Pro Wrestling Experience Live Report August 1, 2019

Pro Wrestling Experience returned to Maine for the first time since December 2012.  At least that's the last time I went and like that show, this one was held at the Community Center in Fairfield, Maine.  I knew Mikey and Phil were going to be there, but I was surprised to see Carolyn in the parking lot when I got there.  She had decided to go last minute and even though it wasn't her first wrestling show it was her first in many years.

I'm always excited for wrestling but for me I was most excited because this was Champ Mathews return to the ring for the first time in three years.  He's one off the best I've seen and for whatever his reason is, he stepped in 2012 cam back for one in 2016 and then tonight.  I hope his next match isn't so far off.

I first saw Mathews back in 2004 for New Wrestling Horizons in this same building against Hardware and didn't think much of him.  Two months later he wrestled Legion Cage in a loser leaves town match and I was blown away.  After that he had killer matches with Kenny Omega (yes that Kenny Omega, this was 2005) Marcus Hall, Steve Corino, Luke Robinson Scotty 2 Hotty, Sonjay Dutt, Chris Hamrick, Mark Moment, Bushwacker Luke, and if you can find it June 10, 2011 IWE & NWA On Fire joint show vs. Sebatian Cruz, it was outstanding.  There are a bunch of guys I would love to see him wrestle right now.

Great crowd tonight with 250 or better filling the arena, nice entrance way and lighting was great for pictures.  They used a standard tall ring, but no tag ropes and no ring bell.  They did get a sound file they played over the sound system.  The P.A. system was ok, couldn't really hear the entrance music that good, although you could hear the ring announcer and the wrestlers promo's just fine.   VIP doors opened promptly at 6:30, full entry at 7pm and main show started at 7:30.  I must say I love it when the show starts on time.  We got a pre-show match and I didn't catch their names but as soon as I have them I will update it.  The main card featured nine exciting matches.

Pre-Show:
Road Block & Justin Ryker vs. Jacob Drifter & "Bulldog" Dave Dyer went to a no contest when Caleb Konley attacked all four competitors

Mikey said that these were students and it showed at times.  You don't shoulder block a guy in your opponents corner with his partner standing right there.  You look dumb for doing it and the guys standing on the apron looks dumb because he has to stand there and watch you do it.

  

Caleb ran in attacking all four ending the contest.  He then cut a post match promo stating that this was step one of the revolution and we would see step 2 later tonight.

Main Card:
Flag Match: Marko Estrada defeated Channing Thomas retrieving his flag first

This match was really good which didn't surprise me. It was cool to see Estrada again for the first
time in 6.5 years. He's from Quebec and is very active in Canada with NSPW, UCW, and other
promotions.

Another guy it would be great to see in person more often. I don't think that this needed
the flag match stipulation, it didn't add to the contest, but it didn't take away from it either. Both
guys worked real hard and jelled together well. I was surprised to see Estrada win as he's the
"evil foreigner".

Post match Estrada offered his hand to Thomas then turned on him beating him down. Channing

was saved by the masked Suicide who beat down Estrada chasing him away.

Next up was a presentation for the Maine Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, Champ's grandmother Gram

was given a plaque and flowers and the second inductee was "Mr. USA" Tony Atlas. He was in the

ring thanking fans when Cam Zigami came out. He rand down Atlas and brought out Mac Daniels &

Jeff James. Atlas then cut a promo on Cam and introduced the Maine State Posse using many of

"Superstar" Billy Grahams phrases.

Cam Zigami, Mac Daniels, & Jeff James defeated Maine State Posse: Alexander Lee, Danger Kid & Aiden Aggro when Cam pinned Kid with a school boy

Great match! Fast opening with everyone brawling outside the ring. My first time seeing Mac Daniels
live, if he keeps at it he's going to go far.

This match had the fast paced action that is all of MSP's
matches and I appreciate that. The Posse appeared to have everything well in hand when Lee turned
on Aggro and Kid because Lee felt he had everything well in hand when Kid tagged himself in. Cam
used this distraction to roll up Kid in a school boy for the pin.

This turn was well telegraphed as Lee was dressed in red and Kid & Aggro in blue.
And we all know in cartoons that the good guys have blue lasers and the bad guys red lasers.

“Iron Heart” Douglas James pinned Wes Brisco

Match started some chain wrestling and reversals. Brisco is a second generation wrestler the son of Jerry Brisco. Solid match that had a surprise ending with James squirming out of Brisco's fireman's carry into a sunset slip style pinning combination.

Post match Brisco cut a promo thanking everyone and imploring us all to be nice to each other.

Beau Douglas & Jimmy Capone defeated Alec Price & John Graber

It was awesome seeing Beau again! I first saw him wrestle live way back in 1998 for the EWA:
Eastern Wrestling Alliance in Lewiston, Maine. I haven't seen him since the Boston Pro Wrestling
Marathon debacle in 2015.

This was a good match, the stand out for me was Alec Price, he was excellent and worked his ass off!
He currently wrestles in Maine for Let's Wrestle! but I don't think it'll be too long before we see him
on the Limitless Wrestling shows. Finish came when Beau and Capone were dazed and Price and
Graber came off the top rope in opposite corners at the same time. I'm not sure what they were going
for but the both ate a hard punch in the face that was good for the double pin and three count.

Triple Threat: Teddy Hart defeated Champ Mathews & Ace Perry

I was super stoked for this match and it didn't let me down! It was first time seeing Ace Perry and he was fantastic. Not to broken record it, but I hope to see him back in the future. Mathews came out with Sting face paint and pants.

This match was exactly what I expected it to be, a lot of high flying and high impact moves. With in the first couple minutes we got a Canadian Destroyer from Hart on Perry. The action came to the floor and over to our side of the ring. Mikey said, "think we should move?" But before I could respond Mathews, basically, sat on my lap and then we were catching Ace on is dive.

After some scuffling, Ace and Hart were on the floor in front of us and Mathews went for a backflip dive over the top rope, Hart caught Mathews and tombstone piledrove him on the floor effectively taking Mathews out of the match.  Back in the ring Hart eventually hit is powerbomb lung blower combo for the three count.

Post match Hart cut a promo thanking the fans and praising professional wrestling

Intermission was short, but long enough for fans to meet some of the wrestlers.

Davienne pinned Sierra

My only other time seeing Sierra live was in the Let's Wrestle Rumble. She looked great here, Mikey
told me that she was young, like 18. She's wicked good and I look forward to seeing her progress in
the ring. Finish came with Sierra lying in the corner and Davienne drop kicking her into the ringpost
then dragging her back in the ring for the pin.

Tables Match: “Boston Bad Boy” Jason Rumble & Boris Darov destroyed The Guatemalan Prince & Lee Miller

Holy Fuck!! Miller and Prince jumped Rumble and Darov at the bell and that was the only offense
that they got in. Rumble and Darov took over and brought it to the floor, Rumble with Miller and
Boris with Prince.

Rumble and Boris got chairs and proceeded to beat the holy hell out of Miller and Prince with the
chairs. Boris even took out a few of the security guys. The shots were loud and stiff and I enjoyed
every moment of this beat down. Back in the ring the brought out the tables propping them up in
opposite corners. Moments later Miller and Prince where lying in heaps of broken table.

Probably relieved that they beating was over. But it wasn't Rumble grabbed another chair and
continued in on Miller and they ever took out a couple more security guards.

Maxwell Chicago pinned Retro Anthony Greene with his platinum hunnies

This was as fun match that was heavy on the comedic antics of Maxwell Chicago. I heard that this
was his first match in three years, I didn't see and ring rust. Near the beginning of the match Greene
for a kiss from Ava. Not to be outdone Maxwell demanded a kiss on the cheek from the newly
inducted member of the Maine Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame Gram who obliged him. Greene then
came to the floor and insisted that Mikey and I kiss him on his cheeks, we complied. What can I say,
it's professional wrestling.

Finish came when AG's new hunnie got in the ring and was kissed by Chicago, AG went to strike Chicago and almost his his hunnie. AG was then rolled up by Chicago and put his feet on the ropes for leverage to get the three count.

Post match AG said that Chicago cheated to win, but that he cheats on his hunnies every weekend and he gave his new hunnie to Chicago. Ava didn't seem pleased with this.

United States Champion: Carlito pinned Caleb Konley with Quentin Michaels

Michaels came out first and cut a promo but was interrupted by Carlito.  Michaels basically said that when he was working for the WWE Office Carlito was there as talent and disrespected him.  Carlito was going to spit his apple in Michaels face but Caleb jumped him from behind.

The match was terrific!  Carlito can still go and Caleb kills it in the ring where ever he appears.  The action spilled to the floor and into the crowd a bit.  Back in the ring it was fast paced for the majority of it.  More than once while the referee was distracted Michaels attacked a prone Carlito. 

The finish came when Konley was down and Carlito grabbed his apple, he took a big bite and spit it in Michaels face who had climbed up on the ring apron.  A backstabber to Konley later and Carlito retained his championship.

All in all it was a great show.  Of course any night I can go to wrestling is a good night.  I got few cards signed to add to my collection which I will post in a few days.

After the show I hung out chatting with Randy, Beau, Rumble, Cameron, Ace Perry and others.  It was nice to be able to take a few moments to hang out and talk to some people I haven't seen in a long, long time.  I had a DVD that Cam wanted of some EWA from 2002 that I finally brought him.  Well many others were interested once they found out about it.  I didn't realize the footage would be so coveted.

The ring announcer did say that there would be another show and to keep an eye on the facebook page for more information.  Hopefully it's not another 7 years.

Thanks for reading, please leave a comment, read my other posts, and like my blogs Facebook page and while you're at it check out my weekly podcast The Wrestling Insomniac on the Nerdy Legion Podcast Network.

Until next time!

Ric Flair's Intercontinental Championship Reign

"Nature Boy" Ric Flair is one of the greatest wrestlers in the history of professional wrestling and has always been one of my all time favorites.  I have had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Flair on a few occasions and I wrote about it here.

Through-out his career Mr. Flair has held more championships beyond being a 16 time World Heavyweight Champion.  He held numerous titles in Mid-Atlantic Wrestling & Jim Crockett Promotions and the NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship.

In September 2005 Flair had been back in the WWE  for almost three years, in that time he had two Tag Team title runs with Batista but his last singles reign as a champion had been five and half years earlier in WCW with a controversial day as Heavyweight Championship.  At age 56 many thought Flairs days were coming to an end, and as much as I'd hoped for one more World Championship run, his days as a champion were over.

On September 5th in Oklahoma City at the Unforgiven PPV "Nature Boy" Ric Flair opened the show against Carlito in a match for the Intercontinental Championship.  This match was set up on an edition of Carlito's Cabana where Flair was the guest and Carlito spit an apple in Flair's face before the two came to blows.

Back in early 1983 Flair wrestled Carlos Colon in a controversial series of matches where Colon allegedly won and lost the NWA World Championship to Flair in a change that was never recognized by the NWA.

Carlos Colon

On this night though in just over eleven and a half minutes and much to the surprise of those in attendance Flair submitted Carlito with his figure four leg lock to capture the championship.  Near the end of this match Flair went to the top and Carlito caught him for the usual bodyslam, but Flair punched him and then came off with a blow to Carlito's head.  The crowd popped big time and Flair raised his arms in victory, it was quite a funny moment.  The crowd erupted for the tap out.

Post match Flair cut a promo about proud he was to win this prestigious championship.  That it was just as sweet as winning each of those 16 world championships.

The next night on Raw in Wichita Falls, Texas Flair would retain the title in just over 20 minutes in a rematch with Carlito winning by submission with the figure four leg lock.  Flair would then begin a five month run as champion some would say his most successful run in the WWE seconded only by his final Career Threatening run in 2007 / 2008.

He wrestled on the house shows defending the title against first Carlito and then Triple H and finally against Shelton Benjamin before losing the championship to Benjamin on the February 20, 2006 Monday Night Raw in Trenton, New Jersey.  All the time he feuded on television with Triple H and Edge.

His biggest defense of this run came in San Diego at Taboo Tuesday on November 1st in a steel cage match with Triple H.  The build for this match was excellent with Hunter turning on Flair in a tag team match and busting him open with a sledge hammer shot.  Flair begged the fans to vote for a cage match between himself and Triple H at the PPV and got his wish.

The promo package played prior to the this match was tremendous.  Flair came out second to a huge ovation from the crowd.  When I think of Ric Flair what comes to mind is the Four Horsemen, the NWA Championship, and his famous bloody steel cage battles for that championship.  This match hearkened back to those matches as both men were busted open and Flair blonde hair was soaked red with blood.

The match open quickly with both men trading blow and Flair lighting up Triple H's chest with chops.  Hunter then took over for several minutes sending Flair into the cage opening him up just a few minutes into the match.

Eventually Flair took over and sent Triple H into the busting open the game and dominating the rest of the match.  The finishe came when Flair pulled a chair into the ring and laid Triple H out with it.  He then escaped the cage getting the victory in just under 24 minutes.

I had the opportunity to see Flair live as Intercontinental Champion at a live Monday Night Raw from TD Garden in Boston on December 12, 2005.  In an Elimination Chamber qualifying match Kurt Angle defeated Flair with the ankle lock.  Sadly none of my pictures that I took with Flair wearing the belt came out well.

Flair's final championship would come one year later on November 5, 2006 at the now re-named Cyber Sunday.  Ric Flair and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper would defeated Spirit Squad members Kenny & Mikey to win the WWE Tag Team Championships.

They would lose the titles eight days later at Raw from Manchester England to Rated-RKO: Edge & Randy Orton.  I'm not sure where photo above was taken but after winning the titles Flair and Pipe teamed with the Highlanders for five eight man tag matches against The Spirit Squad across the United Kingdom.

Thanks for reading, please leave a comment, read my other posts, and like my blogs Facebook page and while you're at it check out my weekly podcast The Wrestling Insomniac on the Nerdy Legion Podcast Network. 

Later Readers!