WORKERS FROM MISSISSIPPI
-Neil Taylor
-Tony Dabbs
-Izzy Rotten
-Scott Portueu
-Psycho
-Pappy
-Jay Webster
-Brett Michaels
-Brian So Fine
-Ryan So Fine
-Michael “T-Byrd” Thomas
RANT
----My last visit to Mississippi had me coming back posting about psychology and how wrestling in Mississippi is worse than wrestling in Tennessee. I will go on record right here and say, wrestling in Tennessee and Arkansas is 10 TIMES BETTER!!! “Hollywood” Jimmy on his radio appearance on “Shooting the Shiznit” stated he felt wrestling in Mississippi was just as good. I think maybe Jimmy was having to babyface, because after one show I have to say “Horseshit” and totally disagree with that point. I am not sure what it is – it really doesn’t matter what MS promotion it is – there are only small set of guys in the whole state that know how to work.
----My daughter Kayte made a good point on the drive home. She said that it is like everyone just goes out and follows no psychology. They just do it over and over. And one ever says, “Hey, you are doing that wrong.” And then, they go out the next week – and do it all wrong – again and again and again. She might only be 15 years old, but she has been around the business ever since she could walk. If she can pick out what those guys are doing wrong – don’t you think other workers could do that???
----Final rant here before I get to the results – I know people have given Leslie Jones and IWF a lot of hell in the years following the demise of that promotion. I would consider myself not one to praise everything Jones did, but take a look at the names I posted above. Weird how all the workers that have talent were guys that worked for IWF??
RESULTS
----Nick Grymes beat LSD. No build up to the finish as Grymes just hit him with a closeline for the pin. LSD did a dive and a standing shooting star that was nice. [1/2*]
----Jay Webster beat Keylo Green with his finisher. Good solid bout, but ended out of nowhere. Green did better coming to the ring and in gimmick than in the ring. Still not bad, but no comeback for him [babyface] and finish was flat. [1/2*]
---- Cyrus beat Chris Fontaine by DQ. Not good. Cyrus is real green. Fontaine not much better. Cyrus started getting the advantage and Justin Rhodes and Big Daddy Neno jumped in. “Asylum” [Psycho/Pappy] made the save to set up the 6 man tag later. [DUD]
----“Pain Inc” [Brett Michaels/Scott Porteau/Izzy Rotten] with local DJ Dotson came out. They got the fans going to sell lumberjack straps for the main event. “Studd” was really good here.
----Curly Moe/DC/Tony Dabbs beat “Pink Flamingos” [Brian&Ryan So Fine/Andy 2 Dandy] in the best bout of the show. Solid psychology and all the guys working real hard. Heels did double heat with heat on DC first, then a hot tag to Moe. Moe was cut off and then heat on him. Hot tag with a good finish. Brian was holding hands with Ryan/Andy so they would not go over with a sunset flip – Dabbs superkicked Brian – Brian released hands and heels got pinned. [**3/4]
----Justin Rhodes/Big Daddy Neno beat “Asylum” [Psycho/Pappy]. “Aslyum” worked as a team for a few moves. Rhodes/Neno were lost. Not a good bout and probably one of Psycho/Pappy’s worse efforts for the year. Hot tag flat [if it was really a hot tag??] Psycho hit a superkick during one part of it and it was straight up to Justin’s face!! Bubba bomb from Rhodes on Psycho and it looked good. One star for superkick and ½ for Bubba bomb. [*1/2]
----Mason beat Neil Taylor by DQ for the EPW Title. Not a good match, but Taylor tried. Taylor is good when he is in the ring with someone good [Rocker/Lawler]. I really have never seen him carry a match, but he does know what you are supposed to do. Mason is bad and he is their champion!! Good solid psychology with Taylor leading the way. Two ref bumps and a couple of near falls and the crowd popped. Taylors’ punches looked weak. Taylor hit a stunner for a pop. Mason tried to use a chain, but Taylor took it away from him for the pin from referee #2. Crowd popped big for the win..but it was a Dusty finish as the first ref Dq’ed him for bumping him. Taylor then hit the ref for a good pop. [**]
----Bonecrusher/Cassonova Kid/Tyson Star beat “Pain Inc” [Izzy Rotten/Brett Michaels/Scott Porteau] with special ref Dotson in a Fans Lumberjack Match. Solid psychology with heat on Kid. Crowd was hot for this by hitting the heels with straps. Not a great bout, but the fans liked it. Izzy missed a legdrop from the second rope. Babys won and Dotson ended up turning baby chokeslamming Michaels after the match. [**1/2]
NOTES
----200 to 225 in the building…“Asylum” got a nice pop for save…Psycho looks to have lost about 60 pounds. He is still a big guy, but you can tell he is moving much better…I don’t like the Dusty finish with putting heat on the ref. Apparently Taylor was a little stiff on ref #1…I wrote “Bonecrusher was better than I had been told” in Yearbook 2007. He got the biggest pop of the night coming out to “Bad to the Bone” and because “he is from here.” Not impressed with his work and I have to agree with Ken Wayne – he does not need to be training anyone…Cassonova Kid, Grymes,Green, Star and LSD are not just so horrible they could not be trained – but they need lots of work… Both refs did not have ref shirts on…Michael Thomas kissed me on my bald sweaty head – just had to share that with everyone…Kross was at the announcer’s table and came over to shake my hand. He is currently injured with a foot or leg cast…I sit most of the night chatting with someone I have heat with – Neil Taylor. LOL Taylor doesn’t like the Yearbook [still not sure why] and I do like the Yearbook. That is about all the heat we have…Kudos to Izzy for all the work he did to get this done for the DARE program. ..Thanks to cast and crew for their hospitality…I was supposed to be at the EPW show on Saturday night, but with wrestling being so bad and the kids encouraging me to go to a mall, I opted out to head back to Missouri.
FINAL NOTE
----Wondering why I listed those guys at the front of this report?? These are the guys that are GOOD WORKERS in Mississippi. These guys could work anywhere in this area. They would have good matches, get good heat or be over. Pappy and Jay Webster are the only two guys that have improved in the last two years of the lower classmen, since my last visit. Take a second look at the list and the report from 2007 – the same guys are the only ones that are good. If your name is not on that list and you worked on this show – then do everyone a favor – either go sell your gear on ebay or get more training.
