100th Post: WWE: A New Hope

This is my 100th post on Jimmo's Angle and is inspired by a text I just got from a mate of mine. It simply said that the WWE has a "new feel" in the last few days. That's exactly how I feel and it was refreshing to hear this from a friend that is usually quite negative about the recent past of WWE. He's been justified at times but now it does seems like a new chapter; something that we can be proud of and really get excited by.

As I've recently said in a few of the posts that I've done, the future is looking brighter than ever. It's a theme I try and run with in a lot of my posts as it's very important to me that the WWE continues to be number one, but also doesn't just rest on its laurels. That's something that it can be accused of in the last few years.

After the screwing: new heels Triple H & Randy Orton

The Orton and Triple H turns at Summerslam are the types of things that I crave and long for. Something to get my teeth into and believe in. Something where I can get behind a true babyface and hate a true villain. Credit where credit is due to John Cena in the last month - he has made Daniel Bryan a believable threat to his title and did what was needed to get Bryan to the 'next level'. Unfortunately for John, the time off he's about to get is well overdue - as most occasions for him usually are. Also, he never gets the 100% backing of any audience. Daniel Bryan, on the other hand, does. This is, possibly, the most important factor to this 'new feel' that WWE has. And it's something that we, the audience, haven't experienced for as long as I can remember - the number one face is someone that the fan's want to succeed; does anyone remember what that feels like?

We finally have ourselves a situation where the chasing babyface is someone that everyone wants to succeed and get the bad guy, and the championship. Bryan's popularity has gone from strength-to-strength in the last few months and it's something that WWE have desperately needed for so long. Many might feel that CM Punk was that guy but he is a popular cool-heely-face, NOT a 100% face. Daniel Bryan is someone that all demographics can support and maybe, just maybe, this could be the start of someone else being the 'face of the company'.

Daniel Bryan's glory was cut short...

What I mean by this is that Daniel Bryan has the potential to be the guy. As crazy a statement as that is, with Cena injured for the next four-to-six months, that leaves Bryan and Punk as the top two faces in the WWE at the moment. This is an opportunity. An opportunity to get behind the remaining two, or at least Bryan, and rocket him to Superstardom - after all, Bryan is a 'wrestler' and would surely commit to the WWE, as Cena has done for the last decade, if made the number one guy.

I'm an Attitude Era kid, but not someone who craves the return of that era. I do, however, want the passion, effort and storytelling from that era to return. I don't care what anyone says: that era was must-see TV. The events of Summerslam and Raw last night have opened up a new door to the possibility that we could have that type of enthralling TV back again.

Part of the reason for this feeling I have is because there seems a very similar feel to the storyline from back then - the evil boss doing whatever it takes to stop the 'unworthy', ultra-popular hero becoming what he rightfully deserves to be; the champion. Back in 1998, Stone Cold Steve Austin was that very guy; although he was the anti-hero (more similar to Punk than Bryan), he was still the fan's choice. Daniel Bryan has that role now, but in our PG-era, he fits the role perfectly for the time we live in. The 'Mr. McMahon' role is played by Triple H (flanked by Vince, himself, and Stephanie), and the new 'Corporate' Champion is the previously hugely-underutilised Randy Orton.

The new Corporation? Vince, Orton, Hunter & Stephanie (a la Survivor Series 1998)

Orton has been doing nothing for at least the last year, probably longer. As predictable as his cash-in was, it was also genius. By beating an exhausted, deserving new champion in Bryan he instantly became the number one villain. Triple H turning heel and aligning with him added fuel to the fire that was already going to be molten-hot. On Raw, their justification of the screwing at Summerslam was a perfect example of a heel-believing-in-his-own-crap. We now have the ultra-popular hero, Daniel Bryan, chasing the dangerous, corporate-backed, 'chosen one' Randy Orton. The very essence of Good vs Evil. The very reason we watch wrestling and suspend our beliefs.

This is an exciting time to be a wrestling fan. Not only for the potentially great storyline that I've outlined above but for many other reasons, too.

With the injuries to John Cena and Sheamus, I hope that Dolph Ziggler gets the nod to chase Orton, too. He seems to have been brought into the mix by having his tweet (about Triple H's deceit) aired and was punished for this. Big Show was also punished for his thoughts; I love that the boss has set a precedent and will attack anyone that speaks against him. Both guys' punishments were handled by The Shield, who could take on a new role of 'hired guns' for the McMahons and Hunter. This would be something new for them, elevate them (again), and add numbers to the new heel boss' cause.

I know it's early days for this but it's created a buzz around the IWC. I just hope that WWE doesn't, as my friend also text me, "drop the ball" on this one. WWE television has been great in the last few months; something I didn't think would happen, so I hope that they continue to raise-the-bar and surprise us further with quality TV and unpredictable storylines that keep us hooked for the rest of the year.

@jimmosangle

Cody and Damien: 'Best Friends'; Better Enemies?

Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow squared off with each other at Summerslam last night with Rhodes coming out victorious in decisive fashion. This match was great for the loyal fan as it was a culmination of a years friendship and need to progress for both men. I looked at how we've gotten to this point and the pleasing aspect of having something play-out for such a long period of time.

History
After having the longest Intercontinental championship reign in almost seven years, and with seemingly no direction in singles competition in mid-2012, Rhodes started to team with Damien Sandow in late August. Damien had debuted his 'Intellectual Saviour of the Masses' gimmick just after Wrestlemania XXVIII and this was a nice step-up for the relative newcomer (he had had a previous stint in WWE a few years earlier).

Around this time, Daniel Bryan and Kane had become the WWE Tag Team Champions and with this, they would need credible teams to challenge them. It's probably no coincidence then that Rhodes and Sandow would defeat Bryan and Kane in singles matches on the September 9th episode of Smackdown before announcing their union, and team name - Team Rhodes Scholars - on the following Raw.

Rhodes and Sandow challenged for the Tag Titles several times

What would follow in the next few months would be very confusing, though. Despite becoming number one contenders on numerous occasions, and even defeating the champions in non-title bouts, Rhodes and Sandow would never become the Tag Team Champions in their time together. They would have no-less-than four attempts at winning the gold - two of which were on PPV - but would not be victorious.

I would take a punt that the WWE had no idea what to do with Kane and Daniel Bryan had they not been champions - they struck gold by teaming them up (due to 'anger issues') and having them become champions but really missed something by not having them drop the championships to the worthy team of Rhodes and Sandow. This is the only reason I can see for not crowning Rhodes and Sandow champions.

Best Friends
After their last attempt at the Tag Team titles at the 2013 Royal Rumble, Rhodes and Sandow would agree to go their separate ways but remain 'best friends'.

Only a few weeks later, though, they would again team up to take on Brodus Clay and Tensai (Tons of Funk) on the Elimination Chamber Pre-show in a losing effort. With the addition of the Bella twins and the Funkadactyls, an eight-person tag team match would be set for Wrestlemania XXIX - one that would not happen due to time restraints. This would be another obstacle in the path of two of the WWE's most talented guys.

Things would start to pick up for the duo as of the Extreme Rules pay-per-view; Cody would compete against The Miz on the pre-show in a losing effort and Damien would be defeated by Sheamus on the pre-show of the Payback pay-per-view. Although they both lost it was a step-up from not being on PPV. The latter match would be a result of a mini-feud that consisted of Damien conducting 'intellectual challenges' on Smackdown - Sheamus interrupting and accepting them. Although these segments were probably designed to elevate Sandow, they would also show a 'bully' side to Sheamus - becoming frustrated and resorting to attacking Sandow.

Sandow in a rare moment; in control of Sheamus

Despite the inevitable loss to Sheamus on pay-per-view, Sandow would have one moment to saviour as he would get the better of Sheamus with a vicious assault. In a WWE filled with Sheamus always getting the last word, this was a very welcome sight. It gave Damien a level of credibility.

Better Enemies?
Leading to the Money in the Bank pay-per-view it was announced that Cody and Damien would compete in the World Heavyweight Championship MITB Ladder match. This MITB contract match would see seven 'future' superstars battle it out for the somewhat lesser WHC contract as opposed to the 'Allstar' WWE MITB Ladder match.

In the weeks building to MITB, Damien and Cody would have exchanges where it would become clear that they agreed that the best man would win, along with the knowledge that, regardless of who won, they would still remain best friends. During these backstage skits, it would be obvious that Damien had a more confident, almost forceful approach that he would be the better man.

If I'm honest, I wouldn't have predicted a Cody or a Damien win going into the PPV. The same would be said for the 'Real Americans' tag team of Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger. I felt that all four had tag team commitments, and futures, and that they were there purely to make up the numbers. My pick was Wade Barrett as he is long overdue a World Title opportunity and had nothing going on at the time.

As it turned out, WWE might actually have struck gold with its decision to have Damien turn on Cody and be crowned Mr Money in the Bank. I'm still baffled how a heel threw another heel (albeit his best friend) from the ladder to win and we're supposed to buy that as a definite break-up, but I'll overlook that! I suppose on the lead up to the finish, the crowd were 100% behind Cody due to an intensity-filled sequence from him before his downfall.

The Sandow-ized MITB briefcase

The Future
On their journey towards Summerslam, both men have been given some quality time on TV to build the feud and have also been positioned at important parts of the show. This is massively important if we're to care about this rivalry. It really feels like WWE want us to get behind these guys - and I haven't felt that about a feud for a very long time. If it doesn't revolve around the WWE or WHC titles then it doesn't normally get the relevant attention on TV.

This feels different. It really feels like the WWE realise that they have to invest in the future earlier. With Cody and Damien they have something unique and different - a feud that has history.

Normally feuds develop just after the last PPV has finished. They then get resolved at the next PPV and the cycle begins again. This feud has been a year in the making; Cody and Damien have been team-mates, best friends, and remained mid-card challengers for a year now and that's uncommon in today's WWE landscape. It also means that, to frequent watchers of Raw and Smackdown, we have been there throughout the journey - and despite them being heels, we've enjoyed the friendship and alliance that these two have shared. As a result, we can really get behind seeing this play-out and establish a definitive winner; where we're rewarded for the time that we've invested in these characters.

Summerslam: Rhodes defeated Sandow

At Summerslam last night, Rhodes pinned Sandow and this pleased me no end. It surely means that the feud will continue, and hopefully that'll mean that the stakes will be raised. Maybe Cody will now challenge for the MITB contract; a match that will raise the stakes and keep Sandow busy (whilst he awaits cashing-in his briefcase). My hope is that whoever the eventual winner is, both men will come out of this elevated and in contention for the World title, or even better, the WWE title (wishful thinking, I know).

@jimmosangle

Summerslam 2013 Predictions

I'm not normally one for predictions on WWE events. For one, I don't like to make myself look a tit by getting it wrong! I also would rather not show what a smarky f*ck I've become by getting the majority right!!

I just wanted to have a quick run through of what I think the outcomes will be tonight. I base these on what I see as making sense after the last several weeks of WWE television; let the smarky-f*cking begin:

Pre-show: US Championship - Dean Ambrose (c) vs Rob Van Dam
Even though RVD has become popular again (don't worry this won't last!) I think he's there to elevate rather than steal the spotlight. Also, there's something about him not having to do much after 90 days of his contract, so I'm going with an Ambrose win. Or at least Ambrose retaining due to outside interference (i.e Rollins and Reigns causing the DQ finish). This will lead to Big Show and Mark Henry coming to make the save and a potential six-man-tag or even a Tag Team Title match on the main show.
Jimmo's pick: RVD (by DQ); Ambrose still US Champion

Diva's Match
Jimmo's pick: I really don't care. Ever.

Mixed Tag Match: Dolph Ziggler/Kaitlyn vs Big E Langston/AJ
Nice and simple for me - this feud must end, and have a happy ending at that. Therefore I can't see anything other than a Dolph and Kaitlyn win so everyone can get on with their lives. Oh, and also Big E and AJ lost to Khali and Natalya the other day so that convinced me further.
Jimmo's pick: Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn

Ring of Fire Match: Kane vs Bray Wyatt
Again, easy decision for me. Bray Wyatt is one of the freshest characters that WWE has brought up to the main roster. He believes in his gimmick and it is getting over - big time. This'll be a great scalp for him to have going forward. And he'll be beating Kane at his own match - not that he's won many anyway. Isn't this a slightly nicer way of calling it something other than an 'Inferno Match'?
Jimmo's pick: Bray Wyatt

World Heavyweight Championship - Alberto Del Rio (c) vs Christian
Unfortunately for Christian, I don't sympathise with his 'one more match' crap. Bigger names have received chants of 'one more match' that are more deserving and I would agree for them to return. Not Christian, though. Another unfortunate thing for Christian is that he keeps beating Alberto in singles matches just lately (therefore, why the hell should we care for it to be on pay-per-view here?) which tells me that based on this type of pattern leading to a PPV that this is; Alberto will retain. Meaning Christian will have to have ANOTHER one more match. Sigh.
Jimmo's pick: Alberto Del Rio

The Best vs The Beast: CM Punk vs Brock Lesnar (w/ Paul Heyman)
This has been one of the two selling points of the PPV and it will deliver. Both guys know how to put on a show and a great match. I think this is the last of Brock's allotted matches this year so I have to go with keeping Brock strong seeing as Triple H had to take a win back earlier in the year. Not sure where Punk goes from a loss, though, but he can always keep chasing Heyman in the meantime.
Jimmo's pick: Brock Lesnar

WWE Championship - John Cena (c) vs Daniel Bryan
Huge talk has surrounded this match. It should be an epic - I really hope that it is. There are lots of possible endings, too. I think the one likelihood is that Daniel Bryan is finally getting the elevation he deserves. I'd love to see him make Cena tap out, but I'll settle for just a pinfall victory. John probably won't be that giving. The unpredictability lies with what happens after this match. Will Orton cash-in? If so will he be assisted? My hope is for a new style Corporation with Orton being the new Corporate Champion, backed by BOTH Vince and Triple H. The only hole in my plan is that it's probably going to be Vince vs Triple H heading towards Wrestlemania next year so they'll probably need to be on opposing sides on the lead-up. So maybe just Vince helping Orton (with ref Maddox) and Hunter being Bryan's back-up in any future plans.
Jimmo's pick: I'll jump on the bandwagon and say Daniel Bryan new champion followed by the Orton cash-in.

Whatever happens, it's exciting that everyone is SO behind Bryan. It's great that Summerslam has something that makes it the second biggest show of the year - as it always should be presented!

@jimmosangle

Jimmo's Angle Special: Interview: Iestyn Rees

In the last six months, I have been lucky enough to go 'behind-the-scenes' of some local wrestling shows. This has given me the chance to see how things are set up and the amount of work that goes into each one. It has also given me the chance to meet the wrestlers and in some cases get a good rapport with them. I still consider myself an outsider to a certain degree; always trying to be respectful and using the rule that I should 'speak-when-I'm-spoken-to'.

Iestyn Rees

In the last couple of shows that I've been to, I have been very grateful that Iestyn Rees - one of the wrestlers on the show - has been very welcoming and has even asked my opinion of his matches. I felt a little under-qualified, but definitely very honoured that an experienced worker would like to know my thoughts. If I'm honest, it impressed me that a guy that's been wrestling several years would take advice from the unlikeliest of sources; it showed me that he is always looking to improve and that can only be a good thing for fans that come to see the shows. It must be a nice thing to know if you're a Promoter booking Iestyn for a show, too - you know that you're going to get something new and potentially great for the show you're putting on.

I spoke with Iestyn recently and he answered some of my questions:


Jimmo's Angle: Hi Iestyn, how did you go about becoming a wrestler? Where did you train? Did anyone of note train you?
Iestyn Rees: I was a massive WWF fan when I was a kid. My cousin used to tape the PPVs and occasionally Superstars (TV show), and would send them to me. Then he stopped watching wrestling so I wasn't able to watch anything. In 2000, the Royal Rumble was on channel 4; I recorded it and I was hooked again. I followed WWF on TV and the Internet all through University. After I finished Uni, I was searching on the Internet and thought “what the hell?” so I searched for wrestling schools. There were three close to me - 4FW (based in Swindon) looked the most professional by far, so one Sunday I bit the bullet and travelled down there. The ring wasn't there as they had a ring-job so we completed drills on mats for the session. I loved it and couldn't wait to go back the next Sunday. Soon, that became my Sunday routine; get up, drive to Swindon and train from 10am until 6pm.

The trainer was Dave Sharp and he was assisted by The Saint. I started training in July and after a few losses wearing a mask (doing a Mexican gimmick), I debuted in May the following year. I was really lucky as my debut was in a tag team match vs The Kartel (Sha Samuels and Terry Frazier). Over the next 6-9 months I was lucky enough to wrestle The Kartel, Martin Stone and Dave Mastiff; they all gave me loads of advice and really helped me develop in the ring.

JA: Who do you look up to? Who do you feel you have learnt the most from? Who do you admire/respect?
IR: The guys I look up to in the business are really good friends of mine as well - Dave Mastiff, Sha Samuels and Joel Redman (NXT's Oliver Grey). These guys, along with Al Snow have taught me the most. Gilligan Gordon, Chris Roberts and Dave Mastiff and I were lucky enough to spend an entire week with Al which was an incredible learning experience.

JA: I've seen you at three different shows (NBWA, Welsh Wrestling (for James Mason) and Pro EVW) - which promotions do you enjoy working for? Do you see any differences between promotions you work for?
IR: I really enjoy working for Welsh Wrestling, Pro EVW and IPW along with others. I feel these promotions make it easy for you to do your job as all aspects of the show are well organised and run effectively.

Obviously, there are differences between all the companies I work for, mainly with the audience they cater to and this causes slight changes to the style of the shows. IPW run a regular venue for the most part so the crowd become very invested in the wrestlers and their feuds. Pro EVW run regular venues in an expanded area but with a regular roster plus various different wrestlers from across the country. The shows include feuds and rivalries as well as top exhibition matches.

Welsh Wrestling run a touring schedule, therefore shows will be in venues one or two times a year. This will allow maximal advertising and usually the biggest house possible. There have been some venues that we've run more regularly including Welshpool where there was an ongoing storyline between myself, Kade Callous and Lembit Opik (MP), which lead to a match that was covered in ten national newspapers and reported on ITN and BBC news.

JA: What is your view of British Wrestling? What improvements do you think need to happen to get to the next level?
IR: British wrestling is doing very well in some areas of the country and there are some excellent talents here in the UK. This is plain to see by the number of guys signed to WWE and TNA contracts. In the areas that are doing well for themselves, I would say that the promoters of those promotions are working hard and understand their business model, ensuring their product is seen by as many people as possible.

The main improvements that need to be made, need to be made by both the wrestlers and promoters; working together. Promoters need to realise that to be successful and fill venues they need to advertise, advertise, advertise. This means posters, flyers, banners and newspaper ads – any way of getting the product across to as many fans as possible.

The Promoters then need to work to a realistic budget for their venue and use the best talent they can afford. If the budget can't stretch to getting respected pros then the Promoter shouldn't just throw any old talent out there; they should go back to the drawing board, look at their venue choice, advertising process and talent choices. If they still can't put on a decent show then they really shouldn't be promoting.

JA: At the last Pro EVW show you spoke with me briefly about your matches with Nick Riley (of The Magnums) - do you feel you guys have good chemistry? Who else do you think you click with in the ring?
IR: Recently, Nick is one of the guys I've worked with the most; I feel that our matches are always entertaining and hard hitting. We had a great one-on-one match at a recent show at the Wotton Hall Club in Gloucester for Pro EVW (see video below).

Other guys that I always have a great scrap with are Sha Samuels (most underrated wrestler in the UK) and Kade Callous, who I feuded with for the first half of this year for the Welsh Wrestling Heavyweight Title.

JA: I believe that you and Charlie Garrett have started to team as 'The Alpha Males' - how's that going? Have you got any bookings as a team yet? How did this team come about?
IR: I was working at the Pro EVW Training Centre in Gloucester where myself and Gilligan Gordon are part of the training staff. Gilligan commented on how me and Charlie looked a bit alike and also that there is a big gap in the British wrestling scene for a tag team that combines both power (me) and high flying/speed (Charlie).

Gilligan Gordon; a good friend of Iestyn's

So Charlie and I had a chat and we decided we could work well together. So we've put in some serious time at the Training Centre and I feel we're now ready to take British Tag Team wrestling by storm! So far we are booked (as a team) on the following shows:

• Sat 28th Sept at Pro EVW in Dursley, Gloucestershire
  
• Sat 5th Oct at Pro EVW in Ross on Wye, Herefordshire
  
• Sat 12th Oct at Pro EVW in Gloucester
  
• Sat 19th Oct at DWA Barnstaple, Devon (vs The Magnums in a TLC Match)
  
• Sun 28th Oct at DCW Crediton, Devon (vs Pretty Marvellous)
  
• Sat 2nd Nov at Pro EVW in Cinderford, Gloucestershire
  
• Sat 7th Dec at Pro EVW in Gloucester
  
• Sat 14th Dec at DWA Tiverton, Devon
  

The Alpha Males (with Charlie Garrett, left)

PLUG: Promoters interested in booking The Alpha Males - Check out their twitter page @The_Alpha_Males or search for 'The Alpha Males' on Facebook. Both of which have the dates that they are available.

JA: Tell me about your ambitions in wrestling?
IR: I'd love to travel the world working for as many top promotions as possible. I am also always looking at ways to improve my matches and come up with new and interesting ways to entertain the audiences that come to see the shows that I'm on.

JA: As Iestyn mentioned in this interview, he is part of the training team for Pro EVW. Some of the trainees there gave their thoughts on Iestyn's efforts:

Katy Lees:

“I would say that Iestyn has brought the spark back at Pro EVW and made everyone way more focused. He's also starting to help us all with gimmicks, our own move-sets and promo/acting work which we haven't done a lot of before. If we want to talk about wrestling outside of training he's made a page for us all to talk on. He also posts helpful videos for us to learn from. He's given us a lot more help than we've had before. When I first saw him I just thought “eeeek scary, evil training man!”... but now I realise that his training sessions are brilliant and help loads!”

Tom Carr:

“Katy summed him up perfectly. Iestyn is going to a great effort to help polish up the advanced trainees to a strong show standard and show the inexperienced guys the basics. It's great to have someone like Iestyn who wants us to do well and gives us the means to do so.”

David Stone:

"We've been really fortunate to have trained with many of the UK's top wrestlers at the Pro Evolution Wrestling Academy. Iestyn's a great example of that - his knowledge, confidence and ability to lead a class make him a fantastic mentor for us.

He shows a genuine interest in helping us improve our skills and attain our goals, and we're all genuinely thankful for the time he puts in to the academy."

 JA: If you'd like to book Iestyn then you can find him on Facebook or on Twitter (@Iestyn_Rees)

Support British Wrestling
@jimmosangle

The Return of World of Sport Wrestling: Good or Bad?

It was reported recently that WoS (World of Sport) Wrestling LTD have agreed a deal with ITV Broadcasting LTD and ITV Studios LTD to bring British wrestling back to TV audiences. LDN Wrestling were the chosen promotion for this venture and their show on Sunday 17th November will be filmed with a view to being broadcast on TV in the future. It should be noted that no commitment has been made to televise it as yet, and if it is shown it won't necessarily be on ITV. As ITV own several other channels, there's a good chance that it could be broadcast on a 'lesser' channel depending on how the event goes.

LDN Wrestling will host this event

When I initially heard this news I was thrilled - finally British wrestling will be on a platform where it can show what it is about. It can show that it has risen again and that there are several talented guys that can put on fantastic shows. When I read further into this I noticed that things were not as I first thought; for starters it would be almost like a World of Sport resurgence, meaning a different set of rules to what I, and many others, will be used to - Mountevan's rules.

Mountevan's rules consist of a round system (similar to Boxing) and instead of one-fall to decide the outcome, the victor is required to win two falls (best two of three falls). The only way to achieve a one-fall victory would be if you were awarded a disqualification decision. Finding out this information worried me hugely.

The legends of World of Sport; Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks

I can openly admit that I had no clue about Mountevan's rules and very little about the World of Sport era apart from Giant Haystacks and Big Daddy - when I was growing up, my dad would mention these names in the usual non-wrestling-fan mocking way. They would be names that I would never forget but also never look into. As a kid, I had larger-than-life characters in Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior; I had no need for British legends that were no longer on my TV screen.

Even today I go to shows that consist of the American style; one-fall match. This has become the norm. WoS wrestling ended in 1988 and in its absence the WWF(E) (and to a lesser degree, WCW) filled the void and wowed worldwide audiences ever since. A whole generation has passed since the 'golden age' of British wrestling. As a result of this I feel like this revival show might confuse, alienate and generate more mockery from non-wrestling fans and fence-sitters. People know the American-way, if you will, and people generally don't like change.

Recently, I have befriended a former referee and MC of the WoS era, Lee Bamber. He gave me his view of the possibility of a WoS wrestling return:

"God Yes, I would love to see more shows under the traditional Moutevan's rules banner and I think that the public would enjoy the "fair sport" style of wrestling that most have either forgotten or have never seen. There are a couple of promoters who still employ the old British way; John Freemantle's "Premier Promotions" is probably the best known for this, but even the mighty Brian Dixon still bills the odd "old school" or traditional contest to add light and shade to his very successful shows.

As someone who remembers the "golden days" of the 1970's and worked within the Moutevan's rules when I turned pro in 1985, I still regard this way as THE way to present a wrestling show. As in today's high flying, gimmick laden, rhetoric blasting USA style; which is fine; the referee is seemingly there just to count the falls and nothing else . He has no authority, no respect, no power; it's all show, spot, show, spot... anything goes.

When I referee now in a non-"old school" show I never enjoy it as much. The traditional way can tell a better story, build up a contest and have more legitimate credibility than the spot-fest of the US style. You can build up more tension if the referee has a part to play: He is in charge - will he disqualify the heel?

For me, the fundamental differences and the way I still like to work are: If a wrestler goes outside the ring he has until 10 to get back in. Here's the big one; once a hold or move is broken with a wrestler on the floor the referee starts the count; the opponent can't just grab him again if it's not part of the same move. You can build up tension by shouting "break the hold" when on the ropes not just launch into a 5 count... and best of all is the "Public Warning" system; two warnings issued by the referee for rule breaking, and a disqualification called on the third; this helped tell the story of the match, build up tension and make it something the fans could follow.

I think reinstating the Moutevan's rules would help create a different product from the USA style that everyone is familiar with and it could put British Wrestling back on the map, otherwise we are just copying our Trans-Atlantic cousins and that's not a good thing.

In the latter days of Joint Promotions, referees were known to the fans as well as the wrestlers; third men such as Max Ward, Brian Crabtree, Dave Rees, Joe D'Orazio and Peter Szackacs were known and respected because they had a part to play in the bouts unlike today when the referee seems to be there just to look like a ref. The old timers would return and the current fans would be curious if we had a new "old" show. I'm all for it and if it does happen, can I referee please?"

After getting Lee's views, it gave me fresh insight and made me reconsider my worries. Maybe I have a little tunnel vision on the subject. Maybe all these years of watching WWE has made me think that there is no other way of conducting a match. Lee might be right, though - maybe our own, traditional way of doing things is a way forward and a nice alternative. After all, we did influence the way in which some of the other wrestling cultures developed so why not go back to what brought us to the table?

Doug Williams and Magnus (Nick Aldis) have made great strides in the USA

In between correspondence with Lee, another problem cropped up for me. The majority of the UK scene is of the American style of wrestling; I was still troubled that despite the November 17th presentation bringing a new 'old' approach, it still wasn't a true reflection of the current UK wrestling scene. I went back to Lee for more opinion:

"Watching "the game" evolve over the years I would say that it was Mountevan's rules everywhere until domestic wrestling came off our screens in 1988 and as the American presentations took over, UK promoters started dabbling with the odd "American Rules" or "American style"contests from about 1989 with the Stateside way becoming the norm from around 1995 (these dates are very approximate).

I would guess that any promoter setting up from about the year 2000 has run with almost exclusively the US style. As mentioned before, "Premier Promotions" are 100% old school, Brian Dixon's "All Star" sometimes presents a traditional contest, and Sanjay Bagga's LDN has some World of Sport matches and "legends" evening. Most of the other smaller, newer outfits may not even have a clue about pre-1988 televised wrestling.

To today's wrestling audience, and especially the kids, a traditional style bill would seem alien BUT if you promote it as such and get a good MC to explain on the night that it's an evening of traditional rules British wrestling - the style that impressed and influenced the rest of the world - you would be on to a winner with its USP (unique selling point).

Yes for many it would be alien, and it has to be said that in 2013, Mountevan's rules is NOT a true reflection of the UK scene today, but it's good to be different. Take a mix of the historic and traditional and give it a lick of paint; "tart it up" for 2013 and you could be onto something big. I think you will be surprised at the amount of support you will get for it."

My talks with Lee really opened my eyes to different possibilities and that this might be a positive way to go. I also approached a friend of mine from Pro Evolution Wrestling (Pro EVW), Karl Timmis, about his views on the matter:

"A one-off show is great for nostalgia purposes. Personally, I can see it doing the current business good and bad in equal portions. It may deter people away from current British promotions as they'll see it as the same as they just saw on TV. It could equally encourage people to local shows, again expecting to see what they saw on TV. This is great because although they may not get what they expected, it gives the promotion the opportunity to get their brand of entertainment across; this can only be a good thing for those involved. If the fans don't return in the future, then that company has not entertained them well enough."

Karl's view really made sense to me. From a wrestling promotion's point of view, all publicity is good publicity - it will put extra bums in seats - if only for the short term - and if that promotion entertains well enough then people will return. As Karl points out, though, it could have a negative effect if people are expecting the Mountevan's rules style.

If this is going to be a one-off show, then I suppose we, as wrestling fans, should take the win. With the dominance and influence of the American promotions over the last twenty-five years it was always going to be difficult to compete. This potential return to terrestrial TV is a massive step in the right direction for British wrestling and who knows, maybe it could be the start of changing peoples views and preconceptions about wrestling with more and more new fans getting along to their local (and not-so-local) shows and igniting British wrestling into a new 'golden age'.

One of the UK's best: El Ligero

I'm still not completely sold on the Mountevan's rules style but I'm willing to see how it goes. Whether it be these rules or the 'American' rules that we're all used to, as long as the drama and storytelling is present then that's surely what we crave and continue to go back for? It's also mainstream publicity for British wrestling which could get new fans turning up to shows - fans that weren't even aware that wrestling was still around in the UK.

One step at a time, eh? Progress will happen - there's too much talent in the UK for people NOT to take notice of the thing we love.

Support British Wrestling
@jimmosangle

Like Father, Like Son?

Recently, I started to think about some of the second (and third) generation stars that are on the main WWE roster and how they compare to their legendary, Hall of Fame fathers. I can imagine that it is both a gift and a curse being the son of a Hall of Famer - on one hand, you will always be in your father's shadow until you do something remarkable, and on the other hand it must give you that foot in the door in the first place.

Leading up to starting this piece, I wasn't sure how to approach it. My initial idea was that I would compare the father's career to the son's. I then realised that this is an unfair approach as today's 'stars' are seen in a completely different way to how their fathers were seen in their heyday. Instead, I felt that it might be fairer to show what the fathers had done by the age that the son is now. This gave me some interesting information to go on. For this, I looked at current WWE roster stars Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Curtis Axel and (somewhat former roster member) Ted Dibiase Jr.

Son; Randy Orton (Current age: 33) - Father; Bob Orton Jr (Was 33 in 1983)
Bob Orton Jr attracted the attention of the WWF in 1981 after a successful run in the NWA. He challenged then WWF Champion Bob Backlund for his title in an unsuccessful attempt. After another run with the NWA, Bob would return to the WWF as Vince McMahon Jr began the national expansion of the company and would be part of the main event at the first Wrestlemania - in the corner of heels Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff.

Bob's most famous period came when he would wear a cast on his left arm to cheat his way to victory (the idea stemming from an actual break that he suffered). He would also challenge for the WWF title again at the end of 1985 and the start of 1986 against Hulk Hogan. Much like his attempts in 1981, Bob would be unsuccessful. This would be the height of Bob's wrestling career.

In 2005, Randy would feud with The Undertaker as part of his 'Legend Killer' gimmick. Along the way, Bob would aid his son and be a big part of WWE television, even being part of a handicap match against The Undertaker in a winning effort. Bob would also be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.

Youngest ever World Champion at 24 (Summerslam 2004)

Randy, on the other hand, is a nine-time World Champion (and youngest ever World Champion at 24 years old), he is a former World Tag Team Champion, a one-time Intercontinental Champion and currently holds the WWE title Money in the Bank contract which should guarantee him a tenth World Title in the near future.

Cody Rhodes (28) - Dusty Rhodes (Was 28 in 1973)
Despite Dusty Rhodes' huge contribution to wrestling (which continues today), back in 1973, he was merely finding his feet. From around 1974 onwards, Dusty would become a popular babyface and become very successful in several of the NWA's promotions before winning the first of his three NWA World Heavyweight Championships in 1979.

In the 1980s, Dusty would become part of the booking committee in the NWA (and later WCW) before having a short stint in the WWF where he never really found any major success despite being fairly high on the card at times.

It's widely regarded that Dusty is one of the greatest minds that Professional Wrestling has ever seen. He is credited with coming up with many of WCW's pay-per-view names and gimmicks - The War Games concept delivered some of the most violent matches of the late 1980s and wowed live audiences across the country. I'd also say that this type of match influenced the likes of the Hell in a Cell and Elimination Chamber matches that have arisen since.

He even [invented and] had a finish to a match named after him - the 'Dusty Finish' - usually where the babyface seemed to have won the match (and title), only to have the decision reversed as it would become apparent that cheating had taken place on behalf of the heel and therefore, a disqualification victory would instead be awarded - meaning that the title cannot change hands.

Cody Rhodes - former IC Champion

As you can see, Cody has very big shoes to fill. But at age 28, Cody has got an impressive resume of his own. Debuting in 2007, Cody would become a 22-year-old World Tag Team Champion (alongside Hardcore Holly). Since then he has won more Tag Team gold as well as being a former two-time Intercontinental Champion - resurrecting the old style belt in the process. He is currently engaged in a feud with former best friend Damien Sandow, which could be the making of both men with the right amount of TV time given.

Curtis Axel (Joe Hennig; 33) - Mr Perfect; Curt Hennig (Was 33 in 1991)
Unlike the previous two examples, by the time that Hennig had reached Axel's age he was pretty much at the end of his career due to a back injury. And again, unlike Dusty Rhodes and Bob Orton Jr, he had enjoyed great success. Maybe this was in part due to him having a famous wrestling father in Larry 'The Axe' Hennig?

Hennig had promising stints in both the AWA (American Wrestling Alliance) and the WWF between 1980 and 1984. After becoming a top star in the AWA, he would win the biggest prize in the promotion by defeating the legendary Nick Bockwinkel for the AWA Heavyweight Championship in 1987. He would go onto have one of the longest title reigns in AWA history - clocking up 373 days.

In 1988, Hennig would head back to the WWF; as many of the AWA's top stars had previously done; carrying an even bigger reputation. On this occasion he would be given the moniker of 'Mr Perfect', performing various feats of 'perfect' in vignettes leading up to his debut. This would fit nicely with him going on an undefeated streak for over a year. During this time, he would feud (unsuccessfully) with Hulk Hogan over the WWF Championship - the closest he would come to one of the "recognised" (WWF/WCW) World Championships.

Despite not winning the 'big one', Hennig would instead capture the Intercontinental Championship twice, raising the profile of the title in the process and giving it a level of prestige that it has not seen since. In a defining moment in both his and Bret Hart's careers, Hennig dropped the title to Hart at Summerslam 1991 - solidifying Hart's place amongst the mid-to-upper card. As a huge Bret Hart fan, I have a tonne of thanks and respect for Hennig and the match that they put on. Unfortunately, this would be as good as the end of Hennig's in-ring career (despite various comebacks, he was never the same Curt Hennig again).

AWA Heavyweight Champion

Promos were one of Hennig's strengths and this fit well with his next roles of being on commentary and in managerial roles. Despite not being able to wrestle to the standard that he would have liked, there was still a huge contribution to be made. Curt Hennig was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.

Curtis Axel is Joe Hennig's second attempt at 'making it' on the main roster. Previously, the name Michael McGillicutty was given to him and an association with CM Punk and the New Nexus was made. This wouldn't be his breakthrough moment, though, as Punk would become the centre of attention in mid-2011 and the New Nexus stable would quietly dissolve, with most of it's members going back to developmental.

In May of this year he was repackaged with the Curtis Axel name and has now been given an opportunity to work with some of the biggest names in the business. First, he became the newest 'Paul Heyman Guy'; joining an elite group of names that have each gone onto greatness (Steve Austin, Rick Rude, Brock Lesnar...). He has also won the Intercontinental Championship - fittingly on Father's Day - in a stroke of luck; he wasn't scheduled to be in the match in the first place but replaced the concussed Fandango.

Ted Dibiase Jr (30) - 'Million Dollar Man' Ted Dibiase Sr (Was 30 in 1984)
Much like Dusty Rhodes and Bob Orton Jr, Ted Sr never made it big by the time he reached Ted Jr's age. He had had a spell in the WWF, becoming its first North American Heavyweight Champion (later that title would be unified by Pat Patterson to create the Intercontinental Championship) in 1979. He would become well travelled through the 1980s, working for the NWA, Mid-South Wrestling and even All Japan Pro Wrestling before finding fame with a character that elevated him to superstardom.

In 1987, the WWF came calling with a character that Vince McMahon would have loved to play himself if he were to become a wrestler - The Million Dollar Man. This character would go onto become one of the most hated villains in wrestling history - flashing the cash at every opportunity and 'buying' whatever or whoever he wanted. The biggest example of this was in 1988 when he attempted to purchase the WWF Championship from Andre the Giant; something that the evil Giant welcomed. This title 'reign'/purchase has never been recognised and Ted Sr never won the WWF title in his time with the company.

Ted Sr's career would wind down in the early-to-mid 1990s, becoming a three-time Tag Team Champion alongside fellow veteran IRS (Mike Rotunda) before retiring from in-ring action in 1994. He would then create the Million Dollar Corporation - a heel stable that would dominate in WWF's unpopular era in the mid-1990s. He would also become the forth member of the NWO faction in WCW in 1996.

Even though they would become stars in their own right, Ted Sr was the gentleman that would introduce The Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin (The Ringmaster at that time) to WWF audiences. Even though he was merely the middle man in these situations, these guys went onto become two of the biggest stars in WWE history. Big thanks should go to Ted Sr for nurturing these guys in whatever small way that he did.

Ted Sr (w/ Million Dollar belt) & Ted Jr

In May 2008, Ted Sr would introduce Ted Jr to WWE audiences (maybe hoping to have the same effect as his previous clients?) and this would set in motion Ted Jr's immediate rise to Tag Team gold (with Cody Rhodes). Together, Rhodes and Dibiase would become a dominant tag team and eventually be a part of Randy Orton's Legacy stable. Unfortunately, after the end of Legacy, things have taken a nose-dive for Ted Jr. He and Cody feuded for a little while with Cody looking far superior. A time on Superstars (TV show) and an injury have resulted in him going very much in the wrong direction in the last couple of years. But they repackaged Michael McGillicutty, didn't they?

Summary
After researching this, I was very surprised to learn that, with the exception of Curt Hennig, the other fathers hadn't really made the strides that their sons have made thus far. With the huge names, and reputations, that each has - along with all being members of the Hall of Fame - it's amazing to think that they gained this fame a lot later in their careers. This just shows the difference between then and now.

With how legendary the names Dusty Rhodes, Bob Orton Jr, Curt Hennig and Ted Dibiase are, I sometimes wonder if their sons will ever live up to the family names and go above and beyond the achievements gained by the fathers. In a way, it is nice to see that Randy, Cody, Curtis (Joe) and Ted Jr all have plenty of time on their sides compared to when their fathers found their callings. They are relatively young and have achieved so much already - that bodes well for them creating their own legendary status.

Obviously, it could be argued that Randy Orton is Hall of Fame bound in the future due to his very credible career so far. Cody Rhodes and Curtis Axel are in solid positions on the main roster at the moment, too, with both heading in the right direction in the last few months. The odd man out here seems to be Ted Dibiase Jr - why is he in this article? Well my thinking behind it is to show that it doesn't always go to plan. Yet. Although he seems to be a disappointment at the moment, the same could've been said about Curtis Axel a few months ago. There is still hope. Ted Sr was 33 when the Million Dollar Man gig came along so Ted Jr definitely has time on his side.

Something else to think about here is that despite their incredible talents, Curt Hennig and Ted Dibiase never became World Champions in the WWE. This must be something that Curtis Axel and Ted Jr will be wanting to get to at some point in their careers to rectify the injustice to their family names.

@jimmosangle

My Weekend of (British) Wrestling 14 - Pro EVW

Saturday 3rd August 2013 - Pro EVW - The Capital Venue, Gloucester

After a five week lack of British wrestling in my life it was a welcome return to The Capital Venue in Gloucester for Pro EVW's latest show. The last time that I, and Pro EVW, were here was for the emotional tribute show for the late Kamil. The hero of that show was 'The Saviour' JD Knight, but in a change of attitude this show would see the evil side of Knight as he would return to Pro EVW to insult the local crowd and challenge for the Pro EVW Heavyweight Championship - newly won by Justin 'The Hammer' Sysum at the last show; which drew an impressive 300-plus fans.

The attendance for this show was a little over 150 but they were ready and eager for the nights action. This show promised to be another great one as there was a double main-event on offer; first, the inaugural Pro EVW Women's Champion would be crowned as Germany's Alpha Female would take on Scotland's Kay Lee Ray and Carmel Jacob in a triple threat match. The second half of the main-event would see the aforementioned Pro EVW Heavyweight Championship match.

Gilligan Gordon

The opening match saw the new tag team of Gilligan Gordon and Matt Lomax; The Bruiser Street Brothers; take on the smaller pairing of Dan Splash and Kenny Williams. This was a bout very much controlled by the power and size of Gordon and Lomax with some great flashes of speed and high-flying from Splash and Williams. Chaos ensued towards the end and the evil manager Logan Blood managed to strike Splash with his cane to gift the win to The Bruiser Street Brothers.

The second and third matches of the evening saw lots of talent on display; firstly, the former Pro EVW Champion, 'The Shark' Chris Andrews would get his first outing without the belt as he took on one-half of the sleazy Pro EVW Tag Team Champions, 'The Filth' Chris Walker. This was a match that I firmly expected Andrews to win in record time. This didn't seem to be the plan of the sneaky Magnum (Walker) as he would use underhanded tactics as well as assistance from the Sister of Sleaze; Ratt, to get the better of Andrews. Ultimately, the bigger and stronger Andrews would be rubbed the wrong way too many times and come back to deliver an impressive looking Stalling Suplex before a devastating TKO finished things off.

The third match saw Gloucester's-own Iestyn Rees take on Scotland's Andy Wild. This one started off quite slow with Wild taking the cowardly way out of starting the match by bailing from the ring in order to avoid confrontation with Rees. The match itself was very back and forth, Rees coming close at various times to finishing Wild off with his favoured Spear/Spinbuster finish. An exciting end saw this finish take place as hometown hero Rees connected with both moves to send Wild back to Scotland defeated.

Scotland's Andy Wild

The usual interval was upon us and there was time for me to dwell on the first half of the show. I have to admit that the first half hadn't dazzled me as the previous two shows that I'd been to had. Maybe they were that good (and they were) that the only way was down [a little]. In hindsight, I have to say that despite doubts before the show, the Andrews vs Walker match was a lot better than I expected and that is down to the hard work by both men to eliminate the physical differences that they have. Also, after speaking with Iestyn Rees about his match I learnt that this was the first encounter that he and Wild had had. If this match were to happen again, I'm sure that it would have a much better flow to it.

The show restarted with MC Hank McCoy announcing the triple threat match for the Pro EVW Women's Championship match. This would pit the powerhouse Alpha Female against the quicker Carmel Jacob and more agile Kay Lee Ray. Despite the dominance of Alpha Female throughout the match, the other two ladies would cause her trouble in a way that I hadn't witnessed before - the opportunity of becoming the first Women's Champion was something that all three weren't going to pass up. There was a reason that this was one-half of the main event of the show as all three showed why they are three of the most sought after ladies in the UK today.

The finish would add an element of excitement and unpredictability as they all went for their finishes - Kay Lee Ray hitting a variation of a Widow's Peak on Carmel Jacob before Alpha Female would take advantage by hitting a Sidewinder (with a pin) on Kay Lee Ray for the win - the first ever Pro EVW Women's Champion!

Trademark pose from the NEW Pro EVW Women's Champion

The second part of the main event would be for the Pro EVW Heavyweight Championship. This would be Justin 'The Hammer' Sysum's first title defence since winning the belt at The Wotton Hall Club five weeks earlier. His opponent for the evening would be the tough JD Knight.

The thing I've liked about the last few Pro EVW Heavyweight Championship matches is that they have been wars. Not necessarily the most flowing of matches, but they have shown that both guys are willing to give absolutely everything in order to become the main man. This battle was no different, with the more experienced Knight taking Sysum to his limit. With a lot taken out of both men, Sysum was too weak to perform his usual 450 splash from the corner, instead reaching deep and executing a modified Black-Hole Slam for the hard-earned victory.

Results

• The Bruiser Street Brothers (Gilligan Gordon & Matt Lomax) w/ Logan Blood defeated The Elements (Dan Splash & 'Hot Shot' Kenny Williams)
• 'The Shark' Chris Andrews defeated Pro EVW Tag Team Champion 'The Filth' Chris Walker w/ Ratt
• 'Irresistible' Iestyn Rees defeated 'Unstoppable' Andy Wild
• Pro EVW Women's Championship: The Alpha Female defeated Kay Lee Ray and Carmel Jacob to become the first-ever Women's Champion
• Pro EVW Heavyweight Championship: Justin 'The Hammer' Sysum (c) defeated 'The Saviour' JD Knight

 Overall, a very good show in front of a smaller crowd due to outside factors. Still, this crowd let themselves be heard and enjoyed all the evening's matches. Some top talent came down from Scotland and it made for a nice change to the card. As I said before, the first half was missing something for me but that could just be that my expectations were through the roof after the last couple of shows that I'd been to. Both title matches were great to watch - congrats to Justin for retaining, and a huge congrats to Alpha Female for becoming the first-ever Pro EVW Women's Championship! Good luck on your travels to Japan!

Also, a little mention to Tom and Kayleigh (Pro EVW trainees) who were rewarded for their commitment to Pro EVW with special roles on the show. Valuable experience for both of them!

The next Pro EVW show will be at Lister Hall in Dursley (Gloucestershire) on Saturday 28th September... I urge everyone to get themselves along to it - for more details find Pro EVW on Facebook or Twitter - you will not be disappointed!

Support British Wrestling

@jimmosangle

WWE Memories: Summerslam 1991

With Summerslam just a couple of weeks away I got thinking of my favourite memories from WWE's second biggest show of the year. A few stick out in my mind such as the 1999 Summerslam where Mankind beat Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H for the WWF Championship in the main event. This was in the same year that I had started to watch WWE (WWF at the time) again after a few years away. Along with 2001, it is my favourite period in WWE history. Speaking of 2001, the Summerslam that year would feature Superstars from WCW and ECW in the 'Invasion' angle.

The Summerslam that will always have a special place in my heart, and is probably my favourite, is that of 1991. Along with Wrestlemania VII (seven), this was one of the first WWF events that I ever saw. This was thanks to a school friend at the time who had Sky Sports (as I did not!). After the events of The Hart Foundation vs Nasty Boys Tag Team Championship match at Wrestlemania, I was firmly a Bret Hart fan leading into his singles career. Summerslam 1991 was the start, and also the crowning moment, in solidifying Hart as a singles wrestler from then on.

This event also saw a lot of legends, future hall of famers and some of the most popular wrestlers in wrestling history take part. It was also a very babyface orientated pay-per-view with all but two matches having the hero come through victorious. The two matches that saw heels come out on top saw IRS (Mike Rotunda) defeat Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine and The Natural Disasters (Earthquake and Typhoon) defeat the hugely popular Bushwackers.

The other matches saw some of the most 'ultra'-popular performers end feuds against some of the most hated villains in WWE history.

Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat, Texas Tornado & The British Bulldog defeated Power & Glory & The Warlord (w/ Slick)
This was a great match to open the show and 'warm' the crowd up, pitting three of the most popular mid-carders against three of the strongest and meanest. At the time I loved Bulldog, Tornado and Steamboat but was oblivious to their heritage and achievements prior to this event. I suppose that as a kid I saw it exactly how I should have done - three popular 'good guys' beating on the 'bad guys' that they were feuding with at the time. Wrestling was a lot simpler in the early 90s!

Looking back, I realised that Texas Tornado came from one of the greatest wrestling families ever, Ricky Steamboat had been a World Champion outside of the WWE and The British Bulldog had a very successful tag team career with another legend, The Dynamite Kid. It's amazing to think of the careers that these guys had, and the reputations that they had made - I was completely in-the-dark to all of these things.

The match itself was very exciting, with the usual 'face getting the crap beaten out of him' for several minutes before getting the tag to his eager partners. Chaos would ensue before each would perform their finishing maneuver on the heels for the mind-blowing conclusion to the match. The audience loved this outcome and the goal of kicking off Summerslam with a bang had been achieved.

Intercontinental Championship: Bret 'Hitman' Hart defeated Mr Perfect (c) (w/ The Coach) to become the new Intercontinental Champion
To think that this match was on second on the night and, for me, was by far the best, and most emotional match of the night! Again, as an eight-year-old kid all I knew was that Bret Hart was my hero and Mr Perfect was the reigning Intercontinental Champion that stood in the way of Hart starting his singles career on a high note. I think at the time I still saw Hart as one half of The Hart Foundation and didn't think he could overcome the more experienced singles competitor.

I'm still trying to get my head around it when I hear people say that two wrestlers told a 'great story', but I think looking back at this match made it a lot clearer to me - quite simply, Hart and Mr Perfect (Curt Hennig) told one of the best stories I've ever seen; Hart the new singles competitor (at least in the eyes of the WWF) and Perfect was the experienced, tough, hard-to-beat Champion. This is how the story played out, too. There were several ups and downs to this match; Perfect showing his dominance and why he is a great champion; Hart showing that he should be taken seriously and that he is a genuine threat to this great title. A huge feather in Hart's cap was when he kicked out of the Perfect-plex - something that had not happened too often before and also back when kicking out of a finishing move was very seldom and a big deal. There was no quit in Hart, whereas Perfect tried to walk out of the match and save his title - a move which shows everyone watching that he was worried about potentially losing his title to a guy that he thought it impossible to lose to going into this encounter.

The finish saw Perfect try to drop a leg between Hart's, only to have him turn it into the Sharpshooter. This win would elevate Hart instantly into a top position of trust within the WWF, and this was hugely deserved. Hart came from a great wrestling dynasty and would set the foundations for smaller guys to go on and become World Champions in the years following.

Natural Disasters (Earthquake & Typhoon) (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated The Bushwackers (w/ Andre the Giant)
As I said before, this was one of only two heel wins on the night. This was not a surprise either, as The Bushwackers, as loved as they were, didn't stand a chance in this bout. In what was a long squash match, The Bushwackers started out with all the comedy that you would normally expect from them before Earthquake would show the power and size that would give The Natural Disasters a convincing victory.

The events after the match would be more important and would set another feud in motion; a more believable feud for Earthquake and Typhoon. After disposing of The Bushwakers, the giants would turn their attention to Andre the Giant, who had been in the corner of the New Zealand natives. When things seemed to be looking dangerous for Andre, The Legion of Doom would enter the scene to protect their fellow babyface. This would lead to a future confrontation between the giant Disasters and the dominant Road Warriors.

Million Dollar Championship: Virgil defeated 'Million Dollar Man' Ted Dibiase (c) (w/ Sensational Sherri) to become the new Million Dollar Champion
I don't recall why this match was for the Million Dollar Championship as the more important story here was Virgil getting revenge on his former employer - something that everyone can get behind. I suppose having Dibiase's title on the line meant that with a Virgil win, he would gain an even bigger measure of revenge.

This wasn't a great match at all; I'm pretty sure Virgil was very green (inexperienced) and limited to what he could do in the ring. This match still got a lot of time, as well as a false finish (Sherri would hit Virgil to try and save the title, only to be kicked out and the match be continued). The end would see Dibiase go into an exposed turnbuckle that he had set up for Virgil, being knocked out as a result and pinned to lose his Million Dollar belt.

From a video/DVD point of view, the commentary from Roddy Piper is priceless throughout this match - screaming encouragement at Virgil. The passion that Piper brings here adds to the sense of suffering that Virgil went through on his way to revenge. So even though this match wasn't a classic, the story and victory was one of the sweetest things about this event.

Jailhouse Match: Big Boss Man defeated The Mountie (w/ Jimmy Hart) - The Mountie would then have to spend the night in jail
This was a great gimmick match with characters that you will probably never see again - The American Policeman, Big Boss Man overcoming his Canadian counterpart, the evil Mountie. The match went back and forth before Boss Man would finish off with an awesome looking whiplash/Alabama Slam to ensure that The Mountie would be serving hard times.

Aside from the match, the comedy of this situation would carry on throughout the night with many skits involving The Mountie's journey to prison and all the procedures that he has to go through before being put in his cell for the night! Great comedy and over-the-top antics in seeing The Mountie receive his comeuppance.

Interviews
Just like with local British wrestling shows that I go to, there seemed to be an interval in Summerslam 1991 before the final three matches would commence. This was the time of the show where there would be several interviews with some of the winners and losers of previous matches. There would also be interviews with the remaining 'important matches' participants.

Sean Mooney and 'Mean' Gene Okerlund went back and forth conducting interviews with angry heels and overjoyed heroes. I always loved interviews and promos from these wrestlers when I was a kid - they were so over-the-top and shouted at the top of their lungs! It would make you listen when Hogan or Boss Man or Hawk from LOD would be talking as they would scream down the TV at you about what they were going to do; I was completely drawn in by every word.

Tag Team Championship (No DQ/No Countouts): Legion of Doom (Hawk & Animal) defeated The Nasty Boys (w/ Jimmy Hart) to become new Tag Team Champions
After the injustice of The Nasty Boys robbing The Hart Foundation of the titles at Wrestlemania VII, I was gunning for the Legion of Doom to take the belts. Legion of Doom were my favourite tag team at the time so this, along with Bret Hart winning, was a must for me on this night.

As is the usual formula for a Legion of Doom match, Hawk would take the pounding for much of the match before getting the 'hot' tag to Animal. Not long after this, there would be a helmet (brought to the ring by Jimmy Hart) shot before the Doomsday Device would finish things off and the crowning of new Tag Team Champions would happen. The Nasty Boys and Jimmy Hart were, quite simply, beaten at their own game.

IRS defeated Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine
This would be the second 'throwaway' match of the night. It would also serve a purpose of bringing the crowd down from the excitement of the Tag title match and give them a breather heading into the main event.

Evil heel tactics would ensure that IRS would cheat his way to a victory over the experienced Valentine. Eventually, IRS would form a very fitting tag team with The Million Dollar Man - becoming Money Inc. This would be IRS' most successful time in the WWF.

Match Made in Hell (3 on 2 Handicap match): WWF Champion Hulk Hogan & Ultimate Warrior defeated Sgt. Slaughter, Col. Mustafa & Gen. Adnan (w/ Sid Justice as Special Guest Referee)
Even back in 1991, Hulk Hogan bored me in the same way that John Cena bores me now. He always won and always overcame - even as an eight-year-old I hated that ultimate hero crap (especially when Hogan would shit all over Wrestlemania IX; but that's another story!). I was never a huge Warrior fan either; he had an exciting entrance and I liked his music but that was all he did for me. Looking back as an adult, I realise that he was pretty atrocious in the ring and was just a roided-up-freak - he definitely had the look but not much talent wrestling-wise.

I also look back and realise even though he wasn't a top tier guy, Sgt. Slaughter had the right gimmick at the right time - the Gulf War was in swing and what better way to make a feud than by having the Sarge defect to the enemy - NUCLEAR heat. Stick the belt on him and you then get the biggest American hero chase him down to reclaim the WWF title. Throw in another legend in The Iron Sheik and you have a (mini) army backing the new super-villain.

This match was as you would expect it; the two most popular wrestlers of 1991 would overcome the odds to stand tall. They would then convince the Special Referee to join in the celebration and possibly set in motion Justice's heel turn a few months later.

Match Made in Heaven: Macho Man & Miss Elizabeth marry
Along with more skits from The Mountie's journey to prison, Summerslam 1991 ended with what would seem a happy ending. But I suppose with the face-heavy victories throughout the event it was only fair that the heels got one over on the faces by the end.

Several shots throughout the wedding party were shown before the opening of presents commenced. Elizabeth would hesitantly open gifts as ordered by her husband before she would open a fairly large box to discover a very unwanted pet - a snake. In what can only happen in early-90s WWF, an Undertaker and a snake-handler would then attack Savage leaving him in a heap on his own wedding night.

The positives I take from this, knowing what I know now, is that it led to other things further down the line. And I don't just mean the imminent reinstatement of Macho Man to the active roster and a feud with Jake Roberts, but it would also lead to Roberts turning on The Undertaker and ending their alliance resulting in one of The Undertaker's many matches in his Wrestlemania streak.

Summary
I love this show and after watching it again recently, it has to be one of my favourite pay-per-views. It started off the singles push that my hero, Bret Hart, got and also had a whole host of greats on the card. Hogan, Warrior, Savage, Undertaker, Roberts, Steamboat - some of the most legendary names in wrestling history.

The commentary is also something that I could listen to over and over again. For Summerslam, there was a three-man team of Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby Heenan and Roddy Piper. Monsoon is possibly my favourite of all time; he had that recognisable and authoritative voice that called things in a unique way that only he could. Heenan, as well as being one of, if not THE, greatest manager of all time, was an excellent colour commentator. He and Monsoon on commentary was itself a match made in heaven. I'll always remember when Heenan got so upset about an injustice to a heel that he would sound like he was close to tears! I wish commentators of today would have that same chemistry and emotion when they call matches.

Whilst injured, Roddy Piper would also be on commentary around this period. He would be an awesome addition as he would have plenty to say as well as antagonising Heenan at every opportunity! Obviously, Heenan would give as good as he got knowing that Monsoon would be in the middle of them to get away with it.

@jimmosangle