ARWPRO held Black and Blue Wednesday at 8:00pm (sigh) at the American Legion Post 100 in Lake Station, Indiana on Wednesday (duh) November 22, 2017.

Why did I sigh?  Well, all year, ARW shows have started at 7:30pm.  This time, I decided to get there on the early end of things.  And so I rolled into the parking lot just after 6:30pm … only to realize the doors were not open.  I got on-line and checked the flyer on Facebook, to see that I was now half an hour early.  Ugh.  Fortunately, Wednesday is new comic day!  So, I sat in my car with my Starbucks coffee and read the first issue of Doomsday Clock from DC and a Batman book.  Coffee, comics, and wrestling – it doesn’t get better than that!

So anyway, the doors finally opened and I got in there.  At 8:00pm, the proper start time for those people who actually read the promotional material carefully (not me),  some loud rock and roll started playing as Diamond Steele came out tickling his frets.  He said words.  Then some old Johnny Cash started playing, and out came Humphrey Bogart!  No wait, it’s Gregory Glover!   He said something about farming and birds, but hell if I know what it meant.  I think the allegory went to deep for me.  He may also have said something about He Who Walks Behind the Rows, but I can’t be sure.  ARW is home for both of these guys, and both have been away for a while, so we have to find out who is the bigger homey.  It’s on for later!

The first match has Punisher 747 and The Gypsy King Ritchie Rothchild in tag team action against Santana Starks and Theo Storm.  This is Ritchie’s ARW debut, I believe, and he tries to wow the crowd by his silence.  Apart from one or two insults hurled at fans, or an affirmation of his gender, he was silent the whole time.  If you’re thinking this is an odd assortment of people in the match, it’s true, and I snuck backstage to get a picture of how the workers were selected for the match: 

At the start of the match, agent Chazz Moretti accompanied Punisher 747 to the ring, as 747 is half of Moretti’s tag team champions Aggravated Assault.  I think Moretti saw that this wasn’t a tag match, and went ho-hum, as he vanished to the back pretty quickly.  Ritche Rothchild must have alienated three people instead of just his two opponents with his oddness, because at one point, when he went to tag in Punisher 747, the big man hopped off the ring apron and walked away.  And so Starks & Storm took advantage and pinned Ritchie.  This picture shows the sad Ritchie looking for a friend, who is walking away.

The second match was Moxie Mollie vs. Vanessa Azure vs. Sierra for the brand new ARWPRO Women’s Championship!  Chazz Moretti came out with Sierra and this time he stayed for the whole match … although his first piece of advice to Sierra was to sit outside the ring for a while and let the other two women beat each other up.  This worked for a while, and Sierra tried to pick her moment by sneaking in for a quick pin, but that didn’t work out and Moxie Mollie ended up with the victory.  She is the new / first ARWPRO Women’s Championship!  Sorry, no picture 😦

Next, Nick Cutler, Kevin Storm, and Johnny Motley take on The Picture Show and Jake Andrews.  The action stays strong for a while.  At the end, Johnny Motley goes to pin Jake Andrews, but Nick Cutler throws Motley aside and takes the pin over Andrews himself.  Clearly he is not a team player.

It’s intermission time! I wanted to usee intermission to saw off that damn post that’s in every one of my pictures, but that would not go over well.  I could have changed seats, I guess, but I’m lazy.  Plus, I like small rows and being on the aisle.  Life’s all about choices, you know?

After intermission, we have our first “event” of the second half.  This event was set up at the last show, where Xcaliber defeated Dakota Prodigy for the Indiana State Championship – and ol’ X did it without any of The Family at his side.  Charlie Junior was not happy about that, and at the last show, he told Xcaliber that his payback would come at the next event (this one), but he did not say who from The Family would deal out the justice.  So now we’re ready for The Family; they came out as expected and pretty much just started doing Family things and beating up Xcaliber.  No opponent for Xcaliber was announced, the “match” never officially started, and then – having made their point – The Family made their way to the back.  So we have no idea who Xcaliber was supposed to face, if anyone, or if the contract just said “please arrive and get beat up”.  Maybe next time.  But we like Xcaliber now.

Thing Five is our semi main event – Gregory Glover vs. Diamond Steele.  To counter Howe’s guitar, Glover should have brought a tuba or something.   This was just a good old fashioned hard hitting wrestlin’ match with no shenanigans.  I am disappointed, though, that I did not get to see a Gregory Glover spear.  He attempted one, but Diamond Steele got out of the way … dammit.  Glover ended up getting the win with the tried and true strategy of playing possum then sneaking in a small package.  I liked the story being told here, of two returning vets fighting for validation of who was more “rooted” to home base in ARW PRO.  Glover also told the crowd his motivation is to shine light into the shadows of ARW, and it was not personal with Ryan Howe.

The main event was Max Holiday‘s rematch against Ruff Crossing for the ARW Heavyweight Championship that Crossing won from Holiday a month or two before.   Ruff Crossing attacked Holiday with a chair before the match started; it looked like Holiday might get taken to the back, but he was having none of that nonsense and told the ref to ring the bell.  A lot of the match was Holiday trying to get his wits about him while Crossing kept up the punishment.  Eventually Holiday recovered enough to introduce Ruff Crossing to #abootnamedsue, and Holiday won back the World Championship!  Ruff Crossing looked like he needed a hug after this one.

Above: Max Holiday shows how little air space there is. And I’ve got a post, a ref, and a little girl in my way!

So, we end the year at ARWPRO as follows:

• Max Holiday: World Heavyweight Champion
• Moxie Mollie: Women’s Champion
• Aggravated Assault: Tag Team Champions
• Xcaliber: Indiana State Champion

The first ARWPRO show of 2018 should be Saturday, January 13.

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If you’re so inclined, check out the Northwest Indiana Wrestling Action Program (NWIWRAP) broadcast Sundays at 9:15pm, right after Mostly Metal, which runs Sundays from 8:00-9:15pm CST, on WVLP 103.1FM in Valparaiso, IN.  If you’re not in Valpo, catch it streaming on http://www.wvlp.org and the Tune In Radio app.  Rebroadcasts happen Wednesdays 10pm – midnight, and NWIWRAP is archived on YouTube, just search for NWIWRAP.  You can find @nwiwrap on Twitter.  And you can subscribe to the nwiwrap.wvlp@gmail.com Google calendar, where I try to keep up to date calendar postings of shows in and around the NWI region.  Because WRESTLING! 

ACW (Acme Championship Wrestling) held the John Hendle Benefit Show at Kankakee Valley High School on Sunday November 12, 207, at 2:00pm CST.  This show was special for the ACW family, as it helped out some people close to the organization.

The show opened with a chorale from KVHS singing the national anthem.  They sounded awesome, good job, kids!  Once they were done, they managed to leave the ring without incident, which was kind of disappointing.  I expected at least one attempted DDT.

Match 1: Crimson Dynamo and Justin Myers lose to El Muchacho and Rockstar Jonny Nigh.  I’m pretty sure El Muchacho is not Mexican.  But that’s OK, I don’t think Crimson Dynamo is really colored red either.  Below left: Jonny giving Crimson Dynamo a clothesline.

Match 2: Jared Kripke defeats Adam Bueller.  Bueller threatens to bore the crowd to death with a five minute headlock on Kripke.  Fortunately Kripke was having none of it.  Below right:  Bueller kicks Kripke.

Match 3: Bradley Alexander Dawson, fresh off the golf course, defeats Billy the Kid by cheating!  After the match, Jimmy Holmes is ready to take a picture with a raffle-winning fan in the ring, but Dawson claims it is HIS ring, and if Holmes wants it, he has to fight for it.  Holmes pretty quickly proceeds to turn Dawson’s lights out with a punch, and the fan gets an extra special pose!  Below left:  Billy the Kid getting a hole in one.  Below right: a KO’d BAD poses with Jimmy Holmes, Billy the Kid, and a lucky fan.

Match 4:  Dave Allen defeats Johnny Motley.  This match went on for quite a while before Allen gets the win.  (That’s a good thing!  The match was a lot of fun, so it was good that it was a long one.)

Match 5: Austin Fury v. Quinn Whittock v. Joey Dalton v. Xavier Black.  This fatal four way was fast paced, very exciting, and ended pretty quickly.  They packed a lot of action in, though!  By the time I started thinking, man I should get a picture, Xavier Black was getting the pin!

Both before the show and during intermission, you could tell people were in the wrestling spirit, as chants of “WHAT?!?!” could be heard everywhere.  Now, this was likely because the house music was set to ear splitting levels making it near impossible to carry on a conversation, but still….

Match 6: TK Zero and Cliff Caviar vs. Top Gunns.  Now let’s do some math – TK Zero and Cliff Caviar were announced as weighing in at 400 pounds.  Caviar is thin as a rail and can’t account for much of that, so TK Zero must be one hefty dude!  The Top Gunns were announced as 500 pounds, so with Ref Zoran Trpeski in there as well, we had over half a ton in the ring.  Not bad!  I suppose TK Zero and Cliff Caviar got in some offense before they lost, but the only pictures I have show Ace from Top Gunns taking each of them out.

Match 7: Triple threat:  Rick Raid vs. Macho del Silver vs. Drex O’Dell.  Now wait a minute, wasn’t …. oh, nevermind.  Macho del Silver wins this one, and he will be the supreme ruler of ACW’s lucha stars until Macho del Gold makes his arrival.  Here, Rick Raid and Macho argue over who gets to try to pin Drex O’Dell.  I wonder why Drex looks so tired?

Match 8: A match years in the making!  Dueling Facebook promos boiling over and broadcast by the media juggernaut of WVLP!  It’s Jeremy Hadley vs. Tristin Hayze.  The intensity of this did not take long to ramp up to 11, as the two combatants tore into each other outside the ring before the bell rang.  They went at it around the ring, in the chairs, up the bleachers, over towards the concession stand, and into the cinderblock wall.  Ref Jeremy Tillema called for extra muscle from the back to help get them separated; the extra muscle hustled out and stood watching, like “yeah, those two are really going at it, huh?”  You were a big help, thanks, guys!  Once they got in the ring, they battled back and forth until Hayze finally came out on top after a kick to Hadley’s noggin.  Below left: It’s a bird!  It’s a plane! It’s Warfare Jeremy Hadley!  Below right:  Ref Tillema gets help from the timekeeper, as the timekeeper drags the prone Hadley out of the ring by grabbing his wrist and sliding him slowly towards the edge.  I’m pretty sure that’s not proper Red Cross First Aid procedure for handling an unconscious person with a possible head or neck injury, but I guess that’s why they all sign waivers.

My inside sources (hey, Jeremy!) report that attendance was likely a bit over 200.  Good work for charity!

I think the next ACW show is Winter Warfare 5, and it should be coming up on or around December 9.  I’ll edit this when I come across more specific info.  I know I’ve seen something about it, but I wasn’t smart enough to save it on Facebook.

Also, the Demotte Boxing Club – sort of home base for ACW training – is having a fundraiser sparring night on Saturday November 18 at 6pm, at Lincoln Elementary School in Roselawn, IN.

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If you’re so inclined, check out the Northwest Indiana Wrestling Action Program (NWIWRAP) broadcast Sundays at 9:30pm, right after Mostly Metal, which runs Sundays from 8:00-9:30pm CST, on WVLP 103.1FM in Valparaiso, IN.  If you’re not in Valpo, catch it streaming on http://www.wvlp.org and the Tune In Radio app.  Rebroadcasts happen Wednesdays 10pm – midnight, and NWIWRAP is archived on YouTube, just search for NWIWRAP.  You can find @nwiwrap on Twitter.  And you can subscribe to the nwiwrap.wvlp@gmail.com Google calendar, where I try to keep up to date calendar postings of shows in and around the NWI region.  Because WRESTLING! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swooping in for an athletics fundraiser, ARWPRO took over the gymnasium of Gavit High School in Hammond, IN on Saturday November 4, 2017 at 7:30pm.  I almost didn’t make it to the show because right on the corner by the school is The Wheel restaurant.  This is one of those Greek owned diners that have 25 page menus and breakfast all day.  I had flashbacks to when my wife (then girlfriend) lived right up the road from here, good Lord it was a bit more than 20 years ago, and we’d eat breakfast there almost every weekend I visited.  Damn, it was good.  Double damn, was I eating breakfast at The Wheel with my wife before Rancid Joey Rak was even born?

Anyway, this particular show was important to a few alumni of Gavit who are on the ARWPRO roster.  This included our first two contestants, Kevin Graves and Marcus Portrait.  Graves comes out with a Gavit letter jacket, which he immediately takes off to reveal a Whiting Oilmen shirt – athletic rivals,  I guess.  Then he gets on the mic to run down Gavit and its students and athletes.  Marcus Portrait (normally part of The Picture Show, but they’re both in singles competition tonight) comes out to fight for the honor of Gavit.  And he wins, to shut up Kevin Graves.

The next match features Gavit alumna Moxie Mollie.  This is her rematch against Renee Van Peebles, with the added stipulation that Van Peebles’ manager Chazz Moretti was banned from the building due to his shenanigans at the previous ARW show (which you can read about right here …. on this web page!).  Without Moretti to cheat on her behalf   offer strategic advice, RVP is not able to overcome Moxie Mollie’s moxie, and Mollie gets the win by making RVP tap to a submission hold.  The Mollie does a victory lap around the audience and gives kisses to the cheeks of young boys.   This picture shows Moxie Mollie in the middle of a cannonball while the chump in the grey hoodie ignores the action and plays on his phone.  I’ll bet Mollie didn’t kiss him after the match!

The third match has Dakota Prodigy defending his Indiana State Championship from X-Caliber.  Now X-Caliber is usually with The Family, but he came out alone this time.  He offers a quick handshake to Prodigy.  Something is up.  Eventually X-Caliber pins Prodigy after a spectacular 450-splash.  Then he gives Prodigy a little sportsmanship afterwards.  Something is definitely up!  King Bishop notices this, and comes out to congratulate him on the win, since he did it by standing up on his own and not using The Family.  King Bishop assures X-Caliber that he, and also the ARW fans, are proud of him for doing it with class.  Well, the Family patriarch Charlie Junior is pretty pissed about this development and tells X-Caliber that he’ll get what’s coming to him at the next show on November 22 (Black and Blue Wednesday).

The last match before intermission has Angel Armani and Johnny Swashbuckle teaming up against Mr. 3% Jon Hudson.  I don’t know why this was originally set to be a handicap match.  This is Hudson’s final ARW match before he moves out west for the gold rush.  Joey Boom Boom comes out to tell Hudson that he’ll be joined by an old friend of his, Johnny Showtime (the other member of The Picture Show).   In the left picture below, Armani shows Hudson what he thinks of his last match.  Eventually during the match Showtime and Swashbuckle end up brawling outside the ring, and the brawl moves backstage – leaving Hudson and Armani to get some time in the spotlight for a while.  But before too long, they come brawling back out and Showtime throws Swashbuckle into the chairs right in front of me (below, right).

 

Hudson ends up getting the pin, and afterwards he bids a tearful farewell to the ARW roster and fans.  He says the promotion he’s going to in California (not named) will allow him to continue to work the indies, and so he’ll be back sometime.

It’s intermission time!  And then we resume with The Family (Old School Manson and Rancid Joey Rak, with Charlie Junior and whatshername) vs The Mexecutioners.  Here (below left) we see Charlie Junior getting ready for some shenanigans on Santana Starks while the ref is not looking.   The Mexecutioners win this one.

Next, Anthony Toatele (without Kenzi) makes his ARW debut by going against Nick Cutler.  Don’t worry, Anthony, all your opponents from here on out will have less body hair.  I didn’t get any interesting pictures of this one, just the one above taken while Cutler was having words with some people in the front row.  This match ended oddly, as Cutler basically headbutted Toatele in the naughty bits in full view of the ref, and told the ref to do his job …. and so the ref DQ’d him, and Cutler stomped off to the back.

Finally in the main event, we have Ruff Crossing and Max Holiday teaming up against tag team champs Aggravated Assault (B.O.W. and Punisher 747), who are also without the services of Chazz Moretti.  It’s a non-title match, though.  To start the match, the two teams do the “see who gets more cheers” bit, during which one team actually gets boos.  When it was Ruff Crossing and Max Holiday’s turn, they raised their arms to the crowd, and about  two seconds after this picture was taken, they got clobbered by their opponents.  This was definitely a heavyweight match, with the big men doing big men things and making the ring bounce and shake.  Crossing and Holiday lose after a mishap in which Holiday ends up accidentally giving Crossing a face full of boot (or something like that, it was three days ago, and I’m tired).  After the match, Crossing makes nice with Holiday and says he will not get his revenge the way everyone thinks he will, but rather he’ll do it like a man and offer Holiday the rematch he is due for Crossing’s World Title (which he’d won from Holiday in the first place).  Crossing adds, though, “Just one more thing … never trust a cowboy!” and clobbers Holiday.  Ruff Crossing ends the show standing tall.

The next ARWPRO show is on Wednesday November 22, 2017 at 7:30pm at the “ARW Arena”, a.k.a. the American Legion 100 in Lake Station, IN.

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If you’re so inclined, check out the Northwest Indiana Wrestling Action Program (NWIWRAP) broadcast Sundays at 9:30pm, right after Mostly Metal, which runs Sundays from 8:00-9:30pm CST, on WVLP 103.1FM in Valparaiso, IN.  If you’re not in Valpo, catch it streaming on http://www.wvlp.org and the Tune In Radio app.  Rebroadcasts happen Wednesdays 10pm – midnight, and NWIWRAP is archived on YouTube, just search for NWIWRAP.  You can find @nwiwrap on Twitter.  And you can subscribe to the nwiwrap.wvlp@gmail.com Google calendar, where I try to keep up to date calendar postings of shows in and around the NWI region.  Because WRESTLING!