WizReview - Doghouse Reunion Show December 20, 2003

By “Wizard” Joel Grayson

The Tommy Lawrence Arena and Deland, Florida will never be quite the same again. There has been no finer example of how a vacancy is completely dependent on those who occupy it. Of how surroundings are not of God or nature’s hand, but rather, the people’s spirit who make that land theirs. Nostalgia might toast to the Doghouse legacy of Brooklyn, NY, but last night the bottles and cans clinked toasting to the future while the pre-show atmosphere of the TLA today laced those toasts to the most confident future of Doghouse Pro Wrestling. (I know some will comment on the attendance as an attack on that statement, but I will return to that shortly) Like travelers of the same campaign, the DPW locker room emanated its way about itself that first formed the legacy in the Northeast. Like smiles, DPW-the people that make up DPW and Aura and ‘ki’ (energy) of DPW is most contagious- along with the awesome attitude that juices from its core. The humanity of wrestling broke through any walls that might have contained it proving that one promotion and it’s group of personalities and bandits can make a huge arena seem like a family reunion in a studio apartment-even if you’ve never met that family before in your life. Very seldom do you find company that can completely destroy the concept of time. They conquer time. When outside factors don’t manipulate what a man would do an inch-you’ve found the Doghouse!

I do understand that this is my review of this weekends shows, but I felt it was mandatory to say that and the infinite more that I won’t say at this time. I know what those pessimistic ignoramuses will say…’we heard there were only this many people… blah, blah, blah, negative, negative hating…’, my response comes to you stronger than burning iron. I say this, that only few decided to pick their own fate of luck and happiness. Those people, the rowdy and the quiet, the old and the young, they’ll be back. They will return from the great time they had. They decided to make their lives that much more greater by seeing this, because this is what happened. Bobby Lombardi, DPW everything, put together a few shows down in Deland and basically said this by putting on the show, ‘I’m putting on the wrestling equivilent of a jam session with Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Angus Young, Bo Diddley, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Pete Townsend, John Paul Jones, John Bonham, Peter Entwhistle, Jim Morrison, B.B. King….(you get the picture)…oh and yeah, Bob Dylan’s going to freestyle’. That’s what Mr. Lombardi did, and only these select people decided to treat themselves to this historic event. I was lucky enough to be there and be part of the continuing Doghouse experience. And just a side comment, for those who have, since day one, labeled us as Doghouse loyalists, just listen. Any proper man in any walk of life never forgets where he comes from. Without the Doghouse, there would be no D.O.I., they gave us the chance to be a part of this miraculous sport that we cherish to the bone and the heart. Louie, Homicide, Laithon, Bobby, J-Train and others have given us, have given me personally this abundance of knowledge of wrestling and life that no poet could find the words to duplicate and no philosophers have come to theorize yet. So will we sacrifice our shield for our feelings of where we came from and who we owe our wrestling beings to? Well…answer me this, would you sacrifice your family?

Onto the show.

Opening Match: “Tower of Torture” Laithon vs. Bennie Blanco
When you have two big men who have no problems slugging it out with each other until one man can’t stand, you definitely have a match that will get the crowd into it. This was a perfect match for that. After chops, forearms and elbow smashes that would leave brutal bruises for a while I’m sure, Bennie Blanco got the win in a victory that both wrestlers and the fans seemed unsure about. Bennie Blanco wanted to finish off the big man a little while more but the ref said that he got the win. With his stiff upper lip on authority, Blanco destroyed the ref with a few knockout shots and headed to the back in the long Tokyo Doghouse aisle way. T.O.T. took this time to bleed his frustrations out on the weakened referee and unleashed an arsenal on him that would have sufficed to a Wrestling 101 tutorial video.
Winner: Bennie Blanco

The next match saw two Floridian tag teams, one with an Asian seductress, go at it in a match that had renaissance wrestler, Matt “Vision” Striker as the official. The end saw the team with Geisha princess mis-communicate leading to their fall. Post-match saw the turn on the defeated fighter with his tag partner taking his Oriental treat to the back. Ultimate apologies for not catching your names and if anyone can correct me with their proper names, let me know.

Match 3: Dirty Rotten Scoundrelz vs. Christopher Street Connection
If you’ve seen a hundred of these guys matches, you HAVEN’T seen them all. Another beautiful display of tag team wrestling, chemistry and psychology. As far as the crowd went, they were rooting for the ‘worse of the two evils’, as the ‘Homosexual Honeymooners’ doesn’t exactly fly down in Deland. This match saw fighting that left little to the imagination with solid strikes and a few moves that these teams haven’t broke out in a while. After the distraction of a Christopher Street Kiss, the CSC got a win that the DRS were blaming Matt Striker for with a ‘fast three count’. They vowed to get back at Matt Striker later on that night. Striker mocked them with his ‘I’m so scared’ look.
Winner: Buff E. and Mase, The Christopher Street Connection

The fourth match led us to a contest split between the DPW and the Florida guys. Again apologies for not remembering the Sunshine State names. The DPW contestants, on one side was Manslaughter, yes, the D.O.I.’s favorite artist and on the other side, D.O.I. 2003 Award winner Azrael, who unfortunately didn’t get enough time to shine in this match as I believe he should have. When the bell had sounded, Manslaughter and his partner were victorious via his Slaughterhouse maneuver (has shades of Rikishi driver).

Match 5: Four Way Dance
Grim Reefer vs. Deranged vs. Matt Striker vs. Deacon Riot (DPW Champion) In this interesting collaboration of styles and size, the referee looked as if he was in Deranged’s home town, a state of confusion. Deacon Riot, a monster with great power was in one corner. Matt Striker, properly named Matt for his ground skills and technical/old school style. And then the rest of the ring found 2 of the northeast’s most predominant light-heavyweight stars. In a very scary moment, Grim Reefer catapulted himself from the top rope out to the floor landing with full impact on the top of his head early on in the match. Refusing to even tag out, Reef mounted a great offense but found defeat to Striker’s signature backbreaker. With more than just victory in his sights, Deranged distracted that pathetic referee which enabled those damn Dirty Rotten Scoundrelz to storm the ring and double-team Striker in their act of vengeance. The tag team of the Universe. Now not distracted anymore, the ref turns around as Deacon Riot hit his finishing maneuver on the weakened Striker and gets the three. After the match, the DRS come back in the ring continuing to assault Striker-Vision with such moves as their Double Stunner. Striker was helped to the back by the referee not looking in the best of shape (pun intended).
Winner: Deacon Riot

McDougal then introduced for the next match J-Train, but Eddie Guapo came down to the ring and heisted the microphone. Guapo claimed that Train never defended that TV belt properly and that he just ‘doesn’t have what it takes’. J-Train then comes down to the ring with fists of fury that started a match that the south is very accustomed to. Monkey flips and big back bodydrops by J-Train were cut off by a Guapo attack of devastating neckbreaker, but then Train was able to counter the attack with his “John Hancock” of a piledriver that damn near broke Guapo’s neck which set up J-Train Smalls for his Suzie Q elbow drop, and from there on, it’s lights out.
Winner: J-Train

Match 7: Johnny “Bison” Bravado/Low Life Louie vs. Elm Street Kids w/Elm Street Gang
This match was a two on five contest, actually, a two on six if you count Penny Dreadful’s black and white candy cane. Having feuding with each other up here, Bison and Louie were able to step into the tag role easily because of their knowing each other so well. After a number of well placed elbows by Bravado on both Elm Streets, Louie comes in with a Double DVD on his opponents but before the ref can count to three he gets pulled out and distracted by Danny Yams. This let Sabre sneak into the ring and kick Louie in the back of the head which lead to the top rope Leg drop/Splash attack by both Elm Streets to give them the victory. The ref lost all control after the contest calling for the bell because the whole Elm Street Gang was in the ring attacking Louie and Bravado. After minutes of this beating, JC the Damager and Afato come down for the save which leads into a later contest. Louie takes the mic and says the four Elm Streets against the four men who were still in the ring…Louie Rules! For those unaware, that means no rules!
Winner: Elm Street Kids w/Sabre, Danny Yams and Penny Dreadful

Main Event: The Solution (Papadon and Havok) vs. Hit Squad (Homicide and Monsta Mack)
This was one hell of a main event. A team that has been tagging up together for such a time with such precision against another team that one half is arguably the best wrestler breathing and the other half, on the top echelon of the tag team lists in strong style history. This brutal match had both sides antagonizing each other as mind games were a favorite on both sides. Homicide staggered right into a vicious Havok spear . Homicide’s beautiful dropkick to Papdon’s knee contradicts his Chono influence for his Mutoh one. Big Mack caught Havok with a big time clothesline from Compton and rushed towards Papadon for a second one. Papdon ducked the big larriet…the first time, but not the second which gave them the duke in a beautiful main event contest. Pump Pump!
Winners: Hit Squad- Homicide and Monsta Mack

Night Show:

Match 1: Azraiel vs. Grim Reefer
Although it’s amazing to see what these guys can do in mid-air, I love seeing when the prove their skills when their feet are indeed on the ground. This match, though had some aerial tendencies, got to show off that aspect of their game. Not being able to finish “The Suicidal Demon” off with a tombstone, Reefer slapped on his unmistakable neck breaker that left Azraiel motionless and raised Reefer’s hand.
Winner: Grim Reefer

Match 2: Solution vs. Christopher Street Connection
“What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate…” Wow! The atmosphere of this match was like a meeting at Ralph Kramden’s raccoon hat-wearing lodge. Hysterical. Buff E was verbally destroying a few fans in the front row, one in particular and had nobody keeping a straight face. Even a liberal would crack a smile…well maybe not. It was ridiculous. A verbal lashing that went on for the better part of eight minutes lead into a well-executed wrestling match with a whole lot of the shenanigans on the side. Both teams put on two fantastic wrestling matches worthy of any clinical tag wrestling tape. After taking Buff out of the picture, the Solution hit the Problem Solver on Mace on their way to the pay window.
Winner: Solution

Match 3: Monsta Mack vs. Eddie Guapo
This may have been my personal favorite of the night in the respect that both wrestlers wrestled a match in the same understanding of it. It all started off with Guapo slapping hands of fans that weren’t there. A personal appreciation of mine was the Chono breathing by Mack that caught on to the crowd. After the nectar of their explosive offenses started the match, they really got the fans into it. After getting up from a double-count, Mack countered Guapo and laid him out with a Pedigree. Only a two and a half. Mack couldn’t understand, crying out, ‘It always works on Raw’. After that, it was a free for all. Mack went rushing in for his Clothesline from Compton but Guapo ducked hitting the Rock Bottom. Guapo then called for the People’s Elbow but Mack moved out of the way and hit an F-5. Guapo’s foot got his foot on the ropes. Mack saying that he and Rikishi are both big, he called for the end with the Rikishi Driver, but Guapo slithered out hitting Mack with a stunner, Mack got to his feet reciprocating with a stunner of his own, then they both kicked each other, Guapo falling to the floor and Mack staggering to the corner. Guapo got up and yelled out a scream before rushing and giving Mack the Stinger Splash in the corner. Guapo turned Mack around and started chopping him as Mack yelled out a “whoo” everytime he was getting chopped. Then Mack got Guapo in the opposite corner yelling out a harsher Stinger “Owww” and rushed with his own Mackster Splash and let hit Guapo with the Scorpion Death Lock, but Guapo was way too close to the ropes. With Guapo’s offense, he got the Twist of Fate on Mack and then went up to the second rope. To answer a kid’s response that ‘You’re not Matt Hardy” Guapo said, “yeah? Watch this!” and leaped off with a leg drop, but Mack moved out of the way and got up to hook in a backslide. 1-2-3!!!!!!!!! Goodnight Saigon!
Winner: Monsta Mack

Match 4: DRS and Deranged Rotten Scoundrel vs. Homicide, J-Train and Matt Striker
The best match of the night saw these six competitors. Homicide obviously doesn’t care for Deranged’s high flying antics, or else he would have showed a drop of mercy on the assault he put on his leg. With the horrid ref distracted by Striker, Homicide was able to get Deranged in the corner and wrap his legs around the post giving him a brutally standing figure four with the post’s help. The match then went to the outside for a brawl near the corner of the Homicide/J-Train/Striker team as Negro got tossed nearly upside down into the barricades and in general, all hell was breaking loose. The two sides had such hate and disgust for each other that hey were smile and seething about it. Striker’s double-knee back breaker on Deranged sent the fallen warrior to tag out and K.C. Blade became victim of steam roll engine J-Train…and his forearms. A blast in the corner to Blade’s jaw inflated that jaw like a balloon, but Blade’s instincts forced him to give a European uppercut to Train before the tag out. With Negro trying to be the general of the team while waiting to be tagged in, Team DRS wouldn’t be able to get that final advantage before the synergy of the former Rottweilers and Striker demonstrated their triple team curtain call finding J-Train victorious yet again with the final staple of the Suzie Q. This match covered all spectrums from wrestling to brawling to passion.
Winner: Homicide, J-Train and Matt Striker

Match 5: DPW Heavyweight Championship
Deacon Riot © vs. Tower of Torture
Angry from his earlier loss, Laithon T.O.T. was filled with a fire of kicking ass now and taking names never. His pride for DPW lead his attack which grounded Deacon for most of the match with submissions and strikes. When he got Riot in the corner he pulled his shirt over his head lacing overhand chops that nearly made his chest bleed. Riot’s strong attack and exhibited his power by lifting T.O.T. the way he did was simply countered by a great missile dropkick from the top which gave us a new DPW Heavyweight champion.
Winner: Tower of Torture ©

A riled up Laithon, with title in hand was so amped about the night, his title and the upcoming main even that he took the mic and refreshed everyone’s memory. Hardcore rules, Louie Rules, No Rules!

Main Event: Low Life Louie, Johnny Bravado, JC the Damager and Afato
Vs.
Elm Street Kids (Psycho, Rayza, Danny Yams, Sabre) w/ Penny Dreadful
Bon Scott screamed, “You want blood? You got it!”, and in my heart, I believe that’s Louie’s true entrance music. This match didn’t lead up to blood…this match didn’t slowly lead up to violence, it was there, right off the bat…literally! Right off the thumbtack bat. And right off the Christmas Tree decorations bat! Brutality! Insanity! Illegality! To run down this great main event would be impossible, so let me just let you know of a few highlights before you get the tape. Bats with the thumbtacks were beaten and broken over heads. The loudest sound I ever heard came from the smashing of that bat with Christmas balls attached to it! Elm Street Currency was stapled-including to the forehead of Penny Dreadful! JC the Damager utilized his chain that on one side had a sickle and on the other side this definitely street illegal screw shaft of a weapon! Bravado may have had the most dangerous weapon of them all…HIS ELBOWS! He destroyed the Elm Streets, one and all with them. Louie was classic Louie and proved why he is the top hardcore wrestler today. He was obviously angry at the young Sabre for not being in wrestling long enough and took it out on him with a plethora of these insanely unsanctioned weapons. JC hit Sabre with a Styles Clash on the outside and rolled him back in the ring for the victory. After the match, Team LLL feared that Afato’s loyalty was not to them and bludgeoned him more over to send him off anything but gently into the good night.
Winner: Low Life Louie, Johnny Bravado, JC the Damager, and (I guess) Afato

Finally, I just want to say, with my signature to Bobby and the Doghouse family…forever and a day, thank you!