1. In the weeks leading up to 7/17 brass from WWE will pull Punk
to the side and ask him to do the right thing. Road agents will talk to
Punk and he will ignore them.
2. A week before the match on Raw-Vince McMahon will make
one FINAL plea to Punk and warn him: "I screwed someone else once
I can do it again."
3. Cue Bret Hart's music-Bret comes down and offers his "services" as
a special guest ref, to prevent this from happening again.
4. 7/17 after a back and fourth encounter with many near falls, and the crowd
booing him out of the bldg. John Cena hits an attitude adj, and then
puts Punk in the "Kokina Clutch"
HHH has made his way down to the ring moments before to tell Bret to "get it done!"
The rest is history......
I really don't want to see it go down like this, but what choice does the WWE have?
Yes ladies and germs, there is/was a wrestling fed out there, that actually calls/called itself HORRIBLE CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING. I really couldn't resist so once again this lowly blogger asks a few generic powder puff questions. The answers might surprise you, because they sure as hell surprised me.
The Questions:
1. Ok give me a litte HCW history/tell me about the fed.
2. Why choose the name you chose?
3. Backyarders usually get a bad rap-still getting that?
4. Goals? Dreams? Nightmares?
5. Are you too old to like wrestling?
6. Fave movies? Music? Books? TV Shows?
7. How much does pop culture playi on your presentation?
8. Somene wants to do a "spot" that is so out there, and so dangerous-do you try to talk them out of it?
9. Where can people see your "shows"
10. Got anything you want to plug? (besides an appliance)
The Answers
Keep in mind that this is a comedy fueled fed so our answers may come across as sarcasm, but gold none the less.
1. In 2000 3 young warriors set out to capture a dream. Dumb enough to take 200 tires off the hands of several local service stations begging to get rid of the mosquito-disease ridden piles acumulating behind their garages, they built the HCW ring and set out to deliver their first offering Boozapalooza. Many years later, after hearing that a local venue had already claimed dibs on the name they renamed the event Boozapaloozatwoza.
The following year came yet another event of the same name and delivered a bit more action, but at the same price as a quarter and a day old coffee. Even more laughable than the previous year's show and introduced a NEW ring official, replacing last years referee "Officer Down" with new comer "U.R.G" The show also featured new wrestlers such as "Sledgehammer", "Grunt Minion" and "The Bard".
That year showcased a feud between "The Chosen One, Positively, Above Average Cactus Kelly Candido Mamaluke" and "Ed DeGarmo" that would stem from their match at Boozapaloozatwoza that took the company to new heights featuring Coal Miner's Glove Matches, Ladder Matches and even a few Empty Arena Matches or as many of you now call them TNA Asylum matches
In HCW's 3rd year, the company relocated their events and had a new ring that was said to be stiffer than a three peckered billy goat. Only a few matches were to take place in this ring and eventually the company closed it's doors. Now with all of this never before released footage resurfacing on the internet, talks that a reunion show is in the works circulate... one can only hope not...
2.The name began as "Hardcore Championship Wrestling", but lets face it, our product is to hardcore as Maven was to pro wrestling... just didn't fit the bill, so we went to Heavyweight Championship Wrestling"... with only about two actual heavyweights wrestlers and Zach Storm in the company, we didn't think that would work well with an audience either... so we took our show at face value... "HORRIBLE Championship Wrestling"!
3. Of course they are... and rightfully so This might infact be the dumbest thing any of us ever did! We sucked! We know that now, so this might come across as hypocritical but without proper wrestling training all your doing is hurting yourself and creating physical and in our case psychological damage to yourself and those around you.
4. Goals... To see HCW Action go viral on the internet
Dreams... To see HCW Action go viral on the internet
Nightmares... To see HCW Action go viral on the internet
5. The only thing that has come with age for us is the change in the business, we can all still put on old tapes of WCW, WWE/F or ECW and mark out like there's no tomorrow, but what we see on television today is simply the shits. Just not worth our time anymore other than once a year when you hope there's a good Wrestlemania or a surprise for those of us who wanna see John Cena get hit by a train.
6. I can sum all of this up in one word... Wrestling
7. It plays a HUGE role, that's one of many demographics which needs to be targeted in order to sell our product. You need to be able to not reach just one particular demographic of your audience but to reach out to everyone. That's the art of it all, to find that happy medium and be able to speak to people on a global wide scale.
8. That all depends, being close growing up, we all knew each other's strengths and weaknesses. Whenever either of us tried to go outside of those boundaries someone would generally speak up and discuss the matter, but we also respected each others judgement which was REALLY f*cking stupid!!! I mean did you see these guys in that make-shift ring made of tires, logs, chainlink fence and a wide array of furniture cushions???
10. www.JustSayMehbe.com Official site of Comedian and HCW color commentator Zach Levin.
A thousand thanks to the HCW staff for doing this
A thousand pardons to the HCW staff for disturbing their Saturday shenanigans, in order for them to do this.
Who-Marvin Ward promoter of Awesome Wrestling Entertainment.
What-Answers this lowly blogger's generic questions.
Pro Wrestling is alive and well you just have to look for it. In fact if you look through the posts, I have already written a little bit about the war of words b/ween Marvin Ward and Ricky Morton. This article is not going to focus on that. Marvin was nice enough to answer a few questions so here goes. I have a couple of other one's that I may do as a follow up.
Q: When did you start watching wrestling?
A: 1983
Q: When did you go to your first wrestling show?
A: 1989
Q: Favorite Promotion
A: Jim Crockett Promotions
Q: Favorite Wrestler
A: Dusty Rhodes
Q: Even though you got my attention with your war of words
w/ Ricky Morton, have you ever been the victim of a "double booking" by anyone else?
A: Yes
DOUBLE BOOKING-WHEN A WRESTLER PROMISES 2 PROMOTERS THAT HE WILL BE AT THEIR SHOWS ON THE SAME DAY. WRESTLER TAKES THE HIGHER PAYING GIG, AND LEAVES THE OTHER PROMOTER HIGH AND DRY-I REALLY DID NOT WANT TO GET INTO NAMES, BUT THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE MANY PITFALLS PROMOTERS MUST FACE WHEN BOOKING A SHOW.
Q:When you decided that you were gonna open up your own fed, and do your own thing, did you have any"detractors" that said you were gonna go broke/fall flat on your face...ect, ect?
A: YES and they still say that! But I will prove them wrong! Our business is not dead, its just dormant at the moment.
Q: Can you give the uninitiated a play by play of a typical day as a
promoter, or booker?
A: From the time the sun comes up thru 1 or 2 am, you are always doing something. From booking talent, setting up venues, calling advertisers, do promotional work on the road, handling the internet marketing, sponsorship endorsements, ect. There is something going on everyday. We, as in 4 of us, do the job that TNA and WWE have 100 people or more doing. So we do not get much sleep.
Q: What is your opinion of wrestlers or promoters who call their fans "marks". Or treat their fan base like they are doing THEM a favour by having a show/shows to begin with?
A: I think its pathetic. We are all marks for wrestling or we wouldn't be doing it. Fans are just as important at the wrestlers or promoters because if it wasn't for fans we couldn't do this. The only difference between the two is fans want to be entertained and its our job to deliver the best product for their entertainment.
Q: You described AWE as "New school production values meets Old school mentality" please elaborate.
A: We give fans the look of the new school as far as the big lights, staging, ect as they are used to on RAW, but the difference is the product. We go back 20 years and give fans the old school storylines and in ring work.
Q: With so many feds popping up, what does an organization have to do to succeed in a DEAD market or a THRIVING one?
A: Marketing, promotions, and giving fans actual wrestling, big names, and excitement. This biggest key is advertising. If fans know u are there and they have plenty of time to prepare their finances, they will come. I tell people its like this. If Jesus Christ was going to be at the Baptist church on Sunday morning, and u didnt tell anyone, who would come. But if you told the world, everyone would come.
Thanks to Marvin Ward for taking the time to do this.
Visit AWE's website for their events, and go to the shows.
Hopefully by the time October rolls around this "business" with the Rock and Roll Express can be settled. People of VA, you have your own homegrown fed, support it!
The above video, is a great summary of what is going on. We've had promoter vs. wrestler situations before. Montreal Screwjob, Austin vs. McMahon, but this is different. It shines a light of what promoters go through just to book a show. They take the risks, and the term "double booking" is common amongst the indies. This is really turning out to be a very compelling situation. Stay tuned.
After reading the latest blog by Eric, I got to thinking.
What if b/ween May-Sep (the traditional summer rerun months) WWE did something to really shake things up. Give a guy or gal a WWE/World Championship run, that they normally wouldn't give a run to.
Better yet, why not feature talents from FCW on Raw or Smackdown or even NXT or Superstars
Seriously look at the talent they have that is either in FCW or in the mid card. Tell me you guys or gals wouldn't want to see a fresh match b/ween Daniel Bryan vs. Dean Ambrose. Not even to fight for the championship, but to spotlight the up and commers.
That is what Jeff Katz is hoping for
As long as they give fans great in ring action, and want to work with people who are not rehashing angles and ideas from a decade and a half ago, this might have a chance. The idea of asking fans to contribute $1 to meet a $100K goal is unique as well. Hopefully it won't be so heavily scripted, and the "wrestlers" won't be "interchangeable"
If this is true, then I am not surprised. Other than rehash, TNA has nothing to offer, they can "re-brand" all they want, their time is past. They are not relevant, or fresh. They don't capture my attention what so ever. This is not a knock on the workers of TNA. This is a knock on the "brain trusts" of TNA. Losing a creative mind like Mick Foley is unjustifiable.
Of course if this is all part of an elaborate scheme (I hate the term "work") to draw attention, then this is how I (the frustrated booker) would book it. Have the talents that subscribe to Mick's "Pro Wrestling First" approach turn in their resignations and join Foley as they take over the 2nd hour of "Impact". Hogan and crew can have the first hour.
If Foley is indeed gone, I implore him to consider his options and give the new ROH a try as their commissioner, maybe there he can put his talents to good use. Wrestling matters to ROH so it may be a good fit.
Foley's WWE legacy is not tarnished either-he can go back to the E as a manager, not as a commentator. I wouldn't mind seeing him as a "mentor" to WWE talent than needs seasoning.
If he wants to do the commentating gig again, he can be put to good use by commentating on FCW.
This is pro wrestling...stop trying to figure everything out...sit back and relax and watch this unfold: Rob Feinstein
The above is regarding a war of words b/ween Ricky Morton of the R&R Express and AWE founder Marvin Ward. I'm not gonna recap the situation, because if I tried I would probably get it wrong. Go to Rob's page to see for yourselves. All the videos are there, and its in chronological order.
What gets me is that some of the replies of "oh its a work", or "sounds like a Memphis promo". I am paraphrasing here. First off so what if it is, this has gotten my attention. One guy has a beef with someone, they take to firing cheap shots, they go way out of line, then they set up a confrontation. Hopefully enough people know about it, and they have a good event. People come out to see it, everyone benefits.
I have given up on trying to figure out people's motives, you want wrestling as sport, there are PLENTY of promotions out there that offer that. You want to be entertained, there are plenty that offer that too. You want a shoot-well if you think you're gonna get one, you're fooling yourself. The promoters (good one's) know their audience, and they know how to get them to react. I am not interested in 23rd hand rumors, that are taken as gospel and reported as fact. I just want to see what I paid to see. Exposing the business of wrestling, may have given it more of a reality based edge, but if we don't allow ourselves to "suspend belief" what's the point?
There are NO promotions w/in the Greater Hartford area.
If I want to go see a show I have to travel as far as Danbury, CT
I'm probably gonna end up going OUTSIDE of this state to see some good wrestling.
This should not be happening.
