Lesnar, HHH make the most of a rare house show appearance in Buffalo
BUFFALO, NY - In the 1980s it seemed that wrestling magazines were always showcasing dream matches between top wrestlers in rival promotions. In Buffalo, NY, the WWE provided its own version of the dream card. Where else could you see a main event that featured two...
Buffalo crowd hot and into the heroes
BUFFALO, NY - Monday Night Raw in Buffalo was an event that has taken a few years to create. Having attended quite a few WWE cards, including another Raw, in the Queen City, I had not seen the arena packed to capacity. Tonight it was full. What was the change? Could...
Lessons to consider from a 7-year-old fan at Smackdown
BUFFALO - The Smackdown show in Buffalo on Tuesday evening was a fun affair that was helped by a raucous crowd. One fan in particular was enjoying his first taste of live WWE action, seven-year-old Phynn. I talked with the youngster throughout the show and his...
Late-arriving Toronto crowd savours Cesaro-Styles classic
TORONTO - There are times when WWE is very aware of the world around it, as in its Tribute to the Troops or campaigns against breast cancer. Then there are nights like Saturday in Toronto, when it was oblivious to the chaos outside the doors of the Ricoh Coliseum....
WWE in Buffalo a traditional kind of night
BUFFALO, NY - The WWE continued its Road to Wrestlemania tour with a stop in Buffalo at the First Niagara Center last night. To put it mildly, the crowd was hot for all things WWE. The event was what wrestling should be like. Families were able to enjoy the sport,...
Owens and Zayn main attraction in Montreal
MONTREAL – Forget Brock Lesnar's return to Montreal Friday night. The people in attendance only wanted to see one match: Kevin Owens versus Sami Zayn versus Dean Ambrose. It wasn't Owens' first show in Montreal for the WWE. He debuted here last September. It wasn't...
Cleveland crowd loud and raucous at Fastlane
CLEVELAND - This writer owes the city of Cleveland an apology. For years, I have been less than complimentary to the city -- in fact, I've used the terms "cesspool" and "hell-hole" more than once, thinking that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was the only good thing...
NXT in Detroit ‘amazing’ & ‘awesome’
DETROIT, Mich. - Before I start, please believe this is me writing, and not my Dad. I love NXT, and last night was probably my favorite wrestling show I've ever been to. NXT is so much better then WWE because of the amazing matches and awesome crowds. This was a...
Crowd watching at WWE in Toronto
TORONTO - When you have been to as many wrestling shows as I have through the years, it can be a little onerous to sit through another house show. Even with my nine-year-old son, Quinn, beside me, popping at the right moments, and sarcastically commenting at other...
WWE brings holiday fun to Detroit
DETROIT - The WWE appeared at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena for its their annual holiday stop. What follows is the results and commentary from Matthew McFarlin, the 11-year-old son of photographer John Brad McFarlin. Dolph Ziggler beat Tyler Breeze. (Matt: Wow, Dolph is...
Comparing a weekend of ROH vs WWE
This past week I had the pleasure of attending a Ring of Honor TV taping and WWE Monday Night RAW. There is no comparison to witnessing the WWE live. They are slick, exciting and are number one for a reason. On the other hand, something is lost when you watch a...
Young families love WWE action in Buffalo
BUFFALO - The WWE rolled into Buffalo for Monday Night RAW and the show was appreciated by the vocal crowd. The large number of children in the audience echoed the direction of the current WWE product as they cheered for the good guys and booed the bad guys. Large...
Kevin Owens a hero to Montreal crowd
MONTREAL - It was Kevin Owens' homecoming last night in Montreal and the crowd reacted to him like the Superstar he has become in recent months. After the Rougeaus, Dino Bravo and Pierre-Carl Ouellet, wrestling fans in Montreal have a new hero. Although usually a heel...
NXT alumni own the spotlight at WWE Fairfax
FAIRFAX, VA - WWE house shows bring a unique experience. While there is a sameness and "seen one, seen 'em all" quality one can identify after attending a handful of these shows, there is an intimate atmosphere when the biggest show in town detours into the suburbs....
Surprises dominate WWE house show in Toronto
TORONTO - Sometimes, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Just like infamous rivalry between Edge and John Cena which offered up some incredible, unforgettable bouts but wore out its welcome no matter how the WWE repackaged it, Cena versus Seth Rollins has hit...
Loud crowd enjoys WWE in Hamilton
HAMILTON -- The WWE brought its show to Hamilton, Ontario, and the crowd was not disappointed. The cavernous First Ontario Centre was only half filled, but the reactions from the fans would have made you think that the arena had patrons hanging from the rafters. Two...
Smackdown in Detroit lacks star power
DETROIT - Smackdown came to my hometown on Tuesday night at the Joe Louis Arena and once again Dad got to shoot photos and here are some of my thoughts. My main complaint is a bit too much time was spent showing video from the previous nights RAW, and the familiar...
WWE Calgary show solid but not spectacular
CALGARY - House shows have long been a favourite event for me to attend, tying back to days as a kid watching Hulk Hogan against Randy Savage or Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart. Even as a young adult I would get so excited to see the likes of Eddie Guerrero, The Rock, and...
Holiday house show helps make a new WWE fan
Imagine for a second that you’re eight years old again. You’re curious about pro wrestling, but you’ve never seen it except for the occasional glimpses you’ve seen on TV, almost always in passing. Your younger brother already shows signs of becoming a fan, and your...
WWE Winnipeg house show has an old-school flavour
WINNIPEG - Having not been in attendance at at WWE event in Winnipeg in over 20 years -- since the days of the old "barn", the venerated Arena -- I was quite curious as to how things have changed in the "house show" game when I went to Saturdays performance at the MTS...
Orton surprising hero at Montreal house show
MONTREAL - I remember going to a WWF house show at the Montreal Forum, and I wanted to get a t-shirts and see the stars but I also wanted Ricky Steamboat to take revenge on Randy Savage. Not much has really changed today at the WWE house show at the Bell Centre last...
Bret Hart expects a great response at Raw in Montreal
Bret "The Hitman" Hart went 15 years without any presence in Montreal for the WWE, but tonight he's back on Monday Night Raw -- his second straight appearance in Montreal for WWE's big weekly show. However, last time around, his thunder was stolen by Jerry Lawler --...
Cena, Y2J return to Toronto; Santino retires
With the help of The Usos, John Cena has once again plucked the vultures. At the SummerSlam Heatwave Tour at the Ricoh Coliseum in downtown Toronto, Cena surprised the crowd in attendance by turning his no holds barred Street Fight bout against Bray Wyatt into a WWE...
Reigns star of WWE London house show
LONDON, Ont. -- WWE brought its SummerSlam Heatwave Tour to London's Budweiser Gardens for a show on Saturday night, and the crowd definitely offered proof that Roman Reigns may indeed be the next chosen one, both for his in-ring action and for the way that the fans...
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....
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...
‘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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
Del Rio-Sheamus end Ottawa Smackdown taping
OTTAWA -- A crowd of about 7,000 was in attendance at the Scotiabank Place in Ottawa for the tapings of Smackdown! Tuesday night. Less than 24 hours after Jerry "The King" Lawler suffered from a heart attack live during Monday Night Raw in Montreal, the aftershocks of...
Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler suffers heart attack during WWE Monday Night Raw in Montreal, hospitalized
During this week's WWE Monday Night Raw in Montreal, announcer Jerry "The King" Lawler suffered a heart attack at ringside, was stretchered to the backstage area, received CPR and was taken to a Montreal hospital. Lawler had surgery to repair a blockage in his heart,...
Bizarroland cheering of heels continues at WWE Hamilton show
HAMILTON, ON -- World Wrestling Entertainment ventured north to Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario, on Saturday night, and the crowd was quite into the bad guys, perpetuating Canada's reputation as "Bizarroland." Here's the run-down of the matches: 1) Triple Threat...
