Recently, Pro Wrestling Collision (PWC) debuted with the PWC Collision Cup to crown the inaugural PWC Heavyweight Champion. The above clip is the very first match in the history of the promotion even though Joey O’Riley is announced as the PWC No Limits Champion prior to the action. How did he get the title? Well, there’s probably a good answer to that somewhere, but for now let’s just pretend that he did a really good job washing the promoter’s car.
The bout begins with a lot of striking that all looks fairly weak until Joey pulls Matt in by the arm to give him a loud punch (or is that a slap?). On the outside there is a halfway nifty spot where Matt Irish whips Joey over some ring steps then Joey jumps over them and tries to attack Matt by jumping off of them. This is spoiled a bit by looking way too choreographed. A “you can’t wrestle” chant breaks out a short time later, which is almost never good to feature in the first match of a promotion. At least the commentators (one of which has a lisp that is impossible to miss) acknowledge it, which is more than one can say for WWE commentators whenever the same chant breaks out on their shows.
A few standalone spots stand out like Matt’s gutbuster, a running shooting star press by Joey and a springboard DDT from Joey to Matt. There are also decent moves on and through the ropes, respectively, like Matt accidentally hitting his manager Zakk Sawyer with a suicide dive and Joey missing a 450 splash. The ending is a little botched as Joey tries to pin Matt out of a cobra clutch like how Bret Hart defeated “Stone Cold” Steve Austin at Survivor Series 1996, but Joey can’t twist all the way to a stand.
by Daniel Johnson, Kyle Childers, Jeremy Cundiff and Bad Booking
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The Miz vs. Antonio Cesaro (c) for the WWE United States Heavyweight Championship
Daniel Johnson: It is a crime that Antonio Cesaro is not featured on the main Royal Rumble show apart from the Rumble match itself. What would be more of a crime would be if The Miz defeated him for the WWE United States Championship. I just don’t see The Miz coming out with the victory in this one. WWE has done too good of a job pushing Cesaro to botch his title run with a loss on a pay-per-view pre-show. It is also worth mentioning that The Miz really doesn’t need a run with that championship now and if he did get it, it would probably fade into the background again.
Kyle Childers: The WWE is doing something rare with this Cesaro run, they’re actually giving him time to get over while holding the title. While he had issues early on, Cesaro has finally found a foothold with the crowd in his United States of Antonio gimmick. For this reason I see them keeping the momentum going and the title on Cesaro.
Jeremy Cundiff: I would love to see Cesaro win and set up a Miz/Cesaro program, more because I am a fan of Cesaro and want to see him over than because I’d like to see Miz catch on again. But I’m tossing up my prediction and leaning with Cesaro, even though my gut is telling me they might go ahead and put it on Miz. Either way, this one will be a solid one, or at least it should be.
Bad Booking: Cesaro gets the win and moves on to bigger and better things. Miz needs that figure four to go away!
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Team Rhodes Scholars vs. Team Hell No (c) for the WWE Tag Team Championship
Daniel Johnson: I’m going to be optimistic about this one and say Team Rhodes Scholars defeats Team Hell No. Bryan needs to get away from Kane and start shining as a singles competitor. Yet, all in all it is worth mentioning that none of these wrestlers needs to be in a tag team and could all do better as singles competitors (apart from Kane who would probably just play psycho for the umpteenth time). WWE is letting their tag team division slip again anyway so Bryan, Rhodes and Sandow need to be let loose.
Kyle Childers: While I’m a fan of both teams, the graduation segment sort of brought some finality to Team Hell No. It was like a band doing their farewell concert and performing all the hits before that last encore. As much as I’d like to see Sandow and Rhodes find singles success, it’s hard to argue against them winning the titles at the Rumble.
Jeremy Cundiff: Hmm…this one’s up in the air, too. I say the champs retain, and then we wait for some more tag teams to step up…otherwise we could be heading into another tag team drought. Shame, because that shit was just starting to pick up.
Bad Booking: If there is any time to pull the trigger on the inevitable break-up of Hell No, better start here. Replay the whole Harts/Quebecers scenario, but Kane is Bret Hart to Bryan’s Owen Hart. Don’t worry about Bryan though, he’ll still be popular/over as hell.
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The Big Show vs. Alberto Del Rio (with Ricardo Rodriguez) (c) in a last man standing match for the World Heavyweight Championship
Daniel Johnson: Talk about a dull match to balance out Rock/Punk with. Alberto Del Rio will most likely win this bout that will surely serve as a bathroom break for many. I really hope they prove me wrong, but I don’t see that happening.
Kyle Childers: Didn’t we see this match already? I swear that we did, I mean, I watch a lot of wrestling but I know I didn’t imagine it. Same match, same result. WWE seems very high on Del Rio as a face but there’s always the wild card of Ziggler and his Money in the Bank.
Jeremy Cundiff: Oh God, no…I’m covering my eyes as I type this out, but Del Rio. They’re really going to try and make him a likeable face…for the love of Eddie Gilbert, just get Ricardo off on his own and out in the ring already!
Bad Booking: The most redundant match on the whole card. I wouldn’t be so surprised to see both men knocked out which allows Ziggler to cash the briefcase.
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The Rock vs. CM Punk (with Paul Heyman) for the WWE Championship
Daniel Johnson: The Rock will reclaim the title and it may even close out the show. Punk has had a great run despite some hiccups here and there. There is no shame in Punk dropping it now and if the WWE wants to go with another WWE Championship run for the The Rock they probably won’t get a better time to do it than this year’s Wrestlemania season.
Kyle Childers: This one seems like a foregone conclusion to most, it’s Wrestlemania season and all signs point to the once in a lifetime rematch of Cena vs. The Rock at Wrestlemania with the WWE Championship on the line but I’m an optimist. I’m also Team Knees 2 Faces in the encounter, however foolish that may be.
Jeremy Cundiff: This is the moneymaking match for Wrestlemania. Or so I thought. I hate to say it, but I think I know where this one is going to go. The Rock beats Punk, going on to face John Cena in a rematch at Wrestlemania where Cena gets the belt back from Rock. And I don’t like it one damn bit.
Bad Booking: The Rock is going to win sadly. WWE has invested too much money in him, and not winning the title is not in the cards. Don’t worry for Punk though. He can still enter the Rumble, and enter Wrestlemania as the one who is about to end the streak!
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2013 Royal Rumble Match
Daniel Johnson: I’m banking on Dolph Ziggler to pull out the victory here. Speaking of banking since Ziggler already has a Money in the Bank briefcase itcould be either great or garbage if he wins the Rumble. With the brand split over the unification of the WWE Championship and the World Heavyweight Championship should be inevitable. If Ziggler wins he could win both titles and restore them. Yet, it could be garbage as that might just be getting fans’ hopes up for something special. Plus,with all the people WWE pushes as main event players a title unification would really throw the main event scene out of whack. Apart from that as I’ve mentioned elsewhere I’d love to see El Generico appear in the Rumble even if it is just a one time appearance and that character never appears in WWE again. With there being no chance of that happening WWE better deliver as far as surprise entrants go. Also, if Rock and Punk don’t close out the show the chances of one of them winning the Rumble is through the roof.
Kyle Childers: As sad as it is, over the last few years the Rumble winner has started to matter less and less. 2008 saw John Cena use his shot at No Way Out instead of Wrestlemania, lose and then lose his rematch in a triple threat at Wrestlemania XXIV. Randy Orton, Edge, and Alberto Del Rio all won the Rumble and then lost their title challenges while the sole Rumble winner/champion got his shot in an opening match that lasted 18 seconds. This year seems to be the year that WWE brings some significance back to the Royal Rumble and that burden looks like it will fall on John Cena.
Jeremy Cundiff: I see Cena and Ziggler are both in this match, and I see two potential outcomes. One is John Cena winning, and going on to face The Rock in a Wrestlemania rematch for the WWE Championship. That is the predictable one that I’ve seen coming since last year, and one they’ve probably had booked for a while. The other is the one that the fans are seemingly demanding, the one that goes against all logic. That one is Dolph Ziggler winning the Rumble, thus being the only guy to ever have two guaranteed title shots at the same time…and that’s all I’ve got to say about that. As for miscellaneous stuff…screw Wrestlemania, THIS is the one pay-per-view a year I will spend the cake on. And the Royal Rumble match is the reason why. It is the big shock event of the year, seemingly, where you can see guys returning for just one night, or coming back to blaze a new career path. You can see strange pairings, amazing match-ups, and moments where shit just stops making sense. I LOVE the Rumble, and where WWE has spent 2012 to be firing on all cylinders, I can only hope they’ve saved something for 2013. Tonight should be worth the delinquent cable bill, my friends.
Bad Booking: Dolph Ziggler or John Cena are the really obvious answers to me. Ziggler for the heel heat, and Cena to set up Wrestlemania with The Rock. That being said, don’t be surprised if Brock Lesnar and HHH brawl to start their Wrestlemania program. Also, I think Mark Henry returning to destroy The Shield would be an awesome sight too. Ryback most likely will have the most eliminations, because he needs to be fed!
From the moment Hiroshi Yamato flips in the ring he feels the wrath of Koji Kanemoto. Kanemoto assaults him with a variety of stiff kicks and punches. Yamato gets in little offense throughout, but the moves he accomplishes he makes count. The Orange Iguanas member forces Kanemoto from the ring at one point and hits an excellent suicide dive.
When the bout moves back inside Kanemoto soon takes back control. Tiger Mask fans may be disappointed because aside from the trademark stiff striking that all Tiger Masks are known for, Kanemoto, the former Tiger Masks III, doesn’t pull out a lot of Tiger Masks moves. Before all is said and done Yamato makes a brief comeback and scores two, two counts including one following a German suplex. As sweet as that suplex looked the move of the match may be a toss up between one performed by Kanemoto and one performed by the referee. For the finish Kanemoto looks like he is going to win in the style of Bret Hart with a sharpshooter. Yet, after grabbing Yamato’s legs he puts on a completely different submission move. Yamato makes it to the ropes once, but because Kanemoto then alters the submission it apparently doesn’t count. The ref then pulls out his move by slapping Yamato repeatedly until he taps.
The match goes to Kanemoto with an assist to the ref.
Thank you for your bandwidth. I’m Madman Szalinski, and I’m just about done with this shit. By shit, of course, I mean this six-part series on great matches that might be a bit obscure. First, I’d like to go over the five matches I’ve already chosen, along with the main reasons for doing so:
#1 was chosen due to the extreme effort by both participants. For a matchup of two big men, moves were used that defied logic it seemed. I knew immediately when I started that I would be including this match for my list because I knew it was an overlooked match due to the main event, and that it exceeded many expectations coming into the opening bell.
#2 was chosen because of the historical significance, and the quality of the match itself. There’s no question, we had Taka Michinoku and the Great Sasuke in there, they both could be hungover and shitting Yoohoo, and still put on a three star minimum. I just didn’t thnk they’d ever be able to do it in America. This match, in my eyes, was much higher than three stars. This was a major shift in the WWF, and it was the first time any WWF fan had ever seen cruiserweight action like that. Another no-brainer to me.
#3 was chosen for, again, historical significance. The match itself was standard 1970′s Southern ‘rasslin. The Bombers weren’t the seasoned veterans we came to know them as (Honky Tonk Man and Moondog Spot) and I’m willing to bet they weren’t ready for what was going to happen that night. The brawl post-match, where the bare-plywood-for-walls concession stand got ripped apart, was where the true gem shined. Again, for a hardcore brawl, it’s tame by 2012 standards (unless you’re a mark for mustard.) But in the big picture, this match was actually very well done and even though I don’t like what it did to the business, I appreciate the entertainment value it gave me. So it was in.
#4 isn’t so obscure, I don’t think. Several people know about that match, and it’s been reported about more than once that Regal was intentionally shooting. When I first heard of the match, it was on Armpit Wrestling’s legendary listing of backstage fights. The following quote was straight from this list: “Regal could lead a dead man through a believable sequence, and I believe that’s what he was trying to do here. However, Goldberg flopped around and looked like an idiot.” I don’t know who wrote that, but dude…we didn’t watch the same match. Regal shot on Goldberg thinking he was going to kill the Goldberg myth once and for all. Goldberg came back and used more moves in one match than he had pretty much his entire career up to that point. While it was clear that Regal did prove the experience factor, Regal still got his ass beat (and countered cleanly a few times). Goldberg showed everyone that he COULD wrestle. It wasn’t just that he only knew two moves, but those two moves seemed to work for him. Hey, nobody is going to argue that Bret Hart knows more than five moves, but the Five Moves of Doom seemed to work for him, right? This match was chosen for the shooting, and the outcome.
#5 was the encompassing definition of what it took to make this list. The action was beyond expectation, the match was entertaining, and I never heard about the match to watch it before. I’d heard that Bas Rutten, one of my few favorite MMA fighters, had worked for New Japan. I found the match and watched it, expecting a Bam Bam/LT type match-up where only the most fundamental basics of pro wrestling would be used. What I saw was Bas and Koji telepathically agree that if there was a script, they didn’t need the motherfucker. And of course, there was this.
Yeah. Let’s move on before I laugh myself into asphyxiation.
So…the final video was kind of hard for me. I spent a week doing nothing but watching and searching YouTube like a Deep Web bot. I had included a big man contest, a hardcore brawl, a cruiserweight match, a worked shoot and a shoot shoot. I wasn’t sure what else to do. I was this close from just pulling a bait and switch, doing some M. Night Shyamalan shit and rambling about how “any match you haven’t seen before that entertains you is number six.” Fortunately for you, I’m not retarded and I found this.
6. Earl Caddock vs. Joe Stecher (Madison Square Garden, 1920)
This match is OLD. So old, it predates every promotion in existence today. So old, it predates the modern preconception of a wrestling promotion. It’s so old the copyright on the footage expired. This is one YouTube match that won’t be in danger of getting taken down anytime soon. But I wouldn’t wait forever to go watch it.
You want to know what you’re watching? Real wrestling. THIS, my friends is what professional wrestling forgot. These two aren’t showboating, although their personalities and characteristics are distinct. They are completely focused on the ring and what’s at stake inside of it. And that’s another thing. They’re not superstars or performers, or even talent. They were real fucking wrestlers doing real fucking wrestling. Nobody in that crowd questioned the “workrate” of these guys. They knew what they were getting was real. And there is some debate as to whether or not this match was worked. Remember, this was 1920 and Kayfabe Commentaries didn’t exist yet. There was no way of knowing for sure. Nobody wrote that shit down. And you know what? THAT’S FINE WITH ME. I don’t need to know everything going on in the locker room to enjoy pro wrestling.
Was it a shoot? A work? I don’t know, but you don’t fake the effort these guys put on in the ring. You might not see a shitton of bump taking or many Irish whips to the ropes for that matter. But you will see two guys legitimately scrapping with each other on the mat, clawing for the championship that was on the line. And to let you know how wrestling has changed, the match ended in two hours (video only shows around 25 minutes.) The length of an entire episode of Smackdown or Impact, being just one match, no commercial breaks…yeah, we’re getting robbed. Oh, and the finish? A leg-scissors and wristlock combination. The leg-scissors was a common finisher for this guy. His opponent wouldn’t submit, so he turned him over and pinned him.
I also saw Jiu-Jitsu rear mounts in there, I saw armbars and toe locks, I saw punches and I saw elbows. I saw a real wrestling match that entertained me greatly, with moves I haven’t seen for a long time in the ring. I knew these were two guys who could finish this match, and then beat the shit out of every man in that building who dared say something. I’d love to see a group of Marine thugs in Syracuse try to tackle one of these two on the street. You just know watching these two that they could shoot on virtually ANYBODY in the business today, and nobody could stop them. Legit tough men, with legit grappling skills, trying to get paid and get respect. Not show-offs or prima donnas who couldn’t wrestle, so they learned how to get beat up by the men who truly could. Now, don’t get me wrong…I am not disrespecting those men at all. Shawn Michaels is one of my all time favorites and he sucks worse at shooting than Dick Cheney. But I’m saying that pro wrestling needs legit wrestlers, tough men who can wrestle, in order to be taken seriously again. It needs men like these two, who knew how to cater to the fans or how to rouse them, yet understood that it began and ended IN THE RING. That’s what matters to those casual fans, the total marks, the smart marks, and overall to me as well.
And while this might have been a World championship match…neither Caddock or Stetcher were considered close to “the best in the business”, not then nor now. That’s the thought I wish to leave you with.
I’m Madman Szalinski, and in the words of Teddy Hart…”All that really matters is I took three hours of your day where you didn’t have to think about your bills, your pains, or your worries. You got to live in a reality called professional wrestling. Don’t let it die, my friend.”
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!
Now that this massive piece is finished, what the hell should I do next? Any comments, suggestions or death threats? There’s a comment button right below me, so feel free to give me an idea of what you’d like to see me do next (or tell me how I did with this effort). And if you’d rather do it privately, I’m sure there’s a link to my e-mail somewhere around here. Again, below me.
This match from Big Time Wrestling (BTW) isn’t particularly impressive. Despite being a decent indie with a good size crowd the commentators spend much of the match talking about a Bret Hart appearance rather than the in-ring action. Yet, it is still better than about 75 percent of the women’s matches that will be in WWE and TNA this year. Why is that? Part of it has to do with time allotment.
This bout is about ten minutes long and has some decent spots such as Gail Kim hitting a lucha libre armdrag off the top ropes. But how long is ten minutes really? It certainly isn’t enough time to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop and for many it isn’t enough time to tell a complete story in the ring. Sure, there are plenty of exceptions. Just look up Owen Hart/1-2-3 Kid from King of the Ring 1994. Yet, not everyone can bust it out in about 5 minutes like Hart and Waltman could. To make a short match stand out takes talent and to get to that Hart/Waltman level years of finesse. If female wrestlers were given some decent time in the big leagues to work who knows what they could grow into. Of course not everyone would like to see this take place on a program like Raw, but isn’t that what NXT is for?
Interviewer’s Note: Antonio Honda is a regular performer for Japan’s DDT promotion. He is known for his impersonations which include competitors ranging from Stan Hansen to Japanese singer-songwriter Eikichi Yazawa. He has had many accomplishments during his tenure in the promotion including holding the DDT Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship, the UWA World Trios Championship and the KO-D Tag Team Championship. He has performed in two stables in DDT, The Italian Four Horsemen and The Hawaiian World Order. Outside of DDT he has appeared in a variety of other promotions including NJPW, Dragon Gate and FREEDOMS. In this interview Honda and I focus on the topic of comedy wrestling in Japan.
Daniel Johnson: For those who have never seen an Antonio Honda match how would you describe yourself as a performer? Antonio Honda: I’m a performer who tries to expand emotions and expressions. I also try to make cultural references in my personal interests and I kick some damn ass.
Daniel Johnson: How did you first hear about DDT? How did you come to work for the company as a performer? Antonio Honda: In the winter of 2004, I wrestled at my university as a retired student wrestler because I graduated years ago. Muscle Sakai, who owned small promotion under DDT called Muscle, came to watch that match and recruited me. I heard about DDT from him, I wrestled for him, then graduated and began to wrestle for DDT too.
Daniel Johnson: Growing up were you a fan of wrestling? If so who were your heroes in the industry? Antonio Honda: Yes and Antonio Inoki definitely.
Daniel Johnson: Who was the first comedy wrestler that caught your eye? Antonio Honda: Muscle Sakai.
Daniel Johnson: Outside of wrestling what forms of comedy have influenced you as a performer? Antonio Honda: Steve Martin, Charlie Chaplin and Mick Jagger.
Daniel Johnson: What, if anything, was the toughest part of starting out as comedy wrestler? Antonio Honda: If you can take a good bump, there are few problems. At least if you wrestle with a good person…
Daniel Johnson: Do you remember the first big laugh you got as a comedy wrestler? If so what was it? Antonio Honda: Maybe my Antonio Inoki impersonation at Muscle 2.
Daniel Johnson: Have you ever gotten any unintentional laughs. If so how do you deal with them? Antonio Honda: I treat them as God’s gift.
Daniel Johnson: One of the most notable parts of your career was working as a member of The Italian Four Horsemen along with TAKA Michinoku, Dick Togo and Daisuke Sasaki. How did this group first come about? Antonio Honda: Daisuke at that time came back from Mexico, then me and Togo wanted to form a team with him. So we created The Italian Four Horsemen with TAKA.
Daniel Johnson: You won the UWA World Trios Championship along with Michinoku and Togo as part of this stable. Do you have any particular memories about the night you won this title? Antonio Honda: I don’t remember, but working with them was a treasure every time and I was glad I was one of the champions with them.
Daniel Johnson: You went on to have a 335 day title run. If you had to single out one specific moment of that reign as the one that meant the most to you what would it be and why? Antonio Honda: Fighting with Masa Takanashi as a French team was delightful. It had a good story and good characters.
Daniel Johnson: In early 2010 The Italian Four Horsemen disbanded. Do you talk with any of the former members often? Antonio Honda: Yes.
Daniel Johnson: On a related note, what did you think about Michinoku’s run in the WWF, specifically what did you think of his transition from being a no-nonsense face to a comedic heel? Antonio Honda: His comedic role was, I think, only funny for English speakers. I enjoyed it though.
Daniel Johnson: Do you think there could ever be an Italian Four Horsemen reunion? If so what factors would need to be in place? Antonio Honda: There will be no reunion. Togo is retired now. It is sad.
Daniel Johnson: Since that group disbanded you have also led the Hawaiian World Order. For those who haven’t watched the group what do you think they should know about the group? Antonio Honda: HWO had special physicality traits. There was a very tall Hawaiian God, KOO and a very fat Hawaiian king, King Ala Moana.
Daniel Johnson: Are there any matches from your tenure with the Hawaiian World Order that you would recommend? Antonio Honda: It’s not actually a HWO match, but me versus KOO was a very tough, memorable match.
Daniel Johnson: I recently watched a match where you impersonated Shawn Michaels in a match against Kikutaro who portrayed Bret Hart. You had a lot of his mannerisms and just his general character down. Are you a big fan of Shawn Michaels and if so how has he influenced you? Antonio Honda: Indeed! His fashionable style and precise maneuvers are just great. Also, he has great expressions.
Daniel Johnson: You have also impersonated other wrestlers. What have been some of your favorite impersonations? Antonio Honda: Hulk Hogan and Eikichi Yazawa, a Japanese musician.
Daniel Johnson: Have you done any impersonations that have been particularly tricky to pull off? Antonio Honda: Maybe Stan Hansen.
Daniel Johnson: Your comedy spots are often unique, having never been performed elsewhere in quite the same way. What comedy spots have you come up with that you’ve been most proud of? Antonio Honda: Maybe my strange forearm drop after the Thesz press.
Daniel Johnson: Even comedy wrestling spots can go wrong. Have you ever had to do any dangerous spots in wrestling? If so what was the most dangerous spot you ever took and how did you get through it? Antonio Honda: I don’t remember any dangerous spots. Maybe I’m lucky.
Daniel Johnson: Do you feel the comedy wrestling scene in Japan has grown or declined in recent years? Why do you feel it has either grown or declined? Antonio Honda: I don’t know, but maybe grown. Because Japanese independent wrestling is more free and radical than that of the past. There is more space for comedic roles.
Daniel Johnson: How has Japanese comedy wrestling been different in 2012 than 2011, if at all? Antonio Honda: Um… I cannot see a specific difference.
Daniel Johnson: How do you see DDT developing over the next five years? Antonio Honda: We are getting older…so we should hurry! Maybe we’re developing a little but when it begins declining, I think it will go rapid.
Daniel Johnson: What was the standout moment of the year for you as a performer? Antonio Honda: Facing Danshoku Dino for the KO-D Openweight Championship, I guess.
Daniel Johnson: If you had to single out one single match as the best comedy wrestling match of all time then what would it be? Antonio Honda: Ebessan (Kikutaro) versus Kuishinbo Kamen.
Daniel Johnson: In a similar vein who would you say is the best comedy wrestler in the world today? Antonio Honda: Branco Ogiso.
Daniel Johnson: Who are some newcomers to the Japanese comedy wrestling scene? Who should Japanese comedy wrestling fans looks out for? Antonio Honda: Hiroshi Fukuda.
Daniel Johnson: What wrestler have you yet to work with that you think you could have the funniest match with? Antonio Honda: Atsushi Onita.
Daniel Johnson: Outside of your comedic wrestling you have also had some straight wrestling matches with some top wrestlers. Have you ever thought of quitting comedy wrestling in favor of working as a straight no-laughs kind of wrestler? Antonio Honda: I think there is no distinction between comedic and straight. Wrestling is life, so there should be every emotion.
Daniel Johnson: I always like to hear about ribs and road stories. Do you have any ribs or road stories that you would be willing to share? Antonio Honda: DJ Nira pissed in a PET bottle on the bus, then he mistakenly drank it!
Daniel Johnson: As part of my last few questions I like to ask five non-wrestling related questions to make the interview a bit unique. If you don’t have an answer or don’t want to answer one of them just feel free to say, “skip.” Outside of wrestling, what television shows do you enjoy watching these days? Antonio Honda: I saw The Singing Detective by BBC. It was good.
Daniel Johnson: What was your favorite movie that came out this year? Antonio Honda: Not this year, but I saw Death Hunt starring Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin recently. Superb.
Daniel Johnson: What is your favorite food that you tried for the first time this year? Antonio Honda: Roll cake.
Daniel Johnson: What is your favorite song to come out this year? Antonio Honda: Francesco De Gregori’s Sulla Strada is the best album of the year. He is Italian. If I had to choose one song on the album, “Guarda che non sono io.”
Daniel Johnson: Did you vote in your last local election? If so would you be willing to say for who? Antonio Honda: I could not vote.
Daniel Johnson: What is the weirdest part of being a wrestler? Antonio Honda: It is not weird at all. I think it’s far more normal than other lives. There is expression, fighting for love, for each other. There is making people laugh and getting them emotional.
Daniel Johnson: Is there anything you would like to add? Antonio Honda: Sorry for my poor English!
See Antonio Honda get vicious! Here he takes on former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroyoshi Tenzan at NJPW’s NEVER.4 event:
Wrestlers appearing on the first match of a card are often negatively referred to as curtain jerkers. Yet, I would argue that the opening match is more often than not the second or third most important match on the card, if not the first. No promoter wants an opener that leaves a dead crowd. As such there have been some incredible openers throughout the years that to quote Gorilla Monsoon were “a main event anywhere in the country.” Matches like Bret Hart/Owen Hart at Wrestlemania X and Kurt Angle/Rey Mysterio at SummerSlam 2002.
As you may note after watching this performance Shulo and Facade aren’t exactly Bret Hart and Kurt Angle. Some of the transitions are awkward while other moves are just downright sloppy. Still, they manage to get the crowd into it and certainly earn their pay. Plus, there are some sweet moments here and there. Facade hits a great looking springboard moonsault and the rapid fire two counts near the end really build off of the amped up crowd.
It is a good thing Shulo and Facade gave the performance that they did because in 2008 when this match took place Shiima Xion (currently Zema Ion in TNA) was on a hot streak. It would have been a shame if he came out for his IWC Heayweight Championship match to silence. Then again while we shouldn’t underestimate opening matches, we shouldn’t overestimate them either.
Interviewer’s Note: Until earlier this year Giant Tiger was a cornerstone of Inter Species Wrestling (ISW). Founded in 2005 the company has run shows out of Montreal, Quebec in Canada and Danbury, Connecticut in the United States with Giant Tiger taking part in all sorts of mischief along the way. Such mischief has included heading his own stable known as The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. With this group watching his back Giant Tiger captured the ISW Championship from Player Uno and held it for an extraordinary amount of time especially by today’s standards. He can be followed on Twitter @giant_tiger In this interview Tiger and I focus on the topic of being the face of a company.
Daniel Johnson: My first question is for those who are unfamiliar with you how would you describe yourself as a performer? Giant Tiger: Performer? Well, I guess you can say I’m a wrestler who doesn’t wrestle. I’m loud, vulgar, offensive and racist at times. I think people like that.
Daniel Johnson: Who would you say are your top three wrestling influences and your top three comedy influences? Giant Tiger: Wrestling would definitely be Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, and “Macho Man” Randy Savage.Funny enough I don’t watch that much comedy. I don’t like comedians. They always try to be funny even when they’re not. It’s like a porn star always talking about fucking. We get what you do.
Daniel Johnson: How did ISW first come together and how did you get to be a part of it? Giant Tiger: ISW started on MSN Messenger I believe with Mike Rotch and this babe named Val. Both of them knew me and Twiggy very well and contacted us to help them put on their first show. So we contacted a guy that we worked for about using his venue and ring.
Daniel Johnson: What is the back story behind you first becoming the ISW Champion? Giant Tiger: Well, I became champion after Uno and El Generico. I came out after their match and pinned Uno after he accepted my challenge. After I won I got in my underwear and jerked off in the ring. I literally jerked off. I think that’s why I became champ. Because I did stuff like that.
Daniel Johnson: I believe you had the title for 819 days? Is that correct? If not then please correct me. Anyway, what is it like to have a title run in this day and age that is that long regardless of what kind of promotion it is? Giant Tiger: It was cool! I had that belt for a long time and didn’t really defend it that much. I’ve missed a few ISW shows in my day, but the ones I’ve done I like to think I made count.
Daniel Johnson: I recently interviewed Twiggy who described you as “the poster boy of Inter Species Wrestling.” Do you feel this is an accurate description? Why or why not? Giant Tiger: Well I do, but not entirely. I think ISW became popular in my opinion because it was different and they were doing crazy things. Five years ago the only thing in ISW that was wild was my feud with Beef Wellington. So yeah I think I was a major part in making ISW what it is. Just like ISW made me who I am in some ways.
Daniel Johnson: Oddly enough as the face of a company you wear a mask. How did you first become Giant Tiger and put on your mask? Giant Tiger: Well, I was wrestling for a spot show in Chateauguay. It was going to feature a first ever match from this new fed called ISW. Giant Tiger was wrestling Spliff Jones. Rotch gave me the mask in the parking lot before the show. The character Giant Tiger developed through years of drug abuse.
Daniel Johnson: So were you a fan of Tiger Mask beforehand or is it just by chance that you got that mask? Giant Tiger: I had no idea who he was. I just got the mask.
Daniel Johnson: What pressure is there in being viewed as the poster boy of a promotion? Giant Tiger: Honestly, not that much. I haven’t done a couple shows now and I’m taking a bit of a break from ISW. Focusing on my stuff and myself here in Montreal. When I was there full time it wasn’t bad. It motivated me to work harder.
Daniel Johnson: Who were some wrestlers that you had matches with that helped establish you as a top guy in the company early on? Giant Tiger: Honestly, I owe everything I know as Giant Tiger to Beef and Twiggy.
Daniel Johnson: What matches have you had overall that you are most proud of? Giant Tiger: Me vs. Steven “The Turtle” Weiner in Connecticut, me vs. Twiggy in Connecticut and all my matches with Beef in Montreal.
Daniel Johnson: Top performers of companies are sometimes expected to carry themselves a certain way and be an example to the locker room. Did you try to act as an example to the locker room? If so how? If not then why not? Giant Tiger: No, I keep to myself. I show up with my mask on and leave with my mask on. I don’t want people talking to me. I kind of act like a kid backstage, showing everybody my dick.
Daniel Johnson: If you could have wrestled against the face of any other company in any other time who would it be? Giant Tiger: Oh man I don’t know. That’s tough, but the only guy I really want to wrestle is Pasquale The Italian Chef from ISW.
Daniel Johnson: Cool, would you describe the experience of working as the face of ISW as being a big fish in a small pond? If so why do you feel this way? If not then why not? Giant Tiger: No, not at all. I didn’t think I was bigger than anybody really. Some people might tell you otherwise, but I thought I was just a regular guy that people wanted to hang out with more than other wrestlers because I would talk about snorting Ketamine with hookers.
Daniel Johnson: How has 2012 been a different year from 2011 for you? Giant Tiger: I stopped wrestling in ISW in 2012. I got back into being sober after a relapse.
Daniel Johnson: What plans do you have for 2013? What involvement will you have with ISW, if any? Giant Tiger: Nothing right now. I’m just focusing on Montreal right now.
Daniel Johnson: Getting back to your work for ISW how did The League of Extraordinary Gentleman come about? Giant Tiger: It started with me doing promos saying how I had this new group. Adding small people to it. Then backstage at an ISW show me and Eddie Kingston really got along and I asked him if he wanted to party with me and he said yes. Sexxy Eddy joined after we have an alcobrawl and I asked him while we were both wasted.
Daniel Johnson: Do you think leading a stable helped to further the view of Giant Tiger as the face of the company? Why or why not? Giant Tiger: Yeah, I definitely think so. I mean like I said I don’t know if I was the face of the company more than Bamboo. I just talk a lot so people liked that. It helped me be seen more because suddenly The League became the new funny thing to talk about. I made out with a chick in the ring and then in the bathroom during an in-ring promo once and people kept yelling “The League” at me. It was great.
Daniel Johnson: What stables influenced The League of Extraordinary Gentleman? Giant Tiger: Zero. Honestly nothing at all. We wanted to be loud and call people cunts. I wanted to ride girls faces in the ring. I wanted to be drunk for my matches.
Daniel Johnson: Are you a fan of wrestling stables in general? If so then for your money what is the best stable out there today? Giant Tiger: I’m really not actually. I loved the Latino World Order (LWO) though. They knew how to fuck shit up. I bet they got so much poon.
Daniel Johnson: Switching topics a bit are there any comedy spots that you have performed in matches that you are particularly proud of? Giant Tiger: I don’t really do comedy spots. I just do moves that look bad. That’s my thing. I guess I enjoy my Razor’s edge.
Daniel Johnson: I always like to hear about ribs and road stories. Do you have any that you would be willing to share or that you have yet to mention? Giant Tiger: I’m actually pretty quiet when I’m not doing Giant Tiger. The only story that I remember that was nuts was one time me, Twig, Sexxy Eddy and Shayne Hawke were driving back home from a booking. We stopped to get gas right before the border coming home. Eddy said, “Man imagine if we lit a bag of shit on fire for the bitch at the border.” We all laughed and I took a shit in a paper bag beside the convenient store. We decided it would be great so when we pulled up the guard said, “Do you have your passports?” I handed them the bag because Hawke was driving. He lit it without them seeing. Eddy said, “Our passports are in the bag…holy shit it’s on fire!” Then when they got out of the booth to put it out we drove off.
Daniel Johnson: Nice! Were you worried about the repercussions or anything? Giant Tiger: Nah, not at all.
Daniel Johnson: This next one is a broad question, but what separates ISW from every other company out there, if anything? Giant Tiger: I haven’t been to a couple shows lately, but I’m going to go ahead and say ISW is pretty hip with all the inside jokes. It’s kind of a cool crowd. They just want to party and have a good time.
Daniel Johnson: Speaking of crowds, what is the best crowd and worst crowd (or most quiet crowd) that you have ever worked for as part of ISW. Why do you think each crowd was the the way it was and what did you do to get the best reactions possible from each? Giant Tiger: The best crowd was in Connecticut when I wrestled Turtle. They were having a great time. I could have taken a shit in the ring and they would have loved it. Awesome crowd. The worst would be a show we did in Gatineau years ago. Me/Fred la Merveille vs. Beef/Twig. It was just small and quiet.
Daniel Johnson: Did you manage to get any kind of reaction out of the second crowd or was it just sort of dead? Giant Tiger: Nah, just dead. They didn’t want to party.
Daniel Johnson: Outside of ISW how many other companies have you worked for and which did you most enjoy? Giant Tiger: I worked for like six I think. I most enjoyed C4 Wrestling and definitely BATTLEWAR in Montreal.
Daniel Johnson: Are there any companies that you are disappointed that you did not get the chance to work for? Giant Tiger: I don’t think so. I mean I would love to work everywhere.
Daniel Johnson: As part of my last few questions I like to ask five non-wrestling related questions just to bring a little uniqueness to the interview. If you don’t have an answer or don’t want to answer one of them just feel free to say, “skip.” Outside of wrestling, what television shows do you enjoy watching these days? Giant Tiger: I don’t watch TV.
Daniel Johnson: What was your favorite movie that came out this year? Giant Tiger: Again, I don’t watch new movies. I’m kind of lame with new shit.
Daniel Johnson: That’s alright. What is your favorite food that you tried for the first time this year? Giant Tiger: Cheese in a can.
Daniel Johnson: Really? If so where do you get that? Giant Tiger: I got it from a friend who was in the United States for a bit. It’s real good.
Daniel Johnson: I’ll have to look into that. Anyway, do you have a favorite song to come out this year? Giant Tiger: Yeah, I’m really into Vinnie Paz’s new album.
Daniel Johnson: Cool, any particular song? Giant Tiger: “Cheesesteaks.”
Daniel Johnson: Did you vote in your last local election? If so would you be willing to say for who? Giant Tiger: Not for the Province of Quebec.
Daniel Johnson: Have you purchased anything at the Giant Tiger store lately? Giant Tiger: No?
Daniel Johnson: Hmm, thought you might have heard of them since they’re in Canada. Anyway, what is the weirdest part about being a professional wrestler? Giant Tiger: It is not weird, but just annoying. A lot of wrestlers are real losers. They are like a bunch of high school kids so that’s frustrating.
Daniel Johnson: Is there anything you would like to add or anything that we have yet to go over that you would like to talk about? Giant Tiger: No, I think we covered a lot.
See Giant Tiger win the big one! Here, he attacks Player Uno after Uno had just defended the ISW Championship against El Generico:
I found a clip last week that was really interesting.
It was revealed during a horribly recorded clip from Scott Hall’s first shoot interview he should have faced The Undertaker at Wrestlemania XI in 1995 at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut.
Without further ado, let’s see what “The Bad Guy” had to say!
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Interviewer: Scott, I’ve heard a rumor about something undiscovered in your WWE tenure. Apparently, there should have been a program between you and Undertaker for Wrestlemania in Hartford? Scott Hall: As much as it pains me to say it, that is very much true.
Interviewer: Would you like to share how this should have went down? Scott Hall: Alright mang. So it’s the night after the ’94 Survivor Series. We’re at Raw, and Vince calls me into his office. He’s like, “Razor [Ramon], I need to talk to you about Wrestlemania.” So I’m like, “Alright boss, what’s up?” Vince was thinking up a storm all day. “We’ve got Diesel and Shawn [Micahels] for the title, Bam Bam [Bigelow]and LT [Lawrence Taylor], and we also got [Bob] Backlund and Bret [Hart].” So I’m figuring what’s wrong with that? Vince then decides, “I got it! Razor, you’re going to go one on one with Undertaker at Wrestlemania!” The angle was supposed to start at the Royal Rumble, and then completely end at ‘mania…
(audio cuts out)
Interviewer: How much did Vince and company do to prepare for the buildupto XI? Scott Hall: For nothing that ever happened, a lot! A fucking lot. First, both ‘Taker and I had to work on scheduled days off. Secondly, there was a blizzard at the location we were shooting at. Mark and I rode in the same car, and we’re both pretty late. Vince let us both slide, and then we went over specifics. A couple of vignettes revolved around me trying to act machismo inside a funeral parlor, while the big physical confrontation had me buried inside a grave. That grave shoot was a bitch. The backhoe made a hole that must have been, uh, eight or nine feet deep. It was balls cold in the earliest part of January I tell you. Undertaker was shivering bad, it must have been like zero or so outside. So the early part of the shoot sees me, you know, being an arrogant ass. I throw the gold on the grave saying I’m going to bury Undertaker at Wrestlemania. A shadow emerges, and it’s Taker. He turns around, grips my throat and goozled me into the hole. For a second I thought I was paralyzed, but I was able to move a few minutes later. The next night at the Raw taping…
(audio cuts out)
Scott Hall: AC/DC was slated to do the entrances. I had “Razor’s Edge” while Undertaker had “Hell’s Bells”. Vince was plotting on pyro schemes amongst a whole pile of bullshit.
Interviewer: So why did Vince go back on the deal? Scott Hall: It had to do with [King Kong] Bundy being thrown back into the mix. Undertaker was the only man suitable for the job. I forget the details, but I remember blowing a gasket at Vince. He pissed both of us off mightily. That could have been a match for the ages. Two big, strong, agile guys who could work and bump with the best of them. We had the match planned out, we were ready for the show in advance. The match I would have with Jeff [Jarrett] was half-assed, and it was unprofessional. That night was a no-win and as it turned out for the WWE, probably the worst Wrestlemania of all time.
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Disclaimer: Alright guys, this didn’t really happen. It was a very abbreviated Rewriting the Book style entry that was experimental. Hell, I don’t even know if Taker and Ramon had anything planned ever.
As a matter of fact, that’s how long I’ve been a wrestling fan for.
Professional wrestling has always been a stable where I live. Whether it was WCW Monday Nitro, or later with WWE Raw, there was always the sound of “Let the Bodies Hit the Floor”.
I had caught bits and pieces of SmackDown in the early summer days of 2002, but they were scattered and too far in between.
It was when I saw Raw for the first time in its entirety which got me hooked through the nose.
July 22, 2002 was the date. It was the night after Vengeance. The Rock had just become the undisputed WWE champion, Eric Bischoff was running the joint, and his newest acquisition was one HHH.
After some friendly persuasion from Shawn Michaels, HHH decided that the only way to compete in the WWE was to rekindle some of the fire left behind in the Attitude Era.
Only it would be short lived.
A thunderous pedigree during a D-Generation X reunion left a friendship shattered, and a four-year blood feud ensued.
It was the camaraderie of that, Eddie Guerrero talking trash with The Rock, amongst a host of others that finally embraced me into the wacky world of sports entertainment.
While there were times the WWE would test my patience, I always came back to it. Some of it is habit while some of it is like feeling like you’re seeing a best friend again.
Some of my favorite wrestling memories also includes:
*My brother got a tape of Wrestlemania 13 one year for Christmas. This was the first time I have watched Wrestlemania from bell to bell. I will say this: Through the horrible video and audio, that Steve Austin and Bret Hart left a lasting impression on me. Both men beat the hell out of each other while the passion they showed in their craft was more enduring. Austin, bleeding like insanity, finally passed out in Bret’s patented sharpshooter. The only thing I didn’t know at the time was that this was the most masterful double turn in the company’s history. Probably even professional wrestling too while I’m at it.
*For Wrestlemania XX at the house, it was quite the affair. A good parade of people was there with no shortage of refreshments and possibilities. One of my brother’s friends during the three way main event asked, “When will someone bleed?” A couple of minutes later, Shawn Michaels catapulted himself into the post and bled a nine on The Muta Scale. This was mere minutes after a gaggle of people, including myself, imitated Paul Bearer before the real one came out!
*June 7, 2010. That Raw was a piece of shit. Three hours long and nothing happened at all. John Cena seemingly had CM Punk disposed of. However, off in the distance, laid Wade Barrett and his steely eyes. Michael Tarver, who may have had a baby for dinner, jumped the barricade. Wait, all the NXT guys are jumping the ring! Cena got his ass whooped! “I’m not better than you,” as Daniel Bryan would kick John Cena’s fucking head in. The ring imploded, the desks were destroyed, and it left a lasting impression. For three hours of suck-ass television before it, those 15 minutes were amongst the best things in the last decade.
I hope some of you may identify with these moments, and perhaps even chuckled slightly. You’ll be enjoying more of The Tome of Bad Booking shortly.
