Stay Safe!!

----Not sure how much of our "viewing" area is getting all the ice and snow, but for those that are - stay in and stay safe!! I had to drive to work in it tonight and it was not fun!! For those that have to get out in it - drive very slow and watch out for all those other idiots on the road!!

RassleResults: SSW Kingsport, TN 12.12.08

Chase Owens with Ashlee Hope beat Cody Ices . Ashlee tripped Ices to allow Owens to get the pin

Mike Cooper and Moe Jenkins beat Bobo Brown and Kole Layton King
King,Brown, Dookie and Cooper all came out together after first match. All but Coop complained about the refs and what happened to them on Thanksgiving Night. When it came Coopers time to talk he told them to grow up and just admit they lost which lead to big argument and Jenkins came out and the match was made. Jenkins got the pin on Brown when he tried to use a chain and Coop grabbed his handed and allowed Jenkins to get a school boy.

TV Champion Nick Hammonds pinned Ryan Dookie w/Kole L King
This was the 3rd meeting between these two since Sept and it gets better every time. Dookie got the pin with his feet on the ropes but MIsty James came out and told the ref the match was restarted and Nick hit the dimond cutter for the 3 count.

After the match Dookie said he was going to get Misty and Rebecca no matter what it took. This is twice they have embressed him.

Rebecca Lynn and Misty James beat Sarah Lynn and Ashlee Hope

Misty and Rebecca are super over in Kingsport. They people love them. Rebecaa got the pin on Sarah following a knee lift from Misty and a elbow by Rebecca. After the match Dookie, Jamesy Gibson , and Kole Layton King ran in and started pushing Misty and Rebecca around until Sarah Lynn joined in and helped Misty and Rebecca kick all three men far below the Mason Dixon line

Tony Givens and Wayne Adkins beat "King of Kingsport" Beau James and AWA Champion Brian Logan by disqualification

Wayne and Tony started off with a lot of fast action and quick tags. Beau used his whip handle to slow down Adkins and the Beating was on. James and Logan double team Wayne for a while until he was able to tag in Givens. All four men in the ring with Givens and Adkins having the upper hand. James stopped Givens as Wayne rolled up Logan. James grabbed Adkins and tossed him over the top rope for the DQ. James and Logan then hung Givens with the whip. Nick Hammonds tried to make a save but was blind sided by Chase Owens. Owens joined in and they beat on the members of G1 until Moe Jenkins hit the ring like a wild man and cleaned house.

Notes - 59 paid about 70 range in the building...We new it would be down this close to Christmas....This was first time James and Logan have teamed since 2001.

RassleResults: SWS Selmer, TN 12.13.08

Derrick King beat Rockin Randy.
Ty Hamilton beat The Fire.
Agent Corbin beat Albino Rhino
Patrick Smith def. Agent K-Hill
Lani Kialoha def. Bill Dundee
Doug & Michael Gilbert beat Kevin White & Cody Melton.

Notes:
They had some great sponsors for this show, The Jaycee's sold out on concessions...Patrick Smith was a 2002 grad of Kevins school, he had worked in Nashville and on some of our shows but got away from the business for a few years and started training again a few months back... ...Bill Dundee took control of the locker room and things ran smooth as silk...Attendance was standing room only. They put our all the chairs they had - 238 - a lot of folks had to stand...They also gave out around 200 toys.

Credit: SWStudd

BRUNO SAMMARTINO BOOK IS AVAILABLE!!

----www.rasslinriotonline.com presents Bruno Sammartino: An Autobiography of Wrestling's Living Legend book is available now!! CLICK HERE to read details about the book and order it!!

Austin Lane Headed to RWA!!!

----The owner of the Royal Wrestling Alliance Frank Martin told the crowd at the RWA show Saturday night that as of Jan 3 Austin Lane will be a full time member of the RWA group of talent.

"Austin is a tremendous talent and we are proud to have someone of his caliber working with us. We look forward to a long and successful relationship with Austin as we venture into TV and working house shows in the state of Arkansas as well as Mississippi" Martin said.

----RWA ran a show this past Friday night in Mcgehee Arkansas and is planning to run in Greenville Ms as well as Monticello Ar, Pine Bluff Ar, and Marianna Ar.

RassleResults: EPW Booneville, MS 12.13.08

Slammer defeated Devon Raynes.

Cassanova Kid defeated Tysin Starr w/Dustin Burcham by DQ when PHAT Foundation interfered. Nick Grimes & David Andrews in to make the save.

PHAT Foundation (Justin Rhodes & Chris Fontaine) w/Paul Rhodes vs. Down To Party ("Prime Time" Nick Grimes & David Andrews) ended in a no contest when Tysin Starr & Cassanova Kid interfered.

24/7 (Kross & JR Mauler) defeated Dagger & Kilo Green.

The Ghost Riders (Buzz Harley & Blade) defeated "Super Freak" Danny Morris & "Dangerous" David Cox w/Dustin Burcham.

Pain, Inc. (Izzy Rotten & Brett Michaels) w/Nathan Lee cheated their way to victory over Bonecrusher & Soultaker. After the match, the members of Pain, Inc were suspended by EPW Promoter Edith Poole for the rest of the year because of their actions.

Next week's EPW card will include PHAT Foundation & Tysin Starr vs. Down To Party & Cassanova Kid.

Crowd was about 80.

Credit: "Axeman" Randall Lewis @ www.wrestlingnewscenter.com

RassleResults: USWO/ATL 12.13.08

Attendance 22

Damien Payne b Mexican Dragon

Saint b JD Fluffy

Psycho Medic b Kevin Dunn by DQ when Chris Norte attacked Medic

Michael Jablonski & Anthony Wayne b Chris Norte & Kevin Dunn when Jablonski pinned Dunn

Steven Green b Damien Payne


Credit: Jimmie Daniel

RassleResults: TFW Tupelo, MS 12.12.08 - New TFW Tag Champions!!

Little Guys, Inc. (Lil' Devil & Kid-J) defeated Chris Chaos & Jay Webster w/Izzy Rotten.

Curly Moe won the TFW Lightweight Tournament over Josh Matthews, Chris Styles, DJ Stunner, & Suicide to become new Lightweight Champion.

PHAT Foundation (Justin Rhodes & Chris Fontaine) defeated "Southern Thunder" Chris Kilgore & "Spectacular" Shawn Reed.

Curly Moe defeated LSD.

Mason defeated "Bad Attitude" Tony Dabbs.

Chop Top the Clown retained his TFW Championship by defeating Izzy Rotten.

Syn & DJ Stunner won the TFW Tag Team Championship by defeating Sons of the South (Josh Matthews & Chris Styles). After the match there was a confrontation between Josh & Chris, which ended with Josh slapping Chris and leaving the ring.

Crowd was about 100.

Credit: "Axemman" Randall Lewis @ www.wrestlingnewscenter.com

RassleResults: NBW Newbern, TN 12.06.08 - Newbern Debut!!

Show opened with Jeff McDonald in the ring welcoming everyone to the next chapter in NBW. To his surprise none other than Sarge O'Riley and a few other members of XOW came to the ring. Sarge exclaimed that he and the XOW had NBW beat in Dyersburg and that they were cheated and that he was back to finish what he started, cue Jeremy Moore. Moore said that he was sure he had ridden himself and all the fans of Sarge and the XOW goons, but if Sarge wanted to run his mouth then Moore would shut him up. Moore wanted to wrestle Sarge, which gave Jeff an idea, Moore already had a match w/ the Posse tonight so instead of a regular tag match it would be a 3-way tag match. 3 promotions, 1 match. XOW (Sarge/Neil Taylor) vs. RWL (Simon/Superman) vs. NBW (Moore/?)!!!

Suicide def. Tommy Redneck and the Kid in a 3-way dance

Brandon Espinosa def. Stevie K.

Big Red vs. Arnez ended in a time limit draw

Syn/D.J. Stunner def. Gaylon Ray/John Roberts

Chris Rocker retained his NBW Championship over Justin "The Juice" Smart

The "Posse" [Simon & Jason Reed] def. Sarge/Taylor and Moore/ Gaylon after Simon pinned Moore.. Post match Sarge and Neil were upset over the loss and decided to take it out on Moore, Sarge hit him w/ a chair and Taylor piledrived him on it. Then Sarge said next week he had a surprise to close the show.

Crowd was between 60-70. Pop of the night was either for Rocker or Moore. All the matches were good. Crowd was into most everything. Maverick returns this week.

Credit: NBWNewsGuy

----Good showing for a town that was drawing 20 paid for their first show...Looks like they will be doing the XOW feud here a bit. Not sure if "Posse" will be heel or baby. Moore will be a top face along with Rocker [if he stays]. Taylor and Sarge will do good as top heels here...Maverick should help them with an increase in the crowd tonight.

Austin Lane Leaves ASWF!!

----Austin Lane, after 8 years of working for this group in one form or another, is done with ASWF. December 20th will be his last date with the group. I expect to see a title change that night or earlier. Lane is expected to make an official statement after he finishes up with them. My sources are saying expect Lane in either one of three places - TLCW, DCW or RWA. RWA would be a good fit for Lane as they are getting ready for public access TV and he has been featured in some very high profile matches in Jonesboro, AR. Lane is a 10 time ASWF champion and ASWF Hall of Famer. His stint with this group of 8 years is just uncharacteristic in this area as guys jump every week. Lane, who won 2006 RRO Performer of the Year, would be an asset to any of the rosters in this area.

RassleResults: N.E.W. West Memphis, AR 12.12.08

New Experience Wrestling (N.E.W.) returned to the "Nightmare" Ken Wayne School of Professional Wrestling for another night of television tapings for future release. Results from the show are as follows:

- Matt Justyce defeated Stan Lee by pinfall following a situation where Stan injured his right leg.
- Greg King defeated Derrick King by forfeit when Derrick did not arrive for the scheduled match.
- Greg King defeated Matt Justyce in an impromptu match.
- Eric Wayne defeated Scott Fury.
- Kid Nikels defeated "Golden Boy" Greg Anthony.

RassleNotes: Around 50-60 in the crowd this week. Injury to Stan Lee was legit, although it looks like he will be okay. Derrick King was originally scheduled for the show but had to cancel at the last minute. Scott Fury suffered damage to his mouth courtesy of Eric Wayne's boot. Promotion returns to West Memphis next Friday, Dec. 19th at 8 p.m.

Joe Babinsack talks holiday gifts

----I would like to thank Joe Babinsack for his plug and kind words yesterday on www.wrestlingobserver.com. Joe has the Dusty book #2 on the list of things to buy for Christmas!! CLICK HERE to read his list. So, I figured I would remind everyone about the book!! CLICK HERE to order a copy of the perfect Christmas present!

RassleResults: USWO Nashville, TN 12.12.08

Attendance 80

Jason Xavier b Convict

Jeremiah Plunkett b Travis Starr by submission

Saint & Tim Renesto b Psycho Medic & Jason Xavier when Saint pinned Xavier

Damien Payne b Petey Wright

Shane Eden & Steven Green b Damien Payne & Josh Crowe when Eden pinned Crowe

Mitch Ryder b LT Falk

USWO Champion Michael Jablonski b Nazi Terror by DQ when Ryder ran in and attacked Jablonski

Credit: Jimmie Daniel

Thompson With The Stars!!

----I had to put these up, because when do you have the chance to have your picture taken with two of the biggest stars EVER in the business and the best tag team EVER in business - all in one night??

A Piece of my Mind Dec 12th 2008 by "The Big Cheese" Sal Corrente

I was in NY on Dec fifth on WrestleReunion business and was scheduled to be in the corner of Stan Lane and Bobby Eaton in Greensboro, NC that night. I was dropped off at LaGuardia airport worried that the flight would be late and I would miss the opportunity but all things lined up in a positive way that night. The plane was on time the luggage was fast so I headed to the building much earlier and arrived sooner than I thought that I would.

I was really looking forward to the event before I got the call from Michael Bochicchio of Highspots telling me about the two shows he had planned. I had no intentions of doing any wrestling shows in two thousand and eight. The call from Michael was a simple one telling me about the two Ric Flair appearances one in Greensboro and one in Charlotte. He advised me that he wanted to put The Rock and Roll Express vs. Midnight Express on the card. He also advised me that he wanted the Stan Lane and Bobby Eaton version of The Midnight Express. He asked me if I would intervene on his behalf with Stan Lane to see if he would come out of retirement to rejoin his old partner. I told him that I would but that it would be easier to work this out with Stan if he knew that I would be there with him. It was at that time I suggested that I manage The Midnight Express we came to an agreement. So I called Stan to present the idea to him. We quickly came to an agreement and I confirmed with Michael.

It was going to be great to see Stan and his lovely wife Maria. I had not been able to get to Greensboro recently and I have not been in Florida when Stan has been there to do commentating for his boat racing career. It had been awhile since Stan had been in the ring, the last time was March two thousand and six. It was the World Wrestling Legends event at The Hard Rock in Orlando. It was a six man tag team match The Midnight Express vs. The Armstrong’s Scott, Brad and Bullet Bob. I touched base with Bobby Eaton by phone and let him know that we were all set.

If you hadn’t heard by this time the dynamics of this whole event changed when Hulk Hogan agreed to do a favor for his friend Ric Flair and be the special guest referee for the match featuring David and Reid Flair against The Nasty Boys. The teams would be managed by “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair and “The Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart respectively. It would of course be great to hang out with my buddy Jimmy Hart over the weekend as well. I looked forward to these events as the days drew near.

The day had finally arrived. I was at the building the plane was on time luggage was faster than I expected. I was greeted by Stan and Maria then I went to find Ricky Steamboat Jr. I hadn’t seen him in years so with all the great things I have been hearing about him I was looking forward to seeing him again. I thought that he looked fantastic. He did remind me of his dad in appearance. After that I greeted Stan’s mother Jean Lane and his cousin John Lynch, who Stan and I used to hang out with on occasion in the old days.

The time finally came to head to the ring for the match. We did the standard Midnight Express introductions. I introduced Bobby and Stan and Stan introduced me. The match started and I immediately morphed back into the eighties. I had the pleasure of refereeing a match between these two teams in Denver, Co. of course in that match Jim Cornette was in the corner of the Midnight Express.

I was in awe of the two teams. They hadn’t wrestled each other straight up in years. The match was sensational. I thought to myself "it is a crime that a match like this isn’t the main event of Monday Night Raw". It was clear in my mind that everyone that wants to understand tag team wrestling should watch this match just like every wrestler should watch Steamboat and Savage from Wrestlemania 3. In the case of the other three guys, they wrestle on a fairly regularly basis. In Stan’s case, he hasn’t wrestled in a few years but he was moving out there as well as he ever had. On that night The Midnight Express were victorious. It was then time to head to Charlotte.

It had occurred to me on Saturday morning that, perhaps, I had been part of a special event. I called Stan on the phone and asked him if anyone other than Jim Cornette had ever managed The Midnight Express. He indicated that they hadn’t. I double checked with Bobby that night and he agreed. So with Stan’s limited desire to wrestle not only could I possibly be only the second man to man manage The Midnight Express and perhaps the last.

I picked up Jimmy Hart at the airport and, along with Carolinas Own David Isley (Thunderfoot #1); we went to my favorite Italian restaurant Amalfi Pizza and Pasta. The restaurant is located on Hwy 49 in Charlotte near Harris Blvd. We ate and then went and watched the football game. We arrived at the building at about 6:00pm so Jimmy could participate in the VIP autograph signing along with The Nasty Boys, The Midnight Express, The Rock and Roll Express and Ric Flair. It wasn’t long after we arrived that I received a call from Hulk Hogan checking to see if we were at the building yet or not. I told him that we were and that I would go meet him outside after he informed me that they were in the parking lot.

The line was long waiting to get into the building and there were a lot of photographers around for this very special event. It was good to see Hulk. I hadn’t seen him in just about two years. We got a chance to talk about old times. That’s one of the great things about getting together on these shows.

I thought for awhile that the tag match with Hulk as referee might go on early to get him out of the building but it didn’t work out that way. We went on fourth and, once again, The Rock and Roll and Midnights put on a wrestling exhibition. It was a pleasure and an honor to be a part of those matches. I have no idea when these guys will be in a position not to put on a tag match at this level, but it sure won’t be anytime real soon. The Rock and Roll Express are double drop kicking flying head scissors fools. The Midnight Express are two individuals that basically function as one. On that night The Rock and Roll were victorious but I feel like everyone in the building in Charlotte was a winner that night.

Then Clubfoot the newly named David Isley, Jimmy Hart and I headed to IHOP. It was just like the good old days. Where oh where have they gone?

The photo in this article was taken by Brian Thompson at the show in Charlotte on Dec 6th. It could possibly be this last time a picture is taken of this version of The Midnight Express getting ready to head to the ring.

RassleResults: RWA Jonesboro, AR 12.06.08

The begriming of the show was different from shows past. Owner Frank Martin was not at the show as he had taken a family vacation. The begriming of the show was interrupted by none other than Classy Melton Massy. As the lights came up Massy was sitting in the middle of the ring and doing what else? Complaining it's been said that some cheese will be on hand next week for the whine! Of course along with the crying came the bragging about how great he is, how he has put Chris Steel out of wrestling. Finally Dr. Randy came out to confront Massy and told him that He was the best manager in the RWA not Massy. Shortly after that Dr. Randy hit Massy as Massy was still in his chair. The fight was on and the acting Commissioner Biscuit and the Tim Daniel's RWA Referee broke up the fight but Biscuit made a match between the two.

1st Match: Classy Melton Massy VS Dr. Randy. Massy gets the pin fall.

2nd Match: Lucky VS PP3 Winner PP3 by DQ. Lucky pulled a chain and PP3 blocked it and then picked it up and hit Lucky with it and put it back on Lucky as the ref was down. The ref got back up to see PP3 holding his nose and Lucky having a chain hanging out of his pocket.

3rd Match. Mr Pimptacular VS Mike Anthony and Pokerface. Winner Mike Anthony and Pokerface. This was a Handicap Match set up last week. Southside was barred from the building and Mr. Pimptacular was bound by contract to wrestle or be fined and fired if he no showed. This was punishment for Jumping Pokerface during intermission week before.

4th Match: Silas VS Roger Allen. Winner Silas. Silas has been gone for a while but has been working out and is Hugh. He is jacked and the fans have made him a face. They love the big guy and Silas has been training while he has been gone and looked very good. He now has BIG TIME potential!!!

5th Match: Rodney Mack and J.D. Kerry VS Angel of Sin and Athena. Winner Angel of Sin and Athena. This match came out of a mic spill that the AOS and Athena did at intermission. AOS bragged how he took the title away from Mack and told everyone that Athena has been all over the world beating women and men. She then took some shots at Jazz who is not wrestling at this time. (Warning to Athena! Jazz is coming back and she is not a women that you want to make mad!) This match was great and the fans who were hot all night were on their feet through out this match. Do to what AOS did during the match the Commission suspended AOS for a week.

Good night of action with 150+ in the building.

Credit: RWAReporter

----This group went up about 50 this week...Lots of names have left here in recent weeks - Luke Graham Jr [not happy with direction], Rik Burton [personal reasons], Ron Rage [personal reasons], "Aslyum" [working DCW now]and Zane Richards.

The Thompson Perspective 12.11.08 By Brian Thompson

If you grew up watching professional wrestling in the 1980’s, you were a part of a unique experience.

The business was on fire. Vince McMahon took the World Wrestling Federation to a national stage and Jim Crockett Promotions became the leader of the National Wrestling Alliance.

The early part of the decade featured the old territorial structure that dominated the business for much of the century. However, as the 1980’s came to a close McMahon was on the top of the mountain with Ted Turner now in the game, having bought Crockett’s wrestling operations. Verne Gagne’s American Wrestling Association existed, but barely.

Much of McMahon’s success was due to the superstar status of Hulk Hogan, who took the then-WWF by storm in 1984. While Hogan took the WWF to heights never before seen, it was “Nature Boy” Ric Flair who was the flagship of Crockett, later Turner and the NWA.

I was a full fledged Hulk-A-Maniac as a child. I am not ashamed to admit it. However, at the same time I admired Flair and his cohorts the Four Horsemen. Maybe I had a split personality complex. I would love to be the superhero with big muscles (Hogan) or the high class big shot (Flair).

When the opportunity arose to attend last Saturday’s HighSpots.com show in Charlotte, NC, came along, I jumped at the chance. Originally only Flair was going to be on the show. That alone was enough for me. I’ve waited nearly 28 years to meet “The Man.” When it was announced that Hogan would also be in attendance, I began to wonder if my eyes were deceiving. Could I really be going to an event where both of my childhood idols will be in attendance?

Brian Tramel was supposed to come along, but he was unable to and I know that bummed him out.

I left for the show immediately following the New Experience Wrestling (N.E.W.) taping in West Memphis Friday night. Of course, and call me name dropper if you must, I planned to arrive at the Eatons’ home in Charlotte before the show, hang out with them and then head to the event. From my house in rural Cross County, AR to Charlotte is a 700 mile drive – one way!

I left West Memphis and planned to stop in Lebanon, TN or Cookeville, TN. Well, I just made it to Jackson. This was for two reasons. First, I was exhausted. It was a long week at my regular job. Second, for some reason Interstate 40 was closed at mile marker 83. Jackson is located just a few miles from that location. I decided it would be best to stay there and get up a little sooner.

Of course, I have the world’s worst luck at times and naturally this would be no different. My hotel room key would not work. I came down and got a second one – same result! Now, I’m starting to get frustrated because not only do I want to get into the room to sleep, but I also need to visit the restroom. I was switched to another room and all was good.

I woke up around 6 a.m. Saturday morning and hit the road. I still had nearly 8 hours of drive-time remaining. The trip was long, but went well and I arrived at the Eatons’ house around 3:30 p.m.

I changed clothes and we headed to the arena. Of course, it took a while to find it but that’s par for the course. We arrived and went into the building for a “fan fest.”

I followed Bobby Eaton to the “fan fest” location and along the way we ran into Flair. He just carries a certain “aura” of greatness.

We headed to the “fan fest” area where I met Stan Lane for the first time, said hello to old friends Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson. Actually, let me back up and mention that before we got to the building, a car pulled up with Sal Corrente, David Isley and Jimmy Hart. We greeted them before actually getting inside.

Let’s get back to the “fan fest” festivities. Hulk Hogan and the Nasty Boys arrive and then Flair makes his way to the stage. They all greeted each other and Hulk told the crowd that the boys in the locker room always knew that Flair was the “greatest of all-time.” It was a moment to behold. Yes, at that moment I no longer was a 27-year-old man. I was back to being that 7-year-old who saw Hulk in person at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, MO in the spring of 1988. I was the kid who watched the “Nature Boy” take Nikita Koloff to school on the Starrcade ’86 VHS that I’ve played a million times.

I ended up helping keep fans moving as they had their photos made with the Rock N’ Roll Express, Midnight Express, Nasty Boys with Jimmy Hart and Flair.

Then, we headed to the locker room. Bobby Eaton and I talked about this all night long. The mood in that locker room was awesome. Everyone was having a good time. There weren’t any politics. You had guys who hadn’t seen each other in awhile greeting each other and swapping old stories, mixed with young guys like myself who just ate everything up.

Prior to the main event, Bobby introduced me formally to Hulk. He still is a huge guy and definitely has “24-inch” pythons. He agreed to autograph my copy of his autobiography and posed for a photo with me. After the main event, Flair returned to the stage to finish autographs that were not completed before hand. Bobby took me over to him and Ric signed my copy of his book and then stood up for a picture. Special thanks to the fan who took the picture for me – whoever you are!

I’m probably coming across as a dork with this particular column, but I really don’t care. I had such a great time in Charlotte. The card was solid, top to bottom. You’ve seen the results already and there will be a DVD available soon at www.highspots.com. A great time was had by all involved.

For me, the coolest experience was meeting Hulk and Ric not just as a fan, but as someone who is also in the wrestling business, albeit on a tiny scale compared to them. In a lot of ways if left me with a feeling of “now what?”

I spent Saturday night with the Eatons’ and then stayed with them until around 2 p.m. and headed back to the road. I stopped in Cookeville, TN, on Sunday night and then headed back home to Northeast Arkansas on Monday. A 700-mile return trip will give you a lot to think about.

This great moment for me personally was nothing I created. It involves so many people in my life who have helped me along the way to realize such a dream.
Of course, it’s not remotely possible without my parents and grandparents who have always stood behind me in whatever I have chosen to do.

In 2000, I was given a great start in wrestling by Gateway Championship Wrestling (GCW) based in St. Louis. Guys like Big Bad Ben, Sadie “Makaze” Blaze, Mike Sharona and Evil Jim opened a door for me. GCW was a good promotion that is unfortunately not around today. It was a wonderful place to start and I am forever grateful for those guys for giving me a chance. Thank you!

Nine months into my career, Kelly Warner and I met for the first time. He gave me an opportunity to meet Terry Golden, who operated Memphis Championship Wrestling. MCW was a WWE developmental territory at the time and featured a great roster, many of whom are on WWE TV today or have been in the last eight years. Thank you Kelly and Terry. That was a great experience that I will never forget and it gave me a chance to meet many of wrestling’s top stars and it was the place where I became friends with Bobby Eaton, the man who ends up making the intros to my heroes last weekend.
To all the boys - I’ve enjoyed working with all of you and you’ve all had a hand in helping me in one way or another. There are too many names to list, so I won’t do that, but you know who you are.

Derrick King and I have butted heads a lot of times. I think you could insert any name and say that person has butted heads with DK. A lot of that reason, though, is because we share a similar passion. No doubt that Derrick has been a good influence on me.

Guys like Brandon Baxter and Brian Tramel, who both may not be involved physically in wrestling anymore but are both great ambassadors to the sport. A lot of Northeast Arkansas promotions owe Brandon a debt of gratitude for the things he has done for them. Thank you Double B.

Of course, most of you know the background with BT. I’m glad to know him and call him a friend.

“Nightmare” Ken Wayne is a mentor to me. He has taken a guy (me) who has decent ideas and has been able to mold me to think outside the box and to think smart. It was an honor to see him compete in his final in-ring match and a thrill to be a part of his son’s debut two years ago.

Finally, Bobby Eaton. I consider him the blueprint of what a PROFESSIONAL wrestler should be. He’s gracious, caring and true general inside the ropes. For a man who’s had a ton of success, he is probably the most humble man alive. He’s taught me a lot.
Take care and Merry Christmas everyone!

(Brian Thompson may be reached at bptbookings@yahoo.com)

WWE to make two upcoming Southeast Missouri stops

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) will hold house shows in both Poplar Bluff, MO and Cape Girardeau, MO in the first few weeks of 2009. Below are the event dates and current advertised cards.

WWE SmackDown! Live
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Black River Coliseum - Poplar Bluff, MO
7:30 p.m. Bell Time

WWE Title Match: (Champion) Edge vs. Jeff Hardy

Street Fight: Triple H vs. Vladimir Koslov

The Big Show vs. The Great Khali

For more details visit www.blackrivercoliseum.com

WWE RAW & ECW Live
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Show Me Center - Cape Girardeau, MO
2 p.m. Bell Time

World Title Match: (Champion) John Cena vs. Chris Jericho

2 on 3 Handicap Match: Rey Mysterio & Shawn Michaels vs. Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes & Manu

ECW Title Match: (Champion) Matt Hardy vs. Jack Swagger

WWE Intercontinental Title Match: (Champion) William Regal vs. C. M. Punk

For more details visit www.showmecenter.biz

RassleNotes: Both venues have strong histories involving pro wrestling. The Black River Coliseum hosted a TNA house show last year. The arena has also held events for the original Extreme Championship Wrestling (2001); the new ECW (2006); Lethal Attitude Wrestling (2003); and Harley Race's World League Wrestling. The Show Me Center has held WWE events dating back to the fall of 1987. The arena also held some WCW events in the late 1990's and held a TNA house show several weeks back.

Notes from Thatcher column

Les Thatcher, one of wrestling's all-time greats, puts over both "Nightmare" Ken Wayne and Dusty Wolfe in his latest "Wrestler's Eye View" column at www.pwinsider.com.

The column discusses Les' independent dream roster (those not signed by WWE or TNA) and who it would feature. In addition to talking about the in-ring performers, Les mentions Wayne and Wolfe as veterans who would great behind the scenes in a variety of capacities. Of course, both men have ties to the RRO family and it just goes to show how valuable they are when a person the caliber of Les Thatcher mentions them in such high regard.

In a website note, be on the lookout for a column recapping my Charlotte, NC trip from last weekend. Trust me when I tell you that traveling 1,400 miles roundtrip ALONE makes for a lot of reflection time. I'll have all the details hopefully tonight. Keep watching!

Byron Wilcott Headed to WWE!!!

----Byron sent along the following. Congrats bro!!
"Just want to let everyone know, It is official I am signed to WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT!!!! I will be moving to Tampa, Florida in January."