Explosive Pro-Blogging

A year ago I found myself in a position where I had one foot out the door of EPW. Entering into Re-Awakening I thought it would be my last ever time working on an EPW show, At the end of the show Tyler Jacobs invited me into the ring and gave me a send off I will never forget.

I came back to the next few shows while they found a replacement for me on commentary and after that I was happy to just sit back and enjoy the wrestling as the fan I have always been. However Nate Dooley, Davis Storm and Tyler Jacobs asked me to stick around on the board and help them out by making sure that EPW stayed on the right path to success. I am glad I did stick around too because not long after Re-Awakening 10 (2011) William Darcy started making a grab for power. Slowly but surely he built a small and powerful army of the disgruntled and unloyal of EPW and brainwashed them to fight for his cause filling their heads with promises of title shots, money, fame and EPW gold.

Now at Re-Awakening 11 November 17 2012 I find myself in that position once again, I have one foot out the door of EPW on the eve of Re-Awakening, only this time the descision isn’t with me, the power is with someone else. I have faith that the team we have chosen will triumph and that I will get to end my life with EPW when I am ready to, on my terms.

Tomorrow night is one of the most important nights in EPW because there is a chance even if it’s a very slim one that it could be the last time I get to share that feeling with you the fans, the legacy of 11 years for not just me but my good friends Nate Dooley, Davis Storm and Shotgun Tyler Jacobs all comes down to this one roll of the dice, wish us luck!  

http://www.facebook.com/dorian.epw.3?ref=ts&fref=ts#!/events/320784138003227/?fref=ts 

It was certainly a night of highs and lows on Saturday August 25 2012 in Bassendean. Some of the high points included:

Hughesy’s theme music, Jimmy Barnes working class man, if you didn’t have a reason to like him before you sure do now! He is still very new to EPW and finding his way but hey who doesn’t like an underdog (besides AZ)

The team of Mike Massive and Gavin McGavin, two of my favourites in EPW teaming together is pure winning for the fans! They both give their all to make sure the fans have a good time. The EPW tag division is looking stronger than it has in a very long time and I for one would love to see these guys getting a shot at the tag titles in the near future.

The return of Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls. If their return wasn’t enough their match with Chase Griffin and Dan Moore was easily my favourite EPW match so far this year. Hats off to all four guys for keeping me on my feet cheering for almost 20 minutes straight.

A title change, I think a title change is always exciting to witness live, however seeing The Schmidt’s lose the belts to Top Team Australiawas heartbreaking. Hats off to the former champs for giving it their all, hopefully they are healed up and ready for a rematch sooner rather than later.

Sadly the show ended on a real down note as the Cinderella story The Don’ Michael Morleone taking on Hardcore champion Bobby Marshall in a ladder match didn’t have the happy ending I had hoped for. Bobby walked away still champion and The Don left in an ambulance. I want to say though that getting the message The Don was ok first thing Sunday morning was the best news I had received in quite a while, He is a fighter and his efforts in the match on Saturday were nothing short of phenomenal. To put your own body on the line in that sort of a way for the entertainment of the EPW fans is something that most people could never comprehend. I don’t know if the injuries he suffered on Saturday were enough to keep the Don from every stepping in an EPW ring again but I do know the Don is one tough guy who deserves respect and thanks. If you have a second to post a message on the EPW facebook page and show some support for The Don it would be very cool of you!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Explosive-Professional-Wrestling-EPW-PERTH/109714019808  

With the good news that The Don is recovering well the last thing I wanted to mention about Saturday was my surprise when of all people Marcius Pitt had my back? I was holding my own in a verbal exchange with William Darcy and Brett Corvus when Darcy started threatening EPW and saying at State of Origin he would bring over 3 Victorians to destroy whatever EPW wrestlers we put in their path… my mind started racing a million miles per hour as to what would be my dream team for EPW who are the 3 most unstoppable wrestlers I could team together that could actually work together without imploding… then out of nowhere came TMDK Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste and Marcius Pitt made their way out and volunteered their services! I am ashamed to admit I didn’t think Marcius could selflessly wrestle for the good of EPW and left to my decision I probably wouldn’t have put him in the match but lets be honest we know those 3 guys can work together, we know they are 3 of the best wrestlers in the world and when you think about it is there three wrestlers from anywhere in Australia who can beat Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste and EPW Champion Marcius Pitt? Good luck on September 15 Victorians… you are sure going to need it!

Hope to see you at EPW State of Origin September 15 at Bodyslam Central, Fischer Street Bassendean.

Get your tickets by calling 0409373937 or online here: http://www.epwperth.com/tickets#overlay-context=login

Evolution 2012 is all done and dusted and entered into the history books so I thought I would share some of my post event thoughts.

Firstly heartbreaking to see Chris Vice come so close to living his dream of becoming EPW Champion only to have his dreams shattered by events beyond his control. I am sure that if Chris Vice gets another chance at the gold nothing will be able to stand in his way.

Speaking of Chris Vice on July 21 2012 at Hell or Highwater he steps in the ring with Richter in a first blood match, this show will not be for the faint of heart.

As well as the first blood match at Hell or Highwater I have inside word that you can expect a hardcore match and maybe even a tables match… Hell of Highwater looks like it’s getting Hardcore in a very good way.

EPW Champion Alex Kingston? I have always been a huge fan of Alex Kingston, I find his matches exciting and never predictable, is he capable of pulling off the ultimate upset though? I guess we will find out at Hell or Highwater on July 21.

Mike Massive has certainly made his presence felt in EPW, in just 3 months he has already won over the fans who are strongly behind the big man, sadly he is yet to win a match. I think that will all change very soon though. Could his match with Eddy Bombay at Hell or Highwater  possibly be the first victim in the most impressive win streak in EPW history?

Chase Griffin made his return at Evolution 2012 looking more than little different and it looks like getting his head mashed against the ringpost with a steel chair could have knocked a few screws lose. Chase has always been a solid wrestler, maybe this new attitude could be needed to launch him into the next level.

Speaking of chairs rattling peoples brains Chase and Dan Moore knocked Rick Sanders for 6 and out at Evolution. Rick Sanders has been unable to be reached for comment but it looks unlikely he will be back anytime soon after suffering head trauma like that. As much as I despise the actions of Rick Sanders in the last few years we have a lot of history being the original EPW commentary team and I do wish him well in his recovery.

If you haven’t checked out the EPW podcast a view from ringside DO IT! Commentator Dean Olsen, Ringside photographer Soulman and Ring announcer Callan (aka C.J.) provide a great insight into EPW in easy to listen to podcast form, perfect way to stay up to date with everything happening in EPW.

Very happy with Nate Dooley’s work on the EPW board. Getting some exciting title matches and unlike former board members he believes in fairness and wont back down from a challenge.

Big respect to the Schmidts for walking out still champions after their incredibly tough title defence at Evolution. They took on not one but two former EPW champions and still managed to walk away with their hands raised.

Can the Don Michael Morleone defeat Bobby Marshall for the EPW Hardcore title when he gets his next shot? I don’t know, but if their next match is anything like their last brutal encounter I am very excited to find out!

Only 4 and a half months until Re-Awakening 11, anyone care to share the dream match they would love to see at EPW’s biggest show of the year?

So for those who missed out on EPW Goldrush in all honesty you missed out on a historic night. With one of the loudest and most energetic crowds in the history of EPW the wrestlers seemed to feed off the crowds good vibes and deliver a show worthy of their cheers.

For me it was a night of highs and lows, for example:

High Point 1: Nate Dooley putting Top Team Australia (Jamie Jurah and Jimmy Payne) in their place and informing us that The Schmidts would be getting a tag team title match later on the show.

High point 2: William Darcy being fired and abandoned… He has been so smug for so long with his entourage and unjustifiably so, seeing him get fired and left all alone in that ring was pretty cool.

High Point 3: Seeing some of the best from the Eastern states in a very impressive tag team match up. Sex-Rock and the Armstrongs pulled out some amazing high flying and impressive high impact moves to show the people ofPerththey aren’t the only ones who have top calibre Wrestlers. Hopefully we will see all four of them back inPerthin the near future.

High point 4:  The Schmidts winning the EPW tag team titles! For a long time Gary and Barry Schmidt were the punchline of everyones jokes in the EPW locker room, lately though they have been working hard improving their skill and it was good to finally see them have the last laugh.

High Point 5: Alex Kingston stepping up and coming ever so close to being crowned the new EPW Champion. I think my heart came close to stopping several times during the EPW Rumble but none more than when Alex Kingston almost became the biggest underdog story in EPW history by eliminating Marcius Pitt.

But with the highs come the lows:

Low point 1: Alex Kingston accidentally eliminating team mate Sebastian Sander from the Rumble. Poor timing was to blame here asKingstonattempted to get back to his feet on the apron using the top rope as leverage just as Marcius Pitt threw Sebastian Sander in his direction.

Low Point 2: Sebastian Sander blaming Alex Kingston for his loss and trying to attack him. I am going to go on the record and say I don’t thinkKingstondid it on purpose, I have known him for quite some time now and it’s honestly just not the type of person that he is, however after speaking to a few fans after the show they aren’t as convinced as I am it was an accident. Either way things aren’t looking good for Team All Star right now.

Low Point 3: Marcius Pitt winning the EPW Championship for a third time. Don’t get me wrong I am not saying Marcius Pitt isn’t good enough to be EPW Champion as he proved once again at Goldrush he is one of the best in the history of Aussie Wrestling. However his attitude is worse than ever and this belt will only further his arrogance and egotism to an unbearable level.

I look forward to seeing who will step up and challenge Marcius Pitt at Collision Course on Saturday May 26^th 2012 at the Cyril Jackson Rec Centre in Bassendean!

tickets can be purchased by calling 0409 373 937.

or online here: http://www.epwperth.com/tickets 

You can get your tickets here…

http://www.epwperth.com/tickets.php 

or by calling: 0409 373 937

30 Wrestlers from all around Australia competing for their chance to be crowned the EPW champion.

This is a once in a lifetime event that you really can’t afford to miss, Get your tickets in advance because if ever there was show that is set to sell out, it’s this one!

All we can say for sure is that on April 14 2012 EPW will have a new champion and if you aren’t there to witness it in person you will be missing out on an exciting moment in Perth wrestling that will be talked about for years to come!

Who will walk out your new EPW champion?

EPW Origin 2012 

In case you missed EPW Origin here is a quick summary to catch you up to speed with the big night of events.

Firstly Team All Star The Don and Alex Kingston (with Brad West and Big Vin) defeated The Entourage Hollywood Kiel Steria and Leo Pratt (with William Darcy and Hayden Zenith) when Leo Pratt tried to take over and get all the glory costing his team the victory.

Next up tag team champion Jay Taylor was supposed to face Dan Moore but as Dan had a family emergency the EPW board found a suitable replacement in former hardcore champion Gavin McGavin. The match was very even back and forth but with AZ in JT’s corner the odds were just stacked too far against McGavin and Jay Taylor walked out with the win.

Chris Vice, Johnny Wimbledon and Adam Banks defeated The Blackest Hour (Richter, Dorian and Adrian Priest) This was an interesting match to say the least. Tensions were flaring between former champion Richter and current EPW Invitational winner Chris Vice but Blackest Hour manager Rick made sure that Richter kept his distance from Chris Vice. After the match Rick Sanders announced that the Blackest Hour doesn’t care about wins or gold, in 2012 they just want to cause as much damage as possible.

Chase Griffin defeated tag team champion AZ Vegara in a very even paces match. Despite having JT in his corner Chase Overcame the odds and picked up and impressive win, Just as it looked like 2012 could be the year of Chase though The Blackest Hour returned to ringside and Richter mashed Chase Griffins head against the steel ring post with a chair… sadly this may be the last we see of Chase for quite a while.

UPDATE: Chase was rushed to hospital to receive medical attention they kept him for 2 days under observation but since then he has been released from hospital and is improving each day, although his doctor has advised that Chase suffered serious head trauma and it will be some time before he is able to compete in the EPW ring again. Our thoughts are with Chase for a speedy recovery.

Jamie Jurah and Jimmy Payne defeated The Schmidts. Thought to be fair Gorgeous Gary had his arm very tightly wrapped and was clearly in no shape to wrestle. Barry covered for the match and refused to tag his brother in obviously worrying about his well being, Gary however had enough of Jamies mocking and tagged himself into the match before having Jamie and Jimmy work on his already injured arm until he could not go on.

Ferguson Block defeated Scotty Ryan. Despite a little offence early onFergusonmore or less toyed with the 2012 Rising Star Cup winner Scotty Ryan before getting a submission victory with a chicken wing.Fergusonannounced after the match he had not been pinned in years and this streak will only continue in 2012.

Then came the main event! This was surrounded by excitement as prior to the match the head of the EPW board of directors Brett Corvus announced that as Tyler Jacobs match against EPW champion Marcius Pitt was surrounded by controversy and interference when Pitt lost the title that he would give the belt back to Pitt and he would once again be champion.

After a crazy fast passed high energy match Sebastian Sander defeated Marcius Pitt and the crowd went crazy as Callan announced Sander the new EPW champion. Team all star ran to the ring and the celebrations began… However the celebrations were cut very short when Brett Corvus reversed the decision and said the match was never a title match. Upon hearing this Nate Dooley made his return and informed Corvus that he had been removed from his position as head of the EPW board and that Marcius Pitt was NOT the EPW champion.

Then in the biggest news of the night Nate Dooley set up a match for EPW Goldrush that will be a 30 man Rumble with the winner becoming EPW champion.

We will provide you all the details of the when and where for Goldrush 2012 and more importantly how YOU can get tickets to be a part of this historic event where you are guaranteed to see a NEW EPW champion crowned before your very eyes!

You can’t afford to Miss EPW Goldrush 2012

Look forward to seeing you at  EPW Goldrush 2012… “The legend of Dooley’s Gold” (not the actual tagline).  

I am a fan of Ring Of Honor Wrestling, to me it feels like the closest thing to EPW in the United States. Their wrestlers don’t stop trying if there isn’t a tv camera pointed at them and also like the wrestlers of EPW they go out and give you their all to prove that they are the best!

So I was more than a little excited this morning I woke with this news:

The Briscoes vs. Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls, March 30th, “ROH Showdown in the Sun”! 

Two of Australias finest up against two of America’s best… it will be epic!

Best part is we can watch the event live on the internet for under $20 here: 

http://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Wrestling/Ring_of_Honor__Showdown_in_the_Sun_BOTH_DAYS/1333

(note due to the time difference the Friday night March 30 show will take place Saturday morning March 31 Australian time)

Of course only buy the iPPV once you have purchased your ticket to EPW Origin 2012.

EPW Origin taking place on March 3 puts Explosive Pro-Wrestling in the unique position of not having a champion for the first time in a very long time. So who will be the person to pick up the title and lead the charge for the future of Perth Wrestling?

2:1 odds:

Marcius Pitt: I can sit here all day and tell you why Marcius Pitt shouldn’t be EPW champion and why his attitude could very well lead to the demise of Explosive Pro-Wrestling as we know it but the fact is he is a tank and it would take a very talented wrestler with a lucky rabbits foot jammed up their butt to stop Pitt from getting back the belt he believes is his.

3:1 odds:

Chris Vice: has every bit of power that Marcius Pitt has, only difference is Vice has never been the EPW champion. Chris Vice has held the tag titles, he is now the current Invitational Tournament winner but has never held the big one. Will that make him more determined and hungry for the gold in 2012?

4:1 odds:

Sebastian Sander: Seems like the big men are topping my list so far but lets be honest with the power and sheer size of Sebastian it’s hard to argue that many could stop him if he really applied himself.

Richter: After being absent for some time Richter made his return at Re-Awakening X and boy did he do it in style… Turning his back on Devlin Reeves and once again aligning himself with Rick Sanders. With no signs of ring rust and Rick Sanders by his side Richter will establish himself as a title contender once again very quickly.

5:1 Odds:

Bobby Marshall: The current EPW Hardcore champion, it’s a title which has quickly earned a lot of respect and admiration and I don’t think Bobby plans on losing that title anytime soon, being Hardcore champion is a full time job so with his energy focused on that he may not have the time to address any further conquests.

Damian Slater, Slex & Carlo Cannon: 3 of the toughest, most talented in all of Australia. There is no doubt with the right opportunity they could mix it up with the best EPW has to offer and come out on top. The reason these men don’t have better odds of taking home the gold… distance! These 3 men are in high demand all around Australia and although given the chance they will drop everything and come over to WA to taunt the great Perth fans, it’s not always possible.

6:1 odds:

Jamie Jurah/Jimmy Payne: Former champions with all the talent in the world and could easily be straight in the title picture if they chose to do so… however Jamie Jurah and Jimmy Payne have been on a mission as of late to take the tag team world by storm and with their attention focused on getting tag team gold it could be enough to keep them away from the EPW championship.

JT/AZ: In the same situation as Jurah and Payne Jay Taylor and AZ are the current EPW tag team champions. They retained the gold in spectacular fashion at Re-awakening X beating 3 other teams in a brutal 4 way tag team tables match. With their attention focused where it should be holding on to the tag titles they will be a little busy to be chasing the big one… for now.

7:1 odds:

Gavin McGavin: Coming off a run as Hardcore champion Gavin used 2011 to show people he is a serious competitor. After having some classic matches with Gary Schmidt and proving he can hold his own with Tyler Jacobs and Bobby Marshall I would say that 2012 could be the year of the shooter!

Alex Kingston: I have followed his career closely and know that Alex Kingston is capable of anything in EPW. Being mentored by Shane Haste, Kingston knows all the high flying exciting moves that can take any big man down. If he sets his sights on the top of EPW there is no reason that Alex Kingston couldn’t take the crown.

Chase Griffin: Another former Hardcore champion and also a tag team champion to boot. Chase lost his way a little in 2011 but seems to be back on track after making peace with long time rival and former friend Dan Moore. Chase is a wrestler who has shown he is willing to put his body on the line to get the win and sometimes that kind of attitude is all you need to succeed.

8:1 odds:

Brett Foxx: After taking out the 2011 EPW rookie of the year title Foxx is starting to get a lot of positive attention. There is no doubt he has the ability to win big matches but perhaps a little more experience is needed before that can happen?

Kiel Steria: Hollywood Kiel as he is known has the strength of being surrounded by his entourage. However in 2011 he seemed to do more talking then winning.

Bruiser Barry/Georgous Gary: Could 2012 be the year of the Schmidt? It’s up to the Schmidts to decide if they want to attempt to conquer the tag division or perhaps try their hands at singles gold. Either way as always EPW will be a lot more interesting for having the brothers Schmidt around.

9:1 odds:

Leo Pratt: He is annoying… there is no but there he is just annoying. Starting to get more matches and showing people he perhaps isn’t the joke they thought he was.

I could sit here all day covering the entire EPW locker room because the truth is you don’t make it to EPW if you aren’t talented and able to get the victories that count. 2012 will be an exciting year for Explosive Pro-Wrestling and I look forward to sharing the experience with you all, it all starts March 3 at EPW Origin in Bassendean, hope to see you there!

As we head towards EPW’s next show Origin happening Saturday March 3 2012 at the Cyril Jackson Recreation Centre Bassendean I thought I would take a quick look back at the last EPW show Re-Awakening X.

Re-Awakening X was one of, if not the biggest EPW show in the 10 year history of the company. We saw huge matches like EPW Champion Marcius Pitt defending his title against ‘Shotgun’ Tyler Jacobs, The invitational tournament finals, Team All Star vs The Entourage, the brutal Hardcore title match between Bobby Marshall and Gavin McGavin (OUCH!!) and the classic four way tag team tables match between Diamonds in the Rough, Jimmy Payne & Jamie Jurah, The Schmidts and Dan Moore & Chase Griffin. For anyone who was there I don’t need to tell you how incredible this show was! For anyone who missed it, all I can say is it better be high on your list of DVD’s to buy in 2012.

The main event was every bit as epic as I hoped it would be. Tyler Jacobs took on Marcius Pitt for the EPW championship in a match where they beat each other down literally all over the building. ‘Shotgun’ Tyler Jacobs for those who are new to EPW is in my not so humble opinion the best hardcore wrestler I have ever seen live, if that wasn’t enough he had the technical skills to back up his brawling which is a rare combination. Over his 10 years with EPW he had been an invitational champion, Hardcore Champion, multiple tag team champion and of course EPW Champion. I knew Shotgun could beat Marcius Pitt but to be honest I thought with the hot streak Marcius Pitt was on that nothing could stop him from walking out of Re-Awakening X with the championship belt, so when Tyler Jacobs won the match I was almost speechless… almost!

Like the capacity crowd in attendance I leapt to my feet and applauded Tyler Jacobs showing my appreciation for all he had done in his 10 years wrestling for EPW, what he did next though was even more unexpected… Tyler Jacobs after becoming the first (and probably last) person to retire as EPW champion called me into the ring and presented me with HIS title belt… for one moment he let this out of shape loud mouth fan know what it felt like to be an EPW champion (and I did it without all the hard work and sacrifice to my body). It was his moment to enjoy, Hell he had more than earned it, but such is his character Tyler Jacobs chose to share that moment with me, I was overwhelmed, I was extremely humbled and I am not going to lie to you it was one of the best moments of my life standing in the ring with my friend who had just won the main event of Re-Awakening X… there I was walking out of the ring with the EPW championship.

EPW lost a great wrestler when Tyler Jacobs left, but lets be honest there was nothing left for him to prove. Few people will ever rise to the levels that he reached in putting on classic matches and winning every title there was available. So now with two of the best wrestlers EPW has ever known in The Ironman Davis Storm and Tyler Jacobs both enjoying fatherhood and stepping out of the ring there is a big space left for the next generation of talent to step up and show us they are worth paying attention too… Who is going to show us at EPW Origin that they are EPW’s next big thing?