The Iron Week Spectacle of “Brutal” Bob Evans vs. Todd Sople

(Column written for gerweck.net)

Contrary to popular belief, the best wrestling match this past Monday night did not occur on television. Instead, it took place at the New England Pro Wrestling Academy in North Andover, Massachusetts. “Brutal” Bob Evans wrestled Manchester, New Hampshire’s Todd Sople in a sixty minute iron man match as the second installment of “Iron Week.”

Iron Week is a challenge for some, a happening for most, and a journey for Bob Evans. The concept of Iron Week consists of seven 60-minute matches taking place over seven consecutive days. Evans did this once before in 2009 for six days and this year he would like to break own record. At 40 years old, this is Evan’s second chance to make a lasting impression as time is not on his side. The end game is to make a lasting impression in order to wrestle on the national stage on a regular basis.

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How Did You Become A Wrestling Fan?

(Column written for gerweck.net)

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and while we all have things in our life to be thankful for, I think wrestling can appear on that list in some way, shape, or form. Wrestling fans come from all walks of life and all of us having our own likes and dislikes about the business. Some are casual WWE fans while others are hardcore fans who simply can’t get enough of their favorite pastime.

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Champion vs. Champion: Georges St. Pierre vs. Carlos Condit Preview

Georges St. Pierre’s seventeen month journey back to the Octagon culminates on Saturday night in Montréal. Once the cage door opens, Carlos Condit will be waiting with anything but open arms and a firm desire to remove the interim status from his championship reign. This is a fascinating fight for a variety of reasons despite the resounding opinion of a GSP victory.

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Cung Le: Fact or Fable?

Cung Le’s spectacular first-round knockout of Rich Franklin proved he is the real deal even though it won’t silence the critics. Le gained notoriety before he entered MMA with his Sanshou Kick Boxing bouts on ESPN. He never looked back once he transitioned to the sport and has garnered a professional record of 11-2. Despite his success in the cage, his resume does have some issues to dissect.

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The Conquistadors: All Gold and No Glory

Conquistador is Spanish for “conquerors” and is applied to Spaniard soldiers who explored the New World in the 16^th century. In the late 1980s, the squared circle of the World Wrestling Federation was treated to Conquistadors of a different variety. Gone were the warriors of strategic battle tactics and enter the two individuals who never came close to conquering anything.

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Colder #1 Review

Colder #1| Writer: Paul Tobin | Art: Juan Ferrevra | Colors: Juan Ferrevra | Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Price: $3.99

One look at this cover, and you will no doubt thumb through the pages. After that, your wallet will be four dollars lighter because this book is eerily irresistible.

We start out in the past and make our way to present-day Boston where antagonist, Jack Nimble works his devilish charm to satisfy his appetite for unsuspecting souls.

Nimble is a thin and creepy-looking individual who can contort his body in uncanny positions.

The lead character is a female nurse named Reece who cares for a live-in patient named Declan, who Nimble is drawn to.

As good as the writing it, and believe me, it’s good; the artwork is even more amazing.

The smile on Jack Nimble’s face scares me a little bit because of the evil intentions behind it. It’s a special type of talent to capture such essence in facial reactions. The simple stuff that we normally don’t pay much attention to in comics is drawn in vivid detail, such as the living room in Reece’s apartment.

Dark Horse has a sure-fire winner on its hands; the first installment of this psychological thriller has all the makings of an instant classic. This was ridiculously close to being my pick of the week.

Grade: A

Superman: Earth One Volume 2 Review

Superman: Earth One Volume 2 | Writer: J. Michael Straczynski | Art: Shane Davis | Publisher: DC Comics | Price: $22.99

Superman, the pop culture icon who inspired a generation with truth, justice, and the American way, is too boring and unrealistic for people today. I understand that argument. He solves the world’s problems with an ease that borders on arrogance. It’s hard to relate to this perfect being that has all the answers. DC Comics attempted to make him more relatable in the new 52 by creating a slightly less powerful version of the original that comes across as a punk kid instead of Earth’s greatest hero. Michael Straczynski has brilliantly composed a story about a budding hero who is trying to find his place in the world.

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CM Punk: The Best DVD In The World

The gold standard of WWE DVD releases are The Ultimate Ric Flair collection and The Rise and Fall of ECW. After spending 3 hours with my Blu-ray player, CM Punk: Best in the World can be added to that list and may be the crown jewel of their catalog. I am of the opinion that CM Punk is currently the best worker in the business today. This is coming from someone who is not his biggest fan.

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Talon #1 Review

Last month’s Zero issue introduced the world to Calvin Rose, a former Talon of the Court of Owls who escaped their ranks.

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Combat Sports Lose Two of Their Finest

This week, combat sports lost two of its most influential and beloved members in Jeff Blatnick and Emanuel Steward.

Blatnick won the gold medal in the 1984 Olympics in Greco Roman wrestling and was a color commentator for UFC 4-32. He was instrumental in drafting the unified rules that govern the sport today and coined the term Mixed Martial Arts.

Stewart won the national golden gloves tournament in 1963. He transitioned to training professional fighters and became one of the most accomplished and sought after trainers in the sport. The founder of Detroit’s legendary Kronk Gym not only produced a plethora of championship fighters such as Thomas Hearns but helped get troubled youths off the streets.

Todd Martin of the Wrestling Observer wrote an insightful piece on Jeff Blatnick, and ESPN posted a wonderful article on Emanuel Steward. I highly recommend you check them out.