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On this day in history in ....
1943 - One of the all time great NWA World champions and one of the toughest men
to ever walk Planet Earth, Harley Race is born.
1945 - Earl McCready defeats Dean Detton for the
San
Francisco Pacific Coast Heavyweight Title in San Jose, California,
ending Detton's sixth reign.
1955 - Ed Francis defeats Baron Michele Leone in
Tulsa, Oklahoma to win the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title.
1955 - Black Butcher Johnson defeats Norman Wash for the United Kingdom's World
Light Heavyweight Title in Edinburgh, Scotland, ending Wash's second reign.br />
1955 - Jack Allen and John Simms win the Rocky Mountain Tag Team Title in
Albuquerque, New Mexico, possibly by winning a tournament.
1956 - George Gordienko defeats Lou Newman to win the
Calgary NWA Canadian Heavyweight Title in Regina,
Saskatchewan.
1957 - Don Curtis and Dizzy Davis defeat Great Bolo and Kurt Von Poppenheim for
the Amarillo NWA North American Tag Team Title in Amarillo, Texas.
1963 - Buddy Rogers is officially presented the WWWF World Heavyweight Title
belt in Washington, D.C., after his having won a fictitious tournament in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil. Rogers had been billed as "World Champion" since the Northeast
office of the NWA, headed by Vince McMahon, Sr. and Joseph "Toots" Mondt, left
the NWA and became the World Wide Wrestling Federation.
1967 - Frank and Jack Dalton defeat Danny Little Bear and Bobby Fields to win
the Gulf Coast NWA United States Tag Team Title in Baton Rouge, Louisiana,
beginning the Daltons' fourth reign.
1967 - Enrique and Ramon Torres defeat Gene and Lars Anderson for the Georgia
NWA Southern Tag Team Title in Savannah, Georgia.
1969 - Dustin Rhodes is born in Austin, Texas.
1969 - Alfonso Dantés and Mil Máscaras defeat The Black Angels for the NWA
Americas Tag Team Title in Los Angeles, California.
1969 - Raul Mata defeats Dr. Wagner to win the vacant Mexican National Light
Heavyweight Title.
1970 - Dale Lewis defeats Bob Orton for the Florida NWA Southern Heavyweight
Title in Jacksonville, Florida, ending Orton's fourth reign.
1972 - Balls Mahoney is born in Nutley, New Jersey.
11972 - Teri Byrne, better known as WCW Nitro Girl Fyre, is born in
Pensacola, Florida.
1973 - Don and Ron Wright defeat The Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Costello and Don
Kent) to win the Mid-America NWA World Tag Team Title in
Knoxville, Tennessee, ending the Kangaroos' second reign.
1976 - Dr. Wagner defeats Alfonso Dantés for the Mexican National Light
Heavyweight Title in Guadalajara, Mexico, beginning Wagner's second reign.br />
1977 - Jerry Lawler defeats Rocky Johnson to win the Mid-America NWA Southern
Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning his ninth reign.
1977 - Shinobu Aso and Yumi Ikeshita defeat The Beauty Pair (Jackie Sato and
Maki Ueda) to win the WWWA World Tag Team Title in Hiroshima, Japan. This was a
rematch of their match on March 18, when the Beauty Pair were champions.
1979 - Perro Aguayo defeats Gran Hamada for the UWA World Junior Light
Heavyweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico.
1981 - Jay Youngblood wins his third NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title,
ending Buddy Rose's fourth reign.
1982 - Sangre Chicana defeats Atsushi Onita for the NWA International Junior
Heavyweight Title in Guadalajara, Mexico.
1982 - Bruce Reed and Sweet Brown Sugar defeat Dory Funk, Jr. and David Von
Erich to win the Florida NWA North American Tag Team Title in Orlando, Florida.
1982 - King Kong Bundy and Bugsy McGraw defeat Kerry Von Erich and Al Madril for
the World Class American Tag Team Title in Dallas, Texas.
1983 - Bob Armstrong defeats Ken Lucas for the NWA Southeastern Heavyweight
Title. This ended Lucas' third reign and began Armstrong's fifth.
1985 - Bruiser Brody jumps from All Japan Pro Wrestling to New Japan Pro
Wrestling.
1987 - Tui Selinga defeats Strong Machine I to win the NWA Polynesian Pacific
Heavyweight Title in Honolulu, Hawaii, beginning his fourth reign. Selinga was
the final champion, as the title was abandoned in 1988 when NWA Polynesian
Wrestling closed.
1992 - Doug Masters and Ron Starr defeat El Bronco and Ciclón Salvadoreño for
the WWC World Tag Team Title in Caguas, Puerto Rico.
1993 - Dynamite Kansai and Mayumi Ozaki defeat Manami Toyota and Toshiyo Yamada
for the WWWA World Tag Team Title in Osaka, Japan.
1995 - The NWA held an eight-team tournament to crown new NWA World Tag Team
Champions at the Sportatorium in Dallas, Texas, during Jim Crockett, Jr.'s
short-lived tenure as promoter there for the NWA Dallas promotion. The title had
been vacant for 19 months, since Arn Anderson and Paul Roma were stripped of the
title when WCW left the NWA in September 1993. The results were:
First round:
- The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton) defeated The
Interns.
- Chavo and Hector Guerrero defeated Black Bart and The Scorpion.
- Al Perez and Greg Valentine defeated Killer Tim Brooks and Hercules.
- Dick Murdoch and Randy Rhodes defeated Sam Houston and The Masked Marvel.
Semifinals:
- The Rock 'n' Roll Express defeated Chavo and Hector Guerrero.
- Dick Murdoch and Randy Rhodes defeated Al Perez and Greg Valentine
Finals:
- The Rock 'n' Roll Express defeated Dick Murdoch and Randy Rhodes to win the
vacant NWA World Tag Team Title. This began their fifth overall reign as
champions, with the other four being the Mid-Atlantic/WCW version of the title.
This was their first as "undisputed" NWA World Tag Team Champions, as this was
now the only, and now, official NWA-controlled version of the title.
1997 - Big Van Vader is detained in Kuwait after he attacks Bossam Al Otham,
host of Good Morning Kuwait, after taking offense to Otham's questions.
1998 - The James Gang (Hoss and Ricky) are awarded the Southern Michigan
Championship Wrestling Tag Team Title in Michigan Center, Michigan, after Otis
Apollo and Bobby Clancy had vacated it. SMCW was renamed NWA Michigan in May,
during their reign.
1999 - WCW held the fourth, and third-annual, Spring Stampede pay-per-view
before 17,690 fans at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington. The show got a 0.6
buyrate, and the results were:
- Juventud Guerrera pinned Blitzkrieg, after a Juvi Driver from the top rope, to
become #1 contender to Rey Misterio, Jr.'s WCW Cruiserweight Title.
- Bam Bam Bigelow pinned Hak (with Chastity) in a hardcore match, after a Death
Valley Driver through a table.
-- Scotty Riggs pinned Mikey Whipwreck after a
Clothesline.
- Konnan pinned Disco Inferno after a Last Dance.br />
- WCW Cruiserweight Champion Rey Misterio, Jr. pinned Billy Kidman with a top
rope hurricanrana to retain the title.
- Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko (with Arn Anderson) defeated Raven and Saturn,
when Malenko pinned Raven after Benoit's diving headbutt.
- Scott Steiner pinned Booker T after hitting him with a foreign object to win
the vacant WCW United States Heavyweight Title. This was a tournament final to
crown a new champion after Scott Hall was stripped of the the title on March 18
due to injury. Steiner had defeated Chris Jericho and Meng on his road to the
title match, and Booker had defeated Saturn and Jericho.
- Goldberg pinned Kevin Nash (with Miss Elizabeth and Lex Luger) after a
Jackhammer.
- Diamond Dallas Page defeated WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair, Hulk
Hogan and Sting in a Fatal Four-Way match, by pinning Flair after the Diamond
Cutter, to win the title, ending Flair's sixth reign. Randy Savage was the guest
referee.
1999 - Tiger Mask (IV) defeats Jason Cross in London, England for the vacant
British Commonwealth Junior Heavyweight Title.
2000 - The WWF taped the April 13 SmackDown! and April 18 Sunday Night Heat at
the Ice Palace in Tampa, Florida. SmackDown! scored a 4.7 rating on UPN. The
results were:
Dark matches:
- Scott Vick pinned Stevie Richards.
- Scoot Andrews pinned Mike Sullivan.
Heat:
- WWF Light Heavyweight Champion Dean Malenko pinned Scotty 2 Hotty with a
roll-up and tights to retain the title.
- D-Von Dudley (with Bubba Ray Dudley) fought Test (with Albert and Trish
Stratus) to a double-disqualification when Bubba Ray and Albert interfered.
- Taka Michinoku (with Funaki) pinned Essa Rios (with Lita) after the Michinoku
Driver.
- The Godfather and Val Venis fought to a no-contest after both men left the
ring to attack Kurt Angle, who had come out and said on the mic that both lacked
morals.
- WWF Intercontinental Champion Chris Benoit pinned Hardcore Holly with a
bridging German suplex to retain the title.
SmackDown!:
- Rikishi defeated WWF European Champion Eddie Guerrero (with Chyna) by
disqualification. Guerrero retained the title.
- The Hardy Boyz (Jeff and Matt) defeated WWF Intercontinental Champion Chris
Benoit and WWF Light Heavyweight Champion Dean Malenko.
- Perry Saturn defeated WWF Hardcore Champion Crash Holly to win the title,
ending Crash's fourth reign.
- Tazz pinned WWF Hardcore Champion Perry Saturn to win the title, beginning his
third reign.
- Crash Holly pinned WWF Hardcore Champion Tazz to win the title, beginning his
fifth reign.
- WWF Tag Team Champions Edge and Christian defeated Kurt Angle and Big Show by
countout, after Show attacked Angle on the floor, to retain the title.
- Bubba Ray Dudley (with D-Von Dudley) pinned Albert (with Test and Trish
Stratus) after a one-man 3D.
- The Kat and Mae Young defeated The Fabulous Moolah and Terri. when Mae pinned
Moolah after an elbow drop.
- Road Dogg and X-Pac (with Tori) defeated Chris Jericho in a handicap match,
when Road Dogg got the pin after X-Pac hit the X-Factor.
- The Big Bossman, Bull Buchanan and WWF Champion Triple H (with Shane McMahon
and WWF Women's Champion Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley) fought The A.P.A. (Bradshaw
and Faarooq) and The Rock to a no-contest, after A.P.A. fought Bossman,
Buchanan, Road Dogg and X-Pac out of the arena, Rock gave Shane a Rock Bottom
through the announce table.
-- The show also featured the debut, and only televised appearance of, WWF
Women's Champion Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley's "personal trainer", Muffy
Mower. Her gimmick was dropped in the coming weeks, and she was
released from the WWF in September. She now works as a stuntwoman in
Hollywood.
2000 - Leatherface defeats Moondog Manson for the ECCW Hardcore Title in Fraser
Lake, British Columbia, ending Manson's second reign.br />
2001 - AJPW Triple Crown Champion Genichiro Tenryu defeats Taiyo Kea in Tokyo,
Japan to win the annual Champion's Carnival tournament.
2002 - Brickhouse Brown and Brother Love defeat Porkchop Cash and John Saxon in
Cleveland, Mississippi to win the NWA Southern Tag Team Title.
2003 - OVW held its second-annual Spring Breakout event at Six Flags Kentucky
Kingdom in Louisville, Kentucky. The results:
- Chris Cage and Mark Jindrak defeated Orlando Jordan and Mark Magnus, when
Jindrak pinned Jordan.
- Nikita pinned Passion.
- Nova pinned Christopher Nowinski.
- OVW Southern Tag Team Champions A.P.A. (Bradshaw and Ron Simmons) defeated
Lance Cade and René Duprée, when Bradshaw pinned Duprée, to retain the title.
- WWE World Tag Team Champion Kane pinned Matt Morgan.
- Chris Benoit, Nick Dinsmore and Johnny Jeter defeated Rob Conway, The Damaja
and OVW Heavyweight Champion Doug Basham in a 30-minute Iron Man match, 2-1.
Conway pinned Dinsmore, Benoit made Damaja submit, and Jeter pinned Basham.
2005 - WWE held a live RAW at the MARK of the Quad Cities in Moline, Illinois,
which got a 4.1 rating on Spike TV. Sunday Night Heat was taped beforehand, and
got a 0.8 on Spike on April 17. The results were:
Heat:
- Viscera defeated Val Venis.
- Simon Dean and Maven defeated CM Punk and Russell Simpson.
- World Tag Team Champions William Regal and Tajiri defeated La Résistance
(Robért Conway and Sylvain Grenier) to retain the title.
RAW:
- Christy Hemme and Victoria defeated Molly Holly and Trish Stratus, when
Christy pinned Molly. This was Molly's last match in WWE.
- Triple H defeated The Hurricane and Rosey in a handicap match.
- Chris Masters defeated Seth Skyfire.
- Daivari (with Muhammad Hassan) defeated Shawn Michaels.
- Christian (with Tyson Tomko) defeated Chris Benoit.
2006 - WWE taped the April 14 Friday Night SmackDown! and April 15 Velocity at
the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. SmackDown! got a 2.5 rating on UPN.
The results were:
Velocity:
- Gunner Scott defeated Simon Dean.
- Orlando Jordan defeated Adrian Lynch.
- Vito defeated Chris Guy (Colt Cabana).
- The Pitbulls (Kid Kash and Jamie Noble) defeated Funaki and Scotty 2 Hotty.
SmackDown!:
- Brian Kendrick (with Paul London) defeated Johnny Nitro (with Melina and Joey
Mercury).
- Paul Birchill (with William Regal) defeated Rasche Brown.
- Matt Hardy defeated The Road Warrior.
- WWE United States Champion JBL (with Jillian Hall) defeated Chris Benoit in a
steel cage match to retain the title.
- The Gymini (Jake and Jesse) defeated The Mexicools (Psicosis and Super Crazy).
- Kurt Angle defeated Randy Orton in a King Of The Ring tournament first round
match.
2007 - Paul "Big Show" Wight, at the time not under WWE contract, was announced as replacing Jerry Lawler in a bout against Hulk Hogan promoted by Cory Maclin's Memphis Wrestling at the FedEx Forum. Lawler pulled out of the date due to pressure from WWE, which led to a lawsuit filed by Maclin. The suit would later be settled out of court by WWE.
2008 - TNA President Dixie Carter, who was in town for TNA's Lockdown PPV in New England, attended a Ring of Honor event in Boston, MA. Carter, who sat in the audience watching the show, was greeted warmly by ROH officials. Christopher Daniels and Homide, former ROH stars signed to TNA, also attended the show.
Rob D'Iarmi filed the following results of the show
I have never been to an ROH show before so I wasn't totally familiar with everyone. Thanks to some of the people around me, I was able to do a report for the site.
I want to start by saying that if ROH comes to your town, go. Wow, what a great show. Here's what happened.
As I got there, Bob Evans was beating Kyle Durden.
Ernie Osiris beat Alex Payne and Rhett Titus.
Erick Stevens won a four way over Roderick Strong, El Generico and Rocky Romero to get a title shot later in the night.
Chasyn Rance beat Mike Bennett pretty quickly and looked good.
Eddie Edwards also won a quick match over Jigsaw. After the match, Edwards aligned himself with Larry Sweeney.
Jigsaw got some heat back teaming with Jack Evans to beat The Briscoes. This was excellent.
They ran an angle that led to Delirious, Claudio Castagnoli, and Pelle Primeau winning an elimination six man over Larry Sweeney, Chris Hero and Brent Albright. It came down to Castagnoli beating Albright.
Davey Richards beat Ibushi. I never saw either of these guys before but I will be going to ROH's website to buy DVDs to see them again. This was great.
Nigel McGuiness made Erick Stevens submit.
The main event was sick as Kevin Steen beat Necro Butcher in a match filled with barbed wire, thumbtacks and more. There were lots of Holy S*** moments here.
Overall, it was a great show!
2008 - WWE ran Liverpool, England. James Johnson filed the following live report:
Hey guys, just got back from the Echo Arena in Liverpool. I'd give more
details on the matches but the sound of kids screaming really screws around with
your memory! With that said, apologies if anything is missing.
Brian Kendrick d. Paul Burchill
Pretty entertaining match, everyone was really into it as it was the first match
and the kids went nuts for Kendrick's backflip. Burchill was pretty good on the
mic - he got some good cheap heel heat by mocking the Liverpool accent which was
just hilarious. Kendrick won with Sliced Bread #2.
Maria & Micke James d. Beth Phoenix & Katie Lea Burchill
Val Venis was the special guest referee, he actually got quite a pop when he
came out too. Typical women's tag team match really with the heels dominating
Maria. Mickie James with a Tornado DDT to pick up the win.
"Canadian Bulldog" D.H. Smith d. Santino Marella
Santino is gold on the microphone! He told us about the 4 special people who
came from Liverpool, who had a huge impact on music...he said he loves The
Monkees! He also started talking about how a monkey sat on his uncle's shoulder
once and did it's business down his back. GIVE THIS MAN MORE TIME ON RAW! D.H.
Smith came down and told Santino that nobody wanted to listen to him talk (speak
for yourself dude) and shoved him to start the match. Actually cannot remember
the finish to this match but D.H. Smith went over.
CM Punk d. Carlito
Punk was pretty damn over with the crowd as was Carlito. Pretty standard match
for these two but still entertaining, CM Punk gets the win with the GTS.
Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes d. The Redneck Wrecking Crew (Cade & Murdoch) to
retain the World Tag Team titles.
I missed the beginning of this and didn't think too much of it, the crowd was
noticeably quiet for this match (in comparison with other matches). Holly gets
the Alabama Slam on Murdoch to get the win. Afterwards Cade & Murdoch argue in
the ring, Murdoch leaves the ring and leaves Lance Cade alone to receive a "Who
Are Ya?" chant (usually done in "soccer" at a big name player who screws up).
INTERMISSION
Kane d. Chavo Guerrero to retain the ECW title.
Kane was super-over with the crowd after the break. Chavo spent much of the
beginning of the match outside of the ring. At the first sign of a lock up Kane
teased a chokeslam. Chavo spent most of the match working on Kane's legs which
Kane did a great job of selling. Watching Chavo trying to suplex Kane was pretty
funny, kind of like back when The Hurricane tried chokeslamming everyone at the
beginning of his run but never could. Kane gets the win with a Chokeslam.
Randy Orton comes out and cuts a promo about how he loves that nobody expects
him to win, how he thrives off of it and it makes him a better wrestler and that
nobody in the locker room can defeat him; the only reason he came was to show
the people what a true champion looks like. William Regal comes out and says
that as GM of Raw it's his job to make sure the people get the best show
possible which leads us into the next match.
Randy Orton d. William Regal to retain the WWE title.
Very good wrestling match, a lot of mat wrestling and holds. The crowd was about
80/20 for Regal. He came close with the Regal stretch but Orton picks up the win
with an RKO out of nowhere.
After the match Regal got a microphone and said "You know, I've been in this
business for 25years now...maybe one day I'll actually win one!" He thanked us
for coming out to see Raw.
MAIN EVENT
HHH & Chris Jericho d. Snitsky & Umaga
HHH & Jericho did the old DX "rock paper scissors" to decide who started. HHH
locked up with Snitsky before backing off and grabbing a microphone and telling
Snitsky to "Brush your teeth!" - this became the biggest chant of the night
throughout the match. He also begged for freshmints or something, anything.
Jericho hops out of the ring and gets a stick of gum from a fan. HHH offers it
to Snitsky who proceeds to slap it away into the crowd. In what has to be the
funniest moment all night, Umaga went hunting for the stick of gum, proceeded to
tear off the wrapper and start chewing it which got a huge laugh from everyone!
He went on to check his breath with Snitsky who said it was fine, Snitsky
checked his breath and it damn near knocked Umaga off of the ring apron! Finish
comes with Jericho getting the Codebreaker on Umaga and then Snitsky, before HHH
gives a Pedigree to Snitsky to win the match.
My first experience of WWE and I was impressed - the merchandise was overpriced
(seriously, £15 for a freaking program!?) but overall it was a great night out.
BIGGEST POPS
HHH
Chris Jericho
William Regal
Kane
CM Punk
BIGGEST HEAT
Snitsky (seriously, the "Brush Your Teeth" thing went on for the whole match)
Randy Orton
Chavo Guerrero
Santino
Paul Burchill (when he was ripping into Liverpool)
2009 - In a blog on her Myspace account, former WWE Diva Victoria discussed meeting TNA President Dixie Carter at a UFC event. The meeting, which eventually led to Victoria coming to TNA as Tara, following former WWE executive Bruce Prichard introducing the two. In her blog, Victoria noted that Prichard was now working for TNA, the first public acknowledgement of that. She would later edit the blog to remove the reference to Prichard.
2010 - The Big Show, The Bella Twins and R-Truth guest starred on an episode of ABC's Extreme Makeover - Home Edition.
2010 - Texas Stadium was imploded on. While famous as the home of the Dallas Cowboys, the stadium also hosted World Class Championship Wrestling's Parade of Champions events, including Kerry Von Erich's 1984 NWA World championship win over Ric Flair. With the destruction of the Stadium, all of the major Dallas arenas that WCCW called home have been destroyed.
2011 - Reigning WWE World champion Edge announced on Raw that due to medical tests showing that the severity of his neck problems had gotten so bad that he would be risking paralysis and death to continue performing as a pro wrestler, WWE would no longer medically clear him to wrestle. Edge announced in a tearful speech that he would be retiring and vacating the World title. Edge would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in March 2012 and since retiring, has done a number of acting appearances.
2011 - Alex Whybrow, professionally known as Larry Sweeney, was found dead
after taking his own life in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where he had been
residing as well as training and wrestling independently. The following is
PWInsider.com's original piece on his passing:
The news, which was a major topic of conversation among those in the independent
wrestling community this morning, was broken by Chris Hero, who had been one of
Sweeney's closest friends via Twitter, writing:
"We lost a dedicated friend and an overwhelmingly talented performer this
morning. Alex Whybrow aka "Sweet & Sour" Larry Sweeney has passed. We spent a
few yrs together on the road & Alex was gifted beyond measure. He could enthrall
you with colorful stories from his personal life or he could captivate thousands
with his undeniable charisma. I loved him & my heart is with his family, friends
& his countless fans. First he was my student & he transcended that almost
immediately. I will forever cherish our in depth conversations & time spent
together."
In speaking to a number of Sweeney's friends, I can confirm the cause of death
was self-inflicted. Sweeney, who was only 29 years old, had very publicly and
privately dealt with being bi-polar.
In speaking to number of people who were close with Sweeney and had worked with
him in different promotions, the common theme that came up was just how eclectic
and creative he was as a person and what a life he had lived, even outside of
professional wrestling. For every insane road story that wrestlers had to share,
Sweeney could discuss what it was like living and wrestling in India. The same
adjectives kept coming up in the conversations – one of a kind, driven,
creative, genius, cultured, unique.
What made Larry Sweeney, the persona, such a great talker and over time, a very
good worker, were the same things that drove Alex Whybrow as a performer. Like
many in the business who want to make it so bad that they drive themselves
harder than anyone outside of their immediate world can understand and
appreciate. At times, you couldn't even separate the two sides. It's going to be
debated whether the business had anything to do with Sweeney's passing, but the
reality is his personal problems pre-dated anything to do with professional
wrestling.
There's no denying Sweeney fought with problems stemming from being bi-polar. At
times, he blogged about them, dating them back to a car accident from years ago.
His ROH run was cut short after an out of nowhere departure, which led to
rambling, angry statements being made about the company. While pop culture has
embraced Charlie Sheen for similar antics in recent months, Sweeney was way
ahead of that curve.
What was entertaining for some fans was worrying for friends, but like so many
others who have dealt with bi-polar behavior, there was no way to reason with
someone when they are in that "zone", because to them, they are right and
everyone else are the ones who just don't understand. There's also no way to
know when to step in, because of the eccentric nature of the personality. One
day, it could be some minor personality quirk. The next, it's something
explosive. There's no way for anyone on the outside to predict or know when true
help is needed.
It's going to be very easy for some on the outside to dismiss Sweeney as someone
who had problems and fell to them but as someone who's known many people that
have dealt with bi-polar issues, every last one of them were conflicted,
complicated and in many cases, genius-level personalities who were their own
best friends and worst enemies. There was no in between and there was no
barometer for when and why things would go one way or the other.
In speaking to Sweeney's friends today, that is exactly what many of them were
going through. It's a rough situation for anyone to deal with, because you never
know how far the person suffering might take their issues.
While Sweeney's most high profile run was working for Ring of Honor as the
nucleus of "Sweet and Sour, Inc." as a heel sports manager (think Jerry
Maguire), he had been part of a generation of talents that were working just
about every independent they could find, working everywhere (and I mean
everywhere) from CHIKARA to Action Zone Wrestling in Hawaii to Pittsburgh's IWC
to NWA Upstate to promotions so small, you probably never heard of them. He was
everywhere, to the point that even in the day of the Internet, you heard his
name before you actually saw his work.
Sweeney initially debuted in 2000, working the Chicago independent wrestling
scene. As a wrestler, there was nothing special about him - at first. When he
was given the chance to speak, however, there was magic. The first time I heard
Sweeney speak, I immediately had visions of Bobby Heenan. There was that perfect
blend of comedic wit with serious delivery. You didn't look upon him as someone
playing a character but as someone who lived what he was doing and believe me,
there's a huge difference between the two.
Sweeney eventually migrated to CHIKARA, where he honed his training under Chris
Hero, who was his closest friend in the business and Mike Quackenbush, among
others. Over time, Sweeney's in-ring work caught up to his promo skills and he
exploded, working everywhere and beginning to build attention for himself. Hero
and Sweeney were soon working everywhere together with Sweeney as the mouthpiece
as Hero evolved as a performer inside the ring. He was as important a piece when
it came to building CHIKARA’s unique cult following as anyone.
Soon, Sweeney began carrying and defending The ICW-ICWA Texarkana Television
Championship on all sorts of independent events. I have no idea what the origin
of the belt was but it was a great nod back to the days of the traveling
champion and someone who took their belt from group to group to prove he was the
best. During a time period where everyone was about the strong style of indy
wrestling or playing off an ECW thread, Sweeney had a nice throwback quality to
his work.
Sweeney was soon managing Hero and Claudio Castagnoli, The Kings of Wrestling,
in ROH. The Kings, who were already garnering momentum on the independent scene,
hit ROH in a big way. ROH had grown from just being an independent group to one
of the more well known staples. The Kings and Sweeney had been one of the hotter
things on the indy scene during that time period, so when they finally moved
over into ROH, it was a major deal for those who had followed them.
Sweeney's delivery was pitch perfect in ROH where the in-ring work was always
good but great promos were immediately noticed, especially in places like NYC
that had become an important market for the group. In keeping with his
character, Sweeney announced he was creating a hostile takeover of the company.
He was the perfect foil for the storyline, bringing in names like Adam Pearce
and Brent Abright and even Daniel Puder into the fold. Sweeney’s abuse of
hapless, overweight Bobby Dempsey resulted in making Dempsey one of the most
sympathetic characters in the promotion. For several years, Sweeney was a major
part of the ROH machine.
Then, he was gone. There were issues behind the scene and concerns about his
behavior. Sweeney publicly announced he was quitting and demanded all sorts of
money owed. Some fans thought it was an angle and loved it but the reality was
Sweeney was dealing with far more than a wrestling storyline. Some of his
friends wanted to help and others even tried, but when an adult wants to live
their life how they see fit, how do you force them not to, even if you are
worried for them? That was among the comments several friends made today.
The legend of Sweeney seemed to follow him in the months after he left ROH. He
was, allegedly homeless. Then, he popped up at Wrestlemania in Houston, offering
to wrestle in a parking lot for money. Fans paid, loving the craziness of the
situation. Sweeney was all over radio shows and the Internet, and depending on
what side you were on, you were either loving the out of control aspect or you
were worried for the guy.
At some point, the burnt bridges were repaired, because Sweeney returned as an
announcer for the company’s first Internet PPV. But, then he never appeared for
ROH again. Sweeney was back all over the independent circuit again with all
sorts of stories following him. What were true and what were rumor, I couldn’t
begin to tell you.
Sweeney, who in recent years, had talked of running promotions, had been
training and wrestling for independents in the New Orleans area. According to
one friend, Sweeney had been arrested for a DUI recently and missed his trial
date. Of late, he had been worried about the possibility of going to jail. But,
no one that had spoken to him in recent days could have predicted that he was
coming close to ending his own life and they, like everyone reading this, wishes
that there was something they could have done.
On behalf of everyone associated with PWInsider.com, we send our deepest
condolences to Alex Whybrow’s family, friend and fans. He was a personality
that, like everyone in life, was flawed, but also one that was deeply loved -
the name Larry Sweeney is already trending worldwide on Twitter. I can't say I
knew Sweeney on a deeply personal level, but I sure hope that he knows how much
he's going to be missed by his friends.
2011 - WWE broadcast Raw. Richard Trionfo filed the following TV report:
We are live from Bridgeport, Connecticut and your announcers are Jerry ‘Good thing there are no elections for King’ Lawler and Josh ‘Which one of the Tough Enoughers is gunning for my job’ Mathews. Joining them from his please let it be hermetically sealed Skinner Box is Michael ‘Let’s see if this box will float since we are in Bridgeport’ Cole.Cole makes his way to the ring and he enters his protective area so Jerry Lawler doesn’t disembowel him.
John Cena comes out to the ring.
Cena says that it is a great time to be in the WWE Universe. He says that it is chaos and excitement. It is energy because an announcement was made that turned the WWE upside down. An announcement that needed a full year for the WWE Universe to digest.
He mentions that a match was made for Wrestlemania 28 that puts icon against icon and generation against generation. It will be the biggest spectacle in sports entertainment. He says that everyone has their calendar’s circled for April 1, 2012 when John Cena faces the Rock.
In a match of this magnitude, it can’t be two competitors fighting for bragging rights. The main event of Wrestlemania 28 will be for the WWE Championship. Cena says that if it is the biggest match, it has to be for the biggest prize in Sports Entertainment.
In order to be for the title, the guy who fights every week has to capture the WWE Title. Cena makes a challenge to the Miz. It is time for another Wrestlemania moment.
Instead of the WWE Champion, Randall Keith Orton makes his way to the ring in near record time.
Orton tells John that with all due respect, he thinks that any business that Cena had at Wrestlemania has been settled. Cena can blame the Rock and make as many matches for next year’s Wrestlemania, but it doesn’t change that Cena lost.
Orton tells Cena that he should step aside and give someone who actually won at Wrestlemania a shot at the title.
Cena is interrupted by John Morrison who makes his way to the ring. John apologizes for interrupting and he says that we would see the two of them arguing about who the number one contender is. Morrison says that is a good show, but not as good now that John Morrison is involved. Morrison says that if there is a discussion of Miz’s next opponent, it must include John Morrison.
Vickie Guerrero interrupts with an Excuse Me and she comes to the ring with Dolph Ziggler and she says that someone new should get a Championship opportunity. Vickie points out that she pinned Morrison a few weeks ago. The next person who should be in line for a WWE Title match is here. Vickie says that she was joking and she says that it should be Dolph Ziggler.
Ziggler says that he didn’t come to Raw to waste his time with Snooki. Dolph says that he is the most talented person in the ring. Dolph says that he has never faced the Miz for the WWE Title so the line starts behind him. Dolph says that they will all get their chances.
R Truth’s music plays and he comes to the ring and he wants to know ‘What’s Up’. He says that the truth is that he never got a one-on-one WWE Title match. He says that is the truth and that is what’s up.
They all argue and then we see the lights go out and we hear the dingy dingy before the dingbat reads the e-mail from the General Manager. He says that they have made compelling arguments. He will give them all an opportunity. It is a five man gauntlet match. Two men will start and then the winner advances to the next superstar. The man who goes the distance will be the number one contender at Extreme Rules.
We go to commercial.
We are back with someone playing with a doll where we only see the side of their head. Then the head is flicked off. We hear laughing. [Hello whatever Amazing Kong is going to be called].
Match Number One: Brie Bella with Nikki Bella versus Eve Torres
Eve wants the referee to put a mark on Nikki’s hand so they can’t do the switcheroo.
Brie with forearms to the head followed by an Irish whip and a clothesline to the back of the head. Brie with kicks to Eve followed by a snap mare and then she sends Eve’s head into the mat. Brie with a side head lock. Eve with a running bulldog and then she hits a drop kick followed by a knee and kick. Eve with a clothesline followed by a standing moonsault for a near fall.
Brie backs into the corner and avoids a splash into the corner. Eve puts Brie in the Tree of Woe and then hits a drop kick. Eve kicks Brie and then Nikki pushes Brie out of the ring. Nikki has trouble getting up and Eve with a drop kick and the referee sees the mark on the hand. The referee sends Nikki out of the ring and Brie hits Eve with an X Factor for the three count.
Winner: Brie Bella
Sin Cara is putting his mask on in the back because he will be wrestling next.
We go to commercial.
We are back and Did You Know that WWE can spin their ratings.
Eve is in the locker room and Gail says that she got the short end of the stick. Eve says that she knows how the Divas Locker Room works because everyone wants their shot at the title. Natalya tries to comfort her and Eve says that she doesn’t want to hear it. Natalya asks Gail if they are like that and then Tamina walks in and out.
Match Numero Dos: Sin Cara contra Primo
Primo dives for Sin Cara’s feet and then they lock up. Primo works on the arm and puts him in a hammer lock. Sin with an elbow followed by a snap mare and Primo rolls to the apron and back into the ring. Primo pie faces Sin Cara and then Sin Cara kicks Primo. Primo with a kick and forearms.
Sin Cara with a flip off Primo’s chest followed by a monkey flip and drop kick that sends Primo to the floor. Sin Cara with a slingshot rana to the floor. He returns Primo into the ring but Primo with a baseball slide when Sin Cara takes too long to return to the ring. Primo rolls him back in and he kicks and chops Sin Cara. Primo with a drop kick and then he gets a near fall.
Primo with a chin lock and he sends Sin Cara to the mat. Primo with a chop and Irish whip but he misses a splash into the corner. Sin Cara with chops followed by a springboard head scissors take down followed by another head scissors take down. Primo stops Sin Cara and then he tries for a power bomb but Sin Cara counters with a sunset flip and he gets a near fall.
Sin Cara with an Irish whip but Primo gets his boots up. Sin Cara with an enzuigiri when Primo tries to go up top. Primo sends Sin Cara to the floor. Sin Cara with another kick and then he goes back up top and Sin Cara hits a C4 from the turnbuckles for the three count.
Winner: Sin Cara
We go to commercial.
We are back with the Slam of the Week: Last week’s face off and attempted attack by The Corre.
The Corre are in the ring and Wade has something to say. Last week, John Cena and the Rock made WWE history when they agreed to a match at Wrestlemania 28. Barrett says that they were going to attack Cena and the Rock, but it was to no avail. Barrett says that was through no fault of his own. Barrett looks at Slater and Gabriel. He says that he saw them as equals, but if they aren’t going to hold up their part of the bargain, there is no need to move on as a group.
Gabriel says that his 450 is what puts everyone out. He is a three time tag team champion. Slater points out that they are three time tag champions. No one is going to take their success. Jackson says that he made them credible by slamming a 500 pound giant.
They are interrupted by Santino Marella who is with Mark Henry, Evan Bourne, and Daniel Bryan. Santino says hello and he presents ‘The Apple’. Allied People Power Loathing Everything (that they stand for). Their implosion will continue because Team Apple, in the name of Vladimir Kozlov challenges them to a fight. This fight will not keep the doctor away.
We go to commercial.
Match Number Three: Santino Marella, Evan Bourne, Mark Henry, and Daniel Bryan versus Wade Barrett, Justin Gabriel, Heath Slater, and Ezekiel Jackson in a Our team’s name is worse than your team’s name Match
The match is joined in progress and Gabriel and Jackson choke Bryan in the corner. Gabriel tags in and he hits a jumping spin kick followed by a snap mare and drop kick to the back of the head and he gets a near fall. Gabriel with a forearm and Jackson tags in and he connects with a forearm and then he slams Bryan. Jackson with an elbow drop for a near fall.
Barrett tags in and he kicks Bryan and punches him. Slater tags back in and then he kicks and slams Bryan. Gabriel tags in and he hits a slingshot senton onto Bryan. Slater tags back in and he puts Bryan in a reverse chin lock. Slater with an elbow to Bryan followed by an Irish whip but he gets his foot up and then he hits a Yakuza kick and both men are down.
Bryan kicks Slater off and Santino tags in and he punches Slater followed by a forearm and reverse atomic drop. Santino knocks Gabriel off the apron. Santino with a split and a hip toss followed by a diving head butt and he gets a near fall. Henry knocks Jackson down and then Bourne with a flying double knee strike on Barrett. Bryan with a suicide dive onto Barrett. Gabriel hits Santino from behind while he tries for the Cobra and Slater with a DDT for the three count.
Winner: Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Ezekiel Jackson, and Wade Barrett
While Cole and Lawler talk about the next match, Jim Ross makes his way to the ring and Michael Cole gets to do his stand up routine. Jim Ross hits Cole with his hat and then it is time to shake the Cole Slaw container. Jack Swagger tries to attack Jim Ross but he misses and Lawler goes after Swagger. Referees make their way to ringside to bring some order.
We go to commercial.
Match Number Four: Jerry Lawler versus Jack Swagger in a What Happens to Michael Cole’s Career Match
They lock up and Swagger with a back body drop and then Swagger does laps for no reason. Cole reminds Lawler to protect the ankle. Lawler with a punch to Swagger and then Lawler runs like Swagger. Swagger with punches and kicks to Lawler. Swagger with a side head lock. Lawler with a belly-to-back suplex to get out of the hold.
Swagger goes for the leg and he tries for the ankle lock and Lawler gets to the ropes. Swagger finally releases the hold before the referee has to disqualify him. Swagger sends Lawler’s knee into the mat. Swagger with a key lock but Lawler gets to his feet. Swagger back Cole into the corner and then he connects with an elbow.
Swagger sends Lawler into the turnbuckles but Lawler gets that Memphis fury going and he takes down the strap and it is time for some Lawler punches. Swagger with a boot to the midsection and then Swagger gets Lawler up for a power slam but Lawler gets free and he hits a drop kick to the back.
Cole gets on the apron and Lawler sees him up there. Cole doesn’t want it to be like this. Swagger recovers and takes Lawler down with a clothesline. Lawler pulls Cole off the apron and Swagger grabs Lawler. Lawler with a rollup for the three count.
Winner: Jerry Lawler
Cole and Swagger argue in the ring. Cole reminds Swagger what the result is. He wants to know if Swagger is an idiot and then he yells at Swagger. He says that he paid him good money and then he slaps Swagger.
Cole gets out of the ring before Swagger can hit him back.
Now it is time to find out what the stipulation for Lawler/Cole II . . . Isn’t that One Too Many at Extreme Rules. Jerry says that he has a good idea for the match. It should be a tag match. Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross against Michael Cole and Jack Swagger. Lawler reminds Swagger that Cole slapped him earlier in the night.
It is time to get comments from the WWE Superstars about the Undertaker/Triple H match from Wrestlemania.
John Cena and Edge are in the back and they shake hands before Edge starts walking to the ring.
We go to commercial.
We are back and it is time for Edge to make his way to the ring.
Jim Ross has joined Jerry Lawler at the announce table.
Edge says that you may have to bear with him because he is going to ramble. Some people think that the WWE doesn’t hurt and what they do is done with smoke and mirrors. Anyone in the locker room or anyone who has laced up the boots know that isn’t true. Eight years ago, he broke his neck and he had spinal fusion surgery. Because of that surgery, he was wrestling on borrowed time. Edge says that over the last little while, he has been in a lot of pain. Edge says that he has been losing feeling in his arms. He passed the strength tests and at Wrestlemania, he was okay. He had some more tests and the MRI and results show that he has to retire. Edge says that it isn’t his choice. Edge says that he has no choice. Edge says that because of that he won’t have to end up in a wheelchair.
The fans in Bridgeport applaud Edge while he shows some emotion.
Edge says that this is tougher than he thought. The fans chant ‘Thank You Edge’. He says that it has been an emotional rollercoaster.
He says that he talked to Christian, who has been his best friend for 27 years. Edge says that he was angry at himself and his body because he felt that he was letting people down. Edge says that he did not like that he wasn’t ending things on his terms. Christian reminded Edge that he has been competing his entire career on his terms. Edge says that he is a huge fan of the WWE. Every month, they used to go to Maple Leaf Gardens to watch their favorites and be enthralled. Then he went to Wrestlemania VI and saw the Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan and he wanted to do that. Then he would main event Wrestlemania against the Undertaker. He says that he never would have believed that he would hold more World Titles than anyone else. He never would have dreamt of having his final match as one of the main events at Wrestlemania.
Edge says that he has been doing it for 19 years. His first match was in 1996 in Hamilton. He was 23 years old and he feels like he has grown up in front of everyone. He has become a man in front of everyone. He has gone from being the silent guy in a trenchcoat, to a pseudo vampire in the Brood, to one of the funny goofy guys with Christian who was posing for those with the benefit of flash photography. He was one of the most despised guys and was thrown into the Long Island Sound. He had a live sex celebration with Lita, and thankfully not Vickie Guerrero. Edge says that he hopes that he has earned the respect of everyone in the locker room and everyone in the crowd. He says that he tried to give everything he had every night.
Edge says that he is going to miss all of this. He is going to miss the shot of adrenaline when he hears his music and goes through the curtain. Edge says that he won’t have to wear tights tomorrow and he can eat a lot of ice cream.
Edge says that if he would do it all again with all of the surgeries, injuries, and miles traveled, he would do it in a heartbeat. Edge thanks everyone and he leaves the ring one last time.
He walks up the ramp and to the back.
We go to commercial.
We are back and Did You Know WWE has a lot of Facebook friends.
We see Edge walking through the Gorilla Position as everyone applauds his speech.
Jerry talks about the show of respect that everyone showed for Edge. Jim Ross says that he never thought he would have heard Edge retiring when he was on his way to Raw tonight.
Miz comes to ring with Alex Riley and he joins Jerry, Josh, and Jim at the announce table.
Match Number Five: #1 Contender Gauntlet
Segment Number One: Randall Keith Orton versus Dolph Ziggler with Vickie Guerrero
They lock up and Ziggler with a fireman’s carry. Orton with a European uppercut for a near fall. Ziggler with a Fameasser and then he punches Orton and gets a near fall. Ziggler with a reverse chin lock. Orton falls to his knees because Ziggler knows how to apply a reverse chin lock. Orton with an arm drag and clotheslines followed by a power slam. Ziggler tries to get to the apron but that only means it is time for the IEDDT and Orton hits it.
Orton turns into the push ups and that can only mean RKO time. Ziggler get so his feet but Nexus appears and Ziggler gets the three count.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Michael McGillicutty and David Otunga attack Orton and then Mason Ryan comes into the ring and he connects with a big boot to the head. They yell at Orton and then Ryan picks up Orton and hits a power bomb.
We go to commercial.
Segment Number Two: Dolph Ziggler versus R Truth
Ziggler attacks Truth and punches him in the corner. Ziggler with more punches and he gets a near fall. Ziggler with a snap mare and a leaping elbow drop. Ziggler with an arm bar and chin lock on Truth and he turns it into a side head lock. Ziggler sends Truth to the mat and he gets a near fall. Ziggler with a belly-to-back suplex for a near fall. Ziggler returns to the reverse chin lock.
Truth with punches but Ziggler with a knee and Irish whip. Ziggler misses a splash into the corner and Truth with an uppercut followed by jabs. Truth with a kick and sit out gourdbuster for a near fall. Ziggler sends Truth into the turnbuckles and then Ziggler continues to work on the neck with a neck breaker and he gets another near fall.
Truth with a leaping flatline for the three count.
Winner: R Truth
Segment Three: John Morrison versus R Truth
Truth with punches to Morrison and he gets a near fall with a sunset flip but Morrison with a near fall. They exchange covers and get near falls. They shake hands and Morrison tries for a rollup. Truth with a kick but Morrison with a flapjack and then Morrison kips up and hits the pommel horse leg drop for a near fall.
Morrison with a reverse chin lock. Truth with a punch but Morrison with a side Russian leg sweep for a near fall. Truth with a punch and then Morrison clotheslines Truth over the top rope. Truth pulls Morrison to the floor. They each go for clotheslines and both men are down. They both get in at nine. Truth with a double sledge followed by punches. Morrison with clotheslines followed by a leg lariat for a near fall. Truth with a suplex into a stunner for a near fall.
Morrison holds on to the ropes and then he connects with an elbow. Morrison with a springboard round kick and then he pulls Truth into the corner while Miz wonders why he didn’t go for the cover. Morrison shows that he should have gone for the cover and misses the split legged corkscrew moonsault. Truth with the leaping flatline for the three count.
Winner: R Truth
Segment Four: John Cena versus R Truth
Cena goes for the arm followed by a gutwrench suplex for a near fall. Cena with a drop kick for a near fall. Cena waits for Truth to get to his feet and Cena with a kick and suplex for a near fall. Cena with a belly-to-back suplex for a near fall. Cena with a power slam for a near fall.
Truth tries to get to his feet and Cena with another suplex and he gets another near fall. Cena goes to the turnbuckles and he waits for Truth to get up and he hits the Rocker Dropper for a near fall. Cena cannot believe that Truth has fought through this so far.
Truth with a punch and both men go down. They get to their feet and Truth with a few clotheslines followed by a hip toss and he hits the flying twisting forearm and he gets a two count.
Truth waits for Cena to get to his feet but Cena with the two flying shoulder tackles followed by a Blue Thunder Bomb and it is time for the Five Knuckle Shuffle as we finish the Legendary sequence, but he tells Miz that he can’t see him. Cena gets Truth up and then Miz and Riley attack Truth and Cena and the referee calls for the bell.
Double Disqualification
Miz and Riley survey the damage as we wonder what this means about the title match.
Miz says that means that both Truth and Cena are losers.
Miz says that they can both go to the end of the line because there is no number one contender.
We go to dingy dingy land and Jerry decides to read from the laptop of doom.
There is no number one contender for the WWE Title. There are now two number one contenders for the title. Extreme Rules will see a Triple Threat Match with Miz facing R Truth and John Cena. Truth and Cena attack Miz and Riley. Cena gives Riley an Attitude Adjustment.
Truth and Cena stand in the center of the ring and since there is no Extreme Rules sign to point to they shake hands and then they playfully push each other as it escalates until Truth leaves the ring.
We go to credits.
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