AUDIO: The Summer of '89

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Oh, what a year! The Summer of 1989 is one of my favorites as a wrestling fan. There's a lot to talk about on this week's My 1-2-3 Cents podcast. Give it a listen and let me know what you think. What was your favorite memory of that year?

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Remembering Junkyard Dog

Junkyard Dog
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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It’s hard to believe 20 years have passed since the Junkyard Dog died. JYD, aka Sylvester Ritter, was killed in a car accident. He was only 45 years old. I say only because that’s my age as I write this blog. 

My first memories of JYD were in World Class Championship Wrestling before he headed to the World Wrestling Federation. He engaged in a match against the Missing Link in what turned out to be a battle of the headbutts. He instantly became one of my favorites. He exuded a certain charisma that made him hard to dislike. I always wanted to be one of the kids he’d pull into the ring and dance with after a victory. Of course, he had a rich history in Midsouth prior to this. However, in my area, we didn’t get Midsouth at that time. 

I saw Dog wrestle a few times in person. The first was at a House show in St. Louis. JYD battled Roddy Piper that night, beating the Rowdy one by disqualification after Cowboy Bob Orton interfered. 

Hogan and JYD
Not sure who took this pic

I was also there the night he teamed with Hulk Hogan to beat Terry and Dory Funk, Jr. He was also a part of the Sam Mushnick Tournament in 1986 in St. Louis. He beat Hercules and Adrian Adonis before losing to the eventual victor Harley Race. 

I had the LJN JYD figure. He was the first I tried to customize by panting his red tights white. That paint job didn’t last long and I eventually removed the chipping “artwork”. I also had a Junkyard Dog t-shirt, one of the few wrestling shirts I had at the time.  And my only WWF ice cream bar purchase (from the ice cream man) was JYD. 

JYD vs. Harley Race
Courtesy: WWE

I was disappointed when he didn’t win the Intercontinental Championship from Greg Valentine at the first WrestleMania. And I booed when his match against Race at Mania III ended so quickly. I held out hope as I watched him make it to the final three of the WrestleMania IV battle royal. But he came up short there too. 

After leaving WWE and going to WCW I still cheered for JYD. However, I didn’t think he reached that level of popularity he enjoyed up north. A couple big highlights of his career include winning the Wrestling Classic Tournament and pinning Ric Flair in a non-title WCW World Title Match. I’m glad he was inducted posthumously into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004. Dog certainly earned his spot in wrestling history. RIP JYD. 

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Foreign Object Friday: Terry Funk's branding iron

Terry Funk
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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When Terry Funk debuted in the WWF in 1985 he came with more than his traditional cowboy hat. The tough Texan toted a branding iron to the ring, along with his manager Jimmy Hart. The end of the iron had two crosses, representing Funk's residence of the Double Cross Ranch.

Funk leaves his mark
Courtesy: WWE

My memories of the branding iron include Funk using it to mark his opponents after a match. This paved the way for Jake "The Snake" Roberts to allow Damien to slither over opponents, Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake to cut the hair of his fallen foes and "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase to stuff cash into the mouths of his Million Dollar Dream victims. 

Funk brands Hogan
YouTube/WWE

Even big names were branded by Funk. One night WWF Champion Hulk Hogan got the treatment. This lead to a feud between the two. Funk had also been battling the ever popular Junkyard Dog and once Dory Funk, Jr. was brought in, the brothers battled JYD and Hogan several times. The two teams clashed in the main event of a house show I attended in 1986 in St. Louis.

Jimmy Hart gets branded
Courtesy: WWE

Sometimes the tables were turned and the good guy would use the branding iron. JYD lost to Funk on Saturday Night's Main Event. But when Funk tried branding the Dog, JYD fought back and knocked the former NWA Champion out of the ring. During a tug-of-war with the Mouth of the South as the rope, the mouthy manager lost his pants. Hart squirmed feverishly as his butt got branded and the crowd cheered with delight. JYD getting pinned moments earlier no longer mattered.

Look closely there's blue ink on Orndorff's pecs
The branding iron is missing though

Obviously, the branding iron wasn't hot, but it did leave a mark. The same can be said about my LJN action figures. I learned quickly that pressing Funk's iron onto an ink pad leaves a lasting impression. More than 30 years later, "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff is still a marked man.

Eventually, Funk's iron did get fired up in "extreme" situations in other companies. And who can forget when he traded in the iron for a chainsaw in the late 90s?

Boo Blog: Bring back Halloween Havoc

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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A few years ago I did a blog a day on a Halloween related topic in the month of October. While I have no intention of carrying on with that project, I am going to write about some Halloween themes this month.

In 1989 when WCW introduced the world to Halloween Havoc I was a big fan. Even though I was a huge WWF fan, I still was a wrestling fan in general and when the competition offered something different I took notice.

Deep-fried Abby
Courtesy: WWE

The main event that year was Sting and Ric Flair against the Great Muta and Terry Funk in a Thunderdome match. Two years later we got the classic Chamber of Horrors match where Abdullah the Butcher was placed in an electric chair and zapped.  

Fast forward now some 25 years and WCW no longer exists. WWE is providing two pay per view specials per month because of the new brand split. The company brought back the old Clash of Champions for the most recent Raw event. I'm in favor of bringing back the Halloween Havoc moniker and going back to some of those cheesy, campy matches from the past.

The Wyatt Family
Courtesy: WWE

If you're a regular reader, you know I'm not crazy about the gimmick matches, but a Chamber of Horrors match or two under the Halloween Havoc name could be good for nostalgia purposes. It seems the Wyatt Family would be the perfect group to lead a team into battle in this type of matchup. 

I was disappointed after WWE bought WCW 15 years ago that Halloween Havoc wasn't one of the events brought over. Great American Bash may have been one of the few events that made the cut. What's old is new, so I say bring back Halloween Havoc. I know it's too late this year, but I'd love to see it happen in 2017.

Wrestlemania: One Hit Wonders

By Kevin Hunsperger 
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
Listen to My 1-2-3 Cents the Podcast right here!

As we're gearing up for Wrestlemania this week, I'm taking a time to reflect on past events.  We have plenty of coverage of Wrestlemania 31 right here, but I wanted to go back to the start of it all and remember a few "one hit wonders".  Don't get me wrong, one hit wonders are not a bad thing with this blog.  These are just a few of the men and women of WWE history who I can remember competing in just one Wrestlemania and winning.  I did not count celebrity appearances, otherwise we'd be here all day.

Kerry Von Erich pins Dino Bravo
Photo courtesy: WWE

My first pick is one of my all-time favorites, Kerry Von Erich.  His one and only Mania came in 1991 at Wrestlemania VII.  As the Texas Tornado, Kerry did battle with Dino Bravo in the second match on the card.  It was short and sweet, but the former Intercontinental and NWA World Heavyweight champion overcame the Canadian strongman, pinning him in just over three minutes.  Sadly less than two years after this match, both men were had lost their lives. Like most fans, I often wonder what would have become of Kerry's career.  He had so much talent, and I don't think a run as WWF heavyweight champion would have been out of the question.

Sapphire, Dusty Rhodes and Elizabeth
Photo courtesy: WWE

Kerry wasn't the only former NWA  champion to wrestle at a Wrestlemania.  There are countless others, including "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes.  He teamed up with Sapphire to battle "Macho King" Randy Savage and Sensational Queen Sherri at Wrestlemania VI.  With the support of Savage's former manager, Dusty and Sapphire beat the royal duo.  It was a strong showing for the Dream in this new feud with Savage, but the King would end up coming out on top when the war was over.  Sapphire too needs to be included as this match was her debut with WWE and only Wrestlemania match.

Alundra Blayze pins Leilani Kai
Photo courtesy: WWE

Alundra Blayze will be enshrined in the WWE Hall of Fame this year and 21 years ago she defended the WWF Women's Championship at Wrestlemania X.  In a throwback to Wrestlemania, Blayze defeated former champion Leilani Kai.  This match was also pretty quick, ending in just over three minutes.  Blayze's time in WWE was short too, but she helped to reestablish women's wrestling within the company having some classic battles with Bull Nakano.

The Steiners and "Mean" Gene
Photo courtesy: WWE

I thought Scott Steiner had competed in singles competition at Wrestlemania after the WCW buyout, but I'm wrong.  His only match at Wrestlemania happened in Las Vegas at Wrestlemania IX.  He and brother Rick beat the Headshrinkers.  I remember this being a pretty good match as both teams had had some intense battles in their days in the NWA.  I do wish the Steiners would have fit better into the WWE lineup back then, but this was just not meant to be a long term deal.

The Funks beat Junkyard Dog & Tito Santana
Photo courtesy: WWE

When I started to write this I was going to include Dory AND Terry Funk based on their one match at Wrestlemania 2.  Then I remembered Terry reemerged in WWE in 1998 to team with Cactus Jack under the name Chainsaw Charlie.  So just Dory gets the one hit wonder status as he and Terry beat Junkyard Dog and Tito Santana in the Los Angeles portion of Wrestlemania 2.  His time in WWE was mostly forgettable, but the legendary former NWA champ has a Wrestlemania victory to his credit.

Goldberg battles Brock Lesnar
Photo courtesy: WWE

More than ten years ago Goldberg finally had his Wrestlemania moment beating Brock Lesnar in a dismal match at Wrestlemania XX.  The fans at Madison Square Garden turned on both men after reports surfaced neither would be continuing their careers with WWE.  The saving grace of this match was special guest referee "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.  He delivered a pair of Stone Cold Stunners when the contest was over.

I know I'm missing some, but these are a few of my favorites and the ones who immediately came to mind.  Who are your favorite "one time wonders" of Wrestlemania?

Boo: Funk Gets Buzzed

Chainsaw Charlie
Photo courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Terry Funk is a wrestling legend.  In the 1970's he held the NWA world's heavyweight title.  He wrestled all around the world, beating many of the all time greats in the business.  By 1998, he was back in the WWF for another stint, but this time there was something different about the Funker...

You see the man from the Double Cross Ranch had an identity crisis.  He traded in his cowboy hat, chaps, and branding iron for a chainsaw, thermal underwear top, and panty hoses over his face.  Terry Funk had became Chainsaw Charlie.  I don't know if this was based on the success that WWF alum Cpl. Kirschner enjoyed as Leatherface in Japan and on the indie scene or if something else motivated the character.

The highlight of the gimmick was seeing Funk and Mick Foley (who was Cactus Jack) team up.  The two had a match on Raw, when the tag team champions, the New Age Outlaws interfered.  This set up for a title match with the winners stuffing their opponents in a dumpster.  The faces won the match and titles, but a weird ruling came down that the wrong dumpster was used, so the two teams faced off again on Monday Night Raw, this time in a steel cage.  I'm pretty sure this is when Sean Waltman returned to the WWF and Degeneration X was formed with Triple H, the Outlaws, and X-Pac.  Someone please correct me if I'm wrong here.

Chainsaw vs. Cactus Jack
Photo courtesy: WWE

Funk aka Chainsaw Charlie didn't stick around too long, he had one last match with Foley on Raw and wrestled a few more times before heading back to ECW and WCW.  Despite the mask, announcers did refer to Chainsaw as Terry Funk from time to time.

Nevertheless, Funk is a legend and whether Charlie adds to or detracts from his legacy is up for debate. Charlie was a fun alter ego that Funk seemed to enjoy.  The fans responded well too, and I think at the end of the day that's what matters.  Of course this was the Attitude Era and the fans loved just about everything, except Beaver Cleavage...

Boo: It's Electric

Thunderdome!

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

For the first time ever, I've sat down and watched Halloween Havoc 1989.  With the exception of HH '91, I don't think I've ever seen any of these WCW classics.  I did watch some of them on "scramble vision" in the late 90's.

The inaugural event was in Philadelphia.  Jim Ross and Bob Caudle did the play by play for the night.  JR did a nice job giving histories on each man in the ring.  It was good hearing some of his stuff from 'back in the day'.   I forgot that Mr. John Laurinaitis wrestled on the show.  He and Shane Douglas attempted to win the tag team titles from the Fabulous Freebirds.  Who would have thought that Michael Hayes and Johnny Ace would be two of the WWE's top guys backstage some 21 years later?

Muta vs. Sting

The main event of the night touted the first "Thunderdome" matchup.  It was an electrified steel cage match pitting Sting and Ric Flair (rivals becoming buddies) against Terry Funk and the Great Muta.  In a pre match interview, Funk referred to the structure as a 10,000 Watt Boogie.  Bruno Sammartino was the guest referee for the match.

No pinfalls counted in the match.  Ole Anderson was outside the ring for the faces, Gary Hart was outside for the heels.  So one of them had to throw in the white towel for his team.  Before the match even started, part of the cage caught fire.  Muta even climbed up and used his green mist to put out the flames.  It almost seems like an early version of the Hell in a Cell, only a bit more shocking.  The managers were also inside this structure.

Flair measures up Funk

For those who don't remember the history, Flair and Funk had been feuding since Funk attacked Nature Boy after winning the world title back from Ricky Steamboat.  Muta and Sting had a separate program going on.  It's crazy watching how young Sting and Muta are in this match, heck even Funk is in pretty good shape.  And Natch is 40 years old here and looks fantastic too.

The guys know that the top of the cage is electric, what's the point of climbing up there?  Who wants to get shocked like that?  You can't win the match by escaping, so what's the point.  Heck, Bob Caudle just basically asked the same question.  It's good to see Funk was "middle age and crazy" 20+ years ago.

Look close, the towel is in mid air.

There would have been a great shot of Flair chopping Funk, but the camera blocked by a prop on the cage.  The match had a screwy ending.  Flair locked Funk in the figure four and Sting did a couple of top rope splashes on Funk.  Hart refused to throw in the towel.  He and Anderson ended up in the ring, Bruno's back was turned, and Ole punched Hart hard enough to make the towel fly out of his hand.  It handed on Bruno's back, who then called the match.  Disappointing finish, and a somewhat awkward match at times.  I think that's because it was a new concept, but all four men did a great job telling a story.

Other observations: five of the eight matches on the card were either tag team or 6 man tag team matches.  Very interesting.  I think those days are far behind us.

Brian Pillman put up a good fight against Lex Luger.  I always supported Pillman, even during his babyface days.  I really wanted him to win the U.S. title that night, as he was certainly the underdog in this contest.

Why was the Cuban Assassin vs. Tommy Rich on pay per view?  Seems like a WCW Saturday Night match to me.

I enjoyed the 6 man tag between the Samoans and the Midnight Express and Dr. Death Steve Williams.

I've just started watching Havoc '90.  Look for My 1-2-3 Cents on that soon.

Legen (What for It) Dary

Terry Funk & Roddy Piper at Wrestle Reunion

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

Regular readers know that I'm a fool for old school.  But I'm also in favor of pushing new and fresh talent.  It's a conundrum sometimes.  While I'm not a fan of watching Stone Cold Steve Austin stun up and comers or the Rock deliver a Rock Bottom to someone who is climbing the ladder to the main event, I understand why the WWE does it.  I understand it, but I don't agree with it.  As Chad pointed out in a previous post, we never saw guys from the 80's coming in during the Attitude Era and delivering their finishers on the Rock, Stone Cold, or the Undertaker.

That being said, I do think there is a place for the legends and Hall of Famers of the wrestling world.  If the WWE ever launches that much anticipated cable/satellite network, I think there could be a show dedicated to them, as active performers.  Wait, hear me out.

The recent legends event at the Gathering of the Juggalos had me very interested in attending the show.  The likes of Roddy Piper, Terry Funk, Mick Foley, and Hacksaw Jim Duggan all on the same card made me kinda mark out a bit.  I know the wrestling quality isn't what it was 20 years ago, but I still enjoy seeing these guys in the ring.

I think the WWE could create a Legends show, make it an hour long.  Do a couple, three matches.  Have a Piper's Pit segment or Barbershop or Funeral Parlor, whatever you want.  Heck, you could rotate out these segments too.  Rotate the talent.  You wouldn't have to have them signed to exclusive WWE deals.  Bring them in and do a short program and let them do their own thing for a while and come back when they're needed.

from WWE

I also like the idea of doing the Legends Roundtable that's on WWE as more of a TV show too.  Personally, I love hearing the guys talk about the good ol' days and show highlights and share some of the behind the scenes parts of the story.  We don't need to know everything, but it's neat hearing their perspective on things.

Ideally, I'd have Mean Gene and Jesse Ventura doing the commentary on the wrestling show.  Bobby Heenan isn't in the best of health to do the talking.  And of course Gorilla Monsoon and Gordon Solie are no longer with us.

"Dangerous" Danny Davis

Now how do you decide who's a legend?  I hate saying all guys over 40 get pushed to this show, as I feel like there are guys in their 40's who can still have an impact on the main roster.  Of course all Hall of Famers would be welcomed.  Big stars of the 80's too.  You could also still use some of these guys on Raw and SmackDown! to help PUT OVER the younger guys.  Sorry Hot Rod, no more pin fall wins over the Miz.

Finally, I think this would be a good way to draw in fans from the 70's and 80's and 90's who may have left after the Monday Night wars came to an end.  I would like to think there is a niche for this and the fans who stopped watching would like to come back and see their favorites from childhood have a final swan song.  It's been said before, wrestlers never really retire, and I think it would be a fun way to pay homage to the men and women who we cheered for back in the day.

Your thoughts are always encouraged.  Post them here or "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. My 1-2-3 Cents is also on YouTube.  Please subscribe.

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla

Jake "the Snake" Roberts' last entrance

by Chad Smart

At the end of my previous posting about Wrestle Reunion, I mentioned I needed to rest up in preparation of the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla show. I never would have imagined how accurate the statement would turn out to be in hindsight. I’ve been debating how to do this write up. Was going to do a straight forward recap of the show, but if you’re reading this you can go on any wrestling news site or PWG’s own website and find results.  Instead I’m going to give general observations.

The tickets said show time was 8pm.  I read during the afternoon the show was starting at 8:15. My friends and I arrived at 7:45 to find a line stretched from the entrance to the ballroom where the show was being held out to the front of the hotel wrapped around the lobby and halfway back to the ballroom.  Thankfully for us we had reserved seats in the third row and they were letting all non-general admission tickets holders inside.  After a quick scan of the merchandise table revealed El Generico didn’t have any more of his orphanage t-shirts, we found our seats and got settled in for a night of wrestling.

As 8:15 drew closer and closer, we noticed fans were still filing into the ballroom. At 8:30 with music still playing and the light still up, fans continued to enter the ballroom looking for a place to sit or stand. I think it was around 8:55 when PWG’s General Manager (not sure exactly what his title is) Excalibur came to the ring to give his welcoming speech.

Last year’s show was entitled PWG: Kurt Russell-mania. This year’s was PWG: Kurt RussellReunion 2: The Reunioning. I had wondered why the name change for the show. Excalibur said they were going to call it PWG: The Cease and Desist Order. Guess someone at WWE isn’t a fan of spoofs.   At a little after nine o’clock we were getting the first match.

The ManScout

Kicking off the show was an 8-person tag match. One of the wrestlers, Christina Von Eerie couldn’t make the show so she was replaced with the surprise addition of former TNA Knockout, ODB.  One of the other wrestlers was “The Manscout” Jake Manning. This was my friend Adam’s first live wrestling experience. As soon as he saw the Manscout, he knew he was in for something unique. This was a good opening match that the crowd was completely into. Unfortunately, it would be at least an hour until I would be invested in another match.

The second match saw Rey Bucanero against Mr. Agulla. I don’t know if these guys wrestle for AAA or CMLL in Mexico and after watching the match, I’m not interested in finding out. The only things I remember about his match were lots of dives over the ropes and the crowd chanting “lucha libre” the whole time.

Shane Helms

Following the match was a match I thought looked good on paper, Joey Ryan vs. Shane Helms.  I haven’t been to a PWG since Kurt Russell-mania, so I’ve missed the reasoning for the crowd turning on Joey Ryan. Shane Helms has angered the Internet wrestling community with recent twitter comments regarding Shawn Michaels. The fans gave this match no chance. From the moment Helms entered the ring he was greeted with various four-letter epithets.  While Joey and Shane tried to put on a technical wrestling match, the crowd didn’t want to see it and started chanting “Boring.”  Joey Ryan got on the microphone and ripped the crowd apart saying he was putting on a technical clinic and if the crowd didn’t have ADD they would appreciate it. Needless to say, the fans just wanted the match to end. After the match the fans showed their displeasure with Helms by chanting, “don’t come back.” Helms said he respects their right to say what they want, and at the end of the day he’s made millions and the fans haven’t made &%##.

Davey Richards vs. Lo-Ki

After that match almost anything would be a welcomed sight I say almost because the next match was Davey Richards vs. Lo-Ki who was making his return to PWG after competing in WWE as Kaval. I’m in the minority, but Davey Richards is one of a handful of wrestler who if I never saw him wrestle another match I wouldn’t be disappointed. I used this match as a chance to hit the bathroom before intermission. What I saw of the last 10 minutes or so was standard Davey Richards match formula of kicking out of finishing move after finishing move.  Next.

Sinn vs. Snake

The last match before intermission was the retirement match of Jake “the Snake” Roberts. First out was his opponent Sinn “Kizarny” Bohdi. For some reason Kizarny thought it would be a good idea to strap fireworks to a board on his chest and shoot them off on his way to the ring. Since we were sitting in the third row along the entranceway, we were fortunate enough to be hit with a couple of the fireworks. Before the match got started, the fans greeted Jake with a, “Thank you Jake” chant that made Jake get a little teary eyed. Not to speak negatively, but this was a Jake Roberts match in 2011, there wasn’t a lot to it. Thankfully it was kept short with Jake picking up a victory after a short arm clothesline and DDT.  The crowd got what they wanted to see. What more could you ask for.

After intermission was the Legends Royal Rumble. This could have been the only match on the show and the fans would have gotten their money worth. The wrestling wasn’t exactly five stars, but the atmosphere was off the charts.  Before the match, “Mean” Gene Okerlund introduced Paul Orndorff, Harley Race, Mr. Saito (who ran the ropes and got a “you still got it” chant), and Iron Sheik to the crowd. They stayed around ringside during the match.  The match was contested under Royal Rumble rules with a new man entering the match every 30 seconds. The list of participants were “Dangerous” Danny Davis, Mike Graham, Jimmy “Mouth of the South” Hart, Tito Santana, Barry O, Barbarian, Rock Riddle, Shane Douglas, Warlord, Chavo Guerrero Sr., Shane Helms, “Cowboy” Bob Orton, Cruel Connection, Mando Guerrero, Terry Funk, Savio Vega, Vampiro and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.

Piper wins the Legends Battle Royal

As I said, some of the wrestling wasn’t the greatest. But for anyone who grew up watching the majority of the wrestlers, the quality of the wrestling didn’t matter. Just seeing Bob Orton still sporting the arm cast made me a kid again.  The final two were Terry Funk and Roddy Piper. Funk asked for the microphone and told Piper he wanted to say a prayer. A prayer for all the wrestlers in heaven. A prayer for the fans to have a safe ride home. He asked Piper to bow his head. When Piper bowed his head, Funk started praying and finished with, “and God, please, please, … let me WIN” and hit Piper with the microphone. They brawled out of the ring and into the crowd before getting back into the ring where Piper eventually threw Funk over the top rope to win the match.  Piper looked to be in the best shape he’s been in in the last five years. It was now around 11:30 and we still had three matches left.

How do you follow up the previous match? Chris Hero and Kevin Steen had the taunting task of trying to get a spent crowd invested into their match.  While it took awhile, by the end the crowd was solidly into the match.  Near the end, Steen kicked Hero in the face and I’m pretty sure a tooth went flying into the crowd.

Chris Hero vs. Kevin Steen

The second to last match was a 4-way tag team match to name the first team entered into PWG’s annual tag team tournament. The Cutler Brothers vs. RockNES Monsters vs. Fighting Taylor Boys vs. Young Bucks. The match started off like a house of fire with nonstop action. The match was standard highflying tag team action with the RockNES Monsters picking up the victory. After the match Kevin Steen ran in and killed the Monsters. He gave Johnny Goodtime a package piledriver and then gave Johnny Yuma a vicious stuffed suplex through the ropes. I can’t even explain how sick it was. Steen then announced himself as the second entrant into the tag tournament.

El Generico vs. Claudio Castagnoli

Finally at probably a little after 12:30 it was time for the main event title match, Claudio Castagnoli defending against El Generico. While this was a decent main event, I was tired and was getting annoyed by the fans. I’ll get to that in a minute.  Claudio retained the title by making Generico tap to a leg lock. After the match Joey Ryan ran in and attacked Claudio before Chris Hero made the save. Joey and Claudio went back and forth verbally before a few minutes before Joey finally left. Claudio thanked everyone for coming out and that was it.

Overall, even though the first half of the show wasn’t the greatest, the second half more than made up for it. This show reminded me why I enjoy wrestling. There was no overanalyzing why certain guys won and other lost. I simply sat back and enjoyed the action in the ring. If only I could do that with WWE and TNA shows.

Now, with the recap of the show out of the way, let me get on my soapbox and express one of my biggest complaints. There’s a reason I haven’t been to a PWG in a year. PWG normally runs the Legion Hall in Reseda. It’s a small venue and the last time I was there I had to sit on the pool table because there were no seats available. I’ve read they’ve had to turn away fans at some shows. This is good for PWG. But for me personally, I don’t like to be that cramped at a show.

The other reason I haven’t attended a show is because of the fans. During the show last night, the guys sitting at the end of our row constantly got up and left our area about every 10 minutes.  This wouldn’t have been too bad if they didn’t have to walk in front of me each time.  At the start of the main event,

after they returned from another trip out of the ballroom, I heard one of them remark he was on his 12^th beer.  Don’t want to be judgmental or prudish, but if you need 12 beers in a 4-hour span to enjoy a show, maybe you should find something else that entertains you easier. If you read the PWG message board, fans are constantly posting about how much they’re going to drink and other ways to alter their mind during the show. I don’t understand the reasoning.

In addition to the needless drinking, during the main event, I got tired of the fans yelling.  Now, I’m all for yelling, or chanting or whatever you want to do during the show. I know I’ve probably annoyed several fans with my random cheers during shows. What I don’t condone or really appreciate is the constant use of profanity. During the main event there was one guy sitting behind me and one of the mega-drinkers to my right who constantly yelled, “Eff you Claudio” and “Claudio you Effing suck.”  Once or twice, I wouldn’t have had a major issue with. Consistently for 20 minutes and it gets old. Plus, sitting in the row in front of me were four kids all under the age of 10.  When did constant profanity become acceptable in public?  Again, I’m support the fans right to yell whatever they want, but it would be nice if there was some common decency.

Okay, PWG reignited my passion for wrestling. Now, will WWE keep it burning with the Royal Rumble?