Spectacular Show From Starr Girls, In Adrian, MI

July 21st, was the date, and Adrian's LA Cafe was the place for a tremendous night of exciting wrestling action.  Things got underway as announcer for the evening, Sybil Starr, welcomed the audience.  She didn't get very far before Starr Girls Champ, Lady Victoria, accompanied by manager Buddy D. Wolfe came out to interrupt her.

Buddy said that as the most dominant women's champ ever--Lady V., would defend against whomever she wanted, whenever she wanted.  Tonight's opponent would be Ruby Nesque.  Starr was outraged: "Ruby is the greenest rookie  in the promotion!"

Buddy and Victoria asserted their rights under their contract, and the match was set as the opener.  For a brief moment Ruby shocked her foe, and the crowd by taking the fight to the champ.  All too quickly though, Lady Victoria rallied and over powered her challenger.  Then, heeding the admonition of her manager to "punish that girl--make her pay," she began to choke Ruby out.

Then, Amanda Ruffin, Little Jeanie, and Li'l Naughty charged the ring to add to Ruby's woes.  Charging to the rescue were former champ Sin-D, who also fell victim to the numbers game.  Then former TNA star, Sojo Bolt, and current TNA/Impact wrestling star, Tailer Hendrix, charged in and cleared the ring.

It was announced that commissioner Kay Fabian, did not sanction Lady Victoria's defense against Ruby, and that she would have to defend her title against Tailer Hendrix in the main event.  As might be expected Buddy, and Lady V. were furious, but had no choice but to comply.

Next up, was Amanda Ruffen (accompanied by Buddy Wolfe), taking on Sojo Bolt.  This was a very entertaining match, with Amanda releasing her "inner brat." The action went back and forth, and at one point as the two fought outside the ring. Sojo held her foe and invited various fans to give the "brat" a swat across the backside.

Once back in the ring, Sojo eventually nailed Amanda with a cradle slam from the shoulders, for the three count!  The defeated "brat" was helped to the back by her manager.

Next up "Hardcore" Heather Owens took on another of Buddy's clients, "Li'l Naughty."  Another hard fought match, eventually won by Heather.  Now it was time for an intermission.

After the break Sin-D took on the ever tough Little Jeannie.  These two seasoned competitors battled ferociously.  Jeannie dominated most of the action, but it was the tough, and ever resourceful Sin-D, who rallied to pick up the win.

Next up, to ease the tension, was a novelty match pitting Thing one (in black full  body and face unitard) taking on Thing two, similarly attired in yellow.  The two sort of wrestled in and out of the ring, eventually dancing off as "Girls Just Want To Have Fun!" played over the PA system.

Now it was time for the main event, and as the laughter faded, the mood darkened.  It was clear no love was lost between challenger Taeler Hendrix, and champion Lady Victoria (and her manager, Buddy D. Wolfe).
As the referee held the Title Belt aloft, Buddy screamed at the challenger, "take a good look! That's as close as you're getting to the title!"

The match was brutal. Two talented athletes went all out seeking to destroy each other.  At every opportunity, Buddy interfered to punish the challenger on the ropes, repeating every time the ref turned to see what Buddy was up to.  The powerful champion battered Taeler, soon inflicting a bloody nose on the challenger!

Hendrix, came close to scoring an upset with her booming kicks, but in the end the wily champion  prevailed with a brain buster and cover for the one-two-three!  The two gladiators withdrew from the field of battle, and an exhausted, and delighted crowd made it's way into the night.

Thriller Makes Change For A Dollar At Faded Glory Vll

It was a night of beginnings at Price Of Glory's biggest show of the year, "Faded Glory Vll" in Coldwater, MI, on June 23rd.  The first bout of the evening was a " fatal fourway," to determine one competitor for a later number one contenders match.

It was Roderick Street, Keith Creme, Noah Lott, and Mike Musso, squaring off against one another for an opportunity to advance. This was a rugged contest with Lott picking up the nod by pinning Creme.  Lott was immediately attacked by Street (from behind) and had to be helped to the dressing room.

Next up was Max "Game Boy" Morrison, who proclaimed himself a changed man! He faced the challenge of  Mitch Jackson.  Max may be a "changed man," but hasn't changed enough as his heelish ways failed to save him from defeat by Jackson who scored a decisive pin.

The third match saw the "New Kosher Club" take on the team of Jun Hudo and Durrell Jackson. This tag bout was the crowd pleaser of the night as Joseph Schwartz, a veteran of Michigan's ring wars is a master at working the crowd and building excitement.  There were plenty of comedy spots as well as Kosher Club scored the very popular win.

Next up was a battle for the newly minted Price of Glory Women's title, as Sybil Starr took on Sin-D.  These two have met in the ring many times, so both began somewhat cautiously.  Sin-D taunted both her foe, and the crowd, solidifying Starr's status as crowd favorite. After battling on even terms for several minutes, Starr caught her opponent in one of her patented submission holds.  As she cranked Sin-D's neck in an unnatural direction, Sin-D was left with no option but to tap out.  This giving Sybil the title to the crowd's great delight!

Last bout before intermission saw Jimmy" The Hype" Shalwin, take on Sean Tyler, and Osyris in a threeway match. This was a hard hitting, but somewhat plodding affair. In the end Shalwin picked up the win--but at a price!  He appeared to suffer a shoulder injury at the end of the match.

After the intermission, there was a skit involving FIA, Frank Isaac Anderson, channeling Mike Rotundo's  character IRS (from the '90s) as an investgator from Michigan's Social Services.  he accused the audience of selling their food stamps to buy tickets. Let's just say he got his comeuppance and move on!

In a rematch CJ Otis, once aagin proved too strong for Jake Matthews, weakening his foe with several German Suplexes, Otis polished him off with a "clothesline from hell."  Matthews immediately, if perhaps unwisely, asked for "one more shot" at the next POG event.

Next up was the number one contenders match pitting the injured Shalwin against the injured Noah Lott. After some confusion when both were announced as unable to compete, and various grapplers demanded their spots, the the two came out to compete. After the match began to dissolve into total chaos, Shalwin scored the win and will meet the Champion in August.

Now it was time for the main event pitting champion "Dollar" against the challenge od "The First" Jack Thriller.  This was an evenly matched battle, with action in and out of the ring.  During one of the outside segments, Thriller tied up the champion's arms, and invited kids in the crowd to slug him.  I found this disturbing on a number of levels.

First off there is a long tradition in pro wrestling, separating competitors from fans. Secondly, what does it teach kids, if they are encouraged to hit wrestlers unable to defend themselves?  Yes, I realize that no real physical damage occurred, but a line was crossed that this writer feels should never be!  After a rough battle, Thriller pinned Dollar to win the POG Title.  He will make his first defense against "The Hype." Jimmy Shalwin at Price Of Glory's next event on August 4th.

Congratulations to the new champions, Jack Thriller, and Sybil Starr.  See you at the matches!

Price Of Glory Show in Coldwater, "Double Impact," "

The venerable Michigan Sports Camp was the site for this event, and a rowdy crowd of 50+ was in attendance, and they were not disappointed. First match of the night saw Sean Tyler take on the masked man, Ninjoe. Pretty much a shutout, as the veteran Tyler had too much of an edge in experience for his masked foe to overcome. The over matched Ninjoe fell victim to a crushing cradle piledriver in less than three minutes.

Second match pitted the returning veteran, Keith Creme, who after taunting the crowd, turned his attention to the debuting Sun Hado, from Japan. This also proved to be a mismatch, as Creme, a wily and talented grappler, proved to be to much for his opponent to handle. After a few minutes of abuse Creme locked on a submission hold to gain the nod.

Next up, Chase Matthews took on CJ Otis, these two were more evenly matched, and had an exciting fast paced match with Otis getting the victory with a pin after a series of eight German suplexes! The two competitors shook hands after the match. Mattews asked for, and was granted a rematch at the next event (details at the end of this article).

Match number four saw former POG champion, Noah Lott take on Mike Musso (think Moose Cholak without the moosehead.). The two battled on even terms, until the referee took a bump. Taking advantage of the situation, Musso delivered a mule kick to Lott's groin, and then picked up the win with a backslide, proving, I guess, that you can keep a good man down!

Now it was time for a non-title tag match pitting the champs, "Pretty Nifty," (Jack Verville and Mr. Nifty) against the new Kosher Club, Joseph Schwartz and new partner, Dickie Bronsonfeld. This was a crowd pleaser featuring four experienced wrestlers hitting on all cylinders.  The crowd was totally into action, and totally behind the Kosher Club.

The challengers picked up the win with a reverse roll up and will challenge the champs for the title at the next event.  Now it was time for everyone to catch their breath, have a snack, and take care of other needs. In short, it was time for an intermission.

First up after the break, was Christin Able meeting Mitch Johnson.  This was another hard fought match with Johnson taking everything Able could dish out (at one point a frustrated Able was heard to mutter,, "what do I have to do to beat this guy?"). Eventually he solved his conundrum and pinned his foe for a hard fought victory. Special referee for this match was very popular star, "The SI."

Next event pitted the returning Jimmy "The Hype" Shalwin, taking on Darrell "The Prodigy" Jackson.  After starting with a lengthy harangue on the mic, outlining his reasons for first leaving, and now returning to, POG.
Jackson was game, but no match for Shalwin who polished him off with a choke slam.

The main event saw POG champion Dollar, and his partner, Fabuzio, take on BAM and his partner Jack Thriller, in a wild and wooly affair that saw lots of action in and out of the ring, as well as liberal use of various weapons. Dollar and his partner eventually picked up the tainted win, and beat a hasty retreat! Thus bringing the curtain down on an excting evening of old school wrestling,

Next show is on June 23ed, "Faded Glory 7," And will feature a Tag Title match, a selection of a number one contender for the POG title, and in a special event Sybil Starr will take on the fast rising Betty Battles.

Starr Girls Returns to Adrian, MI With Wild Night of Wrestling!

May 12 was the date, and Adrian's LA Cafe was the place for the all women's promotion "Starr Girls" second live card.  And it did not disappoint!  Although  a snafu with the ring's arrival caused a short delay. Jamie P. of VIP Pro Wrestling, and a crew of helpers, got the replacement ring up in record time.

Legendary manager Percival A. Friend, was the announcer for the evening, and did an excellent job, both announcing, and confronting Starr Girl's general manager (and certified life coach) Buddy D. Wolfe for his "shenanigans."

First up was a tag match featuring Amanda Ruffen and Little Naughty taking on the team of Sybil Starr, and Ruby Nesque.  This was won by Ruffen and Little Naughty, who successfully kept the veteran, Sybil Starr, out of the ring so they could pick apart newcomer Ruby N... Afterwards Little Naughty taunted Sybil.

Sybil demanded a one-on one match with Little Naughty.  Naughty was quick to agree, vowing to punish Starr.

Second match saw Betty Battles take on Amanda Ruffen.  In a mild upset the rookie pinned the more experienced Ruffen.

Next up was a battle royal to determine a challenger for Sin-D's Starr Girls championship. Buddy D. Wolfe came out with the contingent of  Amanda Ruffen, Little Naughty, and making her Starr Girls' debut, the legendary, Lady Victoria. Buddy insisted that announcer Friend introduce him as "Mr. Buddy D. Wolfe, General Manager of Starr Girls, and certified Life Coach."

Also in the contest were Sybil Starr, Betty Battles, and Ruby Nesque. The order of elimination was: Amanda, then Little Naughty, followed by Sybil Starr. This left Betty B. alone in the ring with the fearsome Lady Victoria. After a spirited encounter that included, according to some fans, Buddy whacking Betty with his "Book Of Wisdom," Betty seemed to have scored a major upset when Lady V. accidentally put herself over the ropes!

However, a furious Buddy D. demanded that Lady Victoria be declared the winner as Betty was not under contract!  An equally furious Percival A. Friend told Wolfe that he was going to call the commission to have Buddy's ruling overturned.  While these two worthies seemed on the point of combustion.  It was time for an intermission.  During the intermission the wrestlers mingled with the fans and posed for photos.

After the break, it was announced that Percival Friend had reached commissioner Kaye Fabian who had ruled, over Buddy's strong objection, that Lady Victoria and Betty Battles, would meet in a one-on-one match to determine who would challenge Sin-D for the SG title.

The veteran Lady Victoria proved too strong for her rookie foe, and despite Betty's best efforts, Ms. Battles was soon eliminated. This cleared the way for the title match.

But first, there was the matter of the grudge match between Sybil Starr, and Little Naughty.  Once again experience won out as Ms. Naughty submitted to one of Ms. Starr's favorite holds--the dragon choke.

Now it was time for the main event of the evening, with the coveted Starr Girls title on the line. First out was Lady Victoria, accompanied by Buddy D.  Wolfe. Percival Friend was so furious he could barely get their names out. Now it was time for the lovely, and determined Sin-D to enter the ring to thunderous applause.  the steely glint in her eyes showed she had no intention of losing her title.

It was the kind of war you would expect from these two warriors.  They exchanged holds, and counter holds at a rapid pace.  The contest seemed to go one way, and then the other. Buddy took advantage of every opportunity to interfere on his client's behalf, ignoring the referee's threat of disqualification!

In the end though it was a thunderous two handed choke slam by Lady Victoria, that ended Sin-D 's year long title reign.  As Buddy and Lady Victoria celebrated, announcer Percival Friend fumed, and could barely bring himself to announce the title change.

The real winners were the fans who, hoarse from cheering their favorites, and booing the heels, streamed out into the Michigan night.

The Starr Girls will return to the same venue on July 12th to advance their mission of "empowering girls and women by encouraging their participation in all the martial arts."

CIW Tears Down The House At Springfield High!

A very excited crowd of 200 (including a small army of youngsters wearing Lucha masks) saw an exciting night of wrestling at Springfield High School, in Holland, Ohio, on November 12.

Getting things started were Doug Basham, formerly 1/2 of the WWE tag champs, taking on Rocky (local favorite D-Ray 3,000, in a new guise-including a tail!). Basham did a good job of establishing himself as the heel, by insulting everyone, and everything, in sight. The audience returned the "love," cheering wildly as Rocky picked up the win with a roll-up.

Next up it was the "Girls Friends" taking on the Amish Assassin, and Chuck Wagoner in a tag battle. This had a number of comedy spots, including one member of the heel "friends" team unwittingly applying an illegal hold to his own partner. In the end, the bad guys cheated their way to victory. Amish assassin, and his partner, gained some measure of revenge by taking trns applying the dreaded "stink face " to the referee, who got no sympathy from the fans.

local favorite, "New Age Patriot" Brian Castle, who continues to improve with every outing, took the measure of the generically named Chuck Davis with a Samoan Drop, and press.

A six man tag match brought an end to the first half of the show, WWE legend Paul Bearer led one team, and T.K. Parker led the heel team, which included CIW champion Akuma. Bearer's team got the win and stayed in the ring during the 40 minute intermission for photo ops with the fans.

After the break Dick Foley took on U. S. Champ, Dave Dupont, who was accused by CIW's Director of Operations, Percival Friend, a legend in his own right, of stealing the title from Foley in a prior bout. Dupont's manager took exception to this. In the end, not even "Mr. Socko" could save Foley as Dupont eliminated all doubt by getting the win with a Cobra Clutch.

Next up Benjamin Boone and Nate Mattson "The Michigan Brothers" (you can guess how that went over in a crowd where a large number of fans were wearing Ohio State jackets!) took on WWE alums, Doink The Clown and Rosie. The match also featured an "enforcer," a teacher--a very tall teacher who forced Boone and Mattson back into the ring as they attempted to flee!

Rosie won for his team with a samoan Drop and pin.

Time for the main event pitting Abyss, and Crimson, guided by manager Truth Martini, against Rhino, who was clearly at a disadvantage in what was supposed to be a three-way match! The action spilled out of the ring as the three battled all over the field house, and up into the bleachers.

In the end, much to the crowds delight, Rhino picked up the well earned win, and Abyss, and Crimson turned on Martini! this ended the evening, and all the delighted little "luchadores," and their parents went home happy.

Shimmer Women Athletes Taping Exceeds Expectations

October 1st, in Berwyn, Illinois, the Shimmer Women Athletes staged one of the greatest pro wrestling shows, this writer has ever seen! In the interest of full disclosure, let me say that circumstances prevented me, and my companions from staying for the full taping, so I will only describe the matches I saw. I will review the DVD when it becomes available. Now on to the show.

A crowd of 200 knowledgeable, and wildly enthusiastic fans (from many different states, and several foreign countries) packed the old Eagles Club, and they would not be disappointed!

First official match saw Kelly Skater take on Nicky Ross in a good match won by Ross with a roll-up.

Next up, Davita Rose vs Mercedes Martinez. This was a very competitive, hard hitting affair, with plenty of offense by both women. Martinez took the win with a fearsome looking cradle piledriver.

Third match saw Cincinnati, Ohio native Hailey Hatred take on Kalamity. Again fans were treated to fast, hard hitting action! Hatred won with a ferocious powerbomb. In a display of sportsmanship Hatred helped her foe to her feet, and both raised their arms to loud cheers from the fans. At this point, Michigan's Mena Libra, and Melanie Cruise, did a run-in to break up the display of good will (and set up a future confrontation?).

Next up, Sara Del Ray took on Yubi Oka. Words simply fail me: this was simply one of the three best matches I have ever seen! And I have been watching wrestling for more than 50 years. The two women went all out, with spectacular, hard hitting action that told a story, and had fans on their feet and cheering wildly!

After a series of believable near falls, Sara finally gained the victory with a missile drop kick. If she is not the best woman wrestler in the world, who is? Stay tuned.

Next up was an interview segment that saw Impact Wrestling's Madison Rayne, (Ashley Lane in Shimmer) confront former partner Nevaeh. This ended in a pull apart brawl.

The fifth match saw the great Japanese star, Kana, make her debut. That she would play the heel was established by video vignettes (shown earlier) showing her rebuffing efforts by Sara Del Ray, and others, to welcome her to Shimmer.

Her opponent was Mia Yem, and this was another spectacular match with ferocious action, and some spectacular spots. Kana won with a submission maneuver that had me fearing for Yem's safety.

Next up Pro Wrestling Illustrated presented a plaque to Madison Eagle,(Champion of Shimmer Wrestling) recognizing the Australian as the number one woman wrestler in the world. Serena Deeb (formerly part of CM Punk's " Straight Edge society" in WWE) came out to challenge Madison to a title match.

This was a very well done segment, both women were 100% believable in their statements and responses to each other. Selling the importance of the title, and what it meant to them, without brawling, or screaming at each other. This approach made their upcoming match seem like a major, competitive event.

Next Daizee Haze, and partner Tomoka Nakagawi, (Shimmer Tag Champs) came out in street clothes, declaring they didn't have anything to prove, and were" taking the night off." Of course, this idea was overruled, and they were forced to defend against the team of Ayumi Kunihari, and Ayako Hamada.

Again a great match, with a great story propelled by four talented women pushing themselves to the limit. The challengers finally won, when Kunihara, pinned Nakagawi after two brutal looking suplexes. The fans showed their appreciation of all four women's efforts with a "That was Awesome!" chant.

The seventh match saw Nevaeh defeat Asley Lane. My vision was obscured by some one standing in front of me, so I didn't see the winning maneuver.

Next was Cheerleader Melissa taking on Britani Knight. Melissa won with a version of a cradle piledriver. Saraya Knight came out to berate Britani, who fled for the safety of the dressing room!

Match number nine saw Portia Perez take on Jessie McCann. Although Perez was the heel in this contest, she had plenty of supporters! At the seven minute mark, competing chants broke out in support of both competitors. Perez, after faking out the referee, with an attempt to bring a chair into the ring, ko'd her opponent with a chain around her fist that she had smuggled into the ring. Winner: Portia Perez.

Tenth match saw Saraya Knight took the measure of Allison Danger, in a match competed under British rules.

It was at this point that we left. Now for some editorial comments. This spectacular show clearly demonstrated what women wrestlers are capable of delivering when given the time to perform in the ring, and on the microphone. The story telling was excellent, the give and take was top shelf. The athleticism was at an extremely high level.

Can't wait to see them again!

Universal All Pro Wrestling In Toledo: August Show

An enthusiastic crowd of 200 fans were treated to a night of professional wrestling action that featured both the best and the worst of wrestling in the current epoch. An enthusiastic, and talented roster could not entirely overcome shaky booking.

The evening got underway with a confrontation between commissioner Sebastion Maze, and Joe Rodriguez. Joe demanded to be included in the steel cage main event (for the UAPW championship). Maze pointed out that Joe hadn't paid the $5,000 fine levied due to his bad behavior at the last show.

Maze then ordered him to wrestle against Renzo Da Great. Joe secured an early advantage with a low mule kick. Renzo staged a come back, but fell victim to two DDT's. Rodriguez picks up the win.

Next up, newcomer Big Jake South, collided with Rampage. South is a large, powerful youngster, who could be a future main eventer. Rampage gave it his best shot, but after a spinning choke slam, could not beat the three count. Give the "w" to Big Jake!

Third match of the night saw saw Manitoba native, Scotty Fraytown, square off with Michael Zane. The pink clad (an homage to Bret Hart?) heeled it up with gusto. Zane was batterred from pillar to post, but still picked up the win with a well timed "small package," for the pin fall victory.

Last bout before intermission, was a tag battle featuring "The Untouchables," (Jake Frost, and Brent Daniels) accompanied by radio personality (WIOT) Grizzly Brown, taking on a high flying team composed of "The Wild Child," and his partner, Greg (didn't catch his last name).

This was, in my opinion, the best match of the night. The heel team, The Untouchables and the smaller face team performed the time honored tag formula, complete with missed (by the harried Referee) tags, punished heroes, and dramatic comebacks, hot tags, etc.). Wild Child, and his partner picked up the win. And then suffered a beat down by their foes. Undoubtedly setting up a future battle.

After the break, the first odd bit of booking, saw Ice Tre take on "The Homeless Avenger," Dick Nasty, with a third opponent involved. Was it a handicap match? a three-way? No clear declaration. After some intense, if at times confusing, action, Third guy won with a spinning DDT.

Next up: a "Homeless Street Fight," between "Mister Main Event," and Grady. This was a comedy match, complete with whip cream, skid-marked shorts, etc. (somewhere Lou Thesz is spinning in his grave!). I admit I am not a fan of comedy matches, but if you are going to have them. They need to be kept short (in my humble opinion). This one went on way too long, from one end of the large venue to the other. Eventually most of the crowd stopped caring, and the bout was called a draw.

Now it was time for the main event. A short break was needed to set up the steel cage, and UAPW took great pains to make sure it well secured. The combatants were Criss Chambers, and Carnage, Carnage attacked his opponent on the way to the ring and a lengthy brawl ensued, culminating in Criss being put through a table.

Once in the cage, the gladiators waged a brutal war. Both men were bloodied, Chambers was put through yet another table! As both battered and damaged combatants rolled on a mat covered with the detritus of their weapons allowed warfare, Joe Rodriguez entered the ring.

After laying chair shots down on everyone within reach, Joe pinned Carnage, and was awarded the title? Was this a "money-in the-bank" match? The ending was confusing, and distasteful. A word of caution to the booking committee: screw job finishes generate heat in the short term, but can be deadly in the long run. Look at how the Sheik killed the Detroit territory, for an example of this path's perils.

On the plus side the show was well paced, and well thought out. If UAPW can learn from its mistakes, this promotion has a bright future.