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Vast Energy USA
Rage In Reading
Zero Gravity 2002
Legacy Cup 2002
Xtreme Intentions
Big Impact
Lockdown In Pottstown
The Last Stampede
1st Year Anniversary
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SHOOTIN' WITH THE FRANCHISEby Frank Romeo
November 28, 2002
Greetings and salutations. Welcome to a shockingly new column. Could it be that this is turning into a weekly column? Hmmmm. Yeah, and Gino Giovanni can go a show without being harassed by everyone's favorite PWF denizen in the tank top. It's Thanksgiving day and I'm in the car heading to New York, so I figured I'd spend a little time reflecting back on Vast Energy. Enjoy.
For anyone who was in attendance a couple weeks back, you had the honor and good fortune of witnessing the best PWF show ever, but what many are calling the best independent show of year! The card was solid from the opening match up to the closing ceremony, and every fan walked out with double their money's worth. But alas, you can purchase the show on video or DVD at future shows and see why, as the old ECW cliché went, you have a regret you'll never forget.
The main event, pitting the PWF tag champs Steve Corino & CW Anderson against Zero One's own, Masato Tanaka & Shinjiro Ohtani, lived up to all expectations and more. The champs put up a great fight, pulling off many near falls, but the gentlemen from the Land of the Rising Sun came out victorious, capturing PWF gold, the applause of the fans, and respect of everyone in attendance. All four combatants wrestled technically, brawled, and straight up beat the hell out of each other. I give Steve a Larry Zbysco tip of the imaginary hat for being able to take two rounds of Ohtani's running stomp to the face. (Sorry, I'm not familiar with the official name of it, but I'm sure this sounds just as vicious.) Now the big question is: what is to come of the belts? Will they come back to America anytime soon...if at all?
The big hype match going into the show may have been the main event, but the match that most were talking about when they exited in the chilly night was the three way dance between Quiet Storm, American Dragon, and Reckless Youth. I've been saying for months how impressive Chris Divine and Quiet Storm have been in singles matches, as they've matured and worked their way into that next tier of the card, but this truly was Quiet Storm's night. The master of the Storm Cradle Driver was able to successfully take out his two challengers in the non-title match, which featured many incredible spots, a bloodied and shoeless Dragon, and continued buildup for his title match against Reckless Youth on 12/9. This was my first time getting to see the Reckless wonder, and impressed much was I. (Like that little Yoda action? Hehe) When it comes time to cast your votes for the end of the year awards, Quiet Storm may very well be the frontrunner not only for Most Improved Wrestler of the Year, but quite possibly Wrestler of the Year as well. I'll delve more into this in the coming weeks.
The other five-star match on the evening was Red vs. Low Ki for the Zero One Junior Light Heavyweight Title. I won't attempt to cover details on the match for fear of not doing it any justice, but my best friend Matt, attending his first live wrestling card since seeing the Ultimate Warrior take out Andre the Giant in a Spectrum house show, may have said it best, "Every match on every show should be Red vs. Low Ki." These two were simply amazing, besting their performance on TNA from months previous. Following the match, Quiet Storm hit the ring to present Low Ki with his freshly retained title, only to throw it down, disgracing it, while holding his PWF belt in Low Ki's face. Low Ki stood in shock as Storm left the ring with a huge grin on his face. I feel soooooo bad for Storm and the beating he's gonna get for his actions. Hopefully he dropped Low Ki a nice email of apology when he got home, because if he doesn't watch out, he may be mistaken a large Samoan fellow who was left bruised and nearly destroyed in Philly recently.
Chris Hamrick notched another impressive victory in his belt, defeating Jay Briscoe in a match that was about as easy to predict as the winner of the NCAA March Madness Tournament...in November! Anyone who was seated in the area of the entranceway got remarkable comedic performances by Jack Victory and Lou E, as Jack grabbed a photographer's camera and tried to turn into Steve Taylor (former WWF photog) and Lou cracked jokes left and right as he distracted the ref and Briscoe.
As my battery dies down, I don't have much time to get into the rest of the card, but hey, if you really wanna know how great it was, BUY THE SHOW! BUY THE SHOW! BUY THE SHOW! Thanks to all who attended to make the evening all the more special, and make sure you're in attendance for the 12/8 show, which features AJ Styles in his PWF debut! If you missed the big preview of Styles/Hamrick, be sure to scroll down to see why this one match alone is worth the price of admission. Until next week...
November 26, 2002
Greetings and salutations. Welcome to another wonderful column from yours truly. I'm not here to wrap up the last show, and I'm not here to pump and predict the new show. I'm not here to remind you how gorgeous the women of the PWF are, nor am I here to worship at the feet of our King of Old School. This time around, I have one purpose only, and that is to discuss our main event on 12/8/02: Chris Hamrick vs. AJ Styles.
This bout, for the coveted PWF Universal Heavyweight Title, is one that not only can go either way, but that fans will love or despise.
In one corner, you have the challenger, AJ Styles. AJ has run roughshod over everyone in his path, up and down the East Coast, while wowing every fan in attendance. From Ring of Honor, to NWA:TNA, to NWA Wildside, to the former WCW, AJ has taken on every opponent he's faced and put on as close to a perfect match as can be possible.
The first time I saw AJ Styles wrestle live was in ROH vs. Low Ki in the spring. I had heard of his excellence down South and remember seeing him a couple times on Nitro, but was blown away by the match these two greats worked. I walked away saying I had just seen the second best live match in all my years. Since then, I've seen him work twice more, and have been almost as impressed each time. He's able to work any style thrown at him, and come out looking like a million bucks every time. He's got the look, the attitude, and the abilities of a true champion. Now, the question is whether or not he can bring that formula to Pottstown and take out the man the man on top of the company.
Chris Hamrick has done nothing less than impress everyone over the last year. As I've stated in the past, I shoot straight. I was not a fan of the High Flyin' one. I could've cared less for him in ECW, where he came off as a three-move worker, and when I first saw him on the card in the PWF, I cringed. As time came and went though, my opinions changed.
I gave Chris a chance to prove himself as something more than just a manager in tights...errr...pleather pants. Watching him work against PWF talent , I saw what most ECW fans never got to see; a man with a lot of talent. Aside from his missile dropkick, Confederate Jam legdrop, and flip bump to the floor, Hamrick showed anyone with an iota of common sense that he can, like Styles, adapt to whatever brand of wrestling is brought to the match.
His hard work, determination, and sticktuidivness paid off in the long run, and he's enjoyed a long run as the PWF champion, taking on whatever opponents are thrown his way. Rockin' Rebel, Jay Briscoe, Striker, CW Anderson, etc. and so forth. They've all stepped up to bat against the champ, and in one way or another, have all taken their seats on the bench again.
Come Sunday night, December 8th, the rabid PWF fans that brave the cold night and file into Academy Hall, will have a hell of a main event on their hands. AJ Styles vs. Chris Hamrick should be a match they remember for some time. The only way they will walk away disappointed, hating the match, is if Chris Hamrick retains the gold, defeating their new favorite wrestler, AJ Styles.
Thank you for reading, and if you have any comments or questions, feel free to email me at the address listed above, and if you missed my last piece on respect, please scroll down to check it out. Until next time
November 7, 2002
Nearly a month has passed now and the fire is still burning in my head. I'm reminded of it nearly every day and night by scenes I witness in life, in magazines and on television. My adrenaline starts to pump and my breath begins to clinch. My teeth grind and my eyes squint so slightly.
There are very few things in life that can cut my line of patience in the blink of an eye like blatant disrespect can. At Zero Gravity, on Sunday, October 13th, said fire escalated to that of an Arizona wildfire.
I, along with over a hundred other fans and PWF employees, had the misfortune of having to witness multiple acts of such blatant disrespect by "fans" in attendance, that a joyous night was left with a sour spot and many frowns.
I won't give those who participated in the debauchery the pleasure of having their gimmick plugged here again, but anyone who has been in attendance of an Academy Hall show over the last six months or so know exactly the group who I will be referring to. These 10-12 plebes took it upon themselves to cheer for the one worker they enjoy and ruthlessly and mercilessly jeer and degrade every other worker whom they didn't like. They ever went so far as to disrespect a certain woman, not even in the ring, who asked them to stop chanting their remarks.
Yes, they pay for their ticket and are entitled to boo and chant, but not when it's unsavory to the ears of everyone else around them. I had to deal with this nonsense back in the ECW days, on a grander scale, but in a more personal environment, these jamokes come off as bulls in a china shop. They were like that group of classroom miscreants who ruin a class trip or fun day in school.
Then came time for everyone's favorite teacher, Mr. Corino, to take control of his classroom. Unlike teachers in today's normal classrooms, Mr. Corino addressed his class straightforward, didn't pull any punches, and didn't worry about hurting anyone's feelings. When some of the children got out of hand and nearly ruined the entire trip for everyone, the teacher got up and put them in their places. He continued on by respectfully thanking and praising everyone who acted appropriately while class was in session that evening and every evening before and in the future.
The Premier Wrestling Federation has always showed its fans the utmost respect and honor in how it conducts business. Those in charge try to book the best possible talent for their fans, even though it may not be financially advisable at times. They've attempted to surprise fans with wrestlers, and when it didn't work out, they didn't just turn their cheek and go on like most other promoters would. No, they honored the fans with the truth, a dynamite show, and a fan appreciation night at the following show.
The heads of PWF have always put the fans first, and always will. For fans to show any amount of disrespect to: those in the ring how have paid their dues, those behind the mic who put their best efforts into making the show audibly entertaining and informational, or those who risk their lives every month for you, you don't deserve to take part in the magic. You don't deserve to witness incredible athletes of different calibers dig deep into their hearts, minds, and souls to put on shows for you. You don't deserve to call yourself a fan or the sport, or more importantly, of the PWF. To those who have supported the company, been respectful, and will continue to do so, I thank you.
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