Old Wrestlers Never Die...

The past few weeks I've had the opportunity to see some local indie shows. At two of these shows I experienced something that isn't uncommon for the indies: the aged former big-time superstar well past their prime.

My initial reaction was derision: "C'mon! This guy is so out of shape and old; why, he can barely even move, much less wrestle." That soon gave way to pity once I realized that these guys are probably in such desperate need of money that they will wrestle any indie show they can for whatever meager payout they can get. I hated to see someone I watched and admired as a kid so down on their luck.

But after watching both guys perform, I realized I was doing these guys a disservice with my derision and pity. They may not be able to go the way they used to 20-25 years ago, bot both guys showed a deeper, fundamental understanding of professional wrestling than most of the younger, fitter, "better" wrestlers they shared the rings with.

Ricky Morton was once a member of the legendary tag-team the Rock 'n' Roll Express, who had their heyday back in the 80s. I loved watching these guys as a kid! But those days are long behind Ricky. He's old, out of shape, and broken down. I was embarrassed for him.

But when he got into that ring, everything changed. No, he didn't miraculously de-age before my eyes, but he did put on a great show and entertained everybody. Physicality is definitely an important part of pro wrestling, but there's so much more to being a pro wrestler than one's physique. Morton was hilarious in the ring, commentating on the match the whole time and interacting with the fans. He had the crowd engaged, and we were cheering him and booing his opponent as if on cue. No other match that evening was nearly as much fun. It was an amazing thing to experience.

Bobby Fulton was part of another 80s tag-team, the Fantastics. The Fantastics aren't quite as legendary as the R'n'R Express, but I loved watching them no less as a kid. Like Morton, Fulton's better years were long ago. Even worse, Fulton is nearly blind in one eye, which limits him even more in the ring.

Fulton was teamed with a much younger wrestler (who he hilariously kept "mistakenly" referring to as his former Fantastics tag partner due to his blindness). This allowed Fulton to be a part of the match without him getting into the ring all that much. Fulton was in full-on heel mode, and he was masterful at getting the crowd into the match. In fact, that crowd was hotter at that point than it was for any other match that night, including the main event. Everyone I was with had fun booing Fulton.

Both of these guys, and all the other old guys out there like them who are still wrestling, don't deserve our derision or our pity. Instead, they deserve our respect. They can still entertain the fans, and that's what the business is all about.

Interview: Tribute Championship Wrestling's Scarry Garry

In this installment, I conduct my first interview!

I just recently moved to Cincinnati, OH, and to my surprise I have found Southeast Ohio to be a hotbed for independent wrestling action. There are three promotions all within a 20 minute drive of me that hold regular shows, one of them weekly. There are even more within an hour or two drive, including Ohio Valley Wrestling, former training territory for both WWE and TNA.

One promotion in particular has piqued my interest: Tribute Championship Wrestling. The first thing that captured my eye was the cartoony TCW logo, then I noticed the title for their upcoming show. "We Still Function..."  had to be a play on the line from the old 1980s Transformers animated movie, and sure enough, if you look closely enough at the event poster you'll find a hidden Decepticon emblem.

That's nerdtastic! I had to meet the mind behind TCW. So here is my interview with the head of TCW, one Scarry Garry. Enjoy!

Andy Fix: Since I'm new to the area, why don't you give me a brief overview of what Tribute Championship Wrestling is all about and what your role in the company is.

Scarry Garry: I have been involved with professional wrestling since 2006, trained by Shark Boy, and learned what works and doesn't work from many others, and by watching everything that goes on around me. Personally for me, by 2012... I knew it was time to take everything I had learned and to apply it to my own promotion. I booked it, and they came. I can never thank the fans enough who made my first foray into promoting my own shows a success, not to mention the performers who placed their trust in me.

P.T Barnum knew what the people wanted....freaks, clowns, and wild animals. I know I can approach professional wrestling in a way that no one else is doing at the moment. Where are the legit insane people in professional wrestling nowadays?  Pro Wrestling, when done correctly, can combine the  most powerful aspects of all the arts.

After spending such an amount of time in and around wrestling, you get to know such an array of people. Some come and go and sadly, some I knew have lost their lives, and wrestling was an extremely big part of their lives, and I would have never gotten to know them without wrestling. So the "Tribute" in Tribute Championship Wrestling is extremely important to me. Tribute Championship Wrestling is dedicated to Will Jones, Linn Muslin, Matt Riot, Warren Perdue, Brian Pillman, Lexi Pillman and so many others who loved wrestling and whom we have loved. Every Show I do is with them in mind.

AF: Professional wrestling is often dismissed as lowbrow entertainment or as a "fake" exhibition put on by con men. But you mention the arts and refer to the wrestlers as performers. Is that how you approach your shows, as art?

SG: Always, and with a fine eye to detail. Every win and loss matters in Tribute Championship Wrestling and everything you are seeing impacts the future shows. This is just one of the aspects that MMA has taken from professional wrestling, and in recent years MMA has become what pro wrestling used to be. The fans will be invested IF you show them that everything matters and isn't just glossed over. TCW is one of the hardest places in the U.S for a new performer to get into, simply because I have a long-term plan of where everything is headed. Of course, being the nature of independent wrestling and unforeseen circumstances, parts of that plan are bound to change, but overall I have a very defined idea show-to-show of where everything is headed for the next few years. When it all comes together there is nothing more beautiful than pro wrestling. That's why we all do this.

AF: What are the biggest challenges independent wrestling companies such as TCW face today?

SG: What the casual wrestling fans perceive as all of wrestling is WWE and in 2014 WWE is a television product. In the past, the television was structured to get people to the shows for it to be a house-show product. I personally believe there is no better way to experience Pro Wrestling than in a live setting, especially when you are seeing up-and-comers and those looking to make their name. Live, the performers and I both get the instant feedback based on the crowd reaction of what works and what doesn't. So its an uphill battle to make people that are only aware of WWE, that there is good independent wrestling out there and to experience the show live when they are used to a television product. When others decide to run terrible shows it is certainly no help, because when someone buys a ticket and is subjected to some of that nonsense, they believe that it represents all of independent wrestling and they don't come back. The challenges are numerous in running the actual events. but when you are truly doing what you love, it doesn't matter.



AF: As you said, so many wrestling fans are only aware of the WWE product they see on TV. What does TCW have to offer that these fans can't get from watching WWE?

SG: Well, it's two very different beasts altogether. There's a heart and spirit of guys and girls scratching and clawing within the few independent promotions that mean anything to try to make their name. On the independent level your heart is your art.

AF: I'm getting an "underground indie auteur" vibe from all this. Is that something you embrace? Is that something that can be leveraged to possibly attract a non-traditional crowd?

SG: Well, ANYTHING I approach is done from a different angle as that is the only way I can approach life itself. Especially after 2012.

I know diehard wrestling fans are tired of what their independents have to offer, as well as the non-traditional fans that occasionally want to check out what non-mainstream Pro wrestling is about. Nine times out of ten what they will see is a card put together by a non-creative person with sub-par performers. Presenting wrestling with a clear-cut direction and compelling characters is in itself, a unique experience in 2014, as opposed to Cousin Bubba's local wrassilin' show that is in every county in every state in the U.S, where whoever decides to show up for the evening is "booked."

AF: With that in mind, why don't you discuss your upcoming show? What have you got in store for the fans on 2/21?

SG: Every single Tribute Championship Wrestling show is a once in a lifetime show and this one is no different. Everything is building up to our tournament to crown the first TCW champion and at  "We still Function.." on 2/21 several qualifying matches for the upcoming tournament are being held.

The main event is a preview match in itself for the upcoming tournament as "The End Of The World" Jake Omen goes against the "Baddest Man Alive" Aaron Williams. I know for a fact that both men are not going to give anything less than their very best on that night.

In the qualifying matches: Wrestling is Heart, Beyond Wrestling, and IWA Mid-South competitor Dale Patricks vs. American Kickboxer 2

American Kickboxer 2 entered TCW by not only disrespecting, but savagely attacking and beating his mentor, AKB 1, Frank Mullins, in the first TCW match. He then proceeded to make his way through Frank's dojo students. Both AKB2 and Dale Patricks are looking to earn their way into the Tribute Tournament. The "Phoneix" Dale Patricks is definitely someone to keep an eye on.

CZW Dragon Den Academy graduate Josh Crane vs. Mat Russo! Mat Russo is...well, kind of a nerd. But don't laugh at him for his love of Harry Potter. With his killer instinct kicked in he can take the action to the mat and knows about 33 variations to break your arm! But Josh Crane is looking for the top competition that he can go against anywhere and he has come to TCW to do just that.

Tripp Cassidy Vs. Ryan Epic. Tripp has been on a tear since Tribute Championship Wrestling began, with a huge win over Jimmy Jacobs and a spectacular showing in the 40-man memorial rumble in March. He is insulted that he even has to qualify for the upcoming Tribute Tournament, but it would be a huge mistake for him to overlook the sensational Ryan Epic!

"MR. $7.50" of $5 wrestling, WILDMAN WOLF is coming to TCW to earn his spot in the upcoming Tribute Tournament, but to do so he must get through an oncoming locomotive, FREIGHT TRAIN! Freight Train is an amazing human being and if you haven't seen him in action yet, now is your chance. Every single thing that comes out of his mouth is entertaining and you can be sure he will have a few choice words for Wildman Wolf!

Heidi Lovelace Vs. School of Roc graduate Marcus Edwards! Heidi had an amazing showing in March nearly winning the entire 40-man memorial rumble! Heidi is one of the standouts of the School of Roc academy and has been challenged by a young Marcus Edwards looking to prove himself! The winner of this matchup qualifies for the upcoming Tribute Tournament!

In a special grudge match I will face $5 Heavyweight Champion BIG DONNIE. Unfinished business with this one as Big Donnie brutally attacked me at the beginning of "The End Of The World As We Know It" last December. We now meet one on one with the ring being specially reinforced for this one!

In tag-team action, Jacob Hollows of the Painkillers will debut. Although his Painkillers partner is out with an injury, he has reached out to form a team with "Relentless" Ron Mathis! Their opponents are none other than "The Fantastic Foundation"- NWA Legend Bobby Fulton and "Diehard" Tom McClane, who have been causing trouble in TCW since the beginning!

AF: Sounds like a great show! Looking forward to being there this Friday.

It's Still Real to Me!

​It’s still real to me, dammit! Yes, I love professional wrestling. And it’s not even a guilty pleasure for me anymore. I of course know it’s “fake”, and I’ll admit that it can be really bad at times. But, to paraphrase the great Dutch Mantell, wrestling, when done right, is art. In fact, wrestling is just as much art as a good play, book, film, or television show is. It’s interactive improvisational theatre. With violence. And I love it.

​Now, there’s a good chance that if you are reading this you love wrestling, too. Or at least you used to at one point love wrestling. Maybe you catch WWE Raw or TNA Impact on TV only every now and then. Or maybe you haven’t watched any wrestling in years. Maybe you only read about what’s going on in the dirt sheets or on Twitter. But admit it, at one point in time you loved pro wrestling.

Even though pro wrestling can frustrate me sometimes, I still come back to it. I'll see a great match or interact with a worker and I'll remember why it is I love wrestling so much. I need my wrestling fix!

​So that’s why I come to you today with this new blog of mine: to talk about the art of professional wrestling. Every week I’ll discuss some aspect of wrestling. I have a list of topics I want to cover, some broad, some very specific. I’ve also got some interviews lined up with industry professionals. I’ll be visiting a lot of indie shows around Ohio (at least), so I’ll talk about those, too.

​ Most of my discussion here will focus on the independent scene. Why is that? First, that’s what I watch the most. Southeast Ohio is a hotbed for independent wrestling action, so I have an opportunity to go see a ton of shows. And second, I think indy wrestling is the purest form of the art.

That's not to say that I'll never discuss the bigger TV promotions like WWE or TNA. I have friends that work at that level, so I still watch and enjoy wrestling on TV now and then. And the big promotions bring something to the table that the indy promotions just can't compete with: spectacle. When the big players get things right, it's spectacular!

And that brings me to my final point. This won't be a negative blog. I'll talk about the things I like and don't like in very general terms, but I won't denigrate anybody's work. Everyone that performs for the fans is giving it their all for our entertainment. They love wrestling just as much as I do, and I respect that.

That's it for the intro installment. Next episode: an interview with Tribute Championship Wrestling's Scarry Garry!