To avoid stealing the spotlight from my good friend Chris Majors and his terrific work on the Inside Scoop, I had delayed the production of my latest column. But alas, we are here, inching ever so close to Ground Zero.
In some sad news, despite the months of planning and the efforts to contact talent with plenty of warning time, a few of AOW’s better known talents will not be making the show. In unrelated courses of events, WAR’s Diablo and the piss ant Neo recently confirmed that they prematurely confirmed their confirmation to be at the June 25th show. This news upset me for the mere fact that I was wrong in believing that these two would make the show. However, with the absence of these two, there are some outlying doors that have now become open, and others shut.
First, without Diablo there, we might never find out what exactly happened to him, to his relationship with the Owner, and his relationship with former tag team partner Bobby War. Bobby War will be there, but where will he be used? Rumors put him wanting to meet Diablo to teach Diablo a lesson and to punish him for ruining War while Bobby was out of action. Bobby War’s only other ex-teammate is Beast, who too could be blamed for ruining War. So, maybe we could see Bobby go after Beast in some manner?
Second, and speaking of Beast, this eliminates one possible ally of Hugh Jass and one distraction for the clash of the AOW titans. With Neo not at ringside, this match could go slightly smoother. However, the is Krawler and Gorebash still to contend with. No one is sure if Neo would have been in the Battle Royal since it was labeled a “Best of Feds,” and Neo certainly does not fit that title.
Another case of uncertainty again surrounds Lostsoul. Several attempts to contact LS by me personally have resulted in several unreturned calls and instant messages. Sadly, this seems to be déjà vu all over again when I think to two summers ago when AOW closed shop. I hope this is only the ramblings of a nervous columnist hoping to keep a job after June 25, and there is no substance to my worries.
There is also some uncertainty surrounding venue and facilities. Legal and insurance reasons may force Ground Zero back to either the AOW or BPW arena. Which many do not have an objection to, but does allow for the chance of Mother Nature ruining the show even more than a Madison Crome match would have. What ring to use also has provided some problems. Recent unexpected expenses for some Ground Zero officials have cut the ring budget severely. From a pro quality ring, this show may downgrade to a steel frame and post set-up then add on the extras.
The good news is, I might not have to change the name of my column afterall.
AOW Box Sets are still for sale. Mention this column and the sale code: AlphaBravoSigma-90210, and you can receive the entire box set for the original $100 plus Shipping. The enormous response from Beyond the Tarp readers has forced the original shipment date of May 1 to be pushed back to May 21. E-mail kevinmorris@poetic.com for more information.
As one looks at the card as it stands today, May 11, 2005, as I type this, the only matches that has not changed since day one is the Hugh-Beast match and the Best of Battle Royal, which is fitting since these two matches will most likely provide the most entertainment and excitement. However, the rest of the card may see changes soon as we get closer to Ground Zero. Expect to see eXt put on the card somewhere. Perhaps since Lostsoul and eXt are not on the card themselves…could we revisit history one more time? Steamboat-Flair. eXt-Lostsoul. Ground Zero…history! Why not? Maybe we will save this golden goose for a future show.
However, there is very little else in the form of new news. We hope to have another Board of Directors meeting very soon. Possibly Saturday, May 14, at AOW-Ground Zero facilities.
But, until next time, this has been an Artis Feelgood production, made possible by the support of readers like you!
