PRO WRESTLING from PLANET VELVET

2012-02-10T03:31:00.000+03:00

Tag team wrestling holds next to no importance in the scheme of certain organizations. Okay, maybe that is a little harsh. I will just say that tag team wrestling just isn't what it used to be. That sounds a lot better. Wrestling has gone through phases that have seen an emphasis on either teams, heavyweight singles wrestlers, or cruiserweights. And while tag team wrestling may not be held in the highest regard nowadays, it is still a vital ingredient what makes what we do what it is.

However, what makes a great tag team. Is it the championships that they win? Could it be the chemistry that lies between it's members when seeking to attain a common goal? Maybe it could possibly be the long-standing legacy and influence that team leaves when it is done. Perhaps the quality of opposition and the era in which the team peaked could be an answer. Pondering this question made me ask myself: who are the ten greatest tag teams in the history of wrestling?

Well, so much for the long, drawn-out introduction. Here are my picks from lowest to highest.

10.) THE BRITISH BULLDOGS (Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid). In a land of giants, Great Britain's offering to the then-WWF was a pair of sawed-off, jacked-up juiceheads who revolutionized the entire federation. Trained by Stu Hart in Canada, cousins Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid performed with blinding speed, amazing agility, and fierce power for a couple of guys who were short but strong. Nevertheless, the toppled the Dream Team (Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake) at the second WrestleMania to capture their lone World tag team championship. These guys could do it all and I really wish they did more.

9.) THE ROCK N ROLL EXPRESS (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson). This is the highly-influential team that proceeded teams like The Rockers. Part of the reason the Rockers may not have gotten the credit they deserved is because they were always in the shadow of this popular team. Morton and Gibson beat teams like The Russians to capture 5 NWA World tag team titles. These guys had great chemistry and were lightning quick. They get on this list with no problem.

8.) NEW AGE OUTLAWS (Road Dogg and Billy Gunn). What is the best way to kick off being an era-defining team? Capture the WWF Tag Team Titles from a team that define a previous era. Dogg and Gunn were two lost souls on the WWF treadmill until they got together and started causing trouble. They wreaked havoc before winning the first of three championships from the Road Warriors. After that, everything took off. As part of DeGeneration-X, the two reigned over the tag team division and complemented the factions other members. Several of the 90's Attitude Era's best teams fell to NAO.

7.) THE HARDY BOYZ (Matt and Jeff Hardy). It wasn't until I watched a retrospective on these guys recently that I was able to fully appreciate their contribution to the Attitude Era. On the tail end of the Monday night wars, Matt and Jeff's daredevil style took a mundane tag team division to new and dizzying heights. Together or separately, they each have struck championship gold multiple times. There are plenty of indy wrestlers who seek to be the next Jeff Hardy or were immensely influenced by this team. High-flying double-team moves and a great gimmick (simply being themselves) helped put the Hardyz in the upper echelon of pro wrestling tag teams.

6.) HARLEM HEAT (Booker T and Stevie Ray). You don't get to be 10-time World tag team champions by accident. Long before Booker became a six-time World champion, he and his brother were going head up with teams like The Nasty Boys and The Steiner Brothers. It was a long way from their days as the Ebony Experience in Global Wrestling all those years ago. Booker was the more versatile of the bunch while Stevie Ray provided the power and brute strength. It all equaled championship and the most by any team in the history of WCW.

5.) THE DUDLEY BOYS (Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley). The Extremists from Dudleyville really made a mark in the sport of pro wrestling. They were not a finesse team or a scientific marvel. They just liked to beat the hell outta whoever you set them across the ring from. 8 ECW Tag Team titles paved the way for and eventually 22 World titles throughout their career as a team. They faced teams like The Eliminators, The New Age Outlaws, Sabu and Rob Van Dam, Edge and Christian, and others. They brought an extreme element to tag team wrestling and the sport has not been the same since.

4.) THE FABULOUS FREEBIRDS (Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, and Buddy Roberts). They may not have had a multitude of tag team titles to their credit, but the Freebirds were probably the South's most influential tag team. Rebel flag and all, Hayes, Roberts, and “Bamm Bamm” wreaked havoc almost anywhere they went. They blurred the face/heel line in pro wrestling. They made being a bad guy cool in wrestling long before Steve Austin. Their feud with the Von Erichs is beyond legendary. Jimmy Garvin replaced Roberts and the tandem won the WCW World tag titles twice. The influence of the Freebirds can still be felt today

3.) DEMOLITION (Ax and Smash). People will say they were Road Warrior rip-offs and they would be correct. However, Ax and Smash carved their own niche in the annals of pro wrestling. The time period in in the WWF between 1987-1991 boasts the strongest, most versatile tag team division in the history of pro wrestling. And between a three or four year period, Demolition mowed down a who's who of tandems. The Rockers. The Twin Towers. The Powers of Pain. The Young Stallions. Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard. They all fell to Demolition at one time or another. They were champions when tag teams mattered

2.) THE STEINER BROTHERS (Rick and Scott Steiner). These guys put so many new spins on the suplex, there should be at least a dozen variations named after them. Rick was the goofball would could knock your block off. Scott Steiner was the athletic youngster who could hang and bang with the best of the best. WCW, NWA, Japan – the Steiners found success any and everywhere they went. They defined the late-80's/early 90's WCW Tag Team division. The road to the titles either went through the Steiners or had them holding the belt at road's end.

1.) THE ROAD WARRIORS. They are the Hulk Hogan of tag team wrestling. They were game changers. The most popular and influential tag team in the history of the sport. Nuff said!!!

There is no question who was number one. Everyone else was just fighting for second.

One......

GIWA FEBRUARY 25TH in MILLEDGEVILLE, GA

2012-02-09T15:36:00.000+03:00

Leg day (fun, fun, fun)

2012-02-08T16:41:00.002+03:00

(WARNING: The following blog contains an oxymoronic passage that those who know the benefit in working out may find offensive. I sincerely apologize in advance)

I usually begin working out on Mondays for the week. However, Tuesday would be my first workout day of the week. So, I hop in my gas bucket and drive to Fitness Plus Gym. Upon getting out of my car, I realize that I left my gym bag at home. My mouth utters a few curse words until I proceed to walk inside of the facility. With my workout gloves and my MP3 player in my bag, I figured I better make the best of this situation. Instead of the usual chest and triceps routine, I will opt for a leg workout.

I step in and out of the locker room within five minutes. Before working out, I perform a series of stretches and free-weight squats. Gym music can be one of two things: motivational or nauseating. So as I rep out my first set of leg extensions, I try not to listen to the horrid soft-rock playing from the speakers. With every rep, I can feel the workout having an effect on my quads. After blasting through three sets of the aforementioned extensions, I move on to my favorite leg exercise: the leg press. This is my first time doing the leg press in a few weeks. I made a conscious effort get back into the gym and work on these things after looking at a picture I have of myself clotheslining AWN competitor Ash in a match a few years back. During the snapshot (which Ash's mom Mo took), my quads actually looked kinda ripped.

There are different stories as to how much the sled on the leg press machine weighs. I was told from various sources it can be between 45-100 pounds depending on the machine. I will assume this sled weighs 45 pounds. I put two 45's on each side for a warm-up and near shot the sled off of the machine. I honestly feels as if I don't have ANY weight on there. Adding a plate to each side brings the total weight up to 315 lbs. Once again, I feel nothing. Two more plates and the weight is 405 lbs. Finally starting to feel a little burn, but nothing to make me grit my teeth.. ..yet. Long story short, I ended up with six 45's and a 25 on each side for a total of 635 lbs. I did push out two reps which makes me happy. Next week, I'm shooting for 700 pounds.

Squating is not something I am good at, so I go to the Smith Machine bar. I put a 45 on each side and perform squats all the way down to the floor, one set for 10 reps. The Smith Machine offers an uninterrupted line of movement and takes away the need to balance to weight. Since this is the case, I decided to try something I have never done before: either front squats of Zercher squats. So I try each movement with the bar empty. Finally, I decide on trying the front squats with about 35 pounds. I probably could have gone heavier, but form is one of the (if not THE) most crucial part of performing any exercise and I want to make sure I get mines correct. All the while “Only In My Dreams” by Tiffany is playing in the gym. God, if this isn't a musical nightmare....

Performing a new exercise on a new machine is a lot like wrestling Chris Nelms: you have to be really careful in the execution of the performance seeing as how you are the ONLY one who can make a worthwhile, physical contribution to achieving the projected outcome. At least in this case, carrying dead weight can actually be beneficial. (Again, I apologize)

After two sets of this exercise, I go to the calf raise machine and hit four sets of 235, 255, 275 and 295 respectively. I don't count reps with calf raises. I just work them out until I burn them out. After three sets of seated calf raises, I am done for the day. I feel pretty good after my workout. My leg strength is increasing and I tweaked my muscles with a new exercise. Maybe I will benefit from this. Maybe...

One...

Wrestling with religion...

2012-02-02T17:49:00.001+03:00

As a business and marketing major in college, one of the things that I learned about is the difference between a trend and a fad. A trend is not some “flavor-of-the-month” movement. It has staying power. Because of it, investors are quicker to invest in it because of its potential profitability. On the other hand, a fad can easily be detected due to its lack thereof and no one will invest a lot into it.

Wrestling has had it's share of both trends and fads. Sometimes, the line separating the two can be blurred. One of the more noticeable trends that I have seen in Georgia indy wrestling has to be Christian-based shows. While I cannot count how many there are in the state, three come to mind more than others. The first – and probably most well-known show – is Dusty Mays' CPW (Christian Pro Wrestling). It has garnered some of the best talent in the state. Their shows are action packed and infuse what defines wrestling today – sports and entertainment. The sporting part comes from the wrestling. The theatrical aspect come from matches where a man dressed as Jesus will enter a match and perform an altar call. Mays is a legitimate minister. And while this method may be seen as a bit extreme, it obviously works.

The other two are Trinity Championship Wrestling and Annointed Championship Wrestling. In honesty, there is really no difference between one and the other considering they both use a lot of the same workers. Matches are fought and testimonies are given. TCW has worked in the past with Lex Luger and Nikita Koloff. In fact, it was because of TW James inviting me to a church in Sandersville that I got the chance to meet Lex this past summer. TCW has an excellent representative in its champion Steve Stiles – who is very religious. Bleckley County-based ACW has just really started running. Still, these shows do seem interesting enough.

Wrestling does have its share of Christians and people who are strong in their faith. I have already mentioned Luger and Koloff. Ted DiBiase and Shawn Michaels are very spiritual. Even here in Middle Georgia, John Cassandro (owner of graphic arts company Spoken Image Designs and media manager for AWN) is religious. Steve Stiles takes his faith very seriously. And while sometimes my abrasive attitude and quick temper may lead people to believe I have a bit of the devil in me sometimes, May 2013 will my 20^th year as a born-again Christian. I'm only human, y'all.

I'm no preacher, but God's love is real. And because of that, I hope this trend has some staying power. There is room in wrestling for any and everything. That's what I love about this sport: there is a little something for everyone.

One....

Opinion becomes undisputed truth

2012-01-19T17:48:00.001+03:00

The weekend for pro wrestlers is an opportunity to garner bookings. Sometimes, listing infinite amounts of bookings on your facebook page can be a smokescreen - hiding the fact that your craft needs work IMMEDIATELY. Chris Nelms has made a reputation of posting where his next "wrestling" appearances will be However, we hardly hear of the end result of those "appearances". This may be the reason why.

Last week, Nelms teamed with rookie wrestler Maul (who could be good if he got away from Nelms) to wrestle in the Empire (formerly known as PCW) as the Monsters of Destruction. Empire has made a lot of headway and has become one of the top feds in the entire state. I truly wondered why anyone would book Nelms in the first place. The Hate Junkies (an immensely talented tag team) were there. One half of the team wrote a piece on the experience of seeing Nelms "wrestle", Below is an excerpt.:

Now, onto the “Monsters of Destruction”, holy fucking shit sandwich. I refuse to abbreviate their name, because the only MOD I know is Murder-1, Orion Bishop, Johnny Slaughter, and Wicked Nemesis (and ALMOST me….damnit). As a matter of fact, I do not want to type “The Monsters of Destruction” anymore (which sounds like an 8th grader came up with it and drew it on a fucking trapper keeper in homeroom) so I will instead right TB for Turd-Burgers. So TB -vs- Daisho; seems pretty simple right? Fuck you are NOT ready for this. Daisho is a team that is on the rise and TB is well, not. Here is where the shit falls apart. TB is local wrestling superstar “The Ticking Time Bomb” Chris Nelms and some other fat dude (who I am sure is a nice person, but is a shitty wrestler). They are not monsters, unless you own a Chinese buffet. They are just fat. Chris Nelms you may know made a spectacular career as The Fear Train, or the Chuck-Wagon, or the Run-a-train-on-me Loco-Motive. Loco-Motive is a name that will forever be etched in the anals, I mean annals of Georgia Wrestling as having the distinguished honor of being in what Larry Goodman has said was “The worst fucking match I have ever seen”. That my friends, is a feat. Also, there is only one train in wrestling, “The No-Pain Train” Iceberg. Loco-motion then decided to make a career (I can’t type that without laughing, could you read it without laughing?) change and become the Ticking Time Bomb Chris Nelms. Man, I hope Scotty Wren does not hear about this. So Chris Nelms is now in TB. They are set to face Daisho and they have the delusion that this will be an actual competition. Sorry fellas, you are not The Hate JunKies, the Washington Bullets, Hot Like Lava, or the Usual Suspects, or The Ambassadors, you are not even CLOSE to our level, your fucked. This is what I have an issue with. Chris Nelms is so fat and out of shape that he could not get up for Vordell’s brain-buster. Thankfully Vordell is a beast, and was able to muscle him ½ way up and make sure that the “monster” did not fall on his head, but yea, it was really bad. Here is a disclaimer; I agree there is room for everyone and everything in wrestling. Small cruisers, super fit in shape guys, monsters, and yes, fat guys. Here is the thing, if you are a fat guy, then you need to realize that there are things that you cannot do.

To view the enitre post (which cuts NO corneers and is brutally honest) log onto:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/derek-thorne/ticking-time-bomb-seriously-what-the-everloving-fuck/10151146944175037

One love.....

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

2012-01-16T20:48:00.000+03:00

When I asked people to send me their questions, I had no idea I would get as many pro wrestling questions as I did. They ranged from any and every professional wrestling subject. However, I did say that I wqould be only picking a random number of questions from the pile. First question up:

What are the pros and cons of having a wrestling valet?

Good question. I have had two of them actually - Sweet Lips and Mya Vida. Both brought their unique talents to my attention. With Sweet Lips, we were always on thew same page. Our goal was to entertain the fans. That's one of the biggest positives of having a valet. There is a synergy that you both share. It seems as if you are both acting as one. I really do miss my Sugar Mama. Mya was a handful. She was drop dead gorgeous and had a personality to match. That is where the cons of having a valet come in. Almost everywhere we went, there was a wrestling booker there. No sooner than we walked in the door, they were plotting to take my manager for their own storyline purposes. Having a hot chick like Mya would raise your stock in the eyes of the fans. Still, nobody was getting' my Mya!

Next question....

What is opinion of Barry Windham getting the nod over Ole for the Four Horseman HOF induction.... Does the WWE have beef with Ole or vice versa?....to me ole belongs in the hof with them and not so much barry.

Vincent McMahon would not be who he is if he let grudges go. Do I think that Ole deserves to be in the HOF induction. Yes but only because he was an original Horseman. Do I think that Vince McMahon has a grudge against Ole? Certainly. The quartet of Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, and Barry Windham was the greatest version of the Horseman ever. So I have no problem with Barry getting in. He deserves it.

Our next question falls right in line with that....

If you could induct six wrestlers into the WWE Hall of fame, who would you pick?

Siva Afi, Waylon Mercy, Randy Hogan, The Mulkeys, and Sean Mooney. No, no seriously. My picks would be Davey Boy Smith, Randy Savage, Demolition, Ultimate Warrior, and Bruno Sammartino

Next....

were do u think I belong on cards and give me ur honest opinion on my wrestling skill... (Georgia Cowboy)

Just like any other wrestler, your place on the card depends on who you are sharing a locker room with. If CWO is where you plan on wrestling, you should be on top of the card. As far as your wrestling skill goes, you do pretty good. We all need work as do you. Just stay with it and don't disappear for another year. When you first got stared in wrestling, everyone saw you for the wrestler you are and the wrestler you are becoming. Nowadays, everyone recognizes you more for who you're married to. With all due respect, that's your career's biggest crutch. You deserve the best opportunities to excel and get better. All you have to do is get promoters to see you as the Georgia Cowboy. My advice - let Delta manage someone else. That's the only way people will see you for you and give you a chance around here without reservation..

Gimme some more....

What do you think of the Funkasaurus? (Matt Burton)

I have only seen Brodus Clay in the Funkasaurus get up once. It's got to grow on me. Right now, it just seems like a gimmick that he got off of the gimmick table and put on. It feels like he is just playing the part and doesn't come off as authentic.

Next up....

In yo cwo blog you said you wondered what could happen if your was the booker. What 3 changes would you make to cwo if u were in charge?

The first thing I would do is wash my hands of Chris Nelms. That move alone would give CWO instant credibility. There is nothing good about having him in charge of deciding anything except who will be second in the buffet line behind him. The second thing I would do is never wrestle a match in CWO. Nothing against the fed, but one of its biggest problems is that the guys in charge wanna be the stars of the show at the expense of others on the card. Get a booker who has no interest in getting himself over and his decisions would be respected a little more. Finally, I'd ditch the valets.

Y do workers get upset about indy rankings yet pwi has no idea they exist. ALSO.....whats ur take on fake profiles bashing workers? (Marcus Davis aka Phenom.com)

I guess that depends on the workers. I used to be happy when the GW.TK Top 50 came out every year regardless of my position on the poll. I did a Top 10 of Middle Georgia and got a great response to it. So I don't think that indy wrestlers get mad. I just think they question the legitimacy of the rankings themselves. Usually when that happens, its those in charge of the ranking systems that get peeved. As for the fake profiles, I honestly can't say. I would have to see one first to give an opinion

Who's next up to bat?

Do you regret any of the disputes you've had with wrestlers or feds in the past?

I don't regret the whole CWO deal because their product is so bad, I really wouldn't want to be associated with it. Like I said before, that has a lot to do with people running it. They tried to make an example out of me and have become THE example for putting on a bad show anywhere. I don't regret the RPW deal either. It was what it was (but I'm not bitter). The only beef I have ever regretted is with my cousin Mr. Jones. We let the establishment turn us against each other. If there is any relationship I am glad I have repaired, it's that one. I also regret any bad words I had with TW James. He's really a good guy.

How did you and big bank ever squash yall beef?

He apologized.

Do you ever see yourself coming back down to awn full time? We miss you velvet!!!

I miss you guys too. And I was working on that, but the real world responsibilities hindered that. Their core group of guys (Anthony Andrews, Michael Stevens, Leon McMichael, Shane Curtis, Mike Cross, Drew Adler, and Zac Edwards) are all top-notch guys who perform at a high level. I definitely wanna get in that mix.

Do you sill talk to Bill Demott?

I do. He is always so busy but I do talk to him still.

Do you still have any kind of relationship with Johnnie Gayton?

Not really. I haven't spoken to him at length ever since RPW stopped booking me (but I'm not bitter). Any issues we might have are more business-related than anything else, but we've never been on bad terms at all.

What is your opinion of the georgia insider?

It was kinda cool for a while. Then, the commentary started getting real personal. The ring rat thing was tasteless but very humorous and got a lot of great reaction. It moved from that to trying to put certain guys over. It was a good gimmick gone bad. In the end, it felt like a long, drawn-out post on a shoot board.

That's all i have for now. This was fun. As always, GIMME FEEDBACK!!!

One....

GIMME SOME FEEDBACK!!!

2012-01-11T18:03:00.000+03:00

Thanks to the people at GeorgiaWrestlingHistory.com. my blog is being read by a wider audience. I am greatly appreciative of this. I also like it when the people (wrestler, fan, or whatever) read my blog and provide me with feedback. My last article got quite abit of feedback. However, they aren't showing up in the comments section of the blog.

Even still, there are many questions people have brought into the New Year. Ranging from all type of wrestling-related topics. So here is the thing: I WANNA HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY!! I want to answer your questions and listen to the opinions of others. Questions about feds, wrestlers, yourself, me, or whatever. I will select a random number of random questions and answer them on this blog.

So, please, send all of your wrestling-related questions to my facebook inbox at www.facebook.com/anthony.v.hall, my email account at sykhosis@yahoo.com, or you can hit me up on twitter at www.twitter.com/#!/PlanetVelvet.

The floor is open, Georgia. Let's have some fun!!!!

P.S. - I'm not bitter. Shout out to Stephen Platinum)

Black in Wrestling America

2012-01-05T19:50:00.000+03:00

Near the end of last year, I did a show for my trainer Bill DeMott's New Energy Wrestling. While I was there, I saw some familiar faces like Nigel Sherrod, Thunder and Lightning, and Micah and Tracy Taylor. I also got a chance to meet Luke Gallows for the first time as well as Mikal Judas. I had a long conversation with Kimberly Spades (five feet of woman never looked hotter). I got the chance to talk to two more guys that I'd never met before.

They were a father and son African-American tag team called Team Throwdown (love the name). We exchanged facebook names and stuff and have been talking back and forth to each other since then. The father (Certron Payne) is known professionally as the Natural Born Playa. Playa has had a successful career in the Carolinas. Recently, he posted on facebook about - what he perceives to be – the lack of opportunities for black wrestlers in the business. Below is his post:

I was asked by a young black Male around 15years old and his father" who has watched my Son and myself wrestle They Asked why we were not apart of one the big Two or one the well known Indy Feds. All I could say was we haft to keep putting our work out there and sending it out to promotions and one day you might see my son or both of us on one the big Two. But it got my son and I thinking" and l...ooking over our careers and work in the ring. We looked at other wrestlers on the Indy and the big two and even compared our work to the ENTERTAINERS in The Big One" And what we observed was not surprising but hurtful.We as Black wrestlers have been devalued. Or lets just put it out there we are less or seen not as powerful in stature as our couter parts are in this buisness,not saying all promoters or federations are that stuck in time, But the them rings true.No matter how well you work or put a guy over black wrestlers are very devalued and pertrayed as inferior.If I am wrong in my studying looking back at the greats like Ernie the Kat Ladd,BoBO Brizil,Thunderbolt Patterson, Great workers great Entertainers but Not a NWA,WCW Title Evere"Always the Brides MADE" but Never The Bride. I am Open to correction .Peace. - Certron Payne (Natural Born Playa)

There are many sides to this story. First and foremost, I take a look at my own career. As a wrestler, I wanted to be recognized and capture the audience's eye the minute I walked out the curtain. With that, I chose a pimp gimmick. I bought a full pimp get-up for $175 online and was quickly tabbed “The Purple Pimp Daddy”. After getting my name out in Georgia, I wanted people to recognize me more for the wrestler I was becoming than the gimmick I had. And while pimping is only a small part of Black culture, it was still a negative character. With so few Black wrestlers on the scene, I think that maybe the promoters – who were schooled in the old school ways of wrestling promotion – have not evolved with the times.

I liken Black culture to another culture that it spawned: hip-hop. When Kool Herc birthed the genre in the Bronx in 1973, people thought it would be a passing fad. It started off as party music. Eventually, it took on many forms. It birthed party anthems, real-life ghetto situations, and cautionary tales. The late 1980's saw an Afrocentric movement as well as gangsta rap in hip-hop. The 1990's and 2000's saw the entire culture expanding, hip-hop millionaires, international rappers, and corporate America jacking the culture for their own financial gain. The point here is that hip-hop has grown to be more than what it was.

You could compare Black culture to a spectrum. I was born in Newark, NJ. In the eyes of some people, I would be labeled a thug simply from where I was born. However, I've never sold or used drugs, graduated high school, am on my way to a second college degree, working on a third, and have never been in trouble with the law. Still, I could easily be stereotyped because of where I am from. Look at the two most prominent tag teams on the Georgia scene. The Washington Bullets are an exciting clean-cut tag team. Nothing about them says ignorance or negativity. On the flip side, you have the Usual Suspects. I know both of these guys personally and have worked with them both in the past. Murder is beyond cool and AJ is just AJ. However, the characters they portray breathe life into every negative stereotype some people still have about young Black men: unmotivated, void of direction, and angry for no reason. The men behind these characters are in no way like the wrestlers they portray as both are the complete opposite of their in-ring personae. They don't bake cakes, but they are far from tempermental idiots as well. Maybe me and Kimbro being the fun-loving team Doc Gayton wanted us to be kinda balanced that out when we were there.

Is there racism in wrestling? Not on my end. For most of my career, I have been the most prominently featured wrestler in the GIWA. Yep, my black ass has more Heavyweight title reigns than anyone and has held that belt off and on for the better part of the last five years. I personally think that as long as there is evil in the world, racism will never die. That's the reason I never spoke to Jody Hamilton when I was in RPW. He's an old-school bigot. I also think that no matter what color you are, you have to bring more than just one tool to be pushed. You have to have that “IT” factor. Sure, I think Shelton Benjamin should have not only a Money In The Bank victory to call his own but a World title as well. Why that never happened is anyone's guess. Mark Henry is one of the biggest, Blackest wrestlers to come around the pike in a long time. His World title journey was nothing short of impressive. Still, you can't tell anyone how to run their business. For anyone who wants a first-hand history of not only how Blacks are treated, but interact with each other in the business, I suggest you read Atlas: Too Much, Too Soon by Tony Atlas and Scott Teal. You'll find racism does occur in wrestling. The source of it will surprise you.

To bottom line it: the fault can go both ways. Old-school promoters need to school themselves on the advances and growth or African-American culture. As Black wrestlers, we are in the minority, so we have to be careful what we represent. That's why I dropped the pimp gimmick in the first place. You are your own product in this business. And if you put out a product that exemplifies hard work, positivity, and a dedication to your craft, you will excel – no matter WHAT color you are.

One....

Response from Johnny Camo

2011-12-29T21:05:00.001+03:00

Yesterday, I wrote a blog that spoke of watching to see what CWO was gonna do next year. As with anything with his name mentioned in it, Chris Nelms took offense to it and crafted a response on facebook (which was taken down within 24 hours of its posting). My innate ability to make grown men cry mad me think of investing in Kleenex tissues. However, I recently got an email from Johnny Camo in response to Nelms' post. The post is below:

In response to the public letter from Chris Nelms on Facebook:

Guys, I don't have a dog in this fight so It may be out of place for me to comment but I have been around a long time so I will. Velvet and Larry are both right in saying that you shouldn't let these comments get under your skin. I remember a time many many many moons ago when there was this wrestling reporter at every show who went by the handle Sykhosis. Sykhosis was not a worker but was smart to the business and knew what he was talking about. He ripped me and my matches apart every time I was in the ring. The most memorable comment, and one of my favorites, was and I quote "Johnny Camo is about as fast as a sewer rat with cement shoes on". Now this guy was talking about me and I even thought it was hilarious! That was just one of many of my faults when I got into wrestling. I never let those comments get under my skin. I broke down everything he ever said about me or my matches (no matter how colorful the comments may have been, every word was true) and did whatever I could to get better. It was criticism, and even though the comments weren't positive in any form, it was motivation for me. Then the time came for me to actually meet this guy. I was introduced to him, shook his hand and told him I was glad to meet him. How many of you can conduct yourselves that way to someone who has been ripping you apart on the internet for months? Now Sykhosis is a worker but you all know him as Velvet Jones the former Purple Pimp Daddy. In a business where you don't have many friends and you can't trust most people, I am proud to say that Velvet is my friend. He made the comment in an earlier Facebook post that I gave him advice on his arm drags after his first match. I did that because I wanted to help him get better like he did for me when I started even though he was only a smart reporter and not a worker. I guess what I'm trying to say is the words of a blog won't leap off the page and smack you in the face. You got to do that to yourself sometimes. Use the criticism as fuel, fill up the tank and step on the accelerator.

I started off as a critic when I came to shows. It kinda let the guys in MGCW know someone was watching what they did. I praised just as many people as I critiqued. I'm sure it never occured to any of them that I would one day step into the ring. However, I did. I got training from various sources. I can remember training with Mr. Hughes in a ring in Winder or Covington, GA. I walked into the session about 15 minutes after it initially started. It was myself, Big Daddy Osborne, Chris, and a few other people. We did chain wrestling and other moves for about an hour. After the first twenty minutes, Nelms disappeared and wasn't found until the show started about three hours later. He's done the same thing in Milledgeville and Dublin. And I understand that Chris is over 300 pounds, but even that's no excuse if you passion is greater than your worded paragraphs.

There is nothing wrong with being passionate about your craft. And if you are really passionate about your craft as you say you are, you will take advantage of ANY opportunity to get better. I'd love to go Micah Taylor's Underground School of Wrestling. But because the shoot job has me working second shift, I can't. That's why I excel at this. I don't only pick the brains of legends, I get I the ring and WORK. Even after all the sh*t we've been through, I STILL hit up Jimmy Rave for advice and places to train.

If you wanna cry another river about me saying something about you, knock yourself out. Meanwhile, I'll be on E*TRADE trying to buy shares of stock in Kimberly-Clarke.

One.....

A view from outside the sandbox....

2011-12-28T18:36:00.000+03:00

2012 is only a few days away. For wrestling feds that have been around for a while, there s probably no true game plan except to continue running shows and have some intriguing title matches here and there. However, the future of one organization is one I find to be the most interesting:

The future of Championship Wrestling Overload.

It's no secret that I had a few matches in that organization and eventually won the CWO championship in April of last year. When the moment came to become champion, it seemed like almost EVERYONE wanted to steal my shine. They wanted to steal Derrick Andrew Reynolds shine as well. There were run-in's, heel turns, face turns, a three-count, a title change and a post-match attack – all in one match. It was too much, unorganized, and just poorly executed. I can't excuse myself. It was one of the worst matches I've ever had. My head wasn't into it because of everything going on before, during, and after the match. About two minutes into the match, I just wanted it to be over.

Since then, CWO has gone through many a change. The title I held in this year alone was held by Damien (who retired for a month this year), KSL (a manager and the owner of the fed), Michael Hirsch (an underrated guy who has been linked to the whole Georgia Insider deal on facebook), and Leatherface. All of these title reigns have come under fire from fans and critics alike. Damien is a kind-hearted fellow, but looked weak in his reign as champion. KSL is the real-life owner of CWO. Many view his brief title reign as a mark living out his dream. Scott is my friend, but sitting at IHOP with the belt on table after the show didn't help the cause much. Michael Hirsch is a solid wrestler who not only sought a title reign, but recognition he feels he has been denied. It is strongly believed he had an “in” on the whole GeorgiaInsider deal, which almost always praised him and dressed him and his matches up to be more than they were. No offense to “The Main Attraction”, but the diving headbutt on Damien off the cage looked more like a falling missed splash than any diving headbutt Chris Benoit ever attempted. As far as Leatherface goes, he's a great guy. Nothing against him. However, CWO booker Chris Nelms has a long-standing relationship with Face's fed FWF and reigns as their U.S. Champion. The whole deal smells like “you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours”.

CWO has built a reputation on drama, confusion, unorganization, and a world of broken promises. The blame can be laid on plenty of people. First and foremost has to be Nelms himself. I have known Chris since he was a teenager. We've trained together, hung out together, and butted heads over the years. The thing with Chris is that you get two sides with the guy. On one hand, you have a guy who CAN be good. However, in wrestling circles, it's his other side that he is more known for. The consensus views him as lazy young man who will do almost anything to get himself over (lending validity to the Leatherface title reign). I like Chris, but he has got to work harder and stop taking so many shortcuts because everytime someone goes to hell in CWO, the finger usually gets pointed at him.

The second source of the problem has to be the talent that is booked. I'll with make this short and sweet: it's cool to have friends in the business but if your friends can't wrestle, don't book 'em. A lot of the CWO roster still needs training. And no offense to Cowboy, but they need a better trainer. This also applies to valets. I've grown to be friends with Destiny Destruction and have known Delta Rayne for years. However, neither help the quality of the product that is the show. If you book a valet on the show, there has to be SOMETHING about her that makes people want to see her as well as the wrestlers. I love 'em both, but one being a wrestler's girlfriend and the other another wrestler's wife just ain't a strong enough reason for me.

Finally, the lies. I can't count how many wrestlers have been promised this or that by the CWO and it never came to fruition. Steve Stiles was supposed to have at least one Light-heavyweight title reign. Cowboy should have been CWO champion by now. And those are only two of the promises.

For an wrestling show to have been running this long and be widely recognized as the worst fed in the entire state of Georgia is bad. However, that is not to say that all is lost within CWO. When the deal went down with me and CWO, the first thing I said was that these guys need to be honest with themselves. A year later, they still haven't done it. Will 2012 be yet another year of sub-par matches, senseless contests, and poorly executed storylines? Will it be another year of wasted money and wrestlers not being paid after shows? Honestly, there was a part of me that said “if only I was the booker.....” a while back. If I was, I'd make a lot of enemies because my honesty would hurt plenty of feelings, but make the show a whole lot better . The Island of Misfit Toys will be very interesting to scope out in the next 365 days.

One.....

Rewards.....

2011-12-10T19:29:00.000+03:00

We all talk about the problems in Georgia wrestling when it comes to this area. For the most part, there is really no one monitoring wrestling in middle and South Georgia unless Warner Robins is the topic of convo. I can remember not too long ago when I compiled a middle Georgia Top 10. The response I got was pretty good. Among other things, it let guys know that someone was actually paying attention to them outside of their federation.

I said that I was gonna continue to do this, but things came up and I was unable to do so. Recently, I was thinking I should bring this idea back. So I actually started combing various sources to not only see who inhabited these parts the most, but what feds operated regularly in the area. AWN has been around for years. Although have been running weekely, they are not shifting to a bi-weekly format. GIWA returned after a nearly two-year layoff and had reclaimed its position as the best fed in Milledgeville. CWO runs shows monthly. The biggest question has been whether or not to acknowledge DCW because they run just beyond the Alabama line. Even still, other upstart feds run shows for a while then disappear. Trinity Christian Wrestling runs sporadically. GPWA has stopped promoting. At the moment, I'm not sure of the status of Tetchi Makuchi's show in Statesboro.

I would love nothing more than to do a rankings (or even a site) devoted to the oft-ignored region of Georgia that lies below Atlanta. However, two things are really stopping me from doing so. The first is shows running consistently. The second is the quality of the shows. At this end, I point directly at CWO and DCW. CWO probably has only three really good wrestlers on its roster. Cowboy is good, can be better, and may actually stick around now that he's virtually been promised the CWO title. Steve Stiles is the second-tier champ and is constantly training to get better at every chance. Kody Jack is either a sophomore or junior in high school and is wrestling better than guys almost ten years his senior. After that, you just hope for the best with the rest of the roster

I've watched DCW matches online via youtube. It's great that they are getting their matches online, but the only wrestler that remotely impressed me was Stunt Marshall. If he got some better training and learns that “less is sometimes more” in wrestling, I think he could be a breakout star in this area. With the exception of the vets like the Exotic Ones and Drew Golden, the rest of the roster is really green. C.J. Awesome is my homeboy. But dude has really let himself go. I saw his Ladder Match against Stunt and swore it was Rick Michaels without the tattoos and facial hair. Are they as bad as people say they are? Not quite. They just need better training.

The point I am trying to make is that I don't wanna reward guys with a ranking just because I wanna fill up a spot. I would have liked to expand the rankings to a bi-annual Top 25. But considering what some of the top wrestlers in some feds do, I honestly could only come up with 15. Even still, I think I will come up with a system and premiere it in January so these guys will have something to shoot for. Maybe they just need to be motivated to get better..

Get ready, middle and south Georgia. I'm gonna start ranking you guys every month with a ratings system that will shake these feds to the C.O.R.E.!!!

Through the fire...,.,

2011-12-09T17:49:00.000+03:00

The end of the year is a time where I don't do a lot of wrestling. With the holidays approaching, I really don't feel the need to (so much for my trip to Puerto Rico). Nonetheless, it is this time that I run into a lot of fans. Several instances have presented themselves in the last few days.

As I walked thru K Mart, I met a man named Andy who is an avid follower of this blog. We spoke on many a wrestling-related topic. As a follower of my blog, he stated that I usually don't have any good things to say about Rampage Pro. It made me wonder “damn, am I really that bad about them?”. Anyhoo, we spoke and spoke until we parted ways on our individual shopping endeavors.

The next day, I ran into more than my share of people – each saying they recognized me from wrestling here and in Warner Robins. Plenty of questions were asked. People recognized me from the flyers that GIWA puts up before its shows. Me being GIWA champion has also become commonplace as many of them asked me “You still got da belt?”. It was a cool experience. It also brought things full circle for me from last year.

In working for RPW, I already knew my role would be limited. I was in a tag team where I was the smaller man. Even still, people recognize me for being on the show a little more than a year ago. After their decision not to book me, I came back home to the GIWA. GIWA (along with AWN, ACW in Elijay, and UFCW in Phenix City) gave me something that RPW didn't: an opportunity to showcase the abilities I've shown before thee was an RPW.

To this day, people still ask me if I would go back to RPW. I will be the first to admit, I do miss being on TV. However, those moments almost always saw me on the defensive for eight minutes of a 10-minute match. Even beyond all of that, I don't see much opportunity for career growth for me there. Look at Michael Stevens, Drew Adler, and Anthony Andrews. Three great talents reduced to curtain-jerking also-rans. They deserve much better outside of the AWN WrestlePlex. I haven't been on television in a year and some change and am getting more shine from simply wrestling outside of the camera's view. Dozens of wrestlers like Tommy 2 Much and even Big Bank Barfield were saying I didn't deserve what RPW did to me. But even last September, I knew it would be a blessing in disguise.

I want t thank the management and fans of GIWA and AWN for always giving me an opportunity where politics, kissing ass and favortism were not prerequisites. I also want to thank the fans at the shows, in the stores, on the street, in the schools – wherever – for showing me love throughout the year of 2011. Even the CWO fans show me love and ask when I am gonna come back and wrestle for them. I can't wait until next year.

A year ago, a wrestling organization decided not to book me anymore, thinking they'd be better off without me. Turns out, I'm much better off without them. RPW, I wish you the best in your future endeavors.

One.....

I'm on one...

2011-11-28T19:21:00.000+03:00

Why does my honesty always provoke bad vibes from those examined? Heard my next to last blog post damn near had an entire locker room mad at me? Sorry, stuff happens.
Overweight wrestlers: why don't you use what you've got instead of being what you are not? If you are a fat guy, BE A FAT GUY! Stop trying to be The Undertaker. For the record: buying kickpads, spandex tights, and/or wrestling boots does not make you a better wrestler. It just makes you a fat guy in gear. It can, however, be indicative of your passion. Which requires more work: going to the gym and working on improving your body or plopping down in front of the comp to buy gear from Highspots or eLucha.com? Nuff said.
Does the internet have the potential to ruin storylines in progress? Almost everyone is sure John Cena is gonna turn heel. So much for the element of surprise. Or maybe WWE is working the marks. That would be a nice change.
Several complaints are always made of wrestling feds in Atlanta and Warner Robins getting all the props. Has it ever crossed your mind that some of the feds down here really suck? Promoters trying to put on shows and put themselves over at the same time? Severely untrained wrestlers thrown on shows to fill up roster spots? Conflict of interest I say.
Why was J-Rod the hottest thing in Georgia one minute and turned into an also-ran the next? He's just the victim of being a great, highly energetic, and awesome wrestler in the wrong place. Broaden your horizons, my friend. You are too good to be looked over due to ploitics and favortism.
Will this be another year that all the feds south of Atlanta except RPW will be overlooked in the Georgia Indy Awards? Absolutely and for two reasons. Reason number one: there is a lack of coverage (virtually none) of feds down this way. Reason number two: some feds hope putting macthes on youtube is enough. And since I'm on the subject - reason number three: some of the stuff on youtube is absolutely brutal.
Which fed will step up and consistently put on QUALITY shows down this way besides GIWA?
Will anyone be able to withstand GIWA Mid-State champion Steve Stacker's "Real Man Challenge" in 2012?
Will anything CWO does make any sense in 2012? And why is Kody Jack one of the best wrestlers I've seen there in a long time? The guy is still in high school!
Will we ever see AWN top tier of wrestlers like Michael Stevens, Drew Adler, and Anthony Andrews be used in more significant roles in RPW that place them a step above curtain jerking? (For the record, Shane Curtis and Zac Edwards are in that top tier as well)

I'm done. One.....

Not Worth Anything

2011-11-18T19:08:00.003+03:00

I recently was at home watching "The Rise and fall of ECW". It is a pretty good DVD with many chapters. One chapter that I caught a good glimpse of was when Shane Douglas threw down the NWA championship after winning it in a tournament. The title had laid dormant for seven years after a failed attempt to resuscitate it in WCW in the 90's. ECW went on to establish its own identity and became legendary before its eventual demise. ECW got its start as a NWA territory,

Fast foward nearly a decade later. The fledgling TNA burst onto the scene full of top indy standouts and former big league stars. TNA did everything it possibly could to position itself as the number-two fed in the U.S. They did something that even WCW could not do: make the NWA title relevant again and worthy of World title status. After years of leaning on the NWA banner, TNA left the NWA and established its own identity as well. TNA started of as the flagship of the NWA before leaving.

Today, the NWA is a fed that is - once again - seeking an identity. Sine I have been wrstling, I have known of a few NWA territories here in Georgia. NWA Wildside/Anarchy has been one forever. The short-lived NWA Prime Time and NWA Great Championship Wrestling in Columbus were entities. Nowadays, Anarchy is still doing their thing. Rampage Pro has jumped on the NWA bandwagon as has NWA Action (which was once MGCW) in Stockbridge. There are several NWA territories throughout the US and the World, but one question remains: does anyone really give a shit?

When I first discovered the NWA as a teenager, it was great brand of wrestling - a far cry from the WWF that I'd grown up watching. When I really got into it, I was living in Virginia. Back in those days, The Road Warriors had just destroyed the Midnight Express for the NWA World Tag Team titles. Ric Flair and Sting were just really starting their rivalry. Years earlier, names like "Mad Dog" Buzz Sawyer, Tommy Rich, Magnum T.A., Rick Steamboat, Jay Youngblood, and Tully Blanchard were all the rave. I was enthraled by Nikita Koloff, Lex Luger, Barry Windham, and whatever incarnation of the Four Horsemen was running at the time. Plus, The Steiner Brothers were coming onstrong and the Skyscrapers were awesome. Those were the good old days of the National Wrestling Alliance.

Look at what has happened to it ever since then. The Alliance has latched onto any every up-and-coming indy star to hold its title. Anyone remember Mike Rapada - "The Colorado Kid"? Well, I do.. ...but barely. Sabu, the late Chris Candido, and Gary Steele (WHO?) held the title. Dan Severn had a forgettable four-year run with the belt. The list of champions since that title was removed from what was WCW is ok, but none of them did anything for the title's respectability. And God bless Adam Pearce. He is doing all that he can to help restore the title to its former state. Sadly, I think it is too late.

When you compare the NWA to what it was 25 years ago, there is no comparison. It falls flat as it can be. The NWA was about what was happening in wrestling NOW. Unfortunately, the NWA is so far removed from it glory it has no choice but to contiune to acknowledge its past in order to stay relevant. Opinions what what today's NWA are vary. To some, it is an organization clinging onto what was in hopes to once again be what is. To others, it was ring rat big as an organization that random people screw until they get all they can out of it and leave alone completely. In magazines and to some internet viewers, the NWA is a big deal. Personally, I think they should let it all go.

Says tvropes.org: "Although the NWA still technically exists, and its titles are still defended around the world, it is seen as nothing more than a loose collection of farm-league promotions, none of whom date back to before the 1980s. Given the massively-altered landscape of the pro wrestling industry as compared to the heyday of the NWA, it is very highly unlikely that the organization will ever return to its former glory."
I can appreciate tradition as much as the next person. But as long as the shadows of its past are blocking it from the view of honest relevancy in today wrestling market, the dead horse known as the NWA should stop being beaten. Today is a new day - dominated by the sports-entertainment empire known as WWE. WWE may not represent the evolution of the sport, but it does represent the evolution of the business. And since what we do has been proven not to be a sport, the NWA really doesn't have a leg to stand on. I guess what I am trying to say you can go forward looking backwards. The days of territories are done. Gone. Finished. And unless something catastrophic happens, the NWA will never be what it once was.

So do wrestling a favor, NWA: stop beating this dead horse and put it out to pasture. The business of sports-entertainment is highly competitive and that's something you honestly just can't do.

Both sides of the spectrum

2011-10-29T20:02:00.001+03:00

We all keep with the internet as a means to grab the latest headlines on wrestling shows. Depending on who you listen to or whose opinion you value, RPW is the best show in the state. However, I do have the pleasure of being able to watch RPW on Saturday mornings if I don't go to the gym. Personally, I do think that there are three key factors that every organization must possess in order to be considered the best. Those three factors are quality of wrestling, variety, and attendance numbers. Once again, this is just my opinion.

In looking at RPW, I ask myself: is it really the best fed in Georgia? Let's look at these factors and gauge them shall we: (NOTE: although I have had issues with RPW in the past, this editorial is an honest review; not meant to bash or insult them). All grades will be given on a scale of 1-10. 10 is the highest and 1 being the lowest.

QUALITY OF WRESTLING: This one is easy. RPW does provide some of the hottest wrestling in the state. Bill Behrens has done a wonderful job assembling former NWA Wildside and Anarchy standouts to build an impressive roster. (10).
VARIETY: Here is where the problems with RPW begin. Hiring Bill Behrens has been a blessing and a curse for the fed in Warner Robins as he has literally phased out any and every wrestler that made a reputation for themselves in the middle Georgia area before there was an RPW. With the exception of AJ Steele, all of RPW's titles are held by former Wildside/Anarchy standouts. And from what I saw this morning, everyone either does or attempts to wrestle the same match. So much for variety. (6). This factor plays a role in RPW's....
ATTENDANCE: I have been with RPW when they had a packed house. Looking at their show this morning, I saw about two rows of empty seats. Dr. Gayton is a reasonable man. But with production, marketing, and payroll costs, RPW can't be bringing him in more money than he is spending based on attendance alone. (5).

My opinion is not biased, just honest. I think ALL feds deserve a fair review, but preconceived notions often hinder what we see on te net. And I am begging someone, please give "Marvelous" Michael Stevens some shine!! He is hilarious, can wrestle, and entertains like few I've seen. You wanna know how good or bad a show is? Buy a ticket and experience it firsthand. SUPPORT INDY WRESTLING!!!

One....

Random creaminess for your viewing pleasure

2011-10-25T19:29:00.000+03:00

Happy to see that for the first time in a minute, no World championships changed during the WWE's last pay-per-view. We are almost 20 years removed from from two of the most dominant reigns in World title history - Vader in WCW and Yokozuna in the WWF. What's the use of reaching the piinacle when u get snatched from it so fast. Somebody PLEASE recessitate the slow-build in wrestling.
James Storm is the new TNA World Heavyweight champin. It was a great surprise to see him win the title. TNA running in larger arenas gives it more of a "big-fed" feel. That place erupted when Storm won the title and it was truly a great celebration.
Bound For Glory marked the "return" of Hulkamania. If this is anything like the "return" of Hulkamania in WCW just before it's demise, I got a real bad feeling about this. I love Hulk Hogan and grew up watching his matches, but please don't use this as an opportunity to overshadow the deserving again.
Can't wait to take part in GIWA's STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER - Saturday November 5th at the National Guard Armory in Milledgeville. The proceeds will help to build a unit memorial for fallen soldier SSG Alex French IV. I met Alex's kids a few years back at a kids camp and they are his spitting image. I hope to see them and the rest of the GIWA fans there for that special night.
CWO? What can I say? You've probably gone as low as you possibly can with that last show. At this point, you've got nowhere to go but up. Build, don't destroy. I will say that I like Fatality. His face paint is awesome, but he really needs some gear. Might i suggest some baggy shorts? I would really like the chance to give some pointers to the new LocoMotive. He's got decent size. If he learned how to utilize it, he could do what his Choo-Choo predecessor couldn't: make that gimmick work!
So what's my take on Delta Rayne. I've got nothing but love for her, but her reputation is simply a result of the decisions she's made since she's been in this business. The moral of the story: the last thing ANY woman wants to be in this business is the fertile ground where people plant their seeds because you eventually reap what you sow. I know what kind of person you are, so wipe the slate clean and repair your reputation. You're a good person. It's just being overshadoped by the bad in your past.
I know everyone has an opinion about it, but I would like the chance to check out a DCW show in Phenix City. Call me crazy, but I would rather form my own opinions. Everyone had an opinion of Jimmy Rave before I met him, but I didn't listen to them. Glad i didn't. We've had our issues, but ole Jimmy ain't half-bad.

One.....

The Five Worst Storyline Payoffs in Wrestling History

2011-10-10T16:00:00.000+03:00

Everything in pro wrestling nowadays is rushed. Pay-per-views were worth the three, maybe four month wait years ago. Now, everything happens so fast. It's like "here today, gone TODAY!!!". Wrestling storylines are what keep us watching. These storylines are the blueprints for some of greatest wrestling stories ever told. On the indy level, original storylnes are rare.

Let's face it: some may try and distance themselves from sports-entertainment by claiming to provide an alternative. Others embrace it in such a round-about way that they attempt to pattern themselves like "The Show" in front of and behind the curtain. Still, the storylines of the past have always had a way of not only keeping us glued to our favorite sport, but have provided a means for many an indy promoter either provide entertainment to fans or live out their out selfish dreams at other wrestler's expenses.

Storylines can be hit or miss, my friends. In training with both Bill DeMott and Micah Taylor, they each told me "no one remembers anything else about your match but the finish" The payoff. The coup de grace ("koo day grah" for all of you who can't pronounce it). Great storylines of the past? Magnum T.A.-Tully Blanchard. Hulk Hogan-Ultimate Warrior. Undertaker-Shawn Michaels to name a few. But for every bomb, there is a dud (no, this isn't blog bashing Chris Nelms).

So I give you, what I believe are, the FIVE WORST STORYLINE PAYOFFS IN WRESTLING HISTORY. Sit back. Read and enjoy.

Booker T vs. Lance Storm (WCW). Storn had left the struggling ECW riding an immense wave of success. In a short spell, he captured and held 3 WCW singles title at the same time (Cruiserweight, Hardcore, United States). Booker was coming into his own as the WCW World champion. A title match between these two could have been epic. There was some build-up to the match itself. The match happened and Booker eventually retained the championship. However, I think I failed to mention that the match happened... ..ON MONDAY NTRO!! WCW was so wrapped up in winning the Monday Night Ratings War with the WWF, they took a potentially great match-up and put it on FREE TV!! This was very indicative of the dying days of WCW. Poor decisions led to its demise. And while we are on the subject, what IDIOT booked Hogan-Goldberg for FREE on NTIRO as well?
Ric Flair vs. Hulk Hogan. After failing to come to contractual terms with WCW, Ric Flair left Atlanta with the World title in tow and went straight to Stamford, CT. The dream match the ENTIRE wrestling world had been waiting for was about to happen. Seven-time NWA/WCW World champion Flair versus Three-time WWF World champion Hulk Hogan. Now the debate could be settled. Who was the absolute best wrestler in the world? Flair came in talking directly to Hogan. Brother Love confrontations and everything. All the talk was over. Finally, the match of all matches was made and held.. ..AT A HOUSE SHOW?! Vince McMahon is a wrestling genius who can sometimes border on insanity. Another potential PPV payday gone down the drain. A real head scratcher.
WWF vs. WCW. Vince McMahon never bought WCW in an effort to seek a long-term profit. He did it with the intention of burying it and bury it he did. An entire organization (which was actually TWO organizations) has been shrink-wrapped into a faction called the Alliance. A few decent macthes here, loyalty switches there and an underwhelmingly predictable Survivor Series fianle'. This whole deal sucked and wrestling is still feeling the ripple effect from it today.
Triple-H vs Randy Orton. Love him or hate him, Triple-H will go down as one of the greatest wrestlers of all-time. Part of the reason people hate him is his association with the McMahon family. When Hunter's feud with Randy Orton began, Trips marriage to Stephanie McMahon was no longer a big secret. Even still, the storyline played out great. The attacks, the interference of the Legacy, everything was pointing toward a WrestleMania main event that was gonna end the show on a high-note. But for all of the things that led up to it, the match at Mania fell flat. True, it had to follow the epic encounter between Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker, but these guys could have done so much better. Hunter's wrestling legacy is secure and Randy is still cementing his. Still, these two could have put on a better main event performance at the "Showcase Of the Immortals".
Sting vs. Hulk Hogan. If I were using numbers to rank these screw-ups, this would be at the top of the list. After being alienated by fans and friends alike, the colorful fan-favorite known as Sting developed a darker, Crow-inspired personality. It paid off as he was single-handedly dubbed the savior of WCW in its fight against the New World Order. A year's worth of build-up led to a match-up at Starrcade. The match itself was worth the price of admission, but the ending screwed the entire thing up. Referee Nick Patrick was supposed to deliver a fast three-count. Instead, he counted a fair three-count that Sting did NOT kick out of. For all of the momentum that Sting built up in a year's time, WCW murdered it in three seconds. The match was restarted and Sting won the title. The aftermath saw Sting stripped of the belt, regaining it only to lose it to Randy Savage in a tag team match , who then lost it back to Hogan a night later. All of this happened in three months. This should be a lesson to all promoters on how NOT to screw up a storyline.

I'm done. One love.....

Friday night in Fort Valley

2011-10-02T00:40:00.001+03:00

Wassupers, Bloggers. Started my weekend off yesterday with a trip to Fort Valley's AWN. Asked earlier in the week if they had anything for me to do and was told "no". Decided to catch a ride down there anyway to see the show. I stepped into the locker room to greet the AWN regulars. After doing so, I teamed up with Marvelous Michael Stevens and Drew Adler to belt out a soul-stirring, awe-insprirng, super-melodic version of War's 1974 classic "Why Can't We Be Friends?". Truly, a sacred indy wrestling moment.

From there, it was out to the audience to watch the show but not before I helped Mike Money sing "Happy Birthday" to a young man celebrating number 12. Eventually, I grabbed a seat and prepared for the night's action:

KROSS defeated some tall guy in Randy Savage-inspired tights. This match wasn't much of a match. Kross and the guy met in the middle of the ring. He shoves Kross. Kross - sporting jeans and a pair of Chuck Taylors - throws a standing kick that may have been meant for the guy's head but hit his shoulder instead. It was enough to knock the guy out and for the pin. That's it. Match over. Kross then proceeded to beat the hell out of this guy - who stands almost a foot taller than Kross - in a post-match attack. All I can say is that I hope he got compensated really well because taking a roundhouse kick to the shoulder and losing because of it looked very weak. I like Kross' new attitude, but him beating the hell out of a guy who was about as tall as Drew Adler with one kick just looked phony.
CJ AWEAOME beat NEAL MCGUINESS. Poor match and it was kinda hard to tell who was the good guy and who was the bad guy at times. This match didn't offer much as far as technical wrestling went. It was back and forth, but kinda choppy as well. Eventually, you could tell CJ was the bad guy. He hit his moves with force. If the fans were into the match a little more, it might have been a little better. However, it lasted too long and you really didn't know who to cheer for. Nonetheless, the better wrestler won.
MICHAEL STEVENS beat ANTWON JORDAN. Jordan came to the ring full of energy. I honestly thought that he would run out, but he had plenty in the tank. Michael Stevens came out and entertained as only he can. It can be said that this match went as long as the previous one but there were a few differences. It was actually a good match and the fans were into it, so the length was never an issue. Jordan held his own again Stevens, but "Marv" eventually won via pinfall.. Solid match by both guys. Can't Touch This.....
DREW ADLER reatined the AWN Internet title over SHANE CURTIS. This wasn't a bad match, but a few things stopped it from being a really good match. Adler started off on fire and took it to Curtis early, but the pace was just too damn fast. Everything was on point, but it just felt like too much too soon. Soon, Curtis took the match over and it slowed down. A little back and forth and and it started balancing out again. Finally, Drew got back on top and the pace quickened so much that one or two of his moves just didn't land correctly. Another long match that probably should have been the main event based on length and the quality wrestling both guys put on. Kross walks out and distract the ref only to have Drew roll up Shane for the pin. Here's where things get kinda crazy. Kross runs in and attack Curtis afterwards. These two guys brawl in and out of the ring with chairs and leather straps. I can only hope they have something to top this at Halloween Hell at the end of October because after the long match I'd just seen, it felt like I was watching another one. Nothing wrong with the beatdown, but it was just too much after that long ass match. With at least three weeks until their match, less would have definitely been more.
Caught a little of the tag team match featuring OSBOURNE and DON YODER vs. some Salt and pepper tag team. Kinda hard to say what the goal or intention of this contest was, but you could tell the ring was (with the exception of Osborne) full of greenies - which made for an awful match.
AWN World champion ZAC EDWARDS beat STEVE STILES. Stiles wrestled as a heel this match against the popular champion. Stiles offense was relentless and non-stop. He attacked the champ before the bell only to be pushed off by the ref (who didn't make many friends last night, by the way). Stiles looked like a face getting too much shine but he stayed on the attack. Zac fought back and eventually took his shirt off after not being able to earlier. Zac is definitely getting better in the ring but being a good guy kinda puts a buffer on his awesome personality. The champion would be victorious via pinfall only to be attacked afterwards by a man wearing all black after the match.

Well, it was another night in the Valley. I actually will be wrestling next weekend down there. Don't know who my opponent will be, but I can't wait. Deuces.

Disclaimer

2011-09-23T07:33:00.001+03:00

To Those Who Read My Posts and Are Easily Offended:

My ability to be nothing but honest in the way I view things is something I refuse to control, change, or alter. If this offends you, too damn bad. Either grow thicker skin or put as much work into training as you do "flappin' ya jaws".

Just like any other worker in this business, my work ethic and ability has come under fire at various times throughout my career. Yet, I have managed to see the root of any and all criticism. So while those who may not agree with me will continuously make excuses as opposed to efforts to get better, I will continuously say what I feel about whatever and whoever whenever. Stop professing your love for this business and get better at the art of it. You can dress your gimmick and product up however you'd like. But at the end of the day, you perform in front of an audience. My God, I can only imagine if they all had blogs considering the things I have heard from THEM while sitting in a crowd at shows. Whether they are paying $5 or $50 to see you AND the locker room, you owe THEM a good show. Get over YOURSELF, get into the GYM, or get the F---OUT OF THE RING!

Velvet Jones
(The preceeding was written with an open mind and a clear conscience. The live audio version can be spoken IN YOUR FACE at your discretion)

My wrestling weekend.

2011-09-11T10:28:00.004+03:00

Had a blast returning to the All-Star Wrestling Network this past Friday. Attendance wise, it is truly a far cry from the WrestlePlex that, at one time, was packing in at least 250 every weekend. Nonetheless, I worked a guy named Bric Bradley. Decent match that I won after a not-so-pretty looking Jackhammer. Shout out to Stunt Marshall and his flat top haircut. Took me back to my high school days.
Gonna try and do my thing in AWN every week. So far, my Friday nights are open for the next few months.
Went to the CWO return show here in Milledgeville tonight. It was pretty much what I expected. Head count of 82 fans at the show's beginning... Kody Jack is a little man with a big mouth. Pretty good heel stuff from him... Due to audio difficulties after the first match, audience dwindled to 67 of which 8 returned, bring the attendance to a final number of about 75... Happy to see Jerry Lewis, Jr. after many years.... KSL and DAR won a tag team match that was so damn horrible, it never should have even happened. DAR was sloppy and stiff and KSLhas no business inside a wrestling ring. Not to mention the Junior Jr. kid who looked just as bad as KSL... Steven Stiles won their Heritage title in another sloppy match. Trained with Kennedy Riley at Rampage University a few years back, but he blew spots left and right for a good two minutes straight tonight... ...Michael Hirsch looked impressive in challenging Damien for the CWO title I never lost. Damien, on the other hand, blew up quickly as usual and looked weak for a company champion... ...Bunkhouse Stampede was underwhelming and had a few guys in there who probably wrestled about as bad as that Junior Jr. kid.
Had a conversation with a wrestler from the McDomough/Stockbidge area about a possible booking here in Milledgevillle. Said wrestler told me to tell the booker his fee was $100. Nothing personal, but the ONLY thing that stands out about this guy is his look - which he copied from a 1980's - early 1990's Steve Borden. Considering I worked his show a few months back for FREE, I thought this was a joke. Said wrestler told me "Well, you get what you pay for". The Washington Bullets - a damn impressive tag team and one of the best in the state - asked for $100 for a booking. Had it been up to me, they could have gotten it. But, again, I'm not the booker for the fed. This guy has been in the business for four years and this is he wants to charge $100 for?!?! You be the judge. Click the link below.
Would you book THIS guy for $100?!

The worst thing you can do in this sport is believe you own hype and become your own biggest fan. The above piece of footage is viable proof of that.

Deuces. One love.....

Almost Got Him: The Ten Greatest Wrestlers to Never Become World Heavyweight Champion

2011-08-27T18:36:00.000+03:00

I am an 80's baby. I really became a wrestling fan during the heyday of Hulk-A-Mania. Having grown up in New Jersey, most of the wrestling I saw was WWF (now WWE). It would only be years later that I heard of pro wrestling down South (namely Jim Crockett Promotions). I began to appreciate the NWA in the year that I lived with my oldest sister in Virginia. The American Wrestling Alliance was still in existence and their World title was like the lowest-regarded of the Big Three.

During that time, World championships actually meant something. Hulk Hogan was a 6'6" giant who was beating his challengers miraculously for four years straight. Ric Flair was a brilliant technician who lost his NWA World title occasionally, but not for very long. The AWA title was being bounced between the likes of Stan Hansen, Rick Martel, and Nick Bockwinkle. For every champion crowned, there was always someone who came close but never got the chance to run with the title.

With that being said, I give you my list of the Ten Greatest Wrestlers to Never Be World Heavyweight Champion. Read. Enjoy. And give me some damn feedback!!!!

(NOTE: The World championships that are recognized for this particular blog are the WWWF/WWF/WWE championship, the WCW World championship, the World heavyweight championship, the NWA World title, the ECW World title, the AWA World championship, and the TNA World championship)

10.) OWEN HART. He went by many nicknames throughout his career. Even still, Owen did all he could to break out of brother Bret's shadow. Shortly before his untimely death, he was taking steps to do just that. Owen won multiple Intercontinental and World tag team titles. He was always a top contender for the WWF World championship. Then, the accident happened and we all wondered what could have been. A great technical wrestler who culd hang with anyone, you just knew he'd be champion sooner or later.

9.) NIKITA KOLOFF. The Russian Nightmare was Goldberg before there was Goldberg. Introduced to the sport by his uncle Ivan, Nikita had a Russian Sickle that was sick. Just ask the Mulkeys. Nikita racked up quite a few championships in his career but never won the World title of the NWA of the 80's. He was contending during Ric Flair's dominant reign as champion. Nonetheless, Koloff struck fear in those he wrestled. He laways came close.

8.) DAVID VON ERICH. One of the legendary Von Erich brothers, David was on the fast trasck to success. He was touted as being the next NWA World titleholder. A mainstay in his dad Fritz's World Class Championship Wrestling, Davis was extremely popular in Texas. Unfortunately, Davis passed away before he could reach his peak.

7.) MAGNUM T.A. Ahhh, Terry Allen. Chick really dug this guy. He had the look, the charisma, and the skills to take him to the top of the sport. If anyone looked to derail Ric Flair during the 80's, many thought Magnum had the best chance of all. A multiple-time United States champion, Magnum was challenging Ric Flair on a regular basis and nearly capturing the gold more time than anyone could count. Then, Magnum's Porsche tried to give a lightpole a liplock and one of the shining stars of wrestling was dimmed forever. Magnum survived, but he never wrestled another match again.

6.) SHELTON BENJAMIN. Was there anything this guy could not do in the ring? An absolutely amazing athlete who accomplishment far more than anyone thought he would, Shelton should have at least two WWE championships on his resume. Intercontinental titles, World tag team titles, and a United States title. Money In The Bank performances that stole the show in the match's infancy. Shelton's inability to capture the World championship shows there is more entertainment than sport in WWE. Was Shelton any different than Randy Orton. Hardly.

5.) MR. WRESTLING II. As I mentioned, I did not grow up in Georgia, but I know a lot of older people who have been fans for a long time. Several names always come up when mentioning the heyday of Georgia Championship Wrestling. The first is almost always Mr. Wrestling II. Ten times over, this guys was the Georgia Heavyweight champion. I have seen him wrestle once or twice when WCW Classics used to come on. This guy's popularity is still strong today and will probably never wane.

4.) "SUPERFLY" JIMMY SNUKA. Pardon the fact that he is my idol, I have never seen a wrestler more popular than Jimmy Snuka. I have seen people go apeshit over the guy in Madison Square Garden and with good reason. A cliff jumper from the Fiji Island, Snuka was defined by his enigmatic style and Superfly leap. While his one leap may pale in comparison to the high spot artists who have turned pro wrestling into a gymnastic competition, Snuka made an impact everywhere he went. A former U.S. champion, Snuka had his shots.. ...but they were few and far between.

3.) JUSHIN "THUNDER" LIGER. There is not one junior-heavyweight/cruiserweight/light-heavyweight that Liger has not held around the World. Before names like Evan Bourne, Rey Misterio, Jr, Mistico/Sin Cara, and others, there was Jushin Liger. I know of Liger stepping up a weight class once to challenge Masa Chono for the IWGP championship. Liger totally redefined aerial wrestling with his Shooting Star Press and timeless matches against any and every under 220-pounders of the past 25 years.

2.) DAVEY BOY SMITH. Once again, a truly complete wrestler who should have had at least one WWE World title to his credit. When he and Dynamite Kid redefined tag team wrestling in the 80's, no one saw Smith breaking away and becoming the force that he was. Davey was strength, speed, and aerial wrestling in one 5'11" package. Once again, there was nothing this guy could not do. Davey did the bulk of his contending when Bret Hart and Diesel were the champion during their respective reigns. It's not that Davey was not god, Bret was just a bit bettter.

1.) BOBO BRAZIL. Come on, who else could it be? Sure, he competed in a time when wrestling wasn't as complex as it is today, but Bobo won more than his share of championships just about everywhere he went. During his foray into wrestling, he encountered more than his share of racism. Times have changed, but are still a few of the old heads in this business who are bigots. A fat little bastard that wears a yellow mask with black trim and has a son who is a former WCW and WWE referee instantly comes to mind. Nonetheless, Bobo was a trailblazer and had to endure physical abuse in the ring and tormenting ignorance on the outside of it. In a business where men like Mike Rapada, Stan Stasiak, and David Arquette have been to the top of the sport, a World championship reign for Brazil would have been nice

Patiently waiting on the "you only gave him the top spot because he's Black" comments. LOL

One......

2011-08-13T15:12:00.000+03:00

GIWA FULL CIRCLE PROMO created by Hall Media, LLC

Check out the promo for the show on August 27th in Milledgeville, GA!!!!! Click onto the link above the logo.

Reality versus honesty.

2011-07-26T13:53:00.002+03:00

Smoke and mirrors.

That's all that indy wrestling is. If anyone knows that to be true, I do more than anyone. From the shined-up turds that are certain wrestling feds to the unwarranted egos of wrestlers who walk around locker rooms like the cock of the walk due to their miserably brief appearance in a dark match of two in WWE, nothing in this business is ever as it seems. I can remember when I first started in the business. I was given a great bit of advice by The Professor. That advice was simple: use whatcha got.

Now, granted, I was inspired to compete in the sport because I went to an indy show in my town and saw guys shorter than me working. When I first got started in wrestling, I was all of 6 feet tall and 185 pounds dripping wet with rocks in my pockets and anvils under my feet (I'm kicking the first person's bottom who makes a joke about the size of my feet . Just kidding). All I had going for me was a pretty toned physique, a willingness to learn, and a 38” vertical leap... ...plus the teaching of that turncoat Lance Christian. Of the four, my willingness to learn came in handy the most.

As I wrestled, I won awards and praises. Even still, there were those who said their smart remarks about me. Wrestlers posing as fans posted all kinds of crap about me. Now, my natural reaction when spoken about is to speak back. I am the first to admit: I am a venomous reactionary when I get pissed off. Big, small, young, old, tall, short, , fat skinny – I don't give a sh-- who you are. Still, even I learned that sometimes, people just want something to say. If I kept speaking and responding, it would hinder my willingness to learn.

So while the haters kept taking pot shots at me, I took myself to different parts of Georgia. I learned from Low-Ki at a seminar beside Kyle Mathews. Say what you will about Mr. Hughes, but I learned a great deal from him in a day as well. Three months into my career, I had Cru Jones back body drop me so high in the air, I almost dropkicked the roof of the Ag Center in Dublin. I've picked Micah Taylor's brain at Rampage University and still do it every chance I get. And we all know the DeMott story. I picked all of their brains. But I did more than that, I stepped into the ring and physically trained.

Granted, I have had verbal jousting matches with Chad Barfeld, Jimmy Rave and even my cousin Kimbro. I have learned to pick my spots. It's not how much you say, but what you say. Never thought I would see the day me and Barfield would eat wings at the Pickle Barrel, but it happened. Even though he sent word of my release from RPW through someone else, it took me giving Jimmy Rave my phone number for him to call me so both of us could air out some things. Would I call us friends? Not sure we ever were and not sure we'll ever be. No ill will on my end, I just don't know where his head is. Still, I can appreciate him giving me advice when we first met despite all the nasty things people said (and are still saying) about him. And even after all the crap we volleyed at each other, I gave my big ole cousin Kimbro a big ole hug afterlast Saturday's show.

In this world of smoke and mirrors, I have learned three things. The first is that this a physical business. And if I want to be better at it, I have to physically get my ass in the game .. ..even when it is not being played. From the gym lifting to the park running to the hour and a half drive training, I prepare and make no excuses. The second thing is not to respond to everything everyone says about me. Words can only say so much in a business where body language is the universal form of communication. Most importantly is the third thing: if you can't back up the things you say, then you have no grounds when someone calls you out on it.

Through the magic, smoke and mirrors of the internet, anyone can reshape their reality into whatever form they please. However, honesty cannot be distorted or compromised. There is nothing wrong with keeping it real, but keeping it honest with do you more good in the long run.

GCW in Macon.

2011-07-25T08:12:00.025+03:00

Saturday, Saturday, Saturday. After spending more time than I wanted to at the shoot job (story of my life for the past five months), I ventured to Macon to check out the GCW show at the Anderson Conference Center. I was a little late coming to the show. I did miss two matches. I didn't get a chance to see two of my buddies wrestle each other - Nigel Sherrod and Danny Horne. All I do know is that Danny wound up with a major split in his upper lip due to a Nigel Sherrod jawbreaker.

Make no mistake about it: Nigel is THE most dangerous man in pro wrestling. How many people do you know that have won a professional wrestling match with a rear-chinlock?! NIGEL HAS!! Don't believe me? Just ask Thunder... .. and Lightning.. ...and Jeff McGowan... ...and Micah Taylor... ..and Rob Russo!!! I also didn't get to see Pain's match against Chris Nelms, but I heard two things in particular about the match

FROM A FAN: You didn't miss nothin'. Pain just beat his a**
FROM A WORKER: Velvet, you're in the crowd? Are you serious? Why the hell are you in the crowd and they let a fat slob like that Chris Nelms kid work?

Their words. Not mine.

The matches I did see were good. Antonio Garza got flattened by a stiff clothesline from a bald guy dressed up like a convict. Got the chance to watch a legends match featuring Billy Black and Steve Lawler against Tommy Rich and one of my idols, "Mr. USA" Tony Atlas. Rich and Atlas won by DQ. Tommy promptly grabbed the mike a told the evil-doers they "get their asses kicked" if they came back to Macon. Ahhhh, that Tommy Rich. Still got a little bit of "Wildfire" in him yet.

Now you may be wondering: how could I spell out ass now, but edit it earlier. Yeah, so am I. Moving right along.

Intermission came and I spoke to two legends in particular. I spoke to Abdullah the Butcher and talked for a few seconds with him about us meeting in Rampage a few years back. I spoke extensively with Mr. Atlas - who also shares my real first name. It was an honor to meet the guy. I bought one of his books and he autographed it for me. Yeah, I am a mark. We all are. Some are just too damn full of their own sh-- to admit it.

Vordell Walker went to a time-limit draw with Vic Grimes in a match that was a clash of styles and skills. Still pretty good though. The Congoniese Nightmare beat the stuffing out of poor Zac Edwards. The Washington Bullets beat The Exotic Ones in a great macth. In the main event, Jake Slater won over one of my former trainers, Micah Taylor. All in all, it was a solid show. About 400 strong and a great atmosphere. I got asked two questions in particular:

Are you still working for Rampage?
Will you be wrestling here?

Well, in-between signing autographs and taking pictures (LOTS AND LOTS OF PICTURES), I watched a great show. Enjoyed myself during the show and afterwards as well. After downing chicken and shrimp, my affinity for Lime Sherbert was brought to the forefront and my Black card was almost taken from me after Vordell and I sang "Holla Back" by Gwen Stefani. Too much fun had Velvet.

Deuces.....

Upcoming matches....

2011-06-19T16:02:00.000+03:00

Check out the video, peoples!!!!

Random creaminess

2011-06-13T19:01:00.001+03:00

Saw pictures of what Junior do Santos did to the face of Shane Carwin. SICK!!! Can't wait to see what happens when he fights Cain Velasquez for the title. Strangely enough, people don't seem to be talking that much about Brock Lesnar anymore.
And what in the blue hell happened to Bobby Lashley. Is he milk carton material as well?
I'm gonna DVR RAW tonight. I can't wait to see how Little Jimmy and the Machine are conspiring against R-Truth!!!! The whole damn world can see/it's a damn conspiracy..
Saw pictures of the WAR GAMES match from MGCW in Stockbridge this past weekend. Looks like it was a great show.
So who will the next opponent for my GIWA championship be? Whoever he is, he'd better pray he is able to walk when I am done with him. I have had more than enough of these damn sneak attacks after my matches. Pray for him, whoever he may be because I am going to make an example of him. VELVET HAS HAD ENOUGH!!!

One love.....

Momentum

2011-06-09T17:47:00.000+03:00

Wassup, peeps, and thanks for checking out the blog.

I don't have any controlling interest in the company (any stock at all, by the way), but I would like to thank the fans who packed out the National Guard Armory in Milledgeville a few weeks back. We had a great card and an amazing steel cage main event. I also want to remind the fans that the next GIWA event is scheduled for July 9th. Check out this promo for GIWA SCARS AND STRIPES!!! The video was created by my company HALL MEDIA. For price quotes on video media to promote your next show, highlight videos, or anything of the like, contact me on facebook or at my email addy: sykhosis@yahoo.com

Continuing the quest for definition. I can't tell a lie: I got a little too comfortable eating Large Chicken Finger paltes at Zaxby's and lost a few cuts in my physique. However, I am back to eating claen and doing more cardio than ever before. I'm down to 218 from 225, so that's a good thing as well.
I got some pretty good pictures taken about a month back by my homeboy Andy Miller. For anyone looking to get great, quality photos taken for yourself, business, family portraits, or whatever, hit me up and I will tell you how to get in touch with my boy Andy. He is the man!!!!
Been online lately and checked out the rant that The Ultimate Warrior has been doing on Hulk Hogan. Warrior says he is going to expose Hogan for the sham that he is. Hogan has countered by threatening legal action against The Warrior. Go figure. Just when you thought the debacle in WCW was enough for this thing to be over, these guys are back at it again. I've always been a Warrior fan and Hogan's contribution to wrestling can't be measured. This whole thing should be very interesting.... ...to say the least.

Everyone be safe and have a great weekend. One love.....

Outside the box

2011-06-08T11:10:00.001+03:00

Wassup, peeps. Hope everyone is doing well and had a great Memorial Day weekend. This go around, I wanna shine a light on two good guys who are really doing their thing these days in pro wrestling. A couple of native Georgians who sought greener pastures "elsewhere" and found them.

The first guy is none other than Brandon Kage. I first met Brandon at a show in Barnesville a few years back. he was really just getting his feet wet with wrestling. He did not possess a bodybuilders physique, but he showed glimpses of potential. He missed a spot or two (as all rookies do) during his match. Beyond all of that, I gave Brandon some advice and my email address. Through it all, I have kept in touch with him.

Fast forward a few years to this past January. I see Brandon in the Locker room at an ACW show up in the Georgia Mountains. It would be later that I would find out there was much more to the story than I had known. I can't really remember the specifics so I won't go into all of that. I've made no secret of how bad I think the wrestling is in CWO. I've mended fences with those guys, but I'm still entitled to my opinion. In my opinion, Brandon (purple trunks and all) was one of - if not the only - bright spot in CWO. He reigned as their Junior Heavyweight champion and did a pretty good job of it. Ultimately, he was released from the CWO, but he bounced back quickly. Brandon used that momentum to become the ACW Heavyweight champion. As B-Kage prepares for his first title defense, I just wanna wish him the best on his title reign and congrats on finding greener pastures.

The second guy I want to give props to is my Lime Green Frat Brother "The Shooter" Vordell Walker. I have known Vee-Dub for years. From my refereeing days up until now, there has always been something special about that dude. Regardless of what certain ego-driven indy wrestlers may think, Vordell has his own following. For all the Rampages, Anarchy's, and every fed that thinks they are more than just an indy fed in this state, Vordell has the skill-set and experience to do major damage in any of them.

I remember when RPW first got started. Vordell had one of the best matches in the history of RPW with Jason Cross. There were no titles on the line or anything. It was just a no-holds barred type of match-up. Vordell and Jason fought all over the ringside area, in the ring, and everywhere else. They had an absolutely amazing match. And there is a VERY big part of me that thinks Vordell had a heel run in that very same fed simply due to the fact that the booker/wrestler/champion didn't want to be outshined by "The Shooter". A few months back, Vee-Dub didn't make an RPW show. Reports floated around that he was buried by the people there. Whether that is true or not, I don't know. But here are the facts: Vordell has a following across the country. You really think he really cares about anyone in one fed in one state saying somethng bad about him? I give Vordell props for being void of ego, driven by hard work, and a legitimate star despite his detractors.

It's good to see nice guys finishing first instead of last.

One love......

Winning and losing

2011-06-06T07:46:00.004+03:00

GIWA WAR GAMES is in the books, but I am definitely one sore champion. My team won the match against the KI Elite team of Mike Stratus, Jake Slater, and Scott Cage. However, I got assaulted after the match. by the KI team AND Lance Christian. It ain't easy being me.

Gonna try and cut up this body of mine. I have the size. Now, it's time to do the rest of the work.

Hoping I don't offend anyone else in Stockbridge this coming weekend. LOL... ...yeah, right!!!

Well, peeps, not much to report. About to get out of the net and hit the sack. Tomorrow, I start my new training program. It is intense and after only one workout, I'm hooked. To read more about it....

Click Here!

Random thoughts...

2011-05-26T16:24:00.000+03:00

The passing of Macho Man Randy Savage was tragic for everyone involved in this sport. Randy was an original and can never be duplicated. Despite the often-looming shadow of Hulk Hogan, Savage still established himself as a legend. Rest in peace to a TRUE pro wrestling imoortal.
I used to like thegmzboard.tk. Now, it has become The Big Shoot 2.0 - a place where coward-ass "workers" go to air their grievance against each other under anonymous handles. The immaturity of grown men is hilarious, yet sad.
Had a great time working at MGCW in Stockbridge. Finally met some of the guys from their posters and from facebook.. Great experience all around.
Shout out to Coach DeMott for his work on Tough Enough. Everytime I see it, it brings back memories of sweating through three shirts in day, rolling until I'm dizzy, and bumping in that stiff boxing ring. Ah, the joys of wrestling.
So ready to compete in the cage match THIS SATURDAY at Milledgeville's National Guard Armory. A great GIWA show featuring myself, The KI Elite, Bobby Joiner, Johnny Camo, Cru Jones, Lance Christian and many more. QUALITY pro wrestling the entire family can enjoy. Bell time is 7:30!!!
Shout out's to ACW in Elijay, AWN in Fort Valley, my brother and sister Adam and Crystal Stanton, the crew at MGCW, and all the fans.
Peace and hairgrease. One love.....

Work ethic

2011-05-20T16:42:00.000+03:00

Have you noticed the title of this particular blog? It is entitled "work ethic". What is work ethic you may ask? It's the drive and desire to get better at your craft. The sacrifices you make in an effort to grab the brass ring. So why do I speak of work ethic today? Well, it goes to the shoot board posters. Some have a million and one wise cracks, a better than average vocabulary, and obvious grammatical errors (is it me or does every shoot board poster not know the rule "I before E except after C"?). For whatever reason, it seems for all the criticizing and sh*t starting they do, none of them really possess any true work ethic.

Recently, I was the subject of a post or two on a certain board. Obviously, the poster follows me on facebook. My videos were criticized as was my penchant for speaking with no filter. Did it bother me? Heavens no! In fact, I found it laughable.People are always wondering what is wrong with wrestling around here? The answer is all too simple.

Continuously professing your love for wrestling's past does not a wrestler make. You can only kiss so much ass.
Buying gear does not a wrestler make either. No one can truly gauge what type of wrestler you are buy simply looking at your boots and spandex. And for the record: Under Armour is NOT wrestling gear. It is designed for workouts. A singlet, trunks, tights, or wrestling shorts fit the bill much better. If you can get into that, put your Under Armour on and hit the gym, fatty.
Sporadic wrestling training that occured the first three months or your five year career does not a wrestler make. Why is it that every yahoo that can type a complete sentence will jump on the comp and spew the garbage but can't find time to go to the gym or get credible training? When I say that I was hitting New Energy on the regular, it was not claim: IT WAS A FACT. Despite having been in the sport at the time for four years, I drove an hour and a half from my home to McDonough to train for THREE HOURS STRAIGHT with no break with Bill off of my unemployment check. How's that for keeping it real witcha?

I'm pretty sure some anonymous internet warrior will hit said message board criticizing this blog. It never fails, For all the problems these fools seem to have with me, I've never had any type of altercation before, during or after a show. I've been greeted in every locker room with handshakes and hugs. I denounce the cowardice of you internet posters. Your anonymity amuses me and inspires me to be everything your aren't. It's so amazing that in this sport of larger than life athletes, there are so many insecure men simply threatened by me being everything they aren't. Thanks for the love.

One love....

Random Creaminess

2011-05-07T21:15:00.000+03:00

Still trying to process the reasons for Lance Christian's attack on me last month after winning my third GIWA title. Haven't figured it out yet... ...but I will.
Getting ready for the big GIWA show on May 28th in Milledgeville at the National Guard Armory. Can't wait to get into the ring and entertain the home crowd. It's a great line-up that includes myself, Tag Team champions KI Elite, Steve Stiles, Lance Christian, Mid-State champion Bobby Joiner, Scott Cage, Johnny Camo, and the GIWA returns of CRU JONES and J-ROD.!!! Sure to be a great show.
There have been so many booking requests coming from everywhere for me. Wish I could honor them all. However, my life outside of the squared circle is continuously getting better and demands more time now than ever.
Congrats go out to The Usual Suspects for capturing the NWA World Tag Team titles. Big shout to Murder-One for capturing a World title for the first time in his storied career. And just as big a shout-out to A.J. Steele. I've known A.J. for years and he's stayed the same person. For all the over-inflated egos in the RPW locker room, I can honestly say he was the dude that was always the realest with me. Props due, big homey.
I am getting so much positive feedback from the first episode of VEVET JONES: The Early Years that I am thinking about opening my entire vault of matches. Gonna see how the next few episodes play out. Stay tuned!!!
I really gotta get back up to Elijay, over to Fort Valley, and other parts of the state. I really miss interacting with the fans and wrestling for them.
Steve Stiles - NO MORE TOPE'S!!!! LOL . Get well soon, Fringey.

Dedicated to the haters. Don't dislike me... ...GET LIKE ME!

I'm out until next time. One.....

Back to front.....

2011-04-05T21:00:00.000+03:00

Anyone that knows me knows that I have always loved pro wrestling. Not the business, but pro wrestling. So when I wanted to become a pro wrestler, I sought out a local show being run at Walter B. Williams park and asked for information to train. I was given a chance to work and train. On a Saturday afternoon, I got my first wrestling lesson in a 12 x 12 ring. My trainer for the day was the current Middle Georgia Championship Wrestling champion.

That guy's name.. ..was Lance Christian

Lance was a good guy. Before Bobby Joiner, Lance was a devout Christian and wouldn't even curse. He actually spelled out the curses instead of saying them. In a nutshell, Lance taught me wrestling basics: front and back bumpps, boduslams, suplexes, tie-ups, chain wrestling. I learned a lot in one day. I would continue to learn uner Lance until he completely disappeared from wrestling altogether a short time later.

Since that time, I had learned a little bit from a lot of other people. I met Kyle Matthews at a wrestling seminar in Canton that was being taught by Low-Ki (WWE's NXT Season 2 winner Kaval) a year later. I got a lesson or two from Mr. Hughes and woke up early Sunday mornings to get beat up by Micah and Tracy Taylor in Rampage Pro Wrestling (in a good way). My training reached its peak when - through my good buddy Clyde "Rooster" Haynes - I started training at New Energy with WWE Tough Enougn coach Bill DeMott.

Fast forward to this past Saturday night. I wrestled GIWA champion Scott Cage for the Heavyweight title. Almost two years ago, Scott beat me for the very title at what would be the GIWA's last show. The federation laid dormant for nearly two years until last summer when a couple of shows were run. I have been knowing Cage for years and he actually won the MGCW title at the very first show of thiers I attended. Cage is a wily veteran so I knew that this match would be tough. It would be exactly that.

Nothing beats being able to go out and perform in front of a packed house. Me and Scott were wrestling in the main event after a night of great action. Our match was a back and forth contest that saw niether of us give an inch. I won't bore you with details. All I will say is after a good 10 minutes of action, I walk out of that match with my third GIWA heavyweight championship. I ddn't get to enjoy my victory long as I was immediately attacked by Kaos, Mike Stratus, Jake Slater, and Cage. After failed attempts to save me by Steve Stiles and Joiner came to pass, my former trainer Lance runs out of nowhere to clean the bad guys out with a chair. Lance would help me to my feet and raise my hand.

And then... ...IT happened!!!

Lance kicked me inthe midsection and hit me in the head with the title belt. Followig that, he continued his attack - kicking me several times in the head and stomping on my hand and wrist in the process. He strapped himself with my title belt and stood over me. Then he took it off and dropped it on my chest before he left the ring.

In a split second, I went from happy to verjoyed to hurt, then confused, and even more strange combinations of asll those emotions until I got back to the locker room. All the while, I could just keep hearing Lance shouting stuff like "I made you!!!!". "This is my belt!!!" "There would be no you without me!!!".

It's beyond crazy. No one saw it coming. I went into the match winning a title and losing a friend in the process. It just goes to show you that even this crazy business can bring out the bad in what you thought were good people. Now, with two broken metacarpals in my right hand and tendonitis and three broken metacarpals in my left, I I'm still trying to get a grip on this whole situation. For the first time, it seems the guy with all the answers is left asking questions.

I don't know what to make of all of this, but I am gonna seek out answers once these injuries heal up. Lance, you owe me and everyone else answers. I don't plan on waitiing to get them. Maybe the time has come for the student to teach his sensei a lesson!!!!

Random creamyness

2011-02-22T18:47:00.000+03:00

Back in the gym and working out hard as I can to get in better shape. Routine is usually the same: up before the sun rises and racing the sun to the gym. Trying to dial in my abs and indrease my strength.
Hate that I wasn't able to go up the ACW show this past weekend. However, real world duty called and I had to answer it. But make no mistake about it: I will be back up there next show
Heard there is a group in Fort Valley's AWN called The Roster. Seriously? Honestly, its a cool, simple name that works well.
I am not surprised by the people who agree with me about how bad for the sport KSL winning the CWO title is. To say it borders on being a joke would be a lie. It IS a joke.. ..and so is The Power Trip.
Glanced at the RPW show on their site a few weeks back and see that it is moving from hard-hitting wrestling action to an Anarchy/Ring of Honor hybrid full of track meets and wind sprints. Tell me you didn't see THAT one coming. The concept, not the opinion.
Sugar Dunkerton gave me props on being honest to a fault by saying "You'll never see the day when ol' Velvet buys real estate on Front Street". I've known Sugar since I was a referee. To get that kind of real, genuine compliment from him means a lot to me.
If wrestling in Georgia is so hot, why is every other daily report on GeorgiatWrestlingHistory.com about mixed martial arts? I'm a HUGE MMA fan, but I'm just sayin'....
Word is that I could be the second participant in a potentially HUGE match in April. Stay tuned, folks!
Still getting asked when I am going back to Rampage. The honest answer is even if they invited me back, I wouldn't go. Nothing against Dr. Gayton or any of the guys at RPW, but if some self-absorbed promoter from Atlanta who doesn't even know you or what you are capable of comes to you with a typed-up SCRIPT the minute you walk in the door and tells you EXACTLY how to wrestle your match, it kinda snatches the independence out of independent wrestling.
Damn, I miss the Attitude Era. Hell, I miss WCW, too. Yeah, I said it!!!!

I'm out. One love.....

Emotional crossroads.....

2011-02-15T12:28:00.000+03:00

This past Saturday was a day that saw professional wrestling in Georgia move in two completely opposite directions. In North Georgia, some of the top wrestlers in the state gathered to pay tribute to a man who meant a lot to all of us in one way, shape, form, or fashion. That man was the "Nightmare" Ted Allen. It was a long overdue tribute to a man who I, and many of you, will never forget. It was a way to honor the past and move forward into the future.

In Milledgeville, however, wrestling moved in a completely different direction. In a turn of events that pretty much turned my stomach, KSL (CWO Owner and member of The Power Trip) defeated Damien for the CWO Heavyweight title in a "Tennis Racket On A Pole" match with help from the referee. Truth be told, I saw KSL and Swole in the gym last week. A few dastardly glances were exchanged and that was all. Never in my wildest dreams did I think he would capture the belt. In the past, my beef has been with the CWO and the way things were handled there.

Now, my beef is with the Power Trip.

This is a group of professional "wrestlers" who consider themselves to be pro wrestling's diamond standard. Well, the catchphrase is cute, if nothing else. The crown jewel in CWO is its Heavyweight title. It's the most "prestigious" belt they have. I held the belt for all of a few days. Since being stripped of the belt, I've seen it go through quite a few changes. DAR won it back. Then, he lost it to Damien (good guy who just always looked nervous and shaken as champion). Now it seems as if the championship's value has gone in the toilet. Yes, KSL is the champion. Heaven help us....

So what does all of this have to do with me? Simple. There was a time when I actually negotiated a return to the CWO. Had there not been a conflict in schedule, I may have made my return to the fed that very night. My return to CWO would have been just that: a simple return. Now it seems that should I return, I would do so with a purpose. The purpose would be to eradicate the CWO once and for all, of the abuse of power that is the Power Trip. More importantly, it would be to save the championship that I never lost from a self-absorbed tyrant and his band of henchmen. But is this really my fight to fight?

The legacy of wrestling in this town has been tainted to its most repulsive degree with the owner of the fed as its champion (not that such action doesn't happen in other places). Still, the Power Trip's stranglehold on the CWO has only gotten worse. I train and work hard to win a championship or seven and this guy just uses penstrokes as a means to his crooked end?!

I feel so conflicted.

Down one road, there is a part of me that looks at this situation and wants to leave it be. But on the other road, there is the part of me that has contributed to this area's wrestling heritage, is greatly offended by this recent title change, and wants to get in the ring and do something about it! And so I ask YOU.....

...which road shall I choose?

In the spirit of taking.....

2011-02-06T22:56:00.000+03:00

Mixed martial arts is the fastest growing sport in the world today. It is growing so fast that it has completely taken pro wrestling's 16-35 year-old demographic away. When we think of professional wrestling, we think of the WWE. We are ten years removed from the demise of WCW and TNA is just Ring of Honor with a better TV deal. So when people think of wrestling, they think instantly of World Wrestling Entertainment.

Throughout its history, WWE has made a business out of borrowing ideas from other organizations. Need some examples? Anybody remember Corporal Kirchner? Good guy, just a Sgt. Slaughter rip-off. The Attitude Era was ECW with more money behind it, no matter what kind of spin Vince McMahon puts on it. D-Generation X? The green and black marauders' origin was rooted in WCW's New World Order. Hey, I'm not knocking the trend. However, maybe WWE (and wrestling as a whole) should borrow some ideas from MMA.

So why has MMA moved into the place usually reserved for professional wrestling? Well, here are three reasons:

No good guys (faces) or bad guys (heels) in MMA. Wrestling can favor a soap opera at time. You have the hero and the villain. So there must always be an equal number of each on opposing sides in a wrestling match. MMA doesn't have to worry about all that. Wrestling fans from different generations had blockbuster dream matches. Mr. Wrestling vs Mr. Wrestling II. Hulk Hogan vs The Ultimate Warrior. John Cena vs. Batista. All rarities because they were all “good” guys. Without that element, MMA can give us matches like Anderson Silva vs Vitor Belfort, Quinton Jackson vs Thiago Silva, and Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin on a regular basis
Time between fights. You rarely, if ever, see a UFC fighter fighting 20 times a year. Pro wrestlers are on TV every week. That's understandable, but think about it this way. In 1990, WWE had four pay-per-views: Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and the Survivor Series. With the space between these shows, there was more than enough time to build a match up. Nowadays, there is at least one PPV every month. PPV's are supposed to be special and worth the money that's paid for them. But when you see them, they look like the weekly shows with more elaborate staging and the same people doing the same thing. Everything in wrestling is so rushed, it borders on overkill.
The fight element. I won't waste a lot of time on this one. I will just say this: a wrestling match used to look like a fight. Nowadays, it's filled with 5 and a half foot 150-pounders flipping all over the place. I thought track meets were supposed to take place on tracks? The last thing I wanna see is a high-wire act between the ropes. Give me blood and guts over some portly wanna-be gymnasts who are afraid to take their damn shirts off!!!

Hey, I never said I have all the answers. Still, I have my opinions. If not these elements, Vince can hand pick some other stuff from MMA to make his product better. If not him, TNA or someone else. Get to work, pro wrestling!!!!

One love.....

Madness In The Mountains

2011-01-31T01:55:00.001+03:00

Wassup, everyone. Back at the dwelling after a trip up to the Georgia mountains to wrestle for the first time for Appalachian Championship Wrestling. From what I gather, the fed really off the ground sometime in mid-2010. After doing shows in a ball park, they secured a building (a nice building by the way) and have run there ever since. I'd seen a ACW rep at several CWO shows when I was in the crowd and we discussed my coming up there to wrestle. And the rest, as they say, is history....

So I make the trek up to Elijay, GA to fight the good fight. The winner of the match-up between myself and my fringe-wearing friend Steven Stiles would be guaranteed a shot at ACW heavyweight champion "Losse Cannon" TA Stanton for the championship. What I didn't know is that the match would take place later on that evening. Stanton was scheduled to face Dave Diamond or Diamond Dave for the title on this very night. Unfortunately, Diamond suffered an injury and couldn't wrestle. Anyhoo, I wrestle Steve in a pretty good match-up. He worked my leg over and a change came over the guy during the match. He antagonized the crowd while working my wheel. Eventually, I won the match after hitting him with a VKO prior to the pinfall. After the match, I tried shaking his hand.. ..and Fringy gave me a low blow. HA!! That's gratitude for ya. I help train this guy and this is the thanks I get? It's cool. We'll meet again.

I got the chance to interact with the ACW fans and they are some of the best fans I have EVER encountered. I took lots of pictures, talked to one young man who is training, and finally met one fan in particular I had been wanting meet for a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time now. It was worth the wait. I saw quite a few faces like Brandon Kage, Thunder and Lightning (YOU SCREWED CHRIS!!! YOU SCREWED CHRIS!!! YOU SCREWED CHRIS - inside joke), my good friend Malibu, Drive-By and my buddy Big Wood. I also met up with the Washington Bullets - two guys who have been making major headway in GA and in the upstart PCW out of Atlanta, GA. Shout to all the guys in the ACW locker room (didn't wanna leave anyone out).

I finally got my title shot against Stanton and the fans were up for it from the word "go". Strangely enough, Stanton walked out to a chorus of boos. Even I was shocked. Even still, we wrestled and didn't disappoint. Stanton tried to overpower me in a test of strength that I easily won until he clipped the wheels Stiles worked on earlier in the night. I was the proverbial "one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest" because Stanton almost took my leg off. Say what you will about the guy, but he defended that title with every intent of keeping it. Who can knock him for that. Speaking of the word "knock", Stanton clocked me with a fist wrapped in a chain (both belonging to him) and pinned me for the apparent three-count. The ref noticed the chain around his hand and reversed the decision, giving me the win via DQ. However, the title couldn't change hands via disqualification so Stanton walked away with the belt. The "Loose Cannon" tried attacking me after the bell, but Dave ran in to make the save.

All in all, it was one of the best wrestling experiences I have ever had. I am so looking forward to wrestling up there again in the near future. Definitely a great way to begin year number six in the business. And for more on ACW, be sure to look for them on facebook and check out their web page: www.appalachianchampionshipwrestling.webs.com.

FEEL FREE TO LEAVE A COMMENT. AS ALWAYS, I APPRECIATE THEM ALL.

One love......