I’ve been promoting wrestling shows off and on since 2006, and no matter how staunch I’am with my preparation, problems always occur. The road to ElkMania 3, held ten days ago, was littered with obstacles. That in itself is par for the course when it comes to independent wrestling, however, political pressure reared its ugly head.
Continue reading “After the Bell: Looking Back at ElkMania 3”
*** (This is a press release for a charity wrestling event I’m putting on) ***
ELKMANIA PRO WRESTLING RETURNS TO BEVERLY ON SEPTEMBER 26 WITH KRUEGER BATTLING SIMONETTI IN STREET FIGHT REMATCH
Elkmania 3: Krueger vs. Simonetti Part 2
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Beverly/Salem Lodge of Elks – Beverly, Massachusetts
– BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS – Professional wrestling returns to the North Shore as ELKMANIA 3 emanates from the Beverly/Salem Elks Lodge, 39 Bow Street, Beverly, MA on Saturday September 26th, 2015. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Bell time is at 7:00 PM. Tickets cost $10.00 and are on sale at Silver Moon Comics & Collectibles located inside of the East India Square Mall, Salem, MA. Tickets will be available at the door, but purchase in advance is highly recommended!
“The Maniacal” Jack Krueger emerged victorious in last year’s Elkmania tournament as he used deplorable tactics to defeat Salem’s Derek Simonetti. After months of negotiations, Krueger agreed to the rematch, but only on his terms. These terms dictates that the match had to take place at Elkmania 3, signifying the one year anniversary of the humiliation he inflicted on Simonetti, and that the match be a no-rules street fight. Simonetti accepted the terms without a moment’s hesitation as he looks to settle the score on September 26th. Continue reading “Krueger vs. Simonetti 2 Headlines ElkMania 3 on September 26th”
Written for Forces of Geek.com
WrestleMania 30 was a celebration of wrestling’s past and present that has plotted the course to an exciting and prosperous future. With new blood rising, the fall of a legend, and a hero’s conquest, this years “showcase of the immortals” is something we won’t soon forget.
The show kicked off with the familiar sound of Rick Derringer’s “Real American” as Hulk Hogan, this year’s host, welcomed everyone to the Silverdome and was quickly corrected by over 75,000 fans inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Hulkster took it in stride and talked about some of his greatest moments until he was cut off by the ominous breaking of glass and Stone Cold Steve Austin making his way to the ring. Austin and Hogan stare each other down in a surreal moment. This will always be considered the wrestling dream match that got away. Plus, their personal problems with each other are well documented. It was nice to see them be able to work together in such a capacity.
Austin pumped up the crowd with his verbal “Hell Yeah” hijinks until The Rock made his way to the ring. This was a true WrestleMania moment unfolding before our eyes as the three biggest names in the history of the business were in the same ring at the same time. Rock hugged both of them and gave them props for their contributions to the industry. He also put over John Cena, which unleashed some boo birds from the crowd, and quickly mentioned Daniel Bryan, which turned the jeers to cheers. Hogan closed it out with “Whatcha gonna do when Hogan, Austin, Rock, and the Super Dome run wild on you?” Hogan’s music hits, and the three icons share a beer in the ring Continue reading “WrestleMania 30: “The Greatest WrestleMania of All Time””
I’m dusting off my wrestling promoters hat and putting on a wrestling show on November 2nd at the Beverly/Salem Elks Lodge in Beverly, MA. This will be a charity event where all of proceeds will go towards the Elks National Foundation which supports military families, youth programs, scholarships and a whole host of other charitable endeavors. Since the show is taking place at the Elks and it’s for the Elks, I found it fitting to name the event, ELKMANIA. Yep, you read that right.
Continue reading “Channeling My Inner Vince McMahon with an Independent Show.”
The pay-per-view portion of UFC 155 got off to a boring start with three fights that were anything but exciting. Then, the evening’s co-main event began, and fans saw the beginning of what would end up being, as the elders say, one for the ages.
It fights like Jim Miller vs. Joe Lauzon that remind me of why I’m proud to be an MMA fan. A good fight is fun, but it’s those special encounters that produce the type of story you will be telling your grandchildren about.
Continue reading “The Blood and Guts Ballad of Lauzon vs. Miller”
On April 7, 2007 Matt Serra scored the biggest upset in Mixed Martial Arts history when he beat Georges St. Pierre to become the UFC Welterweight champion. No one thought Serra could win and people laughed at the idea of him being in a title fight. I know because I was one of those people. In all my years of watching MMA, I had never dismissed a fighter’s chance of victory until that night. 5 years, 6 months and 7 days later, Stefan Bonnar will assume the role of a hopeless underdog when he fights Anderson Silva in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
Continue reading “Calling The Shots of UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar”
The Target Center in Minneapolis will play host to the fifth installment of the UFC on FX. Fans will be treated to quality fights with important ramifications depending on the result. Will we witness the birth of the next thing in the heavyweight division? Can a grizzled veteran make an indelible impression in his return to the UFC and which Flyweight will emerge as the inaugural number one contender for Demetrious Johnson’s crown? These questions and more will be answered and the best part, we get to see it for free.
-Josh Neer vs. Justin Edwards
Josh Neer always comes to fight and seeing his name on a fight card guarantees action. Edwards needs to take “The Dentist” to the ground if he wants to avoid a second straight loss. Edwards’ wrestling is not good enough to control the tempo of the fight over a long period of time. Neer carries a wealth of experience and thrives in a firefight.
The Pick: Josh Neer by 1st Round KO
-John Dodson vs. Jussier Formiga
The winner of this fight will officially become the number one contender for the Flyweight title. Dodson is very well rounded in all aspects of the fight game, but he needs to avoid scrambles on the ground at all costs. Formiga is dangerous and can snatch a limb in bear trap fashion. Dodson is a smart fighter and he can avoid rushing into things, so he should control the majority of the 15 minute affair.
The Pick: John Dodson by decision
Continue reading “Calling The Shots of UFC on FX 5: Browne vs. Bigfoot”
(Blog I wrote for Gerweck.net)
Running an independent wrestling show is like anything else in life worth doing. It takes a lot of hard work. If you have aspirations of starting your own promotion then you need to accept the fact that financially, you’re going to be in the red for at least the first two years and maybe even during your entire run. This is an endeavor you partake in because you love the wrestling business, not because you want to become rich and famous.
I want to preface this by saying this is not meant to be “Promoting for Dummies”. I’m not here to criticize others or claim to have all the answers. Everyone has their own vision of how they feel a professional wrestling show should look and feel. Different markets, different parts of the country and different demographics will influence the decisions you make along the way. Consider this some free advice in case you decide to take your fantasy booking to the next level. Of course, it’s only fair to divulge in my own personal experience.
I started a promotion called North Shore Wrestling and we ran shows from 2006-2009. During and since that time I’ve assisted other promotions in New England with booking, promoting and consulting duties. My desire to start promoting stemmed from an absence of local shows in my area. Massachusetts is a hot bed for wrestling with some tremendous talent to boot. I grew up on the North Shore and know the area better than most, so it seemed like a natural transition. My goal was to produce a quality family wrestling show in my area.
I like to pretend that we still live in a Kayfabe world so details of how and why the matches are booked will be absent from this blog. I know, I know. What’s the big deal you say? Everyone knows it’s a work, right? Well, some of us still believe in the magic that pro wrestling can deliver. However, there are those who think it is easy to run an “indy fed” while others know the amount of time you have to put in to make it all work. Let’s go over the things you need to obtain in order to get your promotion off the ground.
Continue reading “So, you wanna be an Independent Wrestling Promoter?”
From top to bottom, the all heavyweight main card at UFC 146 has undergone many changes due to a positive drug test and a plethora of injuries. The main event features Junior Dos Santos making his first heavyweight title defense against former champion Frank Mir.
Continue reading “UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Mir Predictions”
UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans
Phillips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia
– Facebook Prelims
Marcus Brimage over Maximo Blanco via split decision
Chris Clements over Keith Wisniewski via split decision
– FX Prelims
Mac Danzig (TUF 6 Winner) over Efrain Escudero (TUF 8 Winner) via unanimous decision
Anthony Njokuani over John Makdessi via unanimous decision
Matt “Immortal” Brown over Stephen Thompson via unanimous decision
Travis Browne over Chad Griggs via submission by arm triangle in Round 1
– Pay-Per-View Main Card
Mark Bocek defeated John Alessio via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28): The story of the fight was Mark Bocek implementing his game plan with superior wrestling and solid ground and pound in the first two rounds. Alessio picked up the pace in the third with some effective punches but Bocek’s grappling was just too much. One judge scored the third round for Alessio.
Eddie Yagin defeated Mark Hominick via split decision (29-28 across the board): First round saw Yagin drop Hominick with a right uppercut and connected with a left hook on the way down and landed some vicious ground and pound that produced a cut on Hominick’s left eye. Hominick got back up and connected with some body shots while Yagin was swinging for the fences. Yagin dropped Hominick in the second round with a right hook and landed some vicious shots to Hominick’s left eye. Hominick got back up and they engaged in the center of the cage where Hominick landed a solid shot to Yagin’s nose which is caused a lot of blood to pour out. It appears he is having a hard time breathing. The third round was the Mark Hominick show as he found his range and picked him apart with his superior striking while using good head movement to avoid Yagin’s wild clothesline haymakers. I scored it for Hominick but it could have gone either way as the second round was the difference-maker.
Michael McDonald defeated Miguel Torres via KO @ 3:18 of the 1st Round: McDonald pushed the pace by overwhelming Torres with strikes until he landed a vicious left hook that knocked the former bantamweight champion out and hit him with three more punches to seal the deal.
– They skipped entrances for the first three fights since there are six fights including a title fight.
Ben Rothwell defeated Brendan Schaub via TKO @ 1:10 of the 1st Round: Schaub went in for the kill right away as both fighters got into a wild firefight with neither man backing down. Rothwell connected with a right hook that knocked Schaub down and out. Post-fight interview Rothwell thanked the fans and said he would be nothing if it wasn’t for them.
Rory MacDonald defeated Che Mills via TKO @ 2:20 of the 2nd round: Rory MacDonald just obliterated Mills with strikes on the ground in the 1st round and Mills ended up with a bloody face and a busted cheekbone. The second round told the same story with MacDonald taking down Mills and taking his back to finish him with some vicious punches. This was hyped as MacDonald’s coming out party and he delivered in spades as Mills never had a chance.
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans:
Round 1: Jones kept Evans at bay by mixing up his strikes and used his reach to his advantage. Evans rocked Jones with a partially blocked right head kick with 17 seconds left in the round and attacked with caution and Jones caught him with a punch to the mouth right when the bell rang.
Round 2: Jones stayed in Evans’ range while they exchanged well-placed strikes. Jones connected with an overhand right and Evans walked away and make an ass wiping gesture. Jones connected with two elbows to the mouth that rocked Evans ad Jones went in for the kill. Evans tied him up against the fence while working body shots. The end of the round saw Evans catch a kick but Jones hits Evans with a left hook right at the bell.
Round 3: Jones did an amazing job of cutting off the cage and connecting with anything he wants while staying in Evans’ range. Evans attempted two takedowns but failed. Jones kept switching his stance throughout the round and is fighting with utter confidence. Jabs and elbows from Jones close out the round. Evans went to his corner taking some deep breaths.
Round 4: Jones lands some elbows to the head as a knot is starting to form over Evans’ right eye. Evans is breathing out of his mouth but connects with a stiff jab but Jones sticks his tongue out at him. Evans shoots for a takedown but Jones stuffs it and they clinch in the center of the cage and Jones connects with some shoulder shots to the jaw of Evans. The round ends with Jones shooting for the takedown. Evans’ walked back to his corner with his head down and dejected.
Round 5: This round was all Jon Jones with repeated jabs. Evans circles on the outside, but can’t find his range. The crowd is not happy with the pace but this is the Jon Jones show at this point. Jones connects with a mixture of jabs and low kicks. They clinch in the center of the cage and Jones hits Evans with more shoulder strikes. Jones sweeps Evans to the floor but Evans gets right back to his feet. Jones pulled guard from the stand up position in the closing seconds of the round but Evans couldn’t do anything with it.
Winner: Jon “Bones” Jones via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 50-45)
Post-fight interview: Jones said this was his most satisfying victory. He went on to say he threw a lot of elbows in the fight which you never do to a training partner and felt a lot stronger in his wrestling. Evans said Jones was pretty crafty and creative and he could not get his timing right. He did say he felt that Jones did some things better in practice than he did tonight in the fight.
Fight Stats: Jones landed 114 strikes with 71 of them to the head while Evans landed 48 strikes with 22 of them to the head
Fight of the Night: Eddie Yagin vs. Mark Hominick
Submission of the Night: Travis Browne
Knockout of the Night: Ben Rothwell
$65,000 to each fighter
Dana White confirmed at the UFC 145 Post Fight Press Conference that Dan Henderson will get the next shot at Jon Jones.
Ringside Logic 