The Axeman Speaks 7-25-09

The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Hollywood Jimmy Blaylock, the Webmaster, or anyone else connected with this site. They are mine, and mine alone. If you agree with me, OK, and if you don’t agree, oh well....

Hello everyone!

This column will address three things.

First of all, I want to talk about the EPW TV broadcasts. After the first edition aired, the haters and critics were all over the message boards attacking everything from the announcers to the workers to the building. Some of the comments were valid. Some were complete BS. I am not going to respond to any of those comments.

After the second edition aired, however, the critics and haters did not attack like they did the previous week. They were, for the most part, silent. I wonder why.... Could it be that the second edition was much better than the first one? Yep, that's it. And guess what, friends, it will keep getting better. The only comments on the board this past week were some CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, at least that's the way I took it, and even the guy who posted that said it was a much better show. More changes and more improvements are coming in the future!

Ok on to the another topic, which is my rumored retirement from wrestling and departure from the state of Mississippi. I am not sure who atarted all this, but to set the record straight: I am not retiring, at least not right now. I will continue to announce for EPW and TFW, and I will continue to be a part of Wrestling News Center. Yes, I was offered a job in Meridian, MS, but I did not take it. I have taken a job here in Tupelo, so I will be around for a while. Sorry to disappoint all those out there who are excited about my departure - it is not true! You're stuck with me for a while longer.

And finally, I want to send my best wishes for a speedy recovery out to my friend Loose Cannon. Some of the crap people have posted on the board about him since he was injured is completely uncalled for. Get well soon, my friend!

That's all for this edition, my friends! If you have any feedback or comments or whatever, you can email me at axemanchopchop@yahoo.com, or you can leave a comment here. Whether you love me or hate me matters not to me. The fact is you read the column, and that's what is important. Thanks for dropping by.

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks 7-22-09

The following has absolutely nothing to do with professional wrestling. I know I will receive some hate mail for deviating from wrestling on a wrestling web site. I do not care. This was forwarded to me by a friend, and I feel it should be shared with as many people as possible.

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Luke AFB is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being surrounded by civilization that complains about the noise from the base and its planes, forgetting that it was there long before they were. A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the back.

Apparently, an individual who lives some where near Luke AFB wrote the local paper complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed his/her day at the mall.

When that individual read the response from a Luke AFB officer, it must have stung quite a bit.

The complaint:
'Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base: Whom do we thank for the morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 A.M, a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our good fortune! Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyns early bird special? Any response would be appreciated.

The response:

Regarding 'A wake-up call from Luke's jets:' On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four-ship fly by of F-16s from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques. Capt Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day.

At 9 a.m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and friend. Based on the letter writer's recount of the fly by, and because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son's flag on behalf of the President of the United States and all those veterans and servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices they have endured.

A four-ship fly by is a display of respect the Air Force gives to those who give their lives in defense of freedom. We are professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their ultimate respects.

The letter writer asks, 'Whom do we thank for the morning air show? The 56th Fighter Wing will make the call for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and parents of Capt Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives.

Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you... Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

Lt. Col. Grant L. Rosensteel, Jr.
USAF

(Thanks to my good friend, Cheryl Bramlett, for sending this in.)

The Axeman Speaks 7-13-09

The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Hollywood Jimmy Blaylock, the Webmaster, or anyone else connected with this site. They are mine, and mine alone. If you agree with me, OK, and if you don’t agree, oh well....

The photo above is of my grandson, Wesley. I am so proud of him!

Greetings, friends & naeghbors!

For the first time in a long time, I've got enough email that I can devote an entire column to answering them. I have not done this for a very long time, so here we go!

John Todd, from Thaxton, MS, sent in several questions (By the way, John, I have corrected the spelling and grammar errors in your email):

Who do you feel is the best lady wrestler of all time? I've said it before, and I'll say it again - Moolah was the best. No female wrestling star has had such a long and successful run as Moolah did. If Trish Stratus had stayed around, I think her career could have been just as successful and long as Moolah's was.

Who do you feel is the best looking wrestling diva in wrestling today? Well, first of all, I don't like to call them divas, no matter what WWE may choose to call them. I prefer to call them lady wrestlers or female wrestlers. So - you really want me to pick out ONE female wrestler out of all the gorgeous ladies wrestling today?! I guess it would be Maryse. However, there is a lady wrestling in this area for several INDY organizations that I would rank right up there, and that is Su Yung.

Who are the top ten divas in wrestling today? Well, as I see it, the top ten FEMALE WRESTLERS today are (in no particular order): Melina, Mickie James, Beth Phoenix, Maryse, Gail Kim, Angelina Love, Daffney, Taylor Wilde, Velvet Skye, ODB, Roxxi. Oops, that's eleven - oh well, you decide who you want to eliminate from the list.

Who is the roughest, meanest, toughest woman in wrestling? I would have to say Tasha Simone. I think she can go toe to toe with almost anyone, male or female.

Who is the ugliest female in wrestling today? Well, three come to mind - ODB, Kong, and Mae Young. Mae Young is disqualified because she is retired. And the winner is: ODB.

Which diva(s) have the most potential to become super stars? The FEMALE WRESTLER that I think has the most potential is Kelly Kelly.

OK, John, those are my opinions. If any readers have different opinions, I would like for you to share them with us. Email them to me or leave a comment to this post.

Rusty Patterson wants to know why we never see Jim Cornette in TNA now. You've got me! As far as I am concerned he is a creative genius. He can do some of the best promos of anyone in the business. Cornette joined TNA in
2006, but I have not seen him on TNA Impact in a long time. I assume he is still with the organization as a producer, but I don't know for sure. I am surprised that Coenette and Vince Russo have been able to peacefully co-exist in TNA at all, but that's a topic for another time. Check out Jim Cornette's web site at http://www.jimcornette.com/ for more information.

And Lastly, Bruce Santee sends this rant: Axeman, do you seriously ask us to believe that EWP will be able to last for long on TV? They have a crappy show, they have crappy workers, thay have a crappy building, they have crappy bookers, and crappy ownership. They also have a crappy announcer, and I am talking about YOU, fat ass. Why would they even bother? I would be embarassed to put that crap on TV. The cost alone will kill them. Who does EWP think they're kidding and why do they even bother? First of all, I have inserted some punctuation, capital letters, and sentence structure into your email, which was just one continuous sentence. I also know of only one organization that goes by EWP, and they are not in Mississippi. I assume you mean Extreme Pro Wrestling (EPW). I hope with all my heart that they do well with their TV venture. EPW management realizes that they are going to have to kick it up a notch, and they realize they are going to have to put a quality product on TV if they are going to be successful. You attacked everyone in the EPW organization. Have you even been to an EPW show lately? Yes, there is a lot of room for improvement, but they have had some very good shows. They have a new booker, and there are some different workers coming in. The building is not the nicest, but it is not the worst I have ever seen. In the coming weeks there are going to be some changes to the building. I also will not say anything negative about the owners of EPW. They are good people who are doing their very best. Do I agree with everything? Nope. But I have never been anywhere that I agreed with everything. EPW has come a long way from the mess things were in a year ago when Edith took over. As far as your comments about me, I will certainly not say I am the best announcer in the world. I know I am not. However, I will continue to do my best to help EPW in any way I can, as an announcer or in any other way. If EPW wants to bring someone else in, they are welcome to do so, and they know that. As far as the cost of the broadcasts, their sponsorship is adequate at this time to cover the cost. Why don't you watch two or three shows on TV, and THEN email me with CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. The first show airs this coming Wednesday night at 10:30 p.m. on MY MS TV.

That's all for this time, wrestleholics! If you have any feedback or comments or whatever, you can email me at axemanchopchop@yahoo.com, or you can leave a comment here. Whether you love me or hate me, the fact is you read the column, and that's what is important. Thanks for dropping by.

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks 7-9-09

The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Hollywood Jimmy Blaylock, the Webmaster, or anyone else connected with this site. They are mine, and mine alone. If you agree with me, OK, and if you don’t agree, oh well....

Greetings, wrestling addicts!

In my last column I mentioned that I was contacted by an individual in another state asking if I could identify the wrestler in the above photo, which I could not do. I asked for your help, and my old friend from Tennessee who calls himself "Jack Flash" responded and correctly identified the wrestler as Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon. I was able to verify that information as correct when I found the same photo on the internet. I appreciate it!

I was saddened to read of the death of a wrestling pioneer, Waldo von Erich. I remember seeing him numerous times in the Dallas - Ft. Worth area playing the part of Fritz von Erich's brother, although Waldo was not related to Fritz in any way. Waldo was usually brought in as a tag team partner of Fritz during a feud with someone. One such occasion was a tag team match, Fritz & Waldo von Erich vs. (as best I can remember) The Missouri Mauler & Brute Bernard, who were managed by Gary Hart. It was a 2 out of 3 falls match. Waldo's plane was supposedly late, so Fritz had to start out by himself and lost the first fall. Just as the second fall started, here comes Waldo running to the ring in street clothes and he won the second fall. The third fall ended in a double count out when the match spilled out of the ring. It took them about 15 minutes to fight their way to the back with referees Danny Plechas and Bronco Lubich trying to break them up. Fritz & Waldo von Erich also held the NWA American tag belts for a while in 1967. It is interesting to note that, while Waldo von Erich is best remembered for his German heel gimmick, when he came to Texas to team with Fritz in those days, the German gimmick did not come with him. He was, on those occasions, the brother of Fritz, and was a babyface all the way. Oh well, enough of my walk down memory lane - check out my In the Spotlight column here at hollywoodjimmy.com for exerpts from several articles about Waldo von Erich that are worth the read. Thanks for the memories, Waldo von Erich.

In my last column I talked about the Donald Trump buys RAW angle, and how I hoped Vince would not run it into the ground by letting it get old and stale. So, what does Vince do? He ends it the very next week. I sure am glad that Vince listens to me! LOL, yeah, right, uh huh, sure, heh heh.... I guess the angle, while short lived, accomplished what it was intended to accomplish. It got the ratings up, and that's what matters most.

The recent talent shuffle in WWE, which the Trump angle helped facilitate, leaves one WWE star in limbo. That individual is Dustin Runnels, better known as "Goldust." Frankly, I enjoyed seeing him teamed with Hornswoggle, but the move of Goldust to ECW without moving Hornswoggle pretty much ends that. While all the other guys who have been moved have been pretty much visible, Goldust seems to have dropped out of sight. He has talent. He can contribute if given the chance in the right role. I hope WWE Creative gets creative and finds something for him, but I fear that he's on the way out - again.

OK, let's change directions and talk about wrestling on the local scene.

EPW has taped their first two TV shows. The first one will air at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday night, July 15, on My MS Network. That's the same network that airs Smackdown, so if you are in north Mississippi and you can watch Smackdown, you should be able to watch EPW Wrestling. The haters came to the message board in droves when the announcement was made that EPW had a TV deal, and they posted their comments and hateful BS... but the bottom line is that all of them wish they could be a part of EPW's TV venture. EPW will tape another TV show this Saturday night, July 11, at the EPW Arena in Booneville. Bell time is 8:00 p.m. You never know what will happen in EPW! Look for some new faces in EPW in the coming weeks, as the new booker takes EPW in a new direction.

TFW has returned to the wrestling scene in north Mississippi after a long absence. The show Friday night 7/3 was a good one, and things are going to get better in the coming weeks. The Asylum w/Tony "The Weasel" Watts vs. Syn & Stunner was a very good match. Watts says The Asylum will be back this Friday night, 7/10, and that "nobody is safe." Don't miss the show this Friday night at the TFW Arena, 2913 Hwy. 178 in Skyline. Bell time is 8:00. Look for some new faces and changes in TFW as well in the coming weeks. Of course, the haters are once again bashing TFW on the boards. So what else is new? These are most likely the same people that are bashing EPW. Let the haters hate, let the bashers bash, let the posters post - but TFW is back and there's not one thing they can do about it.

Speaking of the Asylum, it was great to see Wraith return to wrestling at the recent XOW show. I hope it was not just a one shot deal - I hope he is back for good. Wraith has been gone too long. The Asylum (Psycho & Pappy) are an awesome team. They are in demand all over the mid-south. They are one of the best teams in the area, if not THE best. The addition of Wraith would add an entire new dimension to The Asylum - even more violence, unpredictability, & insanity - Psycho, Pappy, & Wraith - what a force that would be!

I was sorry to hear about the demise of NWA Charlotte. This promotion putting on some very good shows and was enjoying some success, but they were screwed out of their building, much the same way TFW was screwed out of theirs several months ago. That's a shame.

That's all for this time, wrestleholics! If you have any feedback or comments or whatever, you can email me, or you can leave a comment here. Whether you love me or hate me, you read the column, and that's what is important. Thanks for dropping by.

The Axeman has spoken.