NEW YEARS REVOLUTION
1) Cut to the ringside announce team for the evening:
Gordon Solie & Matt Striker
MATT STRIKER: There is only one mind from which a concept such as XPW (remixed) can ooze and that is the mind of MSD. MadStepDad and I discussed it and we both knew it would work. He is a luminary when it comes to a lot of things. I have wrestled (no pun intended) with the morality of XPW both from a religious and professional standpoint. We as wrestlers are role models and at times we are asked to do things that compromise our integrity. I can easily dismiss XPW as entertainment and leave it at that but I know the Lord is watching and He sees everything we do. I try very hard to stop and talk to kids and set the right example. If you noticed at the last show I made an announcement, before XPW went on, to remove any children under the age of 13 from ringside. If parents don't accompany their children or monitor what they do, then part of the blame has to be put on them. This IS in fact wrestling and the idea is to do what is good for the sport and good for the business aspect. The bottom line remains, if parents don't want their children exposed to something then take a vested interest in where your kids are going, who they are going with, what they are listening to, and watching, etc, etc. XPW TV will return, but there will be changes as far as who the program belongs to as we crown a new XPW champion tonight!!!
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THE SHEIK (w/ TGW) versus THE MESSIAH
The Grand Wizard opens the show in-ring; mic in hand, with a great chorus of boos to receive his every word. Elaborate big-match entrance for The Sheik, who undergoes all his customary rituals (including the prayer rug). TGW once again takes the time to rundown the fans, while championing his man The Sheik as the next in line to hold the XPW championship – after they take care of a little lingering infection known as The Messiah. TGW trashes the Messiah and his dedication to XPW, and references the last time Messiah was in California he got his thumb cut off in a brutal home invasion attack (true story). Finally, the Messiah’s theme song hits – the crowd explodes – and all eyes fall toward the XPW entrance ramp.
Suddenly – in anticipation of The Messiah’s arrival – THE BERZERKER shows up on the entrance ramp ready to blind side him!!! The Berzerker has his shield and sword, and it’s obvious he was planted here by TGW in an effort to sneak attack The Messiah when he comes through the curtain!
Crowd buzzing with anticipation over the set-up, but it’s not to be… The Messiah is two steps ahead of TGW and winds up streaking into the ring through the crowd! With all eyes focused on the entrance ramp, Messiah earns the element of surprise. By the time he slides into the ring, TGW turns around just in time to CATCH a steel chair thrown at him by The Messiah. Van Daminator spinning wheel kick into the steel chair knocks TGW completely out of the ring!
The Sheik reacts too late, and winds up eating a barrage of high-impact maneuvers from Messiah. By the time Berzerker realizes his target isn’t emerging through the curtain, and races back to the ring, The Messiah has pinned The Sheik after a “Carlito’s Way” elevated diamond cutter! 1-2-3, Messiah has outsmarted The Grand Wizard!
Winner: THE MESSIAH
With Messiah back in the safe confines of the XPW audience, TGW, the Sheik and Berzerker regroup in-ring. Messiah throws it up for "XPW! XPW! XPW!!!" As they all blissfully celebrate in the audience, cameras pan upwards where a mysterious figure is seen lurking in the arena rafters. He wears a dark purple trench coat, his face partially obscured. But he's silently watching The Messiah lead his followers in "XPW" chants. The man carries a spiked baseball bat by his side... who is this man???
** CUT **
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VIC GRIMES & THE HEADHUNTERS ("Cannibal Cartel") versus
NECRO BUTCHER w/ EDDIE & DOUG GILBERT
(6-Man Tag Team Madness)
Necro Butcher gets his own entrance, separate from Eddie & Doug Gilbert (who flip the audience the bird, and continue to act in a cocky, condescending fashion). The Headhunters come to the ring alone WITHOUT their leader and tag team partner, “Vicious” Vic Grimes. Seeing this, Necro Butcher grabs the mic to run down Vic Grimes for being a coward and no-showing the match. Meanwhile on commentary, Solie & Striker have no explanation for Grimes’ absence either. He simply didn’t show up, as far as they know. The Headhunters basically pummel Necro Butcher the length of the match, and aside from a few shoving and shouting matches with the referee and ringside officials, the Gilbert brothers don't really get involved. Finally they just leave ringside all together, letting Necro Butcher get crushed by tandem moonsaults from the 400 pound Headhunters. The savages pound their chest with animalistic fervor, reminding you of a cross between Umaga, the Islanders and slightly shorter Big Van Vaders.
Winners: HEADHUNTERS
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Interlude
Kevin Sullivan speaks with Gordon Solie about the main event tonight
("Dusty Rhodes" = Bruno Sammartino/Terry Funk)
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TOMMY DREAMER versus NAILZ
(Nightstick Match)
versus
The Internet Wrestling Community continues to rave about this match. Let's throw it down to two of the most respected recappers in the game, Scott & Justin...
Fun Fact: Nailz began cutting promos from prison in May of 1992 about how he used to be abused by the Big Boss Man in jail. As the promos reached into June, he claimed that he was nearing his release from prison and that he would be taking out his revenge on the Boss Man very soon (glad to see they STILL LET HIM OUT OF PRISON after he made death threats on national TV). On Superstars in late June, Nailz jumped through the crowd and completely decimated the Big Boss Man with his nightstick. I remember them even putting pictures of the battered Boss Man in WWF Magazine, and they did a good job of making him look fucked up. Nailz went on a mini reign of terror until Boss Man returned in late September, looking for revenge. In reality, Nailz was ex-AWA jobber Kevin Kelly. Here in XPW, Nailz is a hired mercenary for the Cannibal Cartel, hell-bent on destroying Tommy Dreamer and eradicating the memory of ECW.
Scott: Not much of a match here, as it's simply a showcase for the upcoming match with ”Vicious” Vic Grimes. Nailz is not that great a wrestler, and this match is very sloppy. Not much in the way of moves, as a better wrestler than Dreamer would have made this match look a little better. This crowd was so hot; however, they were into everything. They even enjoyed this.
Justin: Nailz runs through Dreamer like a knife through hot butter here, until Dreamer pulls out the heroic “EC-FN-W!!!!” comeback, eventually choking him out. The match was short and sweet, but got its main point across: Nailz is a fucking maniac. Despite his lack of wrestling ability, Nailz was receiving quite the push at this point, and Dreamer’s blow off with Vic Grimes was highly anticipated
Winner: TOMMY DREAMER
Before Dreamer can even celebrate his victory, he is brutally jumped from behind by the massive Headhunters! The twin terrors beat Dreamer into the mat, forming a circle around him and allowing for the triumphant entrance of their leader “Vicious” Vic Grimes! He IS here in XPW tonight after all! And he’s looking to finish the job against ECW stalwart, Tommy Dreamer. Grimes clears the Headhunters and Nailz from the ring, leaving him alone with a battered and beatdown Tommy Dreamer. On the mic, Vic Grimes gives Dreamer a chance to survive by recanting his faith to ECW. Of course, Dreamer refuses to give up the initials “ECW”, and with blood streaming down his face, spits defiantly at Vic Grimes in stubborn refusal. This only infuriates Vic Grimes more, and the second half of our segment is underway…
TOMMY DREAMER versus “VICIOUS” VIC GRIMES
versus
Fun Fact: After [WWF Survivor Series 1992], Nailz was set for a big feud with the Undertaker that would lead to a Royal Rumble match. They even set the feud up on an episode of Superstars in December, and the face to face meeting even graced the cover of the January 1993 WWF Magazine. Here is the back story. In December 1992, Nailz confronted Vince McMahon backstage about money that was supposedly owed to him and possibly about a raise. When Vince blew him off, Nailz flipped and began choking McMahon out. He was eventually pulled off by WWF officials, but as you would expect he was immediately turfed from the Federation and essentially blackballed from wrestling. Nailz resurfaced VERY briefly (for only one night) in WCW as the “Prisoner,” where he had one match (which he lost) with Sting at Slamboree 1993. Right after the PPV he was gone from WCW as well. Nailz popped up once more at the 1994 Steroid Trials where he tore into McMahon on the witness stand and made all sorts of wild accusations. Nailz’ testimony was thrown out and seen as bullshit as many believed Nailz was lying just to try and screw McMahon. Nailz had not been seen on wrestling TV since, until his big return here in XPW.
Scott: This would be the swan song for one of the most popular superstars of the era. In the mid-90s Tommy Dreamer became one of the era's biggest faces. It was a matter of time before there would be a storyline involving a former convict bent on revenge. This was a nice, earned blow-off. The match [with Vic Grimes] itself is really great, and the nightstick came into play again. Nailz? He probably had a good solid career as a mid-card heel ahead of him, including a career-making feud with the Undertaker. Instead he thought he could push Vince McMahon around, and we saw where that got him. Grade: 4
Justin: An OK match here to blow off what was a pretty hot feud. After putting Dreamer to sleep on XPW TV Episode #2, Nailz went on a tear and destroyed jobber after jobber. Vic Grimes returned to action and defeated Dreamer. The two men battled all through the hall, trading blows and weapon shots. On TV, Grimes called out Dreamer numerous times, but the two never squared off until this match. The blowoff had the right ending, but was really short for the amount of buildup that had gone into it. Vic Grimes wins fairly easily after a few stiff nightstick shots. A satisfying ending to a sub-par match, but it was nice to see ”Vicious” Vic Grimes – the pro-XPW crusader – get his moment in the sun.. Grade: 4
Winner: “VICIOUS” VIC GRIMES the “CEO of Hardcore”
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JUN KASAI versus ATSUSHI ONITA
(KotDM championship)
versus
In the realm of hardcore wrestling, "ONITA" is a mythical legend. With his own federation (FMW = "Frontier Martial Arts") Onita would invent (and compete) in the sickest matches that the wrestling world had ever seen. In FMW, Onita had the first match where barbed wire covered the floor outside the ring. He competed in the first ever No Rope Explosive Barbed Wire Death match. Some of other exploits include Explosive Landmines Death Matches, Ring of Fire Death Matches, no rope explosive barbed wire time bomb death matches, electric bomb cage exploding ring time bomb death matches and wrestling in electric bomb cages in front of 51,000 spectators. So that chant "he's hardcore!!!" belongs to Onita. But tonight, the mythical Death Match torch is passed to the next breed of sadomasochistic savages. The "Crazy Monkey", Jun MFN Kasai. The sickest of all Death Match specialists. His specialty is the Razor Deathmatch - a hardcore match where boards are fitted with razor blades. It's extremely violent, taxing and permanent to say the least. And tonight in XPW (remixed), these two hardcore mercenaries host a raucous affair for the Death Match title that will live on in nightmares forever. Jun Kasai wins the match with a two-story Pearl Harbor Plunge from a balcony through Onita and two tables (while strapped with fluorescent light tubes). An explosive ending to an electrifying match.
Winner (and STILL King of the Death Match): JUN KASAI
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"Diamonds are Forever"
XPW ring crew are still clearing the debris from the ringside area, when suddenly the houselights dim in anticipation. The beat for "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" by Kanye West bumps through the arena sound system! Could it be??? Strobe lights, lasers, smoke machines... Yes it is! The man, the myth, the legend! Former NWA, Real Worlds champion. The first WWWF champion. Unified champion, BCCW champion. The real Nature Boy, original gangster.
Introducing "The Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers!!!
Fresh dressed like a million bucks, the OG Nature Boy takes the house mic to a resounding chorus of CHEERS from the XPW faithful! But it doesn't take him long to piss all the goodwill away by viciously heeling on the hometown crowd! "Nature Boy" is in this bloody shit hole for one reason only, to announce the reformation of the classiest, most powerful faction in wrestling history - the Diamond Dynasty! A group once reformed, will take over XPW and get "Nature Boy" back the money he's owed! That's right, Buddy Rogers holds grudges. And he makes sure you always pay the piper. Rogers spits on the hometown crowd again, and dismisses hardcore wrestling as a fad. Gold Dust Trio Inc founder (and part XPW owner) Toots Mondt is a fool for investing in this hellhole!
”NATURE BOY” BUDDY ROGERS: He's just overexposed, he doesn't use television well! Let me tell you something, the way he has handled XPW T.V., it hasn't done wrestling any good! Where does rock-and-roll fit in with wrestling? Wouldn't you have to be pretty stupid to inhale what he's putting across -- and have a love for wrestling? How long do you think what he's doing is going to resemble wrestling? "What does it say on the canopy over the Garden, 'Wrestling,' or 'Rock and Roll'? The two don't mix. Can you imagine if Cyndi Lauper managed Muhammad Ali? How long would it last before the public would say, 'Bullshit, what are they doing?' "What's he creating? You're never going to get me -- and I've got as much ability in wrestling as anybody living -- to believe that rock-and-roll is the salvation of wrestling. They're thriving on bullshit. How long do you think Mickey Rourke is going to jump in the ring and take a punch at a 280-pound wrestler, and he flies eight rows out into the seats? "You know, there's such a thing as insulting even an idiot's ability to think. If you're trying to educate suckers, you'd better make sure you have an answer for them when they wake up and find out!
Suddenly, Buddy's mic cuts off as the houselights darken dramatically. Then... the first opening strains can be heard... crowd volume raises to inhumane levels, and then you realize. The specter of hardcore has arisen...
Long dramatic entrance, to the Nature Boy's stunned and insulted surprise. In-ring showdown, then stare down, ultimately leads to Sandman caning the shit out of the Nature Boy and sending him packing back up the aisle in exaggerated agony. Crowd is delirious with delight, the cocky Nature Boy got the shit caned him out of him and ran from the ring, Sandman chain smokes and cracks beer center ring to celebrate. "XPW! XPW! XPW!!!" Hardcore continues to rule.
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CRYME TYME versus GANGSTAZ
(Losers Must Disband)
Merciless tag team street fight that resembles a chapter from the worst volume of "Ghetto Fights" on DVD you can find. Gangstaz do it South Central LA style, drawing big time cheers from the hometown crowd. Their trashcan full of accruements has the place going crazy (including - but not relegated to - an IPad, PS3, XBox, toaster, laptop, hockey stick, crutch and light tubes). The East Coast Cryme Tyme (complete w/ NY Yankee fitted and timbs) draw boos initially, but their crowd pleasing antics and creative double teams soon grant them the crowds favor as well. Audience just wants to see a good fight, and the two hoodest tag teams in wrestling history stand and deliver. End comes after a Gangstaz miscommunication spot results in New Jack turning on Mustafa and clobbering him with a guitar! Finally JTG puts the exclamation point on the match with his own New Jack-tribute balcony dive to put the OG of wrestling through a set of tables. Gangstaz broke up by the end of the match, Cryme Tyme just made it official.
Winners: CRYME TYME
New Jack and Mustafa brawl amongst themselves up the aisle and back stage while Cryme Tyme celebrates in the ring.
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SABU versus MIL MASCARAS
(Mexican Death Match)
versus
Let's throw this one out to the internet for some reactions from the IWC:
From "Scott & Justin's PPV Review" of XPW (remixed) "New Years Revolution":
Fun Fact: This is Mil Mascaras' XPW debut. Mascaras had made his pro debut in 1965, where he competed in Mexico. He left Japan and headed to BCCW to reprise his Japanese feud with Abdullah the Butcher. After a solid two year run, he would return to Japan, where he continues to compete.
Scott: The undoubtedly surprise match of the night as they absolutely bludgeon each other. Matt Striker has no love lost for Sabu, as we remember what Sabu did with the ECW Title and his walkout to WCW. Sabu does hit the Arabian Face Buster on Mascaras off the apron and through a table. Sabu is a Japanese legend, and a sick bastard to boot as witnessed by the sick, flush chair shots Mascaras is pasting him with, and he’s liking it. At one point, all these two guys are doing is pasting each other with one chair shot after another. Flush, stiff and something I wouldn’t recommend you do to anybody. Mascaras hits Sabu with a sick Superfly splash through two tables. Sabu hits a crazy moonsault off the top rope and Mascaras kicked out. Insane, that’s all I can say. Sabu gets another table, and Mascaras throws Sabu out of the ring and onto another table, and gets the three count. No question, the match of the night. Grade: 4
Justin: As Sabu makes his way to the ring, Matt Striker goes into an epic rant on him, tearing him apart for the way he walked out of ECW as champion back in the late '90s. As Strikers continued to rip him, Sabu looked super motivated in the ring, moving non-stop and risking his body to put on a classic XPW brawl. Things would get uglier when Sabu sent Mascaras flying through a table on the floor with a steel chair-assisted Arabian Face buster off the ring apron. The fans were going nuts as Mascaras unleashed more nasty chair shots to the skull of Sabu. He would finally put Sabu down for the count when he dropped him with yet another Flying Cross Body Press from the apron through a table. He then dove out to the floor on top of Sabu and got the win. This was a relentless brawl that unexpectedly stole the show. Grade: 4
Winner: MIL MASCARAS
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Interlude
Terry Funk: Wrestling Desperado - in the main event TONIGHT!!!
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GOLD DUST TRIO INC in-ring Interlude
From "Fall Guys: The Barnums of Bounce" by Marcus Griffin (copyright 1937)
With the advent of the Gold Dust Trio - formed by Toots Mondt, Strangler Lewis & The Grand Wizard - the rise of “The Strangler” not only became rapid, but the gates zoomed to undreamed of heights. Lewis snared the title from Stecher on December 13, 1920, at the Seventy-first Regiment Armory, and the march to wrestling prosperity for TGW, Lewis and Mondt thereupon began. Lewis’ advent as titleholder started the biggest sports combine ever controlled by three men and made fortunes for those interested. Mister Mondt’s fertile brain conceived the plan of managing, promoting wrestlers and wrestling bouts on the same scale as vaudeville was booked and staged. TGW was quick to grasp the import and possibilities of Mondt’s ideas and at once set to work. The Grand Wizard had the appearance and the necessary background to meet people and transact business. Lewis and Mondt handled the wrestling end. Within a few months after the triumvirate of TGW, Lewis and Mondt had been formed, the trio had moved wrestling from burlesque theaters and ratty hideaways into the finest auditoriums in America. Their crowning achievement was the creation of "BCCW" (Broken City Championship Wrestling), but they were driven from the league in ruin after a succession of damaging litigations, lawsuits and indictments against them. Effectively, they were forced back into the wrestling underground - where the horror show that is XPW has been resurrected.
MISTER MONDT: (taunting the audience): You fellows wouldn't know a shooting match when you saw one. You never were in any!
Suddenly - "Shipping Up To Boston" by the Dropkick Murphys interrupts the Gold Dust Trio's gratuitous glad-handing. Crowd goes ballistic as looks of fear and shock register on the faces of Mondt, Lewis and TGW! Emerging from behind the curtain, another longtime thorn-in-the-side to the Gold Dust Trio Inc. Former pupil and apprentice to Strangler Lewis, before he was brutally betrayed by his master in Brockton Massachusetts (see "BCCW Season One")... former Undisputed Champion...
Introducing the shooter LOU THESZ!!!
LOU THESZ: So many people write to me and lament the passing of an era in pro wrestling. I appreciate their sentiment, but I know most of them shell out their money for the pay per views. It isn't a matter of "selling out" the old timers. It is a matter of buying a product you want, and it is the basis for capitalism. After becoming a professional wrestler, I don't ever remember buying a ticket to a wrestling match, (with the exception of charity matches where we wrestled for free and bought our tickets), and I certainly would not start now. However, the course of this society has been charted, and each ticket purchased to pro wrestling moves it ultra-minutely closer to the foundation on which pro wrestling stands today. Pro wrestling is a fantasy of vulgarity and violence and incorporates all the negatives in our society today - gangs, concern only for number one, sex for individual pleasure, and death. On occasion I watch it, and always with the hope I will see some redeeming character, one positive role model for my grandchildren, one hint of common courtesy or concern for anyone other than self.
Lou Thesz calls Strangler Lewis out on the mat for his philandering with filth, and challenges his former mentor to a match! Tonight! Crowd explodes while the Gold Dust Trio react with a mixture of shock and anger! TGW tries to talk his way out of avoiding the match for Strangler, citing all kinds of legalties and "match preparedness" clauses, but Thesz appeals to Strangler's old school roots and calls the OG shooter a coward! This angers Lewis beyond all reason who begins ripping off his expensive suit coat, tie and hat!
STRANGLER LEWIS: I’m mat champion of the world! I stand ready to meet any man alive for my title! I have never asked a man to lose to me and I never will! Lou Thesz believes he could have beaten me if he hadn’t borrowed money from Mondt... I present herewith a release from Mister Mondt. I also lay before you gentlemen a cash bond of twenty-five thousand dollars and I am willing to pay it to Thesz if he can beat me here before you gentlemen in this room or in any gymnasium you care to name!!!
TGW and Mister Mondt try to get Lewis to reconsider, but the ring crew scrambles into place, the ref, timekeeper. There's no time to think! This match is going down now!
** CUT TO RING **
9) STRANGLER LEWIS versus LOU THESZ
(Impromptu $25k challenge)
versus
By the time the bell rings, Strangler Lewis is still half-dressed in his Sunday finest and finds himself easily sidestepped and taken down by the crisp, determined Lou Thesz. After a few humiliating exchanges with Thesz getting the upper hand much to the crowds delight, TGW hops on the apron while Mondt tries to roll Lewis out of the ring. They're quitting! But Thesz won't let them - a running dropkick from Thesz propels TGW off the apron! Strangler Lewis takes a swing at Thesz, but Lou counters into a Dragon Sleeper! The same move Thesz learned from Dan Severn in the Shooters Club gyms! Before you know it, Strangler Lewis has tapped out! Crowd explodes with cheers, while Mister Mondt and his men claim foul! Lou Thesz takes the envelope with the $25K while XPW security separates the two rival camps! Match was over in minutes!
Winner: LOU THESZ
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Interlude
"Japan" = XPW
"Giant Baba" = Sullivan & Funk
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MAIN EVENT
Kevin Sullivan (w/ Black Army) versus Terry Funk versus Bruno Sammartino
(XPW Championship match)
This one goes back to the "Place to Be" for the show recap, with two of XPW (remixed)'s biggest fanboys:
Scott: The “BRUUUNNNOOOO!!!” chants started almost immediately, as everyone in XPW Arena clearly wanted Sammartino to take this one. Many were a little nervous seeing Funk in the match, because maybe Funk and Sullivan wanted to take him out and continue their blood feud. Sammartino did speed the pace up of the match more than if we saw Sullivan and Funk alone, and that’s fine with me. This match went by a perfect moment-by-moment title match pace. Each pairing went at it for a while, especially Sammartino and Funk, which was a great thing to see since they really never worked in the ring as singles wrestlers, but they have wrestled against each other in tags. Funk, whose love/hate relationship with the Garden was on love, went back to hate as he broke up a couple of Sammartino winning scenarios. Lizzy Borden had a cool moment when she grabbed Sullivan's hand as "The Prince of Darkness" was about to tap out. Speaking of the Queen of Xtreme, what was with the white Lex Luger boots? Quite odd there. I wish she would have come out with a cool color since she was on that red/purple kick in 2003. Sammartino ends up getting taken out for a while when Sullivan and Damien Demento double suplexed him on a broadcast table. Sammartino would end up returning and slap the Sharpshooter on Terry Funk and the Garden crowd goes nuts. Sullivan breaks it up with a Superkick, and the blood from Funk and Sullivan is all over the ring. Sammartino takes Sullivan out with a backdrop, then with Sammartinos back turned, Terry Funk gets up. Everyone in our section went “OH SHIT” because with "My Bloody Valentine" the next month in Pittsburg, some thought Terry Funk would win here and Sammartinos big win would wait a month. However Sammartino reverses out of the spinning toe hold and ratchets up the over-the-shoulder backbreaker. Terry Funk would fight for what seemed like forever, before finally tapping out and Sammartino finally won the brass ring. It finishes with former Undisputed Champ Lou Thesz getting in the ring and celebrating with his best friend, while a vindictive Buddy Rogers watched on jealously from the entrance ramp. Two men who were always told they couldn’t get to the top, the glass ceiling was too thick for them. Here on this night in XPW Arena, Lou Thesz & Bruno Sammartino proved to everyone that busting your ass and earning your keep gets you what you deserve. Oh and incidentally, the match was freakin awesome. Grade: 5
Justin: Well, here we are. Sammartino was the overwhelming favorite here and Kevin Sullivan's Black Army had the most heat on him, with Terry Funk falling in between the two. Sullivan is in much better shape here in 1982. That allowed him to keep up the pace with two true workhorses that never slowed down. The match got off to a hot start and told a good story with Sammartino and Funk begrudgingly teaming up to take out the Prince of Darkness. Sammartino was crisp and vicious as always and all of the spots in this one were just well worked. The crowd was begging for Sammartino to win and the bookers knew it as they had many teases of Sammartino winning and losing. Terry Funk did his usual five-alarm blade job and Sammartino took advantage, locking Sullivan in rear naked choke. Sullivan hung on but was about to tap to give Sammartino his crowning moment. Before he could do so, Lizzy Borden reached in and grabbed Sullivan's hand, preventing him from giving up. They would reunite to eliminate Sammartino with the double suplex on the table and for a few minutes, it seemed like da Brune would be left in the cold. Back in the ring, Sullivan would drop Terry Funk with a spike DDT and all hope was lost…until Sammartino barely made a desperate save to keep the dream alive. It was around this time that the crowd really started to get antsy, wondering if they would see history or the same old ending. Then came the epic finish. Terry Funk stalked Sammartino, lining up a shot from his branding iron as the crowd groaned. Things turned as Sammartino slipped free and hooked the over-the-shoulder backbreaker!. The crowd was ready to explode…but that changed quickly when Funk refused to tap and then rolled out of the hold. The audible gasp from the crowd was just great stuff and two of the all time greats had us eating out of their hands. Sammartino quickly rolled back through and Funk was trapped. He milked it and then finally tapped. And then it was mayhem. The crowd just lost it in a sea of insanity. It had finally happened and Bruno Sammartino was on top of the XPW world. And even better, it came in a bloody war and an instant classic in the main event of "New Years Revolution" inside XPW Arena. It was an unbelievable finish and moment that was made even more special when his long time friend Lou Thesz showed up in the ring to celebrate with him. It was just an epic moment and I still remember it like it was yesterday. I remember screaming “Tap” at Terry Funk as he wriggled in Sammartinos iron grip and just losing it when he finally did. It was a tremendous match to cap off a great show and a historic night in Los Angeles. Grade: 5
Winner (and NEW XPW Champion): BRUNO SAMMARTINO
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Ringside Outro:
Gordon Solie & Matt Striker
MATT STRIKER: Wrestling and all the antics and fanfare that come with it has been innate in me for as long as I can remember. A wrestler is a special person, when a wrestler walks into a room he/she brings with them a presence that cannot be explained. I generally have an idea as to what I think will entertain the people. As it pertains to new XPW champion Bruno Sammartino - that character is the closest representation to his real personality. I love wrestling, I have always been enamored with the sport and the athletes and their personalities. I always include the input of my fellow wrestlers whenever there is something that involves them, such as a character or behavior in a match. I just go out there and go with the flow and the fans seem to enjoy it. I enjoy doing "gimmicks" like Kevin Sullivan and his Black Army, but I also really enjoy a contest of strength and skill. Trying to wear down your opponent and defeat him is the real essence of the sport.
GORDON SOLIE: Speaking of Bruno, he and I have worked together previously. We sat down at the microphone and went in cold with an hour long show. We'd never worked together before, and the first match, which was about 15 minutes long, we stepped on each other a little bit, then we fell into a rhythm, into a pattern and the next 45 minutes went like clockwork. When we were done we both said, "Okay, lets redo the first fifteen minutes..." because it was a little rough. And after that we never had to recut a thing. But yeah, I've seen guys...we had a guy who started out as a ring announcer who tried his hand at announcing. And he was deplorable because all he could think of was getting himself over. You know it's so much easier to get over with people if you put what you're doing over. In other words, if I go out there and I'm watching the Bucks play football and I'm calling the game and Trent Dillfore goofs left and right. For me to sit down and start criticizing Trent Dillfore...I can say, "Well, he slipped in trying to back peddle he tripped and fell..." but for me to say, "Well, the guy is so addled he doesn't know his left foot from his right..." is totally wrong. Why should I be the expert? I don't know what's going on in his mind. So, put over the sport, and you'll get over. And that's, I think, what a lot of these guys are forgetting about.
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CREDITS:
“Nature Boy” BUDDY ROGERS: Sleeperhold Part III by Rey Tennenbaum
LOU THESZ: Wrestling Classics.com editorial
GORDON SOLIE: Interview w/ Jeremy Hartley
STRANGLER LEWIS: "Fall Guys: Barnums of Bounce" (copyright 1937)
TOOTS MONDT: "Fall Guys: Barnums of Bounce" by Marcus Griffin (copyright 1937)
MATT STRIKER: Declaration of Independents interview (2003)
Scott & Justin's PPV Reviews: One Night Stand 2005, Survivor Series 1992, Wrestlemania XX and SummerSlam 1992