The Axeman Speaks

The Axeman Speaks 12-24-2011

2011-12-23T21:24:00.000-08:00

The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Wrestling News Center, the Webmaster, or anyone else connected with this site.

Isaiah 9: 6-7 (KJV)
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."

I am making a conscious effort this year to wish everyone a Merry CHRISTMAS.

This is my way of saying that I am celebrating the birth Of Jesus Christ.

So I am asking all of our readers, if you agree with me, to please do the same. And if you'll pass this on to all your friends, and so on, maybe we can prevent one more AMERICAN tradition from being lost in the sea of "Political Correctness!"

GOD BLESS YOU ALL, and Merry CHRISTMAS!!!!!

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks 11-13-11

2011-11-13T18:17:00.000-08:00

The photo above is of my new granddaughter, Ella, who is my fifth grandchild. I am so crazy about her! Wow! Five Grandchildren - I am truly blessed!

The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Wrestling News Center, the Webmaster, or anyone else connected with this site. They are mine, and mine alone, unless otherwise stated. If you agree with me, OK, and if you don’t, that’s OK. Either way, you're gonna read this, and that's what is important.

Greetings, wrestling fans! I have several topics I want to talk about in this column, so it will probably be longer than usual. Here we go....

The following was posted by Mike Aldren at GeorgiaWrest6lingHistory.com on 10-31-11:

"There was an independent show this past weekend in Poteau, Oklahoma, promoted
by Dwayne Huckaba. He booked several well known names including Tammy Sytch and Jim Neidhart who did a pre show meet and greet. Several other guys didn't go as they hadn't received their retainer. Huckaba claimed to at least one person that he sent a check, and that the check he sent had been cashed, but didn't provide any proof.
The show was pretty much a disaster drawing less than 100 paid. Huckaba skipped
town soon after bell time when he realized ticket sales wasn't going to cover his
payroll. He hasn't since returned anyone's calls or messages."

OK, does the name Dwayne Huckaba ring a bell with anyone? It seems that this is none other than the former owner of DCW, which ran in the Mid-South area for several years. Huckaba had a good thing going with DCW for a while, and he had some excellent shows. Then he made some bad decisions and ran out of money and started doing the same thing that Mr. Aldren describes above. Apparently, Dwayne has not changed a bit. That is unfortunate. How and why he can continue to rip people off like that is beyond me. Why anyone would work for him is beyond me.

On a recent visit to a MLW taping in Memphis, I had the pleasure of seeing my very favorite MLW star, Brandi Wine, pictured above. Don't let his lovely lady's beautiful smile fool you - this gal can wrestle, and she is as tough as they come!

From the MLW site:

"Brandi Wine's maniacal laughter echoes through MLW locker room, and all of the ladies are instantly on notice that the most raucous member of their roster has arrived.

Some of the younger girls take the sound as their cue to make a hasty exit of the area. They have heard that a friendly slap on the back from Brandi will knock the wind out of you... or even dislocate a shoulder.

Whether or not it is her intent, Brandi's off-kilter demeanor frightens some of her opponents. According to her, she is just being herself.

"You never know what Brandi you're gonna get," she said while looking through her wrestling gear, deciding what to wear before a MLW show. "One minute, I'm a good girl, then I hear that bell ring and I turn into a mega-bitch."

Brandi said pro-wrestling made her crazy, but in a good way.

"I wanted to do this since I was five years old. I remember watching the National Wrestling Alliance. I loved the Rock N Roll Express, Dusty Rhodes, Magnum TA, the Four Horsemen... but my favorite was Barry Windham!

Watching them do what they did the best made me want to get in the ring and kick some ass. I made that happen with a lot of determination and hard work. If that makes me crazy, then call me crazy, but call me that at your own risk!"

With wrestling being her greatest passion, Brandi said she has to use the tools she was given in order to enjoy success in the sport.

"I'm not a high-flier; I can't get my fat ass off the ground!" she said with a chuckle. "And I'm not very technical; I'm clumsy as hell.

That approach to wrestling only adds to the crazy perception of Brandi. The word that often comes to mind for fans and opponents alike with regard to Brandi is "powerhouse."

"I guess 'powerhouse' is a good description. I like to use a front face lock because I look good doing it. And I do have powerful legs, so the figure four leg lock works for me too."

Brandi is appreciative of the fans and their comments. But the notion of how she is viewed by other wrestlers causes some of the craziness to subside and allow her to be a bit more reflective.

"I know I can be crazy sometimes, but I really love getting in that ring with the other ladies – Debbie Combs, Lei Lani Kai, Malia Hosaka, Sherri Martel, I have been fortunate to be able to wrestle all of them. I have met some of the all-time greats – Heidi Lee Morgan and Judy Martin.

MLW is a great promotion for continuing the tradition of one generation of women to pass this on to the next generation. MLW is where I got to meet the great Joyce Grable. At the same time, MLW allows me the chance meet new girls. They are so talented and MLW let's them showcase their ability."

That is high praise for MLW, coming from someone who has toured all over the world with the likes of Paul Orndorff, the Road Warriors, Greg Valentine, and Nicolai Volkoff."

If you have never seen Brandi Wine in action, you can go to www.mlwonline.com and download her matches, along with hundreds of other great ladies matches. Check 'em out - you will be glad you did.

Now, on to other things....

I was saddened to learn of the recent death of Herb Gerwig, better known in the wrestling world as as Killer Karl Kox. He was a major star in the 1960s and 70s. He passed away a few days ago in Texas at the age of 80, as the result of a massive heart attack on Oct. 20, followed by a second heart attack, which was fatal, while still in the hospital.

Kox has been praised as being one of the top heel wrestlers in his day, and has been called one of the best ring psychologists of all time. he is also recognized as being one of the best in-ring teachers of the modern era. Both Ted DiBiase, Sr. and Dick Murdoch gave Kox credit for being the guy who taught them as much about what to do in the ring and when to do it as anyone they were in with.

My earliest memory of pro wrestling is a match I watched when I was a very young child on our old black & white TV in Dallas. The match was Killer Karl Kox vs. Fritz Von Erich. As best I can remember, they had been partners, but something had happened the previous week and they were now bitter enemies. The match ended, as best as I can recall, with Von Erich hitting Kox over the head with a very large trophy.

Another pioneer in the wrestling profession is gone. RIP, Killer Karl Kox, and thanks for the memories.

Here is a little tidbit of information I recently found out about Hollywood Jimmy Blaylock:

A very distraught Hollywood recently brought a very limp duck to a local veterinarian. As he gently laid his pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest.

After a moment or two, the vet shook his head and sadly said, "I'm sorry,
your duck has passed away."

The distressed Hollywood wailed, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure. Your duck is dead," replied the vet.

"How can you be so sure?" he protested. "I mean you haven't done any
testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."

The vet turned around and left the room. He returned a few minutes later
with a black Labrador Retriever. As Hollywood looked on in amazement,
the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table
and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked up at the vet with
sad eyes and shook his head.

The vet patted the dog on the head and took it out of the room. A few
minutes later he returned with a cat. The cat jumped on the table and also
delicately sniffed the duck from head to foot. The cat sat back on its
haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room.

The vet looked at Hollywood and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is
most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead duck."

The vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill,
which he handed to Hollywood, who, still in shock, took the bill. "$1500!"
he cried, "$1500 just to tell me my duck is dead?!"

The vet shrugged, "I'm sorry. If you had just taken my word for it, the bill
would have been $20, but with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan, it's now
$1500."

Hollywood, for once, was speechless....

Speaking of Hollywood Jimmy Blaylock, he recently celebrated his birthday. While there is some discussion as to just how old he really is, as best I can determine, he is 65. Now, Hollywood is by far the biggest trouble making, cheating, scoundrel in wrestling today, but I don't wish bad things on anybody, so - and this is hard - happy birthday, Jimmy - who is now officially a member of the Over the Hill gang. For your birthday, Jimmy, I have signed you up for a one year supply of Depends....

Last, but certainly not least, I also want to wish our WNC webmaster, the lovely Tia, a happy birthday! XOXO....

Well, that's all for now. If you have any feedback, positive or negative, you can email it to me at axemanchopchop@yahoo.com - or simply leave a comment on this blog. Thanks for stopping by!

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks 10-18-2011

2011-10-19T14:59:00.001-07:00

This photo must be very important to an individual named David Sebastian. You see, he has emailed it to me 23 times. I have no clue why. I have no idea what he wants me to do with it. Maybe he wants me to use it in a column. It really is kinda cute! So here it is. David, please stop sending it now!

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks 10-18-2011

2011-10-18T21:22:00.000-07:00

Greetings, my friends! Here is an article which was emailed to me today. It has been posted in several places on the Internet, but I thought it was worthy to pass along here.

This was written by Joe Dombrowski. I have never met the man, but I hope to meet him one day. He wrote this - therefore the opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Wrestling News Center, the Webmaster, or anyone else connected with this site. They are Joe Dombrowski's alone. However, I agree with everything he says here.

PRO WRESTLERS TAKE NOTE! The Dos and Don'ts of Social Networking!
by Joe Dombrowski, www.facebook.com/joedombrowskiwrestling

One of my many pet peeves lately has been the illogical way many people within professional wrestling treat their Facebook or Twitter accounts. Some have accounts using their wrestling name, yet post information about their private life, 9-to-5-jobs, etc. Some have accounts using their real name, but use it to cut wrestling promos and promote upcoming shows they will be appearing at. Some decide to post cute and humorous comments on the Walls of people they are feuding with, or thank one another for a great match. Some decide to outwardly expose the business by airing dirty laundry, locker room sleaze, or discussing the inner-workings of their match/experience at said show. All of the above is completely counter-productive and potentially harmful to business, both your own and where you work.

The excuse of "Everyone knows" and "The business has been exposed" is complete BS. Your job is to get the viewer to emotionally invest and buy into you specifically and your story. Every post you make that goes against that perception is counter-productive to your own progression and development. It's about building and sustaining an illusion strong enough for your audience to get lost in. They want to believe. If you can't make them, they will go somewhere else.

"I can't make you believe wrestling is real, but I can make you believe that I am." - Johnny Valentine

This point was hammered home to me upon reading something Dave Meltzer wrote -

"I was in a discussion yesterday with the head of a major promotion talking about how that every major company (UFC, WWE and TNA) that has embarked on usage of twitter and Facebook has ended up having their key business metrics (ratings, PPVs) decline, while the former two bring in literally millions of fans. There is a reason why. Stars killing their aura as stars. They get people to talk about them, but they also make people less want to pay to see them because they come across like they aren't stars. Not saying some people don't come across as stars or it's a negative, but the ones that do are the minority."

Although Dave's quote was written in a different context than this blog, I still feel it applies. With that in mind, a few personal bits of advice for professional wrestlers on Twitter...

- Separate business and personal completely. If you are posting under "Wrestling Name", it should only be things that persona would post. Promos, videos, upcoming shows, etc. Nothing you wouldn't say on a microphone or to a fan at an event. Nothing too "inside". If you are posting under "Real Name", keep it completely void of fans and only accept those who know you personally. Which should be two different categories, but that's a rant for another time. Some choose to have a personal profile and a "fan page" devoted to their wrestling. Good call.

- Remember it is beneficial to create an "aura" around yourself. If you spend six days a week in the gym to look like a superstar, then get onto Facebook to complain about the fact you have to do a double shift at Arby's tomorrow, you've just undone all of your own hard work to present yourself in a certain light.

- Treat your public wrestling updates seriously. Don't LOL at the guy you're in a blood feud with and keep it in line with how your character is presented at the actual shows. If not, you undermine and belittle your own character, and make it infinitely more impossible for people to buy into you.

- Don't post that you hated your match, didn't enjoy it, blew spots, etc. If you don't even enjoy your own work, how in the world are you supposed to convince fans to?

- Remember you are a brand and commodity. It is up to you to sell you. No one will do it better than you can. Perception is reality. And you are, even if on a very small level, a public figure. Work to sell that image. Use FB and Twitter as a glorified advertisement to showcase why fans should pay to see you and why promoters should pay to hire you.

With these few mindsets, we can turn social networking from a counter-productive peek behind the curtain into an easy and widespread enhancement for the business as a whole.

Joe Dombrowski
iwcmc_dombrowski@yahoo.com
www.Facebook.com/joedombrowskiwrestling
Twitter: @joe_dombrowski

The Axeman Speaks 10-12-11

2011-10-10T19:52:00.000-07:00

The Axeman Speaks 10-9-2011

2011-10-08T18:24:00.000-07:00

The Axeman Speaks 8-15-11

2011-08-15T17:42:00.000-07:00

The Axeman Speaks 7-12-2011

2011-07-04T16:10:00.001-07:00

The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Wrestling News Center, 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, that’s OK. Either way, you're gonna read this, and that's what is important.

Greetings, wrestleholics! Surprise! Two columns in two weeks! Betcha didn't expect that! I have some stuff on my mind, plus I will answer a couple of emails in this column, so here we go....

Randy Orton via Twitter: "If Arn Anderson isn't in the HOF next year I'll go on strike. Well maybe not go on strike, but damn it, he's earned it. Anyone else agree? He has tutored me thru out my career and speaking of the punt, his idea 100%."

Randy Orton says Arn Anderson belongs in the WWE Hall of Fame. Apparently, a number of other WWE stars feel the same way. So, does Arn really belong in the HOF? I say yes. Arn Anderson had a long and successful wrestling career. I best remember him as a member of the Four Horsemen, where he spent a large part of his career making Ric Flair look good. That was the whole purpose of the Horsemen, to keep Flair in the spotlight, much the same way the NWO was designed to keep Hogan in the spotlight. Anderson did his job, and did it well, for years. However, Anderson accomplished more than that. He held numerous titles:

In Jim Crockett Promotions/World Championship Wrestling, he held the NWA National Tag Team Championship 1 time, with Ole Anderson; The NWA Mid-Atlantic/WCW World Tag Team Championship 5 times, twice with Tully Blanchard, once with Larry Zbyszko, once with Bobby Eaton, and once with Paul Roma; and the WCW World Television Championship 4 times.

In Southeastern Championship Wrestling he held the NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship 3 times with with Jerry Stubbs and once with Pat Rose.

In the World Wrestling Federation he held the WWF Tag Team Championship once, with Tully Blanchard.

Arn Anderson had a successful career entertaining wrestling fans for many years. He continues to work behind the scenes with WWE to this day. Does he belong in the HOF? ABSOLUTELY. Will he ever be in the HOF? Who knows - it's WWE, after all. But he does belong there.

I'll tell you someone else who belongs in the Hall of Fame, and that is JJ Dillon, one of the greatest managers of all time.

On to other things....

Posted recently on the message board: "Why does Axeman bring all this up again in his column? Seems to me it is very unnecessary!" Well, it seems that someone did not like my comments about Izzy Rotten in the last column. I brought it up because it needed to be said. Period. I ain't sorry for saying it!

Also posted on the message board: "And why does Axeman post that very same picture of Lilian Garcia on WNC every 4th of July?!" Well, in case you have not noticed, Lilian Garcia is a very attractive woman. I like that picture of her in a bikini in front of the American flag. I like it a lot. That's why I post it. I like it. I like looking at it. And that's all the reason I need!

OK, to another subject:

Over the last few years, numerous things have been said on the internet about Gary "Lord Humongous" Nation, most of them negative. I have always given him the benefit of the doubt. I have kept quiet about Hugo, but I will not remain silent any longer.

EPW has booked Gary four times. He showed up and worked the first time, no problems. The last three times he was booked, he did not show. The first time he said his mother died. I certainly understand his not coming to Booneville if that was the case, and everyone else at EPW understood also - again, no problem. However, the next time he was booked, he did not show up. I don't know what, if any, excuse he gave then. This past Saturday night he was once again booked in Booneville and did not show. I don't know and I don't care what excuse he has, if any. He has way too many excuses.

Now, why EPW would book him again after the first no-show is beyond me. But the fact is that Gary got a second chance, then a third chance, and blew them both. I am certain EPW is done with him. There is no excuse for accepting a booking and then simply not showing up. No call, no text message, nothing - just did not show up. He has done the same thing at other shows around the area as well in the past.

As far as pro wrestling goes, Lord Humongous is, in my opinion, an unprofessional individual who no-shows wrestling events he is booked on more often than he shows up. He is another of the individuals I alluded to in my last column who give pro wrestling a bad name. Let this be a warning to all wrestling organizations everywhere, if you book this guy, you do so at your own risk. More than likely, he will no-show your event also.

Now to answer a couple of emails:

Paul Potts emailed me a few days ago and asked me who the 10 greatest wrestling managers of all time are. Paul, you asked me this same question a couple of years ago, didn't you? I don't know who the 10 greatest of all time are. But I will give you a few names who I think are truly great managers: Gary Hart, JJ Dillon, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Paul Ellering, Jimmy Hart, Bronco Lubich, Paul Bearer/Percy Pringle, Lou Albano, Ernie Roth, Jim Cornette, Sherri Martel, Bobby Davis. Unfortunately, the era of managers in pro wrestling, a least in the big organizations, is over.

Russell Lee asks: "Why didn't Tasha Simone come to TFW with Motely Cruz?" Well, Motely & Tasha split up a while back. She went her way and he went his way. I do not know what happened and don't care. It's not my business.

Lastly, I have been told that Kenny Valiant was upset at my remarks in my last column. Well, Kenny, if you have anything to say, send it to me. I will post it. But you know I was right.

That's all for now. I have a lot more on my mind, but I am out of time again. If you have any feedback, send it to axemanchopchop@yahoo.com. All feedback, positive or negative, is welcome.

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks 7-1-11

2011-06-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

The Axeman Speaks 4/11/11 - Goodbye Elite Wrestling!

2011-04-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

The Axeman Speaks 3-19-11

2011-03-19T12:32:00.000-07:00

The Axeman Speaks 1-29-11

2011-01-29T15:17:00.000-08:00

The Axeman Speaks 1-9-10

2011-01-09T16:34:00.000-08:00

The Axeman Speaks, 12-6-10

2010-12-06T15:27:00.000-08:00

The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Wrestling News Center, 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, that’s OK. Either way, you're gonna read this, and that's what is important.

Greetings, wrestling addicts! It's only been - well, let's see - a year or so since I last updated this column. Don't die of shock! LOL....

I have several things I want to talk about in this column, including answering a few emails.

Let's start with Chris Lexxus. Why, you might be thinking, do I even want to mention Chris Lexxus? Well, it seems that Chris is upset that he was not nominated for anything this year at the 2010 Wrestling News Center awards. Chris seems to think we at WNC are the ones doing the nominating. Well, that's not how it works. The fans, the ones who read WNC, they are the ones who sent in the nominations. So, if Chris Lexxus has a problem with it, perhaps he should get his fans to nominate him - or perhaps he just needs some fans....

I can't stand what's happening in TNA. What we are seeing in TNA is NWO with a TNA twist. Been there, seen that. The knockouts division, as we knew it, is history. Oh, there are some "knockouts" in TNA, but the division is nothing like it was. They gave Roxxi the shaft in a major way. I doubt she will ever be back. Kong is gone. ODB is gone. If it wasn't for Tara & Mickie James, the division would not even be worth watching. The X-Division is not what it once was, either. I was, at one time, a big TNA fan, but I am not much of a fan now.

Speaking of the TNA knockouts, there is one less knockout, as of a few weeks ago. Lacey Von Erich was released, reportedly at her request. Now, as much as I like looking at Lacey, her wrestling ability is next to non-existent. She did the right thing in getting out. I wish her well.

TNA has other issues to deal with, also. Jeff hardy was reported to have been in bad shape Sunday at the TNA pay per view event. His condition was said to have been "another You Tube video ready to happen." The following was posted on the net Sunday: "TNA had a decision to make this afternoon. Either send Jeff out to the ring, knowing the example it sets, or send him home and do damage control," a key TNA insider told us, "they are keeping him because that's the damage control they came up with." Today, the following was posted on several sites on the net: "According to a new report by PWInsider, the situation involving TNA Champion Jeff Hardy at last night's Final Resolution PPV was described by one TNA source as a 'false alarm.' It was determined that Hardy's behavior backstage that originally alarmed some was simply due to exhaustion. He was given the go ahead to work the PPV after a discussion with TNA officials. Hardy is expected to work both Impact TV tapings tonight and Tuesday." Now, was that statement the "damage control" referred to earlier, or was it simply "exhaustion?" I think it was damage control....

Now, to answer a few emails:

Nate, from Bolivar, TN wrote: "You have 2 B kidding! The nominees for best female wrestler of 2010 are Tasha Simone, Black Widow, Destiny, & Million Dollar Baby?! What have any of these done or accomplished? What about Su Yung? Veronica Fairchild? Misty James? Rock C? You guys really blew it!" Well, Nate, like I said previously, the nominees were sent in by WNC readers. Did you nominate any of the ladies you mentioned? Also, not taking anything away from any of the nominees, but as far as accomplishments go, how many of the nominees, or any of the ladies you mentioned, for that matter, held the NWA Women's Championship in 2010? Just one, Tasha Simone. She has been in wrestling for many years and has accomplished more than all the other names put together. So, Nate, before you start bashing people, do your homework. Next year, if you want someone nominated, YOU send it in.

Wendi, from Arkansas, asks: "Why are there not any managers in WWE & TNA? I go to wrestling in Tuckerman and all over this area, and I see managers all the time, but not in the big organizations." Well, there are a FEW in both organizations from time to time. Ric Flair is playing such a role in TNA right now, and Paul Bearer (Percy Pringle) is back in WWE for a time. But you are, for the most part, correct. I think it is a shame that managers are not used more. A good heel manager can put a lot of butts in a lot of seats. Frankly, I just think WWE does not want to pay them. They stopped using managers a long time ago, and I think, when it comes right down to it, that it is all about saving a little money.

Stan, from Cape Girardeau, MO, asks: "Why are there not more wrestling shows around here? I have to go to Dyersburg or Newbern in Tennessee to see an indy show." That's quite a drive you're making, Stan. There are not many shows in Missouri because the Athletic Commission up there makes it just about impossible for any indy group to put on a show. So many fees, rules, and restrictions come into play that nobody can afford to run. About the only group who comes to Missouri now is WWE. They can afford it.

Sharon, from Fulton, MS, writes: "Axeman, how come you quit announcing at TFW? And how come you dont go around to other shows in the area and do write ups like you done before?" I have not quit at TFW, just taking some time off due to work schedules and other conflicts. I will be back at TFW as long as they want me to announce, but probably not every week. As far as other shows are concerned, I occasionally go to a different show and do a write up, but I am very much enjoying announcing at EPW every Saturday night. There is never a dull moment there!

OK, on to another topic, Hollywood Jimmy Blaylock. Hollywood had car trouble recently had to have his SUV towed into a gas station. He told the mechanic, "It just died. After the guy worked on it for a few minutes, it was running smoothly. Hollywood asked, "What's the story?" The mechanic said, "Just crap in the fuel filter." Hollywood asked, "How often should I do that?"

That's all for this week, my friends! If you have any feedback, send it to axemanchopchop@yahoo.com.

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks 1-7-10

2010-01-07T16:28:00.000-08:00

January 7, 2010

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, that’s OK. The fact is, you are reading this column, and that's what counts!

Greetings wrestling fans! This may come as a shock to many of you - brace yourself - it has been less than a month since I last updated this column, lol. Try not to become overcome by the shock....

Much has een written the last several days about TNA Impact vs. WWE RAW. I would like to give my thoughts about Monday night, so here we go.

We'll start with RAW:

First of all, It was good to see Bret Hart back. I have always been a big fan of Hart, and I never thought I would see him in a WWE ring or on a WWE show again. Getting to see him and Vinny Mac face each other all these years after what happened in Montreal was almost unreal. The Hart - McMahon face off went like everyone figured it would go. No surprises there. So welcome back, Bret.

Maryse is gorgeous! I am crazy about her. She is a great lady heel wrestler. The Bella twins seemed a little slow or sluggish or something, but the way Maryse out foxed them was good.

The Miz is a brash, arrogant, snobbish, conceited, mouth-running ass hole - but he is a very good brash, arrogant, snobbish, conceited, mouth-running ass hole, and I guess that's why he is enjoying his success in WWE right now. He's someone we all love to hate.

Why does WWE continue to put MVP, Mark Henry, Carlito and Jack Swagger in a match working each other over and over and over again? It's getting old, Vince....

I admit Hornswoggle is sort of funny, but he also gets on my nerves pretty fast.

Legacy standing up to Randy Orton - now that's something I didn't think WWE would do - yet. The Orton & Vince segment was just a Royal Rumble commercial. Could've done without that.

Sheamus Vs. Bourne was a decent match, albeit a short match. Sheamus is talented. Look for big things from him in the future. He will be around a long time if he can stay healthy.

Another Orton Vs. Kingston match. It was not a bad match, but can't WWE come up with something else? Is anyone else tired of seeing the same matches week after week?

So - what is my over all opinion of the Jan. 4 edition of RAW? On a scale of
1 to 10, I would give it a 5. Week after week of the same guys working the same guys is just plain boring. All the show had going for it was Bret Hart. Oh, and Maryse, of course.

Is that all WWE has to offer? Is that the best they've got? Is Vince so not-worried about TNA that he just answered their challenge with a bunch of repeat matches that were about half boring? It seems to me that he would have brought in the best of the best from Smackdown, ECW, & RAW and put on a much stronger show. Or, is that the best they can do?

OK, let's take a look at TNA Impact....

The nWo rides again! Scott Hall, Waltman and Nash in the ring with Hogan and Bischoff brought back a lot of memories. But Hogan and TNA would do well to remember that, while it was a good angle for WCW in the beginning, it did eventually get stale and lost its appeal. When it got old, WCW had nowhere to go with it - they had painted themselves into a corner, so to speak - and that led to the eventual downfall of WCW. Now, after all this time, those guys are older. The nWo is an idea that has come and gone. TNA would do well to come up with something fresh instead of doing the nWo stuff again. OK, with that said, let's talk about the rest of the show....

TNA needed to pull out all the stops on the entire show, but they started off with a crappy opening match. Jeff Hardy was all that saved this train wreck. TNA did not start off strong.

Then we see ODB Vs. Tara. Again. A repeat of a match that we have seen before. So TNA pulls a WWE and shoves it at us again. Not smart.

Ric Flair's participation in the show was a pleasant surprise. Sure, we've been hearing and reading all the hype about Flair coming to TNA for weeks. However, I figured that it would be later rather than sooner when he got involved - if at all. I guess this proves that Hogan can deliver - at least he did manage to get Flair on board - or did he? I read where Mick Foley is taking credit for convincing Flair to join TNA - but I guess it does not really matter, because Flair did get on board. I don't care what anyone says, Flair is still one of the hottest commodities in professional wrestling today. Can't believe Vince let him get away. Flair's presence in TNA will come back to bite Vince on the ass - big time.

Mick Foley trying to get into the event was really kind of dumb. They are obviously building to some sort of angle. It might be interesting to see how it all plays out -then again, maybe not. We'll see.

Val Venis and Beautiful People playing strip poker... typically Russo all the way! He obviously wrote one segment anyway.

Sting in the house. In the rafters somewhere. What's the point? If you're gonna bring him in, use him in a more productive way!

Sags and Knobs? I didn't really think that they would actually be brought back - at least not right away. Sags is sagging and Knobs is knobby lol. Both these guys are high mileage. Their upcoming feud with Team 3-D will probably be good, but I think it will be short-lived. Sags & Knobs are over the hill - but again, so is Team 3-D.

TNA showed, in a grand style, a major difference between TNA and WWE with the Knockouts Tag Team Championship Match. Kong is so... so... BIG & powerful, and Hamada is as rough as they come. They are not eye candy... not Diva's. TNA really drove that point home with that match. As D-Rock would say, "good call!"

Raven and Stevie Richards are back. Ho hum... yawn. Matt Morgan & Hernandez did a good job, however, so it was a decent match. I have never been impressed with Raven or Stevie Richards. I am still unimpressed.

Abyss Vs. Samoa Joe: Great match between these two big guys. Joe won the match, but both of them did a great job. Also showcased the tremendous talent and potential that TNA has.

Kurt Angle Vs. AJ Styles: To say it was an outstanding match would be the understatement of the month. Nobody in WWE, Ring of Honor, Chikara, or any other organization could have done it better. These two extremely talented guys put on a phenominal match, with some of the best in ring work I have seen in a very long time.
On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give that match about a 12.

The segments where TNA originals are being laid out backstage by an unknown attacker wreaked of nWo. Again, TNA must be careful not to overdo the nWo type angle. We've been there & seen that.

So... Did TNA or WWE win round one?

If you are talking about ratings, WWE won the ratings battle, largely because of Bret Hart. However, TNA had the best over all show, no doubt about it. It was a surprise that WWE did not put on a better show, but maybe that's all they've got.

So, the battle will no doubt go to round two. It will be interesting to see if Vince offers up anything better next time TNA comes calling. Has TNA got your attention yet, Vince?

The Axeman Speaks 12-28-09

2009-12-28T15:29:00.000-08:00

Greetings, fellow wrestling addicts! It has ben a while since my last update... so what else is new - LOL - so here we go....

I just have one main thing to talk about in this column, and that is wrestling organizations that advertise a particular wrestler for a particular event and then fail to deliver.

Now, I know that there are a few rare occasions when a worker who is booked for a show cannot make it to that show due to circumstances beyond anyone's control. These occasions happen, but rarely.

When a worker is advertised for a particular show and fails to appear, it is all too often because that worker was never booked in the first place.

Northeast Mississippi Championship Wrestling Association had said Bill Dundee would be at a recent wrestling event in Rienzi, MS. However, Dundee did not appear. In a post on the message board, the owner said, "you are right dundee was not there last saturday i know someone made a phone call and stop dundee from coming but that is ok we at notheast mississippi championship wrestling assn. are not going to get out here a talking about other show or make phone calls to other worker stop them from coming to a show dundee was not there but we had a good time a good show...."

OK, it was not hard to find out what happened here. One phone call, one question, & one answer was all it took.

FACT: Bill Dundee was never booked by NMCWA. NMCWA had talked to Dundee, but nothing was ever finalized or a date confirmed by NMCWA.

FACT: Dundee WAS booked at ASWF in Tuckerman, AR, that night, and he was there.

FACT: As far as I can determine, nobody called Dundee and told him not to come to Rienzi.

FACT: NMCWA said Dundee would be there, but failed to deliver. Now, in my opinion, that's bad business.

If a wrestling organization, or any other business for that matter, wants to damage it's reputation beyond repair, false advertising is one sure way to do it. It is crap like this that hurts wrestling, not just one particular organization, but wrestling as a whole.

Now on to a couple of other tidbits:

TFW will be in action New Years night, 1-1-10, at the TFW Arena in Tupelo (Skyline) on Hwy. 178. The card will include: "Bad Attitude" Tony Dabbs vs. "Southern Thunder" Chris Kilgore vs. Neil "The Real Deal" Taylor for the TFW Championship, which is currently held by Taylor. Bell time is 8:00 p.m. Should be a good show.

EPW will return to action Saturday night, January 2, 2010, at the EPW Arena on Hwy. 145 in Booneville. Bell time is 8:00 p.m. The card will include an Extreme Championship match (HARDCORE!), a LADIES DOG COLLAR MATCH, and a LUMBERJACK MATCH, among other stuff. Should also be a good show.

That's all for now. I hope everyone had a great Christmas, and I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very happy New Year. Please be safe!

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks 9-26-09

2009-09-22T19:50:00.000-07:00

The Axeman Speaks 7-25-09

2009-07-25T14:05:00.002-07:00

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

2009-07-22T09:44:00.000-07:00

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.

******************************************************************************

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

2009-07-12T19:22:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-08T20:39:00.000-07:00

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.

The Axeman Speaks 6-21-09

2009-06-21T14:22:00.000-07:00

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 fans!

Can anyone identify the wrestler in the above photo? I have been contacted by an individual in another state wanting to know if I know who it is. I must admit I have not a clue. Any guesses? If anyone knows, leave a comment at the end of this post, or email me at axemanchopchop@yahoo.com.

I was a little surprised to read that Rhaka Kahn & Jacqueline are back in TNA. It was widely reported several months ago that TNA had released them both. Now they turn up on TNA house show cards. So... Either they were not released, or TNA did release them and then quietly brought them back. Either way they are on the road with TNA as I write this column. Unfortunately, I doubt that either of them will contribute significantly to the Knockouts Division in TNA. There is one former knockout who, if brought back, could contribute and give the Knockouts Division a real boost, and that individual is Roxxi. Roxxi can work circles around half the so called wrestlers in the Knockouts Division. Why she was given the boot in the first place is beyond me. Bring her back!

TNA continues to produce a better product than WWE, but Vince & company seem to be working hard to make much needed changes and improvements. Will it make a difference? We'll see.

OK, enough about TNA, let's talk about WWE.... I was quite amused at just how many people bought into the "Donald Trump buys RAW" angle. Several main stream media organizations jumped all over the story, only to have to do damage control a little later by retracting the stories. This will give RAW a big ratings boost, no doubt, and it will be fun to watch - for a while. Angles such as these tend to get real old real fast. I hope WWE does not keep it going and going and going long after the fans have grown tired of it. I wonder how much Donald is charging Vince for all of this?

I watched the YouTube video posted by Billy Russ of Psycho's fall at a recent show. In fact, I watched it several times. I am amazed that he was not killed or paralyzed when he fell. Now, I have seen Psycho take some bad bumps. That one, however, could have killed or badly injured anyone. Psycho, I don't know what, if any religious beliefs you have, but even if you had none before that fall, you ought to have some now. I hope you realize and understand just how fortunate you are to still be here.

Now, to change directions again... There are rumors going around and reports being posted on the message board about EPW. So, here's the deal: YES, EPW will be going on TV in a couple of weeks. No, it will not be on a local or community access channel. Yes, EPW will have a weekly broadcast on the MyMississippi TV network. I will have more information and details to release in a few days, so watch wrestlingnewscenter.com for updates. EPW's first television taping will be this Saturday night, 6-27-09, at the EPW arena in Booneville. Between now and then some changes and improvements will be taking place at the EPW arena in preparation for TV. Come check it out this Saturday night!

Now let the haters and naysayers begin spewing their venom. There will be several who are jealous of EPW's success. To those people I say this: Learn to live with it! I have been telling you for months that EPW would be successful. They have good shows week after week, and the upcoming cage match this Saturday night between JR Mauler and Buzz Harley - loser of the match retires from wrestling - will be no exception. What better way to begin on TV than with a great card, including a cage match!

On to other things.... I laughed out loud at a couple of emails I received last week. It seems that some of you saw the article that appeared in the Daily Journal last Sunday about a serial killer a long time ago in New Orleans who was called "The Axeman." Well here's a news flash for ya - I ain't that guy! I may be old, but I ain't that old! I would never have seen that article if I had not received those emails and seen the posts on the message board. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Interesting read.

That's all for this time, wrestling fans! 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, thanks for reading.

The Axeman has spoken!

The Axeman Speaks 5-30-09

2009-05-30T12:18:00.000-07:00

The photo above is my grandson, Isaak, who I am SO proud of!

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 fans!

I read today about the passing of a wrestling legend, "The Golden Greek" John Tolos. I remember John Tolos from watching him as a child on TV in Dallas, in some memorable matches filmed in Dallas and Ft. Worth, as well as from his time in WWF. I remember one match in partiucular from his time in Texas, when he took on Angelo Mosca, in what turned into a brawl. Thanks for the memories, John Tolos.

I also read today about WWE releasing Ken Kennedy. To some, I am sure this comes as a surprise. I was not surprised, and, quite frankly, I don't feel it was a great loss, either. I think he was a major liability to WWE. Why, you may ask. The answer is simply because he was an injury waiting to happen and a screw up.

Think about this, which I read in a post at Mid-Southern Wrestling Message Board:

2006: Shortly after his arrival, Kennedy injured his shoulder and was out for a long time.

I think it was in 2007 Kennedy won Money In The Bank. He had arrived. He was in the spotlight. He had it all going his way. He was getting that big push. He was to be in a main event at Wrestlemania. So what does he do? He gets hurt and Edge gets the push instead.

Later on Kennedy plays the part of the illegitimate son of Vince McMahon, once again in the spotlight in WWE, but he screwed up and flunked a drug test.

Last year Kennedy got yet another opportunity. What did he do? He injured his shoulder again and was out for months.

That brings us to Monday Night on RAW. Kennedy had his return match after being out for about 10 months. He had yet another opportunity to get something going in WWE. Then Kennedy, in typical Kennedy style, injured his wrist after taking the RKO from Orton. What pissed WWE officials off even more, according to an article by Ryan Clark at WrestlingInc.com, is a botched spot by Kennedy during the match which almost injured Orton's shoulder again.

Now we read that Kennedy has been released by WWE. Frankly, I would have released him a lot sooner than that.

So, what does the future hold for Ken Kennedy? Well, in my opinion, he needs to stay out of wrestling. He does have some wrestling talent, no doubt about it. WWE would never have even looked at him in the first place, and would not have given him chance after chance, if he did not. But the fact is, either his body is not made for wrestling, or he is careless in the ring, because he is injured too easily and too often. He does have some very good mic skills, and frankly I think he could parlay that into a successful career somewhere running his mouth. However, he will probably end up on the indy circuit somewhere, maybe in ROH, or perhaps in TNA, where he will be the latest WWE reject to make money for TNA, IF he can stay healthy. I wish him luck.

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks 5-17-09

2009-05-17T19:39:00.000-07:00

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, friends. I am sure many of you read my short post on Wrestling News Center last week about the passing of lady wrestler Princess Jasmine (real name Cynthia Peretti). Jasmine passed away week before last after a long fight with cancer.

I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with Jasmine twice, once at a show in Alabama and again a couple of years later at a show in Biloxi. We became friends for a while, although we eventually lost touch with each other. She was one heck of a worker and a very nice lady.

Jasmine was trained by ‘Prince’ Calvin Pullins and Dick the Bruiser. She began her wrestling career in 1968, giving up a career in nursing to become a wrestler, and wrestled into the 1980s. For a while she was a trainer for the old G.L.O.W. organization. Her career took her around the world, including Canada, Japan, The Philippines, Africa, and a host of other places. She was honored by the Cauliflower Alley Club this year for her contribution to pro wrestling.

Slam! Wrestling published a very nice article about Princess Jasmine back in January, which is worth the read. You can read it at this URL: http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2009/01/06/7937111.html

Thanks for the memories, encouragement, & friendship, PJ. Rest in Peace. You've earned it.

The Axeman Speaks 5-6-09

2009-05-06T12:21:00.000-07:00

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.... I am sure BT will not agree with this!

OK, boys & girls, this column will be short and to the point.

I just finished reading BT's comments about Mississippi wrestling, and in particular, the recent DARE benefit show in Thrasher, MS. I have this to say in response:

Several weeks ago BT asked me to help him arrange to come to an EPW show to sell his Yearbook 2008. I contacted the EPW Promoter, Edith Poole, and it was arranged for BT to come to EPW and sell the book at the D.A.R.E. benefit show in Thrasher, anmd at EPW the following night. I do not know how many books BT sold at the Thrasher show. He must not have sold many, however, because BT seems real pissed.

BT had this to say: "My last visit to Mississippi had me coming back posting about psychology and how wrestling in Mississippi is worse than wrestling in Tennessee. I will go on record right here and say, wrestling in Tennessee and Arkansas is 10 TIMES BETTER!!! “Hollywood” Jimmy on his radio appearance on “Shooting the Shiznit” stated he felt wrestling in Mississippi was just as good. I think maybe Jimmy was having to babyface, because after one show I have to say “Horseshit” and totally disagree with that point. I am not sure what it is – it really doesn’t matter what MS promotion it is – there are only small set of guys in the whole state that know how to work."

If BT does not like wrestling in Mississippi, he should stay in Missouri; or, if he likes wrestling in Tennessee or Arkansas better, then by all means he should go to those shows. Since BT hates wrestling in Mississippi so much, he should NOT COME BACK. Period.

Now, I will say that I was not at the Thrasher show. I did not see any of it. I have heard, however, many positive comments about the show. In fact, BT's comments were the only negative comments I have come across about the Thrasher show. The crowd was entertained and a lot of money was raised for D.A.R.E. What's wrong with that? BT seems to conveniently overlook those facts.

BT is entitled to his opinions. He has the right to post them. But I have the right to take exception to his remarks. There is some good wrestling in Mississippi. Is there room for improvement? You bet. Just like there is room for improvement in Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, and for darn sure Missouri, where wrestling shows seem to be rare occurrances.

BT ends his comments by saying, "I was supposed to be at the EPW show on Saturday night, but with wrestling being so bad and the kids encouraging me to go to a mall, I opted out to head back to Missouri." By all means, he should go to a mall - ANY mall - or anywhere else for that matter - a rodeo, a movie, an all you can eat buffet, a massage parlor - to be entertained - since he thinks wrestling is so bad down here. Or better yet, maybe he should come down here, open up a promotion, and show us how it should be done. In other words, maybe BT should put up or shut up. At least there are people around here trying, week after week, to entertain the crowds and put on good shows in Mississippi. Do we always get it right? Nope. But neither does BT.

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks January 25, 2009

2009-01-25T20:10:00.000-08:00

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

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! Lots going on in the wild and wacky world of wrestling, so let's get right to it....

Lots of folks got the axe in WWE in recent days! Most of these cuts were predictable. Most of those cut were dead weight. A few cuts, however, surprised me, such as Sgt. Slaughter, who was a long time WWF/WWE veteran, who in recent years has been an agent for WWE. He was a loyal WWE employee for many, many years, and I don't see why he was let go. Loyalty is a two way street, and WWE showed no loyalty in axing him.

Ron Simmons was let go by WWE, and I can truthfully say I saw this one coming a long time ago. All he contributed was a weekly, "DAMN!" I wonder how much they were paying him to do that? I admit, he was good at it, but he shouldn't have been there in the first place.

Vince's limo drivers were also fired by WWE. I refuse to believe that Vince is going to actually stoop so low as to drive himself. I have heard that Vince has put them on his personal payroll, but can't say for sure.

There are a few who are still on the payroll that should have been cut, such as Goldust. Now, what has he contributed lately? Aside from several commercials for DVDs, not much. Then there's Jillian, who I could definitely live without. What has she really done? There's William Regal, who makes an occasional appearance on RAW, but who really does not do much to add anything to the show, in my humble opinion.

The Smackdown roster is loaded with "talents" who contribute little, such as Vickie Guerrero, Great Khali, Rajin Singh, Kennedy, Maria, Jesse, Festus, MVP, & DH Smith. Why pay these people to do... well... nothing constructive!

ECW also has a few on the roster who don't seem to be doing a whole lot except taking up space, such as Tony Atlas, Boogeyman, Chavo, Hornswoggle, Katie Lea Burchill, Matt Striker, Theodore Long, & Tiffany (although she is nice to look at). What are they contributing to WWE/ECW? Not much.

Cut some more, Vince! Then fill the spots with workers who will add something to the show!

OK, to change directions, there has been much speculation as to the future of TFW. I am happy to say that TFW will be back. They are now one step closer to having a building to run in, and they WILL BE BACK. Be patient, TFW fans, be patient. That's all I can say at this time. More news later. EPW has been having some great shows. Pure Destruction, The Asylum, PHAT Foundation, Sons of the South, Pain Inc., Bonecrusher, Soul Taker, 24/7, now that's a talent roster that any organization would love to have! If you have not checked out an EPW show, you should come on out. You will be glad you did.

I cannot type this column without mentioning Dustin Starr's comments in his blog several of weeks ago. Dustin indicated that he wishes I would die in an explosion. Well, I would expect nothing less from him. Dustin also said, "But now it’s time to make a personal attack on The Axeman family - why do you keep posting ugly children all over your column? Err… that’s not the family you always talk about visiting is it?" Dustin really did not have any good way to defend his previous comments, so he decided to attack my grandsons. Real cute. Real professional. This proves what I have said all along. Dustin then says it's all in fun. Obviously, attacking kids who are one & two years old is fun to Dustin. How sad. With that said, I will not have anything more to say about Dustin Starr now or in the future in this column.

On to a different subject!

Hollywood Jimmy Blaylock and his wife were sitting at a table at his high school reunion last year, and he kept staring at a drunken lady swigging her drink as she sat alone at a nearby table. His wife asked, "Do you know her?" "Yes," Hollywood sighed, "She's my old girlfriend. I understand she took to drinking right after we split up those many years ago, and I hear she hasn't been sober since." "My God!" said Hollywood's wife, "Who'd believe a person could go on celebrating that long?"

LOL, that's all for this time, America! If you have and feedback or comments or whatever, you can email me. Whether you love me or hate me, thanks for reading.

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks - December 30, 2008

2008-12-30T18:57:00.000-08:00

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, friends. I have just returned from a week's vacation, spending time with my daughters and my grandson in St. Louis. Shortly after I returned home, I received a phone call from one of the fans at TFW. He told me to check out Dustin Starr's blog and read his comments about TFW. Now, I have deliberately avoided Dustin's blog, and all things related to Dustin Starr, for a long time. The reason I have paid little or no attention to Dustin is that he is a first class, egotistical, little jerk, who thinks he is God's gift to the wrestling world. But I did check out Dustin's comments about TFW. And now, my friends, I am both amused and pissed. So, before I continue, let me say that this column will be solely to respond to Dustin Starr's comments about TFW both on his blog and on the hollywoodjimmy.com message board. My comments here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the owners, management, workers, or anyone connected with TFW, but I think we all feel pretty much the same about Dustin Starr.

First, a little history about Dustin Starr and TFW. Dustin showed up at a TFW show last year. To the best of my knowledge, he was not booked on the show, he just showed up with Neil Taylor, and Neil got him on the card. He worked that night and the next week, then he was gone. After he had finished up his two weeks, he had some negative things to say about the organization, and the facilities at the TFW Arena. Apparently, things were not up to Dustin's standards, and the little twerp who thinks he is God's gift to the wrestling world expressed his opinion loudly and clearly.

OK, back to the current situation.

Dustin said in a post on his blog dated December 28, 2008: "First of all, to repeat what I said in the other post - the dressing room was actually an old broke-down school bus. The bus was parked behind the building. I’m not lying - I couldn’t make this stuff up. It gets better, I promise. Not only did they dress in a school bus… err… locker room (as they called it) but there was a huge gas tank in the middle of the isleway. This tank looked like a gas tank you’d see on a grill in your backyard (see photo). The only difference between the one in your backyard and this one was, well, this one was lit up… and had no grill attached to it. I’m not sure exactly how it worked… but they apparently turned the gas on, lit it up and used it for heat. How that tank didn’t explode, I’ll never know. What I do know is this - it was scary and I thought I might die of explosion in there."

Yes, the old building had no dressing room, so yes, the guys did get dressed in an old school bus out back, or in a small shed. Yes, the bus was heated in the winter with a propane heater, but it was not the fire hazard Dustin claims it was. This dangerous "fire hazard" Dustin speaks of was a propane heater. A tank top propane heater, to be exact. You can buy one at just about any hardware store, sporting goods store, home center, or outdoors shop. They have safety devices on them that turn them off if they get knocked over. They meet all safety requirements, as far as I know. It wouldn't have exploded. It's amusing to note that Dustin did not seem to mind the bus or the heater while he was there. He didn't seem to fear for his safety then. Only after he left did he have anything negative to say. Maybe Dustin should have done a little research on such heaters before making negative comments, or fearing that he "might die of explosion in there."

Dustin said on the post on his blog: "Anyway, I always thought that company would be shut down because that’s definitely a fire code violation. I’m one hundred percent sure that wouldn’t pass inspection and I said as much in the previous post. Now - SURPRISE, SURPRISE!! It might’ve taken a year but it finally happened."

Maybe Dustin should have done a little homework, you know, just to make sure he knew what he was talking about, because if Dustin had done some homework or at least made a phone call or two, he would have known that a few weeks ago TFW MOVED OUT OF THE BUILDING THAT DUSTIN WORKED IN. They moved out of the building that Dustin is still talking about. They moved to a much nicer and bigger building in Skyline, just outside the Tupelo City limits. Gone were the days of getting dressed in the bus. There was an adequate dressing room inside. The old bus was retired. In fact, all of the "hazards" that so stressed Mr. Starr no longer existed.

TFW rented space in a building that, as far as they knew, met all fire and building codes. It had proper HVAC, proper exits, proper lighting at all exits, decent restrooms with handicap access, etc. As I said in my recent post on wrestlingnewscenter.com, it was the other parts of the building, which TFW had no access to, no control over, and were vacant, that contained the code violations. So, the Fire Marshall closed the entire building, and TFW had to leave. Through no fault of theirs, TFW lost the use of the building.

So now Dustin Starr starts his crap all over again. Talking about the bus, the heater on the bus, and things that are in the PAST. Things that should never have been an issue in the first place. But that's Dustin, always trying to start something.

Dustin posted on his blog: "Couldn’t have happened to a nicer group of folks, either. (I hope you feel the sarcasm in that last sentence.)"

So, now Dustin has decided to make his comments about TFW personal. I did not think even Dustin Starr would stoop so low. Now he has decided to make his attack personal against the Blaylock family. That's his choice.

Not only is one of the TFW owners, Denise Blaylock, currently fighting to keep her wrestling organization going... she is also battling cancer and is currently taking chemotherapy, which has been very hard on her and made her very sick.

So throw your little darts at the Blaylock family, Dustin. Kick 'em while Denise is down. Just remember, boy, that for every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction. In other words, what you sow, you will one day reap.

Wayne & Denise Blaylock, as well as the TFW organization, will be back. When TFW does return, I can guarantee that I will do everything I can to help them. I have not always agreed with their business decisions. I have not always agreed with the way they run things. However, let me point out that I know of nobody who works for any organization who agrees with 100% of what goes on. What I do know is that while working as an announcer at TFW for several years I have had a blast. I would not trade one minute of it. I have had a good time. Through all the organization has gone through, good and bad, I have been happy to be a small part of the team. That's why I decided to put the TFW logo at the top of this column. I guess it's just my way of making a statement.

Oh, and happy New Year, Dustin.

Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks 12-01-08

2008-10-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of my grandson, Wes. It was taken while we were in St. Louis in June. He sure is growing!

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, once again, fellow wrestling addicts! I see you are here for another wrestling news & opinion fix, so I won't keep you waiting. Here we go....

I know it has been a long time since I last updated. To those who have emailed me asking why, thanks for the nice (and in some cases not so nice) comments. I'm glad to know you missed the column so much.

The recent TNA show in Corinth was a lot of fun. It was just a house show, no frills added, but it was a very enjoyable show. TNA is a much more fan-friendly group than WWE ever thought of being. To steal a phrase from a colleague of mine: Back stage passes given away throughout the show - good call. Autograph party for the fans after the show - good call. Velvet Sky & Angelina Love - good call. If you ever have a chance to see a TNA show live, go for it. You will not be disappointed.

Speaking of the TNA show, I ran into BJ Fuller while I was there. He proceeded to tell me that he is upset that I "dissed" him in a previous column. I am very disappointed that he feels I dissed him. I intended to out and out tell him what a crappy wrestler I think he is. I guess I didn't get that message across clear enough. BJ proceeded to inform me, in no uncertain terms, what a great wrestler he is. In fact, he told me, very loudly, that he is "the best wrestler in the state of Mississippi." Well, BJ, I told you then, and I tell you yet again, you could not wrestle your way out of a mud puddle... not even with help! So go ahead and be a legend in your own mind... and sit home where you belong.

EPW is having some great shows. The recent match with Gary Valiant & Ms. Boogie was a very entertaining match. Gary Valiant reminds me of Jimmy Valiant in his prime. And why shouldn't he? Jimmy trained him and trained him very well. I eagerly await the return of the Boogie Woogie Man Gary Valiant to EPW.

I read with some amusement the comments recently posted on the message board about The Mayor, Oscar Barlow. These people who are posting crap about Oscar are absolute idiots. He is one of the best announcers anywhere, and he has announced for many wrestling organizations in the mid-south. He is currently announcing some of the All Pro shows, and I understand he will be announcing the upcoming All Pro show in Batesville in a few days. So, before you bad mouth him, go to that show and listen to him announce. I don't think you will be so critical then. If Oscar wins the Wrestling News Center's award for Announcer of the Year, which he probably will, it's because he deserves it!

I also read the posts on the message board that are critical of RWA in Jonesboro, AR. A number of stars have left the promotion recently for various reasons, and the gloom & doomers out there are prophecying the demise of the organization. Well, workers come and workers go. That's what keeps a show from getting stagnant. That's what keeps the fans from losing interest.

There has been some speculation lately as to why the "Kamala Goes to School" project has not been released. I assure you, the entire DVD was shot recently. The individual doing the editing is the one holding the entire project up. What his problem is I do not know. I do, however, wish he would get off his butt and get it done!

TNA has signed well known indy female star Josie, aka Soujourner Bolt, to a contract. The newest TNA Knockout will be back on Impact in the near future. Congrats, Josie!

That's all for now. I am sure I will wait way too long to update again, lol.

If you have questions or any feedback, email me at axemanchopchop@yahoo.com. Whether you like me or hate me or just put up with me, thanks for reading this column.

I have another interview in the works, which I hope to have up in the near future, with Loose Cannon, so watch for that In the Spotlight update soon.

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks 10-2-08

2008-09-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

The photo above was taken back in July during out vacation in St. Louis. It's my grandson, Isaak, making a "joyful noise." I am so proud of him!

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, my friends. I know, it's been waaaay too long since my last column. I've been busy... real busy. To those of you who have emailed and called asking why I have not updated, thanks for asking. I will TRY to do better in the future (but no promises, lol!). I have a lot of stuff I want to talk about, but not a lot of time, so we'll get right to it....

There was a lot of out and out crap being said about Sammy Hall recently, nothing but mud slinging. Much of that has died down, but I thought I would pass along what is posted on the web site of the Mississippi State Athletic Commission:

BOARD MEMBERS:
Jon Lewis, Chairman
Jon Lewis was appointed Chairman of the Mississippi Athletic Commission in 2004 by Governor Haley Barbour. The Chairman serves as the Executive Director of the Commission. Throughout his career, he has been both a competitor in MMA and Toughman Contests, as well as a trainer, matchmaker and owner/instructor of Southern Judo & Jujitsu Academy and Byram Boxing Academy. Jon also holds a bachelor's degree in business from Mississippi College.

Eddie Payton
Eddie Payton was appointed as a board member by Governor Haley Barbour in 2006. He is the head golf coach for Jackson State University. Eddie played in the NFL for 5 years. He is the older brother of Walter Payton, NFL superstar.

Larry Torgerson
Larry Torgerson was appointed as a board member by Governor Haley Barbour in 2005. He is the General Manager for WOKK radio in Meridian, MS. He also attended the University of Mississippi where he played college football.

Staff Members:
Patrick Turner, Assistant Director - Patrick was hired in 2007 as an assistant to the Chairman. He previously served as a deputy commissioner since 2004. Patrick is also a graduate of William Carey College with a master's degree in business.

Deputy Commissioners:
Pat Buchanan
Jack Curtis
Buddy Cooper
Frank Cornacchione
Houston Dorr
Effrem Goodman
Sammy Hall
David Hodge
Bob Hutto
Karen Ingle
Warren Miguez
Ernie Wilson

OK, enough from the web site... look closely at the above list. Seventh name from the top is "Sammy Hall." So it is obvious that Sammy Hall is indeed a Deputy Commissioner. Like it or not.

There are a few less than informed individuals who have also been saying that the Mississippi State Athletic Commission is a work. There are a few who say that it has no power. Well, ask the folks that ran the show in Byhalia recently about the Commission. I hear tell they learned that the Commission is for real. Frankly, I think the Commission was very generous in letting them go ahead with their show, when they had not paid fees or turned in paperwork. But it was probably the right thing to do, for the sake of the fans who had bought tickets, to let the show go on, as long as those responsible paid the necessary fees and penalties, which I assume they did.

I notice that all the mud slinging towards EPW and Edith has stopped. Like I have been saying, EPW is a good organization that is putting on good shows week after week. An individual or maybe several individuals tried unsuccessfully to wreck her show and hurt Edith's and EPW's reputation last week, but it DIDN'T WORK!!! Yes, Rodney Mack cancelled because of the unprofessional and malicious actions of someone, but the show went on and it was a success, thanks to Don Bass & Jimmy Blaylock. It says a lot about them both for being willing to help and work the show on short notice.

Now, I don't know who it was who made the phone calls to Rodney Mack spreading all kinds of crap and lies. In my opinion, it was out and out slander. The individual(s) responsible will get caught, in due time. Sooner or later they will let it slip, or someone will rat them out, and then I am sure they will get what is coming to them.

Then there's Rodney Mack, who is one of the most unprofessional individuals I have ever come across in this business. He heard something bad, obviously, about EPW, which was not true. Did he call Edith and confront her about what was said? No. He didn't call to cancel, didn't call to discuss the situation... nothing. He was just not going to show. That, my friends, reeks of unprofessionalism. Repeated calls to Rodney Mack from the promoter and the booker went unreturned. Unprofessional... that's all there is to it. If Rodney Mack's path and mine never cross again it's perfectly OK with me.

TFW has a great show lined up for tomorrow night at the TFW arena in Tupelo. A big six man cage match, plus there are girls on the card! A "Hood Street Cage Match" will feature Moe Foundation (Curly Moe, G-Moe Money, & J Kid) w/Dirty Rell Moe vs. Sons of the South (Josh Matthews & Chris Styles) & "Southern Thunder" Chris Kilgore w/Bad Boy Burns. Moe Foundation will start with two men in the cage, having won the advantage in the match this past Friday night. Sons of the South will start the match with only one man in the ring. One person will enter the cage every three minutes until all six are in the cage. Street Fight rules will be in effect (anything goes). The cage will not be locked. Security will be at the door to let anyone in or out. The match can take place in or out of the ring. However, it can only be won by pin fall INSIDE the ring. Also, a ladies match is on the card: Tasha Simone, the "Meanest Female in Wrestling" vs. West Virginia's "Rugged" Sarah Lynn. Admission is only $5.00. Bell time is 8:00 p.m.

Memphis Ladies Wrestling is bringing 12 of the best lady wrestlers in indy wrestling to Tupelo THIS Saturday night for an all ladies show. The show will be at the TFW Arena on North Eason Blvd. in Tupelo. Bell time is 7:30 p.m. On the card are: Tasha Simone, Su Yung, Little Jeanne, Brandi Wine, Sarah Lynn, Alere Little Feather, Josie, Hellena Heavenly, Sin D, Misty James, Rock-N-Roll Rock C, plus a surprise or two. When was the last time an all girl show came to North Mississippi? Don't miss this show! Check for more information at Wrestling News Center (www.wrestlingnewscenter.com).

EPW also has a show Saturday night in Booneville. Check it out! Admission is $5.00 at the door. Bell time is 8:00 p.m. The show is at the EPW Arena, located on Hwy 145 just nortn of Hwy. 4, in the old Dodds Garage building. You will see such stars as Bonecrusher, Soul Taker, Buzz harley, Kross, JR Mauler, Izzy Rotten, "Xtreme" Brett Michaels, Justin Rhodes, Chris Fontaine, "Dangerous" David Cox, "The Future" Chris Styles, Cassanova Kid, and more!

I've got a lot more stuff to talk about, but I am out of time. That's all for now. I will be back in two or three weeks, or maybe longer (who knows, lol), with another update. Whether you like me or hate me, thanks for reading this column. If you have feedback, my email address is axemanchopchop@yahoo.com.

Peace.

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks 8-31-08

2008-08-30T14:12:00.000-07:00

The photo above is of my grandson, Wes, at his first birthday party back in June. I am sooooooo proud of him!

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, my friends. It's been several weeks since my last column. I have a lot to talk about, but not a lot of time, so some of it will probably have to wait until next time.

We'll start with... EPW. The following post was made on Hollywood's message board recently:

"Are y'all retarded? The Booneville shows's seats were filled. I saw them bringing more chairs in. Obviously they know what they are doing."

At last! Someone with some intelligence posts something on the board that is true! EPW had a standing room only crowd last Saturday night (8/23). Everyone should be happy about that! That is the result of all the hard work and effort by Edith and her crew at EPW.

There are a few people, however, who simply can't stand it! Why are you so jealous? Maybe you should get up off your asses and DO SOMETHING instead of sitting there at your computer whining about someone else's success. Perhaps if you did something successful you would not have such low self esteem, and perhaps you would not feel the need to throw darts at people who have their act together.

Of course, there were a couple of problems at the show, but they were quickly taken care of. What were these individuals, especially Kage, doing there in the first place? If they were there to watch the show and sit in the crowd and behave themselves, that's perfectly OK. Apparently, however, that's not why they were there. Like I said, those problems were quickly dealt with. Both of those guys need to stay home from now on, in my opinion. They call themselves workers, but they are piss poor workers, and that's being generous. I have been told that one of them (AC Styles) has something on the window of his truck stating that he is a TNA star. If he does, what an absolute JOKE that is! The closest he will ever come to being in TNA is watching Impact on Thursday nights and drooling when the TNA Knockouts are on.

Then there's the EPW worker, BJ Fuller, who brought these two guys to the show in the first place.... What were you THINKING?! You keep yourself in enough trouble without bringing trouble with you. In the future, IF you have a brain, use it.

EPW will continue. EPW will be successful. Those who don't like it don't have to get on board. They can stay behind when the bus leaves without them. In fact, they've already been left behind.

Now, to change directions, I have said before, and I say again, that TNA was just plain STUPID to let Gail Kim get away. Their loss is WWE's gain for sure. The only issue involved, from everything I have read, was money. Gail Kim was the original TNA Knockout. She was the first Knockout Champion. She was an integral part of the Knockouts division. So why didn't TNA want to pay her what she was worth? As D-Rock would say, bad call, TNA, very bad call. The knockouts are the hottest thing TNA has going, but if TNA management is not careful, and if they are not willing to pay people what they are worth, the knockouts are going to leave for greener pastures, one by one, when their contracts are up, and then TNA will pay the consequences.

I have said it before, and I say it again, that WWE is just plain stupid to let Mick Foley get away, but that is just what they have done. After having been thrust into the role of an announcer, which he never wanted, and having been disrespected, Foley's WWE contract is expiring, and he is apparently on his way to TNA, which is definitely TNA's gain & WWE's loss. Vince will regret letting Foley get away, just like TNA will regret letting Gail Kim get away.

Memphis Ladies Wrestling is having their first house show on Saturday night,
10-4-08, at the TFW Arena in Tupelo. Bell time is 7:30 p.m. This should be a very good show! On the card are: Tasha Simone, Little Jeanne, Josie, Su Yung, Diane Von Hoffman, Misty James, Brandi Wine, Sin D, Hellena Heavenly, Alere Little Feather, Candi Devine, Rock-n-Roll Rock C, and more! If you like ladies wrestling, this is one show you do not want to miss! The TFW Arena is located at 1014 North Eason Blvd. (Auburn Road) in Tupelo. Check out the poster at www.wrestlingnewscenter.com. Also, I will be posting photos and bios about the ladies who are on the card, so keep checking Wrestling News Center for information and updates. Brandi Wine's bio and photos have just been posted.

I have heard rumors that Concrete Cowboy is going to start running shows in Corinth in the near future. Tell me it ain't true - PLEASE tell me it is not true! Frankly I don't see how he could run shows at all. Didn't they pull his license a while back? Corinth has seen its share of bad wrestling, and has been just about killed as far as wrestling goes. What Corinth does not need is another rinky dink promotion screwing things up even more.

I was saddened to hear of the passing of a true wrestling legend, Walter "Killer" Kowalski. I grew up watching Killer Kowalski do what he did best - kick butt in the ring. Outside the ring, however, he was just the opposite - a kind, gentle, decent man. The wrestling world has lost a true pioneer. Another member of the old guard has fallen. Thanks, Killer Kowalski, for the memories.

I have a lot more to say, but I have run out of time, so that's all for now. I will be back in two or three weeks, calling it like I see it and telling it like it is.
Whether you like me or hate me, thanks for reading this column. If you have feedback, my email address is axemanchopchop@yahoo.com.

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks 8-11-08

2008-08-10T15:48:00.000-07:00

(Above is a picture of my grandson, Isaak, who is my pride & joy!)

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!

As usual, it has been too long since my last update, so I have a lot of ground to cover, starting with....

The following statement was issued recently by WWE: "World Wrestling Entertainment has come to terms on the release of ECW Superstar Braden Walker as of Aug. 7, 2008, and the release of ECW Superstars Nunzio and James Curtis, SmackDown Superstars Shannon Moore, Domino, and Big Daddy V, and WWE referee Nick Patrick as of Aug. 8, 2008." Now Braden Walker, Nunzio, James Curtis, Shannon Moore, Domino, & Big Daddy V were of no consequence and were, basically, were dead weight at this point in their careers (or non-careers as the case might be in some cases). However, the release of Nick Patrick surprises me. Patrick is a veteran official who came to WWE via the purchase of WCW several years ago. I always thought he did a decent job as a referee. He had been off due to some surgery, and then was involved in a car accident shortly before he was to make his return. I am puzzled as to why WWE would release him, unless they wanted to kick Nick Patrick while he was down, which would not surprise me. It's WWE's loss. I look for Patrick to show up in TNA.

Wrestlinginc.com posted the following today, 8-12-08: "Hardcore Holly is said to be on the "endangered" list in WWE. He is not being used, is 45-years old and the feeling is that if someone like the Undertaker doesn't support him with management that he will be gone. One thing going against Holly is his history of working stiff with the newcomers. This is the old-school mentality that the new guys have to prove they can survive in a tough profession. Holly was slated to work with Dibiase and Rhodes in an angle where he was looking for revenge. They pre-shot a promo with Holly, but it never made air because it was a poor promo. The program was cancelled due to that and the fact that they felt Holly would work stiff with them and that Rhodes and Dibiase would end up looking bad at the end of the program." Well, I think Holly is one heck of a wrestler and WWE would be stupid to let him get away. He can work rings around 2/3 of the people currently under contract to WWE. WWE should release some more of the dead weight on its roster and use Hardcore Holly. He may be 45 years old, but he's still got it.

Well, the two bit radio shows continue, and once again I am told that I have become the topic of conversation. Izzy Rotten and the rest of those individuals can say what they want to. The fact is, I am not going away. Now, I have not listened to the particular show where Izzy ran his mouth about so many things, and I probably never will. I do not have time to waste with such useless BS. I have been told, however, that Izzy said something about wanting to hit me, or having wished he had hit me the night we met, 5 or 6 years ago. Well, I remember that night, when I helped him break into a car (we were helping a fan who was locked out of a vehicle), and I remember the look of shock on his face when I told him who I was. We then had a very civil conversation, as I remember it, and I don't remember any mention of Izzy wanting to hit me. Frankly, he seemed more concerned about running into his ex-wife than anything else, since she had been at the DWA show that night in Corinth. Well, Izzy, you shouldn't carry all that pent up hate inside for so long. Let it go and move on. I have said it before, and I say it again, I don't want heat with anyone. The older I get, the more I realize that life is too short for that. However, if you want to hate me that much, go ahead. It makes no difference to me.

TFW has been on the receiving end of some badmouthing lately. Talk all you want to. The facts are that others have tried & failed, but Wayne & Denise tried and succeeded. IWF started with a bang, had some great shows, and then folded. DWA gave it a good effort for several years, and had some great shows, but they are gone now. DCW, same story, they are history. CCW tried to get off the ground several times, and every time they crashed & burned. There were many more organizations that have folded... the list goes on and on. TFW, on the other hand, started on a wing and a prayer almost six years ago, and has been going strong ever since. Not many people thought it would last six months, including me. However, they made a believer out of me after about a year, when it became obvious that they were here to stay. They have lasted six years this October, and are going strong. So bad mouth them all you want to. They are not going away.

The fact is that all of those bashing TFW are jealous. For that matter, all those bashing Wrestling News Center, hollywoodjimmy.com, and yours truly are just that, JEALOUS. So keep bad mouthing, and thank you for putting us over, because that's exactly what you are doing!

OK, on to other, more relevant things....

I am saddened to hear of Killer Kowalski's deteriorating health. He is truly a wrestling legend, and I wish him the very best in his battle to regain his health. At the time this column is being written, he is reported to have pneumonia and is in a coma.

Memphis Ladies Wrestling is coming to Tupelo on Saturday, 10-4-08, with an all ladies show. Check out the posts on www.wrestlingnewscenter.com for additional details. Now, there have been some negative comments on bringing the show to the TFW Arena, but the fact is that it will work very well there. This is going to be a great show. More information later.

TNA Champion Petey Williams will be in the north Mississippi area for two appearances this month. The first appearance is at TFW on Friday night, 8-22-08, where he will be defending the TNA X-Division Championship. The second appearance is at the XOW show at Huey White Chevrolet in Senatobia, MS, on Saturday, 8-23-08, where he will take on Austin Lane. Both shows should be great shows, so plan on being at one or both if you possibly can.

I have read on several message boards that Anton Leveigh has decided to "retire" from wrestling. Anton is a very talented worker, in spite of what the nattering nabobs of negativism say on the boards. I will admit that he needs to learn a few things about the psychology of wrestling, but he has a tremendous amount of potential. I am told he is going back to school, which is a smart move on his part. Anton is a good high flyer and a good worker. He has been on the receiving end of some very harsh criticism over the last couple of years, some of it deserved, some of it undeserved. I hate to see him leave wrestling, but he'll be back. Once it's in your blood, it's always in your blood.

Back to the aforementioned edition of Gene Jackson's radio show. I was told that one of the individuals that was on the show that day, I think it was Izzy, I don't remember for sure, said something about my last column being dated July 17. Your point is what? My apologies if I have not updated often enough to suit you. I had no idea it was so important to you. But like it or not, I will not be updating as often as I have in the past. I have other priorities at the present time, including grandsons, and that's the way it is.

I was also told that Gene Jackson said something about me being quieter or more subdued or something to that effect, since he "hurt my feelings" several months ago. Well, Gene, your ego is once again in gear before your brain gets started. You never hurt my feelings. You did, however, royally piss me off. If you think that anything you could say to or about me could shut me up or run me off, however, you are sadly mistaken.

Hollywood Jimmy Blaylock walks into a restaurant with a full-grown ostrich behind him. The waitress asks them for their orders. Hollywood says, "A hamburger, fries and a coke," and turns to the ostrich, "What's yours?" "I'll have the same," says the ostrich. A short time later the waitress returns with the order. "That will be $9.40 please," and Hollywood reaches into his pocket and pulls out the exact change for payment. The next day, Hollywood and the ostrich come again, and Hollywood says, "A hamburger, fries and a coke." The ostrich says, "I'll have the same."
Again Hollywood reaches into his pocket and pays with exact change. This becomes routine until several weeks later when the two enter again. "The usual?" asks the waitress. "No, this is Friday night, so I will have a steak, baked potato, and a salad," says Jimmy. "Same," says the ostrich. Shortly the waitress brings the order and says, "That will be $32.62." Once again Hollywood pulls the exact change out of his pocket and places it on the table. The waitress cannot hold back her curiosity any longer. "Excuse me, sir. How do you manage to always come up with the exact change in your pocket every time?" "Well," says Hollywood, "several years ago I was cleaning the attic and found an old lamp. When I rubbed it, a Genie appeared and offered me two wishes. My first wish was that if I ever had to pay for anything, I would just put my hand in my pocket and the right amount of money would always be there." "That's brilliant!" says the waitress. "Most people would ask for a million dollars or something, but you'll always be as rich as you want for as long as you live!" "That's right. Whether it's a gallon of milk or a Rolls Royce, the exact money is always there," said Hollywood. The waitress asks, "OK... what's with the ostrich?" Hollywood Jimmy sighs, pauses, and answers, "My second wish was for a tall chick with a big butt and long legs who agrees with everything I say."

That's all for this week, my friends! Whether you like me or hate me, thanks for reading this column. I will be back, maybe in a week or two, maybe in a month or two, with another column. If you have feedback, my email address is axemanchopchop@yahoo.com, or just leave your feedback as a comment to this post.

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks 7-17-08

2008-07-16T21:05:00.000-07:00

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....
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We interrupt your regularly scheduled wrestling program for this bulletin....
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Here's the deal: I am not going take sides or get very involved in this war of words that BT and a couple of others have started with Hollywood. Jimmy has done a fine job of defending himself and his web sites.
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I find it odd, however, that this kind of mud slinging even happened. I don't see any of the other wrestling web sites out there attacking other sites. 1wrestling.com is not throwing darts at Pro Wrestling Insider. Georgia Wrestling History is not throwing darts at Wrestlinginc.com. I don't see WrestleView.com having a one hour radio talk show bashing another site. Just food for thought....
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What I will address is the following post by BT:
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"I do not plan to exclude mention of Jimmy Blaylock or his web site. I don’t plan to try to ban people from my board that would say something good about Jimmy. I will not ask my columnists and reporters to not include items they might find of interest from that site. I also, because I know there are many that read this site that don’t read his site, will continue to post the local results that his site provides that I do not have access to such as TFW, All Pro, EWP and ICWF."
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Perhaps I am wrong, but this insinuates to me that BT is saying the columnists and writers at Wrestling News Center have been told not to post items that we find on rasslinriotonline.com. Hmmm... I didn't realize I wasn't suppose to use stuff from Rasslin Riot! So I will keep right on doing so. In fact, I posted LAW results earlier tonight, which I got from BT's site. Jimmy has not told us we can or cannot post anything. Well, he did tell me not to post certain pictures which he felt were a little too revealing of certain parts of the female anatomy, but other than that, we writers are free to post what we want. I just wanted to clear that up.
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I am not sure why BT would even say that. Perhaps I am misinterpreting his remarks. Surely BT would not jump to that kind of a conclusion just because I did not copy anything off his site this past weekend. There was simply nothing there that I didn't already have from other sources. That's the long & short of it, pure & simple.
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All wrestling news sites copy off each other. There's nothing wrong with that, provided proper credit is given. So it is with Rasslin Riot Online and Wrestling News Center. Period. Enough said.
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We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.
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The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks, June 25, 2008

2008-06-24T21:47:00.000-07:00

My Grandson, Isaak

Greetings, friends! It has been quite a while since my last column. After being silent for several months and not liking it one bit, and because the guy who was supposedly writing the column that replaced this column seems to have dropped off the face of the Earth, and because several of my friends have been trying to convince me to start writing Axeman Speaks again, I have decided to bring the column back for another run. So, ready or not, here we go!

First the old disclaimer: 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....

I cannot believe all the stuff I have read on Hollywood's message board. That board is nothing but a haven for those who like to start trouble and bash others anonymously. After all these years a couple of anonymous chicken shit cowards are still bashing TFW. Hey, morons, get a life! TFW is here to stay. TFW has out lasted DCW, XOW, DWA, EWW, JWS. and a bunch of others. TFW is alive and well. They're not going anywhere. They are here to stay. If you don't like what TFW does, nobody is forcing you to go to their shows. Nobody is forcing you to work for them. Stay home! That's fine with us!

The naysayers are even bashing Kenny Valiant and All Pro Wrestling. Are you people freakin' crazy? Kenny has been involved in pro wrestling since before a lot of you out there were born. He is a top notch promoter. His shows draw well. His shows are always entertaining. He gives the people their money's worth. Are you so jealous of Kenny and the success he has that you have to hide behind a keyboard and bash him? You people are pathetic.

That brings us to those same people, who have started bashing JWS in Booneville. You can shut up, too. The fact is, JWS is history. It is no secret that Edith Poole is the new owner and promoter in Booneville, and that her organization will be called Extreme Pro Wrestling, or EPW for short. One or two anonymous idiots are already bashing her and her group, when they haven't even had their first show yet! Like it or not, Edith is going to do well, so say what you will, good things are ahead in Booneville.

I see where Lord Hugo and Lady Vixen are having a war of words on the board. You two voices from the past need to keep it to yourselves. It's old news.

OK, enough about the crap on the message board. On to other things....

Let's talk about the recent WWE draft. There is some good, some bad, and some stupidity in what was done.

Rey Mysterio moved to RAW. This was a good move. He had run his course on Smackdown, and it appeared that they really had nothing for him there. He is a very popular wrestler with the fans and will do well on RAW and help their ratings.

Jeff Hardy moves from RAW to Smackdown. Jeff Hardy will do well wherever he goes, and RAW's loss is Smackdown's gain. He will help ratings.

CM Punk from ECW to RAW... Well, I am NOT a CM Punk fan. I don't think he did anything for ECW and I don't think he will do anything for RAW. OH, they have put a belt on him already, but I don't look for him to keep it for long. Then he will be dead weight.

Matt Hardy to ECW is a good move. Matt may bring some excitement into a lackluster ECW.

Jim Ross from RAW to Smackdown.... Most people are saying that this was a bad and stupid move on WWE's part. While I happen to agree that the stupid way it was handled was an insult and a slap in the face to JR, I also think it was a good move for all parties concerned. Here's why: At some point in the not so distant future, WWE is going to stop taping Smackdown and do the show live. JR is a veteran with much experience doing live broadcasts. JR will be an asset and a big help when SD goes live. He has always, and will continue, to do more than his part to help carry the company to bigger and better things - for the next year and a half - until his contract with WWE runs out. I don't look for JR to stay with WWE longer than that.

Michael Cole from SD to RAW will prove not to be the best move for WWE to have made. Cole does a decent job, but I do not feel that he and Jerry Lawler will be a very good team. Maybe I'm wrong. We'll see....

Batista from SD to RAW is a good move. RAW needed a fresh face or two and it will prove to be a win-win situation for all.

Umaga from RAW to SD... Well... I like it simply because I rarely get to see SD, and I do watch RAW every week, and now I will not have to see Umaga every week. Umaga is talented, don't misunderstand, but it is always the same with him, week after week after week. WWE is going to change his character up some, so it will be interesting to see how the new Umaga evolves and how well the new character is accepted.

Kane from ECW to RAW will help RAW's ratings in the next few weeks, but on the long haul, he will not be that big a boost.

Mr. Kennedy from RAW to SD will apparently not do anyone any good. I don't really think WWE has any more for him on SD than they did on RAW. I just don't see a big push coming,

Triple H from RAW to SD was the big surprise of the draft. Triple H will do what he was sent to SD to do, and that is boost ratings and bring some excitement to SD, but do not look for him to stay there for very long. I look for him to be back on RAW in about a year.

One move in the supplemental draft that I do not understand is Trevor Murdoch to SD. Why move him to SD if you have nothing for him? Why not just release him? Makes no sense to me.

I'll tell you what else is dumb, and that's the Vince McMahon injury angle. How many times will Vince do himself in? If he wanted to stop giving away a million dollars a week, he should have just STOPPED. The angle is stupid. Maybe Vince just wanted some vacation time... It's just stupid.

There is a wrestling organization in North Mississippi that is going to change the face of wrestling in this area in a good way very soon. Memphis Ladies Wrestling is the group I am talking about, and you should expect big things from them!

The Hogan saga is getting more bizarre every day. Nick is in jail, Brooke is not speaking to her mom because her mom is dating someone Brooke went to high school with, Linda wants Hulkster arrested for stalking, Hulk wants to make a reality TV show out of Nick's "adventures," - what a dysfunctional family they are! They are all candidates for the Springer show! What a disgrace!

Candice Michelle has a new look! Now, she was always a gorgeous woman, but her new shorter hair makes her look even better. There is a picture of the "new" Candice posted at wrestlingnewscenter.com. Check it out!

Michael Hayes has returned to work at WWE after his suspension for making racist remarks to Mark Henry, among others. Has Hayes learned his lesson? Well, I don't think the ordeal has changed the way Hayes feels. I do hope it has taught him to keep his feelings to himself. We'll see.

And now... Here's the latest news about Hollywood Jimmy Blaylock:

Hollywood and his wife wanted to join a church. The pastor told them, "We have special requirements for new parishioners. You must abstain from sex for one whole month." They agreed and, after two-and-a-half weeks, returned to the Church. When the Pastor ushers them into his office, his wife is crying, and Hollywood is obviously very depressed. "You are back so soon. Is there a problem?" the pastor inquired. "We are terribly ashamed to admit that we did not manage to abstain from sex for the required month," Hollywood replied sadly. The pastor asked him what happened. "Well, the first week was difficult. However, we managed to abstain through sheer willpower. The second week was terrible, but with the use of prayer, we managed to abstain. The third week, however, was unbearable. We tried cold showers, prayer, reading from the Bible, anything to keep our minds off carnal thoughts. One afternoon, my wife reached for a can of paint and dropped it. Then she bent over to pick it up. I was overcome with lust and had my way with her right then and there," admitted Hollywood, shamefacedly. "You understand this means you will not be welcome in our church," stated the pastor. "We know." said Hollywood, hanging his head. "We're not welcome back at Home Depot, either."

That's all for now, Axmaniacs! More to come in a few days.

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks 2-26-08

2008-02-26T19:32:00.000-08:00

Whether you like me or hate me, whether you agree with me or disagree with me, thanks for reading this column.
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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.
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As all of you know, I am sure, Jackson, TN was hit by an F4 tornado several weeks ago. This was written by a young lady (name withheld), who was right in the middle of it, in her dorm room at Union University. I thought you might enjoy reading what she has to say about her ordeal.
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Here's her story:
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Well, most of you have probably heard by now, my school, Union University was hit by an F4 tornado this past Tuesday night (Feb. 5, 2008). Thanks for all the calls and messages. I will try to talk to you all as time and my emotional state allows.
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I don't know what reports you have read, but I was one of the 15 students who got trapped in the wreckage. I was in my dorm room with one of my roommates (Kellie), the 3 girls from upstairs, and my mentor from church. About 2 minutes before the tornado hit, my other roommate (who is an RA) ran in and told us to get in the bathtub. We barely made it. Our ears popped, my mentor (Julie) looked at me and said, "We have to get in, NOW!" Then the lights went off. I was the last one in. My legs didn't quite make it before the building collapsed on us.
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I have not yet found words to describe the actual tornado, the noises, and the pressure. Maybe one day I will. We felt our bodies being compressed and compressed, and then it stopped. I couldn't move. We made sure everyone in the tub was alive. It felt like we were miles from outside -- it was pitch black.
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My initial thought was, "This is where I'm going to die -- there is no way the rescuers will get to us in time." Then, I assessed my physical state. My body was twisted and contorted into a position that I plan on never attempting again... I think God placed me in there just so, because I don't know how else I could have fit. I had a pocket of air against Julie's legs. I couldn't feel my legs because they were pinned between the edge of the tub and all the debris on top of us. I thought through what my death was going to be like. I realized I was probably going to pass out first, and then I would be with Jesus. I've always wondered what my "last thoughts" would be. As one who has struggled in the past with doubts about salvation, I have always wondered what my last moments would be like. All I can say is, God was there. I knew He had me. And I knew He was either going to save me unto Himself or He was going to save me for a little more time here.
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I began to pray aloud, I prayed for peace, for the ability to trust Him. I started accounting for everyone who was in the tub. At that point I realized that someone under me was near the point of death (from her breathing). Then, I called out Julie's name and realized it was her. My heart sunk at that point. I didn't think my heart could bear losing another friend. I started praying for her out loud, telling her to keep breathing, God was with her. I was so afraid she was going to die underneath me. I think I even asked God to take me if He took her. Every time I moved, she either couldn't breathe or she had excruciating pain. I tried to stay as still and calm as I could. I know God was managing my thoughts for me at that point. I could NOT panic... and by His grace, I didn't.
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I found out later we were trapped for 45 minutes. One of the other girls in the tub had her cell phone and was actually able to call 911. I honestly only felt like I was in there for 10-15 minutes. I don't know if I ever lost consciousness or if God just allowed it to seem shorter. I was told later the rescuers had to use a backhoe to remove the initial debris. None of us remember that -- again, that was by God's grace. We would have been terrified had we heard that. When the rescuers started digging us out, it was terrifying. Julie's neck was exposed in such a way that one wrong move and it would have snapped... she was still having lots of trouble breathing. At one point, the rescuers could see my face and I was screaming out to them... telling them I was not panicking but there was a girl under me and I could not move or she would die, and that they needed to lift the debris and not slide it. Once they broke through to us, they got everyone out in about 10-15 minutes. I was the last because my legs were stuck and I couldn't feel them or move them. Julie and I ended up needing to go to the hospital. But neither of us had to stay overnight.
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It was a night of chaos. And yet, God was in the midst of us.
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We were buried in a tangled mess of wreckage and yet He knew how each board, each piece of brick and rubble was placed. For example, right next to my legs was a 2 x 4... it ended up keeping just enough pressure off my legs so that I did not lose them. I haven't gotten all my feeling back, but I'm walking around.
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I know I have mentioned God a whole lot throughout this note. I know many of you who are reading this do not know Him and may think I'm a bit odd. But it comes down to this, there is NO other explanation as to why I am alive today other than, God had His hand over us. He kept just enough pressure off. He didn't let me panic. Was I scared?? Yes -- terrified at first. But at one point, my friend Kellie said "Heather, it's gonna be okay," and a sense of peace came around us. I know God was with us that entire time. And He did give me a sense of peace -- it kept me from panicking, it allowed me to speak up for Julie when the rescue started.
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My life has been a little screwy recently. I've struggled with trusting God. I've struggled accepting the fact that He loves me unconditionally. But God was with me. He showed me how to trust Him in the rubble -- in the chaos. I know I have some long days ahead. There are sounds stored in my memory that I'm not aware of until I hear them again. I freak out at some very random times, and I'm not sure what all the triggers are. But this is what I'm holding onto - God is not finished with me yet. He still has a purpose for me here on earth a little while longer. And the One who sustained me through the nightmare of Tuesday night will continue to sustain me, to love me unconditionally, to comfort me, and to hold me when I'm scared. And knowing that is what allowed me to get out of bed this morning. He is a good God.
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If you don't know Him, you need to. He loves you. He wants to know you intimately, and He wants you to know Him intimately. Like I said earlier, I want to talk to each of you. I am quite fragile emotionally -- so it may be a while. I'm at home -- have some fabulous painkillers -- will probably not have to take them except for at night time today. So, my body is healing. Just feels like a building collapsed on it....

The Axeman Speaks 2-13-08

2008-02-13T22:03:00.000-08:00

The Axeman Speaks 2/8/08

2008-02-08T11:32:00.000-08:00

The Axeman Speaks, January 29, 2007

2008-01-27T19:42:00.000-08:00

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, that’s OK. The fact is, when I write it, you read it, and that’s what counts. So, love me or hate me, here we go….
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Greetings, wrestling addicts! I see you are here for another fix of Axeman's ramblings about wrestling, so I won't keep you waiting any longer.
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Sorry for not updating sooner. I have been busy with other projects, including my recent interview with Jerry Lawler. Check it out on Wrestling News Center (http://www.wrestlingnewscenter.com/). I really enjoyed doing that interview. I hope to do another interview with him soon. There's a lot more stuff I want to ask him about.
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I have been bragging on TNA in previous columns, but the last several TNA Impact shows have been a disappointment. The Shark Boy in the hospital segments on the show a couple of weeks ago sucked eggs. That was so stupid. WHY do they do stupid crap like that and waste our time? The ratings, however, are going up. Am I in the minority in not liking stupid crap? Am I in the minority in wanting to see WRESTLING? TNA has so much talent on their roster. They need to showcase the talent and leave the stupid stuff out. They need to get rid of Russo, too. That crap was probably all his idea.
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Speaking of TNA, I read on wrestlinginc.com that Gail Kim had to take some time off because she ruptured a breast implant. It seems like this is about the second or third time she has done that. Didn't she rupture at least one while she was in WWE? I really do not see why she thinks she needs them. She was gorgeous before she got them.
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It's time for YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID! This week we focus on a student nurse in Birmingham, Alabama, who found herself in an embarrassing situation. Hospital regulations require a wheel chair for patients being discharged. However, this particular student nurse found one elderly gentleman already dressed and sitting on the bed with a suitcase at his feet, who insisted he didn't need her help to leave the hospital. After a chat about rules being rules, he reluctantly let the student nurse wheel him to the elevator. On the way down she asked him if his wife was meeting him. "I don't know," he said. "She's still upstairs in the bathroom changing out of her hospital gown." Yep, that was stupid. I guess she figured out the hard way that it's kinda important to know who the patient is....
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OK, back to wrestling, The Southern Saints, from TFW, are going back to Philadelphia in a few weeks to be in Chikara's 2008 King of Trios tournament. Congrats to these guys, and good luck.
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Speaking of TFW, they will have a ladder match and a cage match on their card this Friday night in Tupelo. There is another cage match the following week. Buff Bagwell returns to TFW on April 11, 2008. Big things are happening in TFW, so come on out on Friday nights in Tupelo. You can read the complete TFW report at Wrestling News Center. All the nay-sayers can say what they want on the board, but TFW continues to have good shows week after week. They are standing tall on Friday nights in North Mississippi where all the rest have folded up.
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Speaking of TFW, there is an individual who seems to have nothing good to say about TFW, or anyone else (except himself) for that matter, Dustin Starr. Dustin continues to take pot shots at TFW. I do not read Starr's blog as a rule, and I do not visit his web site, but I was told that he was again putting TFW down in his latest blog entry, so I took a look. Sure enough, he continues to bash TFW. WHY?! It appears that Dustin did not like the accommodations at TFW when he worked a couple of shows a few weeks ago. I am real sorry Dustin did not enjoy himself. If the accommodations at TFW are not up to his standards, if they are so God awful, why did he simply not come back after the first show? Why did he come back to work a second show a week later? I don't hear anyone else complaining. Dustin needs to stop whining and work for some organization that has accommodations which live up to his luxurious standards. Frankly, he needs to stay in Tennessee or wherever he lives and keep his over inflated ego out of Mississippi. Let him work in the Memphis area. Maybe he can get a room at the Peabody Hotel to use as his dressing room. I wonder if that would be up to his standards....
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The following post appeared a couple of days ago on Wrestling News Center: "At RAW in Philly, a good amount of people were waiting outside the venue to try and get the wrestlers to stop their cars in hope for autograph signings and pictures after the show concluded. After many superstars sped by without a glance, (Hornswaggle was very funny to see speeding off in the parking lot) Jeff Hardy pulled over, along with his girlfriend in the car, and took pictures and signed autographs with everyone who was freezing outside for over 45 minutes. He was truly a really nice guy and was the only wrestler who acknowledged the fans. He even started to pull off, and I asked him to wait and take another picture with me and he waited even when my camera was not working. On a meaner note, Randy Orton was a passenger in a vehicle, and gave a little boy who was holding a John Cena sign the finger!" That's the difference between a professional (Jeff Hardy) and a professional ass hole (Orton). I have never liked Randy Orton. Never will. He is an extremely talented wrestler. However, his crappy attitude will eventually be his downfall.
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Concerning my interview with Jerry Lawler, there has been some negative feedback about me saying that Wrestling News Center is better than the other guys. Well just what was I supposed to say? There is always someone trying to stir up crap and create conflict where no conflict exists. I don't hear BT complaining! In fact I received an email from him complimenting the interview, which I appreciated.
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That's enough for now. I will try to get back to updating regularly. Thanks for reading. If you have any feedback, just email me at axemanchopchop@yahoo.com.
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We are one column closer to the final one!
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The Axeman has spoken.

Reason Why the Drunk Chimp Rarely Updates

2008-01-24T21:13:00.000-08:00

After extensive research, I have found the reason for the drunk chimp's long silence last year.

He has been preoccupied with a new love interest.

Now, as Paul Harvey says, you know the rest of the story!

The Axeman Speaks January 7, 2007

2008-01-06T21:54:00.000-08:00

Arman Hussein

The important thing is, when I write it, you read it, and that’s what counts. So whether you agree or disagree, here we go....

First of all, I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year. Everything was great here.

I read in an email newsletter from Cauliflower Alley Club that Mike Barber, known in pro wrestling in the 1960's through the 80's as Arman Hussein, passed away in Dallas, TX last week. He wrestled for many territories and spent a great deal of time in World Class Wrestling as both a wrestler and a manager. He was very highly respected in the wrestling world. His picture appears at the beginning of this column.

I remember watching many shows in Dallas and Fort Worth when Arman Hussein was on the card. What is most vivid in my memory was the time he and Gary Hart formed a managerial "partnership" which Gary Hart called "Hart & Hussein," but which Arman Hussein called

"H & H and their Associates, Limited." During that time they managed such stars as Bugsy McGraw, The Checkmate, and Brute Bernard, among a host of others. They did some very entertaining stuff. Mike Barber was an example of professionalism and was an extremely good entertainer. Thanks, Arman Hussein, for the memories. Rest in peace.

OK, on to other things....

The JWS show Saturday night in Booneville was, all in all, a good show. I counted over 90 people in attendance, with (I was told) 68 paid. If JWS continues on this road, they will have much success in the future. There was considerable speculation as to who the new booker(s) for the group was, and it turns out that Izzy Rotten and Buzz Harley are doing the booking. Congrats, guys, on a good show. There are a couple of things that need improving, such as weeding out a couple of not-so-good workers, and improving the announce team and PA system, but all of that, I am sure, will be taken care of in due time. Oh, please, buy a bell, guys. But seriously, you are on the right road, guys. Please stay on it! You can read the match results and complete report on the show at Wrestling News Center.

I am told that GTW will soon resume having shows. They will be running every two weeks in Mathiston, MS. I wish Dudley and his guys good luck in their new location.

All Pro kicks off 2008 with a show on Friday, February 1, 2008, at the Eureka Theater in Batesville, MS. Bell time is 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Jerry Lawler headlines the card. Kenny Valiant always puts on a great show, so I am sure those who attend will not be disappointed.

A new organization in Jonesboro, AR, called Royal Wrestling Alliance will have their first show on January 19, 2008, at The King's Sportatorium on Hwy. 1 south. Bell time is 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $10.00. There is a video of their TV commercial posted at Wrestling News Center. Check it out. If you are in the Jonesboro area on Saturday night, 1/19/08, RWA is the place to be.

One of the north Mississippi wrestling groups that shut down back during the summer will be coming back in February with a show in Hickory Flat. I am sworn to secrecy about the identity of this group, but will tell you when I am authorized to do so.

XOW is also planning a couple of shows in the next few months. I will have more details as soon as plans have been finalized.

I am glad to see all these groups starting back up. There for a while it was getting mighty boring around here on Saturday nights! I wish all of these groups much success.

I saw several posts on the message board from Cranky Franky, which I really found funny. My favorite was, "Just read Ready, Aim, Fire and seen where Death Wish, David Burcham and Hollywood went to the movies. Can you imagine the poor saps who sit behind these three fat ass clowns. I just can’t imagine how much Milk Duds, M&Ms, Skittles, Starburst, Goobers, these three pigs poked down there throats during that one movie. They watch the food network like it was a porn channel...." Now, that's funny.

I have been bragging about TNA for several weeks, but the TNA Impact show last week was not their best effort. That show has Vince Russo written all over it. Four gauntlet matches on one show? WHY? What was the point? When is TNA gonna wise up and get rid of Russo. He's fixing to screw things up. I can just feel it.

Speaking of TNA, they are going to begin drug testing soon. This is a good thing, if they will be fair and consistent with their testing. TNA has no choice but to implement drug testing with the US Congress sticking their big noses into everything. They just need to do it right.

I thought for sure that the drunk chimp had written another column when I saw that Bring on the Bad Guys had been updated. Much to my disappointment, it was not the chimp. While I like the chimp, this "effort" leaves much to be desired. Come on, DW, sober that chimp up long enough to write a column.

I also noticed that Hollywood did his annual column update recently. I really wish he would start updating at least twice a year.

Kudos to David Burcham on Bringing Rants & Raves back. I enjoyed his new column.

Tony Watts, Neil Taylor, Chris Rocker, Dustin Starr, & Al Hall, there was no excuse for your conduct at the TFW show Friday night. You ruined a brand new $40.00 shirt, and my back and neck are still hurting from you idiots stomping a mud hole in me. There was no excuse for that. I am an announcer, not a wrestler. You guys have no class and no brains. You need to pay for the brand new shirt you ruined.

That's it for this week, y'all. If you have comments or feedback email me at axemanchopchop@yahoo.com. I'll try to respond.

We are one column closer to the final one.

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks 12-31-07

2007-12-31T20:48:00.000-08:00

The opinions expressed in this column (just like all the rest) do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Hollywood Jimmy Blaylock, the Webmaster, or anyone else connected with this site. They are mine, only mine. So, dear readers, if you agree with me, OK, and if you don’t, that’s OK. The fact is, I writes it, you reads it, and that’s what counts. So, love me or hate me, here we go….

Greetings wrestling addicts!

First of all, I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year! Please be safe out there, and don't party too hard.

I read Trent Van Drisse's account of what happened to him at the SAW show Friday night in Millersville. If you have not read it, check it out on Mid-Southern Wrestling message board.

Here's a link to Trent's board: http://members3.boardhost.com/Trent36/

Apparently a couple of folks there did not like something Trent posted on his board. Apparently they felt like it was an invasion of someone's privacy. The funny thing was that the two that cussed him out for posting the story were not even involved with the incident the story was about. It was not about them. It did not involve them. But they apparently, from what Trent said in his account of the ordeal, took it upon themselves to be the message board police.

That incident is typical of what is wrong with indy wrestling today in the Mid-South. Two extremely unprofessional individuals decided to beat their chests and make asses of themselves. Trent posted the story. There was nothing wrong with that. It's not like Trent broke the story. It was published on various other places. He didn't take sides. He just posted information that was accurate, factual, and newsworthy. The fact is that Trent had every right to publish the story.

These two non-professionals seemingly stuck their noses into someone else's business. The actions of these two individuals certainly did not make for good publicity for SAW (which seems to me to be a pretty good group) or wrestling in general.

As a result of this incident, Trent says that he is not going to any more shows, at least for the foreseeable future.

I hope you change your mind, Trent. If you let the conduct of a couple of unprofessional clods keep you away from something you enjoy, in this case it's wrestling, then you have given them a victory of sorts. You did nothing wrong that I can see. Shoot, I've been yelled at, threatened, cussed out, had things thrown at me, and my car has been vandalized because of stories I posted and things I have said in my column. But I love wrestling, and I will not let a few idiots keep me away from what I enjoy doing. I have said it before, and I say it again, I do not have heat with anyone. Life is too short. So, I hope that you will keep going to shows as often as you can. Don't let a couple of non-professionals spoil it for you.

I hope that, when the dust settles, these two individuals will see that they handled the situation improperly. I hope, when they come to that realization, that they contact Trent and make things right.

My wish for the New Year for everyone involved in wrestling is that you HAVE HEAT WITH NO ONE. If you have problems with someone, face each other like adults and work it out. Life is too short to carry grudges. Let brotherly love continue (Heb. 13:1). Speak not evil of one another, brethren (James 4:11).

That's all for this time.

Oh, by the way, here's a little tidbit of information for you to ponder: One of the organizations in north Mississippi that shut down several months ago is returning in February. Which group is it? Well, you'll know when the time is right!

We are one column closer to the final one.

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks, December 24, 2007

2007-12-24T21:09:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas Eve, and I do not feel like talking about wrestling, except for one thing....

Kudos to WWE for their support of our military forces in Iraq. RAW was great tonight. Believe it or not, my wife even liked the show, and she usually HATES wrestling! I have been critical of WWE in the past, but I will NEVER be critical of their support for our armed forces. Great job, guys.

OK, on to other things....

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Isaiah 9:6-7.

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Luke 1:26-38.

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Luke 2: 1-20.

Shopping, presents, Santa, football, parties, and all the festive stuff that goes with Christmas, it's all fun. But please remember the reason for the holiday, Jesus. This Christmas please take some time to remember the reason for the season. Take time to count your blessings. If you have heat with anybody, contact that person and make peace. That is my Christmas wish for everyone, peace and good will to all of you. May this Christmas be the best ever.

That's all for this time.

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks 12-17-07

2007-12-16T21:11:00.000-08:00

My grandson, Wes

Season's Greetings, wrestling fans! We have several things to talk about this time, so without further delay, here we go....

WWE has balked at paying $2 million to Chris Benoit's two surviving children from a previous marriage. Cary Ichter, an attorney for Michael Benoit, wants WWE to pay the money as "recognition of their father's contributions to the company." Now, why would WWE owe Benoit's children one stinking thing? Specifically, why would WWE owe Benoit's kids 2 million dollars as "recognition of their father's contributions to the company?" You gotta be freakin' kidding me! This smells like an attempt at extortion to me. This Cary Ichter has a lot of nerve! Is this the same Cary Ichter who is on the commission that regulates (or is trying to "regulate") wrestling in Georgia? Seems like a conflict of interest to me. The nerve of some people, lol....

It did not take long after the radio interview Gene Jackson did with Neil Taylor for all the b.s. and bashing to start. All the critics out there are jealous of two things. Either they are jealous of Gene Jackson for starting cheap heat radio and doing radio interviews, or they are jealous of Neil Taylor for doing things they can only dream of doing... or maybe both. Bottom line is it was a good interview, like it or not.

Has anyone noticed what is happening to wrestling in north Mississippi? Think about this. XOW is not running right now. I am not sure what their future holds. RPW is gone. JWS in Jumpertown has shut down. I am not sure what their future holds. GTW in West Point has stopped running. I am not sure what their future holds, but I have been told they are looking for another building to run in. ICW in Mathiston has apparently closed their doors for good. Concrete Cowboy's group in Ripley is history, as far as I know. There was a group running in Blue Mountain, but they did not last long. Just over the line in Tennessee, CWA, which ran some very good shows in Selmer and Savannah, is not doing anything. I am not sure what the deal is with them. The last shows they did were in August. Even Memphis Wrestling is reported to be finished, at least for now. So... that leaves two groups running in this area, All Pro Productions and TFW. All Pro does not run every week. That means that the only group in this area that is having shows every week is TFW in Tupelo. TFW, the organization everyone said would never make it, the organization so many have bashed for so long, is standing tall when all the rest have dropped out. Think about it.

It's time for another edition of YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID! This week we focus on Gregory David Pryor, who, while cleaning his 54 caliber muzzle loader, used a cigarette lighter to look into the barrel. The lighter ignited the powder, which caused the gun to discharge in his face, killing him.

Yep, that was stupid!

That's all for this edition. If you have any feedback, comments, criticism, or whatever, send them to axemanchopchop@yahoo.com. I will respond to all emails.

Coming soon to In The Spotlight: Axeman's 2007 Best Of, Worst Of, and Shouldn't Have Awards.

We are one column closer to the final one!

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks December 14, 2007

2007-12-13T20:56:00.000-08:00

My grandson, Isaak

Greetings, wrestling junkies! I see you are here for another wrestling fix, so I won't keep you waiting any longer.

I read on wrestlinginc.com that Jake "the Snake" Roberts has entered rehab to get himself cleaned up. I hope he is successful. Roberts has been battling his demons for years, and I hope he can win the battle this time around. He can be an asset to professional wrestling if he can keep his head straight. That's IF he can stay away from the alcohol and the drugs, and I truly hope he can. Kudos to Vince McMahon and WWE for paying for the rehab. Roberts is the first former WWE star to take WWE up on their offer to pay for rehab for former WWE stars who need it.

It seems that WWE is serious about enforcing their drug policies. That is a good thing. It's about time WWE cleaned up their act as far as enforcing their drug policy. I do wonder, however, if they are enforcing it without exception. There are some guys who I believe have used steroids, but have not (to my knowledge) ever been called on the carpet for it. Time will tell the full story, however.

It has been reported on numerous sites, including wrestlingnewscenter.com, that Bobby "the Brain" Heenan will be having surgery to replace the bone in his jaw, which was destroyed by radiation therapy during his cancer treatments. The doctors will take bone from his shin and thigh and use it to construct a new jaw bone. The procedure will require that he be kept in a coma for several days after the surgery. Needless to say, that's a somewhat dangerous thing to have to go through, and I wish him well. He is in my thoughts and prayers. It would be great if, at some point in the future, Heenan could once again get involved and do some stuff in wrestling, if only on a limited basis. In my opinion, Heenan is THE best heel announcer pro wrestling has ever seen.

According to a post on wrestlinginc.com, Molly Holly is returning to the ring for Northern Impact Wrestling on Saturday, February 2nd, in Cottage Grove MN. This will be her first match since "retiring" from WWE a couple of years ago. I hope it is the first of many more. She is a very talented individual, and is one of the nicest, classiest ladies pro wrestling has ever seen. I do hope she gets involved in wrestling again. You know the old saying, once wrestling is in your blood, it's always in your blood. I think she'll be back.

Internet reports say that Scott Hall is suffering from depression. That is the reason being reported for Hall missing the TNA Turning Point PPV event a few weeks ago, and led to him being immediately dumped by TNA. Well, I am sorry to hear about his depression. I would not wish that on anyone, and I hope he gets better. That being said, in my opinion it is no excuse for his actions. Hall should have never come to TNA in the first place if he was not emotionally able to cope with things going on in his life. He shafted TNA. He shafted his friend Kevin Nash. Unfortunately, he also shafted himself. I doubt any wrestling organization of any consequence will never use him again, and rightfully so. That is sad, but he brought it on himself.

It is unfortunate that Karen Angle will be out of action for a while due to a broken leg. There are actually conflicting reports as to whether it was her ankle or her leg that was broken. Either way, she will be out for quite a while. She added a lot to the shows. I wish her a speedy recovery.

OK, everyone else has commented on Monday's 15th Anniversary RAW show, so I will throw my two cents worth in also.

First of all, I enjoyed the show. I really enjoyed seeing a lot of the former WWE stars. Over all, I thought it was a really good show. Apparently, the fans liked it also, because it did a much higher rating than usual. That should send a clear message to Vince and everybody else in WWE as to what the fans want. Are you listening, Vince?

I very much enjoyed seeing RVD. I would like to see him back in WWE. All things are possible!

One thing I did NOT like about the show was the fact that Sunny had such a small role. She looked GREAT! I think everyone wanted more. I hope WWE or TNA picks her up and gives her another run. It is obvious that she has gotten her act together.

What was the deal with Hogan's Macho Man reference? Is that a hint of something to come in the future? Hogan vs. Savage @ Wrestlemania?

Foley resurrecting Mankind was fun to watch. But then, Foley doing anything is usually fun to watch.

Did anyone notice the lack of crowd reaction to Marty Jannetty? That was surprising. Quite a difference from his last RAW appearance.

Bischoff should have stayed home. I was completely unimpressed with his segment with Chris Jericho. Frankly, I have been less than impressed with Y2J since his return. Maybe he will get better, but I am not impressed so far.

Has anyone ever seen Trish Stratus look better? She looked great! I really hope she will come back one day. Maybe walking down that ramp and hearing that crowd will stir that desire to return. Once it's in your blood....

Has anyone ever seen Lita look worse? Maybe it's just me, but I thought she looked bad. She's a great entertainer, however. I would have loved to see Lita & Trish in a match.

Rhodes & Holly winning the tag team belts... I have mixed feelings about that one. I do like Rhodes & Holly, but I question whether Rhodes should be wearing gold this early in his career. Cade & Murdoch are a great tag team, and I thought they should have kept the belts a while longer. Of course, it does not matter worth a rat's behind to WWE what I think, but, for what it's worth, that's my opinion.

Hollywood Jimmy Blaylock recently did some entertaining in the nursing home. After he had finished, a little old lady was running up and down the halls in a nursing home. As he walked down the hall toward the door, she ran up to him and flipped up the hem of her nightgown, exposing herself, and said, "Super sex!" Hollywood, somewhat taken aback, stood there silently for a moment or two and finally answered, "I'll take the soup."

It's time, once again, for YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID. This week we focus on Michael Anderson Godwin. He spent several years on death row awaiting South Carolina's electric chair on a murder conviction before having his sentence reduced to life in prison. While sitting on a metal toilet in his cell attempting to fix his small TV set, he bit into a wire and was electrocuted.

Kudos to Gene Jackson and Neil Taylor on an excellent interview on Cheap Heat Radio Thursday night. Very entertaining, guys.

That’s all for this week. If you have any responses, feedback, criticism, compliments, or whatever, send ‘em to axemanchopchop@yahoo.com, or just leave a comment to this post. I will do my best to reply to all messages.

We are one column closer to the final one.

The Axeman has spoken.

BREAKING NEWS Concerning the Future of ASWF

2007-12-07T17:05:00.001-08:00

Breaking News!

ASWF Promoter and co-owner, Aaron Polston, has sold his share of ASWF to one of his partners, David Walls, effective 12-05-07. The ASWF name and all equipment went with the buy out. Effective immediately, Polston and his former ASWF partners will go separate ways. ASWF will continue to run shows in Tuckerman on Saturday nights under the new ownership.

Aaron Polston's plans are to go to Jonesboro, Arkansas, to help start a new organization. The main owner of the organization is Frank Martin. Polston's role in the new group will be that of partner and promoter. He says the new group should be up and running some time in February.

In addition to weekly shows, the group hopes to be on television in Jonesboro and hopes to be doing Internet pay per views.

Polston says he has no heat with the owners of ASWF and wishes them well.

The Axeman Speaks, December 6, 2007

2007-12-05T21:17:00.001-08:00

My grandson, Wesley

Greetings, wrestling addicts! I see you are here for another wrestling fix, so I won't keep you waiting.

I realize that it has been a while since my last update, for which I apologize. This is the busiest time of year at my job, and I am working a lot of overtime, so I do not have much time to write. Things will get back to normal after Christmas.

The TFW vs. Chikara show was a lot of fun! Those Chikara guys have a style of wrestling that is very unique and very entertaining, and they (along with the TFW guys) put on quite a show. I enjoyed announcing with Gene Jackson. Does that surprise you? Gene is a good heel announcer. I enjoyed working with him.

The TFW benefit show the following night was also very good. It was great to see Pure Destruction back at TFW, along with Tommy Knox, Pappy, The Pink Flamingos, and a bunch of guys who I have not seen in a while. It was really great to see The Asylum, Psycho & Wraith, working together again. I really hope to see Psycho & Wraith working together often in the future. I was surprised to see Tony The Weasel Watts walk out of the back with PD. What's up with that? I hope the heat is now behind them. A good time was had by all at the show. Of course, there have been a couple of moronic crack headed egg sucking nattering nabobs of negativism on the board trying to stir up trouble and cause problems by making accusations and back stabbing, just like after any benefit show in the area. That's a shame.

Kudos to GTW in West Point. Dudley cancelled his show this past Saturday night so all the GTW workers could work the TFW benefit show. That was a very unselfish gesture on Dudley's part. It's too bad we do not have more people with that kind of attitude in wrestling in this area.

I received a call this week from Aaron Polston. He told me about some big changes coming up for ASWF and for him as well. I know he will be successful as he tries some new ideas.

If you have not cast your vote for the 2007 year end awards at hollywoodjimmy.com, please do so. Go to the home page to see the nominees. I see BT has started taking nominations for rasslinriot's year end awards. Should be interesting.

I read a post on wrestlinginc.com today that said that TNA is finished with Scott Hall since Hall no-showed their PPV. Well... DUH! I would hope he is done! TNA should never have used Mr. Unreliable in the first place. What were they thinking?

I also read on the same site that Senshi has taken TNA up on their offer to release anyone that wanted to leave. Senshi has not been happy in TNA for a long time, so TNA is better off without him. As the old saying goes, if you ain't with 'em, you're against 'em. Frankly, I think Senshi's decision is stupid. I hope he doesn't think he'll make as good a living on the indy circuit.

I am being stalked by Hollywood Jimmy Blaylock. Yes, that's right, he is stalking me. Today he assaulted me from behind while I was working. Yes, he followed me to my job and assaulted me. I have no idea why he is doing this, but I may have to take drastic measures. Hollywood, I warn you, stop following me!

The 15th anniversary edition of RAW this Monday night is shaping up to be a good show... That is, if WWE does not do something stupid to screw it up. Trish Stratus is scheduled to be on the show, which makes it worth watching even without all the other stars WWE is bringing back. Trish is, in my humble opinion, the all time most beautiful woman ever to wrestle, in WWE or anywhere else. Oh Trish, why did you have to retire? These WWE "divas" now are just eye candy, with the exception of Mickie James & possibly Beth Phoenix. Trish was both eye candy and wrestler, and the best of both.

I can't talk about gorgeous lady wrestlers without mentioning Gail Kim. She is doing a great job in TNA as their women's champion. In my opinion, she is the best female wrestler today, bar none. The entire TNA product is arguably the best thing going in pro wrestling today. TNA has come a long way.

That's it for this time. Thanks for reading.

We are one column closer to the last one.

The Axeman has spoken.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

2007-11-20T22:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I'm taking a few days off. Axeman Speaks will return next week.

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks, November 16, 2007

2007-11-15T21:06:00.000-08:00

(My grandson, Wes)

.
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, that’s OK. The fact is, when Axeman writes it, you read it, and that’s what counts. So, love me or hate me, here we go….

Greetings, wrestleholics! I have a number of things to talk about, so here we go....

First of all, I would like to welcome our newest columnist, Lord Humongous, to hollywoodjimmy.com. I have enjoyed his columns so far. All the Hugo haters who are posting crap on the board are just jealous. Lord Humongous has been around the wrestling business a long time and knows what he is talking about. He is an asset to this site.

That reminds me, the following post appeared on the message board a few days ago:

Name: Doug in West Point
Country:
Date: Wed Oct 31 04:29:14 2007
Comment: I'm almost certain that this man "Hugo" was a jobber who has never amounted to anything in the business. Who all has he worked for on a regular basis? He's probably another one of those "legends" like Sammy Hall and Sarge O'Reilly. He's almost probably just a stupid backyard mark like Dudley.

Well, Doug, I hope Hugo gets hold of you one day and does to you what I saw him do to Concrete Cowboy one night in Ripley, MS, a couple of years back. Then maybe you will shut up. Hogo is certainly not a jobber. He has worked for organizations all over the country and overseas. He is not stupid nor is he a back yarder.

OK, on to other subjects....

I sure do wish that stupid chimp would update his column. If it is not gonna be updated, the Webmaster needs to take it off the site.

I have been contacted by an individual who is looking for workers for a show near Dickson, TN. If anyone is interested contact him at chrisshivan@yahoo.com. I assume this is legit. He says the name of the group is Tennessee Wrestling Revolution (TWR).

I have read and have also been told that Chris Styles and a couple of others from TFW will be going to Chicago to work on a show for EPW. Congrats, guys.

Kudos to MAW, Memphis Wrestling, TLCW, and LAW for joining forces and working together for a worthy cause, Toys for Tots. The event is called Thanksgiving Throwdown and consists of four shows, the first of which is Thursday, November 22, at the National Guard Armory in Dyersburg, TN. Then the following night, Friday, November 23, a show in Rector, AR. Saturday night, November 24, a show in Ripley, TN, and the four day event concludes with a show on Sunday, November 25, at the New Daisy on Beale Street in Memphis. For more information, go to http://www.wrestlingnewscenter.com/. I encourage all of you to attend one or all of these shows if at all possible. It is great to see four wrestling organizations working together. That does not happen very often at all.

Changing the subject... Has anyone noticed an improvement in the TNA product lately? Now, I know there are those who do not like TNA. Frankly, I did not really care for TNA until recently. I have noticed a real improvement in their overall product. The last couple of Impact broadcasts have been very good. Their story lines actually make sense now. They have some excellent talent. Their women's division is outstanding. TNA will, I believe, evolve into a top notch wrestling organization, and they will give WWE a real run for the money. Oh, it's true, TNA has made numerous mistakes and struggled big time in the past. They have, however, apparently learned from their mistakes, and it is beginning to show. I thought Thursday's Impact was a tremendous improvement.

As I posted Wednesday on the Wrestling News Center, there was major conflict backstage after the Smackdown taping. JBL apparently decided to stick his nose into business that did not involve him when he berated Miz & Morrison for their color commentary work on ECW. He then yelled at them for their in ring work during their match with MVP & Matt Hardy. All of this apparently took place in front of other WWE workers. It's one thing to offer constructive criticism. However, from every account I have read, JBL was way over the line when he did what he did in the way he handled the situation. JBL stuck his nose in where it did not belong and tried to humiliate Miz & Morrison. He should be thankful his nose is not broken.

Adam "Pacman" Jones will not be coming back to the NFL early. He must serve the entire suspension. That is good. Why should he be let off easy? He's nothing special.

It's time for YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID. This week we focus on a group of first-year students at Texas A&M University's Veterinary school who were receiving their first anatomy class, with a real dead cow. They all gathered around the surgery table with the body covered with a white sheet. The professor started the class by telling them, "In Veterinary Medicine it is necessary to have two important qualities as a doctor. The first is that you not be disgusted by anything involving the animal body. For an example, the Professor pulled back the sheet, stuck his finger in the butt of the dead cow, withdrew it and stuck it in his mouth. "Go ahead and do the same thing," he told his students. The students freaked out and hesitated for several minutes. But eventually took turns sticking a finger in the anal opening of the dead cow and sucking on it. When everyone finished, the Professor looked at them and said, "The second most important quality is observation. I stuck in my middle finger and sucked on my index finger. Now learn to pay attention." Hmmm... College is tough. It's even tougher if you're stupid, lol.

That's all for this week.

We're one column closer to the final one!

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks 11-02-07

2007-11-12T19:07:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make. Now, Jimmy may get heartburn when I say this, but I am gonna say it anyway. I am a frequent reader of RasslinRiot. Yes, I read the stuff on BT's site several times a week. So, imagine my surprise when I read the following in BT's latest column:

"THUMBS DOWN: To the other guys that try to do “news” sites. They don’t do retractions and seem to believe anything they are told. And, damn, they say “imitation” is the greatest form of flattery, but when the hell are you guys going to stop copying EVERYTHING this site does???"

Now, I may be wrong, but it seems to me that BT is taking a shot at this site. It would seem that BT is accusing hollywoodjimmy.com of copying "EVERYTHING" his site does. Well... I am not the owner of this site, nor am I the Webmaster, so I speak for only myself here. I am giving only my opinion. I don't think this site has copied anything.

Long before BT created rasslinriotonline.com, this site was the #1 wrestling site in this area. We had a message board. We had columns. We had year end awards (Axeman's Year End Awards). We had interviews (In the Spotlight debuted in 2003).

A couple of years ago BT decided he wanted a wrestling site. He started rasslinriotonline.com. Soon he had the site up and running. He soon had a message board. He got some people to do columns. He has year end awards. He has even had interviews. Who copied who?

A major feature on BT's site was the news board. It was a good idea. And it was successful. A while back Jimmy & Tia decided it would be a good idea to have a news board on this site. Now, you might say that they copied BT when they started wrestling News Center. I don't think so. Wrestling News Center is formatted quite differently from the news board at rasslinriotonline.com. The main difference between the two is that Wrestling News Center was started with the intention of eventually separating it from hollywoodjimmy.com and making it a separate site. This is now a reality, and the separation of the two sites will soon be completed. If you don't believe me, go to http://www.wrestlingnewscenter.com/. Hollywoodjimmy.com will have a link to the news site, but the two sites will be separate.

Bottom line: I fail to see why BT is getting so worked up. He is doing his thing. Jimmy and Tia are doing theirs. The projects are separate products, similar in some ways and different is some ways. Both are frequently being changed, upgraded, and improved. For the life of me, I fail to see the problem. Of course, BT could be jealous, but I would hate to think so.

That's all for now.

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks 10-31-07

2007-10-30T19:04:00.000-07:00

I have read with interest the comments about the XOW show Saturday night. I also read the comments, good and bad, about Psycho. Now, I was unable to attend the XOW show because the individual I was supposed to ride with decided to go to Tunica instead, and did not think to tell me. I probably won't ride with him anymore, lol. It sounds like it was a pretty decent show, although it ran a little too long. I will try to be at the next XOW show.

The negative comments about Psycho really blow my mind. In my opinion he is one of the best around. I have seen Psycho in some classic matches, everything from singles action to tag matches to hardcore. He has always been entertaining, and is almost always a crowd favorite wherever he goes. So why all this hatin' on Psycho? Storm, on the message board, said it best:

"The people who say that about Psycho are the same people who are terrified to get in the ring with him. That's a fact. The man knows what he's doing in that ring. If you don't believe it, get in the ring with him. If not, then just say you're scared and be done with it."

OK, I am going to say a few things about the TFW show this past Friday night. First of all, Tony Watts, although one of your goons got me from behind, you still did not interfere in that match. I thoroughly enjoyed trying to knock some sense into you. I will not hesitate to do it again if you don't clean up your act. By the way, the brick you threw through my windshield Friday night will eventually end up back in your possession. How and when, well, that's for me to know. When it is time for you to know, you will find out.

I posted a picture on the news board a few days ago, hoping someone could help identify the wrestler. I called the individual who sent it to me and asked if he could provide any information as to how old it is. He said it has "Nacogdoches, Texas '72" written on the back of it. There have been several interesting guesses, including "Lord Humongous 30 years ago," The Masked Marquis de Sade (I never heard of him), Jason Voorhees, and JD McKay even suggested it is me, lol. Anyone else have any ideas? The individual who owns the photo is writing a book about the history of wrestling in Texas and would like to identify the worker.

This week's humor was sent in by Andrea DePriest. A NUN and A CABBIE: A cabbie picks up a Nun. She gets into the cab, and notices that the VERY handsome cab driver won't stop staring at her. She asks him why he is staring. He replies: "I have a question to ask you, but I don't want to offend you." She answers, "My son, you cannot offend me. When you're as old as I am and have been a nun as long as I have, you get a chance to see and hear just about everything. I'm sure that there's nothing you could say or ask that I would find offensive." The cabbie says, "Well, I've always had a fantasy to have a nun kiss me." She responds, "Well, let's see what we can do about that - #1, you have to be single, and #2, you must be Catholic." The cab driver is very excited and says, "Yes, I'm single and Catholic!" The nun says, OK, pull in to the next alley." The nun fulfills his fantasy, with a kiss that would make a hooker blush. But when they get back on the road, the cab driver starts crying. "My dear child," says the nun, "why are you crying?" The cabbie says, "Forgive me but I've sinned. I lied and I must confess, I'm married and I'm Baptist." The nun says, "That's OK. My name is Kevin and I'm going to a Halloween party."

Well, Booker T and Scott Hall are on their way to TNA. You can expect to see them both on Impact soon. I wonder, though, how they can afford Booker T? Scott Hall probably is not that expensive, but Booker prolly cost a pretty penny. Oh, I know, they parted company with Junior Fatu, but they were not paying him all that much, that's why he is gone. He wanted more, and they said no. So how can they afford Booker? TNA has never operated in the black that I know of. How can they afford the likes of Sting, Angle, Team 3-D, The Steiners, and all the other guys, and now Booker? Hmmm....

I was surprised to read that Nick Dinsmore, better known as Eugene in WWE, has been hired as the OVW Beginner Class Trainer. Who expected that? Didn't WWE just fire Dinsmore because of wellness policy violations? Now, just a few weeks later, he's back teaching the beginners in OVW. Well, it is WWE!

Speaking of WWE, I would be willing to bet that the RAW ratings go way, way up Monday night, when Stone Cold returns and DX reunites. Do you think Vince will get the message? I hope so, but I doubt it. I just don't know how many more stupid ladies costume battle royals I can take. Not to mention how many more stupid Hornswaggle segments we have to suffer through. Please, Vince, listen to the fans.

It's time for YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID! This week we focus on Ken Charles Barger, 47, who accidentally shot himself to death in December in Newton , NC. Awakening to the sound of a ringing telephone beside his bed, he reached for the phone but grabbed instead a Smith &
Wesson 38 Special, which discharged when he drew it to his ear.

That’s all for this week. If you have any responses, feedback, criticism,compliments, or whatever, send ‘em to axemanchopchop@yahoo.com. Who knows, you might actually get a reply.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

The Axeman has spoken.

Axeman Speaks 10-27-07

2007-10-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

As you have seen, this edition of Axeman Speaks has absolutely nothing to do with professional wrestling.

The historic photos above and information below were emailed to me by a friend. I found them to be very interesting, and so I am passing them on.

These Pearl Harbor photos were recently found in an old Brownie camera stored in a foot locker since 1941. They were taken by a sailor who was on the USS Quapaw ATF-110 during the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. It is amazing that the film was still good enough to produce these spectacular photos. Pay attention to the old vehicles and the number of ships that were in that harbor at that time. Also note the ship casualty list that follows.

On Sunday, December 7th, 1941 the Japanese launched a surprise attack against the U.S. Forces stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. By planning his attack on a Sunday, the Japanese commander Admiral Nagumo, hoped to catch the entire fleet in port. As luck would have it, the Aircraft Carriers and one of the Battleships were not in port. (The USS Enterprise was returning from Wake Island, where it had just delivered some aircraft. The USS Lexington was ferrying aircraft to Midway, and the USS Saratoga and USS Colorado were undergoing repairs in the United States).

In spite of the latest intelligence reports about the missing aircraft carriers (his most important targets), Admiral Nagumo decided to continue the attack with his force of six carriers and 423 aircraft. At a range of 230 miles north of Oahu, he launched the first wave of a two-wave attack.

Beginning at 0600 hours his first wave consisted of 183 fighters and torpedo bombers which struck at the fleet in Pearl Harbor and the airfields in Hickam, Kaneohe and Ewa. The second strike, launched at 0715 hours, consisted of 167 aircraft, which again struck at the same targets.

At 0753 hours the first wave consisting of 40 Nakajima B5N2 "Kate" torpedo bombers, 51 Aichi D3A1 "Val " dive bombers, 50 high altitude bombers and 43 Zeros struck airfields and Pearl Harbor. Within the next hour, the second wave arrived and continued the attack. When it was over, the U.S. losses were:

Casualties

USArmy 218 KIA, 364 WIA.

USN: 2,008 KIA, 710 WIA.

USMC: 109 KIA, 69 WIA.

Civilians: 68 KIA, 35 WIA.

TOTAL: 2,403 KIA, 1,178 WIA.

Battleships

USS Arizona (BB-39) - Total loss when a bomb hit her magazine.

USS Oklahoma (BB-37) - Total loss when she capsized and sunk in the harbor.

USS California (BB-44) - Sunk at her berth. Later raised and repaired.

USS West Virginia (BB-48) - Sunk at her berth. Later raised and repaired.

USS Nevada - (BB-36) Beached to prevent sinking. Later repaired.

USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) - Light damage.

USS Maryland (BB-46) - Light damage.

USS Tennessee (BB-43) Light damage.

USS Utah (AG-16) - (former battleship used as a target) - Sunk.

Cruisers

USS New Orleans (CA-32) - Light Damage.

USS San Francisco (CA38) - Light Damage.

USS Detroit (CL-8) - Light Damage.

USS Raleigh (CL-7) - Heavily damaged but repaired.

USS Helena (CL-50) - Light Damage.

USS Honolulu (CL-48) - Light Damage.

Destroyers

USS Downes (DD-375) - Destroyed. Parts salvaged.

USS Cassin - (DD-37 2) Destroyed. Parts salvaged.

USS Shaw (DD-373) - Very heavy damage.

USS Helm (DD-388) - Light Damage.

Minelayer

USS Ogala (CM-4) - Sunk but later raised and repaired.

Seaplane Tender

USS Curtiss (AV-4) - Severely damaged but later repaired.

Repair Ship

USS Vestal (AR-4) - Severely damaged but later repaired.

Harbor Tug

USS Sotoyomo (YT-9) - Sunk but later raised and repaired.

Aircraft

188 Aircraft destroyed (92 USN and 92 U.S. Army Air Corps).

The Axeman Speaks 10-23-07

2007-10-21T18:59:00.000-07:00

Greetings, wrestleholics!

Would you believe... I received an instant message from GQ Maxim last week. Would you believe... He wants an interview?! Well, GQ, here's my answer: NO. I only do interviews with people who have made some kind of contribution to wrestling, and that ain't you, bubba.

Well, I see that Haywood Jablomi did not take me up on my challenge to write a column. I didn't think he would. With that, I will end the folly of responding to his bullshit. First of all, I refuse to believe that Haywood Jablomi is his real name. No parent would name a kid that. Second, it is obvious that, whoever he is, he is never going to appear at GTW in West Point to back up what he says. In fact, he will never go anywhere to back up anything he says. So, with that, I close the book on Haywood. He can post what he wants, but from this point on I will ignore him.

That brings me to Tony "the Weasel" Watts. Yes, friends, I gave him a little surprise Friday night at TFW when I prevented him from interfering in a match. Oh boy, is he mad. Well, I don't care. I will be handcuffed to him during the Neil Taylor vs. Fusion match at TFW this Friday night to make sure he does not stick his nose into things again. Banana Nose says it won't happen, but I assure you, my friends, it will. By the way, TFW match results are posted on the news board.

Speaking of TFW, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate TFW on their 5th Anniversary! It is hard to believe that TFW has been around for that long... It seems like only yesterday that they were starting up! The TFW show Friday night will not only be TFW's Halloween show, it will also be their 5th Anniversary celebration as well. Check the write up on the News Board for all the details. I am happy to have a small part in TFW, and I hope to be with TFW for a long time. I'm having a blast!

Chuck Taylor, Ricochet, UltraMantis Black, and Hydra from CHIKARA (and maybe more Chikara stars) will appear at the TFW show in Tupelo 11-30-07. It will be a great show, so don't miss it!

GTW had a good show Saturday night in West Point. There were no bad matches, and everyone there seemed to enjoy the show. There was a costume contest prior to the show, and, I am told, a lot of fun was had by all. I enjoyed announcing there Saturday night. I don't know when I will be back there, but I will try to get back soon. Match results are posted on the news board.

One individual I am impressed with at GTW is... believe it or not... Jay Webster. I always liked him, he's a nice guy and fun to be around, and he has often been entertaining in the ring with some of his antics, but not particularly impressive as a wrestler. But he did try hard, and was slowly getting better. Since going to GTW and turning heel, however, I was shocked that he has actually learned some things about how to work a crowd, and has continued to improve as a wrestler. Now, a WWE star he ain't, and never will be. His size prevents him from ever going beyond local indy wrestling. He is, however, much improved. I never thought I would be saying this, but I was impressed with Webster and his progress.

WWE Hall of Fame member Bobby "The Brain" Heenan recently had surgery on his jaw. The surgery was to replace his jaw bone with bone taken from his hip. I would like to take this opportunity to wish him a speedy recovery.

It's time for YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID. This week we focus on James Burns, 34, (a mechanic) of Alamo, MI, who was killed in March as he was trying to repair what police describe as a "farm-type truck." Burns got a friend to drive the truck on a highway while Burns hung underneath, so that he could ascertain the source of a noise. Burns clothes caught on something, however, and the other man found Burns "wrapped in the drive shaft."

Much has been said and written about the low ratings of WWE RAW the past several weeks. Apparently nobody at WWE can understand why the ratings are so low, because I have seen no changes on RAW. Here is what is wrong: Hornswaggle as Vince McMahon's bastard son... stupid. It's getting old, Vince. We've had enough. Vince McMahon acting like a royal SOB... We've seen it for years. It's getting old. But Vince will continue to appear on RAW, because, unfortunately, he is WWE's #1 heel. William Regal as GM of RAW... stupid. Jonathan Coachman... stupid. Coachman as Regal's flunky... even more stupid. Ric Flair gone... stupid. Whatever it takes, get him back. Booker T gone... unfortunate. WWE should never have suspended him for 60 days. WWE has now, probably, lost him to TNA. Cena out with an injury... the timing could not have been worse. Orton as Champion... it's working for now, but it won't for long. Umaga... boring, it's getting old, Vince. Vince having HHH beaten up all the time... stupid; it ain't working, so it's time HHH kicks ass. The solution: Get out of the way, Vince. Get off of RAW completely.You stayed off RAW Monday night, so stay gone for a long time. Let your creative staff be creative. Listen to Dusty Rhodes. Keep Stephanie out of the way. She knows not what she is doing. Use HBK in a way that is entertaining; we are tired of seeing him get beaten up, so let him whip ass. Use Kennedy in a way that is entertaining. Perhaps putting the Intercontinental belt on him is a good start. Bring back DX. Think outside the box. Cody Rhodes & Bob Holly teaming up is a good idea, IF you will put them in the ring with some legitimate competition. Bring back Trish Stratus, even if it costs you lots of greenbacks. How about Stone Cold Steve Austin as GM of RAW? How about using Hacksaw Jim Duggan more? Seems to me that he is getting a bigger pop from the crowd than a lot of the other WWE guys are. Here is a radical thought: ASK the fans what they want, and then GIVE IT TO THEM. Food for thought.... Of course, it IS Vince and WWE we are talking about, so it will never happen....

ECW isn't any better. What a weak talent roster they have now, compared to just a few short months ago. RVD is gone. There are those who say he will return, but I don't see it happening any time soon. We are about tired of seeing CM Punk. Sabu is gone. In fact, most of the ECW "originals" are gone. In an effort to do something to get the ECW ratings up, WWE is beginning to "exchange" Smackdown and ECW talent, meaning Smackdown stars will appear on ECW, and ECW stars will appear on Smackdown. I predict a lot more Smackdown stars on ECW than the other way around. This move may have worked, because, in spite of crappy ratings, WWE has announced that ECW will remain on Sci Fi through 2008. Their current contract expires at the end of December. It will be interesting to see if WWE actually combines SD & ECW eventually. They might as well, because the two brands travel together, do house shows together, and now this new "arrangement." We will see what happens....

Candice Michelle was injured during her match with Beth Phoenix on RAW Monday night. She had a nasty fall from the top rope on her shoulder which knocked her out. She was taken to a hospital for evaluation, and she was later diagnosed with a concussion and a broken collar bone.
According to reports on WWE .com, she will be out of action for 4 to 6 weeks. That's unfortunate, and I wish her a speedy recovery. I like the girl.

RAW actually was a little better (in my opinion) this week, although the ratings did not change much. Mickie James, London, & Kendrick vs. Melina, Cade, & Murdoch was not a bad match at all. Mickie James looked especially good. Cody Rhodes v. Shelton Benjamin was OK. Harry Smith defeating WWE's biggest jobber Carlito was decent also. Look for bigger things from this guy. Ron Simmons vs. Santino Marella was kind of stupid, but in an entertaining sort of way. I do wish Marella would just go away. Beth Phoenix vs. Candice Michelle was a decent match, until Candice's fall. I was a little surprised that Beth Phoenix did not seem to know what to do when told that Candice was hurt. Grabbing her by the hair and pulling her head up was not the thing to do. Shawn Michaels & Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton & Ken Kennedy was a pretty good match, although HBK does not seem to be at full steam or something. He seems a little rusty, or his timing is off, or something. Umaga vs. Hornswaggle never happened, but the brawl ans subsequent pull apart between HHH and Umaga was great.

OK, on to TNA.... Apparently, the warring factions within TNA have kissed and made up, at least for now. The Jeff Jarrett faction and the Kurt Angle faction reportedly have "worked things out." For how long, I wonder?

During the past couple of weeks, we have been seeing a little of Talia Madison on TNA. Well, she is now an "official" member of the TNA family. She has announced on her official MySpace page that she has signed with TNA Wrestling.

I don't know about you, but I am tired of seeing Abyss get screwed over or beaten up all the time. It's time TNA lets him do a little ass whipping.

All in all, I think the 2 hour Impact shows have been good. There is a little too much Russo, in my opinion, in the shows so far, but I have seen worse. There are some things that really don't seem to make sense, like on this past week's Impact, Team 3-D squashing the MCMG's and calling out the X-Division, where is TNA going with that? It has no purpose that I can see, but maybe they have something in mind. The only way I see it working is building to a Team 3-D vs. MCMG feud. TNA is bad about starting something and then seemingly forgetting about it and going in another direction. I hope this is not the case here. Awesome Kong squashing Talia Madison was to be expected since TNA is obviously trying to build up Kong. But GEEZ, that Talia is hot! Storm & Rood vs. Harris & Rhino was a pretty good tag match. The champions ceremony was good, but I thought it ran too long. Kazarian vs. Lance Hoyt was a ho hum match. Nothing to write home about. Disco Inferno vs. Abyss was... well... WHY is Disco Inferno in TNA? I just don't see him fitting in anywhere. Abyss destroyed him, then Black Reign came in and destroyed Abyss. The rat in the bag on the head thing was a little bit strange. The Black Reign gimmick is the best gimmick I have seen Runnels do. Christian Cage vs. Samoa Joe was decent, but there we go with those blasted run-ins again. It was a great match until that crap started. Over all I give it a positive rating, even with the flaws. Their back stage stuff just plain sucks eggs.

On to the joke of pro wrestling in the Mid-South right now, MAW. They had an anniversary show this past weekend. Only six people paid to see the show. Needless to say, somebody lost their ass. Why have a show if you are not going to promote it? How do they expect people to know about the show, telepathy? It is rumored that MAW is done. If so, it is not unexpected. The group has not had what I would call a successful show in a long time. Give it up.

Well, the VCW/SCW saga continues... Volunteer Championship Wrestling supposedly became Southeastern Championship Wrestling when Billy Ray Hickerson teamed up with Ricky Guys. According to a report by BT at www.rasslinriotonline, "apparently the SCW name was owned by another person and he wanted a piece of the pie if they were going to run shows in Tennessee with Guys." The report also says that Hickerson is having trouble reaching Guys, because Guys is not answering his phone. So the show will go on as planned this Saturday in Selmer, TN, at 12:00 noon, under the VCW banner. Guys will have no part in it. Hickerson is better off without Ricky Guys.

The show of the weekend for this part of the country is XOW in Independence, MS, at Independence Middle School Gym. Bell time is 8:00. On the card are "Superstar" Bill Dundee, Grady Watson, Sarge O'Reilly, Hollywood Jimmy Blaylock, "Bad Attitude" Tony Dabbs, "The Studd" Scott Porteau, Max & John Steele, "Prime Time" Nick Grimes, "Southern Thunder" Chris Kilgore, Colton Anderson, Wraith, Chris Styles, Anton Levigh, Tat2, Josh Matthews, Anita Page, Brandon Barbwire, Uncle Felton, Giant Hillbilly, and more! There will be a Halloween Costume Contest - Best dressed gets $100! Tickets are $8.00, $5.00 for students. It will be a great show, so BE THERE if you can!

This week's humor was sent in by Andrea Depriest:

ACTUAL AUSTRALIAN COURT DOCKET #1265
A lady about 8 months pregnant got on a bus. She noticed the man opposite her was smiling at her. She immediately moved to another seat. This time the smile turned into a grin, so she moved again. The man seemed more amused when on the fourth move, the man burst out laughing, she complained to the driver and he had the man arrested and charged with sexual harassment. The case came up in court. The judge asked the man (about 20 years old) what he had to say for himself. The man replied, "Well your Honor, it was like this: When the lady got on the bus, I couldn't help but notice her condition. She sat under a sweets sign that said: The Double Mint Twins are Coming, and I grinned. Then she moved and sat under a sign that said: Logan's Liniment will reduce the swelling, and I had to smile. Then she placed herself under a deodorant sign that said, William's Big Stick Did the Trick, and I could hardly contain myself. BUT, your Honor, when she moved the fourth time and sat under a sign that said, Goodyear rubber could have prevented this accident... I just lost it." The judge, laughing, said, "CASE DISMISSED!!"

The 8th and final segment of the interview with Studd will be up in a few days. More interviews and articles will follow in my In the Spotlight column.

That's all for this week. If you have any feedback, email me at axemanchopchop@yahoo.com. I will be answering emails in a column in the near future. I have not done that in a long time.

We are one more column closer to the final one!

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks October 16, 2007

2007-10-15T21:42:00.000-07:00

(My grandson, Isaak)

Greetings Earthlings! We have a lot to talk about, so we'll start with some idiots (Cannon calls them "Nuts of the Week," I call 'em idiots).

The following post appeared on the message board last week:
Name: Haywood Jablomi
Country:
Date: Wed Oct 10 09:43:41 2007
Comment: hey omega why does everyone hate you? do they think you & me are the same ppl, hey axeman get my name right, its "J A B L O M I" don,t give me a reason to pick on you, your messing with the meanest, baddest person that has ever walked the face of the earth, and this go's out to all you other jabroney wannabe's...rite-here-at-ya"(the-bird sign)HAHAHAHAHAHa.

Now, that's gotta be the worst bunch of spelling blunders and bad grammar I have ever seen. It rivals Cannon's posts (LOL). But bad grammar and spelling aside, Haywood Jablomi dared to threaten me. Look, idiot, you are showing just how stupid you really are with all your idiotic posts. You come on the board and make threats which, of course, you never carry out. You are the self proclaimed "meanest, baddest person that has ever walked the face of the earth." Well, I will give you some advice, which I suggest you pay close attention to. Don't threaten me. Do you understand that, Haywired Jalopy? I hope so.

Here is another post on the message board by the aforementioned idiot:

Name: Haywood Jablomi
Country:
Date: Fri Oct 12 23:14:38 2007
Comment: J.D McKay you one thing we both agree on "HEAT". Heat can only come from a true hill, I piss anyone off, anytime, anywhere. I am the best of the best all hands down. The shows some promotions do are so damn lame, it runs fans off. People want to see real action not fakey crap.

So, Haywired, heat can only come from a true "hill." What a profound statement. Obviously, when he is riding in his car and goes up a hill, he feels heat. When he goes down a hill, he feels heat. When he sees a hill in the distance, he feels heat. Not just any hill, mind you, it has to be a "true hill." I am sure this poor, unfortunate Haywired's life is a major uphill battle, so I am sure he really feels a lot of heat. That explains why he is so full of hot air.

I also read Omega's statement on the board about the comments made in my last column. Apparently, Omega felt like I had accused him of something, which just ain't so. I had written about a half page response to his post, but I will not include it in this or any future column. Omega was apparently acting on second hand information, which was not accurate. He posted the following on the message board last week:

Name: omega
Country: to axeman
Date: Tue Oct 9 13:46:29 2007
Comment: when i'm wrong i'll say i'm wrong....so i apologize to you for jumping your as# i was working under wrong info. but to clear something up i was not "unprofessional" a couple of weeks ago...there is more than what is being told. again i'm sorry!

Apology accepted, Omega. You say there is more to the story than what is being told. If that is the case, tell me what you have to say about the rest of the story. I would love to know. So, I am sure, would my readers.

OK, on to other stuff....

Kevin Nash's contract with TNA has expired. He did work the Pay Per View Sunday, although he is no longer under contract. Nash is currently in the process of negotiating a new contract with TNA. Vince Russo wants Nash to return to in ring work. Nash is apparently healthy and not at all opposed to wrestling again, but in order for him to return to the ring, he wants more money. He will get it. Plans are already on the drawing board for matches with Kurt Angle & Sting. Look for an announcement of an agreement being reached in the near future. Nash apparently wants to bring in Scott Hall and Sean Waltman. Both are good ideas.

Ric Flair will return to WWE at some point in the future. What his role will be is not clear, but he has been doing a few autograph signings and such for WWE, and I believe he will return in some capacity. Flair is in the enviable position of WWE needing him a lot worse than he needs WWE right now. I do hope he gets one more title run in WWE.

John Graziano, Nick Hogan's passenger in the August car accident, will not, according to reports, ever recover from his brain injuries. The damage is permanent, and he will be in a nursing home for the rest of his life. Graziano's parents, who are separated, are fighting it out in court as to who should be his legal guardian. That is very sad. The entire situation is really sad. The Hogans are apparently still very close to the Graziano family in spite of all that has happened. The investigation into the crash is continuing, and Nick could face criminal charges when the investigation is concluded. It has been said that something good comes out of every situation, no matter how bad it is. I just don't see anything good coming from this. (Partial credit: http://www.wrestlinginc.com/).

It's time for YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID! This week we feature... Sandman! Yes, friends, Sandman did a stupid thing, and he paid for it by getting what he foolishly asked for. "When some of the WWE stars were on tour in South Africa in early September, Sandman got drunk with some of the wrestlers before a flight. Road agent Ricky Steamboat was sitting in front of a wasted Sandman. Sandman put an unlit cigarette in his mouth and Steamboat turned around to tell him that you can't smoke on an airplane. Sandman scoffed back at Steamboat by saying that the cigarette wasn't lit and that he didn't have a lighter on him anyways. It was simply in his mouth for the 'taste'. Ahh, addictions. Anyways, on one of the shows on the tour, due to time constraints, some wrestlers were pulled from the show, including Sandman. Sandman thought it was Steamboat's way of getting back at him. He then called Johnny Ace asking for his release from WWE. A few days later on September 11, Ace gave him his release from the company. Prior to his release, Vince McMahon wanted to turn him heel and give him a significant run on Raw, because the brand is desperately lacking heels. McMahon was a big fan of The Sandman's unique character, hence his promotion from ECW to Raw." Credits: http://www.wrestleview.com/ & http://www.wrestlinginc.com/. Yes, friends, it appears that Sandman is out of WWE because of a "misunderstanding" over an unlit cigarette in his mouth on a plane when he was "wasted." Stupid....

I must address a situation which occurred at TFW this past Friday night. There have been several posts on the message board about a valet at TFW being "too drunk to work." Several have speculated that it was Anita Page. That is TOTALLY INCORRECT. It was NOT Anita page. Anita has always been extremely professional, and Friday night was no exception. Those who were there will remember that Anita did work and did her job well. The other girl, who was in no condition to do anything, was pulled from the show prior to the opening bell and left later. Again, it was NOT Anita Page, and those of you who posted that crap on the board owe Anita an apology.

I must address another situation that occurred at TFW Friday night involving an outright assault by Tony "The Weasel" Watts. First of all, Tony Watts is not employed at TFW. He is the Promoter of XOW Wrestling, so as far as I am concerned he has no stinking business at TFW. Tony Watts asked me to step away from the announcer's table Friday night and talk to him. I assumed he just wanted some time to run his mouth or do an interview. I have interviewed The Weasel many times. However, he brought out Sarge O'Reilly, and proceeded to brag about what a great wrestler he is, and that he had brought Sarge to TFW to prove something. Then... The Weasel slapped me. I did nothing to deserve that. I did nothing to provoke him at all. Then he poured a bottle of water on me. Tony Watts is without a doubt a low life, egg sucking, rotten, stinking, inbred, banana nosed mangy dog. Tony Watts, you will regret what you did.

It is official... Booker T and Sharmell are gone from WWE effective October 28, 2007. Booker issued an official statement, which you can read on the news board. To clear up some confusion, Booker & Sharmell were not fired by WWE, they left. They chose to depart WWE by not coming back from the 60 day suspension, which, by the way, Booker says was completely uncalled for. He says he never used any illegal drugs, and that he never purchased anything from Signature Pharmacy.

According to a post on WWE.com, WWE is apparently running an angle that has Vicki Guerrero and Armando Estrada in negotiations for an agreement which would allow Smackdown and ECW stars to compete on both Tuesday and Friday nights. While I realize this is starting off as an "agreement" angle, I look for the eventual consolidation of Smackdown and ECW into one brand. ECW has become somewhat benign and "in a rut" lately, and has a very weak talent roster in comparison with the other brands. Combining the two brands would make better use of available talent. Combining the two brands would also help get WWE out of the boring rut they seem to be in lately. Let's face it, ECW has never really caught on like WWE wanted it to.

As incredible as it may seem, word has reached me that Steve Creasy is once again going to bring back CCW. Yeah, right! Where have we heard that before?! A local worker told me recently that he has been contacted by Creasy about being booker for CCW. Prediction: It will never happen. We'll see....

This week's humor was sent in by Devon Raynes: A flight attendant was stationed at the departure gate to check tickets. As a man approached, she extended her hand for the ticket and he opened his trench coat and flashed her. Without missing a beat, she said, "Sir, I need to see your ticket, not your stub."

The next segment of the interview with Stud will be up in a few days. Also coming is an interview with a well-known wrestling personality. Stay tuned, folks....

I was about to end this column when... this post appeared on the message board:

Name: Haywood Jablomi
Country:
Date: Tue Oct 16 12:47:54 2007
Comment: We are sick and tired of axeman speaks, time for a new breed, like haywood speaks or doug from west point speaks, at least we would tell the real truth, that is what the fans want, so once a week I will post a column of haywood speaks, an up to date column with the real truth not some lame crap like axwman posts.

LOLOL... so, Haywired, you want to write a column? There is another post on the board which says that before you can write a column you have to know something. Well, idiot, I don't think you know jack, but if you really want to write a column, write it and send it to me at the email address below. I guarantee it will be posted on this site EXACTLY as written. Here are the stipulations: It has to be about wrestling. No vulgarity. No profanity. No racial slurs or remarks. No attacking anybody's family. Deadline is Sunday noon. OK, get to typing! The wrestling world is waiting!

That's all for this edition. If you have any feedback, send it to axemanchopchop @ yahoo.com. I will respond if time permits.

We are now one column closer to the last one.

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks 10-7-07

2007-10-07T17:36:00.000-07:00

(My grandson, Wesley)

Greetings, friends. It has been a while since my last update, so we have a lot to talk about, starting with... GTW.

That's right, friends & neighbors, Golden Triangle Wrestling down in West Point has been taking a lot of crap on the message board, primarily from some idiot calling himself "Haywood Jabaloney" or something like that. He was on the board all week long last week running his mouth, making threats, promising to show up at GTW this past Saturday night. He said, "I can tell you whats gonna happen at GTW 10-06-07. I'm coming to take out the trash, I'm fixing to clean house. Its gonna be like UFC I won't be pulling no punches, I'm fixin to close some pie holes and swell some eyes shut. I hope it a packed house. Cause the fans are gonna see me kick some wrestlers ass." Well, needless to say, Haywierd did not show up. I have no idea who this idiot is, but he obviously has way too much time on his hands. As the old saying goes, "Idle minds are the devil's workshop." A number of people I talked to Saturday night in West Point seem to think that Haywired Jabaloney is really Omega. Well, I would hope Omega is more professional than that, but they say he behaved very unprofessionally at GTW several weeks ago, so who knows.... Whoever it is, I hope he will shut up now, because he has shown that he is all talk and no backbone.

As I said above, I did go to the GTW show Saturday night. Was it the best show I have ever seen? Not by a long shot. Was it the worst show I have ever seen? Not by a long shot. With the exception of the first match, it was a decent show. GTW is doing their best to give the fans a good show every week. The fans Saturday night were into the entire show. They seemed to have a good time. They seemed satisfied. They were entertained... That is what is important. GTW will be back next week with another show. They will be back the next week, and the next week, and the next week. So bash them on the boards all you want to, Haywire Jabaloney, it won't do you any good. By the way, results from the show Saturday night at GTW are up on the Wrestling News Center.

Speaking of the Wrestling News Center, I posted a story there Sunday afternoon about a shouting match that took place at OVW between CM Punk and Tony Atlas. According to the article, "Atlas was on hand evaluating the matches and had made a remark earlier in the day to Punk about his practice of heavily taping his hands and arms and told him that's not the look the office wants." Apparently, it pissed Atlas off that Punk did not remove the tape, and that led to a verbal altercation after the show. Punk loudly asked Atlas, "Do you even watch our show? Do you even know who I am?" Now, I find this entire situation a bit amusing. Atlas apparently thought Punk had a bad attitude and was disrespectful, but I think the real issue here is the fact that Atlas appears to have had no real clue who Punk really was. If this is the case, Atlas is out of touch with the current WWE product, which makes him come off as a complete dumb ass in this case. I find it odd that Atlas was even at OVW "evaluating matches" in the first place if he does not even have a clue as to who one of the top WWE stars is.

It's time for YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID. While Tony Atlas might qualify for this segment, we will feature The U. S. Marshall Service. It seems that security guards refused to allow a woman into a federal courthouse until she removed a bra that triggered a metal detector.
Lori Plato said she and her husband, Owen Plato, were stunned when U.S. Marshals Service employees asked her to remove her bra after the under wire supports set off the alarm.
"I asked if I could go into the bathroom because they didn't have a privacy screen and no women security officers were available," Plato said Wednesday. "They said, 'No.' Patrick McDonald, the U.S. Marshal in Boise, said appropriate security protocols were followed in the Sept. 20 matter, and guards suggested she simply remove the bra in her car outside, or find a restaurant bathroom. Generally, McDonald said, undergarments aren't considered a danger to security. "I don't think they're considered a weapon, really, the last time I looked," he said.
He declined to discuss other ways the federal courthouse guards could have screened Plato for weapons. Plato wants the Marshals Service to apologize and stop forcing women to disrobe.
"It was very humiliating," her husband, Owen Plato, said. "They could have handled it with a much more professional attitude." Well, that WAS stupid. However, the U. S. Marshall Service may have stumbled onto something good. Federal court would be much more interesting if the women were topless... On second thought, that might be scary in some cases....

TNA's first two hour Impact is now in the history books. Now, I know TNA has taken a lot of flack about the show, and I will agree they could and should have done some things differently. The show, however, was not that bad. I actually thought Black Reign vs. Rhino would be a disaster, but it actually turned out to be a fairly decent match. I have to say that was the best Dustin Rhodes has looked in a long time. Black Reign will be a good gimmick for him. Run in after run in, however, was absolutely ridiculous. Team 3-d vs. Team Pacman was... well... OK. It was just OK. While Adam "Pacman" Jones has no business in TNA, and while his not being able to have any contact is stupid, TNA handled it in a way that was not too bad. The match was OK. There was another run in, which was not the best thing to do, but the match, for what it was, was OK. I thought the women's match was very good. Gail Kim, if pushed correctly, could be THE star in the new TNA women's division. She's that good. Of course, Jackie Moore is a great worker. Again, more run ins, which actually took away from the match. More Russo crap probably. In spite of that, it was a good match. Then we come to the gauntlet match. What was the point? There was nothing on the line, no championship, no #1 contendership, nothing. So why have a gauntlet match? The action was good, but it did seem a little rushed at times. It was not a bad match, but a gauntlet here was stupid. That was probably one of Russo's brilliant ideas. Again, for what it was, it was a decent match. The main event was OK. Rikishi is HUGE. He can hardly move. He needs to shed some major weight. I would have rather seen a good singles match here. After the gauntlet match, it just seemed like too many bodies in there for too long. But, let's face it, if they had done a singles match, it would not have stayed a singles match for long. All those guys would have just run in anyway, so screw it, put 'em all in there and let 'em go at it. Again, for what it was, it was not a bad match. The segment with Roode and Tracy Brooks arguing, then the dumb ass girl interviewers arguing was absolutely pointless and stupid, and should have been left out. I also thought the entire deal between Kurt Angle and Sting was dumb. How come Sting didn't just call the cops? With all its flaws, however, it was not a bad show. It was nothing spectacular, but not bad either. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it a 6.5.

For anyone who missed the show, here are match results:

Rhino defeated Black Reign. Gail Kim defeated Jackie Moore. Team Pacman (Ron Killings & Pacman Jones) defeated Team 3D (Brother Ray & Brother Devon) by DQ.
10-Man Gauntlet Match: Eric Young defeated James Storm. The other participants were Kaz, Robert Roode, Petey Williams, Jimmy Rave, Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley, Lance Hoyt, and Chris Harris. Samoa Joe, Junior Fatu, & LAX (Homicide & Hernandez) defeated The Christian Coalition (Christian Cage & AJ Styles), & Triple X (Christopher Daniels & Senshi).

The following post was made on the Mid-Southern Wrestling message board on October 4:

"Sean Evans passed away on Tuesday, October 2, losing a long battle with lung cancer, despite never smoking a day in his life - second-hand smoke presumed to be the catalyst. He was 36. Sean wrestled for numerous Georgia groups over the years, including Wildside, as well as short stints in both ECW and, on a per appearance enhancement basis, WWE. When you get a chance, wish a nice thought and tip a glass for one of wrestling's hopelessly nice guys and one of its most nimble and accommodating, if unheralded, performers." I met Sean Evans briefly on two occasions, and saw him work on several occasions, and he did indeed seem like a nice guy. RIP, Sean Evans, and thanks for the memories.

The next segment of the interview with The Stud, Scott Porteau, will be up in a day or two on this site. Check it out at "In the Spotlight."

That's all for now. If you have any feedback, criticism, compliments, or whatever, email me at axemanchopchop@yahoo.com.

The Axeman Speaks, 9-27-07

2007-09-26T21:14:00.001-07:00

There has been a lot of speculation as to why Randy Orton was not on RAW Monday night. Many have speculated that he was suspended. To all you Orton haters out there, that is not the case. He was gone from RAW because he is a newlywed. He got married a couple of days earlier, and, I am sure, was otherwise occupied.

The following was posted on Hollywood's message board today (Thursday) by "Doug in West Point: "I heard last night that Golden Triangle Wrestling in West Point had shut down. I'm sad that this has happened as I enjoyed going to the shows when I could. I would've like to have known what happened at the shows when I couldn't make it, but I never see results anywhere, so I think its good they finally just closed up shop." Well, lol, sorry to disappoint you, Doug, but as far as I know GTW is very much alive and well. I believe they have a show scheduled for this Saturday night in West Point. GTW owner & Promoter Dudley Williams is a man who is determined to make a go of it in West Point, and I understand he has had some decent shows and the crowd is slowly increasing. So... GTW is still around. Go find someone else to spread rumors about.

Speaking of the message board, someone calling himself James Ricco posted this example of stupidity: "Hey Axeman, why don't you update your column, or are you too busy doing your lame announcing at that idiot Mattox's wrestling show? Talk about two losers. Are you two gettin' ready to blow this Padgett guy's money trying to act like you know what you are doing? If you are reading this Padgett, be very careful. Ask yourself, how much money are they putting in and will they be there for you if this thing goes bust?" Well, moron, I am truly sorry that the high point of your week is reading my column. I guess I let you down this week, didn't I, by not posting soon enough to suit you. Let me say this... GET A LIFE! As far as Jason Mattox and the wrestling organization he is involved with, they have not even had their first show yet. That goes to show that you know NOTHING about what is going on in wrestling around here. As far as my loyalty goes, just who do you think you are to question my loyalty? That goes to show that you know nothing. Those who I have worked for, and those who are asking me to work for them, know there is no need to question my loyalty. Next time you post something, please do try to throw your brain in gear before you start typing.

I have gotten a lot of good feedback about my interview with The Studd, Scott Porteau. Part 5 is currently up. If you have not read it yet, hurry, because part 6 will be up in a few days. If you missed any of the previous parts, just email me and I will send them to you.

The next Axeman Speaks update will be up in about a week and a half. I will have a house full of company for several days, and will not update until then. I know this will break James Ricco's heart, but oh well....

That’s all for this week. If you have any comments, feedback, criticism, insults, compliments, or whatever, email me at axemanchopchop@yahoo.com. Thanks for reading.

We are one column closer to the last one!

The Axeman has spoken.

Bob Magee Reflects on 9/11

2007-09-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

This is a reprint, word for word, of a recent column by Bob Magee on Pro Wrestling: Between the Sheets. It is used with permission.

AS I SEE IT
by Bob Magee
Pro Wrestling: Between the Sheets
PWBTS.com

This past Tuesday made it six years since September 11, 2001. September 11, 2001...The kind of day that many Americans thought they were protected from, because of the two oceans that surround the 48 states of the continental United States of America.

September 11, 2001...The kind of day that many Americans thought happened in the Middle East...or Europe...or somewhere else.

September 11, 2001...The kind of day where America saw its most tragic event...and its most heroic sons and daughters.

Unknown to us all as we woke up and went to work, school, and to our daily activities... in the early hours of September 11, four commercial airliners departing from East Coast airports with full loads of fuel, were hijacked to be used as airborne weapons against the people and the economic structure of the United States.

At 8:46 am EDT, American Airlines Flight 11 from Boston crashed into the North Tower at the World Trade Center. Then, at 9:03 am, United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston crashed into the South Tower at the World Trade Center.

42 minutes later, at 9:45 am EDT, American Flight 77 crashed into The Pentagon. In Manhattan just 30 minutes later, at 10:05 am EDT, The South Tower at the World Trade Center collapsed.

At 10:10 am EDT, United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in a wooded area in Shanksville, PA, after the heroic efforts of passengers who confronted hijackers who had intended to crash Flight 93 into the US Capitol or the White House.

Finally, at 10:28 am EDT, in Manhattan, The North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed. 2,997 people (including 24 officially still listed as missing) were killed in those horrific two hours, consisting of 246 airline passengers (in Pennsylvania, New York, and Virginia), 2,626 in Manhattan (including 343 New York City Fire Department firefighters, 23 New York City Police Department officers, and 37 Port Authority police officers) and 125 at the Pentagon.

In the single largest loss of life of first responders in United States history, 403 police officers and firefighters lost their lives attempting to save those trapped in the World Trade Center. Those first responders who died, as well as those who survived...saved the lives of thousands upon thousands of office worker, service workers, and just plain everyday New Yorkers in that building....in a moment of heroism that is without precedent in American history.

Then, there was the everyday heroism of New Yorkers who did whatever they could to help; regardless of race, religion, creed, or their status of life. They did whatever they could to help strangers who they had never seen before...and likely have not seen since that Day of Horror. In a society that often gives far too much respect to rank and privilege, Americans became just plain Americans for one day...and for some days to come...and did whatever they had to do to survive the deadliest attack on America in its history.

People responded, coming to Ground Zero, literally tearing away rubble with their bare hands. They overwhelmed Red Cross centers to give blood for those precious few who were pulled out from the rubble of the World Trade Center. They went to every possible police, fire, and EMS station to ask how they could help. They donated hundreds of millions of dollars to 9/11 related charities.

Sadly, there are first responders who have died as a result of the toxic substances, which included asbestos, lead, mercury, dioxin, PAHs, crystalline silica, lead, cadmium, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Many of these substances are carcinogenic; while those that were not carcinogenic are known for causing kidney, heart, liver and nervous system deterioration. The State of New York and the Federal government have done little, if anything to compensate those first responders who came to Ground Zero to try and save lives.

So, on September 11, 2001, the United States of America was under attack.

Some of the names that you read about regularly on wrestling websites like mine had someone affected. Many more had loved ones who escaped through the grace of God, and the efforts of the heroic first responders. Given their proximity to Manhattan, a large number of the performers, office staff and others of the WWE had ties to New York City. All of those people were apparently and fortunately spared loss of life.

Even so, they and all of us experienced a deep wound to our hearts that endures to this day.

The only comparison for Americans that can be made to September 11, 2001, is to events such as Pearl Harbor, something I know of only through the fact that my father named me after a cousin of his...who is still buried with the USS Arizona, Robert Thomas Magee. My generation, and those born after it, had not actually experienced wartime or a moment reminiscent of it on a national scale until that crystal clear morning of September 11, 2001.

In those days back in 2001, many involved online and in wrestling itself offered their thoughts on how the events of September 11th have affected them. Here are excerpts of just a few of these comments back in 2001:

Dave Scherer, Daily Lariat, September 12th:
"...For all of the horrible things that occurred yesterday though, the events also put on display for the world something that makes Americans what they are, and that is the incredible heart of the American people. It's a character trait that should make us all proud of where we live. During the most horrific series of events this country has ever seen, the American people stood up to help their own. They went into crumbling buildings, knowingly risking their lives to help people in need. They offered their services to authorities. They stood in line at blood banks to make sure they could donate the liquid of life. People came to the aid of their brethren in their time of need, and that is exactly what being an American is all about... ...We were sent a wake up call yesterday. We were told that we need to appreciate what we have a little more than we have. When you see your loved ones, cherish them. Hug them. Kiss them. Realize how important they are to you and your life. When you get in your car and go to your job, realize how much you have. Don't take it for granted. We all have so much. We can't take it for granted because as yesterday showed, it can all be taken away in a moment."

Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer, September 12:
"...Yesterday was a day like no other, in all of our lives. It's a numbing feeling, knowing that our world has changed while watching a nightmare that few or us probably ever even considered was a possibility. To those of you who lost friends or family yesterday, my heart goes out to you... I hope everyone took a moment out yesterday to reflect and thank those who are closest to you for being close to you. There are so many people who are in our lives, loved ones, close friends, business relationships, that are there, day in and day out. Sometimes you take them for granted. We've all had our good times and our bad and are somehow linked together by a strange industry, that most of us no doubt spent very little time thinking about yesterday..."

Bill Goldberg, Goldbergbook.com:
"...I was watching something when -all of a sudden- the Special Report came on, showing that the first tower at the World Trade Center had been hit by an airplane, and was on fire. I then witnessed the second tower hit live on TV, like millions of others. I first thought it was fiction. I thought someone, somehow was playing a trick on television because it was, and still is, too surreal. I couldn't grasp what I was seeing. I continued to watch, just hoping and praying that it was a hoax. Sadly, it was true. I was riveted to the TV on Tuesday, and have been every day since. Even though I knew no one involved in the tragedy, a huge feeling of grief took over me. And whether you are directly effected or not, you still are directly affected ... we are all Americans. Watching the tragedy unfold on TV, I felt helpless. This guy who is revered by people around the world as being Superman-like ...but I didn't have the ability to get up and help; I had to watch it unfold like the rest of America. You can't even imagine what those people have been through. From the firefighters and policemen to the doctors, nurses and volunteers. This not only is a time of great grief, it also is a time of intrusion. But, when someone comes in our backyard and does something as horrendous as this, Americans seem to rally and combine for the common goal. Right now, Americans must come together as a whole, as one. Even though we want swift justice, everyone must understand that patience will overcome. These are times when every American must band together and show the world that, in our unity, we do possess, as the largest Super-Power on the planet, the ability to right the wrongs that have occurred. If there's anything I can do, I hope it becomes apparent. And soon...."

Those are thoughts from three well-known names from around wrestling.

The last story is from WrestleLine.com writer Alfonso Castillo, less known within wrestling than those above. But his is a very personal perspective on what happened on September 11, and the need for us all to treasure the simple pleasures we're given.

"...I spent Monday night as most of us did - watching WWE RAW on TNN. As I often do, I made the trip to Times Square to catch the show at WWE New York with my fiancée Dana. After dating for six years, the last had been a very trying one for us and we had been trying to work some of the kinks out of our relationship. We had a great night enjoying a fun show, getting pictures and autographs of Al Snow and the Tough Enough gang, and dining on some good food. I dropped off Dana late that night and as we said our good nights, Dana jokingly suggested we play hooky from work Tuesday and spend the day together. We both concluded that we'd be better off going to our respective jobs come Tuesday. For me it would mean heading out to Suffolk County to write about local primary elections.

For her it would mean researching financial documents at the Deutsche Bank building, located on Liberty Street in Manhattan, directly across the street from the World Trade Center....

...Shortly before 9:00 a.m. Tuesday morning, I woke up to the sound of the phone ringing. On the other side of the phone was Dana, but this wasn't the usual light and airy Dana I had come to know. Her tone was high, her speech fast and frenetic. "I'm just calling you because I don't want you to freak out," she told me, her voice trembling. "A plane just hit one of the Twin Towers, but I'm OK," she told me.

Her words seemed so ridiculous, I thought I might still be asleep and dreaming. I spun over quickly in my bed and reached for my neon green TV remote and clicked on the set.

The sight was just unreal. Fire shooting out of one of the massive Twin Towers as television anchormen and women scrambled to make sense out of what had just happened....

Within minutes of our conversation, I witnessed the second huge aircraft drive right through the massive adjacent tower. I tried calling Dana's job. No answer. I tried her cell phone. No answer.

I did quite the double take when the first tower collapsed. I thought the camera must be positioned in a way that one of the towers was obscured. I tried to rationalize what I had just seen a million different ways. There was no way one of the Twin Towers was simply not there anymore.

I tried reaching Dana again... and again... and again. Flash, redial, flash, redial, flash, redial at a frantic pace. Then it happened. With a huge cloud of smoke, the Twin Towers were no more.

I thought back to just days earlier when I enjoyed a salsa concert in the courtyard of the World Trade Center and was probably fixated more on the awesome skyscrapers than the stage. After living in New York for 24 years, the Twin Towers still took my breath away every time I was near them...

I remembered a few years earlier waiting on a long line to get through the fairly intense security to hop on an elevator en route to the top of the World Trade Center for the first time in my life. I remember pressing my nose up against the glass and marveling at the view. Somehow, some way, the Twin Towers, which had served as a security blanket for all of New York, if not the entire country, had vanished. And it wasn't even noon yet.

But before I could even process these thoughts, I thought about Dana. I thought about her walking away from the scene, but perhaps still being within blocks of the World Trade Center as gigantic pieces of rubble crashed to the ground. And I called and I called. And I panicked and feared the worst, all the while dealing with phone calls from her friends and family who also wondered about her whereabouts. It was one of the worst feelings I have ever experienced.

More than an hour passed before Dana finally called me from a payphone at Greenwich Village and told me she was safe. The sound of her voice on the phone gave me a sense of relief I have never before felt, and hope I will never be in a position to feel again... It would be several hours before Dana would finally get home. In total she consumed three bottles of water during her exhausting seven-hour hike in all over the borough of Manhattan and across the 59th Street Bridge, at the end of which she was finally able to get on a train....

This may be the first real crisis our generation has ever known, and I am taken aback by how everything else in life seems so irrelevant when contrasted against the televised images of a dark, winged silhouette colliding with one of our country's greatest symbols of freedom...."

Take time today to contemplate the events of six years ago... and send a special greeting to those you love.

http://www.pwbts.com/

There you have it, a very thought provoking and excellent column. My thanks to Bob Magee for allowing me to post it here.

- Axeman

The Axeman Speaks 9-16-07

2007-09-16T12:46:00.000-07:00

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, that’s OK. The fact is, when Axeman writes it, you read it (whether you agree with it or not), and that's what is important.

Greetings, wrestling fans! It has been an interesting week in wrestling. We have a lot of ground to cover. Let's start by talking about idiots. That's right, I said idiots... stupid, trouble making, shallow minded, egg sucking idiots, like the idiot who made this post on Hollywood's message board last week:

Name: freind
Country: USA
Date: Thu Sep 13 08:29:29 2007
Comment: AXEMAN IT'S NOT TONY WATTS FAULT THAT RPW WENT UNDER HE DID NOT STAND IN FRONT WITH A SIGN OR SAY ANYTHING BAD ABOUT THEM IF ARE A MAN YOU WILL MEET ME WHERE YOU GO EAT ON SUNDAY AND THEN YOU CAN TELL WHY TONY HURT THEM FACE TO FACE JUST TELL ME TIME.

Hmmm... You want to meet me where I go eat on Sunday? No way that will ever happen, chump. I usually eat at home on Sundays, and I sure don't want your miserable ass in my house. Now, as far as RPW goes, I never said it was Tony Watts that caused RPW to go under. I never said it. If I said it, I challenge you to show me where I said it. I have never said that, written that, or posted anything saying it. So you can get your idiotic self up off your ass and go make trouble somewhere else. Whatever you tried to start did not work.

Then there's GQ Maxim, who tried to have a war of words with me on the board, but gave up in total frustration and became silent again. GQ, when will you ever learn? You will not win a war of words with me. You can't even spell. You are nothing but a big goof who runs his mouth too much, until it gets you into trouble, like it did in the dressing room at a local show several years ago. So you really ought to stick to peddling your magazines, and leave the message board to the grown ups.

There is also an individual (some have told me it's GQ, but I really don't know who it is) who posted a series of messages on the message board last week under the name "Axeman" and using my email address, attempting to start trouble between me and Gene Jackson. It didn't work, did it, shit head? You obviously do not have enough to do. I suggest you get a job. Those with idle minds get themselves into trouble.

Somebody else will no doubt make some more bogus posts on the board after reading this. It's always interesting to see what these idiots will post. Cannon calls them "Nuts of the Week." I call them idiots.

Speaking of idiots on the board, why are there people attacking Jason Mattox and the new group he is a part of in Batesville? So what if they are going to run in Batesville? So what if Kenny used to run shows there? Kenny has not had a show in Batesville in several months. Jason plans on running every week. Kenny never did run every week in Batesville. I think Batesville will draw. I do not think Kenny gives a rat's behind whether they run or not. Kenny is busy with very successful shows in Kosciusko and other towns.

OK, on to other things....

I was somewhat surprised at the comments one worker at another show made recently about the promotion Jimmy Blaylock is booking for over in Alabama. He said that he did not see how the promotion was going to last past Christmas. Well, I got news for ya, pal, Southeastern Championship Wrestling drew over 400 paying fans Saturday night. They are doing very well. I look for them to run for a long, long time, and I also think they will be getting bigger and bigger. I believe they will have TV soon, and I look for them to expand into Mississippi at some point in the foreseeable future. The sky is the limit for them, and as long as Jimmy is booking and calling the shots, they will be successful. Do not be surprised if SCW accomplishes what DCW tried and failed to accomplish a couple of years ago.

OK, it's time for YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID! This week we focus on Mary Anne Huffman, of Lancaster, PA, who was in a golf pro shop comparing different kinds of golf balls. She was unhappy with the women's type she had been using. After browsing for several minutes, she was approached by one of the guys who works at the shop. He asked if he could help her. She looked at him and said, "I think I like playing with mens balls." When she realized that everyone in the store was staring at her, she also realized what she had said, and left very quickly to the sound of hysterical laughter. Yep, that was stupid. Gotta be careful what we say....

I just finished posting the WWE Unforgiven PPV match results on the news board. I wasn't even going to watch it, but I was invited over to a friend's house at the last minute to watch it, so I went. I almost wish I had not gone. This was, by far, the worst WWE show, PPV or other, that I have ever seen. There were three decent matches, but the rest of the show was pathetic. CM Punk vs. Elijah Burke was absolutely boring. MVP & Matt Hardy vs. Deuce & Domino was equally crappy. Triple H vs. Carlito was a little better, but it was nothing to write home about. Candice Michelle vs. Beth Phoenix was a decent match, but the finish left much to be desired. Beth beat the crap out of Candice Michelle the entire match, then out of nowhere Candice manages to win with a crucifix pin? That's pretty lame. Batista vs. The Great Khali vs. Rey Mysterio was not a very good match. Khali simply cannot wrestle. All he has going for him is his size. Rey Mysterio had no business being in the match. He is too small to be credible in a match with Khali and Batista. I was glad to see Batista win the belt. Maybe now we will see less of Khali. Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch vs. Paul London & Brian Kendrick was a good match. In fact, it was probably the best match on the card. Cena vs. Orton was a good match, too, until the finish. What a stupid, dumb. moronic, crappy, bullshit way to end the match! A DQ win for Cena?! For this people paid money? For this people shelled out over $100.00 for ring side seats in Memphis?! For this people spent over $40.00 to watch on PPV?! What a rip off. Undertaker vs. Mark Henry was the most pathetic thing I have ever seen. Mark Henry can't wrestle. He is too big to do much of anything. He made Undertaker look very, very bad. It was a pathetic match. If this is the best WWE has to offer, Vince might as well shut it down. Was WWE Creative on vacation or on strike? Frankly, I resent WWE shoving this crap down people's throats. The PPV event was called "Unforgiven." WWE will be UNFORGIVEN by a lot of people for a long time to come for that load of crap. WWE did themselves no favors by airing that junk. It really sucked eggs. Is that really the best they had to offer? TNA, with all their flaws and faults, is looking better to me right now.

Speaking of WWE, they recently, in their infinite wisdom, released Sonny Siaki from his developmental contract. I said, when Siaki signed with WWE, that I was afraid he would be either buried in the talent roster or released without ever having had the chance to really show what he could do. That appears to be the case here. WWE's loss is TNA's or some organization's gain.

If there is anything noteworthy about Monday night's RAW broadcast, I will comment on it in a short column on Tuesday.

Hollywood Jimmy Blaylock was shopping in a store recently, but he could not find what he was looking for. So he asked one of the clerks, "Where could I find the Polish sausage?" The clerk looks at him and said, "Are you Polish?" Hollywood, clearly offended, says, "Well, yes I am. But let me ask you something. If I had asked for Italian sausage would you ask me if I was Italian?Or if I had asked for German bratwurst, would you ask me if I was German? Or if I asked for a kosher hot dog would you ask me if I was Jewish? Or if I had asked for a Taco would you ask if I was Mexican? Would you? Huh? Would you?" The clerk said, "Well, no!" Hollywood continued, "If I asked for some Irish whiskey, would you ask if I was Irish?" The clerk replied, "Well, I probably wouldn't!" With deep self-righteous indignation, Hollywood says, "Well then, why did you ask me if I'm Polish because I asked for Polish sausage?" The clerk replied, "Because, sir, you're in Home Depot."

That’s all for this week. If you have any comments, feedback, criticism, insults, compliments, or whatever, email me at axemanchopchop@yahoo.com. I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks for reading.

The Axeman has spoken.

Axeman Speaks 9-10-07

2007-09-09T17:35:00.000-07:00

Greetings, Axeman fans! Lots to talk about this week, so We'll get right to it....

We will start this column off by talking about Chaotic Championship Wrestling (CCW). Yeah, that's right, Steve Creasy's on again, off again effort to promote wrestling shows. You may recall that, several months ago, Creasy made an announcement that CCW would be back in September. At that time I said I didn't think Creasy should bring CCW back, because he would just eventually pull the plug like he has in the past - several times. I also made the comment that Creasy would find it hard to build a fan base again, and that I would be surprised that he could find anyone to work for him, based on his actions in the past. Creasy responded by saying he was coming back in September, and he asked me to attend a show and give an honest critique of the show, which I agreed to do. Well, it is now September, and we have heard nothing from Steve Creasy about CCW. Has he decided to take my advice and not bring CCW back? If so, that's a good thing. I still think wrestling is better off without him. If he does intend to run, however, he needs to make some kind of announcement of what his plans are.

There is a new wrestling organization set to debut the first weekend in October. All Mississippi Wrestling (AMW) will start off with a show in Batesville, MS, on Saturday night, October 6, 2007. I will have more information as to who is on the card in the near future. I wish this group much success.

Let's talk about Golden Triangle Wrestling (GTW) down in West Point, MS. I recently read, in a post by BT at http://www.rasslinriotonline.com/, that a number of individuals have left GTW. The post reads, "I had removed Golden Triangle Wrestling from the Shows of The Weekend list, because I was not sure who was still working there. I heard rumors of who left and such, but I did get confirmation a few moments ago that Chris Styles, Shawn Reed, Anita Paige, Hunter Montgomery Jackson, Tony Dabbs, Josh Matthews, and Joey Lynn have all left the promotion. Still remaining are Justin Reed, Jake Prentiss, Chris Chaos, OMEGA, LSD, Lady Reb, Devon Raynes, and BB. They're bringing in Destiny, Bloodbath, Kaleb Kastle, and Vinnie the Blade. So, pretty much all their good workers are gone. Justin Reed is now the new booker for the promotion, taking over for Chris Styles." I talked with Joey Lynn briefly at the TFW show recently, and he told me that those who left GTW did so due to other bookings and commitments, but most, if not all, would eventually be back. So, there you have it, from the horse's mouth, they're only gone for a while.

Imagine my surprise and shock when I received a call about mid-morning on Saturday, telling me that Bill Dundee had died from a heart attack in Savannah, TN, Friday night. Well, I am happy to report that Bill Dundee is alive and well. In fact, I understand he wrestled on a card Saturday night... unless, of course, that was his ghost! LOL!

Quote of the week: "They cut to the back when 9 guys were brawling in the ring. We never came back to them, and nothing was ever mentioned about them again. Are we not supposed to care what happened to them? If not... mission accomplished, TNA, WE DON'T!!!!" -- Lance Storm @ StormWrestling.com, commenting on TNA Impact broadcast 8-30-07.

Another quote I found worthy of passing along: "I hope that the fans understand if they are strong and unite they can stop having bad talent shoved down their throat. If you demand something long enough even the WWE will be forced to listen to you." -- "The Big Cheese" Sal Corrente, Sept 4th 2007, @ http://www.rasslinriotonline.com/.

Speaking of Sal Corrente, several people have asked me what I think of the $10,000.00 "offer" he recently made in his column on BT's site (link is posted above).

For the record, Corrente said, "As a final note I would like to make one more appearance on Memphis Wrestling. I want to challenge Jerry Lawler, Corey Maclin and two other wrestlers who I will not name at this time to take a lie detector test. If they pass the lie detector test I will give them $10,000.00. I would have this all handled legally so they would be assured to get their money. I also want to define passing the test, they would have to answer all questions truthfully and the answers would have to support the statements that Jerry Lawler made under oath in court. In the case of the two unnamed wrestlers all they would have to do is to testify to Jerry Lawler’s intentions were that night. It’s very simple if no lies have been told. I would also make a very definite condition that Corey Maclin and Jerry Lawler would both have to take the test. If I am Corey Maclin I would think this could be the highest rated show for Memphis Wrestling in recent years. Just think about it Jerry Lawler being hooked up to a lie detector and asked questions. Now Corey please feel free to make all the smart ass comments and or try to turn this into angle. I am sure the City of Memphis and the wrestling world will look forward to your response."

Now, my first impression was that Corrente was truly shooting. I thought to myself, Lawler & Maclin have got to take Corrente up on this! If they don't, they will look guilty! If they don't take sal up on this offer they're crazy. Sal is absolutely putting his money where his mouth is! However, after giving it some thought, I have decided that Sal is just trying to get some extra mileage out of an incident that is now old news. Corrente is a master at getting publicity, and at milking angles for everything they are worth, and such is the case with Maclin & Lawler here. It is old news. Sal lost. Maclin & Lawler have not taken the bait, and if they have not done so by now, I think it's obvious they are not going to. It's over. Sal needs to let it be, but he will probably come up with another way to milk this angle for even more publicity.

For the record, I must say that Sal Corrente is a good writer. I enjoy reading his stuff.

It's time for another edition of YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID! This week, we are focusing on Mary Ann Baxter of Seattle, Washington, who walked into a hair salon with her husband and three kids in tow and asked loudly, "How much do you charge for a shampoo and a blow job?" Yeah, that was a stupid thing to ask, but it gave a lot of people a good laugh. Her red faced husband, by the way, didn't say anything. He obviously knew better....

On to the nick Hogan situation. It was reported on just about every site on the Internet that Nick may have been racing, and that he was possibly racing a silver Dodge Viper. Because Hulk Hogan owns a silver Dodge Viper, there was all kinds of speculation that Nick was really racing his dad when the wreck occurred. When the dust cleared, however, it turns out that the driver of the silver Viper was Danny Jacobs, a friend of Nick Hogan's passenger, John Graziano. It also appears, from all reports I have read, that they were not racing. John Graziano, at this time, is still hospitalized. If he does not make a full recovery, Hulk Hogan could be in for a very lengthy and expensive legal battle, because Nick is a minor, making the Hulkster liable for the actions of his son. I hope he has a very, very good insurance policy.

By the way, what has happened to GQ Maxim? He has been very quiet lately. Could it be that he has realized that he will never win a war of words with Axeman?

This week's humor was sent in by Lewis & Cynthia Crossley from Spring, Texas:

The Sweetness of Married Life

A couple had only been married for two weeks and the husband, although very
much in love, couldn't wait to go out on the town and party with his old
buddies. So, he said to his new wife, "Honey, I'll be right back."

"Where are you going, Coochy Coo?" asked the wife.

"I'm going to the bar, Pretty Face," he answered. "I'm going to have a beer."

The wife said, "You want a beer, my love?" She opened the door to the
refrigerator and showed him 25 different kinds of beer, brands from 12
different countries: Germany, Holland, Japan, Mexico, etc.

The husband didn't know what to do, and the only thing that he could think
of saying was, "Yes, Lollipop... but at the bar... you know...they have
frozen glasses..."

He didn't get to finish the sentence, because the wife interrupted him by
saying, "You want a frozen glass, Puppy Face?" She took a huge beer mug out
of the freezer, so frozen that she was getting chills just holding it.

The husband, looking a bit pale, said, "Yes, Tootsie Roll, but at the bar
they have those hors d'oeuvres that are really delicious... I won't be long.
I'll be right back. I promise. OK?"

"You want hors d'oeuvres, Poochie Pooh?" She opened the oven and took out 5
dishes of different hors d'oeuvres: chicken wings, pigs in blankets,
mushroom caps, and little quiches.

"But my sweet honey... at the bar.... you know there's swearing, dirty words
and all that..."

"You want dirty words, Cutie Pie? LISTEN UP, CHICKEN SHIT! SIT YOUR ASS DOWN,
SHUT THE HELL UP, DRINK YOUR BEER IN YOUR FROZEN MUG, AND EAT YOUR HORS
D'OEUVRES, BECAUSE YOUR MARRIED ASS AIN'T GOING TO A DAMNED BAR! THAT SHIT IS OVER, GOT IT, JACKASS?"

and...they lived happily ever after.

I was surprised to read on wrestleview.com and rasslinriot.com that Booker T, aka King Booker, quit WWE after being suspended for 60 days. I am not unhappy, however, that he is gone. I was just about sick to death of the King Booker angle, and just as tired on Queen Charmelle. Booker has business interests in Houston, Texas, and also has a couple of wrestling schools. Booker is using TNA talent at his shows in Texas, and it would not surprise me in the least to see him turn up in TNA at some point in the future, when he is out from under his WWE contract and the no-compete clause it is sure to contain.

Shooter Steve posted the following on the message board at hollywoodjimmy.com: "Oh and as for the AWA/SCW debate, it doesn't matter 'cause it will be dead and gone by Christmas. Another money mark without a clue who will lose his ass and get the hell out. Enjoy while you can boys." Well, Steve, all I can say is that I think you are WRONG! Hollywood is booking the show, and he has one of the most creative minds in professional wrestling, even if he is a low down, cheating scoundrel. The group drew 150 Friday night, and 200 Saturday night from what I have read. That is excellent, considering the organization has not been running but a few weeks. This group is going to go a long, long way, and it will only get bigger and better, as long as HJB is involved with it.

That's the way I see things this week.

We are one column closer to the last time The Axeman will speak. When will that be? When the time comes, you will be the first to know.

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks - Sept. 3, 2007

2007-09-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

Greetings, wrestling fans! This column will be devoted primarily to WWE and their current shift into "damage control" mode.

Now, I am not condemning any WWE star or former WWE star. Let me make that clear up front. I am sure there are some stars whose names have been mentioned as being part of this situation who feel they are innocent. If that is the case, their innocence will become apparent eventually.

A number of suspensions and several firings have kept the various news boards on the net busy this past week or so. WWE has suspended a number of its stars for wellness policy violations.

Now, until very recently, I considered the WWE wellness policy to be somewhat of a joke. Lots of people did. I actually think some within the WWE organization felt the same way. Frankly, I think the only thing that finally gave the WWE wellness policy come credibility is the recent Congressional investigation started by Rep. Cliff Stearns of the Commerce, Trade & Consumer Protection Subcommittee. WWE was forced into a position of having to do what their wellness policy says they will do. While I am not crazy about a Congressional investigation into wrestling, and I sure don't want any government regulation of wrestling, it did make WWE brass get off their asses and enforce their policy. My greatest fear is that it is too little, too late. Once a Congressional investigation of this nature is started, can any good come out of it? Will the U. S. Congress pass a bunch of asinine laws that will "govern" wrestling? I hope not. We'll see.

The Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection Subcommittee will hold hearings in the near future on steroid use in professional wrestling. This is the same Congressional panel that grilled Bud Selig, Paul Tagliabue and David Stern about performance enhancing drugs in sports two years ago.

On August 30, 2007, WWE issued the following statement: "Based on independent information received from investigators from the Albany County, New York, D.A.’s office, WWE has today, under the penalty provisions of its wellness policy, issued suspension notices to 10 of its performers for violations. It has been WWE’s practice not to release the names of those who have been suspended, but notice has been sent to all WWE performers that names of anyone who is suspended under the Wellness Policy as of November 1 will be made public."

These suspensions are likely to be based on proof that WWE stars were using Signature Pharmacy or another Internet prescription type firm. Apparently, this violates WWE wellness policy rules in some way.

In an article by T.J. Quinn of the New York Daily News, the newspaper received a list of wrestlers who were clients of Signature Pharmacy. The names listed were: Randy Orton, Charlie Haas, Adam Copeland (Edge), Robert Huffman (King Booker), Shane Helms (Gregory Helms), Mike Bucci (Simon Dean), Anthony Carelli (Santino Marella), John Hennigan (John Morrison), Darren Matthews (William Regal), Ken Anderson (Mr. Kennedy), and Chavo Guerrero. Three other pro wrestlers employed by WWE, now deceased, were also on the list: Chris Benoit, Brian Adams (Crush), and Eddy Guerrero. It is not completely clear whether all of these wrestlers were the ones suspended by WWE. You can be sure, however, that some of them are on the list.

WWE was made aware of several of the names months ago by a Sports Illustrated investigation. They chose not to suspend the workers then because the time frame concerning their dealings with Signature dated back to before the WWE Wellness Policy was implemented. If this is so, some of the recent suspensions are, to say the least, on shaky ground. I suspect that, due to WWE feeling the heat from the government investigation, WWE felt it had to go ahead with suspensions. If the dealings with Signature occurred after February of '06, WWE had no choice but to suspend.

Since WWE made their announcement on August 30, additional names of WWE stars have been added to the list, including Sylvian Greiner (who was released several weeks ago), Edward Fatu (Umaga), Nick Dinsmore (Eugene), Shoichi Funaki, Dave Bautista (Batista) and Chris Mordetsky (Chris Masters). Mike Bucci and Nick Dinsmore have since been fired by WWE.

Umaga, Morrison, and Kennedy are apparently among those who have been suspended. This became apparent over the weekend during WWE events and tapings. The rest will become obvious within the next few days.

Another name added to the list is Kurt Angle, who is a former WWE star now employed by TNA. What action TNA will take, if any, remains to be seen, although I suspect no action will be taken. Angle's transgressions while in WWE will probably not be considered by TNA. I do not know of any wellness policy in TNA, although there is talk of them having one soon.

Stephanie McMahon and John Laurinaitis met with WWE workers at the Smackdown & ECW taping last week in Cincinnati, OH, to inform them of changes to the WWE Wellness Policy. Those changes are:

WWE will begin testing for marijuana. A positive result will not bring about a suspension, but all positives will be met with a fine of at least $1,000 per offense.

WWE will also start testing for anti-estrogen drugs, which can be taken to offset some of the effects of steroid and HGH use. A positive for any type of anti-estrogen will result in a suspension.

Any new hires by WWE will have to undergo and pass the WWE Wellness test before they are signed to a deal with the company.

Also at the meting at the Smackdown/ECW taping, Stephanie McMahon told all performers that 13 suspensions were handed out in regards to any wrestlers receiving substances from online pharmacies, while two had to do with drug screening failures. WWE has only publicly confirmed 11 suspensions, so either Stephanie told the wrestlers a wrong figure or there are more coming.

Stephanie also reportedly added that Vince McMahon was quote "looking forward to the Congressional hearings" on the sport and to testifying before Congress if called to do so. One source said Stephanie even joked about the matter saying Vince was thinking of going in wearing a clown wig and shoes to make a statement about the hearings. It seems to me that Vince should be taking things a lot more seriously than that.

Batista was overheard asking Stephanie in front of all the wrestlers what could be done legally about his name being involved in recent media reports (mainly Sports Illustrated). He said in front of the entire WWE crew that he had never received anything from the online pharmacy companies. Stephanie told him that was an issue he would have to discuss with personal attorneys. Batista made it clear that he was very upset at Sports Illustrated and other media outlets for reporting his name this week, claiming he had no connection.

At the end of the meeting, Triple H reportedly addressed all wrestlers with a speech saying that he knows many people probably feel they are in a horrible business and are questioning why they would still want to be involved. He "reminded" the wrestlers that they have a "dream job" where they get to make children happy and get to live out their dreams of being involved in a business they all grew up loving. Triple H reportedly said he was proud to be a pro wrestler and that the entire business, not just WWE, was under fire and that it was up to the boys to "stick together and work through it."

This scandal involving Signature has also involved two people (so far) in the NFL. New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison and Dallas Cowboys assistant coach Wade Wilson have both admitted to league officials that they received illegal performance enhancing drugs as part of an Internet drug scam. They were both reported to be customers of Signature Pharmacy. Harrison will be suspended for four games, and Wilson will be suspended for five games.

This entire "scandal" is growing bigger and bigger every day. This is already huge for pro wrestling, but I wonder how many other stars in other professional sports will be named before it's all over with. This could be the biggest scandal ever to hit professional sports.

It's not all bad, however. With all the suspensions that have been handed down, some of the under-card guys will get a chance to step up and show what they're made of. That's a good thing for those guys, who otherwise never would get a real push or a chance to showcase their abilities.

Now I am sure some of you have wondered, as I have, how many more WWE stars are using or have used performance enhancing drugs. Who knows... But I am sure there are more... There are a lot more... Sooner or later they, too, will get busted. The stars who have been suspended and/or fired this time are those who have been listed as customers of the on line pharmacy(ies) that has been under investigation, or who have flunked a WWE administered drug test.

In an incident apparently not related to WWE's wellness policy, WWE has released Shad Gaspard and Jayson Paul, better known as Cryme Tyme. The incident took place between Cryme Tyme and Lance Cade/Trevor Murdoch at the RAW House Show in Terra Haute, IN yesterday. No additional details are available as of the time this column was sent to the webmaster. Well, there are two more opportunities for someone to step up in WWE.

That's the situation as I see it. I want to emphasize that I gathered information for this column from a number of different sources, and proper credit is given below.

It will be interesting to see how this story continues to unfold over the coming days and weeks.

Credits:
http://www.rasslinriotonline.com/
http://www.wrestleview.com/
http://www.pwinsider.com/
http://www.1wrestling.com/
http://www.wrestlingnewscenter.com/
http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/
http://www.wwe.com/
http://www.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/
http://www.nydailynews.com/

That's it for this week. One column closer to the last one.

The Axeman has spoken.