wrestling

Royal Rumble a fun time again

February 5, 2015

The Rumble from our seats.

I think I need to stop going to the WWE Royal Rumble. Not really. But the weather never seems to agree with me going.

After all, it seems, whenever I go to it — at least the past two years — bad weather follows. First last year in Pittsburgh, then this year in Philadelphia.

Still, it was one heck of a blast.

Three of us took a trip to Philly (was supposed to be four, but the fourth couldn’t pull it off) for this year’s edition of the Royal Rumble, the “official” start for the road to Wrestlemania.

Ticket.

And the Royal Rumble is easily my favorite WWE event of the year. In fact, it was the first pay-per-view I ever saw in person (1992, Albany).

This year, the ride down was a little sketchy at times, but not too bad. The weather could have been way worse. It was VERY cold out. But we didn’t get hit with the snow storm they were calling for on Monday.

As for the Rumble, it was a fun event. We had solid seats. thanks in part to a connection I have. The same one I used last year, which was amazingly awesome.

Not only that, we got to see another wrestling show (Chikara), and ate at Geno’s, which is always a bonus. In the end, it was a fun weekend, the event was pretty solid, and it was enjoyable to get away for a night.

See a few photos below (all iPhone as I wasn’t supposed to bring my main camera in, though I think I could have pulled it off).

Thrown out of the Rumble!

Rumble filling up!

The Rock with the winner!

Blurred lights as Bray Wyatt comes out.

Three-way dance for the Championship!

The former Brodie Lee (left), now Luke Harper, squares off with Buh Bug Ray Dudley.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Helping Hacksaw … Hooooo!

December 5, 2013

I first saw “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan when I was a youngster.

It was in Binghamton at the Broome County Arena and he took on Andre The Giant, then a heel in the world of professional wrestling. With his chants of “HOOOOOOOOO!” and “USA USA USA,” Duggan was a larger-than-life hero to me.

“Hacksaw” Jim Duggan at a 2CW event I attended.

I even got his 3/4-sleeve baseball jersey-style shirt. And, despite being a wrestling fan most of my life, that’s still one of the very few wrestling shirts I’ve owned. Since then, I can only think of a few others — a Hulk Hogan one (duh), a bWo shirt from the ECW days and one I recently received as a gift for shooting promo photos for a couple of friends who are indy wrestlers.

Outside of that, I can’t remember any, though I may be missing one or two.

But Hacksaw has always been one of my favorites.

I’ve said it here before, but when I watch wrestling, I like to believe. I understand how it works. I know what goes on. But when the show is on, I like to believe. I’m old school in that I cheer for the good guys and boo the bad guys. Though there are rare exceptions to the rule, I will usually follow those thoughts.

Heck, at a recent independent show where the aforementioned friends are heels in one federation, I booed them. It’s how I like things to be.

Hacksaw still gets around to events. He wrestles on the indys and, occasionally, shows up on WWE television for a cameo, usually getting a massive cheer when he does.

I’ve seen Duggan in recent years and he’s still entertaining. Despite approaching 60, he still captivates fans, smiles and seems to enjoy the life (as I gather from watching him Tweet).

A few years ago, he wrestled as part of BTW in my town. I got to chat with him quickly and, being we weren’t far from his hometown of Glens Falls (a couple of hours away), I mentioned I always enjoyed seeing his photo in the state champions pages when I covered the New York State high school wrestling championships. He seemed genuine in his responses and made me realize why I was still a fan.

A few weeks back, I saw he was behind an Indiegogo campaign.

He was looking to raise $6,500 for surgery to fix a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder. His inability to get insurance, because of the high risk pro-wrestling has, makes it difficult to have this surgery. At the point of me writing this, he had more than $10,000 raised with about four hours to go.

I had some “found” money in my PayPal account — from some blog-related things. I kept it there because I hadn’t known how my employment situation was going to pan out, but with the job front doing well, I thought it was OK to spend some of this money.

So I did.

Despite getting older, Hacksaw is still entertaining.

I donated to Hacksaw’s cause. I realize pro wrestlers take risks each day and it’s part of the job. But the reality is, giving to this cause is giving back for the endless memories Hacksaw has given me.

Plus, there are perks.

Much like Kickstarter, Indiegogo has it set up so those running the campaigns can give perks to those who back them.

I went with the $30 setup and, sometime in April or so, I’ll receive my perk — a phone call from “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan. That’s right, WWE Hall of Famer “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan will be calling ME. I can’t wait, either. I think it’s going to be fun. I don’t know how long the call will be, but I just know it’s going to be way too cool to get the call and be able to chat with Duggan.

And, hopefully, this surgery will help him still be able to do what he does among the best — entertain, bring many of us back to our childhoods and make some of us believers.

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

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Ten Things of Thankful: Life is pretty decent right now

October 20, 2013

Sometimes, in life, you have to stop, take a deep breath and realize there are things to truly be thankful for.

So, when offered the chance to get involved with this, I thought it was a good idea. I realize some bloggers will do this every week, but if I do posts like this, I look at it a couple of ways, besides having the chance to find some other good blogs to read:

I want it to be meaningful and from the heart.
It has to be things I’m truly thankful for.

Therefore, I thought I’d throw my hat in the ring. Maybe I’ll try and do this every couple of weeks and try and rotate it with my Soundless Sunday posts to have a little diversity. Or maybe I’ll do one of these every three weeks or so. Who knows. Basically, if I can find 10 certain things I’m thankful for at the time, I’ll do it up.

Anyhoo, without further ado, let’s check what kind of things I have to be thankful for at this moment in time, in no particular order.

1. Living

This may seem like a cheesy way to start things off, but it’s true. Though my life isn’t going in the direction I’d truly like it to go right now, the reality is it could be much worth. So this encompasses many things — like realizing even though things aren’t great for me right now, I could be in much more dire need.

2. Family

Take a look at the news any day and you’ll find reports of dysfunctional families. Maybe it’s someone harming a parent or a child or siblings doing something bad. Though my family is far from perfect (and I’m sure we’d all admit it!), we get along, we stay pretty close and appreciate what we all can do. We support and we do what we can to help one another. And I’m not talking just immediate family, either. My extended family of cousins, aunts, uncles etc., are also quite close. That’s something I’ll always treasure and, as I get older, I appreciate it more and more.

3. Photography

I do like to spend time by myself and photography has always been a big part of times like that. There’s still nothing like going out with my camera, going for a walk and finding things to snap photos of, at least in my mind. I see things differently when I have my camera. I’m not sure what I would be like without having that in my life as it’s, at times, been a bit of a life-saver when it comes to me dwelling on things too much or going out and doing something.

Fall and photograph mix well together.

4. The fall

You know, there are parts of the country — and the world — where they don’t get to experience the four seasons. Living in the Northeast of the United States really gives me the chance to see all four — spring, summer, winter and fall. That also gives the chance to be able to go out and capture some great colors and such with the camera. As much as I’d love to move somewhere to experience life differently, this area affords the four seasons so well and I would truly miss it if I went elsewhere.

5. Good friends

There is no way I’d have been able to get through the past few years without good friends. While family is always a help, the reality is friends always play an important part in your life. For my closest friends, I consider them extensions of my family, anyway. So whether it’s going out for a beer, sitting down to shoot the shit for a few hours, going to a game or something else, I have a group of friends who have been absolutely amazing. They also know when or when not to ask about my job situation as it can become quite a drag to talk about. Friends are worth their weight and gold (though I’m not sure I could cash in? I kid, of course!)

6. Geocaching

Since becoming a major hobby in my life in 2008, this game has been so good to me. I’ve met some great people I call friends now, I’ve had some wild adventures and it’s allowed me to get outside, walk, hike and try and stay somewhat healthy. The reality is this game has been such a great thing. From the social aspect to being able to explore places I may have never seen without it, I’m highly thankful for it.

Geocaching has been good for my mind and body, so that’s something to be thankful for.

7. Health

I may not be the healthiest person in the world with some things, but for the most part, I’m doing pretty well. I can still get up, work, play, hike, bike, run, walk, play softball or whatever else. I may have to take a few meds, but I think most of the country has to! That being said, I know I have to work on some things (losing weight, just trying to be healthier overall) and I’m thankful I have the health to be able to work on it and try and improve things.

8. Blogging

Writing has always been something I’ve done. I’ve said it on this blog before, but I had my first newspaper story published when I was in seventh or eighth grade. Though I’ve blogged since 2005, I really got into it and the whole aspect of it when I got laid off from the newspaper job in 2011. Now, it’s a secondary part of who I am and I love it. The community is amazing. The people I follow and read are ones I’m truly glad I found. And for those I’ve created more of a friendship with, it’s even better. I love the reality that there are people I consider pretty solid friends who I met through blogging.

9. Wrestling

OK, some may look at this and say … what the? But I have to put this here. Why? Because like other things, I’ve made some pretty good friends through it. And during a time when I needed it, it gave me a cheap form of entertainment and one where I had the chance to mix my love of photography. The independent world of pro wrestling has made it so I have something to look forward to seeing every month or three. And it truly is some fun entertainment.

10. Brewing beer

I end with this one. When I started doing it earlier this year, I didn’t know what to think. Now I know of more things I can do while brewing. Whether it’s ingredients, or hops or anything else — I have a better appreciation for beer. And I also like knowing I made something that doesn’t suck. Is it the best beer made? Nah. But I’ve made some pretty tasty ones and I look forward to making many more.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Hard work, dedication pays off for a pair of indy wrestlers

June 27, 2013

Despite what many may think about professional wrestling — and it’s been called many things over the year — there is real emotion that comes out of it.

Whether you look at it as something corny or top-notch entertainment, those who perform have a lot vested in what they do. No matter if it’s in the WWE or smaller independents, there are times when the emotion can truly fly.

See, in some federations — such as lower independents and such — championships are just shiny belts. In others, they can truly mean a lot. If you are a top champion in WWE, for example, you’re likely a drawing power, which equals more money. In the independents, it can often be the same thing.

But when you work for a top organization and earn a championship — especially your first with said company — fans often get to see raw emotion. No matter what this sport is and how it’s run, it’s still shows what somebody means to a company when there are championships are involved.

Sean Carr shows raw emotion after winning the 2CW tag team championship this past Monday.

In all the years I’ve watched wrestling, I’ve been enamored with championship titles. The look, the meaning and everything in between. I’ve understood why in the older days, wrestlers such as Bruno Sammartino and Hulk Hogan held titles for so many years — because they drew people. In the more current day, people like John Cena — whether you like him or hate him — are top dogs because they draw people and sell a ton of merchandise.

But that’s at the top.

Then we hit the independents. Sometimes championships are show pieces. Heck, sometimes they aren’t even custom titles, rather replicas of old WWE or WCW titles with electrical tape covering the logo. I’m not kidding there — it happens more often than people may think.

Then there’s 2CW.

One of the top independent promotions around, the Syracuse-based federations has quite the lineage when it comes to its championships. These aren’t toy belts (they are some of the finest custom championships I’ve seen) and those who have held the titles — be it the heavyweight or tag — have been some of the finest performers out there.

This past Monday, the company held a special card in Binghamton. The spot they hold their card — the Legion Hall — is always hopping with some great fans. The card was headlined by Rob Van Dam, who has recently re-signed with WWE, taking on Sami Callihan, who also recently signed a WWE contract.

The match was a doozy, but not the match of the night.

That goes to the tag team championship match, which featured champions Kevin Graham and Punisher Van Slyke taking on Binghamton locals Sean Carr and Kage.

If you read my blog, you might remember the names Carr and Kage as they were the two I ventured with to see a pro wrestling training session.

Over the past year and a half or so, I’ve had the chance to get to know these two and watch them as they grew within the 2CW organization. They are a solid tag team, combining power (Kage) with high-flying skills (Carr). Kage has been in the profession much longer than Carr, even getting his cup of coffee with the WWE. The two have paid their dues in 2CW and they were rewarded this past Monday.

In a hardcore match that featured chairs, baking pans, ladders and whatever else, CK as they are known, had one heck of a battle with Graham and Van Slyke. I couldn’t see all the match as people were standing throughout, but what I saw was insane.

Kage showing off his new hardware.

I’ve long been a fan of all four of these wrestlers as they epitomize what local independent wrestling should be all about. They can all tell a story through a match and this one was one of the best I’ve seen.

In the end, Carr and Kage had their hands raised, dethroning the two-time 2CW champions. There was emotion in the air, too, as you could see it on their faces as they had the chance to win the championships in front of more than 400 people packing the Legion Hall.

And that’s what it’s all about.

There’s something to be said about that raw emotion when one is rewarded for hard work, professionalism and everything else. Carr seemed like he fought back some of that emotion, but that lasted for only so long. The look on Kage’s face showed how important this was to his career.

So no matter how you look at the world of pro wrestling, there’s a lot of real with it and emotion is part of it. These guys put a lot of heart and soul into their profession to entertain as many people as they can and when it all pays off, it’s as real as it comes.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Foto Friday: Pro wrestling always seems to be interesting

May 17, 2013

A few years ago, I was looking for different subjects for photography.

I did a search for independent wrestling and came up with a group — 2CW — out of Syracuse. A couple of us went to an old Legion hall in Binghamton and watched. I was sold.

I’ve long been a fan of pro wrestling and have written about it here at times. I’ve done photo posts and other things. I’m slowly even working on a few bigger writing projects about wrestling. Slowly being the key term.

I’m heading off to see an event tonight. It’ll be the first live show I’ve seen in several months. It’s always a lot of fun to watch, from the action in the ring to the fans in the stands.

And, as always, I’ll bring my camera.

Since that first event, though, I’ve hit up more than 20 independent events and they’ve been a hoot. There’s been some great stuff, some bad stuff and everything in between.

With that in mind, I’ve decided to make this week’s Foto Friday about the squared circle and the battles going on. I probably have done this before, whether in a regular post or a Foto Friday, so I’m going to try and pick a few different shots.

I’ll be sure to leave the gore elsewhere though.

No matter what, though, I have to start with a certain image. Truthfully, it’s what sold me on going to many more independent shows, especially 2CW. From there, the images are in no particular order and I’ve tried to mix the federations a bit.

1. Fire!

This came after the last match of the evening. The one guy — Jason Axe — dragged his foe out of the ring, brought him back to this spot and set up a table. As he started squirting lighter fluid on the table, I knew what was coming. The camera had already been put away as this was it — but I quickly grabbed it and the flash and started snapping. (From 2CW in Binghamton, Sept. 24, 2010)

Through the table, Mikey.

2. Here’s dust in your eye!

One thing with pro wrestling is knowing how things work. I’ve watched and learned about the way things go for a long time. So I can usually anticipate. This one was setting up pretty well and I was just hoping I’d snap at the right time — and I did. (From BTW in Delhi, Sept. 30, 2011)

I can’t see!

3. Packed house

Sometimes, it’s about capturing the atmosphere. With the lights on only over the ring, the dusty look and feel and a packed house inside an old Legion hall, this is independent professional wrestling. (From 2CW in Binghamton, Feb. 24, 2012)

A packed house makes it even better.

4. Up close and personal

In many independent setups, you are really close to the action. So if you are prepared and snapping away, you can come up with some cool shots. Such as this one with Tommy Dreamer and Colin Delaney. (From XCite in Binghamton, Sept. 28, 2012)

Beat down!

5. Stars of the past

Finally, going to independent shows often gives you the chance to see the stars of the past and those you watched growing up. Many of them are very approachable and friendly, which makes it even better. These guys have been through it all in the industry, and are still going. “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan is one of my all-time favorites and I’ve had the chance to see him on these indy shows several times. (From 2CW in Rome, April 14, 2012)

Hacksaw!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!