Live Wrestling Review // Chaotic Wrestling 12/13/19 @ Hudson Elks Lodge

12/13/19

@ Hudson Elks Lodge / Hudson, MA

https://chaoticwrestling.com/


Photos can be found in a Facebook album here :::

https://www.facebook.com/pg/raisedbycassettes/photos/?tab=album&album_id=3382848711756679

Last weekend as I was leaving for the Blitzkrieg! Pro event, my son was upset that he wasn't going with me even though when I had asked him if he wanted to go when I was ordering tickets he said no.    Via Facebook and DL Hurst, I found out about this Chaotic Wrestling show and since it was on a Friday and also was close enough to drive to, I asked Quentin if he wanted to go and the plan was set.

I'm one of those people who likes to prepare and would rather show up somewhere an hour early than an hour late.   It's roughly a two hour drive to Hudson, MA and Chaotic Wrestling told me doors would open at 7:15 (Have doors ever opened on time in wrestling though?) so with the combination of rain and ~rush hour traffic~ I decided it was better to leave and plan on getting there at 6 than plan for 7 and end up stuck in traffic.

On the way, Quentin was playing Luigi's Mansion on the 3DS while I was listening to "Blue Sky Noise" by Circa Survive and then I went back to "Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge" by My Chemical Romance.   We made only rest stop before the Mass Pike (which I haven't been on in forever) and then we were about ten minutes away at 6:00 (made excellent time) so we found a Shaw's (which is apparently still a thing) and went there before also going to a Dollar Tree.

Friday also happened to be the Christmas party at my work, so I wore my new DL Hurst shirt because it was red and festive.    Once we got to the Elks Lodge, it was almost 7 and we saw people outside but then they started going in so we went in but we were stuck in the lobby area.   I saw Ava Everett come out and grab some boxes and I didn't know she was on the show but she had mentioned on Twitter she had a new Ava Taker shirt and I was hoping she would be there tonight so I could get one from her in person.


Around 7:30 we were finally let in and our first stop for Quentin's first wrestling show was the bathroom.   I must say now as well that I was pleased there were other children at this show, some younger than Quentin, so I didn't feel like I was being that guy bringing his kid to a show where kids shouldn't be. 

We went over towards the merch tables and saw none other than Josh Briggs standing there.   As large as this man comes across on television, he's even bigger in person.   Quentin took a picture with him and the size difference is just so great. 

When the show started Rich Palladino came out to do the ring announcing and I'm familiar with him from IWTV as well, so, you know you're pretty far into this scene when you feel yourself popping for the ring announcer (and refs). 

The thing about Chaotic Wrestling that I should say before I start talking about the show is that they have a weekly show online plus these events on demand, so their shows have continuity to them.   People have been going to these shows for years now and it's just incredible to me.    There is that balance of keeping the product true to the fans who have been there all this time, but also being able to bring in new fans.   It's one of those things where you couldn't just start reading a comic book series on the fifth issue and expect to know what's going on, but Chaotic has this way where even though this was my first time seeing them I just felt like it didn't take anything away from the experience.

I also must note that I wanted to come to this event to see a number of different wrestlers (mostly Josh Briggs) and I felt like going into this there would be at least one wrestler I really wanted to see in each match.    That's a solid card for me.

The show opened with this group that has Christian Casanova in it and when he said there was no man in the locker room who could defeat him it brought out Kris Statlander for our first match.   With some shenanigans, Christian Casanova picked up the win and I'll just say now that once again Kris Statlander went missing after her match.    She's super over but isn't even selling t-shirts.   I can't explain it.

The second match saw "Retro" Anthony Greene defeat Jason Cade and though I wanted to see the real AG entrance he came out with Ava Everett instead to a holiday song which everyone sang along with.   Jason Cade is a decent heel and has some athleticism that should be watched.   I feel like I knew his name before this match, but yeah, I was partly here to see AG as well and him having Ava Everett by his side was a lovely surprise.

This is when things get interesting because that was announced match and I knew Kris Statlander would appear, but out came this wrestler I don't know named Chase Del Monte and he's been their champion before, but he basically called out Charlie Cashew, who I saw in Blitzkrieg! Pro and feel has a great gimmick.    The next Chaotic Wrestling event is called "Pandemonium" and there's going to be this six person match for a shot at the title and this was basically a match to try and get into it.   Even though Charlie Cashew lost, he got put into the match anyway or maybe he got put in instead of Chase Del Monte... I'm not sure.  It was a little confusing.

Before intermission there was a tag team gauntlet match with the winner getting a title shot later in the show.   It started with the Maine State Posse, which is funny because I saw Dangerkid last week for the first time.    I didn't know a lot of the people in this gauntlet match, so I'm not going to try and mess up their names but CJ Cruz was in it and I've seen him on IWTV and the last tag team to enter was JT Dunn and Davienne, who I saw for the first time last weekend as well.   I was hoping for the JT Dunn/Davienne team to win but someone called the Logan Brothers won by cheating.   It was a fun gauntlet though afterwards I did feel like we needed a breather.

Also, during the first match, Dangerkid pointed and yelled at Quentin to sit down in his seat and be quiet.    So, Quentin did sit down and got quiet but then he kind of laughed about it.   It was a funny moment, and it was a heel thing to do (this is wrestling) but it's also just one of those little things that makes the overall experience that much more personal and memorable.    Even though it goes against kayfabe: thank you, Dangerkid. 

During intermission, I went over and bought tickets for the next Chaotic Wrestling show because it was announced that they would be on sale then.   This is such a great business move, because you already have your fans there (hopefully) having a good time-- get their money!!   I also asked Quentin if he wanted to go because it's his birthday so it's going to be pretty fun.   It's in Lowell, MA so it's not close but not as far as Hudson.    I'm really, really excited for it though and I feel like Quentin is as well.

We also made our way to the merch table (again) as we saw both Anthony Greene and Ava Everett out there.   I asked Ava Everett if she remembered me from last week and she said yes (If she didn't really though, it's okay- I'm sure she meets so many people) and we talked for a little bit about the Power Rangers, how they should bring back the Girls Room for the Blitzkrieg! Pro show on 2/1 and how this was Quentin's first wrestling show and his next one would be on his birthday.   I also bought the Ava Taker t-shirt because I do not have enough wrestling themed shirts still.

I also ran into CJ Cruz and said "Hey, it's the little brick shithouse!" and he seemed genuinely happy that I called him that and told him I enjoyed seeing him all over IWTV recently.    He's someone to watch in 2020 for sure.


Following intermission we came back to DL Hurst defending the New England Championship against... I don't remember his name and don't want to look it up on Twitter but he had this yoga gimmick, like a more annoying/updated Simon Dean.  It was decent for what it was, but it could also get really old really fast.    Now, with this match I need to make a point and it's not about the other guy in it (Sorry, his name is out there though) but rather about DL Hurst.

In the world of professional wrestling, it's one thing to create a gimmick for yourself and then just be that gimmick everywhere.   But to do what DL Hurst is currently doing is not what every other wrestler is but shows how talented he truly is.   What he is doing being the fact that in Blitzkrieg! Pro he can play the heel and in Chaotic he can play the face.   There are certainly wrestlers who will be cheered or booed wherever they go, but to be able to get that reaciton out of the crowd depending upon where you're wrestling... that's rare.    I don't know how many people can pull that off, but that really impressed me with DL Hurst on this Friday the 13th.

The second to last match (pre-main event?) saw the Logan Brothers get screwed (kind of how they screwed the team I wanted to win earlier in the night) and Christian Casanova and his partner retained the tag team titles.   They were then attacked by JT Dunn and Davienne, who got the best of them so hopefully on 1/10 we'll have that tag team match signed and ready to go. 


The main event really needs a review in itself.   They showed this video package (Which I also watched before the show) of what lead to this fight and it's one of those things I instantly love about Chaotic Wrestling.   You could be a fan who has gone to every show and seen all of this unfold, but if you're like me and tuning in for the first time, this video package tells you all you really need to know about these two guys just wanting to beat the hell out of each other.

It took quite some time before the match ever even got into the ring and officially started.    Brian Fury was on the guardrail at one point with Josh Briggs running for the big boot when Fury just dumped Briggs over into a few rows of fans.   That was crazy.   They brawled through the crowd and the thing I kept repeating to Quentin before this show was: If the action seems like it's coming your way, move.    Thankfully as well, Chaotic had security people around to help out.   At one point, one of them did tell us we should move a few steps back and so I did make Quentin slide over a few chairs.

We were sat near the merch area and so as they came over there I literally was within arms reach of them both.   Josh Briggs hit Brian Fury with a cash register and the cord to plug it in whipped around and hit me.   That's how close I was.     They just wrecked the place.   This was the fight I wanted to see and if he isn't considered to be so already, Josh Briggs is going to be that breakout star in 2020.

Once they did get into the ring it became a battle of wills.   Two guys just giving each other all they had and neither surrendering.   This is wrestling.    Josh Briggs beat down the bald ref who reminds me of the ref from Celebrity Deathmatch but he's also been on Uncharted Territory.   The other ref came out and when he tried to count a three at one point, the first ref woke back up and stopped him.   This lead to the bald ref trying to attack Josh Briggs which just felt stupid because he's the size of one of his legs.   I thought that would give Brian Fury a cheap win but it didn't. 

Constant ideas of "What do these two have to do to beat the other?" made this one of my favorite matches to ever see live.   If this does come onto the Chaotic website and I can view it again, I'll pay whatever to watch it again because I enjoyed this show so much.   Sign me up for the buying the blu ray or whatever, this was just such a great experience and I am just excited and very ready to do it all again soon.    If you haven't been watching Chaotic Wrestling, my best advice is to start now. 

Live Wrestling Review // Blitzkrieg! Pro Wrestling presents "What About Me?"

12/7/19
@ Old Country Banquet Hall / Enfield, CT

http://blitzkriegpro.net/

Photos can be found in a Facebook album here :::

https://www.facebook.com/pg/raisedbycassettes/photos/?tab=album&album_id=3382836301757920

Before I went to my first professional wrestling show in over a decade, I also purchased tickets to this Blitzkrieg! Pro Wrestling show set to take place one week later.    This show boasted Raven, Nunzio, Kris Statlander and all of your B!PW favorites so I assumed I'd have a lot of fun in MA and want to do it all again the following week, so I bought a ticket and was on my way.

It's funny how I thought this would be so much closer to me since it's in CT, but it was only really a fifteen minute difference from going to the MA Moose Lodge.   I listened to My Chemical Romance and little else on the way there, while I listened to Sorority Noise and got donuts from 7-Eleven on the way home.

When I got to the House of Pierogies (as they like to call it) it was almost a half hour before we were let in.   Once inside, they had Raven set up for autographs and photos and for some reason I was the only person who bought a ticket to sit on the stage and the woman at the door told me I'd be on the stage by myself.    That was fine by me and as I looked to see who was selling what I decided to take my seat and wait for the show to start.

Though it had only been a week, I still was happy to see some of the wrestlers who I saw the week prior and felt like I knew now.   CPA and Evil Kip Stevens were among the wrestlers in the first match scramble- along with Dangerkid and whatever the hell he brings to the ring with him.    The Shook Crew ran a similar angle as the week before with Kirby Wackerman teaming with Bryce Donovan against a different team this time though, in the Apostles of Chaos.  Instead of Bryce Donovan leaving though, the team ended up taking a solid loss.

In what was clearly the match of the night, the team of Skylar, Davienne and Ava Everett took on DL Hurst, Jeremy Leary and Scotty Wild (who I think should be "Scotty Wyld") in a battle of the sexes.   The women were called "The Girls Room" and they came out dressed like Power Rangers.   It was my first time seeing Davienne, but I had seen Skylar the week prior and I recognize Ava Everett from appearing on IWTV with Retro Anthony Greene.  I really enjoyed this match and wish it didn't end with DL Hurst using a chair on Skylar.   After the match though, Hurst hit Scotty Wild with the chair as well so at least he went full heel.

Being the holidays, we had a "Santa's Surprise Hardcore Match" with Jeff Cannonball taking on Alexander Lee.   I'm not familiar with either of these wrestlers but they did some fairly hardcore spots and spent a lot of time outside of the ring. 

After they cleaned up that match, Raven came out to talk about a young man named Julius who has had a tough life and all he wanted was to attend a pro wrestling show, so the Blitzkrieg! Pro crew brought him here.   This was discussed on social media, but they also raised money to get this kid a PS4 and other Christmas gifts and it just makes me happy to be part of a community that would do something like this.   Yeah, I'm a fan of wrestling because it tells stories through violence and in 2019 it's not something you have to be as ashamed about, but this is one of those times where I look and think about why I also really love pro wrestling.

During intermission, I found the Girls Room near the ring and took a picture with them- mainly to show my son because he's a huge Power Rangers fan- and then I wandered around the merch area.   DL Hurst said that if I didn't buy a shirt from him he'd hit me with a chair so I had no choice but to do just that. 

I was having such a great time and the show was only halfway over.    The second half kicked off with Bobby Orlando defending his title against Kris Statlander in a No DQ match.   This seems like it would favor Kris Statlander, but Bobby Orlando managed to pick up the win.  Seeing Kris Statlander live was one of my goals since watching IWTV and going back out to see wrestling live again.   I have a question though: Why doesn't she sell merch at these events?   The crowd seemed really into her and if she had some shirts out I'm sure they'd sell.   Just seems like leaving money on the table to me.    But who am I to say how these things work, right?

During the next segment turned into match, M.A.D. (which stands for Mutually Assured Destruction and are the team which really impressed me last week) came out and then Nunzio came out and said that he needed a tag team partner which brought out Oswald Project.   If you've not yet seen Oswald Project, you need to watch more Pizza Party and Limitless because that's where I've seen him.   This was a great match though, which the team of Nunzio and Oswald Project won, so perhaps they will return to B!PW one day as a tag team.

The main event saw Smart Mark Sterling vs. VSK, which is one of those things where they're not friends here but if you watch them in other promotions (cheap pop for IWTV again) you'll find them as friends.   After VSK won this match, he called out Bobby Orlando saying he wanted a match for the title.   First, DL Hurst's music hit though, which brought him back out and he said he wanted a match as well.   Eventually, it became a done deal that there would be a match- a triple threat match- on the 2/29 B!PW show, which is one of the two February dates for B!PW and I can't wait for tickets to go on sale.

After all of the wrestling I was going back towards the merch tables and somehow almost ran into Pinkie Sanchez, who I stopped to talk with and took a series of photos with as well.   I then went over and spoke with Oswald Project- and took a photo with him- as well.   This was the last Blitzkrieg! Pro show of 2019 and my second time seeing them, but I really do hope to make it to all of their shows in 2020.   I also must not eat the Chinese buffet before the next time I go to Enfield because they were both pierogies and kielbasa available and next time I'm going to get me some.

Music Review // The M.O.A. "Marbles"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=812EyuSIT4A //

When this video starts you see the singer pushing around a wheelbarrow in black and white.   He goes up and down the streets, with a child at his side at one point but they pass by some scenery but there isn't a whole lot to be told within the story of the visual-- it's left to the mystery of it all.   You're left wondering what is in the wheelbarrow and where is he going with it, what will he do with it.

By the end of the video he ends up on the boardwalk facing into the ocean.   He takes out a box and the bags he had been pushing mix with water to form concrete.   He stands in the box as others pour the concrete in and push him into the ocean.   It's quite the visual, actually, because the words of the song seem to mix so well with what's happening on screen. 

There are certain tags I would use to describe this song by The M.O.A.   Words like "new wave", "punk", "post punk" and that sort of idea all come together though they aren't really one of those individually, more of a postwave, if that's a thing.   In some ways, this song reminds me of "Approaching Normal" era Blue October, which is definitely not a bad way to sound either.

At the end of the song (and video) I think what can be learned best from this all is still left to somewhat of a mystery in the sense that you must solve it.  We all carry around this weight with us which isn't physical but weighs us down more than any wheelbarrow we could ever push around.   It's your choice to either stop pushing the wheelbarrow and let go of that which is holding you down/back or you can simply let it be your downfall.   Hopefully, after watching this video you can gain a better understanding of what's in your wheelbarrow and how to make the load lighter without causing yourself harm.

Cassette Review // Simon Irvine "Ritual Music" (Pink Dolphin Music)

£6 //
Edition of 8 //
https://pinkdolphinmusic.bandcamp.com/album/ritual-music //

We begin with this dark ringing, which almost feels like knocking, and then it enters a zone of alien spaces which makes me think of "The X-Files" or something along those lines.   Claps and beats come in now to the point where you could get up and dance to this as some sort of funky Area 51 Party.    Distorted guitars ring in now as well.    Synths give this one a gothic feel.     The way that this entire song has just grown- as distorted vocals are added in now- just makes it feel more like an album within itself than a single song.

Guitar notes drop in now and add to the chaos.   This is intense, somewhat haunted.    And then it just builds to that end where you would hope for the applause when played live.   We scale it back into softer hues now.   A little bit of a fog coming in.    Tones enter- perhaps guitar notes- which give off a definite "X-Files" vibe.    Big block beats come in now and this has a chill vibe to it.    Vocals come in now and it gets quite trippy, hypnotic.   I feel like it is putting me under a spell.

Big pianos now start off a peaceful song.    I feel less like the aliens are in here, but it does feel like we're up floating in the clouds.   Electronic vocals come through and this has a certain pop feel to it.    It might even be a form of -wave, if popwave could be such a thing, and then the big beats kick in again.    Somehow now this tone comes through blaring and it feels like a sax, like something from a 1980's movie (I'm thinking "Better Off Dead") when they just went into such random solos.

Following that solo though it feels like we're headed back into that alien realm once again.    The distorted vocals have returned as well.    There is such a symphonic sound to this in ways as well, as at times I can think of it as being like an orchestra playing each individual part.     Beats now return and we're into the next song with a more upbeat feel to it.   Tones twist and wind, up and down, then flow through.   It feels almost like it is whistling now. 

An audio clip now is telling us "This is the voice of a man condemned" and then it kind of starts skipping to fade out.   Beats come in fast and hard like "Blue Monday".    As it kicks in it feels like it's slapping and these sort of Transformers synths come in behind it all in waves.    The tones make me feel like this is somewhere between New Order and Orgy though, which is a nice place to be.    The audio clip returns where it left off and then kind of glitches out again. 

On the flip side we open up with these funky echoing beats which seem to say "mine mine mine mine" but at times they sound like other words or no words at all.    The beat claps in and it takes on this almost Transformer sound as it's somewhere between electronics in a "Resident Evil" way and electronics in a technology way.     We slowly begin driving now and this just has such a great moving pace that it's something you could drive to, especially if you imagine yourself in some older car with a tape deck that looked like what they thought back then future cars would look like (think: Back to the Future)

The beat comes knocking and a soulful singing comes through which puts a spell on me.   Though the singing does continue I can also find just the beats themselves, the rhythm of it all, to be hypnotyzing.    A little of that static crackle takes us into the next song with claps and these glass tones which can wind and curve like ghosts.    A quieter, more minimal feeling electronic loop now takes us into some heavenly ohms.    It's the contrast of relaxing on clouds mixed with a virtual pinball game that really makes this all come together.

We transition into a smoother video game type of sound now, somewhere between Miami Vice and Double Dragon.    There is a great dance quality to be found here, which I suppose could be said for most all of these songs.   Eerie tones come through now, like this cassette has become haunted, but then vocals begin to speak, almost shout at us, as the beats enter once again and this has a strong Bruce Lee quality to it for me.   As more singing enters there is a definite future quality to this I enjoy, as this whole cassette has had that futuristic vibe.

Cassette Review // Sheep On Drugs "2LIGHT 2DARK e.p."

£10 //
https://sheepondrugs.bandcamp.com/album/2light-2dark-e-p //

This cassette starts with beats and beeps.   It's somewhat fast paced and reminds me of the soundtracks to movies such as "Go" and "Run Lola Run".   Vocals attempt to kind of glitch through at times and I also can hear modems, but this ultimately has that steady beat behind it which is great for driving fast or running- something fast paced.   The way the vocals try to come through at times can also feel like industrial, which also makes me think of Fire-Toolz.

There is even singing in here and this just has a feeling unlike anything I've ever heard before.   It's fast paced electronics, yes, but there are other layers to this which make it unique of that as well- and the singing- and I feel like it should be easy to say "Oh, this is influenced by ___" and then add some big name like Fatboy Slim in there or whatever, but I can't.     The way it moves though is just so much fun.    It is such a delight to listen to it, even if the words are about not wanting to live forever it still makes me so very happy.

What I find interesting as well, as a sort of side note, is after listening to the song "Going Soon" several times over (which closes out the first side) it's not funny but it's something worth noting that it feels as much like it's about leaving a party or the such as it could be about death and I really like that about it.   There are these upbeat kind of beats too, so you can kind of just dance to it without thinking about that underlying meaning.

On the flip side we open up with these deeper beats and it feels like something that could be on "The Crow" soundtrack.   It's such a special sound because you want to feel like it's something you've heard before, but it isn't and the way it sings and just sludges through at the same time makes it instantly stuck in your head. 

The fourth and final song starts off with those beats which make me think industrial but then it switches into something trippy which can be this cross between Flaming Lips and Led Zeppelin.    It takes on this fun sound now as well, which makes me feel like Sheep On Drugs can take these ideas of being rock n roll or electronic or industrial but fuse them together in a way which hasn't been heard before and so you think it sounds like something else but it only sounds like them.

Cassette Review // Maude "Don't Send Me" (Waters End)

$8 //
Edition of 21 //
https://watersend.bandcamp.com/album/dont-send-me //

This one starts with some wild drum machines and then these bouncing balls come in before it hits this steady rocking beat, somewhere between rock and electro.   It picks up now, somewhat like a dance number, and I'm thinking of an artist such as Fatboy Slim.    There is a pop appeal to this where I could imagine hearing it on the radio, in a movie or even a car commercial.

At one point in the first song it feels like singing is trying to come through but it doesn't quite.  On the next song, however, there are these spoken words and the tones in here just sing.   It's very electrowave, if that's a thing.    It just has this blissed out sound which I enjoy, good for just chilling around your house or out on a long drive at night.

An audio clip now in what sounds like broken hues from a film, a post rock sense in some way as well.   This might not be an audio clip though and it might be spoken word as well.   "I find no shadow of another body" is repeated and then the beats kick in.     This grows a little trippy, as I'm feeling like "Trainspotting" now.

Blissed out tones begin the flip side with equally happy beats.   Singing comes in now and this feels like something out of "Go" but also happier, not as frantic.    The mood can change, as it's once again chill, but this remains upbeat for the most of the time and I like to think of it as just being optimistic.    Back when hardcore had a genre called posicore (look it up) I felt like there were too many genres but now I'd like to think of this as being some cross between electro and optimistic ("electropti"?)

This takes us into an electrical song which feels kind of clanky, like a lot of beeping robots at once even though it has minimal sounds and isn't as crowded as I'm making it seem.   With a nice drive, this feels a little bit like a video game and it's one I would definitely want to play. 

Cassette Review // Avola + Foster "Pure Salt"

Sold Out //
https://keithfoster.bandcamp.com/album/pure-salt //

Big drum machine beats start this cassette.  Laser fire blasts come in and then it's those ringtone type of sounds which also make me think of robots.    As I feel like I'm hearing modems, this one just gets wild.   It drives, it twists and it turns.    It fades and returns into the next song which has a feel to it like The Prodigy.   It just hits that hard. 

On the flip side it seems like we have this sound of something opening up and then these electro beats kick in.   It starts off as this one sound, but then grows into more sounds and the pace just increases which is a nice way to build the overall volume.   I like to think there is a simple complexity to this entire cassette because on the surface it can feel so much like pop but underneath it all there are many hands at play.

In some ways this can be a video game soundtrack even, but perhaps that could be said about anything in the right game.   (Though, yes, this does just have that type of sound, complete this hum-buzz behind it all)   It comes through rapid fire at times and it just makes me want to move.    That weird almost chewing type of sound persists though.

Drum machine beats bring in the Transformers sound.   It gets a little bit of drone, a little bit of funk.   Sometimes these lasers blast through like lightsabers as well.    It just grooves, but there is an electronic transformation to it-- that series of robot beeps, much like how I imagine someone would take the tones from a keypad, like at the ATM, and manipulate them into becoming music.   But that is a lot of this cassette: creating melodies with non-traditional sounds.

Wrestling Review // Blitkrieg! Pro Wrestling Presents "Notafingah!" [11/30/19, Westfield MA]

Photos can be found in a Facebook album here :::

https://www.facebook.com/pg/raisedbycassettes/photos/?tab=album&album_id=3334052299969654


Official B!P site :::

http://blitzkriegpro.net/

As I like to do with most things, I did the math on the last time I went to a professional wrestling show and it had been since December, 22nd 2006 when Ring of Honor was in Connecticut.   I did go to a series of matches since then, at the North Haven Fair, where I met Matt Hardy, but I don't really consider that the same because I paid to get into the Fair and didn't specifically buy a ticket for professional wrestling, as I did here.   I also tried to go to a professional wrestling show before this one but it fell through for reasons I won't get into here.

Over the past few months (since September) I have watched events on IWTV, which if you read along you already know, and so that has renewed my interest in professional wrestling enough to the point that Blitzkrieg! Pro announced an event with WARHORSE and Tony Deppen, two of my favorite wrestlers, and so I mapped it out and it's about an hour from me to Westfield so I decided to take the drive.

When I mapped out my address to the Moose Lodge in Westfield it told me that I could either drive one route at 58 minutes and pay a toll or take an hour and one minute with no toll, so I optioned for no toll.   I went up 91 then got off the exit for the airport and took these backroads all the rest of the way there.   It was so weird because it was dark and looked like it might have been nice farm country if I could see it and I even crossed into the MA border without even realizing it.

On my drive up, I was cranking "The Illusion of Safety" by Thrice on 91 but when that ended and I got off the highway I was listening to "There Existed An Addiction To Blood" by clipping. 

It was right around 6 pm that I got to the Moose Lodge without any trouble.   Only a few others had shown up, but I parked near someone else who seemed to be there for the wrestling show.   We waited outside until almost 6:30 and then finally were let in.   There were no tickets (which is environmentally friendly) but rather I just showed my PayPal email on my phone and they let me in, putting an "s" on my hand so I could sit on the stage.   There were a handful of chairs (maybe 25 or 30) on the stage to sit if you paid extra, but otherwise you had to just stand around the ring which took up most of the room on the floor.

Some mech tables were set up but not for anyone I recognized so I went and sat down in a second row seat.    The show started promotly at 7:05 and I have never taken pictures at a wrestling show like this before, so it was interesting to try and catch shots when the wrestlers weren't moving.   I'd need a much more expensive camera lense to get better still photos or just learn to use mine better.   My camera also kept wanting me to open my flash, which I did not want to do. 

One thing that surprised me (but not really) is that there were some kids there.   I didn't know if this was going to be a family friendly show or not and since the flyer talks about beer I thought maybe not, but the kids seemed into it.    The opening contest saw DL Hurst vs. CPA and I feel like I've seen both of these guys on IWTV before.   When you get this close to the ring, in this type of space, you realize how hard the wrestlers hit it.   And that's not their boot stomping on it- it's their backs, it's their whole body just making it sound as if it will fall apart and collapse underneath them (which, if it did, might somehow hurt them less)

I'm not going to go through and describe every match to you, but there was a tag match with the tag partner that wasn't really wanted and so the one guy ended up just walking out on him at the end.   I do believe the wrestler's name was Kirby Wackerman and he got stood up, basically, which is what you could have expected.   The team that they faced though came out in spikes and seemed to work really well together so keep your eyes on them. 

Perhaps my favorite match of the night was Travis Huckabee vs. Nick "The Kid" Curry.   I know very little about Nick Curry (other than that he doesn't look young enough to be called "The Kid") but this was the first match signed for NOTAFINGAH! and I had seen Travis Huckabee in CHIKARA so it was one of those signs where I felt like I had to go to this show before they even signed WARHORSE to it.   But this was some great chain and mat wrestling that ended with Huckabee doing the low blow for the DQ loss.   Perhaps we can see this again some time with a proper finish? 

The main event of the first half saw WARHORSE defending the IWTV Championship against Scotty Wild and Hermit Crab.   I've seen Hermit Crab not just in CHIKARA but all over IWTV and he was getting some great chants from the crowd.    It somehow felt like of all of the wrestlers in this match, WARHORSE was getting the least crowd support and yet he's the reason why I came to this show (Well, one of the main reasons)   WARHORSE took the time to help Scotty Wild learn to headbang and ultimately WARHORSE got the win in what was a title match but I didn't think would be.

During intermission I went over to buy a t-shirt and trading card from WARHORSE.   I asked him if we could take a picture together and he asked if I had someone to take it and I pointed at Scotty Wild and said "That guy" and he kind of looked at us both like "What?"  But we ended up getting the photo- I think a woman who ended up interviewing WARHORSE for her podcast took it- but yeah, it kind of made my night. 

I went to the bar area, passing all sorts of the wrestlers who had already wrestled (including Travis Huckabee, who I wanted to talk to but didn't) and so I bought a beer from Two Weeks Notice because that was the local brewery advertised before the show.   The beer was good though.   I need to look up how to get more of it or if they sell it at my local package store (You know, the one I could literally throw a rock at from my porch and hit)

At some point in the night it was also announced that Tony Deppen would not be there, probably due to the drive he had.    This made me sad but they booked him for a February card so that's kind of the lure of professional wrestling- the "to be continued" factor to bring you back.

After intermission there were four more matches.   I don't remember the names of everyone in them, but there was a match with "Evil" Kip Stevens, Jeremy Leary, Aaron Rouke and Charlie Cashew.   Aaron Rouke didn't seem to get recognized, but he recently took the crown of the Beyond Discovery Gauntlet.    Charlie Cashew was a definite standout in the match though, as he would yell out "Let's get nuts!" or "Let's go nuts!" and it just seems like something that would be easily played in a promotion like CHIKARA or going forward in B!P. 

I imagine a scenario for Charlie Cashew where someone has to tag with him or face him in a match but that wrestler can't because he has a nut allergy.    Maybe I'm overthinking this, but it would be some good long term booking. 

Bobby Orlando (who was recently on Uncharted Territory) defended the Bedlam Title against Skylar, which was fun because even though it was my first time seeing Bobby Jr. I will pay admission to shows going forward just to see Bobby Jr.   Skylar was impressive though and as one of two women on the show I just kind of wish that there were more.     Erica Leigh was in this four on four match and she really shined.   Would love to see her back in B!P, even as soon as this coming Saturday!

In the main event, VSK took on Manders which was an odd match for me because when I've seen VSK on IWTV he's always been a heel but the crowd loved him.   Manders said something about how he wasn't getting a reaction because no one knew who he was, but I think everyone was just mad he jumped WARHORSE on Thursday.   (Side Note: I saw WARHORSE as part of that big four on four match on Uncharted Territory on Thursday on IWTV, then on IWTV as part of Limitless Wrestling and now in person on Saturday.  What a crazy life!) 

I enjoyed VSK vs. Manders as a match, even if they took the time to stop and drink a beer with referee Gina, and at the end of the night, the thing was I didn't feel like I had been sitting through the show for however many hours it was.   That's the true accomplishment in professional wrestling, to me, is putting on a show that's three hours and doesn't feel like three hours.    The night just flew by.

On my drive home, I put on a little Lana Del Ray before I got on the highway and I saw a sign that said I had entered Connecticut.   Once I got near the airport I turned the maps off.   Isn't it great when the maps lady says to drive seventeen miles so she goes quiet and then you're singing along and all of a sudden she just says "In two miles stay right" and it scares the shit out of you? 

I'd end with this paragraph about how "This was fun and I'd like to do it again some time" but they literally are having their next show this Saturday in Enfield, for which I already have a ticket.  Kris Statlander will be there as well as Raven (and maybe WARHORSE?) so I'm already excited.   And as soon as they say when, I'll be buying a ticket (maybe two) for their show in February.