Indy News

Check out all the happenings on the Independents for the week. From title changes, to federation changes you'll find it here. Any news you would like to have posted, feel free to email me.

USA! Indy News: June

6/1-6/17

Impact Championship Wrestling has cancelled their 6/14 show at Club Amazora in Queens, NY & shut down all operations within the promotion. In a posting on the USA Pro Wrestling message board, Sabboth wrote, "Its true, ICW is no more. Do to circumstances very beyond my control, I am shutting down the doors of ICW."

Minnesota Indy Promotion Midwest Pro Wrestling has taken over Wisconsin-based All-Star Championship Wrestling and will promote ACW towns now under the MPW banner. The promotion have worked closely with the same talent for much of this past year.

From Tom Casola (Kodiak Bear): "It is with a heavy heart that I am the bearer of sad news. Terry Manton, who wrestled as one of the Executioners, passed away yesterday (Sunday). Not too many details are known. The story I received was he was in the car with his family, and was stopped at a red light when he slumped over the wheel. I just worked with Terry, and his partner Jerry Fazio, at the Denville Police PAL wrestling fundraiser this weekend. The match went well. He was in excellent spirits. Later on that night we all went out, and he was mentioning how he was waiting for his 11 year old son to join him in the ring as another Executioner. Terry was a good friend, good man and devoted father. Please excuse me if this email is discombobulated, but I am in total shock."-

Terrence D. Manton
ROCKAWAY TWP. — Terrence D. Manton died Sunday at West Hudson Hospital in Kearny. He was 54. Born in Syracuse, N.Y., he lived the last 10 years in Rockaway Township. He graduated from Montclair High School and Montclair State College.He served in the Navy during the Vietnam War. He was employed as director of designs for Canon Melrose Displays, Passaic, for the last 10 years. He was a three-time NCAA Olympic Champ weight-lifter; a Rockaway Township PAL volunteer; and a professional wrestler for the E.C.P.W. known as the "Mask Executioner." His son, Ryan Manton, died previously. Survivors include his beloved wife, Patricia "Patti" (Garofalo); devoted son, Daniel; mother, Helen L. Manton of Tacoma, Wash.; and siblings, Greg of West Orange, Chris of Aurora, Colo., and Vicki Kirchner of Federal Way, Wash. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the memorial service Wednesday at 8 p.m. at Norman Dean Home for Services, 16 Righter Ave., Denville (973) 627-1880. Friends will be received Wednesday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Memorial donations to the Denville or Rockaway Township PAL.

The Sandman & "Rock look alike" The Smoke will be competing in a Celebrity Boxing competition. Sandman will be taking on "The King of Sandwiches" Tony Luke, while Smoke will face Celebrity attorney George Boccheeto. Event takes place Wednesday July 17th at 8pm at the Lagoon Nightclub. For more information call 610-521-1400. Others competing include: WIPmorning show Joe Conklin vs. Steve Bucci channel 3 sports anchor, Q102 morning man Diego Ramos vs. CN8 TV'S Bruce Cassella. This event will donate the Don Gunella School in Springfield, Delaware County

Michael Imburgia, who wrestled as Tower of Doom on the indies, and was one-time USWA champion as Ric "Macho Man" Hogan was indicted on ten charges on fostering sexually themed material involving minors 6/10.

Imburgia, 30, is the DJ at a club in Monroe, OH, called Bristol’s Show Club and Revue. The owner of the club was also indicted on two felony counts of promoting prostitution. John Burke, commander of the Warren County (OH) Drug Task Force, told the Cincinnati Enquirer that they had seized Imburgia’s home computer and other documents in a search of his home on 4/19. Burke said Imburgia “had significant amounts of child pornography on his computer and in other computer disks. We’re talking about very, very young teens.” Burke would not comment on whether there is evidence that Imburgia sold the files or shared them over the Internet

Johnny Jett and Mike Sharona have left Missouri indy Gateway Championship Wrestling. Jett is now working full-time for Harley Race's World League Wrestling.

WWE developmental wrestler R.C. (Charlie) Haas is expected to return to action in HWA by the end of the month.

For the TV Taping on SATURDAY, 6/15, at the NCW ARENA,a rematch was scheduled between new NWA WILDSIDE Champon, JASON CROSS against former champion, DAVID YOUNG. However, since CROSS won the title on 6/1, he "no showed" a CZW event on 6/8 in Philadelphia at the former ECW Arena, and for several days literally appeared to vanish. GABRIEL of the LOST BOYZ replaced CROSS at the CZW event in Phily and RICK MICHAELS was also added to the card which included Wildside star TONY MAMALUKE. THE LOST BOYZ will return to CZW in JULY to face THE BACKSEAT BOYZ. JASON CROSS finally communicated with the WILDSIDE office by e-mail today. He wrote, "It is time for me to move on, so my wrestling career has finally come to an end.....wrestling became very stressful for me." As a result of CROSS' surprise departure from wrestling ADAM JACOBS will replace him in a July booking for RING OF HONOR. In addition JASON CROSS has been stripped of the NWA WILDSIDE HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE, and on 6/29 at FREEDOM FIGHT 2002 in CORNELIA at the NCW ARENA the TITLE will be on the line in the WAR
GAMES CAGE MATCH. Once all competitors are in the ring using WAR GAME rules,
eliminations will begin by pinfall, submission, or even count-out until only one man remains as winner of the match for his team, and also new NWA WILDSIDE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION.

After a brief hiatus due to a life threatening sickness, Nicole Bass will be returning to the wrestling ring June 14th appearing at the Independent Wrestling Federation in West Paterson, NJ @ The IWF Centre. Nicole is a former ECW star & WWE star, where she appeared briefly as Sable's bodyguard. Her last newsworthy event was her lawsuit against the WWE for sexual discrimination & harassement.

More names have been announced as entrants in the "Gauntlet for the Gold" match that will air on the debut broadcast of NWA-TNA: Total Nonstop Action. The match will determine a new NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

The names added to the match include former NWA World Tag Team Champion Rick Steiner, former US Champion Konnan, former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Steve Corino, former WCW Hardcore Champion Norman Smiley, former WCW World Tag Team Champion Devon Storm, former USWA Champion Vampire Warrior,
and former NWA Wildside TV Champion K Krush.

Names previously announced include Scott Hall, Ken Shamrock, Jeff Jarrett, Gran Apolo, Marcus Bagwell, and Brian Christopher.

The "Gauntlet for the Gold" match will begin with two competitors in the ring with an additional contestant added every 90 seconds. Wrestlers are eliminated from the match when they are thrown over the top rope to the floor. When only two competitors remain in the ring NWA rules will go into effect and a winner will be determined by pinfall or submission only. The winner of the "Gauntlet for the Gold" will be declared the NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

NWA TNA: Total Nonstop Action will premiere at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville , AL on June 19, 2002 . The first ever PPV broadcast from Huntsville will air live nationwide on cable and satellite providers at 8pm EST / 7pm CST .

Tickets are on sale now at all Ticketmaster locations and at the Von Braun Center Box
Office. Tickets are available for $35, $25 and $18.

NWA TNA: Total Nonstop Action will broadcast every Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on national cable and satellite providers with an encore presentation scheduled for the following Sunday at Noon ET (time approximate). The suggested pay-per-view retail price for each event is just $9.95

ANNOUNCEMENT BY NWA BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

The Board Of Directors of the National Wrestling Alliance is aware of certain
press releases issued by a former Member that suggested a restructuring of the
NWA Wrestling company owned and operated by David Baucom in North and South Carolina. These press releases were not issued by Mr. Baucom, nor has Mr. Baucom notified the NWA Board of Directors of any change in his promotion. Howard Brody has no standing with the National Wrestling Alliance, and no statement from him concerning Mr. Baucom and his NWA business is considered valid by it. Unless approved by the NWA Board of Directors Mr. Brody can not represent an NWA Member at a
NWA meeting nor in any official capacity, as it relates to the Worldwide Organization's
Member run business.

World Star Wrestling will be traveling to Camp Dost on the Camp Victory Ground in Millville, PA July 11th to host a charity event to help fight the war against cancer.

World Star Wrestling Promoter, Johnny Glitter, said, "It is a well known fact
that children and professional wrestling go hand in hand. When WSW learned of
the opportunity to bring ourselves to the kids of Camp Dost, we jumped at the
chance."

World Star Wrestling is operating this event at no cost to the camp. All the
wrestlers and staff members are volunteering their time for the sheer love of
children.

"Camp Dost has done a tremendous deed by giving these children a place to feel
good for a week of the summer. Some of these kids rarely see outside of the
hospital, and Camp Dost gives them something special to look forward to. World
Star Wrestling is simply honored to be involved."

World Star Wrestling has recently made public its desire to bring wholesome
family oriented professional wrestling back to the North Eastern Pennsylvania
area. Camp Dost is held yearly for children who suffer from cancer. The week long camp
is held at the Camp Victory Campground in Millville, Pennsylvania. Camp Victory
is a "special camp for special people" and is host to over a dozen special camps
for children and teenagers suffering from a vast number of diseases.

For more information on Camp Dost, call 570-271-6300 Ext. 2889 or you can e-mail
vclark@geisinger.edu.

For further information on Camp Victory and its services, you may call
570-458-6530, send a letter to Camp Victory, c/o The Nicholas Wolff Foundation,
Inc, P.O. Box 810, Millville, PA 17846, or visit their website,
www.campvictory.org

Midwest Championship Wrestling, a Chicago based company, is proud to announce a one (1) day pro wrestling fantasy camp to be taught by Former ECW Superstar Simon Diamond. The camp is scheduled for Saturday, July 20th from 8am to Noon and will be held at the MCW Training School, 923 National Ave in Addison, Illinois. The cost is $150.00 per participant. The number of participants will be limited to 20. The camp is open to men and women above the age of 15. Payment must be received by June 22nd to hold your spot in the camp. All interested parties, contact MCW via e-mail at brianzenner@yahoo.com or call the MCW Training School at 630-258-9040. Credit: Brian Zenner

There was a loud backstage confrontation between Cornette and Ed Ferrara prior to the USA Wrestling show. Cornette cut a promo on Ferrara about him being a scumbag for doing the Oklahoma gimmick and making fun of Jim Ross's Bell's
Palsy. Cornette then spit on Ferrara and Prentice had to separate them. Cornette was known as someone who was never a fan of Russo-Ferrara when all three were in the WWE. Jeff and Jerry Jarrett were in the balcony viewing the proceedings. Jerry left at the intermission...Jeremy Borash, Ed Ferrara and Don West were on hand doing a practice run for their NWATNA announcing duties...USA Wrestling returns to the Fairgrounds next Saturday night with Storm vs. Christopher for the North American Title, "Matinee Idol" Chris Harris with "Movie Mogul" Bert Prentice vs. Bart Sawyer, David Flair vs. Matt Longtime with Mr. G, A tag team tournament featuring Hotshots, Me Inc., Cage
& Jeter, and Sudden Impact, Spellbinder vs. Ingram and Williams vs. Rick Santell. Credit: Larry Goodman