner Brown

Women’s Triple Threat Main Event: Alisha Edwards vs Luscious Latasha vs Amber vs The Widow Belmont

El Mundo Boston Tag Team Championship: Alec Price & Edgardo Montoya vs. Bugsy Stone and Big Bear Matouch

Test of Strength Wrestling Championship: Bobby Ocean vs. Dan Terry

Special Attraction: Todo Loco vs. Channing Thomas

Tag Team Bout: The Platinum Hunnies vs. The Sea Stars

Also appearing: John Cena Sr.,“The Dynasty” Beau Douglas, Jason Rumble, The Middlesex Express, Anthony Greene, Antoine Nicolas, Dan De Man, Vern Vicallo and more!

ROH/New Japan Fan Festival Announced

Ring of Honor Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling will G1 Supercard Festival of Honor on Friday, April 5th, 2019 at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The fan festival will occur the day before the sold out G1 Supercard of Honor wrestling event at MSG the following night.

The Festival of Honor will begin at 10:00 AM EST and ends at 6:00 PM. Tickets go on sale for HonorClub members on Wednesday, February 13th, 2019 and for the General Public on Friday, February 15th, 2019.

Admission for the G1 Supercard Festival of Honor is just $39 when you purchase before March 20th. which includes access to all festival entertainment, the official G1 Supercard press conference, and a special gift bag with a FREE G1 Supercard hat and lanyard ($30 value).

After March 20th, tickets will be $44 and on April 5th, they will be $49. Tickets will be sold separately for the special meet and greet/autograph sessions throughout the day.

There will be exclusive meet and greet autograph sessions with ROH and New Japan stars, live Q&A sessions, official press conference, live entertainment, interactivities and more.

It was smart for ROH and NJPW to do some sort of fan fest in conjunction with the show they are putting on at MSG. The entire wrestling industry will be in town for WrestleMania weekend. WWE has scheduled their fan Axxcess event and WrestleCon will have over 200 wrestlers and five live shows at their convention.

While no card has been announced for the MSG show on 4/6, New Japan’s big three, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada, and Tetsuya Naito were announced right before tickets went on sale in August. I would like to meet Okada, again. Last time we crossed paths, it was before he became the Rainmaker. It’s kind of a funny story that I’ll share soon.

I have to meet Hiroshi Tanahashi. Call me a mark, I don’t care. He’s truly one of the all-time greats the industry has ever produced. This might be the only chance to snag a picture with him. I’m truly in awe of his work whenever he steps inside the ring.

My wife and I are going to the MSG show. As much as I want to run around the big apple and partake in all of the wrestling related activities, it’s only fair I carve out a sliver of time for my better half.

WWE Halftime Heat 2019 Review

Twenty years ago, the inaugural Halftime Heat aired live on the USA Network during the Super Bowl halftime show. The event saw Mankind defeat The Rock for the WWE Title in an empty arena match and it was a rousing success.

The second Halftime Heat occurred the following year with an exclusive interview with Stone Cold Steve Austin. At the time, Austin was recovering from neck surgery in conjunction with the infamous hit and run angle involving Rikishi.

Last night, WWE held another Halftime Heat special, which aired on all social media platforms, YouTube and the WWE Network. The company’s developmental system NXT took center stage with a live 6-Man Tag Team Match from the Performance Center.

Aleister Black, Ricochet, and Velveteen Dream teamed up to take on NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa, NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole. Vic Joseph and Shawn Michaels called the action on commentary.

Triple H said in an opening video package “If you’re all in on sports entertainment, NXT is for you.” Athleticism personified is the best way to describe this twenty-three-minute match. All six men delivered a high energy affair that you will not see on WWE’s main roster.

The match had an odd cadence to it. At times it felt rushed, which is understandable because, well, the Super Bowl. Some moments told a clear story. Other moments came off as a mere exhibition of moves with each wrestler getting their stuff in.

Extremely fast-paced action anchored by several callbacks to amazing spots on TakeOver shows such as Adam Cole meeting a moonsaulting Ricochet in midair with a superkick. The finish came when Adam Cole received in succession Black Mass, Dream Driver and a springboard 450 splash from Ricochet for the pinfall.

Astatically, the room was poorly lit, and there was a mixture of genuine and phony reactions from the crowd. As a former independent wrestler, I’ve sat in the audience for my share of poorly attended shows. It’s a tradition for workers in the crowd to boo and cheer accordingly as a way to get the fans into the show.

Reports indicate the Performance Center contained 400 people for a family and friends Super Bowl party. Not counting the WWE Network, the overall live streaming numbers are 86,190 viewers.

Despite elements of the match lacking a narrative with rerun envy, the show was a success. The goal here was to expose NXT to a broader audience, which is why going back to the well with familiar spots is perfectly fine. The social media numbers could have been better, but those who saw the match loved it. (Fast forward video above to 6:03)

Is Charlotte Flair The Problem?

The world according to Becky Lynch is a beautiful place right now. She won the Royal Rumble on a Sunday and challenged Ronda Rousey the next day to set up their highly anticipated clash at WrestleMania 35.

It is undeniable Rousey vs. Lynch should be the main event of WrestleMania. However, The Wrestling Observer reported as of Monday evening; the plan is for Charlotte Flair to be included into the match, making it a triple threat. Sports Illustrated, however, is reporting the opposite.

Fan reaction to this news has been damned with faint praise. Wrestling aficionados, at their core, are traditionalists. The idea of a WrestleMania main event being anything other than a singles encounter doesn’t feel right. It dilutes the story, and three’s a crowd.

While a one on one match is the preferred choice, would Charlotte’s inclusion really be a bad thing?

Charlotte is one of the best wrestlers in the women’s division. She always has good matches, was initially groomed to be Rousey’s WrestleMania dance partner and many feel she stole at last year’s Mania when she ended Asuka’s undefeated streak.

Adding Charlotte to the Lynch/Rousey equation would make the match better than it’s already going to be. Her inclusion will only draw more heat by having two people to boo instead of one. Also, it gives Lynch a more daunting journey, making her assumed victory even sweeter.

From a business perspective, the first female WrestleMania main event featuring Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair helps WWE in the long run. Rousey is reportedly leaving the company at the end of April. It’s better to have two history-making characters to market instead of one.

In the storyline, Charlotte brutalized Rousey at Survivor Series. Rousey returned the favor at TLC by costing both Charlotte and Lynch the SmackDown Women’s Title. There are unresolved issues between Charlotte and Rousey, and WrestleMania is the perfect place for a resolution.

Another thing to take into account is the injury Becky Lynch suffered at the hands of Nia Jax, removing her from the match at Survivor Series against Rousey. Charlotte was her replacement.

The addition of Charlotte Flair improves upon the finished product. However, despite all the positives, there is still a loud voice in the wrestling consciousness that says Charlotte doesn’t belong.

After four years of Roman Reigns featured main events that never got over, WrestleMania finally has a top match everyone is excited to see. Some view Charlotte as the Roman Reigns of the women’s division because, underneath Rousey, she is the performer WWE wants to push.

The biggest problem with Charlotte’s inclusion is how do you get her into the match? WWE needs to develop a logical storyline reason on why Charlotte receives an invite to the party.

She could beat Asuka for the SmackDown Women’s Title at one of the two pay per view events before Mania. Still, how would that qualify Charlotte to enter a WrestleMania main event that has already been announced?

A winner takes all match with both titles on the line is intriguing. Still, it just can’t be a title change that gets Charlotte the golden ticket. Many championships have changed hands over the years so close to WrestleMania.

Perhaps, WWE will take a roundabout route of Charlotte somehow convincing Becky Lynch into putting her title shot on the line in a match, winning that match, and Lynch somehow gets back in later on. Unfortunately, not only is that just too easy but from a character perspective, Lynch is too smart to be duped into such a match with an injured knee.

In all likelihood, there is probably a way to get Charlotte into the match that doesn’t feel like she is shoehorned in. However, WWE doesn’t evoke much confidence when it comes to creating that story. There has been a severe lack of quality control with their writing that’s led to their record low television ratings.

Shoehorning Charlotte will be akin to the referee missing the pass interference call in the NFC Championship game. Yeah, the Rams won the game, but everyone knew they didn’t belong in the Superbowl.

Does WWE really want to make Charlotte a third wheel? Yeah, probably. Why? Because Vince McMahon would inexplicably rather tell the audience what he thinks they want instead of letting them tell him what they want.

If Charlotte ends up standing across the ring from Ronda Rousey and Becky Lynch on April 7^th, please, feel free to boo as loud as you want. Don’t boo Charlotte, however, boo WWE for making a decision that only serves them, regardless of what the audience wants. Charlotte would be merely doing her job.

After all, would anyone turn down the biggest payday and moment of their career despite the creative optics of the situation? No, not at all.

There are more pros than cons to Charlotte’s inclusion in the Rousey/Lynch main event at WrestleMania. However, there is one con that outweighs all the pros. Wedging in an unwanted entity is undeniably what the audience doesn’t want to see.

There is no remainder to this equation. One plus one equals two. Two wrestlers who have produced a tidal wave of enthusiasm for a mano e mano showdown. Charlotte is not the problem, but, WWE’s proclivity to rebuild a perfectly gifted storyline is a big problem.