Tag Archive: Kyle Davis

  1. MPX Retribution June 16, 2013

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    This is my first time at MPX after over a month. I needed a break to recharge my batteries and take a break from my writing. I got quite a smack from one wrestler and knew I needed to get out of the house.

    Dark Match: Carlos Esquivel vs. Kenny Steele

    I know I missed a few shows but is Kenny face now? And if he is, does the crowd know it? The crowd is not buying this face turn (I mean, worse than the Randy Orton face turn when he got Ortoned). If Kenny is face, he should spend some time studying some faces in MPX (Frankie, Steven, Jerome) and some guys outside MPX (ACH mostly). Carlos played the heel nicely and did his share of carrying the match. It was just a reactionless match.

    Winner: Kenny

    We introduced everybody. If James Hawke wants to wear a hat, that’s fine, but he needs to wear it backwards. He looks like Kyle Davis with it on front. There is some ring announcer whose name is, as best I can figure out, Not Kate. He wore shorts and tennis shoes. Not exactly my idea of professional.

    First match: JD Kros w/Nigel Rabid & Frankie Fisher vs. Ben Wylde

    Joshua City was missing to be able to wrestle so it was just Kros vs. Wylde. Wylde has apparently swallowed a tapeworm or something. He was looking like he’s lost a lot of weight. The gut is nearly gone, and he looks trimmer than I’ve ever seen. The match was really smart for the experience level of these two guys. Kros worked on a body part the whole match. The match maybe went on a little too long, but it exceeded my expectations. Kros used Nigel’s briefcase to get the pin.

    Winner: Kros

    Second match: Jerome Daniels & Matt Palmer vs. Andy Dalton & JT LaMotta

    This match was really good, probably my favorite match that didn’t include Barrett or Greg this year. You had 4 guys who have wrestled each other all over everywhere. The #DirtyMinds tag team of Dalton/LaMotta, I would put them up against any team in Texas for being the best. Andy Dalton is also becoming one of the best all-around talents in Texas. I would put him in the Top 5 in Texas. Jerome sold and bumped like crazy. All 4 gelled well.

    Winner: #DirtyMinds

    Being really frustrated with the referee, Palmer started attacking him. MPX is continuing a tradition of Fight Survive Win which will have 4 captains. Steven Kirby will be one captain. He was going to fire Palmer but Valo showed up and announced Palmer was a competitor on his team.

    Third match: Paige Turner w/Nigel Rabid vs. Livi La Vida Loca w/Claudia & Puddin’

    Claudia comes out to the ring with a Batman doll she calls Puddin’. Under Claudia’s tutelage, Livi has a Robin doll. No word yet on what the Robin’s name is. It’s the little things this company does so well. I dare call Livi the most over wrestler in the company. She just does this energetic goofball thing really well and the fans love her for it.  This is by no means Mercedes Martinez-LuFisto in work. There is still some work to be done on both sides. Paige is working on her crowd engagement and has some good facials. It reminded me of #GrumpyCherry (Cherry Bomb  in CZW, WSU, aka Evil Cherry, otherwise known as my favorite wrestler on the planet), which is not a name I use lightly. The more I see Livi, the more I think MPX could be on the verge of something special.

    Winner: Livi

    We had an intermission. The wrestlers didn’t seem to mingling as much as they usually do.

    Fourth match: Kristopher Haiden vs. Danny Saint in a Street Fight

    This match was billed as a “Come as You Are” street fight. Haiden wore a Batman t-shirt, and Saint wore his Joker jersey. I loved the irony. This match was brutal. Both were bleeding like crazy. At some point, somebody attacked with a water bottle. It got the water all over me. At least I hope it was water after the story Mick Foley tells about Kevin Sullivan and the dipping spit. This was so insane. My section got cleared out because there was a brawl in the crowd. This was like being there for Necro Butcher-MASADA, at least without the skewers or light tubes. The yellow chair that is used only by MPX during street fights got a chant. I’d dare say it got the second biggest pop of the night. The finish was really good. Saint kept on kicking out so Claudia threw in the towel because of her love for him. I remember a Wifebeater-John Zandig match like that.

    Winner: Haiden

    Haiden, not accepting that, did one more move and then pinned him. Nigel Rabid introduced himself and the third captain in the FWS event and then announced 3 members (Haiden & Glamour Hammer). Li Fang came out. Nigel thanked him for his offer, but he might be busy. That’s where “Just” James Johnson came on the loudspeaker and told Nigel that Li wasn’t wanting to be part of his team. Johnson was the 4th captain, and the team he was captain of was the Asian Nation. Matt Andrews, who had been sitting silently in the crowd, appeared and attacked the Rabid Empire to a “Welcome back” chant. He was revealed as the next member of the Asian Nation. If they are looking for a 4th member, may I suggest Kana? Please?

    Fifth match: BC vs. Scott Murdoch

    BC went out to the ring first and challenged anybody to come out and wrestle him. I knew it was Murdoch. I think everybody but BC knew that Murdoch was coming out. My respect goes out to anybody facing Murdoch. Thankfully BC had a few layers of shirts on. It was a nice short match. Murdoch chopped BC to death. BC got himself dq’ed by choking Murdoch on the ropes past the 5-count.

    Main event: Gregory James vs. Barrett Brown in a 30-minute Iron Man Match

    This is the match that brought me out tonight. This match had a lot to live up to, including the first two times they’d wrestled. Their wrestling was really good. I think the greatest test for these two was if they be able to put together an entertaining match of that length. I didn’t take too many detailed notes because as a fan, I just wanted to sit back and watch this. There were a few problems, including the time clock. I hated the finish. It was tied at 3 as time ran out. So my 30 minutes of watching this were meaningless. I hated this now and I hated it in Wrestlemania XII. In sudden death overtime, Barrett won the belt.

    Winner, and new champion: Barrett

    But we weren’t over yet. Mike Foxx came out to cash in his title shot.

    Real Main Event: Barrett Brown (c) vs. Mike Foxx

    This wasn’t so much of a match as a mugging. Or, as its also known, Foxx being Foxx.

    Winner, and new champion: Foxx

    All in all: So we’ve got a new champion. Not really sure that Foxx needs it, but it adds some legitimacy to the belt by him holding it. I see there being some good names who could face him: Barrett, Murdoch, Jerome, Frankie, his real-life brother-in-law Carrion Arcane, maybe skinny Wylde (?), Franco d’Angelo.

    Both the tag match and the street fight were great. Livi is beginning to improve week after week. There are some things that need to be fixed (*cough, cough, Kate*). Overall, not their greatest show, but it’ll be nice to see where they go from here.

  2. Metroplex Wrestling-Consequences 2-23-2013

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    Well, this was a huge night for MPX. This is by far their biggest crowd, and there were lots of new faces. So for anybody who might doubt them, Colt Cabana & Jimmy Jacobs are draws. I was somehow able to convince my lovely wife (whose favorite part about indy wrestling is I leave the house for the night) to join me for this night. As somebody who’s been with this company nearly from the beginning, it was amazing to see how far they’ve come.

    Dark match: JD Kross vs. Jerome Daniels

    Daniels is my wife’s favorite patient after one time he had a concussion and she was the nearest nurse. Kross needs to work on the physique. Guts are fine. They just need to look like they’re getting smaller. Ben Wylde is someone who’s spent a lot of time working on his physique, and not that he’s Chris Masters, but there’s improvement. Jerome was great in front of the live crowd. With exception given to Palmer, he is probably the best at keeping the live crowd engaged. The move of the match was this corkscrew kick. I had an Oh, wow moment when it happened. Jerome put on the hold and made Kross tap out.

    Winner: Daniels

    We had the introduction of the commentators. The crowd still did not react to Hawke. I wonder if it’s because his current entrance doesn’t do anything to solicit boos. Oddly enough, the one fan who boos him sat behind me.

    First match: Kanoa w/ Kyle Davis vs. Gregory James w/Kyle Valo vs. Matt Palmer vs. Jimmy Jacobs

    Well, one cannot accuse Jacobs of any ego issues as he worked the first match on the card. Palmer is looking a little more chiseled. If you’re reading this for the first time, and you have not ever seen a Matt Palmer match, go to www.smartmarkvideo.com & check out an Anarchy Championship Wrestling DVD. He is one of the best wrestlers in North America you’re not watching. I’m going to use a name that Kyle Davis reminds me of and I do not use this name lightly-Paul Heyman. There are so many ways that he parallels what Heyman is capable of. Palmer-Jacobs was great. These guys have worked before and were totally even. My inner smark was quite happy seeing this. During the match, Kyle received a call on his cell phone (Paul Heyman much?) and took the mic. Mike Foxx had arrived and Kanoa had to leave the match to help Foxx prepare. Looks like we might be doing a build to a Kanoa face turn. I’m not quite sure Kanoa as a heel has run its course yet. After Kanoa left, the three remaining continued their really good match. Greg was able to jump in and do the flip-floppy moves. Jimmy bumped and sold like a pro. Total class act. I wrote down that it was a good match and wanted more.

    Winner: Greg

    They’ve been leading towards Barrett and Greg forever. With the build-up they’ve given this, this should be one of the most anticipated matches ever. They did a pretty funny vignette where Steven Kirby was trying to explain to Frankie Fisher who his opponent was going to be. Cute.

    Second match: Athena vs. Jordynne Grace

    So I was really looking forward to this match. Athena is a darling of the indies, and I think with time, so could Grace. The fans were not very forgiving in this match. This is not the most perfect match I’ve ever seen the two have, and to be honest there were a few botches, but every match had one just about. I’m not sure how many times these two have worked together, but I know the chemistry can be hard until you find it. The fans were brutal and heckled some pretty awful things. There was a guy who legit weighed 3 times Grace yelling out,” Jenny Craig.” And Grace works really hard on her physique and does not deserve that from the crowd. I think this will be a full blog topic later on, because I’m still pretty steamed. Nevertheless, Athena was Athena and proved why she is one of the top talents in the world. And I thought Grace did some pretty incredible stuff in the ring. She had some nice, hard-hitting, stiff moves. They won chops of the night until Danny Saint.

    Winner: Athena

    I think there is enough talent in Texas/Oklahoma/Louisiana/Arkansas to have a legit women’s division. Andy Dalton then came out. I love Evil Dalton. He’s one of Texas’ best treasures. He challenged Scott Murdoch to a chop contest, which is kind of like belly-flopping onto a porcupine.  Dalton got a chop in and Murdoch took it and had a pretty red chest. When it came time for Dalton to take a Murdoch chop, Dalton wanted to keep his shirt on. And then he attacked Murdoch with a cookie sheet. You want to dent a cookie sheet, hit Scott Murdoch with it. A great angle to start off the Murdoch-Dalton. I’m really looking forward to this feud.

    Third match: Kristopher Haiden vs. Joe Angelo Garcia

    This was a match with some nice build-up. Haiden continues to be one of the most over heels in the company. I wrote down that this match was better than the crowd reaction. The crowd didn’t seem that into it. Garcia’s mannerisms remind me a lot of another wrestler that I don’t mention often or use his name lightly-Chris Benoit. Not saying that he’s the second coming, but there are some flashes where I see him in the in-ring work.

    Winner: Haiden

    After the match, Franco D’Angelo came out and congratulated Garcia on a strong fight. I would like to have Franco come out to my work after I mess up and give me motivational speeches.

    During the intermission, Colt Cabana, Jimmy, Athena & Grace were out and about in the crowd with doing what Cliff Compton refers to as “the hustle.” Grace did not have a lot of visitors at her table which was a shame. Were she not already adorning my Man Room Wall, I would have bought something more. I got to briefly discuss AIW and WSU with Athena, which made me mark out as always.

    Fourth match: Li Fang w/Nigel Rabid vs. Jiggle-O James Johnson

    Johnson came out of retirement (which lasted longer than several Terry Funk retirements) to continue his feud with Li Fang. Johnson had his own brand of intensity. He was still engaging with the crowd yet focused. There was so much intensity and anger in this story. Johnson was on fire. There were a few moments when our eyes got big. Johnson did a kick that sounded like a decapitation. There was also a springboard stunner that Li Fang somehow kicked out of. Li put Johnson in a crossface with Johnson tapping out.

    Winner: Fang

    Johnson really put over Li in this match.

    Fifth match: Tad Wylde (Ben Wylde & Viktor Tadlock) (c) vs. 4D (Dave Dunnings & Dax Daring)

    On paper, you wouldn’t think that the team of Daring and Dunnings would work, but somehow it does. Dax is Matt Palmer on a smaller scale in his underrated-ness. If I do a list of my best local wrestlers you’re not watching, Dax is going to be towards the top of that list. One of the biggest reactions of the night was Tadlock’s hair. It looked like the love child of Moe of the Three Stooges and a medieval page.
    Last blog, I mocked the new “Wylde” tights  for being a little too awkward. This time he had some bicycle shorts or something underneath. The match went pretty well. The newer people in the crowd really weren’t connected with either team so they weren’t lost but just not invested in this match. I love seeing Dax whenever I can. Dunnings’ work is always very solid. And Tad Wylde are becoming a tag team unit. They even had a pretty good finisher.

    Winner: Tad Wylde

    4D congratulated them afterward. It was nice to see that sportsmanship.

    Sixth match: Frankie Fisher vs. Colt Cabana

    That’s right. I just wrote Colt Cabana in a LIVE show recap. If I am correct, I remember a few years ago, when Frankie was taking a donation to bring in Colt Cabana. And here he finally was. Frankie was probably the best wrestler to go against Colt because Frankie does comedy probably better than anybody, with respect to Zero.  So it was a really fun match. Frankie and Colt kept the crowd engaged. There were plenty of funny spots. My wife became a fan of Colt Cabana after that match. Kanoa came in and interfered in the match. It was ruled a no contest.

    Winner: No contest

    Main event: Barrett Brown (c) vs. Danny Saint w/Claudia vs. Mike Foxx w/Kyle Davis & Kanoa

    It was nice to see that this was still the main event, even with the huge names on the show. The first time Danny main-evented in MPX, I don’t think anybody ever thought he had a snowball’s chance of winning the belt. Tonight he was believable. All 3 looked like they wanted it and belonged there. Saint won the award for chops of the night. Barrett took some pretty crazy chops from Saint and absorbed the blows. Kanoa distracted the referee while Foxx had Barrett pinned. Barrett took the win and retained.

    Winner: Brown

    After the match, the Following came in and started attacking Brown and Saint. Out to his rescue came a returning Carrion Arcane showing lots of fire and a huge crowd reaction.

    All in all… Was again such an emotional experience. Dallas area is not known for getting in big indy names. To get Colt and Jimmy was a pretty big achievement. The crowd was really packed and it really was standing room only. The opener was great, Li-Johnson was really good, Colt-Frankie left me in tears, and it all ended in a strong main event.

  3. BWF Interview: Kyle Davis

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    Bored Wrestling Fan is proud to present an interview with Kyle Davis of Metroplex Wrestling, and Pro Championship Wrestling. He took some time out of his day while watching a Texas Rangers game (our audio producer had Ghostbusters 2 on his television). Davis recounts his experience starting out volunteering during his high school days into his current role as a creative mind in the modern era of territory/independent wrestling.

    He goes on to tackle a number of controversial topics related to him, as well as the state of wrestling in 2012. From baseball, to Jerry “The King” Lawler… From multiple ring personas, to why the story line aspect of wrestling being essential to garnering attention… From the Walking Dead, to his thoughts on heat he’s generated recently due to his comments, Davis holds nothing back in a candid interview conducted by Bored Wrestling Fan’s own Justin Ruff. This interview is a must-listen! We teased in on Sunday’s BWF Radio #18, and now it’s time to get to the real deal. It’s time to bring legitimacy back the professional wrestling.

    With much less further ado, hit the link below for Kyle Davis’ debut on Bored Wrestling Fan!

    Kyle Davis Interview

    ————————————————–

    links:

    Kyle Davis’ Vlog:

    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0WmOiqCnBA[/youtube]

    Davis takes a Lawler piledriver:

    Kyle Davis takes a Jerry Lawler piledriver

  4. Metroplex Wrestling 4-14-12 “WASP is Gonna Kill You”

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    I’m going to be honest. They did not draw as well as they usually did. So I think I wasn’t expecting that great of a show. But I learned it’s not the size of the crowd. It’s how “on-fire” that crowd is. Less than two weeks ago, we saw how one crowd could carry an entire show at a WWE Monday Night Raw. Tonight, the MPX crowd made the show.

    We began with Kyle Davis and Kody Kox who introduced Kate. She was called the “heart and soul” of MPX. Even MPX’s naysayers say she’s great.

    Kate introduced Frankie Fisher who walked out and looked intimidating and jaw-jacked with the fans. And then Jerome Daniels’ music hit. He walked out with a purpose carrying a kendo stick. He has a nice voice and cuts a nice promo. But the promo he cut tonight… I would have to put this up at the top of MPX’s greatest promos: “Just” James Johnson’s heel turn, the Haiden-LaMotta back-and-forth, the promo I cut on Kenny Steele (ok, so I threw that one in there for the fun of it). The promo centered around how he and Frankie were going to have “a moment.” It reminded me of the promo R-Truth cut on Miz on Raw in December. (“I’m going beat you up every night and unwrap this present cause Little Jimmy said it’s okay.”) But this promo was coherent and did not set black people back 20 years.

    First match: Matt Palmer vs. Gregory James

    Now you’re probably wondering (as was I) how in the Blue Hell this was the first match. So I spent some time thinking about this. The MPX crowd is one boring match away from dying. I believe this match was put here to wake the crowd up. Palmer has some nice new ring gear. He is also looking a little bulkier. I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting. But the match I got was very story-centered. You can’t fight the same match here that you would at Anarchy down in Austin. Palmer had some huge chops. The crowd took a while to get there but they were engaged in this match. I wrote down that there was lots of emotion in this match. And the best part about the emotion was the crescendo it took to get there. Palmer is so expressive that he carries every emotion on his sleeve.

    Winner: Headbanger

    After the match, they shook hands. I liked the sportsmanship. They had a cute vignette with Viktor Tadlock and Ben Wylde playing putt putt. I love them introducing different characters.

    Second match: Dave Dunnings vs. Regrub w/The Following

    My main goal as this match started was to not gouge out my eyes. I do like the work of Dunnings plus I get to chant “Double-D.” He’s country and I love the country element. Plus, he’s such a good character. The crowd loved him. The crowd also loved to hate The Following. Regrub did the forearm to the chest. The only problem with that is that Sheamus does it very well and very loud. At first I was expecting a squash and then it wasn’t. It kept going on a little more.

    Winner: Dunnings

    If Dunnings and Regrub are having a feud, that’s fine. But he’s a tag champ. I’m a stickler for protecting champs. Kyle Valo was well-received with a “Shut up, Kyle” chant.

    Scott Murdoch came out to say there was no competition. He worked the live crowd well. You can always tell when somebody has experience with live crowds because he had quite the fun with them in a sadistic “kid torturing an ant with a magnifying glass” kinda way. He sat down in the chair and waited for competition. His back was turned and James Hawke snuck an attack but he did attack him from the front. It was a brutal brawl. Security had a hard time separating them. Hawke was ON FIRE. I’ve done my share of mocking him for being John Cena. This was not John Cena. One angle and MPX fixed him. WWE, why can’t you fix your Cena?

    Third match: Kristopher Haiden vs. Danny Saint

    One of my favorite guys to watch in wrestling is PAC. I love his high-flying, aerial moves. There were no PAC moves in this match. This was a hot feud. They weren’t fighting from the get-go. Saint crouched in the corner as Haiden walked out. Then when the bell hit, Saint was on fire. I hate it when guys have feuds and they start off with a side headlock. There was none of that here. This was a good feud match. This was simply violent. Two guys who hate each other beat the s*** out of each other. Haiden won with a clothesline from Hell.

    Winner: Haiden

    After the match, Haiden took the microphone and set up Haiden vs. Headbanger for the next show. During the intermission, the faces came out and mingled with the crowd. It was a good family atmosphere.

    Fourth match: Viktor Tadlock vs. Ryan Gauge w/The Following

    I’ve never seen Tadlock as a face and I was kinda blown away. He is quite versatile. He can do the angry heel but he can do that monster babyface too. The comparison that comes to mind is Batista, except Tadlock wants to be there and will not injure himself walking to the ring. At first Tadlock was supposed to get Arcane, but Arcane decided that Tadlock wasn’t fighting him. He was going to get Ryan Gauge. Poor Ryan. Tadlock started telling him he wanted no part of him. Gauge slapped him. So Tadlock took him to the turnbuckles and slapped his chest a little. And by little, I mean hard. He got squashed.

    Winner: Tadlock

    After the match, Arcane told Gauge he was out and then The Following beat on him until he was saved by Tadlock & Wylde. Do I smell a 6-man?

    Fifth match: “Just” James Johnson vs. Jerome Daniels

    This match had a nice enough premise. Johnson wanted the belt and why should Daniels come in and get a title shot? You can tell these two are veterans who have wrestled each other many times. There were so many “little things” and nuances these guys got right. Johnson spit or something thereby prompting a “That’s disgusting” chant. I told you it was a pretty awesome crowd. The two guys really brought it. Nigel Rabid came out and interfered in full British mode.

    Winner by dq: Daniels

    Li Fang came out to the rescue. Both Daniels and Johnson were laying down in the ring. Li Fang went up to the top rope. Fang should come to the rescue of Daniels, right? But he attacked Daniels, turning heel. And thus was introduced “The Asian Nation.” I’m not seeing Nigel in it yet, but I will see how it transpires.

    Main event: Bling & Sting vs. Kenny Steele & Frankie Fisher

    Bling and Sting ($Payday$ and WASP respectively) had matching tights so they looked like a tag team. $Payday$ tried some new moves out. While they did not come out as smoothly or fluidly as he probably would have liked, I like that he’s working on finding himself a wider repertoire. The big knock on John Cena is the “5 Moves of Doom” (or as I say about Davey Richards, the “25 Moves of Doom”). $Payday$ is not content to do the same moves in every match. And the more opportunities to try his moves in front of different crowds, the more successful he will become. One spot I think he nailed was the suplex into the Stunner. WASP was pretty strong with the crowd reaction. He kept them engaged. Somebody in the crowd (or security) started chanting “WASP is gonna kill you.” It caught on. The high moment of the match (and the night, quite frankly) was when Frankie and WASP were fighting over by the merchandise table. I couldn’t see what the move was exactly from where I was sitting but Frankie went through the table. It was a total “Holy s***” moment. It wasn’t like the Spanish announcers table at a PPV where you take bets on which match destroys the table. It was the sacred merchandise table, which is the only table MPX uses. It got a “That was awesome” chant. With those two doing that on the outside it was between Kenny and $Payday$. $Payday$ made the pin.

    Winner: Bling & Sting

    Frankie sold his table bump like a pro. All the fans had to walk past him on his way out.

    All in all… This show was perhaps the best I have seen from MPX. Top to bottom, this was a really good show. There were about 4 good matches. Even the ones that didn’t knock my socks off weren’t bad. There was a really great promo, decent heel turn and a really awesome table spot. While still not perfect, I’m really looking forward to the major show in two weeks.

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  5. BWF Radio Episode 18

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    From the brand new Fropac Productions Studios in Buffalo, NY, ThinkSoJoE hosts another edition of BWF Radio!  Joe, along with G and JT, discuss the week in the wacky world of professional wrestling.  From thoughts on RAW, SmackDown, IMPACT, and ROH, to all the news that has come our way throughout the week, it’s all covered here on BWF Radio 18.

    Plus, highlights from Justin Ruff’s interview with MPX booker and Texas wrestling manager Kyle Davis, which you can get in full tomorrow here at BoredWrestlingFan.com!

    BoredWrestlingFan Radio Episode 18

  6. MPX One-Year Anniversary Show 4-23-11

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    Tonight was a solid show. Everything worked well and gelled together. Quick warning: Iwill talk about my segment, but I really shouldn’t be the one to critique myself. It seemed there were a lot of people there. More and more people are beginning to show up. I’m seeing MPX get more buzz. There are wrestlers leaving comments on people’s Facebook about looking for bookings there. Wrestling promoters are coming there scouting talent. I talked to a fan afterwards who had been there for the first time and liked it. MPX has survived a lot of difficulties, and it’s nice to see them celebrate one year.

    They began the night with the recap. It would be nice to have a voiceover. Kate walked out sporting a new haircut (the consensus was positive from the Ruff family). And she was rocking the obligatory bunny ears. She gave the thanks for all the responsible parties. And the action started, and it started quickly.
    (more…)

  7. MPX-Fight to Survive 3-12-11

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    Fight to Survive is in the books. In the end, I thought it was very solid. The theme there is that a lot of workers are giving everything and experimenting in new ways in the ring (and some of them, outside it). It was PACKED. Every time I go, it seems to get more crowded. This is great news. It opened with a well-done recap. And then Kate introduced $Payday$. I don’t think $Payday$ has done a lot of promos, so what he said was fine. But how he said it lacked. Speaking to a crowd is not easy, and I probably couldn’t do too much better. But I would suggest giving him a mouthpiece or creating an essence to his character to where he doesn’t need to speak. (“A man of few words”, “He’s not there to speak, just to get his payday.”) $Payday$ wanted Carrion Arcane. Mike Dolenz told him that Arcane was already booked. But $Payday$ could have his match. Only it was going to be against Wally Darkmon. For me, this didn’t have the same drama. Wally and $Payday$ are both good guys. While I like getting to see both guys in the ring, it just was not the match I wanted to see (because as a fan, I want both guys to win).

    First match: Ironheart vs. Carrion Arcane w/”The Angel of Mercy” Claudia

    This was my first time to see Ironheart. Arcane was talking about “she was coming” and apparently, that Claudia. It’s nice that MPX has a valet, as women never hurt (but please don’t get “divas”). Her look is very gothic/Suicide Girl-ish. It is a great fit for Arcane. The match was solid. Claudia is a good throw-back to the old Woman/Nancy Benoit-type valet. And after Claudia attacked Ironheart with red mist, Arcane scored the pin.

    Winner: Arcane

    Second match: Kenny Steele vs. Ben Wylde w/Kyle Davis

    This match was a lot better than I thought it would be. Steele is improving both in the ring and in his persona. Steele has great facials, and he’s learned other things than telling crowds he has abs. I saw something out of Steele tonight. He is an amazing athlete and has a heel charisma that you can’t teach. I can see him going places. I’m also loving the Kyle Davis aspect. Ben made him wear this green hat that was worth a million laughs in and of itself. I’m thinking this is probably my favorite storyline in MPX. The two wrestled a nice story of Steele not being able to bodyslam Wylde because he was injured. It was also a good way of Steele losing without making him look weak.

    Winner: Wylde

    Third match: Cash & Carry vs. Lucha Lucha & some masked guy

    When Cash & Carry, came out with a grocery cart full of fun, I knew it was going to be a fun match. Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve been spoiled with seeing Necro Butcher through the years. The hardcore match was probably the un-stiffest hardcore match I’ve ever seen. I’m ok with it. I understand most of these guys are green. And I’d rather see them again, so I have to say it was fun. There was some nice plunder in this match: a baseball bat, lots of chairs (Lucha found a chair that had the Corona logo. Nice touch.), a bowling ball, a vuvuzela/”Grenade whistle” (of all things), stop sign, garbage can, grocery cart. The match was full of several OMG moments. Zach the Muscle at one point either got his bell ring or is the best seller ever. Also, there was a moment in the match where Zach attacked the masked man and he smiled a really saddistic smile. They can go a lot of places with this. I saw a little bit of of that Cactus Jack in him. I would like to see his character evolve a little bit more in that direction. He has the size to where I can see him going places. At one point, Cash & Carry found Kris Haiden out in the crowd and asked him if he wanted to hit Lucha or masked guy. He said no and this laid the groundwork for his face turn that night. This may not have been IWA-Mid South King of the Deathmatch Tournament-worthy, but IWA-MS isn’t running anymore, and a lot of those fighters aren’t fighting anymore. Not bad for a first hardcore match.

    Winner: Lucha & Masked Man (I will call them Team Enmascarado)

    During the intermission, the wrestlers continued their mingling with the crowd. This is one of their strongest aspects. It’s good for the kids. After the intermission came the 6-Man Elimination match.

    Fourth match: James Hawke vs. Zero the Antihero vs. WASP w/Kyle Valo vs. Regrub vs. Headbanger Gregory James vs. Carlos Esquivel (with Ryan Gauge as the special ref)

    This was a very multi-layered match with a lot of storylines. This is difficult to weave together and I thought the booking was nicely-done. So forgive me for missing some of the highlights. Carlos and Zero have a good dynamic and chemistry. It reminded me of that moment in “The Wrestler” when Randy “The Ram” asks the Ayatollah how they’re going to do their match. Ayatollah says “I’m the heel. You’re the face. Any questions?”

    James Hawke cut a nice promo where he apologized for his attack on Frankie Fisher. I waiting for “It will neeeeever eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeever happen again” but no Jericho heel turn for now. We do Streamers for Zero. I love the Japanese/ROH tribute. Also, WASP was a very engaging heel, getting the crowd going and making fun of Regrub for breaking up pins when it was an elimination match. Ryan Gauge who had been previously in a sling, took off his cast and revealed his arm was just fine. Then he attacked WASP and made sure he was pinned. It is difficult to comment on all the dynamics as it was complex. The match ended when James Hawke made Regrub tap out. This meant something and made Hawke look very strong to make the monster Regrub tap out.

    Winner: Hawke

    After the match, WASP and Valo came out of the back informed Headbanger he was going to be fighting in a handicap match. Kate whispered something to Headbanger and then announced that it would be an inter-gender match: WASP & Valo vs. Headbanger & Kate. I will give MPX the benefit of the doubt, but I HATE inter-gender matches. The only one I’ve ever seen done right is Beulah-Bill Alphonso in ECW.

    Fifth match: $Payday$ vs. Wally Darkmon

    There were two kids behind me last night that were really into the whole show. $Payday$ saw them on his way to the ring and danced with them. This is awesome. A wrestling promotion always needs wrestlers to dance with the kids. There was a watershed moment in Mark Henry’s life when Andre the Giant brought him to the ring and danced with him. It’s hard to remember sometimes that they are what it’s all about.

    The match between the two wrestlers was really good. I think this is $Payday$’s best match yet in MPX. Wally is such a pro that it was a fun match, even though it was face vs. face. As a fan, I was a little torn, because I don’t want to watch either lose. There were hand shakes for everybody. Wally gives 100%, and it is evident from his matches. The match was declared a no contest when Carrion Arcane attacked both. (I’m ok with no contests and dq’s and all that. It’s when a wrestling company does the same finish over and over again that it becomes boring, aka TNA.)

    Winner: No contest

    Sixth match: Matt Andrews (c) vs. Barrett Brown

    This was my first time to see Barrett Brown live. He looks all of 13 years old, but he has a great focus and ring presence. His intensity reminded me a lot of Chris Benoit’s. The Matt Andrews title reign continues. He is quickly becoming a lot like Gollum with his belt. That is as it should be. He makes the belt seem important. This was a really good match. Brown was very impressive in the ring, and I hope to get to see him again. Andrews submitted Brown for the victory.

    Winner: Matt Andrews

    After the match, Mike Dolenz announced that Andrews would be defending his belt at the next show. After attacking him, Kris Haiden came to his rescue. He then cut a really great promo about one thing he learned from his time there is that the boys in the MPX were some of the toughest SOB’s he’d ever seen. This was a GREAT face turn. I can’t think of the last time I saw a face turn this good in wrestling. In a show of support, the MPX roster unanimously supported Haiden’s reinstatement and receiving a title shot. It was an emotional moment.

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