Been meaning to write this for a couple of days and haven't had the time, I'm sure there's a couple of people interested in what I'm going to say about it. Here's how I ended up going.....I went to Mississippi on Saturday for a much needed break from work and just being in Alabama in general. I went and visited my parents for half the day then met up with Ned (Neil Taylor) that afternoon. When I called him earlier in the week he told me he'd be going to work for EPW in Booneville to wrestle Bonecrusher in a 'Fans Lumberjack Strap Match', (his 2nd one of the weekend). I asked him if I could come along and he said sure but I don't know if you'll be able to do anything or not which I told him was fine.
So....fast forward to Saturday night...I met up with Neil in Corinth and we ate, then drove down to Booneville. Now the only knowledge of EPW, I had going in was what I'd read in results and over on the bathroom wall (which I always take with a grain of salt anyway). Now I know some people are gonna be disappointed because it seems it's only cool to knock people these days but honestly don't have many bad things to say about the experience. I honestly was apprehensive about them taping tv in there when I saw the outside of the building but the ring is really nice, they have professional steel guard rails around the ring and a nice ring entrance area.
When we went in the dressing room (I was carrying Neil Taylor's bag cause he's an f'n superstar....j/k.....I mean joking about being a superstar I WAS carrying his bag) I saw a few familiar faces and quite a few I'd never seen before. One of the first people I ran into was Danny Morris, which was sorta awkward cause of that 'Cheap Heat Hall Of Fame' bit I wrote a while back....but Danny came over and shook my hand and said, "some people thought what you wrote was mean but I thought it was funny and most of it was true." I have to say that was a very classy thing to do on his part and while I've never disliked Danny, I know the article was kinda mean so I feel bad for writing it....but I have nothing but for respect for Danny Morris for the way he handled it.
Also there were old friends Izzy Rotten, Bret Michaels, Brody & Cody Hawk, Axeman, and a few people I'd met once or twice before like Dustin Burcham and Chazz......Not long after we got there they told me I could sit out with Axeman and do commentary which was so much fun. I've got to say I have no desire to wrestle anymore (which works out cause no one has the desire to see me wrestle) but I really love doing the heel announcing like that. For all the flack we've given each other online I really enjoy working with Axeman and I think we play off each other pretty well. It was great getting a chance to heel it up again trying to get the marks to buy tickets to whip Neil in the main event, or ad libbing some spots on the show where I jumped in the ring to "referee" and helped Bret Michaels hide the belt he used to knock out Cyrus. It was also fun watching Izzy Rotten try to not to laugh while I put him over on the mic comparing him to the Anderson Brothers, Brad Armstrong, and Jeff Hardy at different points in the match.
I want to thank Edith and Bonecrusher and who ever else had any say so in letting me be a part of the show. Now before people get all bent out of shape and say I'm kissing ass just because they let me show up and be on the show I will admit that there are areas of the show that need a lot of work especially if it's gonna be on tv, but what show can you name that doesn't. Nobody is perfect and I'm just sick of being negative....if you want to read that shit there's plenty of other places to do it. No offense to anyone else but I thought the best match of the night was Nick Grymes vs. Cassonova Kid, they worked really hard and put on a good match. I don't know Cassanova Kid and I don't think he liked me making fun of his New Kids on the Block theme music or his "pink man panties" but it was all in fun, I thought the guy was a good worker. There were a couple of other good matches, a couple not so good but again that's every show you go to.
All in all, I thought everyone worked really hard and put on a good show. From what I saw Dustin Burcham busts his ass working on that tv and has a really good voice for ring announcing, which I think he deserves more credit for. A fun night and again I appreciate them letting me be there on a rare Saturday night where I wasn't at my shoot job and have some fun and see some old friends.
GENE
genejackson95@gmail.com
