MWE Robbinsdale, MN 3/3/2012

Midwest Wrestling Entertainment held their annual fund raiser event for a church youth group this past Saturday night. This year the event was held at the Elim Lutheran church in Robbinsdale, MN.
In the opening match Cpl. Julio Julio defeated Rob Ivy.

Arya Daivari & Renny D came out to cut a promo on the Junk Squad, Chris Jordan & Pete Huge. This promo set up the main event for the night as The Junk Squad were set to defend their tag team titles against The Young Guys. I’m not sure if that was the name that Daivari & D gave themselves but it sounds good.
Chris Dorrian pinned Benjamin Sailer in the the second match of the night.
Horace the Psychopath defeated Shimdog. This was Shimdogs last match as his doctor told him that he should never wrestle again because his spine is in horrible shape. Thankfully that means that this is the last time that Shimdogs tights will be seen in a wrestling ring. Here is a photo of Shimdog from June 2003. This was one of the first times that I photographed a Shimdog match. It took place at the old MPW arena. At the time Shimdog was the MPW cruiser weight champion. He defeated Kaos (Cody O’Neill) to retain the title.
The Black Stallion pinned El Bano.
The Junk Squad defeated The Young Guys when Chris Jordan pinned Renny D after some kind of swinging neck breaker type thing.

PTW Bloomington, MN 1/20/2012

Prime Time Wrestling returned to the Knights of Columbus in Bloomington, MN for their monthly shows. On this card PTW would crown their first champion.
The opening match was to determine who would face Lenny Lane in the main event for the PTW championship. Chiropractor DC defeated Magic Man to earn the the championship match. Magic Man was with out his hairdresser on this night but he still had his can of hair spray.
The Executioner defeated Chris Dorrian.
The Rainmaker came out for his match. While his music was playing it changed to “The Candy man”. It was Magic man who had the music changed. While The Rainmaker was distracted, Ian Xavier came out and gave The Rainmaker a big splash. The Black Stallion came out to save The Rainmaker.
After The Black Stallion saved The Rainmaker he challenged Ian Xavier to an match but Magic Man said he had a different opponent in mind. Out cam Robbie Thunder with Tiger Lilly to take on Stallion. When Lilly came in the ring to help Thunder Jordana K came out to attack Lilly. For some odd reason referee Willy Mack awarded the match to Thunder by DQ. This was Jordana’s first time in the ring. It’s nice to see some new females in the Minneapolis area. Hopefully both Lilly and Jordana will be around for awhile.
John Johnson pinned Cpl. Julio Julio. As you can see in the photo here Johnson had his feet on the ropes to get the pin but ref Willy Mack didn’t see it. But Mack reversed his decision when Johnson beat down Julio after the match. So Julio got the win by DQ.
Lenny Lane became the first PTW champion when he pinned Chiropractor DC. The fans were teased at the start of the match when DC pinned Lane and special guest senior referee Rob Page counted 3. But Lane pointed out that the bell had not yet rang for the match to started. Boy did Page look dumb. DC tapped to to Lane’s boston crab to make Lane the champion.

BCW Crystal, MN 11/18/2011

This past Friday night Born Champion Wrestling returned to the Crystal Community Center for an action packed night of indy pro wrestling.
In the opening match The Patriot 3 pinned The Cougar after a frog splash.
Bret O’Brian defeated Udo and Savage in a 3 way dance. O’Brian pinned Savage to get the 3 count. This was my first time seeing Savage in action as this was his BCW debut.
Horace The Psychopath defeated Cpl. Julio Julio.
Judd Jennrich pinned Kamikaze Klecker. Jennrich needed outside help and some brass knuckles to get the win.
BCW Twin Cities champion Ryan Cruz retained the title when he beat Craven Knyte. This championship title was originally called the ‘rivals championship’ but I guess BCW realized that sounded dumb so it was changed. Be sure to check out the current issue of The Wrestler for an ‘Introducing’ feature on Knyte. If you can’t find it on on news stands you can order it from the PWI web site for $4 off the cover price. Also in that issue you can see photos I took of Mat Fitchett and John Morrison.
The Prophet defeated Venom. After ref Rob Page was knocked down Bret O’Brian hit Venom with a chair and put The Prophet on top of Venom for the pin.
“The Anarchist” Arik Cannon pinned “6% Body Fat” Rob James after a brain buster.
BCW heavy weight champion Darin Corbin defeated The Black Stallion to retain the belt. Corbin had some help from The Entourage to get the win. After the match Dirty Ernie came out to challenge Corbin to a no DQ match at the next BCW event. I hope this photo doesn’t make Corbin look fat.

AWF Oakdale, MN 9/18/2010

This past Saturday night the American Wrestling Federation held a fund raiser event at Tartan High School in Oakdale, MN.
TV announcer Mortimer Plumtree came to the ring to do the TV taping intros. Then he called AWF senior official Rob Page to the ring for an announcement. Page told the crowd that AWF champion Tony DeNucci was attacked in the locker room and that AWF commissioner Sabrina Perri decided to strip DeNucci of the belt and start a tournament for the title. Page also showed off the brand new AWF championship belt. I must say, this is one of the finest looking wrestling belts I've ever seen. All the singles matches on tonight's card were part of the AWF championship tournament.

Arya Daivari defeated Cpl. Julio Julio in a first round match.

Lenny Lane defeated rookie Chiropractor DC in another first round match. This was my first time seeing DC and I think it was only his second match. Lane made DC tap out to the walls of lane. If DC ever has any finishing moves I think they should be called "the spinal crusher" or "the adjustment".

In the third match of the card Mitch Paradise wrestled Brody Hoofer. The match ended in a double count out. I'm not sure if that means that both men are now out of the tournament or not.

The AWF tag team champions John Johnson & Aaron Corbin defeated Ryan Cruz & Benjamin Sailer to retain the belts. It was odd to see Sailer tag with someone else as he and Nate Bash have been a regular tag team for the last three years. Being that both Sailer and Cruz wrestle often in tag team action they worked really well together in this match. The three count came after Corbin kicked Cruz's face into the crowd and Johnson made the pin as he was the legal man.

In the last match of the night Johnny Parks defeated Thoruf Marius. Mitch Paradise came to ring side to try to help Marius but it backfired and Parks got the win to advance in the tournament.

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.

MIW Mounds View, MN 3/20/2010

Minnesota Independent Wrestling was at Robert's Sports bar this past Saturday night with 6 big matches.
Super Caboose defeated "The Law" Mark Barker in the opening contest. Barker tried using his asp baton but it back fired on him as he hit himself with it.

Weston Monroe w/ Allison Wonderland pinned Patrick McDaniel.

Cpl. Julio Julio defeated Craven Knyte. After the first match of the night there was a Paradise Pit where Julio was Paradise's guest. Knyte came out and attacked Julio.

Horace the Psycopath pinned Shimdog. For the second night in a row Horace came to the ring with a plunger wrapped in toilet paper.

MIW champion Brody Hoofer retain his belt when he pinned Rob Ivy.

Gunner Clash pinned Mitch Paradise. The special guest referee for this main event was "Punisher" JR.

BCW Brooklyn Center, MN 3/13/2010

Born Championship Wrestling held a fund raiser event at the Brooklyn Center high school. The promoter and a few of the wrestlers graduated from this school. This was my first time at a BCW event and I believe it was only their second or third event.
In the opening contest Darin Corbin pinned Kamikaze Klecker to become the #1 contender for the BCW championship. It looked like Corbin may have pulled Klecker's shorts to get the 3 count.

Cpl. Julio Julio defeated Gus. At least I think that was his name.

101 Proof defeated (Venom & Bret O'Brian) the Neighbor Hood Watch( "the Law" Mark Barker & Camron Cross) when NHW was DQed for using an asp baton.

The next match was suppose to be an amateur wrestling challenge between BCW promoter Judd and some guy named Wayne. Wayne brought a chair into the ring and Black Hogan made the save. Yep, the same Black Hogan who won the best FU contest as seen on TNA.com.

Arya Daivari pinned Ryan Cruz after a magic carpet ride.

Udo pinned Arik Cannon w/ Allison Wonderland.

Horace the Psychopath defeated Nate Bash and "6% Body Fat" Rob James in a 3 way dance to become the new BCW champion.