SWF News and Notes for 3/2/05

[Toxxic 0]

SWF News and Notes for 3/2/05 from Wrestling Panda Newsletter

 

The viewing figures for Storm on 2/18/05 were some of the highest in recent memory with the final segment - Sacred vs. Toxxic for the World Heavyweight Title - overtopping the rest of the show by a full point. This segment featured the conclusion of a major angle involving Revolution Zero and saw Toxxic finally catch up with the veteran who had abandoned the stable after winning the World Title. However, it seems that the SWF have had yet more bad luck with choosing their world champions, as despite Sacred retaining the belt via DQ against Mak Francis he dropped it to Toxxic that night and has since apparently retired from professional wrestling. Whether Andrew Blackwell can and will remain retired or not is another matter entirely, but after a disastrous 2004 the SWF are feeling the effects of having world champion after world champion leave the company after a short period with the belt. The decision to put the title back on Toxxic would seem to be a sensible one on paper as he had the only run lasting more than one PPV cycle during 2004, but the crucial point might be how they treat the belt from here on in. If Toxxic was to embark on another monster run as champion it could potentially kill the business; or, conversely, could pave the way for a new, hot challenger to take the title if properly built. Some think that the SWF might be looking to give Landon Maddix the ‘rub’ for a second time by having him end Toxxic’s reign at From The Fire this Sunday, but they already tried this once and bailed on Maddix after three weeks; the question has to be asked whether they have already killed Maddix’s potential as the company’s top star, at least for the moment.

 

Jet has been warned about her actions at the Panarchy show on 2/18 where she displayed herself to the frat fans who were chanting at her. Inside sources say that the official company line is that Jet has been reprimanded, but that she was actually told to do it and that cameras were kept away from that part of the ring in order to make sure nothing unacceptable made TV.

 

Landon Maddix, Todd Cortez, Alan Clark and Megan Skye attended a SWF signing at Disneyland at the end of February which proceeded to have one of the highest turnouts of autograph seekers the company has ever recorded. The signing was apparently done in semi-kayfabe - the wrestlers turned up in the Alan Clark Tour Bus and in their usual out-of-ring attire but the tension that has existed between Martial Law recently was notably absent, with Alan Clark apparently conceding to one young fan that ‘some of what we do is an act’, although he refused to be drawn on whether he was referring to wrestlers’ attitudes to each other or the in-ring action.

 

‘The Icon’ Max King has been reported on SWF programming to have been severely injured in a car accident, and we regret to inform our readers that this is not kayfabe - the details of the incident have not been made public but it is believed that King and Kelly Connelly were stationary at traffic lights when hit by a drunk driver. Miss Connelly escaped with only minor injuries but it is unclear whether or when Max King will be able to wrestle again. The SWF have reassured concerned fans that they will be continuing to honor Mr. King’s contract until it expires (believed to be mid-2006) even though he is unable to compete.

 

The Wild & Dangerous break-up is now in full swing, with Johnny Dangerous evidently going heel. The identity of Wildchild’s ‘mystery partner’ for From The Fire is still a closely-guarded secret in SWF headquarters, but barring a (completely unexpected) return for Ejiro Fasaki or some other notable character from the Bahaman Bomber’s past it would seem that the only big name left off the card is ‘The Franchise’ Mak Francis.

 

‘The Critic’ Scott Pretzler has been receiving good reviews since joining the SWF despite his early push to the Cruiserweight Title. Backstage sources say that his in-character attitude is nothing like his real persona and that his early success does not seem to have gone to his head at all. Tom Flesher, who as noted in earlier Wrestling Pandas has been taking a very active interest in the SWF since his in-ring retirement, is reputedly very hot on Pretzler’s abilities and has been doing his best to make sure that The Critic is at the forefront of his attempt to get a more ‘pure’ wrestling style back to the forefront of SWF programming.

 

The SWF has generally been a steroid-free area - with the obvious exceptions of the Boston Strangler and Danny Williams - but this looks like it might not be the case anymore with the return of Austin Sly. The official SWF sources are unsurprisingly reluctant to comment when challenged on the newly-bulked up Sly, but the word backstage is that Sly has been allowed to draw attention to his new physique if he wishes as long as, if challenged on it, he makes it absolutely clear that he has not been encouraged by the SWF in any way. Given that the last four World Champions have been cruiserweights and that the ‘big men’ such as Sean Davis, Korgath and Carnage are well and truly entrenched in the midcard, any detractors would certainly find it hard to argue that Sly has been compelled to use steroids by the nature of his workplace.

 

The Martial Law/Revolution Zero angle is continuing to develop with Rev-0 kicking out Spike Jenkins to replace him with Scott Pretzler while tension has been building between Martial Law members, particularly during the Maddix/Cortez ICTV match last week on Lockdown. The tension could be heightened by the ‘mind games’ being played by Toxxic on Cortez and Clark in a manner very reminiscent of Silent’s work on Chris Raynor during the infamous Midnight Carnival break-up, although an acknowledgement of this between these two and Landon Maddix has yet to be shown onscreen. Meanwhile it seems that Spike Jenkins is being booked into a one-man crusade against his former stable, the short DQ loss on Smarkdown against Toxxic having led to a match with Sean Davis at From The Fire where the expectation is that Spike will be put over strong.

 

The sales of Tom Flesher’s autobiography ‘Superior’ have been nothing short of remarkable, and it is still present on the New York Times Top Ten Bestsellers list. SWF sources refuse to confirm that this is because Flesher regularly does lunch with the editor or, as some have reported, that he has threatened to Yakuza kick the entire stats office.

 

The SWF has apparently decided to launch into DVD sales in a big way. They have been producing DVDs of their PPVs more or less since the company started, but now they are looking at branching out into compilations and ‘Best ofs’. The first one scheduled for release is ‘World Title Matches 2004’ which features all 12 matches where the belt changed hands as well as some of the more notable successful defences and highlights from associated matches. For a review of the DVD, click here. This DVD is available from 3/7/05 and is understood to have world-wide distribution. Future titles being considered include compilation DVDs for Hall-of-Famers such as Edwin MacPhisto, ‘Grand Slam’ Mark Stevens, the Suicide King, Sacred, Chris Raynor and Thoth, as well as a ‘Best of the Tag Division’ which would feature Justice and Rule’s and Hollywood Boulevard’s record-breaking runs (not to mention more Chris Raynor), and two-disc sets for the Midnight Carnival (yet more Raynor) and The Clan. There are rumours of a hardcore compilation being done that will be hosted by the Insane Luchador, but SWF directors seem uncertain if they want to take the risk.

[Toxxic 0]

If Flesher or someone suitable wants to put this up on Xnet, that'd be grand. For one thing, I think the link to Maddix's World Title DVD will tell anyone interested all there is to know about us.

[muzz 0]

Sacred did retire, but management were so pissed they said he was fired for not showing up, and having Sexton Hardcastle wrestle in his place under an Andrew Blackwell mask.