----Last night’s TV tapings showcased two of the front runners for RRO Best Damn Performer of the Year 2008 with “The Golden Boy” Greg Anthony and Stan Lee [2007 winner] making their NEW debut. Ken Wayne commented on the site earlier this week, “As for ‘Golden Boy,’ and Stan Lee, the pressure is on to see if they have what it takes. I’m personally pulling for them!” Did they live up to their hype??
----Greg King JR beat Dustin Ring in the opener. A real good match with both guys trading hold for hold. These two guys were real stiff and it came off as a legit contest. Ring is an excellent fit for this style and King shined again for the third week in a row. King oozes with charisma and the crowd ate him up. The holds were stiff and quick along with some really stiff forearms from both guys. Crowd popped for dropkicks and just simple counters. Ring was doing some hard knees to the back of King’s head and crowd was saying, “oooooohhhh”. Ring held onto the ropes for a roll up, but King caught him for a pin. [***]
----Matt Justyce beat Stan Lee. Good solid bout, but not what I was expecting. Justyce is much better in the ring with someone that he trains with, which = being green. Justyce/Lee did a series of moves which had Justyce jumping and flipping – keeping from getting kicked by Lee - that looked real good. Some of the moves seemed off and the pace wasn’t as good as I wanted. Lee did some fancy stuff with his wrist holds and even did a reversal holding the ropes. He also was doing some unique stuff with his feet - standing on his hands with ankles wrapped around a standing Justyce. Lee hit a real hard kick to Justyce’s face at one time that I thought knocked him out. [remember the psychology here – he “tried” to kick him earlier] Some good trading of kicks from both. Lee missed a legdrop from the turnbuckle along with hitting a flying press, but could not pin Justyce. Justyce pinned Lee after a missed frog splash. [**1/2]
----The inaugural tag team match of NEW and I was not disappointed. The rules had each team having two chances of breaking up the match. After that they would lose the bout if they interfered. Top rope rules about holding the guys and coming off the turnbuckle – opposition can not be held by one partner with other partner jumping off of them. They must always be able to defend themselves. Derrick King/Eric Wayne beat Greg Anthony/Kid Nikels. Not your typical tag team psychology, but all four guys worked their asses off. TGB fit right in with this style and looked so good. He did some really hard arm slams. TGB did a quick lucha style walk up the turnbuckle armdrag. Wow!! Never seen him do that. Every time Nikels/Wayne were in the ring it meant something, because of already the build of neither being able to pin each other. DK hit a superkick and it was not the finish. TGB/Nikels did a few double team moves. Eric ended up pinning TGB after him and Nikels hit hands with both running the ropes. [I believe they call it tippy toe and it is practiced at the school all the time]. Yes, someone lost a match by just going head to head with his tag partner and their opponent taking advantage. [***1/2]
NOTES
----Ring in a legit wrestler gimmick – black trucks and boots. Ring is aka “The Baron” Malkevain doing the vampire gimmick around the area, but has legit amateur background. Ring did a great job and hopefully will be positioned good with this group…TLCW’s ref Caleb was officiating for the evening and was not as good as the past two refs – Downtown Bruno and Bill Rush – but did an ok job. He should have did the thing where “you have been told the rules in the back and such”…Lee was doing “No Mercy” video game taunts before the match started – no one noticed!! Wasn’t that the greatest game ever??,,,Lee/Justyce trading some kicks and I think that kind of stuff will get over great with this pseudo shoot style…I hate that damn velvet suit TGB was wearing. TGB needs to tell LAW goodbye and join this show full time…There was some dude in the crowd that came in late and he had been drinking – he almost killed the whole mood that is set up with it being a legit contest. Eric Wayne was also playing right into his hand a few times and if this is going to be this kind of style – then you can not put the crowd over, especially this soon into the product. Later down the line, Eric could say something like, “I am tired of being a nice guy and all you people can go to hell!!” and it would mean something – if he continues to do the same ol’wrestling same ol’ bs with the crowd – it will not work. Drunk dude even had a “Eric sucks” chant and well, that sucked…Good to see RRO reader Wayne there again. Staff meeting with “Rating Man” Ron Guidry, me and Brian Thompson. LOL Ron sent an e-mail earlier this morning saying the following after I ask him if he enjoyed the show, “I really did enjoy the show. I found myself wanting to see about 2 more matches. It felt like I was watching a Japanese wrestling show, no frills wrestling and great competition.”…Some talk among a few of us about the “heat” that this group is getting already from guys in the business mainly because I might write something good about them. I write good things about things I enjoy – that will never change. For those that can’t work the style, then my advice – don’t hate on it. I am still not totally sold on the style even though I have enjoyed it. I think time will only tell – but all the new people that do come thru the door that I talk to – enjoy it tons. Can they keep my interest after say 6 months?? It will be up to the creative team to do that for not only me, but the fans in general…Oh..yea..btw..TGB and Lane fit right in with this group and it is guys like that this group needs. I still want to see Flash Flanagan, Pokerface and Alan Steele work the style...Group returns 11.07.08 for a regular weekly TV tapings.
Photo features: [from left to right] Kid Nikels,Eric Wayne, Greg King JR and Matt Justyce.
Photo by: Derek Taylor
