Rick Bassman's UPW debuted at the Grove Theater in Anaheim, CA, on 4/25
before a packed house in the 500+ range. There's been lots of praise for the
venue for its layout and presentation. They had two video screens on which they
aired promos. The 22-man battle royal, pushed as the main event with lots of
hype tying it back to the annual Los Angeles battle royal of the 70s that was
the biggest drawing card of the year in the city, went less than six minutes
before Big Chris won. I don't think any of the L.A. battle royals back in the
day were anywhere close to that short. The "lightweight lunacy" match
on the undercard, won by Andrew Hellman, was three times as long. The reality TV
match between Kenny King from "Tough Enough 2" and The Mizz from
"Real World" was won by King after Chavo Guerrero Jr., who appeared at
the show with Rey Mysterio, interfered. Neither guy worked a match. Rey did come
out and do a 619 though. Roddy Piper sent in a taped promo that they showed on
the video screen in the middle of the opener between Solo Snuka and Keiji Sakoda.
They billed Piper's appearance as being "via satellite". Frankie
Kazarian retained the lightweight title beating Mikey Henderson. That and the
hardcore tables match where Hardkore Inc. (Hardkore Kidd & Al Katrazz) beat
the Ballards were reported by one source as the best matches of the night.
Others working the show included Derrick Neikirk, Native Blood, Erica Porter,
Hollywood, Mike Nox, and Hawaiian Warrior. The return date for the Grove is
7/25.
D-Lo Brown and Lolly Pop worked the New Era Wrestling show in Shelbyville,
IN, on 4/26. They did an angle to set up D-Lo challenging for Johnny Rayz's
heavyweight title, which ended in a DQ when manager A.W. Lurch and Joey Moore
interfered. They return on 6/28.
IWA Mid-South ran their weekly show in Clarksville, IN, on 4/26. Promoter Ian
Rotten lost to Cpl. Robinson in the main event. They worked most of the match
similar to Rotten's matches with Chris Hero in Dayton, OH and Terik the Great,
stiff with a lot of submission holds. It did eventually turn into a big brawl
where Robinson brought in a barbed wire table and fluorescent lighting tubes.
Ian gave Robinson his boot camp (combo cobra clutch and Russian legsweep) into
the tubes, but Robinson kicked out. Robinson then gave Rotten the finisher and
got the pin. Rotten opened the show saying that if business didn't pick up at
the weekly shows, the promotion will close its doors in December. He also
announced several big shows coming up, including the "Spirit of 76" on
5/24 (Memorial Day weekend) with Chris Hamrick coming in, and an eight-man
strong style tournament called "The Revolution" on 6/28. He also added
C.M. Punk vs. Chris Hero to the King of the Death Matches weekend in August.
They did an angle where Michael Todd Stratton (Todd Morton) placed a $5,000
bounty on Rotten for giving him several piledrivers on a chair at the April
Bloodshowers show and injuring him. He tried to get J.C. Bailey to go after the
bounty, but Bailey refused. Danny Daniels and Jimmy Jacobs then attacked Bailey,
and the three of them worked him over until Robinson, Rotten, and Chris Hero
made the save. Hero kept the IWA title beating Simon Sezz. Sezz used all sorts
of gimmicks to try to beat Hero, including putting a plastic bag over his head
ala Terry Funk-Ric Flair 1989. Hero got Sezz to tap to a hangman's clutch.
Bailey retained the light heavy championship over Jacobs when Alex Shelley
interfered. This was revenge for Jacobs distracting Shelley and costing him a
match with Daniels. Stevie Lee and Elvis Elliott from Ohio and Michigan indies
debuted against each other, with Lee going over. Opener was Nigel McGuinness
beating Gavin Starr. They return on 5/4 with "Derby Madness 2003"
(Kentucky Derby weekend) featuring C.M. Punk and Lucy. This will be Lucy's first
appearance with the promotion since she injured her knee there.
Wisconsin Organized Wrestling is taking over the monthly shows at the
Watering Hole in Green Bay, WI, where ACW had run for years. Mike Mercury, who
at one time was the ACW owner but no longer is (Jerry, who produced ACW's TV
when it aired, is now promoting using that banner), but had continued working
for ACW, has left and will be working with WOW to promote Green Bay.
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