The masked and mustached WCW Halloween Havoc phantom squashes Tom Zenk before relieving his true identity to the WCW audience in 1991.
Enjoy and Happy Halloween!
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Match of the Day - The WCW Halloween Havoc phantom!
The WCW Halloween Havoc Phantom vs. "Z-Man" Tom Zenk - Halloween Havoc (1991)
The masked and mustached WCW Halloween Havoc phantom squashes Tom Zenk before relieving his true identity to the WCW audience in 1991.
Enjoy and Happy Halloween!
The masked and mustached WCW Halloween Havoc phantom squashes Tom Zenk before relieving his true identity to the WCW audience in 1991.
Enjoy and Happy Halloween!
Monday, October 28, 2013
Match of the Debut - BATTLE KAT!
Battle Kat vs. Bob Bradley - WWF Wrestling Challenge (1990)
I guess you could say that Battle Kat's TV debut against jobber, Bob Bradley was less than purrfect, as Mr. Kat (played by Dean peters) never made if much further than this match and one more on Wrestling Challenge defeating Paul Diamond.
Still, I always wonder what could have been of the almighty Battle Kat.
Fun(ish) fact: Dean Peters previously played Brady Boone, a character that was originally the cousin of Billy Jack Haynes in kayfabe.
I guess you could say that Battle Kat's TV debut against jobber, Bob Bradley was less than purrfect, as Mr. Kat (played by Dean peters) never made if much further than this match and one more on Wrestling Challenge defeating Paul Diamond.
Still, I always wonder what could have been of the almighty Battle Kat.
Fun(ish) fact: Dean Peters previously played Brady Boone, a character that was originally the cousin of Billy Jack Haynes in kayfabe.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Song of the Day - Throats and Tongues Alone
The Body in the Kelp - Throats and Tongues Alone from The Body in the Kelp EP (2013)
I've heard a lot of voice samples, spoken word samples, movies and TV samples, and samples of all sorts in my day (and a lot that I have posted here), but never have I ever heard such a wicked Mainely sample as this one. This song truly speaks to my Maine maritime heart.
The Body in the Kelp are a group made up of musicians who came together for the Portland Space Gallery's 5th annual 48 Music Fest. I couldn't make it out to this year's festival, so I'm not sure who made up this stoner meets doom meets blues band... but if I had, I would have thanked them for this beautiful piece of art.
Christ bub!
Last.fm
I've heard a lot of voice samples, spoken word samples, movies and TV samples, and samples of all sorts in my day (and a lot that I have posted here), but never have I ever heard such a wicked Mainely sample as this one. This song truly speaks to my Maine maritime heart.
The Body in the Kelp are a group made up of musicians who came together for the Portland Space Gallery's 5th annual 48 Music Fest. I couldn't make it out to this year's festival, so I'm not sure who made up this stoner meets doom meets blues band... but if I had, I would have thanked them for this beautiful piece of art.
Christ bub!
Last.fm
Match of the Day - The unmasking of Tiger Mask II!
Tiger Mask II & Toshiaki Kawada vs. Yoshiaki Yatsu & Samson Fuyuki - AJPW (1990)
I was doing a little research on the Tiger Mask character and I came across this gem of a match. It features Tiger Mask II teaming with Toshiaki Kawada against Kawada's former tag team partner, Samson Fuyuki (AKA Ricky or Kudo Fuyuki) and Yoshiaki Yatsu. During the match, Tiger Mask II responds to Fuyuki and Yatsu's strikes and constant headbutts by firing back a more aggressive arsenal on Yatsu, which is followed by Tiger Mask instructing Kawada to remove his mask. The removal of the tiger mask revealed the of face of Mitsuharu Misawa, who then went full-on assault mode on Yatsu, leading to the two men spilling out onto the floor and almost brawling into the crowd!
While the crowd quickly recognized Misawa, who had been under the tiger mask for almost 6 years, Misawa was not the icon of Japanese wrestling that we think of today. Thanks to this match and the unveiling of the tiger mask however, Misawa would go on to shine as one of the greatest wrestlers in Japan with dozens of championships under his belt, multiply matches of the year, and over twenty legitimate 5 star matches.
As for the Tiger Mask legacy, the rights to the character (based of the character from the Manga series) would be picked up by New Japan Pro Wrestling and given to Koji Kanemoto in 1992.
I was doing a little research on the Tiger Mask character and I came across this gem of a match. It features Tiger Mask II teaming with Toshiaki Kawada against Kawada's former tag team partner, Samson Fuyuki (AKA Ricky or Kudo Fuyuki) and Yoshiaki Yatsu. During the match, Tiger Mask II responds to Fuyuki and Yatsu's strikes and constant headbutts by firing back a more aggressive arsenal on Yatsu, which is followed by Tiger Mask instructing Kawada to remove his mask. The removal of the tiger mask revealed the of face of Mitsuharu Misawa, who then went full-on assault mode on Yatsu, leading to the two men spilling out onto the floor and almost brawling into the crowd!
While the crowd quickly recognized Misawa, who had been under the tiger mask for almost 6 years, Misawa was not the icon of Japanese wrestling that we think of today. Thanks to this match and the unveiling of the tiger mask however, Misawa would go on to shine as one of the greatest wrestlers in Japan with dozens of championships under his belt, multiply matches of the year, and over twenty legitimate 5 star matches.
As for the Tiger Mask legacy, the rights to the character (based of the character from the Manga series) would be picked up by New Japan Pro Wrestling and given to Koji Kanemoto in 1992.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Match of the Debut - AJ Styles' debut, TNA's debut show, and TNA's debut match!
AJ Styles, Jerry Lynn, & Low Ki vs. The Flying Elvises (Jorge Estrada, Sonny Siaki, & Jimmy Yang) - first TNA match on the very first TNA show - NWA: TNA PPV (2002)
While technically this is everyone involved's debut match in TNA, since it was TNA's first match seen on the very first TNA show via Pay Per View, AJ Styles won the TNA world title last night and therefore gets the recognition above as part of new champ Debut Monday tradition.
Anyways, here's the genesis of the X division showing what they got to the Nashville crowd and the NWA legends in the back... and whomever heard about TNA and bought the PPV in 2002.
Over 10 years later and AJ Styles is still the future of the company. At least he's the top face again, for now.
Also, The Flying Elvises, the team of Sonny Siaki, Jorge Estrada, and Jimmy Yang (Later known as Akio or Jimmy Wayne Yang in WWE) are not to confused with the skydiving Elvis look-a-likes who jumped out of the airplane with Nic Cage in Honeymoon in Vegas. Being that early TNA had a lot of leftover WCW talent that didn't get picked up by Vinnie Mac, it's no surprise that they would have a Nic Cage gimmick on their program!
While technically this is everyone involved's debut match in TNA, since it was TNA's first match seen on the very first TNA show via Pay Per View, AJ Styles won the TNA world title last night and therefore gets the recognition above as part of new champ Debut Monday tradition.
Anyways, here's the genesis of the X division showing what they got to the Nashville crowd and the NWA legends in the back... and whomever heard about TNA and bought the PPV in 2002.
Over 10 years later and AJ Styles is still the future of the company. At least he's the top face again, for now.
Also, The Flying Elvises, the team of Sonny Siaki, Jorge Estrada, and Jimmy Yang (Later known as Akio or Jimmy Wayne Yang in WWE) are not to confused with the skydiving Elvis look-a-likes who jumped out of the airplane with Nic Cage in Honeymoon in Vegas. Being that early TNA had a lot of leftover WCW talent that didn't get picked up by Vinnie Mac, it's no surprise that they would have a Nic Cage gimmick on their program!
Friday, October 11, 2013
Song of the Day - Awkward
FIDLAR - Awkward from Awkward (single) (2013)
New single from beer punkers, FIDLAR (an acronym for Fuck It Dog Life's A Risk). Along with this song being a single, it's also from a split with The Orwells of which they are on a tour with or something.
There's also this version of the song featuring Kate Nash.
Last.fm
New single from beer punkers, FIDLAR (an acronym for Fuck It Dog Life's A Risk). Along with this song being a single, it's also from a split with The Orwells of which they are on a tour with or something.
There's also this version of the song featuring Kate Nash.
Last.fm
Match of the Day - The no DQ loser leaves town for 30 days coal miner's glove tuxedo steel cage match!
Speaking of stipulations inside a steel cage match...
Ted DiBiase vs. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan - No DQ Loser Leaves Town Coal Miner's Glove Tuxedo Steel Cage match - Mid-South Wrestling (1985)
Say what you want about this ridiculous sounding match starring a crazed Jim Duggan and a beardless Ted DiBiase in tuxedos, it definitely made sense at the time. At least, that's what I have heard...
The object of the match was pretty simple really, get locked in a cage with your tux on and if you could retrieve the coal miner's glove (a big glove loaded with a bar of metal on the knuckles) you could use it as much as you wanted without being DQ'd or the match stopping. Once there was a definitive winner, the loser had to leave with their tail tucked between their legs and stay away for 30 days. There was also no time limit.
Got it?
Ted DiBiase vs. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan - No DQ Loser Leaves Town Coal Miner's Glove Tuxedo Steel Cage match - Mid-South Wrestling (1985)
Say what you want about this ridiculous sounding match starring a crazed Jim Duggan and a beardless Ted DiBiase in tuxedos, it definitely made sense at the time. At least, that's what I have heard...
The object of the match was pretty simple really, get locked in a cage with your tux on and if you could retrieve the coal miner's glove (a big glove loaded with a bar of metal on the knuckles) you could use it as much as you wanted without being DQ'd or the match stopping. Once there was a definitive winner, the loser had to leave with their tail tucked between their legs and stay away for 30 days. There was also no time limit.
Got it?
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Song of the Day - Pro Wrestling
Billy Woods - Pro Wrestling from Dour Candy (2013)
Wrestling inspired hip-hop.
Can never have too many wrestling-referenced songs in here.
Last.fm
Wrestling inspired hip-hop.
Can never have too many wrestling-referenced songs in here.
Last.fm
Match of the Day - Raven and Jeff Hardy have a tables match inside a steel cage
Raven vs. Jeff Hardy - Tables match in the six sides of steel - TNA Lockdown (2005)
It's actually not as bad as it sounds, I promise.
It's actually not as bad as it sounds, I promise.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Song of the Day - Twisted Nerve
Bernard Herrmann - Twisted Nerve from Twisted Nerve original score (1968) or Kill Bill Vol. 1 Original Soundtrack (2003)
Every once and a while I'll be walking to class and a man behind me will be whistling this song. I wonder if he picked it up from watching Twisted Nerve, or from Kill Bill Vol. 1, or maybe more recently, from American Horror Stories...
Every once and a while I'll be walking to class and a man behind me will be whistling this song. I wonder if he picked it up from watching Twisted Nerve, or from Kill Bill Vol. 1, or maybe more recently, from American Horror Stories...
I sure hope this guy's not out to kill me. That would really suck.
Match of the Day - FMW takes a whack at WarGames: the match beyond!
Hayabusa, Jinsei Shinzaki, & Masato Tanaka vs. Mr. Gannosuke, Yukihiro Kanemura, & Atsushi Onita - barbed wire baseball bat ladder WarGames deathmatch - FMW Super Extreme Wrestling War (1997)
Part 1:
Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling decided to take the concept of WarGames from NWA/WCW and replace the two ring element of the match with hardcore weapons like ladders, barbed wire, steel chairs, and handcuffs. The one thing that makes this match a WarGames-type match like the ones seen on the Great American Bash tour of 1987 with the Horsemen and Road Warriors, other than it being held in a caged structure, is the "staggered entry" format. Two men start in the cage and after a certain amount of time, another member from either team gets to enter the cage... but once this match got underway, that was also thrown out as all hell broke loose.
Part 2:
Yes, the match was one big cluster of violence, but really, that's what WarGames was all about; you got to see your favorite team (the good guys) take on the rival team (the bad guys) with little to no rules or restrictions. Granted this particular "WarGames" match didn't have the double ring set up that the original was known for, it still had the best wrestlers from FMW destroying one another inside one cage!
Part 1:
Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling decided to take the concept of WarGames from NWA/WCW and replace the two ring element of the match with hardcore weapons like ladders, barbed wire, steel chairs, and handcuffs. The one thing that makes this match a WarGames-type match like the ones seen on the Great American Bash tour of 1987 with the Horsemen and Road Warriors, other than it being held in a caged structure, is the "staggered entry" format. Two men start in the cage and after a certain amount of time, another member from either team gets to enter the cage... but once this match got underway, that was also thrown out as all hell broke loose.
Part 2:
Yes, the match was one big cluster of violence, but really, that's what WarGames was all about; you got to see your favorite team (the good guys) take on the rival team (the bad guys) with little to no rules or restrictions. Granted this particular "WarGames" match didn't have the double ring set up that the original was known for, it still had the best wrestlers from FMW destroying one another inside one cage!
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Song of the Day - Song for a Netflix account
Pat "the bunny" Schneeweis - Song for a Netflix account from The Mark Inside (2013)
Legendary anarcho folk punker and leader of Ramshackle Glory laying down some sick tracks about hope and other touchy subjects.
"...if we aren't dead yet, then let's not live as ghosts."
Last.fm
Legendary anarcho folk punker and leader of Ramshackle Glory laying down some sick tracks about hope and other touchy subjects.
"...if we aren't dead yet, then let's not live as ghosts."
Last.fm
Match of the Day - Strongbow/Kent shark cage match!
Chief Jay Strongbow vs. "Bulldog" Don Kent - shark cage match - Big Time Wrestling (1977)
The exact opposite of a Hell in a Cell match. This match is simple, two men go in a shark cage and try to fight their way out. No pinfalls, no submission, no sharks; just two guys in a really small cage.
This match here includes the legendary Chief Jay Strongbow and "Bulldog" Don Kent of The Fabulous Kangaroos fame in the Detroit promotion, Big Time Wrestling. It also features a run in by the US champion at the time, Mark Lewin.
I'm not certain about the year on this match but I know it's from the 70's.
The exact opposite of a Hell in a Cell match. This match is simple, two men go in a shark cage and try to fight their way out. No pinfalls, no submission, no sharks; just two guys in a really small cage.
This match here includes the legendary Chief Jay Strongbow and "Bulldog" Don Kent of The Fabulous Kangaroos fame in the Detroit promotion, Big Time Wrestling. It also features a run in by the US champion at the time, Mark Lewin.
I'm not certain about the year on this match but I know it's from the 70's.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Song of the Day - D4: What the Puck? (Like if They Made Another Mighty Ducks Movie Except This Time They're Pissed)
Two Knights - D4: What the Puck? (Like if They Made Another Mighty Ducks Movie Except This Time They're Pissed) from A lot of Bad Things Have Happened, but We're Still Here (2013)
Probably the coolest song title you will see this year.
Two Knights are just two dudes noodling on instruments that they just got good at using.
Last.fm
Probably the coolest song title you will see this year.
Two Knights are just two dudes noodling on instruments that they just got good at using.
Last.fm
Match of the Debut - The first Hell in a Cell and... that's gotta be Kane!
The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels - first Hell in a Cell match - WWF Bad Blood: In Your House (1997)
The match that started it all: the very first "Hell in a Cell" match. The main differences between a Hell in a Cell match and a regular WWF/E cage match is that the cage is wider with room for the wrestlers to go outside the ring, there's a roof on the cage, and you can't win via escaping the structure.
While this match between the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels marked the first Hell in a Cell match, the match is probably remembered more for its ending. The ending goes like this: Just as Undertaker is about to finish off a bloodied Michaels after blasting him over the head with a blue steel chair, the lights got and from the darkness appears Paul Bearer, Taker's former manager, following a large figure clad in black and red from head to toe. After weeks of Bearer mentioning that Taker has a long lost brother, it is finally confirmed that he is still alive and looking for his brother. As the large individual walks to the cell, Vince McMahon from his headphones reveals, "that's gotta be... that's gotta be Kane!" before ripping the cage door right off its hinges. The two brothers of similar height then square off in the middle of the ring until Kane makes his move and takes out Taker using the Phenom's own tombstone piledriver and forever cementing his legacy as the Big Red Machine!
This match also features a fair amount of brawling outside the ring and on top of the cell, Michaels abusing cameramen, and a bump off the cage that will forever be overshadowed by the legendary bump that Mankind takes in the next Hell in a Cell match.
The match that started it all: the very first "Hell in a Cell" match. The main differences between a Hell in a Cell match and a regular WWF/E cage match is that the cage is wider with room for the wrestlers to go outside the ring, there's a roof on the cage, and you can't win via escaping the structure.
While this match between the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels marked the first Hell in a Cell match, the match is probably remembered more for its ending. The ending goes like this: Just as Undertaker is about to finish off a bloodied Michaels after blasting him over the head with a blue steel chair, the lights got and from the darkness appears Paul Bearer, Taker's former manager, following a large figure clad in black and red from head to toe. After weeks of Bearer mentioning that Taker has a long lost brother, it is finally confirmed that he is still alive and looking for his brother. As the large individual walks to the cell, Vince McMahon from his headphones reveals, "that's gotta be... that's gotta be Kane!" before ripping the cage door right off its hinges. The two brothers of similar height then square off in the middle of the ring until Kane makes his move and takes out Taker using the Phenom's own tombstone piledriver and forever cementing his legacy as the Big Red Machine!
This match also features a fair amount of brawling outside the ring and on top of the cell, Michaels abusing cameramen, and a bump off the cage that will forever be overshadowed by the legendary bump that Mankind takes in the next Hell in a Cell match.
Theme of the Week - Cage Matches
In honor of Hell in a Cell this month and Battleground not having a Wargames type match like rumors had hinted at a few months back, this weeks theme will be all about cages.
Any type of match featuring a cage of some sort is fair game... even that one in Spider-man.
Enjoy!
Any type of match featuring a cage of some sort is fair game... even that one in Spider-man.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Match of the Day - The barbed wire kickpad incident
Ryuji Yamakawa vs. Katsumi Usuda - BJW vs. Battlearts (1998)
When Battlearts own, Katsumi Usuda took on Big Japan Pro Wrestling deathmatcher, Ryuji Yamakawa in a special BJW versus Battlearts event, Usuda decided to get a little hardcore himself. Part way through the match, Yamakawa grabs some loose barbed wire from under the ring and throws it into the squared circle. Before Yamakawa has a chance to do any damage to Usuda with it, however, Usuda takes the barbed wire and wraps the wiry mess around his kickpad. Usuda then proceeds to kick the living shit out of Yamakawa with it until his opponent is heavily scarred up.
Check it out!
When Battlearts own, Katsumi Usuda took on Big Japan Pro Wrestling deathmatcher, Ryuji Yamakawa in a special BJW versus Battlearts event, Usuda decided to get a little hardcore himself. Part way through the match, Yamakawa grabs some loose barbed wire from under the ring and throws it into the squared circle. Before Yamakawa has a chance to do any damage to Usuda with it, however, Usuda takes the barbed wire and wraps the wiry mess around his kickpad. Usuda then proceeds to kick the living shit out of Yamakawa with it until his opponent is heavily scarred up.
Check it out!
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Song of the Day - The Last Wiltz
Wiltz - The Last Wiltz from Sea Dog (2013)
Recently broken up instrumental math rock from Ireland.
RIP
Last.fm
Recently broken up instrumental math rock from Ireland.
RIP
Last.fm
Match of the Day - WWE's first women's steel cage match!
Lita vs. Victoria - steel cage match - Raw Roulette (2003)
In a surprising turn of events AKA the spinning of the Raw Roulette wheel, the returning (from neck injury) Lita took on her scheduled opponent, the deranged Victoria, in Raw's (and WWE's for that matter) first ever women's steel cage match to kick off the very first Raw Roulette episode in 2003; and it's really not that bad.
Victoria returned to the cage in 2010 when she took on Mickie James for Impact Wrestling as Tara.
In a surprising turn of events AKA the spinning of the Raw Roulette wheel, the returning (from neck injury) Lita took on her scheduled opponent, the deranged Victoria, in Raw's (and WWE's for that matter) first ever women's steel cage match to kick off the very first Raw Roulette episode in 2003; and it's really not that bad.
Victoria returned to the cage in 2010 when she took on Mickie James for Impact Wrestling as Tara.
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