Matt Cross is an extremely talented wrestler with an uncertain future. While fame and stardom appear on the horizon, years of struggling leave him on the verge of leaving it all behind to spend more time with his family. Things take a dark turn when he is kidnapped by his "biggest fan" who hopes to help his hero grow.
Review
I really liked this movie and I want to say that first. However, the cover is extremely misleading. It makes the film out to be a wrestling slasher flick and Powerbomb is not that. The movie is a family/career drama with thriller elements. That's honestly my big issue with this movie.
Now that I've got that out of the way, let me talk about what this movie has going for it. It's stars one of my favorites, MDogg Matt Cross, as a fictional version of himself. Cross is an indie wrestler from Ohio that's wrestled for many promotions and in many countries. Unsurprisingly, he does a great job of playing himself. He's charismatic and has amazing athletic ability.
Roni Jonah and Cash Allen do a great job as Matt's fictional family and their drama arcs are just as engaging as his captivity. AEW star, Brit Baker, also does a great job as a wrestler turned babysitter supporting character.
This movie isn't going to win any major awards, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't check it out. It's a great story about obsession, family, and dreams.
As a side note, because of the global pandemic, Matt hasn't been able to wrestle. If you'd like to support him, you should check out his site, Wrestling Is Forever.
Recently released Wrestle Massacre is a wrestling themed indie horror slasher. Being back on my wrestling bullshit and loving horror, I decided to pick it up.
Plot
Wrestle Maniac follows the unfortunate life of awkward groundskeeper, Randy. The sweet, but inept, man is treated like shit by most folks in his life and just dreams of becoming a wrestler, like his father. After a disastrous humiliation at a wrestling school and being berated by his father, Randy Snaps and because a wrestling killer.
Review
I' m just going to go out there and say it, even by bad movie standards, this isn't a good movie. The acting is stale, the criminal subplot is stupid, and a lot of the humor is juvenile and low hanging and edgy. The treatment of women is dodgy at best. The ending also through me for a loop.
That being said, there is some good in this, if you're a wrestling fan. The star, Richie "Cuban Assassin" Acevedo is really good in the role of Randy. He makes him likable before he snaps. After Randy snaps, he also does an amazing job channeling super stars of the past while giving some excellent practical effect kills. Randy's kill scenes are definitely the best part of the movie. It's unfortunate that other than the opening, it takes nearly an hour to get to the point he goes on his rampage.
For wrestling fan, the movie has quick cameos by the Sandman, Tony Atlas, and Manny Fernandez. It also has slightly larger roles from Nikolai Volkoff and Jimmy Valiant. In addition, Renee Dupree has an important role (and an unfortunately awkward sex scene).
If you are a wrestling fan and want to watch a wrestling themed horror flick, you might enjoy this one. I'm glad I added it to my collection, but I don't see myself watching the full movie again. I'll just skip to the carnage.
It's been a while (half a year), but I'm back. I recently got cable to start watching Dynamite again. I've also decided to catch WWE's three regular shows. This will give me plenty of things to talk about when I start posting again. In addition, my wrestling dvd/blu-ray collection has grown quite a bit.
Let me tell you people something right now
Shut up until I put this mic down
And lay waste to every act in the game
Then you’ll have permission to be chanting my name
I came up in the locals then NXT I was Raw
Tonight you’ll catch a Smack Down your face to your jaw
No manager or partner, just a monster
A One Man Gang, I’m decimating the roster
I’ve locked up with the best of them, toppled them all
Working day and night to rock with you, off the wall
No holds barred like an all-out pub brawl
The following contest is scheduled for one fall
Oh and I’m gonna take it
Your pay per view win streak, I’m gonna break it
Your name in the hall of fame, I will erase it
Born to play the heel, never gonna face it
I’m climbing up the ladder past you and higher
Retire you and laugh as the last of the fire
From your fans in the cheap seats is dying down
You can’t see me, my time is now
I’ve locked up with the best of them, toppled them all
Working day and night to rock with you, off the wall
No holds barred like an all-out pub brawl
The following contest is scheduled for one fall
Ooh, and it’s gonna be you
Taking that fall from the top rope BOOM
You’re putting me over tonight, I’m putting you through
The broadcast table, brother, what you gonna do?
Been a legend killer on the circuit for years
Dishing out the injuries that finish careers
You’re face down now, nearly fatally harmed
Hearing “here is your winner” when they’re raising my arm
I’ve locked up with the best of them, toppled them all
Working day and night to rock with you, off the wall
No holds barred like an all-out pub brawl
The following contest is scheduled for one fall
Woo! And I’m gonna win it
I will have you tapping out or pinned within minutes
Leave your legacy in tatters and diminished
Space is the place, and the sky is the limit, yeah
Less a man than a beast made of rage
When I’m tossing your body off of the top of the cage
And you’re ruined, I walk away the champ undisputed
With the belt around my waist as they’re playing my music
I’ve locked up with the best of them, toppled them all
Working day and night to rock with you, off the wall
No holds barred like an all-out pub brawl
The following contest is scheduled for one fall
The show started with Trevor Murdoch announcing that he's signed a contract with NWA. This is good news because I think he's a good fit for the promotion. Zicky Dice interrupted him and might have taken a jab at AEW. The Pope, a gentleman I'm not familiar with, but others seemed to know showed up and said he wanted to form his own version of the Four Horseman. He then went on to do commentary for the opening match.
This match was TV Title Tourney match between Ricky Starks and Eddie Kingston. The quick Starks was overpowered by Kingston most of the match. However, in the end Starks pulled out the victory. This was a great match.
Royce Isaacs came out for a promo with Dave Marquez. He brought out a new female talent, May Valentine. Isaacs whispered something into Marquez's ear that seem to catch him off guard. It was something seemingly very dirty. James Storm came out, insulted Valentine, and challenged him to a fight.
Isaacs kept getting good luck kisses from Valentine, to the annoyance of everyone else. During this segment Bennett showed his comedic chops, taking a few nice jabs at Joe Galli. Isaacs and Storm had a match. Storm beat him up a bit and Isaacs left. Storm and the ref did a count out and towards the end it sounded like a set-up for Orange Cassidy's amazing kicks. It was a cool moment and made me like James Storm more.
Eli Drake came out with a bottle of champagne and appeared to be drunk and/or high. He had a wonderful manic energy about him though and his promo was entertaining. After he wandered around Jocephus singing "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" and I got confused.
Nick Aldis and group came out and handed gifts to his team. Marquez asked him about Ricky Morton. The Rock'n'Roll Express came out and Aldis said Morton was only back because of all the work he put in over the last two years. Morton had the perfect response, "You spent two years building this business, we've spent OUR LIFE building this." He apologized and said if he said anything to offend Nick Aldis that he apologized. They shook hands and Aldis threatened him.
The next match was a six-women's tag match. Melina, Thunder Rosa, and Marti Belle took on Allysin Kay, ODB, and Ashley Vox. The person who gets the pin gets to choose someone on the other team to wrestle. There were high points and low points of the match. Thunder Rosa gave delivered vicious chops to Vox. She won the match and seemed to be annoyed when Melina chose ODB to be her next opponent.
Tim Storm and Nick Aldis had their names drawn for the tourney next week. Tim got personal and cut an amazing promo. He said that Momma Storm turned 95. He talked about how his momma worked until she 78 because his dad left them with nothing and she had something to prove. He then quoted the greatest promo of all time. NWA knows how to cut some amazing promos and Tim Storm has worked his way into my heart and become one of my favorite wrestlers today.
The final mat was Colt Cabana vs the Question Mark for a TV Title qualifying match. I enjoy the Question Mark and I know he's so over, but I didn't like them putting him over Cabana, who I see as a living legend of the indy scene.
Just like the first episode of the season, this was an entertaining wrestling show. Stu Bennett adds class, experience, and some humor to the commentary. I like the new talent and the new angles. Also, Tim By God Storm is amazing!
While most rich and famous celebrities are disappointingly silent on support for this catastrophe, I think it's great to see someone from the wrestling industry stepping forward to help out the brave men and women fighting the horrific fires in Australia. AEW's Cody Rhodes has released a previously unused retro shirt design on ProWrestlingTees.com and all of the profits go to support the NSW Rural Fire Service in Australia.
This is the first post Jim Cornette and post Into the Fire ppv episode.
The beginning of the episode focused on the surprise debut at the ppv, Marty Scurll the Villain!!! If you can't tell from the triple exclamation points, I'm excited about his addition to the promotion. He's a fantastic villain and has dark charisma for days. While I'd still love to see him hook up with the Butch, the Bunny, and the Blade in AEW, still loving him here.
This was Stu Bennett's first episode on Powerrr and he's a great addition.
Aron Stevens had the first promo and came out to boo's. Stevens won the NWA National Champion title at Into the Fire. He came out in a gi and says that he's been trained and is the first American to earn a third degree black belt in Mongrovian Karate. Of course, Question Mark corrected his pronunciation. He said he's now "Shooter Stevens." Colt Cabana came out and aired his grievances about loss. He said it was a match between Starks and Cabana and Stevens hid during that match. He also said that Question Mark is the only reason he's done anything great in NWA.
Thunder Rosa came out to silence the crowd and bring in Melina. Ashley Vox came out and attacked Thunder Rosa (in retaliation for Into the Fire). Alyson Kay and ODB came out to her defense.
The NWA TV Championship was returned to the NWA. The promotion is doing a tournament to declare the champ. The matches have a 6:05 limit and if no one wins by that limit are all eliminated. The first qualifier match featured Sal Rinauro, CW Anderson, and Zicky Dice. The Outlandish Zicky Dice won the first match and I liked him (even though the crowd didn't). He reminds a mix of Ric Flair and Joey Ryan. He did a quick promo before the Dawsons came out and interrupted. They claimed to have been hired by the Wild Cards to be their muscle. The Wild Cards didn't appreciate that.
Marty Scurll came out and said he's there to challenge for the NWA World Championship. What's great is he's a heel, but is still loved.
Rock'n'Roll Express took on Zach Mosley and Sean Sims and defended their titles. Eddie Kingston was on commentary. It was a super quick squash match though. They did a quick post match promo and talked about their history and the history of the title.
The Dawsons came back out and tried to revealed the conspiracy when the Wilds Cards attacked them. The tag teams then had a match. The Wild Cards kicked the hosses' asses. The Wild Cards one and then continued to punish Zane Dawson. During their Wild Cards promo, Jocephus came out as Santa and threw merch to the crowds.
The rest of the TV Championship tournament participants were announced and it's a who's who of Powerrr talent. I wasn't really surprised by the participants, with the exception of Nick Aldis... who already has the World title. Personally of the folks listed, while I like many, I'm rooting for Tim Storm. While I wasn't familiar with him before watching power, I just really like the guy. Nikita Koloff drew the names for the first two matches:
Ricky Starks vs Eddie Kingston (two guys I love).
Colt Cabana vs the Question Mark (fan favourite vs fan favourite)
Aldis trashed the entire roster. This promo had a lot of heckling and he even commented on it. Again, I think the heckling is an issue with small studio show. Kamille was brought up and Aldis said she's no longer his insurance policy and that he was forming a team.
Scurll and Bennett had a nice sit down interview. Marty explained why he came to NWA during his time as a free agent. It was a nice casual piece.
Tim Storm came out for commentary. He said that he'd love to see Scurll take on Aldis for the 10 Pounds of Gold. Eli Drake came out to crowd support, which was surprising. Because of Anderson's brutality on Drake at Into the Fire, there has been a shift. Anderson is now the heel and Drake is face. The pair faced off in a no DQ match for the main event. Drake took the fight to the seats and brutalized Anderson with the seats and steps. My favorite spot was Drake using a fan's phone to take a selfie with an injured Anderson. After a hard fight, Eli Drake finished Anderson clean.
After the match Aldis came out and got onto Tim for speaking about the Championship. Aldis is going to become the villain he should be. Storm went to the ring to challenge him and just as it looked like Aldis was going to engage, Wild Card blindsided Storm. Looks like the Wild Cards are a part of Aldis new team. Kamille came out and started shouting and pushing Aldis, but ultimately it was a fake out and Kamille speared Storm (and then made out with Latimer).
This was a great episode. It's a hell of a way to start out season 2. Bennett is 100 times better than Cornette on commentary. Marty Scrull is a great addition to the show, as is Zicky Dice. I like the angle they are building with Aldis leading a heel faction. I also love that it looks like Tim Storm will be important in the angle.
The last episode of season one of NWA Power, episode 9 is also the final episode of the first season.
The first match was supposed to be an exhibition with Colt Cabana vs. Ricky Starks. Aron Stevens and Question Mark came out and said he deserved a title shot. Cabana said he'd give Stevens a match if he could be Starks. Question Mark went back stage. Starks kicked Steven ass until the actor went down and faked a knee injury. Officials and Question Mark came out to check on him. While no one else was looking, Question Mark gave Starks the Mongrovian Spike, securing Stevens win.
James Storm had a video in which he talked about the NWA conspiracy to keep him from the public and cheat him. He also chose his referee for his match against Aldis, senior ref Brian Hebner.
There was a fun little video of Question Mark at a wrestling convention. It was narrated by the voice over person from his earlier promos. I think the highlights for me were cameos from Teddy Long and Stevie Ray with Question Mark. I believe I saw Hornswoggle and Gilberg in the background during a match in the video.
This was followed with a video about NWA talent appearing at Wrestlecade.
The episode featured a promo with Melina. During the promo she gave a valid critique of women's wrestling in many promotions (including NWA), saying they were merely a commercial break and not given the due they deserve. She then disrespected Allysin Kay who came out to the ring and got in her face, challenging her to a match. Melina entered the ring, but then stepped out, allowing her Marti Belle and Thunder Rosa to come out and stomp a mudhole in Kay. This is an odd segment, because it made me realize there is now big face in NWA women's wrestling. Melina talks a big game, but she's a heal with muscle. Allysin Kay is cocky and just as heelish.
There was an ad for Tony Falk's Waffles and Tire Irons (to promote the new shirt in the NWA store).
Nick Aldis released a video similar to Storm's. He complained about the conspiracy theory that Storm's pushing. I think it was great that he told Storm he's not in IMPACT! anymore. I really liked who Aldis chose for his ref, Tim Storm. Once again they brought up Kamille... which I'm really getting sick of.
The final match of the show was Rock'n'Roll Express vs Wild Cards. The match seemed pretty one sided. The Wild Cards didn't take the match seriously and taunted the old-timers. Unfortunately after they did, Ricky Morton used the most dangerous move in wrestling today... the quick roll-up! This is the ninth time they old-timers were NWA tag champs.
Joe Galli then did a quick segment commending Cornette for his time with NWA (who was forced to resign because he wouldn't apologize for his tasteless comments in episode 7).
The episode ended with one last video of Aldis revealing some big news. Stu Bennett is joining the Powerrr broadcast. As amazing as this news is, the reveal happened with Aldis turning around his table and showing a picture of the former Bad News Barrett. That might have been the lamest wrestling reveal ever.
Again, I know it's because of the Cornette controversy the episode was kind of a mess of promo videos with just a bit of studio action. Of the 46 minutes, only around 8 involved actual wrestling. I hope things are better after Stu starts with the commentary. That being said I'm not giving up on NWA Powerrr. The show does quite a few things right and has a talented roster.
Retromania Wrestling is an upcoming official sequel to the 1991 smashing arcade game, WWF WrestleFest. So far the roster includes the Road Warriors, Austin Idol, BWO, Colt Cabana (who's also doing commentary), Johnny Retro (aka Johnny Impact, Johnny Mundo, John Morrison), Nick Aldis, Tommy Dreamer, and Zach Sabre Jr. The game will include wrestlers from NWA and Tommy Dreamer's House of Hardcore. There will be a story mode and all sorts of awesome features.
One fantastic aspect of this game is that they are doing a competition with indie wrestlers to earn a spot on the game. You can check out the bracket here. My two favorite folks in the competition are WhatCulture Wrestling's Simon Miller and the #YeetMovement's Huffmanly (Kasey Huffman).
If you can't tell, I'm really excited about this game.
The episode started with Joe Galli making announcements about the upcoming pay per view and recapping what has happened in NWA Powerrr so far. The episode was recut because of the Jim Cornette's resignation.
There was a cool video package that discussed Thunder Rosa and her first MMA fight called Thunder Rosa "Into the Cage." There was a cool training montage. Interestingly enough she trained with face paint on (and even commented on it). I really liked seeing the real person behind the wrestler. She's worked with mentally challenged folk and with troubled teens at a place called Thunder Row (which is where I assume her name comes from). She became a wrestler to get out the frustration of not being able to change things in her work situation. I think this is an interesting way to process things and really adds to her as an athlete. The documentary then followed up with the day of the bout. While she lost her match and was emotional, she lasted three rounds.
The one match of the night was an empty arena match featuring Question Mark (with Aron Stevens in his corner) and Zane Dawson (with Dave Dawson). The match was a lot of fun. It was short, but I love the Question Mark! Because the masked man one the match, the Dawsons had to recite some Shakespeare. At first they were goofy. Then they really got into it. Aron Rogers pulled out a trash can and pretended to throw up.
Galli did a short interview with Melina and her return. The bulk of the interview was Melina's contributions to women's wrestling and how she's not been acknowledged for it. She talked negatively about Allyson Kay and bullying, but she's aligned with Thunder Rosa and Marti Belle, which makes that a bit ironic.
Billy Corigan spoke about NWA's new talent show Into the Squared Circle.
While I liked the Thunder Rosa segments, I was disappointed that this was basically a recap show. The empty arena match was a blast though.
