New England Indies?

[Guest Stupendous Man]

Does anybody know of any good indy feds in the southwestern CT area, like Fairfield and New Haven Counties? I've been able to find one myself.

[Guest CoreyLazarus416]

I don't know any indies that seem worthwhile in New England at all, mate. So add my name to the list of those wondering, only I'm from SouthEastern Massachusetts, right next to the Rhode Island/Mass border.

[Guest Donovan Drake]

Hey, I myself wrestle in a New England indy fed. It's called Impact Pro Wrestling (IPW) and we've merged with Massachusetts Extreme Grappling Arts (Mega). Mega has had a couple of shows in Mass, and we (IPW) have had some in the Albany NY area. Our combined show will take place April 27 in Worchester, MA. If anyone is interested i'll post more details

[Guest RetroRob215]

I believe there is a promotion called the WWA in New England.  I worte a review on one of their shows from 1998.  If you're interested, I'll post it here.

[Guest CoreyLazarus416]

Hmm...yes, Rob, I would appreciate that.

 

And for the record, Drake, there's no "h" in WORCESTER.

[Guest RetroRob215]

Here you go...

 

World Wrestling Alliance- SummerSlam Fest 1998: August 20, 1998

 

-  This tape can be found at Wrestling Power, it is American Tape #495.  This show is basically a try-out for a bunch of wrestlers who were looking for developmental contracts at the time and it was a place for some of the WWF’s Funkin’ Dojo talent to wrestle.  There is a second show on this tape that has nothing to do with SummerSlam Fest 1998, so I’ll give that show it’s own rant.  And let me tell you, that second show is “something else”.

 

- The commentator for this show has absolutely no personality and he sleeps through some of the matches.  The sad thing is that Test shows more emotion on this show than the commentator!  So if you buy this tape, I recommend using the “mute” button.

 

- Barry Houston vs. Primo Carnera III

Primo is a really big guy.  Supposedly he wrestled in ECW, but I don’t remember him.  Anyway, Carnera starts with some “Generic Fat Guy Offense”.  Houston tries to work on Carnera’s leg, but the big man pushes him back down.  Carnera works Houston over in the corner and hits him with a hanging vertical suplex.  Carnera gets 2 off a sidewalk slam.  Carnera legdrops Houston and gets 2 again.  Carnera misses a second rope shoulder tackle leading to Houston coming back with some punches.  Houston goes for a moonsault and MISSES IT BY AT LEAST 2 FUCKIN’ FEET!  Carnera comes back with a shoulderbreaker and a HUGE backdrop, which gets 2 ½.  Houston gets a sunset flip out of nowhere, but it only gets a 2 count.  Houston reverses a small package for the win. (5:34) DUD Carnera didn’t look too bad in that match, but Houston was horrible.

 

- Dr. Tom Pritchard & Scott Taylor vs. The Hardy Boys

Back in 1998 Scott wasn’t “Too Hot” and the Hardys weren’t “Boyz”.  Matt and Scott start.  Taylor takes Matt down with an armdrag and celebrates!  Taylor applies a side-headlock, Matt escapes to only get armdragged again and being the great heel that he is, Taylor celebrates.  Taylor works on the arm, Matt reverses, but Scott re-reverses and gets a few nearfalls.  Matt comes back with an armdrag off the top rope.  Dr. Tom comes in only to have his arm worked on.  Matt tags Jeff who hits the Poetry in Motion on Dr. Tom for a 2 count.  Jeff continues to work on the arm, but Dr. Tom escapes with some chops in the corner.  Jeff goes back to the arm and tags Matt.  Cool double-team spot as Jeff leapfrogs his brother and hits an avalanche on Dr. Tom for 2.  Matt works on, you guessed it, THE ARM, some more until he tags Jeff who hits a double axe-handle on Dr. Tom’s arm.  Pritchard finally tags out to Taylor.  Taylor and Pritchard attempt a double-suplex on Jeff, but Matt stops them.  All four men brawl in the ring.  Comedy ensues as Pritchard accidentally monkey-flips Taylor.  The heels talk on the outside, so both Hardys hit planchas to the outside.  Back in, Matt misses an Asai Moonsault on Taylor.  Taylor comesback with a pumphandle suplex and he moonwalks to his corner where he tags Dr. Tom.  While the ref is distracted with Jeff, the heels double-team Matt and get a 2 count.  Dr. Tom hits a gutwrench powerbomb for 2 ½.  Taylor tags in and does a nice pinning reversal sequence with Matt.  Taylor goes for a bronco buster, but gets crotched on the second turnbuckle.  Matt makes the (should be) hot tag to his brother.  Jeff slams Taylor and goes for a corkscrew moonsault, but Taylor moved!  Jeff gets a small package on Taylor, but the ref is distracted with Matt, so Dr. Tom comes in and pushes Scott on top of Jeff for the pin.  (10:51) *1/2 The first half of this match killed it for me, but the rest of the match was fast-paced and pretty good.

 

- Killer Kowalski Interview

Kowalski’s accent is hard enough to understand and considering he was using a shitty microphone, I have no idea what he said.  All I know is that Kowalski is the Commissioner of the WWA.  For all you fans of the Killer, don’t worry he gets involved in a couple of the matches.  For all of you who aren’t fans of the Killer, I can understand why.

 

- Kurt Angle w/Dory Funk Jr. vs. Sean Stasiak

From what I can tell, this must have been one of Angle’s first pro matches, it might even be his first.  I don’t know why, but I guess the WWF liked this match seeing how they used it for Angle’s debut at Survivor Series 1999.  Angle starts the match with a mat-wrestling sequence.  Stasiak gets up and taunts Angle for a while.  Angle applies a side-headlock, Stasiak escapes, so Angle does the inevitable and begins to work on the arm.  Stasiak fights out and beats on Angle in the corner.  Angle goes back to arm.  Meanwhile, the commentator begins to lose conciseness from the utter boredom.  After a long time Stasiak fights out and once again beats on Angle in the corner.  Stasiak gets 2 off a suplex.  Angle rolls Stasiak up for 2 ¾.  DAMN, the match goes on.  Stasiak drops an elbow for 2.  Stasiak applies a front-face lock, but Angle elbows his way out.  Angle gets a sunset flip for 2.  Stasiak gets 2 off a gutwrench suplex.  Stasiak goes for a crossbody off the top, but Angle moves out of the way.  Angle hits a belly-to-belly suplex followed up with a belly-to-back suplex.  Angle cradles Stasiak for the win.  (7:12) ½* I think Angle has to be on of the best wrestlers ever.  He went from sucking unbelievably to carrying the WWF, all in a matter of 3 years.  Stasiak, on the other hand, always sucked.

 

- The Mongolian w/Chris Grand vs. Tim McNeany

The Mongolian is Albert, Chris Grand is a heel manager in a crossing guard uniform, and McNeany is…nobody special.  Mongolian starts by throwing McNeany to the outside.  Back in, The Mongolian hits McNeany with some pretty stiff headbutts and punches.  McNeany hits an armdrag and works on the Mongolian in the corner.  The Mongolian continues his assault by applying a neck crank.  McNeany fights out and ends up on the Mongolian’s shoulders.  McNeany armdrags the Mongolian off *his* own shoulders!  McNeany proceeds to punch the Mongolian in the corner, but he only gets up to 3 punches before being thrown to the ring.  McNeany gets the Mongolian with a drop-toehold into a front facelock.  The Mongolian escapes and misses an elbow drop. McNeany hits the Mongolian with a dropkick to the knee.  The Mongolian goes for an enziguri, but McNeany reverses it and takes the Mongolian down.  Funny moment as McNeany applies a leg grapevine, which is called a “legbar” by the announcer.  The Mongolian comesback only to miss a blind charge.  The Mongolian hits a version of the facebuster.  The Mongolian hits McNeany with an axe kick and a Northern Lights suplex for 2.  McNeany reverses a powerbomb and is the first person all night to actually connect with a moonsault, but it only gets long 2 count.  The Mongolian gets McNeany in the Torture Rack and turns it into a reverse neckbreaker for the win.  (8:42) *1/4 This match didn’t suck!  So far it is the 2nd best match of the night.

 

- Cobra Clutch Challenge: Sgt. Slaughter w/Chris Grand vs. The Bulldozer

The Bulldozer is 505 lbs.  For this match The Bulldozer sits in a chair, Sgt. Slaughter applies the Cobra Clutch and if the Bulldozer can escape he gets $2000.  Slaughter stalls for a long time before actually applying the hold.  After 1:05 of being in the hold the Bulldozer is down to one knee.  At 1:30 the Bulldozer is standing up again.  The Bulldozer tries to escape by charging the Sarge into the corner, but the ref was in the way and literally got squashed.  The Bulldozer escapes the hold, but the ref is down and doesn’t see it.  Slaughter hits the Bulldozer with the Brass Knux and reapplies the Cobra Clutch, the ref revives, sees that the Bulldozer is out cold and ends the match.  (2:23) DUD Commissioner Kowalski saw that The Bulldozer was cheated, so he reversed the decision and awarded him the money.  The Killer nails Chris Grand in the face for fighting his decision.

 

- Brandi Alexander vs. Brittany Brown

Alexander is the face and Brown is the heel, if it really matters.  Brown starts with the typical hair-pull takedown followed up with a clothesline.  Brown continues to pull hair until Alexander hits her with a rana for 2.  Brown climbs to the top and Alexander knocks her to floor!  These ladies are physical to say the least.  Back in, Alexander gets a double-leg takedown and a Jeff Hardy double legdrop to the mid-section.  Alexander works on the LEG!  Damn, these women are more versatile than the men are.  Alexander applies an anklelock and a half-crab, but Brown makes it to the ropes.  Alexander pulls Brown to the middle of a ring and goes for a Figure-4, but is blocked.  Brown pulls some more hair and hits powerbomb for 2.  Brown misses a frogsplash, or if you want to listen to the commentator it was a double axe handle.  Alexander misses a blind charge.  Brown almost gets the win with a “Flair Pin” (feet on the ropes), but Alexander kicks out at 2.  Brown gets pissed off and starts to choke her opponent.  Brown now starts fighting with the ref for making her break the chokehold.  She is a feisty one, heh?  Alexander catches Brown with a fisherman’s suplex for 2.  Brown accidentally clotheslines the ref and she is disqualified.  (6:30) *1/4 This match was the best women’s match I’ve seen since Trish-Steph at No Way Out.  I felt funny rating this match above the tag match earlier in the show, but don’t get me wrong, this was a very good American women’s match.

 

- Giant Silva vs. Andrew Martin

Giant Silva was the huge guy in the Oddities and Andrew Martin is Test.  Martin shows more emotion and personality in this one match than he has in his entire WWF career.  Martin tries to punch Silva, but it doesn’t get him too far.  Silva chops Martin and clotheslines him down.  Martin blocks another clothesline and applies and armbar.  Martin works him over in the corner.  Silva goes for a chokeslam, but Martin blocks it with an eye gouge.  Martin continues his beating in the corner until Silva pulls his hair to get him off.  Martin tries an irish whip, but Silva is too big.  Silva kicks Martin in the mid-section and powerbombs him for the win.  (3:01) ¾* I don’t know what I liked about this match.  Maybe it was the shortness of it or maybe it was Test playing the role of the heel great.

 

- Edge vs. Christian Cage

Christian Cage dropped his last name and is known now just as Christian making this is the battle of the 7-time WWF Tag-Team Champions.  Edge starts with a cool backdrop/facebuster move.  Edge chases Cage around the ring.  Back in, Edge hits a rana for 1.  Cage reverses a slam into a victory roll for 2.  Cage charges Edge and gets a boot to the face.  Cage hits a powerslam and follows that up with two snap suplexes and a facebuster without breaking the hold, ala Chris Benoit, for a 2 count.  Cage applies a headlock, Edge fights out and the two do a cool pinning sequence.  Cage hits Edge with a curtain call for 1.  Cage follows that up with a snapmare and a Tajiri-like kick to the back.  Cage applies a sleeper, which Edge reverses into his own sleeper.  Cage fights out with a belly-to-back suplex.  Both men are out and Edge hits a spear out of nowhere.  Cage climbs on top of Edge’s shoulders and gets facebuster for his trouble.  Edge goes for a crossbody off the top, but Cage reverses it for 2.  Edge gets a Thesz Press for 2.  Cage attempts a double axehandle, but is caught on the way down.  The match ends similarly to the WM XIV main event, when both men reverse each other’s finishers.  In this case Edge hits the Downward Spiral for the win.  (8:38) ** There is your Match Of The Night!!  This match could have been *** if they didn’t rest so much in the middle of the match.

 

- Headbangers vs. Annihilators (Seek & Destroy) w/Chris Grand

Bother Love comes down to the ring and tells the ‘Bangers that he loves them.  He asks them for a hug and they punch him in return.  At this point Sgt. Slaughter comes down to the ring and appoints himself guest referee for this match.  Things go downhill from here as these two teams proceed to put on one of the worst matches I have seen in months.  I can’t even be bothered to type this crap.  The ending comes when Brother Love attempts to help the Annihilators, but he doesn’t do much good.  Thrasher throws powder in Slaughter’s eyes because of the MANY slow counts he made.  The Headbangers hit the Stage Dive on Seek and the original referee makes the count.  (12:53) -*** After the match all the heels charge the ring and attack the Headbangers.  Edge makes the save and the faces clear the ring.

 

Overall

This show was pretty bad up until the main event…that is when it became horrible.  I think the only reason you should buy this tape is if you want to see some of today’s stars when they were rookies.  The only other good thing about this tape is the second show on it.  Once again, this is tape A495 at Wrestling Power.

 

*This rant and the one I made mention to are both available at The Wrestling Repute.  (http://www.geocities.com/thewrestlingrepute/home) So go there to read more of my sub-par stuff.

[Guest Joe_G]

Hey Donovan, I'd like some more details on the 4/27 show in Worcester, like where it's being held, who's on the card, where I can get tickets, etc.

 

Joe

[Guest TUS_02]

I dunno where in Fairfield county you are... but if you hunt around, you can find shows in Danbury area.  Southbury also puts on shows once or twice a year.

[Guest JC Marxxx]

Just for the record, the WWA of today is not the WWA of 1998, infact you'll be lucky if any "name" actually shows up on a advertised WWA show.

 

Up in the CT area is Assault Championship Wrestling, which usually put on a solid show and is run by former ECW manager Jason Knight.

 

And of course for my cheap plug, I am running two small scale indy shows in the RI area on April 20th and April 26th in Bristol RI and Lincoln RI respectively, for more information you can check out http://www.thencwonline.net or e-mail me at [email protected]

[Guest CoreyLazarus416]

1. **marks-out for JC's return to the SmarksForum**

 

2. JC, what's up with the show in North Attleboro, MA this Friday night? I see commercials for it now and then, advertising the appearance of Chris Candido and other ex-ECW stars (the commercials constantly show Axl Rotten and Dick Dudley bleeding and beating people), and I'm wondering if it'll be worthwhile. Not sure of the promotion, but some of the clips they showed on the commercial look pretty good. Worth the cash?