PWI 500 2012

The annual Pro Wrestling Illustrated 500 issue is now out on news stands and has been out for a few weeks in digital form. It’s always fun to see this list every year. But this year I was a little sad when I checked out the list. This was the first year since 2003 that there were no photos I took in the list. Because of that I decided to post some old photos I have of some of the wrestlers in the top 100. So enjoy a look back at some of the top stars of today.
#1 CM Punk. In 2004 Punk teamed up with Ace Steel to take on Dan Maff & BJ Whitmer in a Chicago street fight. Punk & Steel won the match. His ranking that year in the PWI 500 was #89. Chicago Ridge, IL.
#2 Bobby Roode. VS Booker T from 2008. That year Roode was #89 on the list. Spencer, IA.
#4 Daniel Bryan. In 2005 Bryan was known as Bryan Danielson and he wrestled in a match against Claudio Castignoli who is now known as Antonio Cesaro in the WWE. Danielson was # 76 on the list in 2005. Hammond, IN.
#6 Jun Akiyama. VS TAKA at Korakuen Hall. Tokyo, Japan. In 2005 Akiyama was ranked #76 on the list.
#7 Davey Richards. If you are a fan of Richards then check out his hard hitting match against Low Ki from the 2006 IWA Mid South TPI. Midlothian, IL.
#12 James Storm. VS Rhino. Spencer, Iowa.
#13 Austin Aries. VS Adrian Serreno. Minneapolis, MN.
#20 Kevin Steen. At the 2005 IWA MS TPI Steen went to the final round but lost to Matt Sydal. Hammond, Indiana.
#27 Mr. Anderson. Not long before Andeson went to OVW he took on rookie Thoruf Marius (Erick Rowan in FCW) in 2003. Maple Grove, MN
#28 AJ Styles. VS Shifty. Maple Grove, MN.
#32 Rodrick Strong. Strong went to  the finals of the 2006 IWA MS TPI against Arik Cannon and Low Ki. Midlothian, IL.
#39 Jay Lethal. VS AJ Styles. Spencer, IA.
#44 Colt Cabana. At the 2005 IWA MS TPI Cabana got a shot at the heavy weight title against champion Jimmy Jacobs. Hammond, IN.
#46 Seth Rollins. At the time of this photo Rollins was known as Tyler Black. Hammond, IN.
#48 Chris Daniels. In 2004 The Fallen Angel showed up in Midwest Pro Wrestling to take on Arik Cannon. Maple Grove, MN.
#51 Somoa Joe. As the ROH champion Joe defended the title against Homicide. Chicago Ridge, IL.
#54 Michael Elgin. Back in 2006 a young Elgin made his way to the midwest for the NIW Impact Invitational. Cottage Grove, MN.
#59 Johnny Gargano. VS Mat Fitchett. Minneapolis, MN.
#61 Takashi Morishima. Defending his ROH title against Austin Aries. St. Paul, MN.
#62 Adam Pearce & #64 Carl Anderson. Pearce & Anderson team up to take on Arik Cannon & Baby Slim at an NWA Midwest show in Cottage Grove, MN back in 2006.
#63 Jay Briscoe & #65 Mark Briscoe. VS CM Punk & Colt Cabana for the ROH tag team title. The Briscoe’s lost the titles at the end of this match in Chicago Ridge, IL.
#82 El Generico. VS Chris Bosh. Midlothian, IL.
#96 Evan Bourne. Before he was in the WWE Bourne wrestled as Matt Sydal. In this match from the 2006 Ted Petty Invitational for IWA Mid South Sydal beat El Generico.
#97 Rhett Titus. Back in 2007 Titus was in an opening match against Michael Elgin at an ROH event in St. Paul, MN.

IPW Waterloo, IA 7/9/2010

This past weekend I drove down to Waterloo, Iowa for the George Tragos/Lou Thesz 2010 Hall of Fame inductions at the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum. On Friday night Impact Pro Wrestling presented a card at the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center as part of the HoF weekend festivities. Before the card there was a Q & A with Mick Foley and Terry Funk and then a Fan Fest with many of the HoF members and award winners. This was my first time at an IPW event so there were many wrestlers who I had not seen before.
In the opening match James Jefferies defeated Sparrow w/Kiandra. Jefferies got the win while holding on to the ropes but ref Billy J was out of position to see the rule braking. Sparrow attacked Jefferies after the match.

IPW tag team champions Justin Decent & Ugly defeated Marshall Scott & Montoya X to retain their belts.

ROH champion Tyler Black defeated AJ Smooth.

Harley Jackson pinned Anthony Drake in less then 2 minutes. Drake looked a little like Beautiful Bobby from the Half Pint Brawlers TV show on Spike. Drake sure looked like a midget compared to the much larger Jackson.

IPW heavyweight champion Tony Sly defeated Matty Star to retain the belt.Sly got the pin after his manager hit Star with the title belt.

Nicky Free pinned former 2 time ROH champion Austin Aries.

The main event for the night was a 20 man over the top rope battle royal with the winner recieving $5,00 and a shot at the heavyweight title. Matty Star won the match when he eliminated Tony Sly.

SDW Lakeville, MN 5/1/2010

This past Saturday night at the Lakeville South high school Steel Domain Wrestling returned to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area for the first time in over 5 years. Promoter Ed Hellier put on this "One Night Only" event for the Lakeville, MN high schools to raise funds for the grade 9 sports.
The first match of the night was a tag team match between coaches from Lakeville North and Lakeville South. The team from Lakeville North won the match and a trophy.

After the tag team match Mick Karch and Ed Hellier did a TV taping opening. Karch then introduced George Schire who then introduced The High Flyers, Greg Gagne & "Jumping" Jim Brunzell. As Gagne and Brunzell were reliving their past as AWA tag team champions they were interrupted by Mitch Paradise & Adrian Lynch.

In the official first match of the night Brain Ash defeated Gage Octane. The last time I saw these two wrestle was October 2007 in a looser leaves 3XW match. Ash lost that match and left the ring for over 2 years.

Mitch Paradise & Adrian Lynch defeated Horace the Psychopath & Red Lighting. Ann Brookstone was the referee for this match.

After the match Lynch got on the mic and called out Greg Gagne. Lynch said Greg was old and a coward. Gagne came to the ring showing now fear and he was attacked by Paradise while Lynch distracted him. Gagne got the upper hand by giving Lynch a back body drop and a drop kick to Paradise's face. Growing up I was a big fan of the High Flyers and really liked their drop kicks. It was quit a thrill to be at ring side photographing a Gagne drop kick. If you've ever seen the movie The Wrestler staring Vern Gagne you know that no one gets up after a Gagne drop kick.

Two former ROH champions faced each other in the next match. Jerry Lynn got the 3 count on Austin Aries after a cradle piledriver.

Former SDW wrestler Primetime defeated "The Law" Mark Barker in his first SDW match.

Two more wrestlers making their SDW debuts competed in the next match. Chadwick Wentworth the 3rd defeated Cpl. Julio Julio.

In the semi main event WWE's Bam Neeley (Magnus Maximus in SDW) took on current NWA heavy weight champion "Scrap Iron" Adam Pearce for the vacated SDW championship. Neeley got Pearce to put the NWA belt on the line for this match. During the match Neeley tossed Pearce over the top rope and according to NWA rules that is a DQ so the NWA title stayed with Pearce.

Bam Neeley got the 3 count on Adam Pearce after this move pictured above.

Senior SDW referee Jay Soltis raising new SDW champion Bam Neeley's hand after the match.

The main event for the night was a lumber jack/hair cut match. Representing Lakeville North was "Playboy" Pete Huge with Austin Aries leading the North football players/lumber jacks out side the ring. Lakeville South was represented by Brody Hoofer in the ring and Jerry Lynn on the outside. The coach of the loosing side would have to have his head shaved after the match. Hoofer got the win for Lakeville South but in heel fashion the coach from Lakeville North made one of his football players get his hair cut instead.

SDW DVD

Steel Domain Wrestling has released a DVD called "Pro Wrestling Stars: Before the Big Time". This DVD features some of the top stars today in matches that took place in SDW from 1998 to 2005. Wrestlers on the DVD include WWE's CM Punk, current ROH champion Austin Aries, TNA Knockout ODB, WWE's Bam Neeley/Magnus Maximus and TNA/WWE's Ken "Kennedy" Anderson. Other notables on the DVD are former WCW cruiser weight champion Lenny Lane, WWE's Scotty Goldman/Colt Cabana, former TNA star Shawn "Sheik Abdul Bashir" Daivari and ROH's Ace Steel. The photos on the DVD cover were taken by me. Just click on the DVD title link for ordering info.
SDW DVD preview video on youtube
And speaking of photos on the cover...I got the photo cover of Pro Wrestling Illustrated Wrestling Annual. I took the photo of Shawn Michaels & Triple H at the Rochester, MN RAW house show last month.

MIW Chanhassen, MN 1/23/2010

Minnesota Independent Wrestling returned to the Chanhassen American Legion to a packed house this past Saturday night.
In the opening contest CPL Julio Julio defeated Weston Monroe. This was my first time seeing Monroe in action as he is one of the newest trainees of Terry Fox and Austin Aries.

El Bano defeated "The Law" Mark Barker. Bano is very well liked at this venue.

"The Professional" Benjamin Sailer defeated Rob Ivy. These two were guest on the opening segment called "Paradise's Pit" starring Mitch Paradise. Ivy and Paradise attacked Sailer until Sailer's Midwest Ground & Air partner Nate Bash made the save and and challenged Paradise to a match later on in the card.

Nate Bash pinned Mitch Paradise. Ivy came out to help Paradise but Bash still got the win.

In the main event "Playboy" Pete Huge & ROH champion Ausitn Aries defeated Horace the Psychopath & MIW champion Brody Hoofer. Earlier in the night Aries was in the ring cutting a promo when Huge came out to join him. On his way to the ring Huge slipped and fell. The two came out later and Huge had a neck brace on. The match ended when Huge pinned Hoofer.