Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Austin Aries: The Future of TNA?

by Alex Archer

TNA has been scrambling to take steps towards improving their product since announcing Hulk Hogan as their storyline GM.  They've introduced Gut Check, implemented Open Fight Night, and they've also just announced that Impact Wrestling will be going live throughout the summer.  While the effects that these new measures will have on the product and the ratings are yet to be seen, the re-signing of X Division Champion, Austin Aries, is very clearly a huge step in the right direction.

Austin Aries : Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly
Aries is no stranger to the company, making his debut on August 14, 2005, facing off against Christopher Daniels.  He later signed his first contract with TNA on September 22 of that year.  Prior to this initial run with TNA, Aries was wrestling for Ring of Honor.  If you haven't seen his match with Samoa Joe from Final Battle 2004 for the ROH World Championship, go find it.  It is worth your while.

His first stint with TNA ended with some dramatics that saw Aries suspended twice, putting him on the shelf for a total of 5 months over the span of a year and a half.  During his second suspension, Aries asked for his release, and TNA obliged in May of 2007.

Ring of Honor World Champion
Aries then returned to Ring of Honor, where he would spend much of the 2007 and 2008 feuding with Jimmy Jacobs and his group, Age of the Fall.  After his feud with Jacobs had come to a close, Aries transformed himself into the Austin Aries you see these days on Impact Wrestling.  He cut his hair, started wearing flashy ring gear, and started referring to himself as both "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived" and "A-Double".

After being released from ROH in October of 2010, Aries wrestled for Dragon Gate USA / Evolve for the next year or so.  He would eventually leave the company in June of 2011, and make his TNA re-debut that same month. 

The Future of TNA?
Since his return to Impact Wrestling, Aries has been a show-stealer every time they put him on the air.  He's elevated the X Division title in ways that his predecessors have not been able to do, and he's become the longest reigning X Division Champion in the history of the company in the process.  His feud with Bully Ray that culminated in a great match at Sacrifice was very well done with Aries getting the win via Last Chancery submission.  It not only gave Aries the credibility he needed to be seen as a main event talent, but it also gave all of the smaller X Division guys a rub in the process by showing that a guy doesn't need to be 6'0 and 250 lbs. to draw.

Austin Aries has future TNA Champion written all over him.  If the TNA brass has any concept of what is good for business, we'll see a lot more of Aries (and wrestlers like him) in the near and distant future.


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@TheAlexArcher | #FTLOW

Monday, May 21, 2012

WWE Over the Limit Results and Afterthoughts

w/ Alex Archer and Violet Buttle

CM Punk defeated Daniel Bryan to retain the WWE Championship

Alex: Punk and Bryan were able to live up to the hype surrounding their title match, and I was glad to see them get plenty of time to tell their story.  The finish was very well done and sets up a return match and an extension of this feud.  AJ didn't get involved yet, which is great news for anyone hoping this feud gets as much time as possible.

Violet: Without question, this was the best match of the night. I’m glad AJ didn’t get involved, because I think a lot of people were expecting it. Anyway, these two don’t really need any distracters or added stuff to put on an entertaining match. The ending was well orchestrated, as it sets up a rematch between the two for the next PPV.

Sheamus (c) defeated Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, and Alberto Del Rio in a Fatal Four Way Match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship

Alex: They did a lot of the usual four way stuff where two guys wrestle and two guys sell outside, but the match really picked up down the stretch.  Everyone came away looking relatively strong.  I guess we'll find out what the new feuds are tonight on Raw or Friday on Smackdown.  The crowd seemed as caught off guard by the finish as I was.

Violet: This match had some exciting spots and near falls, but the ending was fairly anticlimactic. I certainly wasn’t expecting Sheamus’s White Noise to be the final move of the match, and from the crowd’s reaction, I don’t think they were either.

John Laurinaitis defeated John Cena

Alex: What a waste of time.  They had an opportunity to really swerve the fans tonight with the finish of this one, but they opted to go with the planned Big Show heel turn.  While I liked that they made it look like Johnny convinced him last minute while Show was about to throttle him, it was still super predictable.  Predictable isn't always bad, don't get me wrong, but this was boring predictable.

Violet: Laurinaitis didn’t wrestle, Cena made lame jokes the whole time, and, much to absolutely no one’s surprise, Big Show interfered to help Big Johhny win. This match was a complete disappointment.  At least Laurinaitis won and gets to remain GM of Raw and SmackDown. I really like the dynamic that’s developed between him, Otunga, and Eve.

Kofi Kingston & R Truth defeated Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger w/ Vicki Guerrero to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship

Alex: I think that Ziggler and Swagger, with Vicki as their manager, are a much more of a cohesive unit than Truth and Kingston.  That said, Truth and Kingston are the only baby face tag team in the company right now, so it makes sense to keep the belts on them for now.  The in-ring work from both teams was great, and Ziggler once again was the highlight of the match.

Violet: Despite the fact that I’m completely bored with Truth’s character and in-ring moves, this match was entertaining. I am, however, sick of seeing Ziggler, Swagger, and Guerrero made to look like fools.

Layla defeated Beth Phoenix to retain the WWE Divas Championship
 
Alex: They gave the Divas some time!  Beth is Beth, of course, and Layla had a relatively strong showing.  The live crowd didn't really seem to care about this match, and spent most of the time chanting "We want Kharma!" and "Colt Cabana".  Give the people what they want on both accounts.

Violet: This was the best Divas PPV match that we’ve seen in awhile. I’m slightly confused as to why Layla would retain here, and it makes me wonder if Kharma is ever coming back. She’s not going to feud with Layla, right?

Kane defeated Zack Ryder

Alex: I didn't watch it, but it went down pretty much exactly as I predicted.

Violet: Honestly, I could care less about this match, so I opted out of watching the pre-show. And from what I’ve read about it, I’m pretty sure I made the right decision. Wasn’t WWE just building Ryder up a few months ago? What a waste.

Christian won a Battle Royal to determine the Number One Contender for the US Championship or the Intercontinental Championship

Alex: Opening the pay-per-view with the battle royal in progress was a bad move in my opinion.  I get that they were trying to goad the pre-show viewers into making a last second buy with the return of Christian (if that's really what they were doing), but the match shouldn't have started in progress.  Announce his return on the pre-show, announce the match, and let him cut a promo about how he's back.  Instead, those of us who didn't tune in for the pre-show were left scratching our heads as the show opened with about 150 guys flopping around the ring.  Once it was down to 7 or 8 guys, it was very exciting, so kudos on that.

Violet: Starting the PPV off with a match that was already in progress made for a slow, anti-climatic start to the event. Moreover, it certainly diminished Christian’s return, even though he rebounded to win the contest. The majority of this match was dull, and the action only really came to life when there were four men left in the ring. There was a part of me that hoped Miz would win and challenge Santino to a rematch for the US Championship. Oh well.

Christian defeated Cody Rhodes to become the new Intercontinental Champion

Alex: Christian coming back as a face should be a fun time.  He and Cody could do a good job of elevating the Intercontinental Championship even further if they make the title a big deal in their probable feud.  Both of them can go in the ring, and I'm really looking forward to the promos they cut on each other.

Violet: Rhodes had brought more meaning and prestige to the Intercontinental Title until they decided that he should drop the belt to his opponents all the time. I can at least hope that this sets up a fun feud between Rhodes and Christian, as I’m a fan of both wrestlers.

Brodus Clay defeated The Miz

Alex: I'm over Brodus Clay as the Funkasaurus, and I'm over watching Miz get embarrassed every time he gets in the ring. 

Violet: I am so sick of Clay and his Funkasaurus act.

Ryback defeated Camacho w/Hunico

Alex: When the ring announcer doesn't even announce the right wrestler (introducing Hunico instead of Camacho), what does that tell the fans?  If you guessed that it means the following match is a throwaway piece of shit, you were right.  Boring.

Violet: Typical Ryback match. Why did this match have to contaminate the PPV?


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Sunday, May 20, 2012

WWE Over the Limit Predictions

w/ Alex Archer, Violet Buttle, and Mike Bradford

CM Punk (c) vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship

Alex: I'm hoping that these two are given plenty of time to go out there and put on display exactly why they are where they are.  I'm expecting Punk to over, but in a way that it sets up a rematch for the next pay-per-view.  There is definitely more money in a Punk / Bryan feud, and I think both of these guys are going to give an extra effort, considering their history and similar backgrounds.

Violet: I expect for Bryan and Punk to put on an entertaining match from which Punk walks away victorious. These two have had some decent TV matches, so I'm excited to see what they'll do on PPV.

Mike: If the finish is clean I'll be happy because I'll have seen an awesome wrestling match. If AJ interferes I'll be happy because I have a huge crush on her, I'll have seen an awesome wrestling match, and there will be an opportunity for a rematch. Unless this is 18 seconds long, there's not much to not love.

Sheamus (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. Chris Jericho vs. Alberto Del Rio in a Fatal Four Way Match for the World Heavyweight Championship

Alex: I'm putting my money on Sheamus edging out a victory, probably setting up a feud with Randy Orton, as that's what they've been playing towards on television for the last few weeks.  I'm not sure where they leaves Del Rio or Jericho, but they just don't feel like major players right now.

Violet: I don't really see Del Rio or Jericho winning this. Del Rio hasn't done anything title worthy since coming back from his injury, and Jericho is leaving soon to go on tour with his band. Due to the feud that seems to be emerging between Orton and Sheamus, I pick either one of them for the win. But I'd give the edge to Sheamus.

Mike: All four guys are great workers, and I sort of feel bad that I'm overlooking this match in favor of Punk vs. Bryan. I don't really see a reason for Sheamus to lose this match. It will be interesting to see what happens in the wake of this match. Will Sheamus feud with Orton or ADR when it's all over? Strangely enough, Jericho is the afterthought here since it seems like he was just thrown in. However, a Bella won the Divas title at Extreme Rules, so I wouldn't be surprised if Y2J won just to swerve people.

John Cena vs. John Laurinaitis

Alex: I doubt that they've spent all this time building up Big Johnny just to have him vanquished by Cena in such short order.  Brock and Big Show are technically free to interfere without having to worry about getting fired, so I'm predicting that one or both of them get involved on Johnny's behalf.  It'll be interesting to see if he actually does any wrestling.

Violet: Though I expect some outside interference from either Show or Lesnar, I will be incredibly disappointed if he don't get to see Laurinaitis and Cena engage in any actual wrestling. Either way, Big Johnny will still have his job at the end of the night and Cena may get so much needed time off after this match to take care of his "injuries".

Mike: Mr. Excitement is around the same age as HHH and Undertaker, so it's not like he's an old, out of shape guy that can't put on a show. Since he's the biggest heel in the company now, I just don't see how it would make sense for him to lose. Perhaps an already "fired" Big Show turns heel?

Kofi Kingston & R Truth (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger w/ Vicki Guerrero for the WWE Tag Team Championship

Alex: I'm hoping that the switch to a three hour Raw, along with the emergence of O'Neil and Young, and the focus on Epico, Primo, and AW, that WWE will finally be giving us a respectable tag division.  As much as I'd like to see Ziggler and Swagger succeed as singles wrestlers, I think they would be a much better fit as tag team champions than Kofi and R Truth.  Unfortunately, I think that they're going to keep the belts where they are.  Kofi is a treat to watch, but I couldn't be more over Truth and the Little Jimmy act.

Violet: Ziggler and Swagger never win anything, so why would they win this match?

Mike: The tag division is really starting to come together, and that's a good thing. The only problem I have with it right now is a lack of team names. I feel that if a team has a name, it's legitimized and not just thrown together. Unfortunately, since  the tag division isn't in full swing, this match and the gold are irrelevant. I say Kofi and Truth retain over ZigSwag so heel teams like Millions of Dollars (O'Neil and Young) and All World Enterprises (Primo and Epico) can make a run for the titles.

Layla (c) vs. Beth Phoenix for the WWE Divas Championship

Alex: I'm thinking that Kharma has to be getting involved tonight.  Either before the match is over, or after Beth takes the title from Layla.  Either way, I'm already over Layla, mainly because I was hoping for and expecting Kharma but got her last month instead.

Violet: Layla has shown a lot of improvement since her return, so I sincerely hope that her and Beth put on one of the better Divas matches. I hope Beth wins, and Kharma returns to feud with her soon. However, Layla is pretty, so I wouldn't be surprised if WWE leaves the title on her for a bit.

Mike: Hopefully we see a wrestling match. Layla has obviously improved, and Beth is Beth. It's PPV so it's got to at least have five minutes. Right? C'mon WWE, give me a solid match for that silly looking belt. I hope Layla wins, and we actually see a storyline develop.

Kane vs. Zack Ryder

Alex: I have absolutely no interest in Kane.  I still dig Ryder, but seeing him get beat by Kane on a pay-per-view pre-show just doesn't do anything for me.

Violet: I don't care about Kane, and I wish Ryder was involved in something relevant. To make things worse, Kane'll probably win.

Mike: This match would've made more sense at 'Mania when the feud was somewhat relevant. Now it's just like "Remember when Kane made Zack Ryder look like a child for the benefit of a crappy feud with Cena? Or how bout the time where Zack attempted to attack Kane during his falls count anywhere match at Extreme Rules, but ended up looking like a doofus?" Well guess what, here's the big payoff... for free... on Youtube.

Food for Thought

Alex: This has the potential to be a pretty good pay-per-view if WWE plays their cards right.  I expect one or two unadvertised matches, but I don't expect them to be of any importance.  Possibly one their pay-per-view squash matches we've all come to hate so much?  As long as the advertised matches deliver, however, tonight should be a good time.

Violet: Due to the relatively small amount of advertised matches, I expect WWE to make us sit through at least one squash match with either Ryback, Clay, or Tensai. I certainly hope that they're also leaving room for a few surprises tonight, like a Kharma return or a Lesnar appearance.

Mike: That's only five advertised matches for a 3 hour event. Expect AT LEAST one of the following: Rhodes vs Santino again, Brodus Clay, or Ryback (hopefully in a 2 is greater than 1 rematch #FiveStarMatch). If one of those doesn't happen the WWE will either have to give lengthy match times or a lot of backstage filler. You know which one they'll choose.


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@TheAlexArcher | @VioletButtle | @Bradford_FTLOW | #FTLOW

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Indy Spotlight #6: Dragon Gate USA / Evolve

by Mike Bradford

Promotion Name: Dragon Gate USA / Evolve
Founded: DGUSA - 2009, Evolve - 2010
Based Out Of: Philadelphia, PA
Website: www.dgusa.tv
Twitter:@bookitgabe
Open the Freedom Gate Champion: Johnny Gargano
Open the United Gate Champions: Ricochet & Masato Yoshino

Thoughts:  The reason I’m doing these two promotions at the same time is because even though they run separate events, they share a roster. Evolve recognizes the DGUSA champions as the Evolve champions (more on that later). In addition to their core roster, each promotion also has guest stars that may come to do a show or two. They also have open working relationships with many other independent promotions, so fans may recognize some of the talent.
 

Dragon Gate USA is the United States branch of the Japanese promotion, Dragon Gate. It is not uncommon for Japanese stars to wrestle on DGUSA cards to gain exposure in the States and vice versa. The style of wrestling you’re going to see at a show or on DVD is an impressive mash up of Japanese striking, US technical wrestling, and lucha libre. DGUSA focuses heavily on it’s Japanese roots and is a great way for the American fan to expose themselves to the stars that they miss out on seeing in Japan’s independent scene.
 

Evolve focuses it’s attention on the in ring ability of it’s wrestlers. Unlike other promotions, Evolve proudly displays the win/loss records of the roster on their website. Rather than traditional champions, wrestlers that have the best records are treated as the best in the company. Ring entrances are stripped down, there is extra emphasis on the rules, and the in-ring talent is the center of the show. Every match is followed by “sideline style” interviews. For fans of the SPORT of professional wrestling, Evolve is a must see.
 

As far as talent goes, both promotions should be proud of what they have to offer the wrestling world. DGUSA is credited with giving Jimmy Jacobs his second chance, and through their working relationships with other indies, they can provide plenty of familiar faces to go up against home grown stars. Production value of the DVDs for DGUSA and Evolve are fantastic. If you have to choose between one or the other at this point, then you really have to decide what you’re looking for in your DVD. If you need storylines and a bit of theatrics to stay interested, go with DGUSA. If you’re into the sport aspect, and seeing the best in ring stars showcased, then start with Evolve. How serious is Evolve about it’s in ring work? One of the founders is Davey Richards, and the name was suggested by Daniel Bryan. If those guys can’t get you excited for in ring skills, there may be something wrong.

Note: I’ll be doing a different “Indy Spotlight” each week, which will hopefully be posted on Wednesdays. All “Indy Spotlights” are written by me, and me alone and my opinions may not match the other writers on this site. If you are wrestler, promoter, or fan of a promotion that you think I should take a look at, please drop me a line at mikebradfordftlow@gmail.com or on twitter @Bradford_FTLOW. I’m not expecting anything free, and I have no problem supporting you by buying a DVD.

Contact me on Twitter to discuss this article or anything wrestling : @Bradford_FTLOW | #FTLOW

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Wrestler of the Week

Monday, May 7th - Sunday, May 13th
Although Ring of Honor's Border Wars iPPV was plagued by technical difficulties, leaving many viewers out of luck for a few days, the main event was worth the wait.  Both Kevin Steen and Davey Richards turned in great efforts and did a great job playing to the live crowd in Toronto.  Steen was able to edge a victory, via the Package Piledriver, in front of his home country and win the Ring of Honor World Championship.


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Monday, May 14, 2012

TNA Sacrifice Results and Afterthoughts

w/ Alex Archer and Violet Buttle
Bobby Roode defeated Rob Van Dam in a Ladder Match to retain the TNA Championship

Alex: The ladder match stipulation definitely added something to the match, but there was never any doubt that Roode was coming out on top.  It looked like RVD botched the ladder jump at the end of the match, and then looked to possibly be hurt immediately after that, so I'm not sure that we saw the planned finish.  Still, the match was good, and it was good to see Roode finally get a clean win.

Violet: I was surprised to see Roode retain the title with a clean victory. After all of the cheating and conniving Roode has taken part in over the past few months, this win, unfortunately, doesn’t do enough to legitimize him.

Christopher Daniels & Kazarian defeated Samoa Joe & Magnus for the TNA Tag Team Championship

Alex: I really hope they keep Joe and Magnus together as a team, put Styles and Angle together, and have both of those teams feud with Daniels and Kazarian for the tag titles.  Add MCMG into that mix, and you have a pretty nice tag scenario.  Kaz and Daniels are pretty good as a tag team, so I don't mind them coming away with the belts here.

Violet: I don’t really mind Magnus and Joe losing the titles if it leads to any of the following: a feud with Daniels and Kazarian, Daniels and Kazarain use the title to fuel their story with Styles, and/or they keep Magnus and Joe working together as a team. If this was just a title change for the sake of a title change, I’ll be disappointed.

Gail Kim defeated Brooke Tessmacher for the TNA Knockouts Championship

Alex: The match was ok, but I would much rather see Gail competing against wrestlers instead of models playing wrestler.  Don't get me wrong, Tessmacher has improved, but at the same time, she isn't impressive in the slightest.

Violet: Kim is clearly more talented than most of her opponents, so I wish she didn’t have to cheat to win all of her title matches.  I am, however, glad that she won.

Devon defeated Robbie T. & Robbie E. to retain the TNA TV Championship

Alex: This match was lose-lose-lose.  With the TV title being defended at every show, you'd think they'd put the belt on someone more exciting than Devon.  He looks good, considering his age, and his matches have been decent, but I'm just so disinterested in him and the Robbie's that it's very hard to care about the TV title.

Violet: ...

Kurt Angle defeated AJ Styles

Alex: The first 7 or 8 minutes of this match was a bit slow, but it eventually picked up.  It was your typical Kurt Angle pay-per-view match full of near falls and stolen finishers, which, to me, isn't a bad thing.  It's what I was hoping for and I wasn't disappointed.  The finish was obvious from a mile away.  Hopefully this leads to Angle and Styles teaming, which could be a nice change of pace for both guys.

Violet: The ending of this match was so obvious that it made the action sort of boring.

Mr. Anderson defeated Jeff Hardy

Alex: I find it hard to believe that Hebner didn't botch that count on purpose to keep these two occupied with each other leading up to the next pay-per-view.  Hardy, Anderson, and even Taz did a good job of selling that it was a blown count.  Tenay, of course, is an idiot.

Violet: I don’t really understand the ending to this match. Was it supposed to look like Hebner messed up or did he seriously mess up? Either way, neither man lost or gained much here.

Austin Aries defeated Bully Ray

Alex: Match of the night.  Aries took a nasty bump off the top that left some nasty welts on his back.  Both guys worked really hard to tell the big man vs. big heart story.  The Joseph Park involvement was unnecessary and really brought the match down quite a bit.  I was interested in this story when Park first showed up, but every week it gets more cartoonish and Abyss-like, which just sucks.

Violet: This was probably the most entertaining match of night, but I wish that Joseph Park stayed in his seat. Better yet, I wish he didn’t even show up.

Crimson defeated Eric Young w/ ODB

Alex: It was nice to see Eric Young and ODB get on the pay-per-view as they're one of my favorite acts in TNA right now.  EY got in a ton of good offense, much more than I expected.  Crimson won and kept his streak alive, and EY looked more legit than he has in months.  As an unadvertised match, I was very happy with it.

Violet: EY got in way more offense than I thought he would. In fact, he looked the best he has in awhile during their impromptu match with Crimson. I’m interested to see how EY reacts to the way ODB was treated by Crimson. I would think this could lead to a fun feud, but I don’t think anyone would ever treat EY as a serious opponent for Crimson.

Contact us on Twitter to discuss this article or anything wrestling :
@TheAlexArcher | @VioletButtle | #FTLOW

Sunday, May 13, 2012

TNA Sacrifice Predictions

w/ Alex Archer and Violet Buttle


Bobby Roode (c) vs. Rob Van Dam in a Ladder Match for the TNA Championship

Alex: I've seen Roode winning this all along.  Making it a ladder match makes it seem like RVD would have the edge, but I think the belt is still going to be around Roode's waist when Storm returns.

Violet: I expect another cheap victory for Roode here and, hopefully, some cool spots from RVD.

Samoa Joe & Magnus (c) vs. Christopher Daniels & Kazarian for the TNA Tag Team Championship

Alex: Daniels and Kazarian are too wrapped up in their storyline with AJ Styles right now to take the tag titles off the champs.  Magnus and Joe have been great together, and there's no reason to have them drop the belts now.

Violet: Magnus and Joe will win here, unless a win for Daniels and Kazarian would some how add to their other storyline. That could be interesting.

Gail Kim (c) vs. Brooke Tessmacher for the TNA Knockouts Championship

Alex: Gail Kim has suffered quite a few defeats to Tessmacher in the last few weeks, but she's going to come out on top tonight and retain the Knockouts title.

Violet: I sincerely hope TNA does the right thing and has Kim retain her title. It would seriously diminish Kim's impressive reign to have her lose to Tessmacher three times on TV only to drop the title to her at a PPV.

Devon (c) vs. Robbie T. & Robbie E. for the TNA TV Championship

Alex: I don't understand this match.  Is it a handicapped match?  Is it a triple threat?  The way it's being billed makes it seem like a handicapped mach, but that doesn't make any sense at all.

Violet: Seriously, what the hell is this match? Whatever it is, I'm pretty sure Devon will win.

Kurt Angle vs. AJ Styles

Alex: I think this will be a great wrestling match for about 15 minutes before something happens involving the AJ / Dixie / Daniels / Kazarian story.  I've predicted Angle turning face since he got mixed up with the AJ storyline, so I think they'll have a great match, then join forces to feud with Kaz and Daniels.

Violet: There is no way this was designed to be an actual match. Instead, something will happen to further the AJ and Dixie vs. Kazarian and Daniels storyline. The finish won't really matter, and it certainly won't be clean.

Jeff Hardy vs. Mr. Anderson

Alex: I'm sure that these two will put on a decent match, but I can't say I'm all that excited for it.  I feel like winning or losing this match does nothing for either guy.  I guess if I had to pick a winner (and the finish is clean), I'll take Hardy.

Violet: I don't even fully remember why this is happening. This match is just an excuse to get both men on the card, and I would assume that whoever wins will claim the right to be the next guy in line for the title.

Bully Ray vs. Austin Aries

Alex: This match definitely has the potential for match of the night if they're given enough time.  Bully Ray is no Samoa Joe, but I could see Bully and Aries putting on a match very similar to the Joe / Aries match from ROH Final Battle '04, where Aries defeated Joe for the ROH title.  If Bully wins, or if Parks / Abyss get involved, I'll be super disappointed.

Violet: I'm not sure which way this match will go. I do, however, expect some sort of Abyss appearance/interference.


Contact us on Twitter to discuss this article or anything wrestling :
@TheAlexArcher | @VioletButtle | #FTLOW

Friday, May 11, 2012

Who is Lord Tensai?

by Alex Archer

T&A (Albert, Trish Stratus, and Test)
Matt Bloom, known currently in the WWE as Lord Tensai, debuted with the WWE back in 1999 on Sunday Night Heat (remember that show?) as Prince Albert.  Upon entering the WWE, he was teamed up with Droz and Key (Vic Grimes), and dubbed The Pierced Pals.  After a short time, Key was dropped from the group, while Albert and Droz continued to team.  Early in 2000, Trish Stratus united Albert with Test, to form a tag team named T & A.  After an unsuccessful run with T & A, he joined a stable with Justin Credible and X-Pac, known as The X Factor.  In late 2001, after The X Factor disbanded, Albert teamed with Scotty 2 Hotty and adopted the nickname "The Hip Hop Hippo" (yes, really).  Luckily for everyone involved, Albert turned on Scotty in early 2002 and joined forces with Paul Heyman and The Big Show, and was renamed A-Train.  He would go on to find mild singles success before being released by the WWE in 2004 after suffering a torn rotator cuff.

After recovering from the injury that ultimately cost him his WWE career (couldn't have been the gimmicks, could it?!), Bloom debuted with Japanese All Pro Wrestling in March of 2005, wrestling under the name Giant Bernard.  Although he was awarded a shot at the AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship, he was unable to defeat the then champion Satoshi Kojima.

Bloom as Giant Bernard in NJPW
In early 2006, he made the move to New Japan Pro Wrestling, AJPW's rival.  This is where Bloom truly found success.  He won the 2006 New Japan Cup in April, earning himself a shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar.  Although he was defeated by Lesnar, Bloom would make it to the finals of the tournament that decided the new IWGP Champion (after Lesnar had vacated the title).  He would lose to Hiroshi Tanahashi, but title belts were now within Bloom's grasp.

Bloom would go on to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship with Travis Tomko on March 11, 2007, by defeating Manabu Nakanishi and Tako Omori.  The duo would hold the titles for almost a year, dropping them to Togi Makabe and Toru Yano on February 17, 2008. 

Bad Intentions
On November 1, 2009, Bloom and his new tag team partner, Karl Anderson, collectively known as "Bad Intentions", would defeat Apollo 55 (Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi) to win the 2009 G1 Climax Tag League tournament.  After a short stint in Mexico, wrestling as Gigante Bernard, Bloom returned to Japan to team once again with Anderson.  The duo would win their first IWGP Tag Team Championship together on June 19, 2010, by defeating Blue Justice Army (Yuji Nagata and Wataru Inoue) and No Limit (Tetsuya Naito and Yujiro Takahashi) in an elimination match.

Bad Intentions would go on to successfully defend their titles for over a year, winning the GHC Tag Team Championship and breaking the IWGP record for consecutive successful title defenses by a tag team along the way.  On January 4, 2012, Bad Intentions would lose their titles to Ten-Koji (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima), putting and end to their record setting title reign of 564 days.

And now this...
Bloom made his WWE re-debut, as Lord Tensai, on March 17, 2012, just two months after his historic tag title reign in Japan came to and end.  It'll be interesting to see if the WWE Universe is more accepting of the big man this time around.  It's clear that Bloom thrives in Japan and Mexico, and hopefully this character can get him over here in the US.


Contact me on Twitter to discuss this article or anything wrestling :
@TheAlexArcher | #FTLOW

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Indy Spotlight #5: Shimmer Women Athletes

by Mike Bradford

Promotion Name: Shimmer Women Athletes
Founded: 2005
Based Out Of: Chicago, IL
Website: http://shimmerwrestling.blogspot.com/
Twitter @SHIMMERwomen


Shimmer Champion
Saraya Knight 

Shimmer Tag Team Champions
The Queens of Winning (Sara Del Ray and Courtney Rush)

Thoughts: If you’re a fan of women’s wrestling, then there is a lot to love about Shimmer. That being said, if you are a fan of wrestling in general, there is a lot to love about Shimmer. Plain and simple, Shimmer Women Athletes is the Ring of Honor of women’s wrestling. It matches feature in ring work with great production value to provide fans with a fantastic DVD product.

A big difference with Shimmer and other independent organizations is the scheduling of live events. As of now, Shimmer only holds live events two weekends a year between March and November at The Berwyn Eagles Club in Chicago.   The result is eight fantastically packaged and produced DVDs in the Shimmer series per calendar year. It is due to this infrequent schedule that Shimmer refers to itself as a DVD series rather than a traditional promotion.

Shimmer provides its fans with some of the best female talent from the world wide independent scene. Some names you might know from previous Shimmer events include Beth Phoenix, Kharma (as Amazing Kong), Natalya (as Nattie Neidhart), Daffney, and Serena (as Serena Deeb).  Some names currently on the Shimmer roster that you should absolutely be watching out for are Mercedes Martinez, Sara Del Ray, LuFisto, Kana, and ROH’s own Veda Scott. These women are truly talented and deserve your time. Some of them can deliver and (more impressively) take strikes that would put a lot of men in the business to shame.

Shimmer recognizes its place in a niche market, and uses this knowledge to spend its money wisely. While many may never see a live show in Chicago, collectors of the DVD series should be pleased with the packaging, production, and most of all, the talent. Shimmer provides the best women’s wrestling I’ve seen to date, and the Kana vs LuFisto match on Volume 44 was one of the best wrestling matches I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching.


Note: I’ll be doing a different “Indy Spotlight” each week, which will hopefully be posted on Wednesdays. All “Indy Spotlights” are written by me, and me alone and my opinions may not match the other writers on this site. If you are wrestler, promoter, or fan of a promotion that you think I should take a look at, please drop me a line at mikebradfordftlow@gmail.com or on twitter @Bradford_FTLOW. I’m not expecting anything free, and I have no problem supporting you by buying a DVD.

Contact me on Twitter to discuss this article or anything wrestling : @Bradford_FTLOW | #FTLOW

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Wrestler of the Week


Monday, April 30th - Sunday, May 6th
Once again, Daniel Bryan is our Wrestler of the Week. Coming off a loss to Sheamus in great match at Extreme Rules, Bryan came right back the next night on Raw to become the number one contender to the WWE Championship. I think the internet may explode when he and CM Punk lock up at Over the Limit. We've seen them wrestle before in WWE, but never on a pay-per-view and never for the WWE Championship. His "Yes!" gimmick is over huge with the live crowds and has spilled over to just about every wrestling show in the country, as well as the mainstream (baseball games, basketball games, etc.).


Let us know who you think our next Wrestler of the Week should be on Twitter. Use the hashtag #FTLOW

Indy Spotlight #4: Chikara Pro

by Mike Bradford

Promotion Name: Chikara Pro
Founded: 2002
Based Out Of: Philadelphia, PA
Website: www.chikarapro.com
Twitter:@chikarapro
Chikara Grand Champion
Eddie Kingston
 Chikara Campeonatos de Parejas
F.I.S.T. (Johnny Gargano and Chuck Taylor)
2011 Chikara Young Lions Cup Winner
Tadasuke

Thoughts: Simply put, Chikara is fun. The promotion provides styles of professional wrestling seen in Mexico and Japan, infusing family friendly comedy, and presenting it as comic book come to life. Chikara wants you to have a good time while watching their product and as a result, the characters are often over the top. To me, none of that is a bad thing. I believe Chikara succeeds with it’s brand of entertainment, and a lot of that has to do with the athleticism and personality of the performers. While some of the matches are made to be campy and fun, others are full of high flying moves, fast paced action, and great wrestling.

The production of the Chikara iPPVs and DVDs are above average, and the commentary provided is entertaining. A major selling point for the DVDs is the absolutely incredible artwork done on the covers. If you need a reminder that professional wrestling is supposed to be fun, you have to give Chikara a try. I promise that you will not be disappointed. There are very few places that you can see two groups of giant ants feuding in the ring. Chikara is also a great way to show your children that wrestling is just as much about the sport as it is the spectacle by providing a show with cartoonish characters who provide some of the best wrestling in the independents.

Chikara is home to fantastic tag team action that you’re really not going to see in WWE. The division is treated with pride and displays some of the some of the most innovative double and triple team action in the sport. As far as women’s wrestling goes, Chikara is home to “The Queen of Wrestling” Sara Del Ray as well as a great up and comer, Saturyne. These two often put on great matches against the male wrestlers on the roster, and are treated as equals. Chikara is one of my favorite promotions, and it has my full recommendation and endorsement.

Note: I’ll be doing a different “Indy Spotlight” each week, which will hopefully be posted on Wednesdays. All “Indy Spotlights” are written by me, and me alone and my opinions may not match the other writers on this site. If you are wrestler, promoter, or fan of a promotion that you think I should take a look at, please drop me a line at mikebradfordftlow@gmail.com or on twitter @Bradford_FTLOW. I’m not expecting anything free, I have no problem supporting you by buying a DVD.

Contact me on Twitter to discuss this article or anything wrestling : @Bradford_FTLOW | #FTLOW

Monthly Top 5 Female Wrestlers

TNA Knockout's Champion, Gail Kim
by Violet Buttle

April, 2012

 1. Gail Kim: Despite suffering a few losses at the end of the month to a returning Brooke Tessmacher, Gail Kim has been a dominant Knockout’s Champion. She has held her title since November and successfully defended it against Velvet Sky at Lockdown on April 15.

2. Eve: Eve’s heel turn has done wonders for her character. She's more intriguing and entertaining than she was before, and she is certainly less irritating. Eve may not be wrestling much anymore, but she played a major role in helping Team Johnny pick up the win at WrestleMania on April 1st.
WWE Diva's Champion, Layla

3. Layla: Though her return at Extreme Rules was overshadowed by the rumors of Kharma’s return, Layla came back from injury looking better than ever. After defeating Nikki Bella for the Diva’s Championship at Extreme Rules on April 29th, she successfully defended the title against both Bellas the next day.


4. Nikki Bella: Well, she did win her first Diva’s Championship at the end of the month.

5. Brooke Tessmacher: After a notable absence from Impact, Tessmacher returned late in April only to pin Gail Kim twice before the month was out.


Contact me on Twitter to discuss this article or anything wrestling : @VioletButtle | #FTLOW