Smackdown in Hotlanta: a great way to spend a Tuesday evening
Tuesday was the final television taping of Friday Night Smackdown in Atlanta, GA before this year’s Payback PPV. This generally means that most of the focus of the show will be on the upcoming PPV matches, basically WWE’s last chance to convince you to order the PPV....
New Japan tops Border City in stellar show
WINDSOR — As much as I love watching professional wrestling, sometimes I absolutely dread it. Like last week's Raw, for instance, and the horrible story with Daniel Bryan and Kane. It nearly made me embarrassed to watch it. Fast forward to later in the week. It's...
Seeing old friends story of ROH Global Wars
TORONTO - Ring of Honor rolled into Toronto on Saturday night, for the killer co-iPPV with New Japan Pro Wrestling entitled Global Wars. As great as the show was -- and exhausting -- what I like about the ROH shows is the camaraderie. It's almost been, gulp, 30 years...
Spring fever grips Buffalo SmackDown taping
BUFFALO, NY - Friday Night SmackDown (and also Main Event) performed for its Tuesday night crowd this week in Buffalo, NY, delivering a show that pushed all the familiar buttons for a crowd that was happy to respond enthusiastically. In fact, with the long winter...
Updated: Wrestlers rail on Hardcore Roadtrip screw job
In the world of social media, it is easy to vent your thoughts and in the case of the chaos of Hardcore Roadtrip in London, Ontario on Saturday, offer up condemnation of a promoter who walked out without paying the talent for the evening's show or arranging for...
Hardcore Roadtrip comes to dead end
Saturday night’s Hardcore Roadtrip’s show in London was full of violence and mayhem, but the most painful part was the ending – the announcement that the promoter Mark Livingston had screwed over the wrestlers by not paying them and by not arranging transportation for...
‘Can you do timeouts?’ A WWE show through virgin eyes
TORONTO - If I had to guess, I'd estimate that I've been to more than 150 WWE events over the years, so it was refreshing to bring a couple of neophytes to the live event Friday night at Toronto's Ricoh Coliseum and experience the spectacle through their eyes. Along...
New faces shine on SHIMMER weekend
Based on the showings at the recent DVD tapings on April 12-13, a youth movement is under way in SHIMMER, and a new crop of women are establishing themselves as rising stars. Here are six competitors poised to make a major impact in the very near future. Evie (Age:...
Cancer takes a beating thanks to Sixx and friends
TORONTO -- There's wrestling strong and there's real-life strong. Sunday afternoon's Fight! 4 Cancer show in Toronto certainly had evidence of both. The show centered around Ashley Sixx, wrestler and promoter, making his return to the ring after battling cancer. He...
Raw crowd shows its love for Bryan, Barrett, Ziggler, Cesaro … and Paige?!
NEW ORLEANS - Ever since WrestleMania 28, the Monday Night RAW the night after has become the most anticipated show on the calendar; all because of the crowd. After what happened in the IZOD Center in New Jersey last year, expectations were high in the Smoothie King...
ROH TV taping offers new title, a great brawl and a kangaroo
WESTWEGO, LA - WWE isn't the only game in town this weekend, as other promotion have invaded the greater New Orleans area to entertain the wrestling fans, and once again Ring of Honor didn't shy away from the action with back-to-back shows. Less than 24 hours after...
Ricochet comes out on top on amazing Dragon Gate show
NEW ORLEANS - While most wrestling fans in New Orleans this weekend are here to see WrestleMania XXX, that doesn't mean it's the only show in town. Friday night, at Tulane University, Dragon Gate USA hosted Open The Ultimate Gate 2014. And for those who were lucky...
Magical spontaneous moment makes Jarrett vs Deaner match
ORILLIA, Ont. -- Saturday night’s 3A Wrestling show in Orillia was a mixed bag of what’s good and bad about independent wrestling. While overall the night was fun and many of the matches delivered, the ones that didn’t left a very bad taste in the mouth for this...
WWE return to Winnipeg a moment of reflection
WINNIPEG -- Whenever WWE comes to town, SLAM! Wrestling Producer Greg Oliver knows he's going to get a call from me asking for a ticket to the show. The event in Winnipeg Friday night was no different. For the second consecutive show I was in the bleachers, armed with...
Fans unresponsive to solid Smackdown action in Detroit
DETROIT — WWE brought TV tapings back to Joe Louis Arena on Tuesday night, as fans were treated to a live shoot of Main Event and a taping of Friday Night Smackdown. For those who had gotten used to seeing hot crowds lately, well, this show isn’t for you. The crowd,...
WWE in Montreal all about Cena
MONTREAL - WWE's matinee show on Sunday at the Bell Centre is not one people will remember a decade from now. But for the fans attending, especially a good number of kids due to the 5 p.m. start, it doesn't really matter because it was all about one guy: John Cena. It...
WWE Buffalo house show highlighted by tag teams
BUFFALO, NY - The WWE entered the First Niagara Centre in Buffalo on Saturday night with a show that featured the tag team division in full force. The event was far from a sell-out, but the crowd was eager and ready for action. The Prime Time Players defeated Rybaxel...
WWE live through the eyes of 7 and 5-year-old boys
GREG & QUINN OLIVER and NICK & JT TYLWALK - SLAM! Wrestling In a real holiday treat, two veterans of SLAM! Wrestling got the chance to bring their young sons to their first-ever WWE live events, one in Detroit and one in Toronto. What was it like? Who was...
Notes from the crowd at Raw in Toronto
Before the show, the merch tables were packed, with lots of people getting the Wyatt Family shirts, and a one night only Edge shirt with today's date on the back. The building looked pretty much full. The audience included lots of kids, but that didn't stop a chorus...
WWE live show charms Vancouver crowd
VANCOUVER - It has been quite a while since a WWE show had been held in Vancouver, BC, so the ravenous fans on Canada’s west coast packed the Pacific Coliseum to show their enthusiasm and were extremely boisterous throughout. As the crowd streamed into the arena they...
Smackdown in the ATL: Good, but not PPV worthy
With less than a week before Survivor Series, the WWE invaded Hotlanta for the final taping of Smackdown before the PPV. Overall, it was a good show, but nothing that would make me want to order the PPV. Since this episode of Smackdown has yet to air, I will do my...
20 years of Border City Wrestling makes for a great card
WINDSOR, Ont. -- Border City Wrestling turned 20 years old in grand style Saturday night with a card that showcased a ton of new and old talent, and paid tribute to the many, many men and women who have trained in the Can-Am Wrestling school in town. The show was at...
Alumni make All Star night special at Cloverdale
CLOVERDALE, BC - There's a rich history of pro wrestling in British Columbia, and on Friday night at the historic Cloverdale Fair Grounds, All Star Wrestling honoured some of the legends of the past and did its best to present some of the stars of today. It was the...
Fans in Ottawa hot for Bryan at Smackdown
KANATA, Ont. – Tuesday night was the Smackdown go-home show going into Sunday's Night of the Champions PPV, and there's no doubt Daniel Bryan is the guy fans want to see on top, this time more than a few minutes. The 4,000 or so fans at the Canadian Tire Centre in...
Great theatre presented by WWE in Hamilton
Steve Martin once joked about how phony it sounded for every comedian, no matter where they were, to say "Hey, it's really great to be here," before gushing "Hey, it's really great to be here" to his audience. The point is, it's an old truth in show business that you...
WWE Windsor a showcase for Ziggler
WINDSOR — While the show might've been lacking on star power, WWE's visit to the WFCU Centre on Saturday greatly entertained the enthusiastic crowd on hand. With WWE splitting the roster up into two tours (the other was in East Rutherford, N.J., on Saturday), the...
WWE Montreal show a celebration of Sami Zayn
MONTREAL - Friday night was a celebration of one of ours, the WWE debut of Montreal's Sami Zayn. And the Quebec wrestling scene, including yours truly, couldn't have been prouder. "Who is he going to wrestle?" and Where is match going to be on the card?" were the...
ROH’s BJ Whitmer hospitalized in Toronto
TORONTO -- The first-round match for the Ring of Honor World title between BJ Whitmer and Mike Bennett came to an abrupt halt Saturday night in Toronto when Whitmer was hurt on a piledriver on the ring apron. It was the third match of the card at the Mattamy Athletic...
American Wolves win ROH belts at Toronto show
TORONTO -- First, some context. I'm not the biggest fan of Ring of Honor for two reasons. While I appreciate the tremendous athleticism of the wrestlers, I am not a fan of the "philosophy" of ROH matches. To me, the Code of Honor runs contradictory to the point of pro...
Atlanta WWE house show a nice change of pace
ATLANTA – For the first time since Monday Night Raw on February 5, the WWE returned to Philips Arena in Atlanta. While most members of the WWE Universe were at home watching a pre-recorded episode of Smackdown! WWE fans in Atlanta were treated to a very entertaining...
Ring of Honor feeling flat
As a wrestling fan who likes to take in as many different styles as possible, Saturday's Ring of Honor show in Dearborn, Mich., was a stark reminder of the realities of the wrestling business. My first ROH show was in November 2010 in Dearborn. I'd heard a lot of...
TigerFest draws massive crowd in Brampton
BRAMPTON, Ont. -- When you mix a beautiful day, a national holiday, and pro wrestling with a good mix of names, the result is a huge turnout at TigerFest. The scene on Sunday was Donald M. Gordon Chinguacousy Park in Brampton, a suburb to the west of Toronto, and the...
Second House of Hardcore show an interesting mix
PHILADELPHIA - Tommy Dreamer called some more of his many friends for a massive show on Saturday night at the National Guard Armory in Philadelphia. The second House of Hardcore show delivered fabulous action, legends, and a nice goodbye. Here's what happened: 1) ?...
Rampage makes an Impact live with Angle at Impact
ATLANTA – With Slammiversary XI still fresh in the minds of wrestling fans, it’s time to witness the fallout after another good PPV. With game one of the NBA Finals as the head-to-head competition, Impact Wrestling made sure to put on a solid show to reward the fans...
Lawler returns to the ring
OCALA, Fla. - In his first match after his shocking heart attack in Montreal in September 2012, Jerry "The King" Lawler returned to the ring in classic form on Saturday night in Ocala, Florida, in an eight-person intergender tag team match. The show was sold out, with...
WWE entertains Detroit for Smackdown taping
DETROIT — WWE Smackdown returned to Detroit for the first time since 2010 on Tuesday, for an entertaining, yet nondescript show at Joe Louis Arena. With The Joe prepping for the incoming Stanley Cup Playoffs (the home Red Wings host the hated Anaheim Ducks for Game 3...
Last stop: Boston for Smackdown, where the music died
BOSTON - After a great crowd on Monday in New Jersey, the crowd was back to normal on Tuesday night at the Smackdown taping in Boston. Dolph Ziggler, Wade Barrett and Fandango were back as heels. Triple H and John Cena were really over and both received a huge pop....
ROH TV taping a lot of bang for your buck
NEW YORK, NY – While the WWE Universe waits until Sunday night for their heroes to hit the ring, the other promotions that have invaded the New York/New Jersey area during WrestleMania weekend have already been putting in work. In the case of Ring of Honor, that goes...
Retirements, great action highlight PWS supercard
METUCHEN, NJ - If New Jersey is not at the moment the centre of the wrestling universe I dare anyone to find another. The Pro Wrestling Syndicate was presenting its Supercard night two Friday evening, just one of the many WrestleMania-related activities in the New...
Kaiju Big Battel a real head trip, man
SECAUCUS, NJ - Even though I’m a big Grateful Dead fan, I’ve never fully embraced the Dead-head lifestyle. Notably, I’ve never done any form of psychedelic drug. As a result, I’ve never had strange visions of life-sized anthromorphic creatures running around the city,...
AR Fox crowned first EVOLVE Champion
WrestleMania weekend kicked off Friday afternoon with EVOLVE's iPPV event from WrestleCon, featuring a one-night, eight-man tournament to crown the first-ever EVOLVE Champion, featuring the likes of Chuck Taylor, Ricochet, AR Fox and Sami Callihan. Live from the...
Briscoe captures ROH title at Supercard of Honor VII
Jay Briscoe is a Ring of Honor original. He's fought for the ROH World Championship several times but has come up short each time. Now, he takes on the dominant champion, Kevin Steen, with the chance to wrestle control back from SCUM. But could Briscoe cash in when...
Holy Toledo, a WWE show through an 8-year-old’s eyes
WWE Smackdown brought their "Road to Wrestlemania" to Toledo, Ohio at the University of Toledo Savage Arena. I asked Dad if the arena was named after Randy Savage. He said it wasn't. Oh well. The building looked almost full. First the Great Khali came out with his new...
Buffa-loaded with legends on Monday Night Raw
BUFFALO, NY - Finally, Raw has come back to Buffalo, NY. As the WWE production trucks roll up alongside the Niagara River, the Wrestlemania machine kicks into high gear. As you know by now, the First Niagara Center welcomed enough Wrestlemania main-eventers and Hall...
Hardcore Roadtrip’s bumps overcome by great action
"There are three sides to every story - yours, mine, and the truth." -- Robert Evans "Card subject to change." -- Various wrestling promoters "I feel like I should be mad, but I'm not." - Anonymous The above quotes pretty much sum up the Hardcore Roadtrip event that...
Big crowd cheers on WWE favourites in Toronto
TORONTO - The road to WrestleMania made its way into Toronto on Friday evening, and headed straight to the front doors of the Ricoh Coliseum. And a record-setting crowd walked that road, filling the building to see their favourite superstars put on one heck of a good...
‘Like Father, like son’ theme for TNA in Detroit
DETROIT -- TNA Wrestling came to Detroit with their "Road to Lockdown" show at the Fillmore Theater. The Fillmore is a very old building. I asked Dad how old it was, and he said it was older than Grandma. Wow. The first match was Robbie E, followed by Big Robbie T vs...
Lesnar and Henry biggest pops live in Atlanta
ATLANTA -- After a shocking conclusion to last week’s Raw in Las Vegas, the Road to WrestleMania made a stop in Atlanta tonight further setting up possible matchups in both the Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania 29. For the first time since Hell in a Cell, Philips...
Action speaks loudly at Hart Legacy Wrestling
CALGARY - On Friday night, the historic Victoria Pavilion in Calgary's Stampede Park hosted professional wrestling for the first time in nearly 15 years. A mix of nostalgia, rising stars, and experienced talent blended together to create the best wrestling show in...
ROH rocks the house in Detroit
DEARBORN, Mich. — Ring of Honor returned to the Detroit area for the first time since May 2011 on Friday, bringing with a night of action-packed, crowd-pleasing wrestling. The evening, featuring two championship bouts, saw most of the wrestlers heavily engaging a...
