GREAT CANADIAN WRESTLING

Anime North Convention Show

27 May 06 Toronto Congress Center, 650 Dixon Rd, Toronto

Bell Time: 2 pm Admission: $30

GCW presented a full afternoon of wrestling excitement at the 10^th Annual Anime North Convention with appearances by Indy Stars from across Canada and the U.S. as well as matches featuring characters more recognizable to cartoon aficionados than wrestling fans. The crowd varied in size during the show as the ring was set up in the midst of the Anime Convention – I’d estimate close to 700 at the most and 250 at the least, although many more stopped by briefly to check out the action before heading off to get Zinc’s autograph. The card was hosted by ring announcer extraordinaire The Yellow Jabronie aka The King of the BackYarders. Resplendent in his yellow and red mask, his comedic timing and energy kept the crowd involved during the lengthy show. In fact, a certain PD Flex, who fancies himself somewhat of an entertainer, could have learned a thing or two from watching The Yellow Jabronie in action! Anyway, with my obligatory shot at Flex out of the way, here then was the afternoon’s line-up:

Guyver vs Elmo

4-Way Match:

Phil Atlas vs Gutter vs Angel De Guerra vs Rizzla

Ontario Independent Championship:

Jimmy Jacobs (C) vs Tarantula Gomez

Jay Phoenix & Mike Stevens vs Kris Chambers & Ash

6 Character Anime Superheroes Match:

Team Rocket vs Team Sailor Moon

6-Way Match:

Nick Watts vs Prodigy vs Devon Parkside vs Rip Impact vs Chris Bishop vs Lionel Knight

Canadian National Championship 3-Way Match:

TJ Wilson (C) w/Nattie Neidhart vs Johnny Devine vs Michael Elgin

Shark Tank Battle Royal:

Featuring: The Masked Muldoon, Jake Omen, Big Darrel, Electrocis, Hondo, Cannonball Sami & Dustin ‘DDT’ Thomas

3-Way Match:

Otis Idol vs Hornet vs Sharkboy

Power Ranger Leadership Challenge Match:

Red Power Ranger vs Green Power Ranger

Tiana Ringer & Michael Elgin vs LuFisto & Jaguar

Show Ending Open Battle Royal:

Featuring: Mike Stevens, Prodigy, Jay Phoenix, Steve Brown, Adam Reed, Rizzla, Red Power Ranger, Timothy Dalton, Yellow Jabronie, Michael Elgin, the Ref, Tarantula Gomez, Egyptian Gimmick Guy, Nick Watts & Josh

Pre Show: Mrs Id and I got to the Toronto Congress center by following the trail of costumed Anime Convention goers. I don’t know a lot about anime. I think Akira is one of the best movies of all time but that’s about it. It must be pretty popular though as there were literally thousands of weird looking characters converging on 650 Dixon road. By necessity we had to park about a hundred miles from the entrance and join the throng of fairies, warlocks, cats, Japanese schoolgirls, skeletons and other freaks heading for the entrance. At $30 a ticket, the organizers of the convention have a good thing going. The GCW show was included in the price of admission but I did hear rumblings from wrestling fans both before and after the show that the steep price kept them from attending. Fortunately for me and Mrs Id, we know a hardcore anime superhero personally and she was nice enough to put us on the guest list so we were able to bypass the purchase of tickets. More importantly, we were able to avoid the mile long line-up and breeze right in. We found the GCW ring along one wall of the cavernous building and spent our time before the show mingling with the assorted stars. Some, like Tiana Ringer, Nick Watts and Cherry Bomb we finally met in person and others like Johnny Devine, Pandora, & Hornet we had the chance to say ‘hi, its been a while.’ GCW management and staff treated us like gold and we were blown away by their hospitality and friendliness. There was one odd moment though… We were just hanging around in the curtained area reserved for GCW staff and workers, talking with LuFisto & Jaguar when a very nervous Convention Center security guard approached me and began asking all the usual questions. He didn’t seem persuaded by my guest badge, informing me that he had received a call about a ‘troublemaker’ and had been specifically directed to me. I indicated that I wasn’t going anywhere no matter how nicely he asked and suggested he check with GCW management to further assess the ‘situation.’ It was a good rib (more on the security guard than me) and there were just too many suspects to know for sure who sent him after me. PD Flex, Steve Brown, Johnny Devine – You were all in the area and I wouldn’t put it past any of you to pull one on the wizard of id! We settled in beside the static camera (the show was taped for DVD release by non other than NSW Intercities Champion, Kris Law) and sat back to watch the show. And what a show it was! Oh, I should mention that the anime wrestlers were of course played by known Indy stars. While I know who was in what costume for the matches I will not reveal that information here, with the following exceptions: Rizzla was actually NSW Pure Wrestling Champion Rob Garcia; a fact he wanted known. LuFisto played the part of Sailor Moon (and looked pretty damn good doing so, even with a broken nose.) I don’t know the ‘character’ names of Team Rocket – they were portrayed by Timothy Dalton, Pandora and Steve Brown (Who was wearing the most ridiculous cat costume of all time! HA! That was worth 30 bucks right there.)

Guyver vs Elmo – The masked Guyver was first to the ring and roundly booed by the collected anime fans so he must be a cartoon villain of some sort. The pop for Elmo was the loudest I’ve heard for any wrestler’s entrance all year. And yes, he was that Elmo, straight from the streets of Sesame and more over than Hulk Hogan ever was. Everything he did earned resounding cheers, even avoiding Guyver’s attempts to lock up so he could wave at fans. Eventually Guyver hit Elmo with some kicks and dumped him to the mat where he delivered a big double stomp to his back which earned him a 2 count. As the crowd chanted “lets go Elmo” – I can’t believe I’m writing this – Guyver whipped him into the corner and as the big red muppet, or puppet, or whatever the hell he is, slumped to the mat, Guyver unleashed a series of kicks to Elmo’s big red head. The anime fans let out a collective gasp of shock as Guyver nailed a sliding dropkick to Elmo’s um… groin? Guyver started celebrating and taunting the fans and Elmo snuck up behind him and gave him a low blow. Seconds later Guyver was the victim of an Elmo Destroyer (something I bet Petey Williams never envisioned happening) and Elmo pinned him to win the match. This was a MATCH OF THE YEAR candidate! A FIVE STAR MATCH! I’m kidding. It was a joke, but it did what an opening match is supposed to do; it excited the crowd and got everybody into the show.

4-Way Match: Gutter vs Rizzla vs Angel De Guerra vs Phil Atlas – This match worked basically as a singles tag match; two guys inside while the other two waited their tag to join the action. Before it started, Gutter chased Yellow Jabronie around the ring and I was amazed at Jabronie’s agility and speed. I was hoping PD Flex was watching because he and Jabronie are about the same body shape and size and he could learn a thing or two from ‘The King of the BackYarders.’ Seriously, this guy makes Flex look like a slug in comparison. Anyway, the match started with Angel De Guerra and Phil Atlas mixing it up and they gave a great showing of armlocks and counters before hitting twin dropkicks and ending in a face-off which got a big cheer. Gutter slapped Atlas to get himself into the match and used his obvious power advantage to trap Angel in a headlock. Angel fought his way free with punches and Atlas and Rizzla both tagged in. Atlas’ speed confounded Rizzla at first but a big knee to the gut slowed him down before a DDT planted him for the match’s first 2 count. Rizzla hit a suplex and tagged Gutter who began biting Atlas on the arm. Gutter tried working a mat-based submission but when Atlas failed to yield he hit him with a sidewalk slam for 2 more near falls. With the crowd cheering him on, Atlas reversed a slam into a pin attempt but Gutter escaped. Atlas caught him with a boot to the face but Gutter shrugged it off and hit another sidewalk slam. Again Atlas kicked out of the pin. Gutter and Rizzla started quick tagging each other, isolating Atlas while De Guerra waited impatiently on the apron for his chance to enter the match. During a struggle up on the corner turnbuckles Atlas dumped Gutter face first to the canvas and landed a double stomp to his back. Both men were slow to rise but Atlas struck first with an enzeguri that flattened Gutter and finally tagged Angel back into the match. De Guerra came in blazing and dropped Gutter and Rizzla with flying kicks. As Rizzla rolled to the outside, Angel hit a DDT on Gutter for a quick 2 but the bad guy came right back, driving Angel to the mat for a pin attempt of his own. Atlas was quick to break it up and rolled a surprised Gutter up for the win. The fans cheered Atlas and Angel as they shook hands and embraced in the ring while Rizzla and Gutter made nasty bad guy type faces at ringside. Now this was more like it! An opening match for the wrestling fans in attendance that delivered on all counts. The drama of Atlas being worked over by Rizzla and Gutter for an extended portion of the match only heightened the excitement of Angel’s explosive re-entry. He and Atlas working the smooth exchange at the start was very nice too as it helped make Gutter and Rizzla seem even more ‘heelish’ when they started their shenanigans. A very well done match from start to finish.

Ontario Independent Championship Match: Jimmy Jacobs (C) vs Tarantula Gomez w/Rizzla – Gomez and Rizzla made their entrance and were immediately subjected to taunts from the fans. Gomez got on the stick and shouted “Anime sucks!” which further incited the crowd. Naturally, defending champion Jimmy Jacobs was warmly welcomed by the fans after Gomez’ little rant. The match started with some quick armdrags and body blocks from Jacobs that had Gomez looking to stall. Jacobs was having none of that and whipped him off the ropes launching him way up there with a backdrop and nailing a sweet dropkick when Gomez regained his feet. Gomez bailed outside to get some reassurance from Rizzla while Jacobs mocked him by reclining on the corner ropes. Gomez was back in at the count of 7 and drove a knee into Jacobs’ gut but the champ came back with a headscissor takedown into the corner turnbuckles followed by a big stomp to the back. With Gomez sprawled in the corner, Jacobs left the ring and grabbed a pirate hat and wooden sword from a ringside fan which got a huge pop. Fooling around cost him though as Gomez kicked him in the gut and tossed the sword outside to Rizzla. Gomez then went to work on Jacobs with kicks and slams getting a couple of near falls. Gomez taunted the fans as he worked Jacobs over in the corner pounding him with punches and kicks. As the crowd chanted “Let’s go Jimmy” Rizzla distracted the official and slipped the sword to Gomez. Jacobs avoided the intended blow and a kick to the gut later he had the sword and clocked Gomez with it. Gomez kicked out at 2 so Jacobs delivered two headbutts and came off the ropes but Gomez nailed a springboard kick right to Jacobs’ head for another near fall. The two struggled up on the corner ropes and Gomez ended up hung up on the second strand. Jacobs ran down the apron, mounted the other corner and hit a van daminater. He quickly covered Gomez for the win, retaining his title. With any Jimmy Jacobs match there’s going to be some comedy spots and this one was no exception. Tarantula Gomez was very good at working the crowd into a frenzy and matched up well with Jacobs to provide a good match. I didn’t really care for the ‘hung up on the ropes’ set-up for the finish but the crowd appreciated it and that’s all that matters.

Jay Phoenix & Mike Stevens vs Kris Chambers & Ash – Phoenix & Stevens began jawing at fans as soon as they parted the curtain leaving little doubt that they were the ‘bad guys.’ Stevens ran into the crowd and grabbed a spear from a fan that he stashed on the apron in their corner. (Remember, this show was attended by costumed fans and many of them were carrying ‘weapons.’) Ash & Chambers entered the ring and after a quick round of Rock, Paper, Scissors it was decided that Ash would start the match. Chambers started an “Anime” chant which the fans willingly picked up on. At the bell, Ash and Stevens locked up in a classic battle of power versus speed. Ash and Chambers began trading quick tags while working their larger opponents arm. Chambers hit an explosive headscissor takedown on Stevens before Phoenix entered the match. He tried to sneak up on Chambers but a stiff back kick to the groin dropped him on the mat. Ash and Chambers kept the quick tags going as they worked Phoenix over, taking advantage of the 5 count to deliver leg splits to further punish his groin. Finally Phoenix was able to power Ash into his own corner and a fresh Stevens came in with punches and clotheslines driving the smaller man to the mat for a couple of near falls. Phoenix and Stevens worked some old school magic with some classic ref distractions to keep Ash isolated. When Chambers was denied entry into the match after a tag everyone but the ref saw, the anime faithful were aghast. Stevens missed three consecutive elbows, teasing Ash’s escape but once again he was double teamed and trapped far from his partner. The fans were frantic as Chambers was repeatedly forced back to his corner by the ref. Ash mounted a rally and, with Phoenix holding his, leg teased a tag but inches separated him from his partner and he was once again dragged back for a double beatdown. Suddenly Ash hit a double DDT and made the hot tag. Chambers flew into the ring and cleaned house on the bad guys and even caused them to miscue and hit each other by mistake which thrilled the crowd. Stevens ate a chinkick but Phoenix broke up the pin. He and Stevens hoisted Chambers up but Ash re-entered the ring with a top rope body press spilling all four to the mat. A double corner punch count down followed by whips which saw the heels collide had fans cheering wildly. Phoenix rolled outside and grabbed Chambers by the leg, dragging him to the floor. He tossed Stevens the weapon but Ash avoided Steven’s swing and grabbed it away from him. When Ash leveled Stevens with the Spear for the win it got the biggest cheer since Elmo. Ash and Chambers drank in the cheers of the fans as Stevens and Phoenix hurled insults at everyone in sight on their way to the back. This match was actually a pretty formulaic ‘old school’ tag team encounter that succeeded because all four guys worked the crowd as well as they did the time honored formula. Change the spear to a more traditional foreign object like a chair and put a bit of a gut on these guys (and less hair) and it could have been 1970 all over again. Had it taken place in front of an audience of just modern wrestling fans it might not have gotten quite the reaction it did, but it should be noted that these four performers pulled close to 600 anime fans totally into the match and they didn’t use cartoon characters to do it. I can’t help but think that Jim Londos would have enjoyed this match as much as I did. A tip of the wizard hat to all four guys for a stellar effort and a special shout out to Jay Phoenix who was performing as a heel for the first time in his career. Good on ya!

Team Rocket (Timothy Dalton, Pandora & Steve Brown) vs Team Sailor Moon (Sailor Moon, Luna & Tuxedo Mask) – Team Sailor Moon were the obvious favorites although Team Rocket did have supporters. Many people began chanting “Cat fight” as both Luna and Steve Brown were feline characters which did little to make Brown look any happier about wearing furry mitts and a tail. Before the bell, Tuxedo Mask offered Pandora a rose that turned out to be a pair of red lace panties which she tossed from the ring. (Unconfirmed reports say Phil Latio retrieved the panties for his own use.) Dalton and Tuxedo Mask locked up at the start of the match and Dalton quickly gained an edge so Tuxedo tagged team captain Sailor Moon. She overwhelmed Dalton with kicks and punches before snaring him in an armbar and biting his fingers. Releasing the hold, Sailor Moon delivered some blistering chops before absolutely flattening Dalton with a flying clothesline after springing off the ropes. Needless to say, the anime fans were eating this up. Tuxedo Mask tagged back in and immediately lost his team’s advantage by missing a dropkick. Brown tagged in and ripped his tail off, using it to choke Tuxedo Mask which got a huge cheer. He then rocked the masked man with a spinning heel kick. Brown hoisted the dazed Tuxedo to his shoulders and Dalton jumped off the top rope with a double stomp. When Brown dumped Tuxedo to the mat Dalton covered him but Sailor Moon broke up the pin. Pandora stomped on Tuxedo and got a 2 count as Sailor Moon and Cherry Bomb – Oops! I mean Luna - tried to rally the crowd. Things turned in their favor when Dalton missed a 450 splash from the top rope and Brown missed a running kick, crotching himself on the second rope. Tuxedo Mask performed his only impressive feat in the match by hoisting Brown up on his shoulders for a Samoan drop. He tagged Sailor Moon as Brown tagged Dalton and the two met in the ring where Dalton was dominated with a punch/chop series and a running face stomp in the corner. As Sailor Moon hit Dalton with knee strikes, Brown and Pandora entered the ring in an effort to save their team leader but Sailor Moon used her anime superpowers to knock all three to the mat where a triple pin by the Team Sailor Moon members gave them the victory. Aside from the ‘superpower’ finish that saw Sailor Moon use some kind of invisible force to render her opponents helpless, this actually wasn’t too bad of a match. Unfortunately, because of the whole anime character theme, it wasn’t a very good one either. Dalton and LuFisto matched up very well and provided the bulk of the quality action and the ‘bulk’ of Steve Brown nailing a spinning heel kick was something never before seen in the Kingdom of Zelda and drew a big pop from the convention and wrestling fans alike.

6-Way Match: Nick Watts vs Prodigy vs Devon Parkside vs Rip Impact vs Chris Bishop vs Lionel Knight – A large portion of the anime fan audience thinned out during this match. Having just seen Sailor Moon and Team Rocket they must have decided to check out more of the convention proper during this exhibition by some of Southern Ontario’s premier cruiserweights. Those that stayed were treated to a fast, exciting display that is impossible to relate move for move – it was just too fast paced and I found myself forgoing trying to take notes; electing instead to just sit back and watch the action unfold. It started as a singles tag but quickly turned into a free for all. Impact and Prodigy started things off with a quick and very smooth sequence followed by Bishop testing Impact in an even faster sequence that saw Impact land a nice kick to Bishop’s face. When Knight entered to face Impact they turned up the jets. After that it was bodies in and out of the ring as various pairs and combinations traded moves in a non-stop whirlwind of action. Highlights included Nick Watts destroying Prodigy with a suplex and spinebuster and Parkside landing a beautiful dropkick to Watts. Eventually, it came down to Bishop and Parkside inside the ring while the other four brawled on the floor. Bishop launched himself over the top rope onto the others and seconds later Parkside joined the pile with a dive off the ringpost which brought the first “Holy shit” chant of the day. When the action returned to the ring, Knight, Bishop and Watts had a combo suplex off the corner ropes. The match turned into an in ring brawl that ended when Knight came off the top rope onto Parkside for the pin. This match for me was a lot of fun. I suspect that many other fans and probably the participants enjoyed it too. Thank you Lionel, Prodigy, Nick, Devon, Chris, & Rip! I apologize for my inability to do your efforts justice.

Canadian National Championship 3-Way Match: TJ Wilson (C) w/Nattie Neidhart vs Johnny Devine vs Michael Elgin w/Mike Stevens & Tiana Ringer – Elgin and his seconds were the first to make an appearance and the ‘Unreal’ one immediately established his status as the bad guy by ripping apart one of the ringside barricades and getting on the mic to deliver a scathing promo about the anime convention calling it the “world’s biggest gathering of virgins.” When Devine entered the ring he endeared himself to fans by claiming that Elgin “couldn’t get laid in a whorehouse with a handful of hundreds.” Reining champion TJ Wilson entered last and looked all business; no joking around from him. It took me a second to realize the beautiful woman in a dress at his side was Nattie Neidhart. The match began with a 3-way test of strength that ended when Elgin bailed to avoid the leg kicks from the other two. Devine and Wilson worked through some very smooth exchanges, pausing only to turf Elgin over the ropes each time he re-entered the ring. Wilson flipped Devine into the ropes and settled into working on Elgin who responded with a beautiful dropkick. Elgin soon found himself victimized by a double team as Devine snagged him in a figure-four while TJ applied a similar leg-lock to his neck. Failing to make the powerful Elgin submit with that, Devine switched to a camel clutch while Wilson worked the legs. With Elgin still in the Camel Clutch, TJ laid in a heavy kick to the chest then he and Devine split Elgin’s legs and caused him to seek respite outside the ring. Devine and Wilson again locked up in a series of moves and counters, only breaking apart to avoid an incoming Elgin splash. The crowd, which had been hot throughout the opening minutes, exploded as Devine hit a flying bodypress on Elgin followed by a running double knee which set the big man up for an over the top rope legdrop from Wilson. TJ then knocked Devine from the ring where Stevens & Ringer immediately attacked him, only to be driven off by Neidhart. (Ringer and Neidhart had been jawing back and forth at ringside since the bell) Elgin meanwhile had gained an advantage over Wilson and when Devine re-entered Elgin flattened him with a running powerslam for the first 2 count. Wilson took advantage of a weakened Devine to lay in a wicked running knee strike then was flattened himself by a blow from Elgin. Ringer choked Devine on the ropes but once again fled at the sight of Neidhart approaching. Elgin missed a twisting senton from the top rope and all three guys were slow to rise from the mat. When they did the action heated up even more as Devine leveled both his opponents with multiple clotheslines. Wilson slowed him with a kick to the gut and delivered a pumphandle slam for a pin attempt that Elgin broke up. They broke out the heavy artillery after that as the bulk of the fans cheered Devine on. He responded with a beautiful springboard moonsault onto both Elgin and TJ but Wilson was up quick. He grabbed Johnny and gave him a slingshot suplex right onto the prone Elgin. Elgin responded with a sit-out powerbomb on TJ for another near fall. All three fought in the corner and up onto the ropes as the ref was distracted by Neidhart and Ringer battling at ringside. Stevens entered the ring and slammed Devine to the mat where Elgin rolled him up using a handful of trunks for leverage. Wilson couldn’t get there to break it up and when the ref’s hand hit the mat for the third time he lost his title without being pinned. As Elgin celebrated his victory Stevens taunted Neidhart. Elgin and crew exited quickly leaving Wilson and Devine to shake hands and accept the cheers of an appreciative crowd. Without doubt, the match of the day. From start to finish all three guys delivered an amazing show and the antics of Stevens, Ringer and Neidhart at ringside complimented the action instead of detracting from it. Wilson and Devine are established talents and even Elgin’s ‘cheap’ win did nothing to diminish the fact that he proved he could hold his own and deserves his spot at the top of the show. Just an awesome match!

Intermission: There was an in-ring “show” during the break in the actual action. I debated at length about describing it here but decided not to. Suffice to say that it disgusted me and I left the area. When I returned to ringside, the next match was already well underway.

Shark Tank Battle Royal: The Masked Muldoon, Jake Omen, Big Darrel, Electricos, Hondo, Cannonball Sami & Dustin ‘DDT’ Thomas – These guys were all kicking the shit out of each other when I returned to the ringside area. I have no idea how long they’d been doing so but a few of then were already hurting units. Numerous high impact moves and slams seemed designed more to inflict punishment then actually throw anyone over the top. In one impressive spot there was a multi-man suplex move off the ropes that spoke volumes about the structural integrity of the GCW ring. Eventually bodies started spilling from the ring and it came down to the masked Electricos and Big Darrel. (I assume it was Big Darrel because the guy certainly was that. Big, I mean.) When Darrel went for a powerbomb attempt to the outside, Electricos grabbed the ropes and flipped the big guy to the floor winning the match. At that point, woman wrestler Jamie D entered the ring and offered a handshake to the confused Electricos. When he did shake hands Jamie clotheslined him, planted him with an awesome spiked DDT and then speared his ass into the middle of next week. Jamie looked out over the stunned crowd and then slowly walked to the back while I immediately thought of a dozen different women I’d like to see her lock up with. It was an impressive display to say the least. Jamie D is big, built like a brick shithouse, capable of delivering high impact devastation at breakneck speed and… she appears to be pissed! Be afraid; be very afraid.

3-Way Match: Otis Idol vs Hornet vs Shark Boy – Shark Boy, who made his entrance last, got the biggest cheer from the crowd so maybe that’s why Idol & Hornet joined up to attack him right at the start. The action quickly spilled outside where Shark Boy threw chops at both guys before being beaten down and tossed back inside. Otis and Hornet both tried pinning Shark Boy only to have the other break it up so they began trading blows, an exchange that ended when Hornet landed a picture perfect dropkick to Otis. With the crowd chanting his name, Shark Boy took turns giving his opponents atomic drops and biting their asses. When the ref chided him for his tactics, Shark Boy bit his ass too which got a cheer of near Elmo proportions. He launched himself over the top onto Hornet and Otis who had fled the ring. Once back inside, Hornet and Otis again joined forces to pound on the popular favorite and again argued over who got to pin him. Otis elected to try a submission instead and locked Shark Boy in a camel clutch which Hornet accentuated with a dropkick to the face. Hornet then choked out Otis in the corner with a boot across his throat, breaking off only to clothesline Shark Boy from the ring. Hornet and Otis scaled the corner ropes and Shark Boy ran in and a triple suplex brought a thunderous “Holy Shit” from the fans. Shark Boy had both guys reeling with running lariats before grounding Otis with a stunner. His corner punch countdown on Hornet was the loudest crowd participation of that time honored move I’ve heard in a long time. He nailed Otis with another stunner but Hornet tossed him outside and covered Idol for the victory. Hornet was quick to leave and the ref helped Idol to the back as Shark Boy and the fans celebrated; if not his victory, at least his existence. Short, fast, fun and certainly enjoyed by the fans this match actually drew more fans to the ring. There’s no denying Shark Boy’s popularity and he can back up his gimmick with skill. I’ve always been a fan of international sensation Hornet and Otis Idol impressed me as well. Everything was very smooth and fluid, Shark Boy was Shark Boy and the other two played their heel roles just enough to compliment the obvious ‘star’ of the match. Very professional and very well done.

Power Ranger Leadership Challenge Match: Red Power Ranger vs Green Power Ranger – I admit I don’t know a lot about the Power Rangers. This match certainly didn’t do much to make me want to learn more. There were lots of poses and stuff at the start which the anime fans seemed to enjoy; I guess that’s what they do in the cartoon. There were some wrestling moves when they finally locked up but it was simultaneous ‘super punches’ that did the most ‘damage.’ After an excruciating couple of minutes Green Power Ranger shot flames from his hand towards the other one and, although they never came anywhere near touching him, Red Power Ranger dropped like he’d been shot and Green pinned him. After the match the two Power Rangers shook hands. Mike Stevens entered the ring and delivered stunners to both of them and for that I will always be grateful. Ugh! That’s about the best I can say about this ‘match.’ I can’t help but think that Jim Londos would have cried if he saw it. I almost did.

LuFisto & Jaguar vs Michael Elgin & Tiana Ringer – Before the contest got underway, Ringer and LuFisto both worked the crowd for cheers with LuFisto and her biceps getting most of the applause. She and Ringer started things at the bell and LuFisto quickly controlled with armdrags, a drop toe and stomps to the back. Ringer managed to slow things down with a go-behind bearhug before throwing some elbows and chops. LuFisto responded by springing off the ropes and nailing a headscissor takedown causing Ringer to tag in her partner to escape. Elgin seemed confident that he could squash the much smaller LuFisto but she scooted between his legs, tripped him, stomped on his back and slapped his ass; much to the delight of the fans. Jaguar entered on the tag and ignored Elgin’s offer of a handshake by wrenching him into an armbar, working through several variations of the hold. Elgin’s power advantage gained him a momentary advantage as he worked the masked Jaguar over in the corner but the speedy Quebec native quickly regained control and continued to work the arm. Tiana broke his momentum with a knee to the back as he sprung off the ropes and she and Elgin began doubling up on him. Elgin tossed Jaguar toward the ceiling and Ringer choked him in the ropes as the ref tried to keep LuFisto in her corner. Jaguar continued to be punished in this fashion for the next couple of minutes as his partner kept trying to come to his aid. Quick tags and dirty tactics kept the heels in control and when Jaguar mounted a rally and went for the tag, Ringer blasted LuFisto off the apron to keep him isolated. Elgin worked a sleeper while LuFisto exhorted the crowd to cheer her partner on. He avoided dropping his arm for the third time and fought to his feet with elbow strikes before hitting a sidewalk slam that left him and Elgin both down and looking for the tag. The women tagged in but LuFisto elected to attack Elgin giving Tiana the opportunity to choke her on the ropes. LuFisto responded with a big slam but Elgin broke up the pin and powerslammed LuFisto to the mat where Ringer leapt on her for a 2 count. Ringer and LuFisto traded blows until Ringer fell victim to LuFisto’s Emerald Fusion. Jaguar cut off Elgin’s attempted save and the ref made the 3 count, giving the popular favorites the victory. After the pin LuFisto sat on Tiana’s back and, at the crowd’s urging, spanked her fallen foe. It’s a credit to all four of these performers that they were able to keep the crowd into this match considering it had been a long day and followed the Power Rangers debacle. Jaguar impressed with his speed and Tiana Ringer was very crisp with her moves but it was the match-up between the diminutive LuFisto and the powerful Michael Elgin that provided the eye-popping moments. Watching the newly crowned Canadian National Champion powerslam LuFisto was like watching a Grizzly bear squash a housecat. (Mrs Id and I were close to blows ourselves during this match as she is a huge fan of Elgin and I’m a big LuFisto mark.) I thought that match was the end of the show but GCW had an added surprise attraction.

Show Ending Open Battle Royal: Mike Stevens, Prodigy, Jay Phoenix, Steve Brown, Adam Reed, Red Power Ranger, Timothy Dalton, Yellow Jabronie, Michael Elgin, the Ref, Tarantula Gomez, Egyptian Gimmick Guy, Nick Watts & Josh - After the tag battle the locker room emptied as wrestlers climbed in the ring for an open battle royal. The ref announced that he would be a participant and even the Yellow Jabronie climbed in the ring to compete. Conspicuous by his absence was PD Flex. He was there at the show and, considering how much of a glory hound he is, I’m surprised he didn’t take this opportunity to perform. Maybe Red Sweater Guy is right; maybe Flex is a pussy. Anyway, this was a rollicking affair highlighted by Josh who, when he wasn’t dancing, was being tossed out over the top. He must have re-entered the match 8 or 9 times. Even when Tarantula Gomez last eliminated Elgin to gain the victory, Josh raced back in the ring and tossed Gomez out claiming that he had won. After the match (and Josh had finally left the ring for the last time) Elgin and Stevens laid a gratuitous beating on Gomez and Elgin chased the Yellow Jabronie off through the crowd for calling him “Fat Hardy.” (He does kind of look like a thicker version of Matt.) Now that I think about it, Yellow Jabronie calling Michael Elgin “Fat Hardy” is exactly the type of thing PD Flex wishes he had the balls to do! And with that last shot at Flex, I head to my final thoughts.

Final Thoughts: GCW put on a hell of a show! Wrestling purists might not have liked it what with the Power Rangers and Elmo and all, but it was held in the middle of an anime convention. What do you expect? Personally, I think the Wilson/Elgin/Devine match should have been the main event. I wish Jamie D had showed up during intermission and had brutalized and/or killed the participants of that particularly odious part of the show. My thanks to GCW management and staff and all the wrestlers who participated in giving anime convention goers a taste of the magic that is pro wrestling!

Photo credit: Mrs Id

Contact the wizard of id at zapflash@sympatico.ca