World Wide Wrestling Federation

[murphy42782]

DISCLAIMER: I have made it through about 3 years TNM time, about 45 shows in all and I figured Id post since the board needed some action. I am in no way trying to compete with Ryan's stellar GCW, it served as an inspiration for me to start simming again. I also have nothing on Josh's NWF or any of the other fantastic leagues being run by the rest of you. I suck at this so hopefully cards will improve as time goes on.
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Live Event - 1/5/63 - Boston, Ma.

Eddie Graham pinned Dominic DeNucci with the Figure-Four Leglock in 0:17:39.
Rating: **
Ring Veteran Eddie Graham took on the young Dominic DeNucci and while DeNucci showed alot of promise and gave Eddie a fight for 17 minutes, the gap in experience was enough for Graham to take advantage of a rookie mistake by the promising young Italian. Graham locked in his Figure Four Leglock and that was all she wrote.

Danny Hodge and Johnny Weaver defeated Jacques Rougeau and Johnny Rougeau when
Hodge pinned Jacques after a waistlock suplex in 0:19:15.
Rating: *** 1/4
Jacques & Johnny Rougeau are brothers and an experienced team out of Canada, but here tonight they met their match in a couple of born and raised American grapplers, Danny Hodge & Johnny Weaver. Weaver & Hodge called themselves The All Americans, as maybe a slight to the Canadian duo, but they proved to be the fans favorite here in Boston. Hodge was a terrific Amatuer wrestler and it showed as he his a picture perfect waistlock suplex and had just enough on it to get the pin.

Dory Funk Jr. defeated Larry Hennig when Larry Hennig passed out in the
Spinning Toe Hold in 0:17:20.
Rating: *** 1/4
Dory Funk Jr & Larry Hennig are a couple of newcomers to the wrestling profession, but Dory is no stranger to it as he is the son of Wrestling Icon and Current WWWF Star Dory Funk Sr. The Texan used his upbringing and skills learned back home on the ranch to get the best of "Pretty Boy" Larry Hennig. Hennig got in a good amount of offense but once Dory got the upperhand he locked in the submission and Larry couldn't break free despite his best efforts.

20-Man Battle Royal for the vacant WWWF World Heavyweight Title:
Next up we had 20 Superstars duking it out for the vacant WWWF World Heavyweight Title and the rights to claim being the first man to hold the title. The field was littered with big names such as Buddy Rogers, Lou Thesz, Dr Jerry Graham, Johnny Valentine, Dick The Bruiser, & The Crusher just to name a few. The action was fast and furious for just over an hour until the battle ended. Highlights included Buddy Rogers getting a quick elimination of Lou Thesz thanks to an assist from Dick The Bruiser & The Crusher. It was the USA Debut of Japanese sensations Antonio Inoki & Giant Baba. But in the end only one man could be left standing.

x Calhoun threw out M. Lewin in 0:03:46
x B. Rogers threw out Thesz in 0:06:38
x Dr. J. Graham threw out Inoki after a clothesline in 0:09:08
x Perez threw out J. Valentine in 0:21:25
x Calhoun threw out Bruiser after a punch in 0:25:04
x S. Hart threw out Dr. J. Graham in 0:28:38
x Perez threw out Orton after an elbowsmash in 0:30:07
x Strongbow threw out B. Rogers after a side headlock in 0:32:27
x Baba threw out Mosca in 0:43:17
x Kowalski threw out Strongbow after a clothesline in 0:46:23
x Brazil threw out Crusher after a duck-down move in 0:53:08
x DiBiase threw out D. Funk Sr. in 0:53:36
x DiBiase threw out Calhoun in 0:53:54
x DiBiase threw out Brazil after a piledriver in 0:54:53
x DiBiase threw out Perez after a powerslam in 0:56:22
x Kowalski threw out Rocca in 1:01:29
x Baba threw out Kowalski in 1:05:42
x S. Hart threw out DiBiase in 1:09:04
x S. Hart threw out Baba in 1:09:38
Rating: ***
(Stu Hart won the WWWF World Heavyweight Title.)

Canada's Stu Hart, a wrestling pioneer in the Great White North, can now lay claim to being the first World Heavyweight Champion in the history of the World Wide Wrestling Federation. Giant Baba had a great run and got back in the ring and shook hands with the champ as the fans celebrated.


Card rating: ***


Match observations:

The very first card is in the books and it was a success as fans left Boston feeling as though they got their money's worth. Next month we'll be in Hartford, CT. The Line Up is stellar including:

An 8 Team Battle Royal for the WWWF World Tag Team Titles involving:

The Funks
Dick The Bruiser & The Crusher
The Rougeau Brothers
Antonio Inoki & Giant Baba
Danny Hodge & Johnny Weaver
Dr Jerry & Eddie Graham
Angelo Mosca & Larry Hennig
plus Lou Thesz teams with the young Dominic DeNucci

Also, an 8 Man Tournament for the North American Title:
Jay Strongbow vs Mike DiBiase
Bobo Brazil vs Mark Lewin
Antonino Rocca vs Johnny Valentine
Miguel Perez vs Bob Orton

Also Buddy Rogers has issued an open challenge and Stu Hart defends the World Title versus Killer Kowalski

So join us live from Hartford February 2nd!

[murphy42782]

Live Event - 2/2/63 - Hartford, Ct.

[Round 1]:
Mike DiBiase pinned Jay Strongbow with the Top Rope Kneedrop in 0:15:11.
Rating: ** 1/4

[Round 1]:
Bobo Brazil pinned Mark Lewin after a forearm smash in 0:07:09.
Rating: **

[Round 1]:
Johnny Valentine pinned Antonino Rocca after a tiger driver in 0:15:39.
Rating: * 1/2

[Round 1]:
Miguel Perez pinned Bob Orton with the Sunset Flip in 0:18:45.
Rating: ** 3/4

The 1st round was highlighted by Miguel Perez/Bob Orton, but the bigger story was yet to come in this tournament to crown the first ever WWWF North American Champion. 2nd Round matches will feature Brazil vs DiBiase and Valentine vs Perez.

16-Man Tag Team Battle Royal for the vacant WWWF World Tag Team Titles:

Prior to the bell as teams were making their way to the ring, Bruiser & Crusher mugged Lou Thesz. Thesz fought back and eventually after all teams were announced the bell rang and we were under way. The beating Thesz & DeNucci suffered ultimately would be their undoing as The Crusher blasted DeNucci with the Bolo Punch and then double teamed the Legendary Thesz and tossed him relatively easily. Eliminations continued with Mosca & Hennig being the next out the door and Inoki & Baba not far behind them. Danny Hodge scored a minor upset eliminating Dick The Bruiser. Then a minute later Hodge's buddy Johnny Weaver tossed out the Rougeaus. We were down to the All Americans, The Funks, and The Grahams. The two face teams teamed up and tossed The Graham Brothers. Dr Jerry & Eddie were irate and stated that they felt cheated. Ultimately The Funks would gain the upperhand against Hodge & Weaver and would take the titles.

x Bruiser threw out Thesz (partner: Dominic DeNucci) after
a short lariat in 0:01:36
x Baba threw out Mosca (partner: Larry Hennig) after the Baba chop in 0:04:40
x Crusher threw out Baba (partner: Antonio Inoki) after a kneelift in 0:05:03
x Hodge threw out Bruiser (partner: The Crusher) after a bodyslam in 0:06:22
x J. Weaver threw out Jacques (partner: Johnny Rougeau) in 0:07:49
x D. Funk Sr. threw out Dr. J. Graham (partner: Eddie Graham) after a slap in 0:09:39
x D. Funk Jr. threw out J. Weaver (partner: Danny Hodge) after
a vertical suplex in 0:14:56
Rating: *** 3/4
(The Funks won the WWWF World Tag Team Titles.)

[Semi-Finals]:
Bobo Brazil pinned Mike DiBiase with the Coco Butt in 0:09:00.
Rating: ** 1/4
Mike DiBiase was coming off a hard fought first round match against Jay Strongbow, while Brazil had a quick affair against "Maniac" Mark Lewin. DiBiase fought valiantly and the exhaustion finally caught up as he was caught off guard with a Coco Butt.

[Semi-Finals]:
Johnny Valentine pinned Miguel Perez with the Figure-Four Leglock in 0:09:27.
Rating: * 1/2
Miguel Perez is good friends and occasional teammate of Valentine's first round opponent, Antonino Rocca, so he was out for revenge. Valentine is a world class athlete and he's not afraid to take short cuts, and that was apparent as he uncovered a turnbuckle. Perez was distracted by the official and he saw Valentine trying to catch his breath against the exposed turnbuckle so he went in with a high knee. Valentine dodged it at the last second, and Perez cracked his knee on the exposed steel. The Figure Four was academic and this one was over.

Buddy Rogers made Haystacks Calhoun submit to an armlock leglock submission in 0:25:28.
Rating: *** 3/4
The next match was the Buddy Rogers open challenge. Rogers was ready for anyone, but looked less then pleased when the 600 pound, Haystacks Calhoun came through the curtain. Calhoun beat Rogers from pillar to post and back again as the crowd was eating it up. But the resourceful ring vet, Buddy Rogers battled back and eventually caught the big farm boy in a submission and forced the big man to give up or risk breaking a limb. WWWF Officials have said these two would battle next month in a #1 Contenders Match.

[Finals]: Match for the vacant WWWF North American Heavyweight Title:
Bobo Brazil pinned Johnny Valentine with the Coco Butt in 0:10:45.
Rating: *** 1/4
(Bobo Brazil won the WWWF North American Heavyweight Title.)
[Mike DiBiase interfered against Bobo Brazil.]
Following the Championship match, Johnny Valentine beat down Bobo Brazil and went outside for a chair and was going to snap Brazil's leg until Antonino Rocca came to make the save. Rocca has challenged Valentine to a match next month. As Rocca was chasing Valentine away Mike DiBiase snuck in and hit the Top Rope Kneedrop and took the North American Title and dropped it across the champ as he motioned that he wants the belt.

Stu Hart pinned Killer Kowalski with the Stu Hart Special in 0:31:03.
Rating: *** 1/2
(Stu Hart retained the WWWF World Heavyweight Title.)
Stu Hart and Killer Kowalski locked horns in a championship affair. Kowalski was the longest lasting heel in the battle royal last month and as such was granted a title shot. Kowalski really took it to the champ connecting with several high impact suplexes, but the Canadian Icon, Stu Hart showed his tremendous wrestling acumen and had countered several of the vicious Killer's moves down the stretch. Stu ultimately hit the Stu Hart Special, a variant of the powerbomb, to pick up a big win and a successful first title defense. Kowalski then attacked and locked in the Claw until a sea of officials broke it up.

Card rating: ** 1/2


Match observations:
Next Month we're back in Boston for what's shaping up to be a fantastic card.

Submission Match for the World Heavyweight Title
Stu Hart (c) vs Killer Kowalski

Antonino Rocca vs Johnny Valentine
North American Title Match - Bobo Brazil (c) vs Mike DiBiase
Tag Team Titles Match - The Funks (c) vs The Graham Brothers
#1 Contenders Match - Haystacks Calhoun vs Buddy Rogers
and much much more

[snabbit888]

New circuit! Good to see fresh blood on the board (and yes, I realize you've been around here, but you get what I'm saying .

First couple cards are always about establishing the characters and hierarchy of said characters. Stu Hart is an interesting choice to get this going as your champion, but everyone knows who he is and knows his credibility. He's almost 50 years old by this time so a bit long in the tooth, but a legit tough guy and in the 60s, not at all surprising he'd be champ. We'll see where it goes.

Good start.... I'll be reading!

[murphy42782]

Stu Hart was one of a few choices for champ and I kind of let TNM help decide. I was researching ages and moves and title reigns of wrestlers who were available and the most logical choices for champ all seemed a little older or not quite ready. I attempted to sign a good mix of talent and took the talent tnm allowed me to sign and book accordingly. The first few cards are a little slow, but have a good feeling about where it goes from here. I figured in the interim Hart, Thesz, and Rogers all wouldve leant more credibility to the title then most of who I was able to sign even if they are a little aged.

[JoshiQ]

Great to see you posting a circuit, Murphy.

Like Ryan, I was a tad bit surprised to see you go with Stu Hart as your first champion, but you had some solid reasoning behind that decision.

Most of these '60s wrestlers I only know through GCW and some Youtube clips so I'll be looking forward to seeing what you do with them.

I like the roster. You have a varied roster that should keep things interesting. You will have me as a reader for as long as you post.

[murphy42782]

Live Event - 3/2/63 - Boston, Ma.

Crusher & Bruiser (The Crusher and Dick the Bruiser) defeated
Team Japan (Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba) when Bruiser defeated Inoki
via pinfall in 0:17:33.
Rating: * 1/4
The Night kicked off with tag team action. Dick The Bruiser & The Crusher are veterans of hundreds of ring wars, while Inoki & Baba are newcomers to the sport and the States. Antonio Inoki & Giant Baba are considered the future of the sport in their homeland and they really brought the fight to the grizzled duo from the USA. In the end though experience, and deceitful actions, led to the win for Bruiser & Crusher. Team Japan had the upperhand and The Crusher hopped in the ring drawing Baba in as well. As the official stopped the mammoth Giant Baba in his tracks Crusher grabbed Dick The Bruisers chain and dropped Inoki with a stiff shot from the illegal object. Bruiser rolled over him and the ref turned in time to see the pinfall.

Lou Thesz defeated Angelo Mosca when Angelo Mosca passed out in
a figure-four leglock in 0:03:07.
Rating: *** 1/4
Lou Thesz was looking to right the ship after a shaky few months here in the WWWF, but as a true legend in this sport, he showed what it takes to get it done in the ring. "Big Nasty" Angelo Mosca didn't seem to have an answer for the clinic Thesz was putting on. Thesz was nearly flawless in just over 3 minutes as he made it known he wasn't working by the hour.

Dick the Bruiser pinned Dominic DeNucci with his special move in 0:05:05.
Rating: 3/4*
(Bob Orton no-showed.)
Dominic DeNucci was supposed to battle Bob Orton, but Orton missed a connecting flight and couldn't make it. DeNucci is a young wrestler and was really looking forward to testing his mettle, but he probably should've just stayed in the back as his desire to wrestler got him in a fight with Dick The Bruiser. Bruiser laid in a few super stiff right hands and really laid waste to DeNucci and once again introduced his chain into the match. The official took a bump and that was all the opening the savy ring vet needed to steal another win here tonight.

Jay Strongbow made Larry Hennig submit to the Sleeper in 0:10:49.
Rating: * 1/4
Jay Strongbow and Larry Hennig were both looking to break out of the shadows tonight. Hennig much like his first few performances showed he has a bright future in this sport. Strongbow was actually on the defensive alot of this match before he caught Hennig with a big clothesline that stunned him just long enough to lock in the Sleeper. Stongbow offered a handshake to Pretty Boy Hennig after the match and Hennig shook him off, vowing to make an impact sooner rather than later.

Number-One-Contenders-Match:
Buddy Rogers pinned Haystacks Calhoun after a short clothesline in 0:17:23.
Rating: ***
In this rematch from last month, Buddy Rogers again had to fend off the supersized Haystacks Calhoun. The fans in Boston have really taken a liking to Calhoun and this drew the ire of The Nature Boy. Rogers may be a bit older, but he showed he's going to have one last successful run here in the WWWF before he bows out of the sport. Rogers and Calhoun had a real battle as they were looking to top their efforts from last month and Calhoun was looking to even the score. In the end, however, Rogers overwhelmed the big man and laid claim to the number one contendership and will meet the winner of the Stu Hart/Killer Kowalski submission match later tonight.

The All Americans (Danny Hodge and Johnny Weaver) and Miguel Perez defeated
The Rougeau Brothers (Jacques Rougeau and Johnny Rougeau) and Mark Lewin when
Perez pinned Johnny R. with the Sunset Flip in 0:19:01.
Rating: ** 1/2
The All Americans are America's team and the fans here in Boston really let them know it. Hodge & Weaver have blended together nicely and they teamed with Miguel Perez to take on the Rougeau Brothers & Mark Lewin. The rulerbreakers really tried to take every short cut in the book. This led to trouble as Lewin wasn't on the same page as the Rougeau's abd Johnny went to whip Perez into the ropes, Lewin raised a knee hoping hit Miguel square in the back. Perez reversed it at the last minute and then hit the stunned Rougeau with the Sunset Flip. A 3 count later and the fans erupted as their trio triumphed.

The Funks (Dory Funk Jr. and Dory Funk Sr.) defeated
The Graham Brothers (Eddie Graham and Dr. Jerry Graham) when D. Funk Jr. made
Dr. J. Graham submit to the Spinning Toe Hold in 0:21:20.
Rating: *** 1/2
(The Funks retained the WWWF World Tag Team Titles.)
The Funks defended against The Graham Brothers. This match was a true family affair as we had a father/son duo and a pair of brothers. The youngest competitor, Dory Funk Jr., has really showed a tremendous level of talent at a young age and all the tough love lessons learned back on the ranch really seem to have paid off. Dory was in far better condition then everyone else and this was apparent late in the match. As Dory Sr. and The Grahams were beginning to lose steam, Junior seemed to get stronger. Dory locked in the Spinning Toe Hold, which he learned from his Dad, on the near defeated Dr Jerry Graham. The result was in the books and The Funks retained their titles.

Bobo Brazil pinned Mike DiBiase with the Coco Butt in 0:09:21.
Rating: * 1/2
(Bobo Brazil retained the WWWF North American Heavyweight Title.)
These two met in the semi-finals of the tournament last month to crown the first ever North American Heavyweight Champion. DiBiase was coming off a hard fought first round battle and was at the disadvantage, he retaliated by jumping Brazil after he was severly beaten at the hands of Johnny Valentine. Brazil vowed to get revenge and this one turned out to be a heated affair. DiBiase had a whole month to prepare, but the result was the same. DiBiase had no counter for the Coco Butt and the champ retained. Brazil held the title high as DiBiase was frothing at the mouth from outside the ring.

Johnny Valentine defeated Antonino Rocca when Antonino Rocca passed out in
a kneelock submission in 0:06:12.
Rating: *** 1/4
Valentine sent Rocca to the corner and the official got caught in between. While ref was out, Valentine grabbed a chair and whacked Rocca's knee. Valentine continued to stomp and just before the official awoke he locked in the submission. Rocca is going to have his knee looked at, but it didnt look good. Valentine spit on the fallen superstar and said he got what he deserved for sticking his nose in his business. Rocca has challenged Johnny V to a No DQ match next month regardless of doctors orders.

I-Quit Match:
Stu Hart made Killer Kowalski submit to a Boston crab in 0:24:45.
Rating: ** 1/4
Kowalski was frustrated by his inability to capture the title last month and ambushed the champ locking in the Claw. Kowalski was hoping to repeat the beating he put on post match. Hart however was up to the task. If Hart is nothing else, it's tought. Getting him to say I Quit, wasn't going to be easy. But Killer Kowalski didn't get that name for no reason. This one spilled outside and the battle was on all over ringside. Outside the ring Kowalski definitely had the advantage whipping Hart head first into the ring steps. Kowalski targeted Stu's head repeatedly with closed fists and even bouncing his head of the ring post. Hart caught Kowalski off guard with a drop toe hold onto the guardrail to regain the momentum in this back and forth battle. Hart took the fight back inside hit a back breaker. He really focused on the back looking to hobble the dastardly doings of Kowalski. Hart eventually locked in the Boston Crab for over a minute before Killer passed out from the pain. The official had no other choice and had to call the match.

Card rating: ** 1/2


Match observations:
The action was hot and heavy here in Boston and next month will be no different as we invade Springfield, Massachusetts on March 30th. Several big matches have been signed including:

Stu Hart & Lou Thesz teaming to take on Killer Kowalski & Buddy Rogers a month ahead of the Hart/Rogers title match.
And Antonino Rocca looks for revenge against the man who tried to cripple him, Johnny Valentine, in a NO DQ Match.

[JoshiQ]

Killer Kowalski is a great decision to be the first challenger for Stu Hart. I don't see him being the one to take the title from Stu, but there is some definite credibility there.

I hope Calhoun breaks out of his slump soon. Rogers is the star so he needed those wins, but I'd like to see Calhoun pick up a few wins if his feud with Rogers is over.

I love the Funks as tag team champions, and I think a long feud with the Grahams would be something to help the division take off.

Good work, Murphy.

[murphy42782]

Yeah, I get that Calhoun needs to break out, he was really a victim of his own success. I planned on running the Rogers "open challenge" and the having Buddy take on either Rocca or Thesz in a number one contender bout, but then Haystacks and The Nature Boy put on a good show and Roccas feud with Valentine was brewing. So I thought it would help put Calhoun over by placing him in the match. Hopefully eating two pinfalls to a legend doesnt hurt him in the long run.

Same kinda deal with Kowalski. I thought a couple battles for the gold could help him and provide some credibility to the reign of Hart. Thanks for the comments.

[LillaThrilla]

Wow did not expect to see another TNM circuit from the 1960s. Hope you have fun with it!

Out of curiousity what is Stu's "Stu Hart Special" finisher? I would've figured he had some nasty shoot-style submission finisher.

[murphy42782]

From the research ive done it seems like an early variation of a powerbomb. I could be wrong tho. Im about half way through 1966 so hopefully it posts as good as it seems like it did when I was booking it. Stu Hart is about 48 if wikipedia has his bday right, so this title reign is kind of like his swan song I feel. Thanks for reading.

[murphy42782]

Live Event - 3/30/63 - Springfield, Ma.

Haystacks Calhoun pinned Angelo Mosca after a big splash in 0:09:00.
Rating: 3/4*
Our Night kicked off with a huge match, well atleast size wise. The mammoth Haystacks Calhoun was looking to rebound from a couple of losses to Buddy Rogers and he was taking on Angelo "King Kong" Mosca. These men are some of the largest competitors here in the WWWF and the ring had to be reinforced for this slobberknocker. This one wasn't pretty, but Calhoun will take the end result. Haystacks connected with his big splash and Mosca just couldnt muscle out from under the big man from Morgan's Corner Arkansas.

Team Japan (Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba) defeated
The Rougeau Brothers (Jacques Rougeau and Johnny Rougeau) when Baba pinned Jacques after a running neckbreaker drop in 0:17:02.
Rating: * 3/4
Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba have come along way from Japan to compete here in the states and have had less success then expected. The same can be said for the Rougeau Brothers, except they only came a short distance from Canada. The fans were fully behind the men from The Orient though. Jacques & Johnny have really grown a hatred for the US Fans and their favorite tag team The All Americans, so really anyone would've been cheered against the despised duo. Giant Baba showed off his strength when he hit Jacques with an impressive running neckbreaker drop. When Johnny attempted to get in, Inoki caught him with a text book dropkick and the Japanese tandem picked up a win.

Bob Orton defeated Dominic DeNucci by countout in 0:18:11.
Rating: * 3/4
Last Month a hitch in his travel plans caused Bob Orton to miss his match against DeNucci. And DeNucci paid for it being blitzed by Dick the Bruiser. This month Dominic wanted to get a little retribution for the beating he suffered, but this month it was much the same for the youngster. Orton is a grizzled veteran of this sport and he overwhelmed the rookie in the final minutes of this battle and eventually the fight spilled outside where DeNucci went for a clothesline, Orton ducked and DeNucci impaled himself on the protective rail between them and the fans. Orton rolled in and DeNucci was counted out.

Mark Lewin made Jay Strongbow submit to the Sleeperhold in 0:11:16.
Rating: ** 1/2
Jay Strongbow was coming off an impressive win over Larry Hennig and Lewin was coming off a 6 Man tag loss, so one would expect Strongbow to have the momentum. But this is why we fight the battles. Lewin and Stongbow had an intense back and forth battle, but in the end the Maniac locked in a Sleeperhold and Strongbow fought valiantly to get out. Strongbow was even within an eyelash of grabbing the top rope to break the hold before Lewin used his strength to pull it back to the center of the ring. Strongbow eventually passed out and this one was in the books.

Haystacks Calhoun and Dory Funk Sr. beat
The Graham Brothers (Eddie Graham and Dr. Jerry Graham) when Calhoun beat Dr. J. Graham via the Big Splash in 0:32:25
Rating: *** 3/4
(Dory Funk Jr. no-showed.)
This one was supposed to be The Funks taking on The Grahams in a rematch for the Tag Team Titles, but Dory Funk Jr. was no where to be found. He arrived to the arena with his father earlier in the day, but when they were announced Senior was all alone. Luckily for him, Haystacks Calhoun was still in the arena riding high after his win over Angelo Mosca. Calhoun proved to be the difference and they successfully defended the belts against The Grahams. Senior shook Calhoun's hand and rumor has it Junior is going to have to answer for why he dissappeared tonight next month.

Crusher & Bruiser (The Crusher and Dick the Bruiser), Larry Hennig and Mike DiBiase defeated The All Americans (Danny Hodge and Johnny Weaver), Bobo Brazil and Miguel Perez
when Bruiser defeated Hodge when Hodge passed out in an airplane spin in 0:06:01.
Rating: ** 1/2
8 Man tag action saw the rulerbreaker team of Mike DiBiase, Larry Hennig, and Crusher & Bruiser steal one from Bobo Brazil, Miguel Perez, and The All Americans. Crusher & Bruiser really seem to be building momentum for a future title shot. The All Americans are an exciting new team, but tonight their inexperience showed and Bruiser made em pay with an airplane spin.

No-DQ-Match:
Antonino Rocca made Johnny Valentine submit to the Argentine Backbreaker in 0:14:46.
Rating: *** 1/4
Antonino Rocca scored a bit of revenge picking up the win with the Argentine Backbreaker. Johnny V may have lost the match, but it looks like he won the war as he kicked Rocca's leg out from under him as he was celebrating. Rocca dropped appearing to have reinjured the leg Valentine attacked last month. Then Valentine got the chair and dragged Rocca into the corner and wrapped his leg around the post and slid outside. Johnny V wound up and blasted Antonino in the knee cap against the post and then locked in a hanging figure four. Officials flooded the ring and it took a sea of refs to pull him off. Lou Thesz confronted him in the back and challenged him to a match next month. Rocca suffered a broken knee cap and a few torn ligaments. Rocca is going to be out indefinitely and his career could be over.

Lou Thesz and Stu Hart defeated Buddy Rogers and Killer Kowalski when S. Hart pinned Kowalski with the Stu Hart Special in 0:23:06.
Rating: *** 1/4
This one took the crowd awhile to get into as the shocking level of violence from Johnny Valentine had them reeling. However, once they came around they were treated to a fantastic tag team affair as Buddy Rogers, the #1 Contender, teamed with former #1 Contender Killer Kowalski to take on the aformentioned Lou Thesz and current World Heavyweight Champion Stu Hart. Buddy Rogers tried to get in a cheap shot on Hart and clipped his knee while the ref had his back turned. This brought the ire of Thesz as he shot into the ring and chased Rogers out to the back leaving Kowalski and Hart in the ring. As Thesz gave chase Johnny Valentine came out of nowhere with a sickening chair shot. Valentine and Rogers laid the boots to Thesz in the aisle as Hart connected with the Stu Hart Special on Killer. Rogers & Valentine couldn't seem to care less as they seemed very pleased with the ending of the show. Rogers gave Johnny V. a pat on the back and they walked off together as Hart checked on Thesz.

Card rating: ***


Match observations:
Antonino Rocca & Lou Thesz were taken to the hospital following the show and as mentioned the outlook for Rocca isn't good and due to his injuries he will be out of action indefinitely. Thesz on the other hand has vowed to make good on his challenge for next month. Springfield was a blast and Worcester looks to be shaping up much the same.

Join us on April 27th live from Worcester, Ma. as the card includes:

World Heavyweight Title Match - Stu Hart (c) vs Buddy Rogers
Lou Thesz vs Johnny Valentine
North American Title Match - Bobo Brazil (c) vs Bob Orton
plus the debut of a new wrestler.

[jesseewiak]

Cool little show with a lot of old-school stars, even for the 60's. It feels like what a competitor to the NWA & WWWF would look like. Older guys, newer stars, but not super tip-top guys aside from maybe Thesz, but even he was getting old by this time and Buddy Rogers was also nearing the end of his career. Solid shows, even though nobody needs to see Haystacks in a thirty-minute match.

[snabbit888]

I really like what you have going here. You're getting everyone's placement on the card setup. Johnny Valentine looks primed to become one of, if not your top heel. The no-show bug bites you and it sucks that it as one of your tag team champions. Real life punishment for them, maybe?

Keep this going... this is a lot of fun to read. So much old school on this board right now.

[murphy42782]

Yeah I had a lot of fun with Valentine. Hes definitely a dick. The Rocca stuff wrote itself since he quit after the show.

The noshow sucks because it takes the Funks in kind of a different direction. The plan was to have them reign for awhile but noshows of title matches do change the complexion of things.

[murphy42782]

Live Event - 4/27/63 - Worcester, Ma.

Killer Kowalski made Dominic DeNucci submit to the Stomach Claw in 0:27:55.
Rating: *** 1/2
The show kicked off with Dominic DeNucci taking on Killer Kowalski. Every month DeNucci comes to fight and takes the more experienced grapplers to their limits. This month however, he was taking on a different kind of monster. Killer Kowalski was in a foul mood the last few months after unsuccessful attempts to wrestle away the WWWF World Heavyweight Title from Stu Hart. DeNucci used Killer's frustration to his advantage as he eluded the larger man for a few minutes and then began striking with arm drags and dropkicks. Dominic even began to lay in some stiff kicks and chops before he was eventually backed into a corner by Kowalski. Kowalski took it to DeNucci with suplexes and clotheslines for what must of seemed like an eternity for the youngster. DeNucci managed to dodge a big lariat from the Killer and tried to score a late pinfall with a crucifix. It just lead to a samoan drop that took the wind out of his sails and Kowalski locked on The Claw and it was all over.

Handicap-Match:
Haystacks Calhoun defeated
The Rougeau Brothers (Jacques Rougeau and Johnny Rougeau) when Calhoun pinned Johnny R. with the Big Splash in 0:16:11.
Rating: ** 1/4
The Rougeau Brothers are cocky and talented and when they found out they were going to be wrestling a handicap match against one man they were positive they would be able to destroy anyone. Haystacks Calhoun didn't get that memo. At one point the official lost complete control and both Rougeau Brothers were in the ring. Calhoun caught both men with huge clotheslines and the ref let the match continue since Haystacks had the advantage. After tossing Jacques into the corner he irish whipped his brother Johnny into him. Both men tumbled out of the corner in a stack and Calhoun crashed down with the Big Splash and it was like there was a Jacques Rougeau sandwich. Johnny's shoulders were down and the official administered the 3 count. The Rougeau's didn't take kindly and jumped the big man after the fall, but much to their chagrin Dory Funk Sr. ran out and repaid the big man for last month. The Rougeau's bailed and Dory and Haystacks shook hands.

Jay Strongbow made Mark Lewin submit to the Sleeper in 0:23:21.
Rating: ** 3/4
In a return match from last month, Jay Strongbow sought revenge against Mark Lewin. This battle closely resembled their last one and again it was a minor mistake at the end that led to the decision. Lewin was on the offensive and grabbed the proud Native American for an Irish Whip. At the last second The Chief reversed the move and caught the rebounding Maniac in his version of the Sleeperhold and Lewin, much like Strongbow last month, fought hard to break the hold. Lewin eventually tired and succombed to the move. Officials have signed one more match for these two next month.

The Graham Brothers (Eddie Graham and Dr. Jerry Graham) defeated Team Japan (Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba) when E. Graham pinned Inoki with the Figure-Four Leglock in 0:25:41.
Rating: * 1/4
The Graham Brothers have felt repeatedly screwed out of the WWWF World Tag Team Titles and they were out to prove a point to the young duo from the Land of the Rising Sun and the WWWF brass. The beginning of the match was back and forth but eventually the Grahams did what they do best. They got Inoki in trouble in their half of the ring and kept him there. They repeatedly drew Giant Baba in and the official had his hands full keeping the mammoth at bay and didn't see Jerry Graham choke Inoki with the tag rope several times. Antonio Inoki is a tough kid but against an All World tag team like The Graham Brothers you can only survive on your own for so long. While the official was distracted by Giant Baba yet again, Jerry and Eddie drilled Inoki with a double team brainbuster and Eddie cinched in the Figure Four and Inoki was out the ref called for the bell and The Grahams stole one here in Worcester.

Mike DiBiase defeated Miguel Perez via pinfall in 0:04:55.
Rating: ** 1/2
Miguel Perez was all fired up by the fact that his good friend Antonino Rocca was hospitalized and potentially retired by Johnny Valentine last month and it definitely went against him. Perez couldn't control his temper and when he got the upper hand went to the outside and grabbed a chair. DiBiase was wearing red trunks and it looked like Perez was a charging bull. Perez ran at Iron Mike as he was standing in the corner and went to blast him with the cold steel and when DiBiase ducked out of the way, the momentum of the swing caused the chair to bounce back off the turnbuckle and catch Miguel right in between the eyes. DiBiase caught him with a school boy roll up and got out of dodge before an angry Miguel Perez could retaliate.

Lou Thesz pinned Johnny Valentine after a small package in 0:18:54.
Rating: ** 1/2
Perez was still in the ring and they announced Johnny Valentine to the sold out crowd. Valentine grabbed a house mic and said he refuses to get in the ring until officials cleared it of that sore loser. This served to make Perez even more fired up and it took a blindside ambush by Buddy Rogers to get the chair out of Perez's hands. The Nature Boy began laying into Perez with the chair when Lou Thesz charged the ring. Rogers bailed and officials helped Perez to the back. The tandem of Rogers & Valentine is a dangerous one and they seem to have joined up here in the WWWF. As Thesz was pointing at Rogers and telling him to get in the ring he didn't see Valentine behind him. Valentine clipped his knee and went to work. Thesz eventually fought back and we had quite the match on our hands. Thesz even hit his pattented Thesz Press and laid into Johnny V with some stiff rights and lefts. Valentine is no slouch in the ring though. He regained the upperhand with a well timed low blow and began beating the legendary Lou Thesz with some well placed thrust kicks to the legs. Valentine took some time to jaw with a ringside fan and then walked over to apply the figure four, when Lou caught him with a small package for the flash pin. Valentine was irate and Thesz was out of the ring and up the aisle way laughing at him. Thesz gets a measure of revenge for Rocca & Perez and himself.

The All Americans (Danny Hodge and Johnny Weaver) defeated
Angelo Mosca and Larry Hennig when Hodge pinned L. Hennig with the Oklahoma Roll
in 0:11:50.
Rating: * 1/2
The fans were riding high after the last bout and the energy stayed up as Danny Hodge and Johnny Weaver, The All Americans, came sprinting to the ring. They high fived fans and Weaver even gave an adoring female fan a peck on the cheek. As they posed for photos with some ringside observers they were jumped by Angelo Mosca & Larry Hennig. Hennig laid into Weaver and Mosca dragged Hodge into the ring to start the match. Despite the prematch setback the fan favorites fought back and gained the upperhand. Weaver even chased Mosca around ringside as Hennig was caught in the Oklahoma Roll and this one was history. Mosca and Hennig tried to ambush the celebrating duo but were caught with stereo dropkicks and sent over the top. The All Americans stood tall and placated the fans as Mosca and Hennig wallowed on their way to the back.

Dory Funk Sr asks his son where he was last week.
Dory Funk Jr told his dad that when they arrived to the arena he got locked in a bathroom and was stuck until a sweeper came by and heard him. Senior said its inexcuseable and told him to turn into the corner. The elder Funk then removed his belt and started whipping his son. Dory Junior just took the beating and when asked about it later, said "Its just tough love"

Bobo Brazil pinned Bob Orton with the Coco Butt in 0:24:54.
Rating: ** 3/4
(Bobo Brazil retained the WWWF North American Heavyweight Title.)
Bob Orton returned last month to brutalize Dominic DeNucci and was granted this title shot as Brazil needed to make a mandatory defense or risk losing the title due to forfeit. Brazil was game though and turned back the challenger. Orton and Brazil battled back and forth and all over ringside. After Brazil caught Orton with the Coco Butt he vowed to be a fighting champion and said he would not let the fans down as he felt this was the people's championship since it represents their country and its his honor to defend it. As he was wrapping up his speech, "Iron" Mike DiBiase made his way out. DiBiase said since Brazil is just giving away title shots, he'll take one next month. These two met on March 2nd and Brazil retained, but Mike DiBiase has some momentum going so next month the title is anything but safe.

Karl Gotch pinned Dick the Bruiser with the German Suplex in 0:21:10.
Rating: ****
Dick The Bruiser & The Crusher came out to a round of boos from the crowd. Crusher grabbed a mic and said that he was mad about being left off the card and said that after the Funks are done beating each other up maybe they'll show up next month for a title match. Dick The Bruiser said nobody can come into their back yard with getting through them first and said he heard there is gonna be a debut of a new wrestler this month. He said if that guy has any balls he can come out and face him instead of the weak local talent in the Worcester area. This brought out a man known around the World, "The Wrestling God" Karl Gotch. Gotch is a stand out in Europe and has vowed to make a name for himself in the states and started here tonight. The match was easily the best of the night and possibly the short history of the WWWF. Gotch picked up the win with a sweet German Suplex. A move many think he invented. Gotch grabbed a mic and thanked the fans for his standing ovation. Bruiser & Crusher weren't happy and their mood got worse as The Funks came rushing out and we had a pier 6 brawl. Senior grabbed a mic and said the challenge was accepted.

Stu Hart pinned Buddy Rogers with the Stu Hart Special in 0:11:51.
Rating: *** 1/4
(Stu Hart retained the WWWF World Heavyweight Title.)
After a tremendous night of action, Hart & Rogers gave us an absolute treat. Rogers was out by himself and one could only wonder when Valentine would make his way out. It didn't take long and around the 10 minute mark, Johnny V came sauntering out. When all of a sudden he was cut off by LOU THESZ & MIGUEL PEREZ. Rogers saw this transpire and was caught off guard by Stu Hart. Hart used the incident to catch Rogers with a stiff kick to the gut and a Stu Hart Special. Thesz & Perez joined him in the ring for the celebration.

Card rating: ** 3/4


Match observations:
Next Month we're back in Boston! Live May 25th!

On the lineup are:

World Heavyweight Title Rematch - Stu Hart (c) vs Buddy Rogers
North American Title Match - Bobo Brazil (c) vs Mike DiBiase
World Tag Team Titles Match - The Funks (c) vs Dick The Bruiser & The Crusher

Plus:
#1 Contenders Match - The All Americans vs The Graham Brothers
The Rubber Match - Jay Strongbow vs Mark Lewin

Also Johnny Valentine and Karl Gotch will be in action in what is sure to be a tremendous night of wrestling!

[snabbit888]

Before I get into the specific comments, this is a general comment (and really, easy to overlook as far as my enjoyment goes). Your matches all seem to go a little long. If that's not something you're worried about, ignore me, and it really doesn't take away much from overall enjoyment, but a 30-minute opener that's more or less a squash can throw you off a bit.

It's weird seeing some of the guys I used in different roles since I'm 20 years ahead of this. DeNucci was veteran tag wrestler in GCW, and he's a plucky young rookie here. Still not plucky enough to get past Kowalski.

Haystacks Calhoun is really hard to book. You don't want him wrestling a ton of singles matches because it's a hard sell that anyone would be able to beat him one-on-one, and you don't wanna do too many handicap matches because it buries those teams. So far, you're doing well, but we'll see the progression.

Good win for Strongbow.

Again, a bit weird to see Inoki/Baba as the plucky young foreign team. I wonder how much you'll use them both as you move into the future. Either way, they eat a fall to the Grahams, which is fine because the Grahams were big at this time.

Perez needs to control the fiery Latin temper!

Thesz is another guy who's tough to book, IMO. If he's not in the World Title picture, he can be tricky because of his reputation. Still, I like the program he's in with Valentine. Valentine is your top heel so it makes sense.

I like the All-Americans team. Big fan of Hodge.

There's no way Dory Jr. can be happy with what his dad did to him. Getting publicly humiliated by being whipped by your daddy? Not cool, Sr... not cool. That being said, I really liked this angle. It was something different, and I want to see how Dory Jr. responds to getting a live spanking.

Seeing Bobo in this circuit makes me sad. I miss getting to use him, but he just had to get paralyzed in GCW. He seems primed to be a fighting champion. Wonder who will make it catch up to him - don't think it's going to be DiBiase.

Karl Gotch is a nice addition. Total dick in real life from what I understand, but a bad ass. Like him being thrown into the mix.

Stu Hart is growing on me as champion. Buddy Rogers is nearly done as a full-time guy, so no question on the result here.

Got a big show lined up for Boston. Taking place on my birthday (19 years before I was born, of course .

[JoshiQ]

Good show that builds up quite a few angles.

Looking forward to where the Funks go after this. Like Ryan, I can't see Dory Jr. being too happy about being embarrassed in front of an audience.

You are doing the best that you can with Lou Thesz at this point. Since he can't be World Champion, putting him into a feud with Johnny Valentine is a smart way to go about things.

Gotta be careful with Haystacks going over tag teams on his own. No problems with him doing it here against the Rougeaus, but if he keeps it up, it might make the tag division look weak. Hopefully this leads up to some sort of feud with Dory Sr./Haystacks against the Rougeaus though. Where this would leave Dory Jr. is beyond me.

Keep up the good work, Murphy.

[murphy42782]

The match lengths are long ive never booked times unless for a specific purpose, so they do get out of hand. I might start editing obscene ones.

Haystacks is a lovable, but tough to book. The affair with the Rougeaus was more a way to build Calhoun back up in one of his specialty matches. I didnt want to completely bury Jacques and Johnny so I felt they could atleast try to retaliate post match. Senior coming to his aide was more or less to repay the big man for helping to dispatch of the Grahams and keep Dory sr a guy who seems like he tries to do the right thing despite his actions towards his son.

Ryan: glad you're enjoying The All Americans. I put them together too help build the division and wasnt sure if they would or not. As far as Dory goes I think the dynamic between all The Funks is fun to book, so I hope it goes over as good to the public as it does to me. But Junior is just a man and public abuse can only be taken for so long

T hanks for the comments. New card should be up. I have through '66 simmed so its just a matter of getting a few minutes to myself hopefully tonight. Havin a one year old daughter seriously cuts into simming.

[murphy42782]

Live Event - 5/25/63 - Boston, Ma.

Johnny Valentine pinned Dominic DeNucci with the Figure-Four Leglock in 0:06:52.
Rating: **
The show kicked off with a very smug Johnny Valentine taking on the young Dominic DeNucci. Valentine seemed like he was almost taunting Lou Thesz. DeNucci & Thesz teamed a few weeks ago in an attempt to win the tag team battle royal, and it seems like Valentine was trying to torture DeNucci for befriending the legend. Valentine showed the same aggressive nature that has categorized his actions the last few months and the young Italian grappler had no answer for it. This one was a massacre and eventually Valentine locked in the Figure-Four and even after the ref called for the bell Valentine refused to let go until he saw LOU THESZ sprint down the aisle. "Vicious" Johnny V took off through the crowd as Thesz checked on Dominic.

Killer Kowalski pinned Haystacks Calhoun after a chokehold in 0:10:28.
Rating: **
Both of these men are hot as of late. Calhoun defeated The Rougeaus and Angelo Mosca on consecutive cards while Kowalski's rage has been brought out by his inability to capture the World Title. This one was a real war as the two tore into each other like a couple of caged animals. Several points in the match saw the official almost call for a double DQ. However, the battle raged on and in the end it was Killer who took the shortcuts needed to win. With the officials back turned Kowalski tied Calhoun's neck up in between the top two ropes. If it wasn't for Kowalski's massive physique then he likely would've suffered severe injuries, but the official turned around and admonished Kowalski who claimed his innocence. After several attempts to free Haystacks by the official, Kowalski released him from the ropes just to pin him. While Calhoun choked and coughed up what appeared to be blood, Kowalski just stalked away from the ring yelling at fans.

The Rougeau Brothers (Jacques Rougeau and Johnny Rougeau) defeated Team Japan (Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba) when Jacques pinned Inoki with the Figure-Four Leglock in 0:15:30.
Rating: * 3/4
A few months ago these two teams hooked up and Team Japan came out on top. This match was very competitive and the fans were really behind the youngsters from Japan. Jacques & Johnny really seemed desperate for a win after their embarassing loss in the handicap match and their equally embarassing dispatching at the hands of Dory Funk Sr. The Rougeaus are talented and if they can string together a few wins could be right back in contention. They really took a step in the positive direction as they overwhelmed Inoki & Baba in the last few minutes of the match. Jacques locked in the figure four and Inoki verbally submitted to avoid injury. The Rougeau's claimed they were "The Greatest Team in Wrestling" due to this victory.

Jay Strongbow made Mark Lewin submit to the Sleeperhold in 0:11:51.
Rating: ***
These two have really had wars the last few shows. Each competitor has a victory and each desperately wanted this one. Lewin doesn't get the nickname "Maniac" for no reason and he showed just how crazy he could be. Lewin had The Chief on the ropes and instead of going for the victory he opted to roll outside and reach under the ring. He found a wrench and brought it into the ring. Strongbow was leaning on the ropes and didn't see him coming, Mark reared back and if it wasn't for the official Strongbow would've paid the price. As it was Lewin was irate with the official and he lost focus and was caught by surprise with a Strongbow Sleeper. Strongbow got the last laugh in this feud, but Lewin showed just how deranged and scary he is. He might be a few screws short of full toolbox, but he is also just a few mental errors away from being on a rocketship to the top. But until he corrects them, he could be stuck in neutral.

Miguel Perez pinned Larry Hennig with the Sunset Flip in 0:06:14.
Rating: *
Miguel Perez's fiery temper cost him his match against Mike DiBiase, but in this one his temper got the best of Larry Hennig. Hennig is a future star it seems, but that's a ways down the road. Miguel Perez has been fighting for a purpose the last few months since Johnny Valentine possibly ended the career of his good friend Antonino Rocca and until today he hadn't been able to control and focus his energies. But today was a different story and he was in control from the onset and ended this one with a Sunset Flip.

Karl Gotch pinned Bob Orton with the German Suplex in 0:11:47.
Rating: ** 1/4
Bob Orton was coming off a loss to Bobo Brazil and was looking to rebound this month. But unfortunately he was up against "The Wrestling God" Karl Gotch. Gotch debuted last month with a victory over Dick The Bruiser. Gotch showed a tremendous skill set against The Bruiser and it was on display again tonight against Orton. Orton gave it his all but was outclassed by Gotch. Every move Orton had, Karl seemed to have an answer. This one never seemed to be in doubt and Gotch improves to 2-0.

Lou Thesz pinned Angelo Mosca after a German suplex in 0:02:44.
Rating: * 3/4
Lou Thesz had a point to prove and poor Angelo Mosca just happened to be in the ring. Thesz put this one away quickly and called out Johnny Valentine. The crowd was buzzing for the confrontation, but it never came as apparently Valentine was "painting the town red with a couple of beautiful ladies".

The All Americans (Danny Hodge and Johnny Weaver) and
The Graham Brothers (Eddie Graham and Dr. Jerry Graham) battled to a draw in 0:20:00.
Rating: ** 1/4
The Graham Brothers have been on the short end in their quest to pick up the WWWF World Tag Team Titles as of late and The All Americans are growing as a team each time out. The Grahams are the elder statesmen of the division while the plucky duo of Hodge & Weaver are relative newcomers to the wrestling world. Hodge is a tremendous talent with a stellar background and Weaver is a perfect complement to him. The fans really ignite when they make their way to a ring. This drew serious ire from Eddie & Jerry Graham. The two teams ripped into each other from bell to bell and there was no decision. Hodge grabbed a mic and challenged them to a no time limit match next month.

Bobo Brazil pinned Mike DiBiase with the Coco Butt in 0:21:53.
Rating: ** 1/2
(Bobo Brazil retained the WWWF North American Heavyweight Title.)
Last Month Brazil said he would be a fighting champion and was immediately challenged by "Iron" Mike DiBiase. The fans would not be disappointed by this bout. DiBiase really took it to the champ with stiff rights and lefts. DiBiase even showed an array of suplexes and high impact manuevers against the larger Brazil. In the end though, it was Brazil's power advantage that shifted this one back in his direction as he nearly decapitated DiBiase with a vicious clothesline. The Coco Butt and that was it. Brazil shook hands with the fans as "Iron" Mike looked on in frustration.

The Funks (Dory Funk Jr. and Dory Funk Sr.) defeated Crusher & Bruiser (The Crusher and Dick the Bruiser) when D. Funk Jr. made Crusher submit to the Spinning Toe Hold in 0:30:26.
Rating: ****
(The Funks retained the WWWF World Tag Team Titles.)
Following the match, Bruiser & Crusher laid Senior out while Junior was celebrating with the fans. Once he realized what was happening he grabbed a chair and slid in for the save. He helped his dad up and apologized. Again Senior administered some "Tough Love". He grabbed the chair and blasted Dory Jr in the head. The Younger Funk was then helped to his feet and carried to the back as Senior was walking out ahead of him. Junior was again asked about it and said he didn't want to talk about it til the cobwebs cleared. Next month Dory Funk Jr. will address the fans and his Dad.

Stu Hart defeated Buddy Rogers with the Sharpshooter in 0:17:37.
Rating: ****
(Stu Hart retained the WWWF World Heavyweight Title.)
Stu Hart once again had to defend the World Title against Buddy Rogers. Rogers has proved to be a tough out and tonight was no different. This one went back and forth, but again it was Hart who seemed to have the answers. Rogers fought valiantly and almost had the win within his grasp, but Hart had a counter for the figure four every time regardless of what physical condition he was in. Hart eventually caught Rogers in some kind of leglock he's deemed the Sharpshooter. Rogers couldn't wiggle free from the painful hold and had to quit. Rogers grabbed a mic and addressed Hart. Rogers said he knows he doesn't deserve another shot, but next month he doesn't want the title shot, he just wants Hart in a 2 out of 3 Falls match and if Rogers is victorious then he wants one more shot at the gold. Hart agreed and vowed to snap The Nature Boy in half and retire him.

Card rating: ** 3/4


Match Observations:
Another show is in the books and alot has happened leading into next month in Lowell, Ma.

2 out of 3 Falls NON TITLE MATCH - Stu Hart (c) vs Buddy Rogers
Bobo Brazil defends the NA Title against the ruthless "Maniac" Mark Lewin
No Time Limit Match - The All Americans vs The Graham Brothers

Plus Dory Funk Jr. will address the crowd, Lou Thesz will call out Johnny Valentine, Karl Gotch vs Killer Kowalski, and much more.

[JoshiQ]

I like the use of DeNucci here. Having Valentine try and destroy him to get under Thesz's skin was a nice touch.

Kowalski came across as one scary dude in his match against Haystacks. Big fan of the way you ended the match. I don't know if you are using this to build Killer back up or if he is going to enter into a feud with Haystacks, but either way, good job.

Good win to put Miguel Perez back on track.

The use of the draw between the Grahams and the All-Americans was well thought out. It'll be interesting to see who you pick to go over in their feud.

Dory Funk blasting his son with a chair seems pretty harsh, but I am enjoying the angle. I don't know how far you will take it, but I like the fact that it isn't something that is being rushed.

Another good win for Stu, but I could see Rogers getting his revenge in the 2/3 falls match. I don't know if that would lead to Rogers getting another title shot or not, but it is an interesting path to take instead of just giving him another title shot.

[snabbit888]

I always enjoy an angle where a vicious hell attacks a friend or understudy of a face to get at him. Valentine is your best heel right now. Great stuff.

I'll say, I'm interested in the Funks angle. I don't know if I like Sr. hitting Jr. with a chair, but it's a bit different. I'll let you play this one out more before I fully make my opinion on it.

Stu Hart is looking like a great champion more and more as we go along. Not a huge fan on the match being non-title 2/3 falls, but shouldn't take away from it being a great match.

[murphy42782]

The Funk angle is playing out slow which I wanted. The Funks road didnt start when they won the titles, it really seemed to take off after a no show by Junior. I hope it isnt dragged out to long, but I do need it took take some time.

DeNucci had a very subtle connection to Thesz but its not the first time Thesz haas stepped too bat for someone. Valentine in the mean time seems to bed dodging a rematch.

I was going to build Killer Kowalski back up so I'm glad it worked in that regards. Haystacks in general was giving me fits trying to book back when I was booking 1963. He kind of bounced around alot I feel.

As far as Hart/Rogers goes. I didnt want to just hand out another shot and didn't have a ready made feud for him. So Rogers needed to step back into the ring. Im glad Stu is gaining approval with his reign. I was worried my first champ would fail in the viewers eyes. The next few months really start to build towards a big card set for December.

[murphy42782]

Live Event - 6/22/63 - Lowell, Ma.

Bob Orton made Dominic DeNucci submit to the The Lariat in 0:12:21.
Rating: ****
Dominic DeNucci has a fighter's soul if I've ever seen one. A Month after suffering a savage beating from "Vicious" Johnny Valentine, he was back in the ring. He was taking on a veteran here tonight though. Bob Orton hasn't accomplished alot here in the WWWF but he is dangerous none the less. Even at 100% I don't think DeNucci had a real shot against someone as seasoned as "Bulldog" Bob. After an intense back and forth battle Orton caught DeNucci coming off the ropes with a vicious Lariat and this one was academic.

Haystacks Calhoun pinned Jacques Rougeau after a powerslam in 0:07:12.
Rating: ***
Jacques Rougeau is a fine tag team wrestler, but against the 600 pound Haystacks Calhoun, you're going to need your partner. Unfortunately for Jacques, brother Johnny was detained at the Canadian/US border and Jacques realized this was an uphill battle. Calhoun put this one away in short order and challenged Killer Kowalski to fight him like a man and not a coward next month.

Team Japan (Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba) defeated Angelo Mosca and Larry Hennig when Baba pinned L. Hennig with the Crush Kick in 0:17:40.
Rating: 1/2*
The ring was filled with young, raw talent in our next bout as Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba took on Larry Hennig and Angelo Mosca. The tandem from the Far East have taken their lumps and with this win hope to begin cementing their legacy here in the US. Mosca and Hennig are still beginning to gel as a unit and if they ever get it right, they are gonna be one scary duo.

Jay Strongbow pinned Jacques Rougeau after a figure-four leglock in 0:07:52.
Rating: ** 1/2
(Johnny Rougeau no-showed.)
As previously mentioned, Mr. Rougeau would not be joining us tonight, that didn't mean that a Rougeau wouldn't be in the ring with Strongbow here in Lowell. Jacques in an attempt to turn things back around challenged The Chief to put up the winner's share of the purse that Johnny had to forfeit because of a "Clerical Error" at the border. Strongbow said he would let the fans of his Native country decide and the fans resoundingly wanted to see the obnoxious Jacques Rougeau take another beating. Jacques should of stayed in the back as this went much the same way his previous bout did. It was another quick loss for the French Canadian.

The Crusher pinned Miguel Perez after a sunset flip in 0:08:41.
Rating: *** 1/2
[Antonio Inoki interfered against The Crusher.]
The Crusher was out for rare singles action as he took on Miguel Perez. Crusher wasn't alone however. As we have come to expect Dick The Bruiser was in tow. They made a mockery of the rule book the whole match and after arrogantly pinning Perez with his own move, Crusher & Bruiser were met in the aisle by Team Japan! Inoki grabbed a house mic and claimed they were sick of bullies like Crusher & Bruiser. Inoki said next month that they were sick of bullies and rule benders. Baba said Team Japan would show them what a real bully looks like as they dismantle them in the ring next month.

Karl Gotch defeated Killer Kowalski by countout in 0:15:27.
Rating: ** 1/2
Karl Gotch is a machine and noone knows it better then him. After a prematch speach by Killer Kowalski excepting Haystacks challenge, Gotch put on a clinic. He seemed to revel in thwarting Killer's each and every move. Eventually Kowalski would gain the upperhand after a low blow. Kowalski attempted to hang Gotch much in the same fashion he hung Calhoun last month, when out of nowhere Haystacks Calhoun began sprinting to the ring. Kowalski bailed and took the count out loss in an attempt to save his own hide from the massive country boy. Calhoun then helped Gotch to his feet and pointed threateningly at Killer.

Mike DiBiase pinned Dory Funk Sr. with the Top Rope Kneedrop in 0:14:21.
Rating: ****
Mike DiBiase was looking to rebound from his recent battles with Bobo Brazil and Dory Funk Sr. was out to show Lil' Dory by example. After a hard fought battle DiBiase put the elder funk down with a hard powerslam and connected with his Top Rope Kneedrop. Funk Sr. put up a good fight as this was actually one of the best matches in WWWF's short history. Dory was just a split second too late kicking out and DiBiase is back in title contention with his win over 1/2 of the Tag Team Champions.

Lou Thesz made Dick the Bruiser submit to an abdominal stretch in 0:03:20.
Rating: *** 1/4
After a lengthy hate filled promo in which Lou Thesz called out "That no good weasel" Johnny Valentine and running down every heinous attack Johnny V has made the last few months, Valentine's music hit. This brought out not Johnny Valentine, but an official. Thesz looked confused and enraged. The ref told Thesz that Valentine hadn't come to Lowell tonight, but there was someone in the back looking for a fight just as bad as Thesz. This brought out Dick The Bruiser who was irate over Team Japan meddling in his and The Crusher's business. Thesz was a man on a mission though and made short work of the burly brawler. Bruiser did his best to gain an advantage, but Thesz couldn't and wouldn't be stopped. I wouldn't want to be Valentine right about now.

No-Time-Limit-Match:
The Graham Brothers (Eddie Graham and Dr. Jerry Graham defeated The All Americans (Danny Hodge and Johnny Weaver) when E. Graham pinned Hodge with the Figure-Four Leglock in 0:22:58.
Rating: *** 3/4
Last month these two teams battled in a #1 Contenders bout that went the time limit, so they met again here tonight with a title shot on the line. The time limit would not be an issue as officials would've given these teams all night to finish. Turns out all The Grahams needed was 23 minutes. Hodge & Weaver are dynamic and fan support for them is through the roof. They did their fans proud in this one despite the outcome. The fight was tooth and nail and in the end experience once again won out, but after the battle it was clear that a new team was coming over the horizon and into the title pitcure, just not yet. The Grahams will get the next crack at The Funks and they hope it goes better then last time.

Bobo Brazil pinned Mark Lewin with the Coco Butt in 0:13:45.
Rating: ** 3/4
(Bobo Brazil retained the WWWF North American Heavyweight Title.)
Brazil has vowed to be a fighting champion and he proved it again tonight. "Maniac" Mark Lewin is coming off a loss to Jay Strongbow, but he showed a mean streak almost unparalled in professional wrestling. He had attempted to use a wrench on The Chief last month and again here tonight he went looking for something to cause pain with under the ring. He found what appeared to be a tire iron and blasted Brazil in the ribs with it while the refere was distracted by an "accidental" poke in the eye when he went to check on an "injured" Lewin. Brazil fought back though and eventually regained control. Lewin again took shortcuts as he mule kicked Brazil and bounced off the ropes for a clothesline. Just as he went for the clothesline, Brazil recovered enough to hit the Coco Butt out of nowhere and another title defense was in the books.

Dory Funk Jr tells the fans he's thankful his Dad cares enough to show him some Tough Love
Dory said his rookie year hasnt gone as planned. He has brought repeated shame to the Funk name and if it wasnt for his Good Ol' Pappy he wouldnt have this shiny belt to show for his years of training and anyone who questions Senior's tactics obviously was unsuccessful and unloved. The Crowd didnt know what to make of it. But before they could react, Senior made his way out and told Dory instead of worrying about what outsiders think of the Funk Family, He shoulda been more worried about watching his Dad's back against the evil "Iron" Mike DiBiase. He said Junior has once again brought shame to the family and he left a visibly upset Junior in the ring as he made his way to the back.

Two-out-of-three-Falls Match:
Buddy Rogers beat Stu Hart 2 falls to 0:
x B. Rogers beat S. Hart via the Figure-Four Leglock in 0:37:37
x B. Rogers beat S. Hart via the Figure-Four Leglock in 0:45:14
Rating: ****
[Johnny Valentine interfered against Stu Hart.]
This one was shaping up to be an all time classic as two of the very best the sport has ever offered beat each other from pillar to post. The first fall was a brutal 37 minute affair that saw the men use everything they had to try and secure the first fall and the momentum. Rogers caught a prone Hart with the figure four and as a tactical move, Hart seemed to almost stop fighting to get out of it and just gave up as he realized he was in the center of the ring and trying to free himself could lead to real damage and ruin his chance at overall victory.

The fans were going pandemonium as during the second fall, Stu Hart had locked in his Sharpshooter submission hold. Fans held their breathe as it was just a matter of seconds until the official would be restarting this for the 3rd and decisive fall. All of a sudden a man hopped the guardrail and pulled the official out. He then grabbed a chair and blasted the champion between the eyes. As The Nature Boy locked in his Figure Four, the man revealed himself to be JOHNNY VALENTINE! Valentine was in the building all along! The official came to and saw Hart out cold and had no choice but to award the bout to Rogers as Valentine fled the scene just as fast as he came.

Card rating: *** 1/4


Match observations:
We're back in Hartford next month as:

~Haystacks Calhoun vs Killer Kowalski
~Bobo Brazil again defends his belt against Mike DiBiase who's coming off a big win vs Dory Funk Sr.
~Team Japan vs Crusher & Bruiser
~The Graham Brothers try to take the Tag Straps from The Funks
~Lou Thesz and Stu Hart look to get their hands on Johnny Valentine and Buddy Rogers.

[JoshiQ]

I'm waiting for DeNucci to pick up some wins. He might end up being your go-to jobber, but you always write him up like he has a fighting chance.

It's weird seeing you call Larry Hennig a youngster. I keep forgetting how early you started your circuit. I don't know how far you will go with him, but I hope he makes it close to the main event.

Like the fact that you mentioned Johnny Rougeau no-showing before it happened in the results.

Crusher/Bruiser and Team Japan should be a good feud. Hopefully it lasts longer than one show.

Looks like you are debuting intro music about 20 years early unless Johnny Valentine is the only one.

With the Grahams going over the All-Americans, I can easily see them taking the titles from the Funks next show.

Man, Dory Funk Sr. is an asshole. Good to see Dory Jr. is taking it in stride, but I don't know how long that'll last.

Didn't expect Rogers to take the match in two straight falls, but it makes sense with the interference. You've done a good job with Valentine, and I can't wait to see what happens in their tag match. Should be a great match.

[murphy42782]

I didnt even think about lack of music in the olden days. Lol, so used to there being it.
As far as DeNucci and Hennig, I didn't want to job them when I signed them but they are still so young compared to much of thee roster.

Dory Sr is a dick to the younger one, but he still detests rulebreakers and helps out face wrestlers so its weird. Definitely a dbag of a dad tho.