Nash Unhappy with Results IWS Xth Anniversary

Nash Unhappy with Results IWS Xth Anniversary
Montreal 05/30

It seems like Kevin Nash is the only man unhappy after the crowded party at the Medley last night for the International Wrestling Syndicate's Tenth Anniversary. Nash was all smiles backstage after tapping out to Pierre-Carl Ouellet's arm-bar, congratulating PCO on the win and the crowd's positive reaction to PCO. The smile never quite reached his eyes however. Once clear of PCO. PCO's ex-tag team partner Brick Crawford and a crowd of PCO's friends from his gym, the mask slipped. Nash's IWS Chauffeur back to the airport, Joseph Fitzmorris, reported to me that Nash spent most of the drive snarling that no one was supposed to touch his arm (still tender from a recent staph infection.)

The main event of the IWS Tenth Anniversary started with Kevin Nash coming out to his NWO theme and announcing to the crowd, "I'm a professional wrestler, that's what I do for a living. I'm not a shoot-fighter. I get paid to wrestle not to shoot-fight. I was paid in advance, so if anyone in the back decides to turn this into a shoot, I will roll my old, grey-haired ass out of this ring and go back to Florida."

Meeting Nash's demands, the match was a (highly entertaining) professional wrestling match. At the start of the match, the crowd was split,with PCO backed by a slight majority of the crowd, but as the match went on the crowd swung solidly behind PCO, especially after a grumpy Nash's negative reaction to a "Super Shredder" chant. Nash took control of the match after using a pair of scissors to cut off one of the top turnbuckles and (eventually) dropping PCO face-first on the exposed metal. PCO immediately rolled out of the ring, coming up with a face covered in blood.

After brawling outside of the ring, Nash rolled PCO in to finish the match with a huge jack-knife power bomb. Nash seemed startled and angry when PCO kicked out of the power-bomb after one. Nash leaned into PCO with a couple of stiff punches, but was caught by surprise when PCO demonstrated some of the MMA tricks that he has picked up sparring with Steve Bosse and grabbed Nash's bad arm for an arm-bar. Nash tapped quickly and was clutching his arm in pain even while acknowledging the crowd's cheers after the match with his famous Wolf-Pac salute.

You can see clips from the match here:
http://www.youtube.com/​watch?​v=MDHafWra82I

*****

IWS Tenth Anniversary
Results - Quick and Dirty
Saturday, May 30th
The Medley, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

IWS Tag Team Title: Champions The Untouchables (Dan Paysan and James Stone) vs. 2.0 (Jagged and Shane Matthews)
The Untouchables retained their titles in 11:30 with Dan Paysan pinning Shane Matthews after a Jimmy Stone chair-shot. Because of the loss, 2.0 can no longer team together in the IWS.

IWS Veteran Battle Royale:
More than twenty men (and one woman) from the ten years of the IWS battled in an over-the-top Battle Royale won by Damian who threw Wonder-Fred over the top rope after 14:35.

IWS Canadian Title: Canadian Champion Shayne Hawke vs. Twiggy
Shayne Hawke retained his title in 11:09 pinning Twiggy

MMA Match: EXesS vs. Heavy Maxx Fury
Maxx Fury won by submission after 9:58.

IWS Title Match: Champion Beef Wellington vs. former champions Sexxxy Eddy and Franky the Mobster
Beef Wellington retained pinning Sexxxy Eddy with his E. Coli pile driver after 11:12

Grudge Match: Kevin Nash vs. Pierre-Carl Ouellet
Kevin Nash tapped to a PCO arm-bar after 8:38

IWS Death Match: The Green Phantom vs. PCP Crazy F’N Manny
The Green Phantom pinned Manny after 13:55 of completely and clinically insane hardcore action

*****

.IWS Tenth Anniversary Detailed Results

There is so much stress and heart-ache planning an IWS Medley that it is easy to forget until you are in the middle of one, how much damn fun they are. Last night we came within about fifty people of setting a record for a wrestling crowd at the Medley, cramming just over 700 people into a wild enthusiastic celebration of ten years of the IWS in Montreal.

Our best-ever crowd at the Medley was the Sabu show at Un F'N Sanctioned 2006 which had the advantages of a better economy, no hockey the night of the show, and we caught lightning in a bottle by featuring Sabu two days before his 2006 debut on Raw, so many people came in from out-of-town to see his last match in the indies.

It was a surreal day. We woke up to find out that there was full-page article about the Nash/PCO match in the Journal de Montreal, the biggest source of sports news on the island of Montreal. This was a translation of an article in the Ottawa Sun by Tim Baines - reprinted on SLAM! Wrestling:
http://slam.canoe.ca/​Slam/​Wrestling/​2009/​05/​30/​9624436-​sun.html
The French Journal de Montreal article can be seen here:
http://img30.imageshack.us/​img30/​7598/​iws1w.png

We need to thank Tim Baines for the article, the anonymous staffer at Journal de Montreal who translated it, Kevin Nash for agreeing to the interview and especially to Kevin's agent Bill Behrens for making the interview possible at the very last minute.

X stared with a quick=paced enjoyable match between the IWS Tag Team champions, the ersatz Italians, James Stone and Dan Paysan, the Untouchables and one of the most successful tag teams in IWS history, Jagged and Shane Mattews, 2.0. The Untouchables retained their title with a pin on Shane Matthew after James Stone clobbered Shane with a chair-shot and then used the chair to ward off Jagged from saving his partner.

With the loss, 2.0 can never tag again in the IWS. As a small consolation, Jagged and Shane are about to leave Montreal for a six-show tour of Big Japan with CHIKARA. So while they can no longer tag in Quebec, they can tag together in Japan!

We announced a 20 man over-the-top Battle Royale of IWS veterans from the tn years of the IWS. There were some that questioned whether we could come up with 20 IWS veterans. In fact, we ended up with 27 men and one woman entered in the match. IWS ring announcer, "Iron" Mike Paterson started the match by announcing that he was going to win the match because his brother, IWS President Nic Paterson had promised him the win. The other entrants were less than impressed with this announcement (especially since most of them were lured to the Medley with similar promises) and eliminated Mike first.

The remainder of the eliminations in order:
2. Former IWS colour commentator Peter Lasalle
3. Former IWS Commissioner and Manager Joseph Fitzmorris
4. Former IWS Technical Director Little Brown Joe (with an impressive back-flip out of the ring
5. From the very first IWS show The Insurance Policy
6. John Fury
7. Alex Silva
8. Former IWS Valet D-Vyne
9. Former IWS Champion TNT
10. Pauly Platinum
11. Carl Choquette (of Above Standards)
12. Lex Lerman
13. The fire-breathing Firestorm
14. Malice (of Evilicious)
15. The Latino Kid
16. Latino Mysterio (hurled from the ring by Tomassino like a javelin)
17. Former IWS Manager The Motivator of Madness
18. Soul Rage (of Eviliciou)
19. Tomassino
20. Manuel Vegas
21. Former IWS Champion The One Man War, The Arsenal
22. Former IWS Tag Team Champion and IWS Canadian Champion Kid Kamikaze
23. Mike "Speedball" Bailey continuing his impressive rookie year. With the match down to just four men, Mike tried to ally himself with Fred la Merveille against the Hardcore Ninjaz. A rookie mistake that saw Fred throw him over the top.
24. Fred la Merveille was no match for the Hardcore Ninjaz as a team
25. Multiple time IWS Tag Team Champion The Evil Ninja
26. Multiple time IWS Tag Team Champion Hardcore Ninja by Wonderfred

It appeared that the Hardcore Ninja, an IWS original, had won the Battle Royale until Fred snuck into the ring and threw the Hardcore Ninja out. Fred explained that he had entered the Battle Royale twice, once as Fred la Merveille (who was eliminated) and once as Wonderfred who had won the Battle Royale.

27. Wonderfred by 28. and winner Former IWS Tag Team Champion The God of War Damian

Wonderfred's celebrating triggered Damian's music. The God of War came out only to be embraced by Wonderfred who declared the original SLI (Syndicat de Lutte International) reunited. Wonderfred only made three teeny, tiny errors:First, the original SLI was Fred la Merveille and Damian not Wonderfred and Damian, second the original SLI broke up when Damian betrayed Fred and kept Fred from beating Kevin Steen for the IWS Title, third Damian really likes hitting people and with only Wonderfred in the ring, that meant that Wonderfred was going to get beaten. After taking a number of stiff shots, Wonderfred made one of his celebrated rallies, but it was not enough to stop the God of War from spilling Wonderfred to the outside to give Damian the victory.

Shayne Hawke and Twiggy had a fun little match. Twiggy is one of the most passionate wrestlers that I now and by far the smartest wrestling mind in the province. Unfortunately for Twiggy, Hawke is no dummy and the raging redhead is the only guy I know with more passion than Twiggy. Add that to Shayne's considerable size and strength advantage over Twiggy combined with Shayne's advantage as champion and it was just not in Twiggy's destiny to win this night despite a valiant effort.

EXesS and Heavy Maxx Fury had an official MMA referee for their match: Gerry Calasurdo. Maxx also had David Saxby. the Light Heavyweight Sancho Kick-Boxing Champion in his corner. Maxx is a kick-boxing champion in his own right and while Maxx may have won the match by submission, it was his educated feet that softened up EXesS for the submission with Maxx tagging the IWS Bully repeatedly every time the two men broke from grappling. Since the match was fought with no round breaks, EXesS never had a chance to recover from the repeated kicks and was eventually forced to tap out. To his credit, EXesS for once made no excuses saying that the only reason that he had lost was because Maxx was a better man. Only time will tell if the IWS Bully has turned over a new leaf or if he has only learned that Maxx is the one man in the IWS that he can't bully.

In the past year, Beef Wellington has combined the charm of a pit-bull with a toothache with the moral teachings of Jesse Ventura, "Win if you can; lose if you must, but always cheat!" to become the most disliked man in Quebec wrestling. Two former IWS Champions, Franky the Mobster and Sexxxy Eddy tried to take Beef's gold, but the Champion cleverly played the two men against one another and cheated to preserve his title once again.

I should probably announce here that originally the three-way match for the IWS title was scheduled to be a four man. Unfortunately, the scheduled fourth man in the match, the man to hold the IWS title longer than any other man, Viking, could not make it. Apparently while drinking his morning six-pack, Viking tripped over his ego and gave himself a concussion.

We always organize our IWS shows so that people can leave after the main event and be happy that they have seen a dynamite show, but than we throw in some hardcore topping on the wrestling sundae for those who want just a little bit more.

This show was no different. If you had left after the Nash/PCO match, you would have felt like you got your money's worth. And if you had stayed Well you would have seen two men damn near kill each other (along with a couple of referees and IWS President Nic Patterson) as PCP Crazy F'N Manny and the Green Phantom went hardcore medieval on each other using barbed wire, light tubs, chairs, tables, ladders, mousetraps, panes of glass, staple guns, thumbtacks and FIRE!

Ten hardcore weapons, one for each of the IWS' ten years. The two men were already a bloody mess before they battled to the second floor of the Medley at which point the Green Phantom in one of the most disturbing, sickest and yes stupid bumps that I have ever seen, gave Manny a Tornado DDT off the balcony through five burning tables.

This is not for the squeamish:
http://www.youtube.com/​watch?​v=c3Ur6Qrk8Fo

From another even more disturbing angle:
http://www.youtube.com/​watch?​v=NqViM224YdM

After that burning car-crash, the Green Phantom added insult to injury by spearing Manny with the leg of a bar stool and then dragged Manny's barely conscious carcass back to the ring to add injury to injury by putting Manny through an exploding table for the win.

Somehow after the match, Manny was able to stand and grab a mike after the match. As the ring filled with IWS veterans, Many thanked the crowd for supporting the IWS over ten years and promised another ten years of hardcore wrestling.

*****

After celebrating ten years of hardcore violence, the IWS is taking a bit of a summer holiday to catch up on our sleep and heal our various wounds. We will be helping Inter-Species Wrestling during their Vans Warped Tour show on July 11th (Montreal, Ile St-Helene).

Then the IWS returns to downtown Montreal for Hardcore Heat at the Just for Laughs Museum Studio, 2111 Boulevard Saint-Laurent on Saturday, August 29th. And this event will prove that Hell has Frozen Over or boiled over or something, because after the last time that we were at Just for Laughs, wrestling was banned from that venue for all eternity, which in this case meant until a new management team desperately needed to bring in an act that can pack the place and sell lots of beer despite the shitty economy.

The IWS starts another ten hardcore years with: Hardcore Heat, Saturday, August 29TH, at the happiest place on Earth, the Just for Laughs Museum Studio, 2111 Boulevard Saint-Laurent , near the St-Laurent Metro. Montreal, Quebec, CANADA. Doors open at 8 PM, show starts at 9 PM. VIP tickets are $20, Regular tickets are $15. VIP ticket holders admitted first. No reserved seating. Tickets can be purchased on-line from Llakor@hotmail.com. 18+ Card and times subject to change. For more information go to www.iwswrestling.com or write to Llakor@hotmail.com

Full Page Article in Journal de Montreal!

Also in the Ottawa Sun! and SLAM! Wrestling


So, I was minding my own business at the YoungCuts office when the phone rang.

Hey.

Hey.

This is Kevin.

And I am thinking to myself, why is Steen calling me? And when did his voice get that deep when it occurs to me - That's not Kevin Steen - That's Kevin NASH!

Hey Kevin. Thanks for calling.

So, people are getting a little excited about this match. You need me to talk to anyone?

Tim Baines with the Ottawa Sun would like to do an interview. It would get posted on SLAM! Wrestling, the biggest Wrestling web-site in Canada. And I can get you and Carl on to the local university radio station and they will podcast the interview right away.

Set it up.

*****

Just to remind people, the hoopla over that match was as a result of one of my When We Were Marks articles originally published on the-w here and reprinted (and slightly corrected) here.

*****

The result of that interview with Tim Baines was published in a full page article in the Ottawa Sun and SLAM! Wrestling today. (Full article quoted below.)

Then much to my joy and surprise, the article was translated and republished in the Journal de Montreal. A full page article in the Journal de Montreal is huge! The tabloid is the biggest source for sports news in Montreal, the bible of hockey-obsessed Montrealers.


CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE

*****

Radio Interviews with Kevin Nash and PCO

In addition to the interview with Tim Baines, I was able to set up an interview on Concordia University's CJLO radio station. The good news is that they did a long in-depth interview with both PCO and Kevin Nash. The bas news (for me) is that the wrestling marks doing the interview monopolizedd Kevin's time and another interview that I had set up on Team 990 with MitchMelnick never happened.

The audio of these interviews are available via The Main Event's official website (www.maineventradio.com) or can be downloaded directly for the PCO interview and for the Kevin Nash interview

*****

Jamie O'Meara's Babylon PQ xolumn in free weekly Hour Magazine

Twenty bucks to the first guy who lands a flying suplex on Paterson

Montreal's International Wrestling Syndicate are hella proud to present Ten F'N Years, celebrating a decade of knocking heads pro-wrestling style. The throw-down, which features former WWE champs Pierre Carl Ouellet and Kevin Nash in the main event, will also be hosted by local actor, comic and all-around funny buddy Mike Paterson (if you've seen a Jigaloo lube commercial, then you've seen Paterson in all his glory).

"Me, Kevin Nash, Pierre Carl Ouellet, my brother Nic, PCP Crazy Manny and the Green Phantom are all getting into the wrestling ring to celebrate the IWS's tenth year in the business," enthuses Paterson. "It's going to be crazy! I will be wrestling 19 other dudes in a battle royal. My bro is the president of the company and has assured me that I will win." If you didn't, it wouldn't be pro wrestling. The whole thing gets thumpin' May 30 at the Medley, starting at 8:30 p.m.

*****

Wrestling Observer Chimes In

The Wrestling Observer called the IWS Fantastic!
Well, technically, they called our press release Fantastic! But if you don’t think that I am going to use that as an out-of-context pull quote, you don’t know me that well – or at all.

http://www.f4wonline.com/content/view/9390/105/

-- From their fantastic press release: The International Wrestling Syndicate celebrates its Tenth Anniversary on May 30th at the Medley with the biggest grudge match to hit Quebec since the Rougeaus fought the Garvins in the old Montreal Forum: Kevin Nash vs. Pierre-Carl Ouellet. The History: In September 1995, PCO (as Jean-Pierre Lafitte) was scheduled to face Kevin Nash (as WWF Champion Diesel) in Montreal. PCO refused to job in his home-town. Kevin Nash was a monumental ass-hole about it. PCO lost his push and eventually his position in the WWF. What You Need To Know: For the first time in 14 years, PCO will be in the same ring as Kevin Nash, the man who cost him his dream job and literally millions of dollars in lost revenue. PCO will be able to punch Kevin Nash in the face as hard as he wants and not go to jail for it.

Actually, technically that is what Bryan Alvarez had to say about us on Friday. On Sunday, Dave Meltzer was not quite so enthusiastic, but hey two mentions in the Observer off one press release. I’ll take that for a dollar!

http://www.f4wonline.com/content/view/9408/

--International Wrestling Syndicate on 5/30 at the Medley in Montreal is billing the Kevin Nash vs. Pierre-Carl Ouellet match the biggest grudge match in Montreal since the Rougeaus vs. Garvins. The Rougeaus vs. Garvins was an awesome angle. Anyway, this is stemming from a 1995 house show where Jean Pierre Lafitte (Ouellet's wrestling name at the time) refused to do a job for Diesel in Montreal in a WWF title match. That was a bad political move as he push was dropped and he was gone from the company soon after.

*****

There will be a Bloodstream during our Tenth Anniversary show. Excerpts from it are up on You-Tube now and are listed below.

And now excerpts from Bloodstream:

Kevin Nash:
YouTube - Kevin Nash at IWS 10th Anniversary Show in Montreal on May 30th

PCO:
YouTube - IWS PCO - What happened with Kevin Nash in Montreal?

General Hupe for the show:
YouTube - IWS X - Tenth Anniversary Show

The Untouchables:
YouTube - IWS X - Untouchables

Heavy Maxx Fury:
YouTube - IWS X - "Heavy" Maxx Fury

The Green Phantom:
YouTube - IWS X - Green Phantom

PCP Crazy F'N Manny:
YouTube - IWS X - PCP Crazy F'n Manny

*****

Full text of the Tim Baine article

War of the words, Nash and Ouellet
Montreal showdown ...
Nash: 'If (Ouellet) wants to go, I'll be happy to fight'
By TIM BAINES, SUN MEDIA
Sort through the wrestlespeak and carney-like promotion and you still get the feeling there'll be fireworks tonight in Montreal when Kevin Nash and Carl Ouellet stand in the same ring.

It's a grudge match headlining an International Wrestling Syndicate card (at the Medley, 1170 St-Denis, starting at 9 p.m.), but with so much more than the usual bluster and hot air when the good guy and bad guy jaw back and forth. This is real.

The two don't much like each other, dating back 14 years to a 1995 Montreal house show when Ouellet (then Jean-Pierre Lafitte) refused to job for Nash (who was known as Diesel). Ouellet claims Nash ruined his WWE (WWF at the time) career.

"I never got along good with Kevin or The Kliq," he says. "(When I told them I wouldn't lose) Kevin says to me, 'You don't want to lose against me tonight, do you?'

"I said, 'I'm not losing against you or anybody tonight.' If it's going to be a job, I'm packing my bags and going home."

The match finish was changed. And over the years, the animosity has simmered.

Nash says if Ouellet wants a fight, it's on.

"I don't know if they think they're bringing the lamb to slaughter," says Nash. "My hair may have grey in it, but I can put some dye in it and look 35.

"If (Ouellet) wants to go, I'll be happy to fight. I've been a bouncer in some pretty rough places. I'm not flying up to Montreal walking with my hands down.

"I grew up in the south side of Detroit. When I was eight, my dad died. So I've been taking care of myself since I was a kid. And I'm a bit of a hothead on top of that."

Nash says he hasn't talked to Ouellet.

"I gave (the IWS) a price that was 25% above what I normally charge and it's not cheap to fly somebody first-class from Orlando to Montreal," says Nash. "They said 'Yes, let's do it.' I guess somebody's got an axe to grind."

So what happened over the course of two nights -- in Montreal and Quebec City -- so long ago?

"I was the WWF champion, he was told to do something, something to further the prestige of my Diesel character. He refused to do it," says Nash. "The next night (in Quebec City), he did a leg drop (off the top rope) and his entire rear end landed on the side of my head. I figured it was on, so I field-goal-kicked him between the legs."

Several stiff shots ensued and the two were later separated backstage.

NOT COMING TO LOSE

"I'm not coming up to Montreal to lose," says Nash, who's happy to be in TNA.

"I came very close to going (back to WWE) last October," he says. "I consider Vince a friend. The first time he looked at me, he saw something other than Oz or Vinnie Vegas. I sat down with (TNA boss) Dixie Carter and she said there was no way she could match WWE financially, but she could offer a better standard of life.

"From my garage to Universal Studios (where TNA TV shows and many pay-per-views originate from) is 64 miles. I can drive to almost every event and be home at night, in my own bed.

"I've got a son, Tristen, in the seventh grade. He's 6-foot-5 and turns 13 in June. It's more important for me to be Kevin Nash the father than Kevin Nash the wrestler."

Nash, who turns 50 in July, says he's feeling good.

"It's amazing, I feel better at 50 than I did at 40," he says. "Most of my career, I was at 330 lbs. I'm at 297 now.

"Samoa Joe and I nearly beat each other to death with kendo sticks. I raised my hands with the Kliq sign and people cheered. How do you give that up? Admiration is the drug that makes us want to continue."

TIM.BAINES@SUNMEDIA.CA

*****

IWS Xth Anniversary
Card Quick and Dirty
Saturday, May 30th
The Medley, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Grudge Match: Kevin Nash vs. Pierre-Carl Ouellet

IWS Title Match: Champion Beef Wellington vs. former champions Viking, Sexxxy Eddy and Franky the Mobster

IWS Canadian Title: Canadian Champion Shayne Hwke vs. Twiggy

IWS Tag Team Title: Champions The Untouchables (Dan Paysan and James Stone) vs. 2.0 (Jagged and Shane Matthews)
If 2.0 lose they can longer be a team in the IWS.

IWS TEN Commandments Death Match: The Green Phantom vs. PCP Crazy F’N Manny
Manny and Phantom will use TEN different hardcore weapons on each other, one for each oif the IWS' TEN years.

MMA Match: EXesS vs. Heavy Maxx Fury

IWS Veteran Battle Royale: Twenty man over the top Battle Royal with wrestlers from the ten years of the IWS.

*****

The IWS is justly famous for our Medley shows and justly famous for making wrestling history with our guest stars: Sid Vicious’ first active wrestling match after shattering his leg in WCW (during our Fifth Anniversary show.); Sabu’s last match in the indies before debuting on RAW in Un F’N Sanctioned 2006. This year we give you one of the biggest grudge matches in Quebec wrestling history, a match that many people thought would never ever happen.

This is the show you can’t miss. Come celebrate ten years of IWS insanity!

The IWS proudly presents: X, Our Tenth Anniversary Show. Special guest is Big Sexy Kevin Nash! X takes place Saturday, May 30th, at the beautiful, downtown Medley, 1170 St-Denis, near the Berri-UQAM Metro. Montreal, Quebec, CANADA. Doors open at 7:30 PM, show starts at 9 PM. VIP tickets are $35, Regular tickets are $25. VIP ticket holders admitted first. No reserved seating. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.ticketpro.ca or in person at the Medley box office. This is an all ages show. Card and times subject to change. For more information go to www.iwswrestling.com or write to Llakor@hotmail.com

Kevin Nash & PCO Radio Interview

Kevin Nash & PCO Radio Interview

From: steverockamaniac
Subject: Pierre Carl Ouellet speaks out on Kevin Nash
Date: Friday, May 29, 2009, 12:30 PM

Pierre Carl Ouellet says he may have made a mistake back in 1995 when he insisted on going over against the then WWF champion Kevin Nash during a house show tour in eastern canada, but he claims that despite attempts to apologize, Kevin Nash has held a grudge against him ever since. As a result of Nash's grudge, Ouellet claims he has lost 3 jobs, millions of dollars, and his good reputation in the wrestling business. This Saturday night at the IWS's tenth anniversary event, he gets the chance to settle the score once and for all when he headlines one on one against Kevin Nash. Earlier today PCO stepped into the main event for a interview about his problems with Nash, the match this saturday night, training for MMA, and where he hopes his wrestling career will go from here.

Meanwhile Kevin Nash also joined us and in true big sexy style he was very cool and laid back about PCO's allegations, Nash touches on the incidents, as well as his love for Montreal. Shares a hilarious story about himself and the kilq partying with some french hotties while snowed in during one trip to Montreal. Nash also takes time to touch on working the Indy scene, where his career is at this point, where he sees it going, TNA's upcoming Slamiversary celebration, acting, Vince Russo, Bob Backlund and much more in the 25 minute interview.

The audio of these interviews are available via The Main Event's official website (www.maineventradio.com) or can be downloaded directly for the PCO interview and for the Kevin Nash interview

The Main Event can be heard live Sunday Mornings from 10:30am to Noon on CJLO 1690 AM in Montreal, and around the world on MainEventRadio.com

*****

A few final news and notes about the IWS Tenth Anniversary Show, plus Promo Videos.

I will give you TEN pieces of news for each of the IWS' TEN years.

!) VIP tickets are selling fast, We briefly sold out on Ticketpro, but they have some in stock now. If you need a VIP, let me know at Llakor@hotmail.com

2) Should I be marking out that Kevin Nash called me on my cell Wednesday night?

3) The Wrestling Observer has now talked about this show THREE times which has to be some sort of record for a Quebec show.

4) Everyone seems to be talking about the Nash/PCO match. PCO told me that he has had calls from old friends and workers from all over the world.

5) Whether you think Kevin Nash was right in 1995 or whether you think that PCO was right in 1995, one thing that we can all agree on is that Kevin Nash believed that he was right in 1995 and STILL thinks that he was right today. PCO believed that he was right in 1995 and STILL thinks that he was right today.

And on May 30th, at the Medley, during the IWS Tenth Anniversary, Kevin Nash and PCO are going to settle the argument as to who was right in 1995 once and for all by punching each other really hard. And that is something that we ALL want to see.

6) In shocking news, Many people are excited about the possibility of Kevin Nash being punched in the face really hard.

7) Iron Mike Paterson, the IWS Ring Announcer and professional comedian has announced that he will be participating in the IWS Veteran Battle Royal and at various comedy clubs around Montreal has even guaranteed victory!

8) Obviously, I am stretching for something to talk about, but have I mentioned that I started a new When We Were Marks blog?

9) Speaking of stretching for content (and blogs). popular comics blogger Chris Sims wrote about both IWS and ISW in his Review of Slamtasia 2

10) There will be a Bloodstream during our Tenth Anniversary show. Excerpts from it are up on You-Tube now and are listed below.

And now excerpts from Bloodstream:

Kevin Nash:
YouTube - Kevin Nash at IWS 10th Anniversary Show in Montreal on May 30th

PCO:
YouTube - IWS PCO - What happened with Kevin Nash in Montreal?

The Untouchables:
YouTube - IWS X - Untouchables

Heavy Maxx Fury:
YouTube - IWS X - "Heavy" Maxx Fury

The Green Phantom:
YouTube - IWS X - Green Phantom

PCP Crazy F'N Manny:
YouTube - IWS X - PCP Crazy F'n Manny

*****

The Wrestling Observer called the IWS Fantastic!
Well, technically, they called our press release Fantastic! But if you don’t think that I am going to use that as an out-of-context pull quote, you don’t know me that well – or at all.

http://www.f4wonline.com/content/view/9390/105/

-- From their fantastic press release: The International Wrestling Syndicate celebrates its Tenth Anniversary on May 30th at the Medley with the biggest grudge match to hit Quebec since the Rougeaus fought the Garvins in the old Montreal Forum: Kevin Nash vs. Pierre-Carl Ouellet. The History: In September 1995, PCO (as Jean-Pierre Lafitte) was scheduled to face Kevin Nash (as WWF Champion Diesel) in Montreal. PCO refused to job in his home-town. Kevin Nash was a monumental ass-hole about it. PCO lost his push and eventually his position in the WWF. What You Need To Know: For the first time in 14 years, PCO will be in the same ring as Kevin Nash, the man who cost him his dream job and literally millions of dollars in lost revenue. PCO will be able to punch Kevin Nash in the face as hard as he wants and not go to jail for it.

Actually, technically that is what Bryan Alvarez had to say about us on Friday. On Sunday, Dave Meltzer was not quite so enthusiastic, but hey two mentions in the Observer off one press release. I’ll take that for a dollar!

http://www.f4wonline.com/content/view/9408/

--International Wrestling Syndicate on 5/30 at the Medley in Montreal is billing the Kevin Nash vs. Pierre-Carl Ouellet match the biggest grudge match in Montreal since the Rougeaus vs. Garvins. The Rougeaus vs. Garvins was an awesome angle. Anyway, this is stemming from a 1995 house show where Jean Pierre Lafitte (Ouellet's wrestling name at the time) refused to do a job for Diesel in Montreal in a WWF title match. That was a bad political move as he push was dropped and he was gone from the company soon after.

*****

Mike and Nic Paterson’s Press Release for our Tenth Anniversary Show:

IWS PRESENTS TEN F’N YEARS

On Saturday May 30th, 2009, the International Wrestling Syndicate (IWS) is proud to present Ten F’N Years: a not to be missed star studded spectacle of Pro Wrestling, Violence and nostalgia, to commemorate the IWS’ Tenth year in the business. On this night two former WWE champions, Big Sexy Kevin Nash and PCO Pierre Carl Ouellet, have been signed to wrestle in the Main Event on the biggest card in the history of Montreal Independent wrestling. This battle of titans will headline a show that includes a Ten Commandments Death Match between hardcore legends PCP Crazy Manny and The Green Phantom, a Fatal Four Way match for the IWS World Championship (Champion Beef Wellington vs. Sexxxy Eddy vs. Viking vs. Franky The Mobster), as well as a Mixed Martial Arts contest featuring Heavy Max Fury and IWS Bully Excess. In order to bring perspective to this showcase of intestinal fortitude, death defying maneuvers and electricity so thick it could be cut a knife; IWS President Nic Paterso n has contracted the hosting services of beloved Montreal comedian and unabashed wrestling fan Mike Paterson (Discovery Kid’s Edible Incredible, Brault & Martineau Ads). Mike was so excited to be there that he has thrown his hat into the IWS Legends 20 man Battle Royal! A mass of wrestling humanity will fill the ring at the Medley, as 20 past and present IWS stars battle it out in a No holds barred, over the top, Battle Royal! This will be an epic night, where legends will be made, titles will change hands, and the capacity crowd will get hit in the face with a reminder why they are wrestling fans.

For ten years the IWS has been bringing Wrestling’s biggest stars to Montreal (Jake The Snake Roberts, Psycho Sid, The Dudley Boyz, Christian, and Sabu). Undoubtedly, The signing of former WWE/WCW/TNA World Champion Kevin Nash is the biggest acquisition in the company’s history. Kevin Nash can be seen every week on TNA Impact (Spike TV) and around the world on Pay per View. Since 1995 he has been a dominant force in the world of Professional Wrestling. Along with Hulk Hogan and Scott Hall he revolutionized the business by forming the New World Order (NWO). There is no love lost between Nash and his opponent, Montreal’s own Pierre Carl Ouellet. PCO, who has enjoyed success in every major wrestling company (WWE WCW TNA), can boast the advantage of having over 1,000 rabid Montreal wrestling fans rallying behind their hometown hero. Kevin Nash thinks he can walk into the Medley and dominate with high impact power moves, but PCO is not going to let anyone come into his back yard and push him around.

The revolution that is the IWS started ten years ago; on gym mats placed on the floor in a make shift ring in a pub that has long since gone bankrupt. It has now become one of the world’s top Independent Pro Wrestling companies, launching tons of stars, and selling DVD’s around the world. The IWS is known for its signature hardcore style, performers that put their bodies on the line, and for infamous “fans bring the weapons” matches. The milestone event Ten F’n Years will not disappoint. Bodies will be broken, insane weapons will be used, and blood will be shed as the IWS prepares to embark on its next ten years: Another decade of victimizing the industry.

*****

I asked Manny what exactly an “IWS Ten Commandments Death Match” was. According to Manny, “It means that the Green Phantom and I are going to kill each other in ten different ways.” I asked him to be more specific. Manny said that he would call me right back with more details, and well that was Thursday.

Let’s see chairs would be one, tables are two, ladders are three, barbed wire is four, light-tubes are five, thumbtacks are six, fire would be seven and I am tapped out. (Frankly I am just guessing at the first seven anyway, I have absolutely no idea what those two maniacs have planned.)

*****

IWS Xth Anniversary
Card Quick and Dirty
Saturday, May 30th
The Medley, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Grudge Match: Kevin Nash vs. Pierre-Carl Ouellet

IWS Title Match: Champion Beef Wellington vs. former champions Viking, Sexxxy Eddy and Franky the Mobster

IWS Canadian Title: Canadian Champion Shayne Hwke vs. Twiggy

IWS Tag Team Title: Champions The Untouchables (Dan Paysan and Jamees Stone) vs. 2.0 (Jagged and Shane Matthews)
If 2.0 lose they can longer be a team in the IWS.

IWS TEN Commandments Death Match: The Green Phantom vs. PCP Crazy F’N Manny

MMA Match: EXesS vs. Heavy Maxx Fury

IWS Veteran Battle Royale: Twenty man over the top Battle Royal with wrestlers from the ten years of the IWS.

*****

The IWS is justly famous for our Medley shows and justly famous for making wrestling history with our guest stars: Sid Vicious’ first active wrestling match after shattering his leg in WCW (during our Fifth Anniversary show.); Sabu’s last match in the indies before debuting on RAW in Un F’N Sanctioned 2006. This year we give you one of the biggest grudge matches in Quebec wrestling history, a match that many people thought would never ever happen.

This is the show you can’t miss. Come celebrate ten years of IWS insanity!

The IWS proudly presents: X, Our Tenth Anniversary Show. Special guest is Big Sexy Kevin Nash! X takes place Saturday, May 30th, at the beautiful, downtown Medley, 1170 St-Denis, near the Berri-UQAM Metro. Montreal, Quebec, CANADA. Doors open at 7:30 PM, show starts at 9 PM. VIP tickets are $35, Regular tickets are $25. VIP ticket holders admitted first. No reserved seating. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.ticketpro.ca or in person at the Medley box office. This is an all ages show. Card and times subject to change. For more information go to www.iwswrestling.com or write to Llakor@hotmail.com

YoungCuts Film Festival: New Contests! News and Notes

News and Notes from the YoungCuts Film Festival
The Premiere Showcase
for Great Short Films
by the Best Young Film Makers 25 and Under!

1. Extended Deadline for Entry to the YoungCuts Film Festival

2. YoungCuts Teen Film Contest with Free the Children/Directors of Change

3. YoungCuts Intern

4. Montreal: YoungCuts Contest with the Montreal Fringe Festival

5. Montreal: Call for Volunteers

*****

Extended Deadline for Entry to the YoungCuts Film Festival

Our regular posted deadline is May 15th. As with every year, we deliberately pick a date to give us some flexibility to receive late films. Our extended deadline is June 15th. So, if you have not yet sent us your films, it is not too late.

Even after June 15th, there is a window of opportunity to get your film in and have it play at the Festival. We plan to announce our top 100 films for July 15th. Between June 15th and July 15th, we still look at entrants that come in late.

The secret is the earlier that we get your film, the better chance that it has to make the Festival. After June 15th, quality still counts, but length is very important. After June 15th, shorter films have a better chance of making the Festival as we get closer to creating our Festival program and schedule.

So if you are under 25 and you have a great film to show the world, send it to YoungCuts. And the earlier the better!

For more information.

*****

YoungCuts Teen Film Contest with Free the Children/Directors of Change

YoungCuts has joined with Free the Children, the largest network in the world of kids helping kids to offer the following contest for teen film makers. If you have a film on a theme of social justice or you are thinking of filming and completing one before July 15th, this is a way of getting your film featured in the YoungCuts Film Festival and receive a film editing software package as a prize! Best of all, it is free to enter the contest!

If you are a teen film maker, or you know a teen film maker, read on!

Details below:

DIRECTORS OF CHANGE FRAME IT TO CHANGE IT CONTEST

Contest Start:
May 15, 2009 13:00
Contest End:
July 15, 2009 12:00

Ever dreamed of having your film featured at a festival? Well now is your chance! Document and submit a fiction or non-fiction film in English or French relating to any social justice issue you feel strongly about. The winning film will be screened at the Young Cuts Film Festival this September. Plus, the winner will receive Avid Xpress Pro editing software. Social justice issues surround and affect all of us every day.

We want to see your perspective on a social issue that you are passionate about in five minutes or less. Don’t miss your chance to have your voice heard. All you have to do is create a profile on http://www.doc/freethechildren.com.

Once you have signed-up, (or signed-in if you are already a member) click on the link below to enter the contest:

ENTER NOW!

Sponsor(s):

*****

YoungCuts Intern

The YoungCuts Film Festival is pleased to welcome Francois Laurent on to our 2009 team as our 2009 Film Festival Intern. Like Catherine Cooper last year (Hi Catherine!) Francois will act as a film maker in residence helping us process and judge the films that we receive for the Festival. He will also assist us in creating films for some of our Festival sponsors, editing together our Festival trailers and filming our Opening Gala. (Not to mention helping us produce our Festival program book and the million other little tasks that need to be done for a successful Festival.)

Francois Laurent is a past president of the Concordia Cinema Student's Association and he is a graduate of the Mel Hoppenheimer School of Cinema.

Welcome on board Francois!

*****

Montreal: YoungCuts Contest with the Montreal Fringe Festival

Every year, the St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival presents some of the best and most controversial short plays in the world. This year they are giving the opportunity to Montreal film makers to create short films based around themes from this year's Fringe Festival and present them during an outdoors screening. The best film will be presented during the YoungCuts Film Festival (September 24th - October 1st at Cinema du Parc) and will receive Avid Xpress Pro editing software.

Think of it like a 72 Hour film contest only with time to do all of those little non-essential things like eat, breathe and sleep.

The contest starts on June 11th during the OOTFFA, the Out-Of-Town Fringe-For-All, when the Fringe Festival presents short previews of the plays being performed at the Fringe Festival by out of town acts. During the Fringe For All participating film makers and/or film making teams will draw Fringe themes and titles for the film that they will be creating (under six minutes in length). With the whole range of the Fringe Festival available to film, this is a great opportunity to create something unique!

Films have to be delivered to the YoungCuts office on Tuesday, June 16th so that YoungCuts can prepare the film compilation and the films will be presented on an outdoor screen at Parc des Ameriques on the evening of Wednesday, June 17th.

To sign up contact Michael Ryan or Francois Laurent at the YoungCuts office (514) 285-4591 or Mike@YoungCuts.com

*****

Montreal: Call for Volunteers

For any of our friends, fans or film makers who would like to help us organize the Festival in any capacity please contact us. For film makers who can't afford a submission fee, give us a call and maybe we can arrange some kind of swap for your time.

To sign up contact Michael Ryan or Francois Laurent at the YoungCuts office (514) 285-4591 or Mike@YoungCuts.com


*****

We expect to announce more exciting news from the YoungCuts Film Festival in the coming weeks. As well as some of our initiatives to find professional work for film makers. Stay tuned!

When We Were Marks: Nash vs. PCO

When We Were Marks
Kevin Nash vs. Pierre-Carl Ouellet
The Cliq vs. Jean-Pierre Lafitte

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, welcome to Wrestle Court. Our case today is the Cliq vs. Jean-Pierre Lafitte or as it is sometimes known Kevin Nash vs. PCO. I am pleased to represent and defend my client Jean-Pierre Lafitte, better known to some as Pierre Carl Ouellet or PCO.

The prosecutor Kevin Nash has summarized the case against Jean-Pierre Lafitte here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFe9X6cOC2s&feature=player_embedded

Or here:
http://www.iwswrestling.com
Footage courtesy of RF Video.

PCO’s recollection of what happened can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3I3UvDTuPU&feature=channel


To summarize the serious charges levelled by Wrestling Prosecutor Kevin Nash, he accuses PCO of insubordination for refusing to job to Kevin Nash or as he was then: WWF World Champion Diesel; of conspiracy for being a member of the Canadian Mafia; of cowardice for refusing to fight Kevin Nash backstage in Quebec City; and finally and most seriously of all the charges, of being a mark in the first degree, the ultimate sin in wrestling: of being a mark for one self.

The facts of the case are these:

In March of 1993, Jacques Rougeau Jr was looking for a new tag-team partner. His brother Ray had retired a couple of years before. Jacques had had a good singles run as the Mountie, but that gimmick was limited by the fact that Jacques could only use it outside of Canada. (The RCMP had legally blocked him from using the gimmick in Canada.) During a tour of Puerto Rico, Jacques met Carl Ouellet, a strong, agile Quebecois. Jacques called Vince McMahon to arrange a try-out. Carl Ouellet became Quebcker Pierre (hence Pierre-Carl Ouellet.) and by September of 1993, he and Jacques were WWF tag-team champions, beating the Steiners for the belts.

Many tag-teams have worked on the dynamic of one guy with wrestling talent doing all the work and his strong-guy partner. The Quebeckers worked on the principle that Jacques pissed people off, PCO was the strong guy and PCO was also the worker. Their relationship as a team is probably best summed up by their finishing move, where PCO climbed to the top-rope, Jacques flipped his wrists and PCO jumped off the top rope with a cannon-ball.

After trading the belts back in forth with Marty Jannetty and the 1-2-3 Kid, followed by Men on a Mission, the Quebeckers lost the belts for good to the Head-Shrinkers. Jacques decided to retire in the fall of 1994. His retirement match in Montreal against PCO, a sold-out match at the Montreal Forum, out-drew the Flair/Hogan 1994 Halloween Havoc retirement match and received massive local press including full page stories in the Journal de Montreal. Framed copies of those stories can still be found in Montreal sports bars.

Jacques Rougeau Jr. and Pat Patterson wanted to follow up that success by booking Montreal’s Olympic Stadium for a show head-lined by PCO against Bob Backlund for the title, but the idea was shelved. Instead Vince asked PCO to take time off to grow out his hair and beard and come back as an eye-patch wearing pirate, playing off the fact that PCO only has one good eye, having had one shot out by a BB gun when he was twelve.

Before debuting this new gimmick, PCO made one final appearance as Quebecker Pierre at a Montreal Forum show when Shawn Michaels’ scheduled opponent was not available. Foreshadowing his later conflict with Kevin Nash, PCO did not want to job to Shawn Michaels in front of his home-town crowd while Michaels, having just won the Royal Rumble, refused any ending but a victory. They compromised on a screwy ending with Michaels getting the pin despite PCO’s foot being on the ropes.

It sounds like one of many ridiculous and failed gimmicks of the time, but PCO made the Jean-Pierre Lafitte gimmick work with his trademark intensity and goofy charisma. The Pirate had a nearly six-month winning streak of enjoyable squashes, ended only by a highly entertaining feud with Bret Hart started when the Pirate stole Bret’s trademark sunglasses and leather jacket. Many people consider their two PPV matches to be amongst the best WWF matches of the 90s.

In September of 1995, the WWF were doing a house show tour of Montreal, Quebec City and Toronto. PCO was scheduled to face WWF champion Diesel at each show. Before the Montreal show, road agent Tony Garea informed PCO that he was jobbing to Diesel cleanly and quickly. ( A finish that Nash had taunted PCO with six weeks before during a TV taping.) PCO refused to job despite immense pressure to do so from Diesel and Shawn Michaels. Instead the match in Montreal ended in a stiff double count-out.

In Quebec City, Nash objected to a badly-landed top rope leg drop from PCO. Egged on by Scott Hall and Shawn Michaels (yelling from the Quebec Colisee player’s bench) Nash started stiffing PCO in the corner before ending the match with his boot and power-bomb finisher. Tensions ran so high that a backstage brawl nearly broke out with the Kliq (Nash, Michaels, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman, Triple H and Aldo Montaya) on one side and PCO backed up by Sid Vicious, Bob Holly, and the Smoking Gunns. The card was rearranged for the Toronto show with Nash wrestling against Waylon Mercy and PCO facing Fatu (Rikishi).

Within a couple of weeks, PCO was demoted to jobber status and within a couple of months he was gone from the WWF.

In other words, while I am here to offer a defence for PCO’s actions, the truth is that he was tried by the Kliq, found guilty by them and sentenced to lose his push and his position. I would offer this as proof that PCO was never a member of any conspiracy. The only thing that Bret Hart and PCO conspired to do was to have good matches. In fact, Bret Hart wanted PCO to win the Inter-Continental title, but this never happened because the Kliq wanted Shawn Michaels to have that belt instead. The Canadian Mafia may sound like a good line; but it was an awfully ineffective conspiracy. Especially compared to the Kliq, who orchestrated who would get the WWF belts and when.

Consider what the Cliq did to Shane Douglas after they got rid of PCO. Rather than losing the Inter-Continental belt to Dean Douglas, Shawn Michaels vacated the belt, it was awarded to Douglas and the same night Scott Hall beat him for the belt, completely neutering Douglas’ character. Shane quit the next day.

The astonishing thing to me is that so many people, so many wrestling fans, so many so-called experts are completely prepared to believe Kevin Nash’s word that PCO did something wrong in Montreal. There are many, in fact who garble the story and would have you believe that PCO wanted to win the WWF title in Montreal. I will simply note that even Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash never accused PCO of that. There is a world of difference between not wanting to be job and insisting on winning.

People say that PCO made the wrong choice. The truth is he had no choice. He could allow his heat to be stolen by the Cliq the way that Shane Douglas lost his heat or he could stand up to them and have them go running to Vince demanding that he be fired. PCO decided to stand up to Kevin Nash and Shawn Michaels. Despite Kevin Nash’s accusation, PCO is no coward.

Leave aside the fact that in professional wrestling there are few cowards. Consider two things about PCO. First, he pursued his dream of becoming a professional wrestler despite missing an eye. That is not the path of a coward, and a coward would never have acted as PCO did in the Brawl-For-All.

PCO was brought in for the first round of the Brawl-For-All against Dr. Death Steve Williams and was assured that their match would be a shoot. (Although obviously in a tournament designed by Jim Ross in an attempt to get his friend over as a legitimate tough guy, is it any shock at all that Dr. Death’s first match was against the guy with one eye?) Before his match, Road Warrior Hawk came to PCO with a message from Dr. Death. If PCO went down quickly, Steve wouldn’t have to hurt him. PCO’s response: “Tell Steve he can fuck himself!” Not the words of a coward, nor the actions of one later when PCO took the match to the limit before the refs called it just before the final bell.

So let’s dismiss cowardice and conspiracy off the list of charges, leaving insubordination and being a mark.

PCO did not want to lose to Kevin Nash in his home-town. Was this insubordination? Perhaps, but it was in defence of PCO’s career, of the Jean-Pierre Lafitte character and of the WWF. To understand why PCO was acting in self-defence of himself and others, you have to understand Montreal.

Jerry Lawler may revile Montreal as “Topsy-Turvy” but the truth is that Montreal is one of the few places where wrestling is still the right way up. Montreal is an old-school wrestling town, where the crowds pay to see their home-town heroes and most importantly to see their home-town heroes win. When Jacques Rougeau Jr. lost his retirement match to PCO, he was passing on a torch handed down from World Champion Yvon Robert, from one generation of wrestling hero to another, each of whom head-lined the Montreal Forum and sold it out. (Including Johnny Rougeau, Maurice “Mad-Dog” Vachon, Dino Bravo and Ray Rougeau.) Montreal wrestling fans do not pay to see their French Canadian heroes lose and especially to lose quickly, much the same way that they get cranky when their beloved Montreal Canadiens bow out of the hunt for the Stanley Cup early and ignomiously.

PCO knew that losing to Kevin Nash and especially losing quickly and convincingly would destroy his ability to draw fans in Montreal, especially in his Jean=Pierre Lafitte gimmick, a character that the WWF had invested time and money getting over. Most importantly, PCO knew that without a French Canadian star at the top of the card, the WWF would have a difficulty selling tickets in Montreal and Quebec City. (Which rather neatly explains why Sylvain Grenier won the WWE tag-team titles so many times.)

In the old school days of wrestling, the job of the champion was to keep the belt and to make the local guy look good. Old-time wrestling fans in Halifax still speak of Terry Funk, NWA World Champion, cheating to save his title when Leo Burke had him trapped in a sleeper hold after 58 minutes. (Funk spilled them both over the top rope for the disqualification.) Terry Funk kept his title, but the crowd was happy because they were convinced that their Leo should have won. Which allowed the local promoter to pack the place again the next time a World Champion came to Halifax with Leo fighting AWA World Champion Rick Martel to a sixty-minute draw.

No one is saying that Kevin Nash should have fought PCO to a sixty-minute draw, but he should have followed in the footsteps of Ric Flair and made the local guy look good while keeping his title. Isn’t the whole point of a house show to maintain the status quo while sending the home-town fans home happy?

If only there had been a man in WWF management who could have stood up for PCO!

Well, actually, now that you mention it, one of the people that Kevin Nash mentions who did not want PCO to job in Montreal was Pat Patterson. Most people think of Pat as the charter member of the “Kiss Vince’s Ass” club, but Pat was Vince chief booker for most of the Eighties and early Nineties. Most importantly for our purposes, Pat Patterson created and booked the Royal Rumble. (Heck, he still helps book the Royal Rumble to this day.) Beyond being a genius idea that sells itself and has made Vince McMahon millions of dollars, probably more money than any one individual wrestler has ever made for the WWF, the Royal Rumble is important because it was the match that made Kevin Nash a star.

Until the 1994 Royal Rumble, Kevin Nash had gone through a succession of failed mid-card WCW gimmicks, most with really bad hair: Steel (orange Mohawk), Oz (silver hair) and Vinnie Vegas (greaser mullet). With the WWF, he was getting some traction as Shawn Michaels’ bodyguard, Diesel, but it wasn’t until the 94 Rumble when he went completely bat-hit crazy and eliminated seven wrestlers in eighteen minutes that fans sat up and realized that Diesel was a bad-ass mother-fucker who would kick you in the face if you looked at him funny. To this day, people talk about the Diesel push. (Who is getting the Diesel push this year?) Some of those people have no idea that the Diesel that they are talking about Is Kevin Nash.

Would Kevin Nash have been World Champion without that Diesel push? Would he have gotten the big guaranteed money from WCW? Would the Outsiders have happened? Would the NWO have happened? Maybe, but Pat Patterson’s booking is what made Kevin Nash a star. So, when Patterson said that he didn’t want PCO to job in Montreal, maybe Nash might have wanted to listen to the man who made him a star rather than dismiss him as a member of the “Canadian Mafia”.

Because, we know how good Kevin Nash’s booking judgement is, especially when it comes to booking himself. Consider January 4, 1999. Kevin Nash is WCW World Champion having beaten Goldberg for the belt thanks to Scott Hall’s taser. Their rematch is the main event of Monday Night Nitro in a sold-out show at the Georgia Dome. Goldberg is the home-town hero, but instead of getting his rematch he is “arrested”, Hulk Hogan comes out, pokes Kevin Nash in the chest and covers him in the infamous Finger-Poke of Doom incident. In one night, as the booker, Kevin Nash burned the Georgia Dome as a wrestling venue, destroyed Goldberg’s mystique to his fans and began the “It’s Just a Prop” booking of the WCW World Title that turned the belt into a joke. Kevin Nash’s mistake was to misjudge the local fans’ affection for their home-town hero. A mistake which is awfully similar to the exact same error that Kevin Nash made in Montreal.

The problem, of course, is that Kevin Nash doesn’t believe that he made a mistake in Montreal, because he truly believes that he is a bigger star in Montreal than PCO is. The same way that Kevin Nash believes that he could have beaten PCO backstage in a shoot match back in 1995 and the way that Nash still believes that he could beat PCO today in a shoot match.

For politeness sake, let’s leave cowardice out of the equation and agree that both men are courageous. The fact of the matter is that every crime that Kevin Nash accuses PCO of, are crimes that Kevin Nash is guilty of: Conspiracy (the Kliq), Insubordination (ignoring the wishes of the WWF head booker and the man that made him a star) and most importantly being a mark in the first degree, because really there have been few wrestlers in the history of our so-called sport who are as big a mark for themselves as Kevin Nash is.

That is why Kevin Nash is coming back to Montreal on May 30th. Revisiting the scene of his crime. Looking to prove once and for all that he is a more popular wrestler, a more dangerous fighter and a better man than Pierre-Carl Ouellet.

I have presented to you the case of the Kliq vs. Jean-Pierre Lafitte of Kevin Nash vs. PCO, but the truth is that you can’t give PCO the justice that he deserves. The only justice that he will ever have is the justice that he takes inside the squared circle.

I am not going to sit here and convince you that wrestling is real, but let me ask you:

If someone had caused you to lose your dream job and had cost you millions of dollars in lost revenue and you had a once in a lifetime chance to punch that person in the face as hard as you wanted and not go to jail for it. Well? What would you do?

And most importantly, when he is given that exact opportunity, what will Pierre-Carl Ouellet do?

Yeah. I am excited to find out too.

*****

Kevin Nash vs. PCO will be the special attraction during the International Wrestling Syndicate 10th Anniversary show on March 30th at the Medley.

Other matches include:

IWS Title Match: Champion Beef Wellington vs. former champions Viking, Sexxxy Eddy and Franky the Mobster

IWS Canadian Title: Canadian Champion Shayne Hawke vs. Twiggy

IWS Tag Team Title: Champions The Untouchables (Dan Paysan and James Stone) vs. 2.0 (Jagged and Shane Matthews)
If 2.0 lose they can longer be a team in the IWS.

IWS Ten Commandments Death Match: The Green Phantom vs. PCP Crazy F’N Manny
Ten different hardcore weapons, one for each year of the IWS will be used in the match!

MMA Match: EXesS vs. Heavy Maxx Fury

IWS Veteran Battle Royale: Twenty man over the top Battle Royal with wrestlers from the ten years of the IWS.

The IWS proudly presents: X, Our Tenth Anniversary Show. Special guest is Big Sexy Kevin Nash! X takes place Saturday, May 30th, at the beautiful, downtown Medley, 1170 St-Denis, near the Berri-UQAM Metro. Montreal, Quebec, CANADA. Doors open at 7:30 PM, show starts at 9 PM. VIP tickets are $35, Regular tickets are $25. VIP ticket holders admitted first. No reserved seating. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.ticketpro.ca or in person at the Medley box office. This is an all ages show. Card and times subject to change. For more information go to www.iwswrestling.com or write to Llakor@hotmail.com

IWS Tenth Anniversary Show Preview 05/30

IWS Xth Anniversary Show
Kevin Nash vs. PCO

The International Wrestling Syndicate celebrates its Tenth Anniversary on May 30th at the Medley with the biggest grudge match to hit Quebec since the Rougeaus fought the Garvins in the old Montreal Forum.

Kevin Nash vs. Pierre-Carl Ouellet

The History: In September 1995, PCO (as Jean-Pierre Lafitte) was scheduled to face Kevin Nash (as WWF Champion Diesel) in Montreal. PCO refused to job in his home-town. Kevin Nash was a monumental ass-hole about it. PCO lost his push and eventually his position in the WWF.

What You Need To Know: For the first time in 14 years, PCO will be in the same ring as Kevin Nash, the man who cost him his dream job and literally millions of dollars in lost revenue. PCO will be able to punch Kevin Nash in the face as hard as he wants and not go to jail for it.

*****

IWS Xth Anniversary
Card Quick and Dirty
Saturday, May 30th
The Medley, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Grudge Match: Kevin Nash vs. Pierre-Carl Ouellet

IWS Title Match: Champion Beef Wellington vs. former champions Viking, Sexxxy Eddy and Franky the Mobster

IWS Canadian Title: Canadian Champion Shayne Hwke vs. Twiggy

IWS Tag Team Title: Champions The Untouchables (Dan Paysan and Jamees Stone) vs. 2.0 (Jagged and Shane Matthews)
If 2.0 lose they can longer be a team in the IWS.

IWS Death Match: The Green Phantom vs. PCP Crazy F’N Manny

MMA Match: EXesS vs. Heavy Maxx Fury

IWS Veteran Battle Royale: Twenty man over the top Battle Royal with wrestlers from the ten years of the IWS.

*****

IWS Xth Anniversary
Detailed Preview

Before I get to the detailed preview of our Tenth Anniversary show, I suppose I should address to the latest IWS rumour broadcast by notorious Quebec wrestling gossip Dre-Nuke or as I refer to him Moitie-Moitie (because he is half-right 50% of the time.)

http://drenuke.blogspot.com/2009/04/apparemment-que.html

For those who don’t read French what the link basically says is that during the IWS Tenth Anniversary show, Manny will make a major announcement about the future of the IWS, namely that it is closing so that Manny can open an MMA promotion instead.

Well, at the risk of inflating Dre-Nuke’s ego to dangerous levels, it is fact true… that Manny will be making a major announcement about the future of the IWS during our Tenth Anniversary show. As to what he will be announcing? Come to the show and find out!

Speaking of MMA, we do in fact have an MMA match scheduled for the Tenth Anniversary show…

EXesS vs. Heavy Maxx Fury

The History: EXesS has won every single title in the IWS, our only Triple Crown winner. In the process of winning all those titles, EXesS has transformed himself from the happy-go-lucky daredevil who debuted in the IWS in January 2003 into a surly shooter who has no problem injuring his opponents to earn his victories, sending (amongst others) Stefany Sinclair, Sexxxy Eddy and Shayne Hawke to the hospital.

Heavy Maxx Fury is an IWS Original. The second man to ever hold the belt that would become the IWS Championship beating Eddy for the belt in the second (and last) Dawson show and losing the belt to TNT during the first Wally’s show (June 17th, 1999). He was also one of the first two men to win the IWS Tag Team Title, winning the Extreme Dream tournament with the Hardcore Ninja March 16th, 2002. He took a break from the IWS in 2002 and returned this year as though he never lost a step. When EXesS took liberties with IWS rookie Alex Silva and complained on the mike that there was no one in the IWS left to challenge him, Maxx decided to step up.

What You Need To Know:These two men had one of the best two minute matches that I have ever seen, trading stiff blows in between submissions. The reason that we are having an MMA match is because the fans at ringside demanded it, chanting “GSP” during the brief wrestling match won by Maxx. EXesS is one of the most notorious shooters in Quebec, while Maxx Fury adapted his extensive martial arts background to wrestling.

*****

Speaking of IWS Originals:

IWS Veteran Battle Royale

The History: Joseph FitzMorris (former IWS Commissioner) is organizing a Battle Royale for our Tenth Anniversary. To be eligible to compete in it, a wrestler must have been in at least one match for the IWS over our ten years and not otherwise be wrestling during the Tenth Anniversary.

What You Need To Know: Fitz has guaranteed that there will a MINIMUM of twenty IWS veterans in the match.

*****

The Untouchables vs. 2.0

The History: The Untouchables are the IWS Tag Team Champions. Last show, Jagged and Shane Matthews took on Dan Paysan and James Stone in singles matches. All Jagged or Shane had to do was win one match of the two to earn a title shot at the Medley. Dan and James agreed to give 2.0 a title shot anyway but only after demanding a special stipulation.

What You Need To Know: If 2.0 win, they return to “The Promised Land” and become the IWS Tag Team Champions for the Third Time. If 2.0 lose, they can never tag as a team in the IWS ever again.

*****

Shayne Hawke vs. Twiggy

The History: Shayne Hawke is the IWS Canadian Champion. To win the title he had to put EXesS in the hospital. At our last show, Twiggy and Shayne teamed to beat the Super Smash Brothers. After the match Twiggy challenged Shayne Hawke to a match for the belt at the Medley.

What You Need To Know: Shayne Hawke and Twiggy were the Original broom-boys. They started together; they trained together; they swept glass and blood out of the ring together; they became IWS wrestlers together. The only thing that they care about more than each other is winning glory in the IWS. Shayne Hawke put a man in the hospital to win his belt, how far will he go to keep it? And how much farter still will Twiggy go to take it away.

*****

The Green Phantom vs. PCP Crazy F’N Manny

The History: The Green Phantom was in the crowd at the very first IWS show at Wally’s. Almost as soon as he started wrestling in the IWS, Phantom started teaming with PCP Crazy F’N Manny as the team Green Drugs, a team that always fought with each other as much as they fought their opponents.

What You Need To Know: They are both completely insane. They are both hardcore as FUCK. They both want to win.

*****

Beef Wellington vs. Viking vs. Franky the Mobster vs. Sexxxy Eddy

The History: Beef Wellington is the IWS Champion. Sexxxy Eddy has won the IWS Title the most times (4 times). Viking has held the IWS Title for the longest time (441 days). Franky the Mobster was IWS Champion when we had our historic show in the ECW Arena, the only Canadian wrestling promotion to ever do a show there.

What You Need To Know: Sexxxy Eddy is an ally of Beef, but has been getting excited about the chance to win the IWS Title for an unprecedented fifth time. Viking wants the title… and revenge on Beef for beating him in our Fans Bring the Weapons match with a damp cloth (of ether). Franky wants the title… and revenge on Beef for beating him at our last show with ten consecutive low blows, one for each year of the IWS. Beef wants to keep his title and over the past year has found the most ridiculous, desperate and crazy ways to win matches and defend his title.

*****

The IWS is justly famous for our Medley shows and justly famous for making wrestling history with our guest stars: Sid Vicious’ first active wrestling match after shattering his leg in WCW (during our Fifth Anniversary show.); Sabu’s last match in the indies before debuting on RAW in Un F’N Sanctioned 2006. This year we give you one of the biggest grudge matches in Quebec wrestling history, a match that many people thought would never ever happen.

This is the show you can’t miss. Come celebrate ten years of IWS insanity!

The IWS proudly presents: X, Our Tenth Anniversary Show. Special guest is Big Sexy Kevin Nash! X takes place Saturday, May 30th, at the beautiful, downtown Medley, 1170 St-Denis, near the Berri-UQAM Metro. Montreal, Quebec, CANADA. Doors open at 7:30 PM, show starts at 9 PM. VIP tickets are $35, Regular tickets are $25. VIP ticket holders admitted first. No reserved seating. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.ticketpro.ca or in person at the Medley box office. This is an all ages show. Card and times subject to change. For more information go to www.iwswrestling.com or write to Llakor@hotmail.com

Monday Movies: Archaic Blues

As an easy way to create content and since I am all about the LAZY, let us mutually decide that on Mondays I will post up a really good film from the YoungCuts Film Festival.

I really love Archaic Blues because it is short and brevity is the soul of wit and all. I also love the juxtaposition between the computer animation, the subject: an abandoned Greek statue forgotten in a dusty museum and bemoaning its fate and the way that the statue chooses to lament its misfortune: through a very 20th Century idiom, Chicago styles Blues.

This film by the way was done well before
The Ben Stiller comedy about statues coming to life in a museum.

Archaic Blues by Gregoire Picher

Film Details Below

Film Details for Archaic Blues

Director: Gregoire Picher

Description: Animated Musical by Gregoire Picher.
An old Greek statue abandoned and forgotten in a museum sings the blues.
A 2007 selection for the YoungCuts Film Festival.

Awards:
Named to 2007 YoungCuts Top 10 Films Below 5 Minutes
YoungCuts Certified Silver for number of views (10,000+)

First Post

Well, we will see how long and regular I can keep this up. CRZ has always said that I should keep a blog, if only to keep me from clogging up the-W with useless posts that he cares nothing about.

Fair warning, this blog will likely feature a lot of SHILL~!ing for the International Wrestling Syndicate for whom I have been head writer slash publicist slash SHILL~! since December of 2003, as well as for Inter-Species Wrestling for whom I am the Worst Ring Announcer in the Multiverse since 2005 and Commissioner since Rotchy and Twiggy randomly named me Commissioner during live commentary for Love Hurts in February of 2007.

I will also be talking about the YoungCuts Film Festival for whom I have been Festival Director since March of 2007.

In wrestling, my main claim to fame is that I am one of five people who can take credit for creating the El Generico gimmick, the most important being the man who wears the mask, a man that I am proud to call a friend.
(And yes, despite claims by some to the contrary, it has always been the same guy.)
I am also Kevin Steen's official biographer. I would say that I was also Steen's friend, except that Steen (from choice) has no friends with the possible exception of El Generico and Steen kicks his ass on a regular basis.

I sporadically publish a column about wrestling history called When We Were Marks, hence the blog title. When I get around to writing them, I always release these on Wednesday for obsessive reasons.

Wednesday is named after Odin, the king of the Norse Gods. (Thor's dad.) Perched on his shoulder are two ravens, Huginn "Thought" and Muninn "Memory". In Norse mythology, Odin sacrificed one eye to gain the loyalty of these two ravens who fly the span of the Earth every day and return to whisper into Odin's ears the things that he should know and, more importantly, the things that he should remember.

Note that this is ORAL memory and ORAL storytelling that we are talking about. Not the memory that we keep in books, but the memory that is passed from one storyteller to another. Memory that takes up certain forms and rituals to protect the information from twisting and changing as it passes from one set of lips to another set of ears.

John Ford's ode to Oral Memory
Many stories relate that Odin sacrificed his eye to gain Huginn and Muninn's loyalty. Few relate that he did so by gouging out his own eye and then feeding it to his Don't call them pets! ravens. Even fewer and darker are the stories which tell us that the price for Huginn and Muninn's loyalty was not one eye, but TWO!
One eye right away... and the other later.

When I do write my When We Were Marks columns, I am aiming for Odin. For that combination of myth, of personal sacrifice, of self-mutilation, of knowledge and oral memory represented by the combination of One-Eyed Odin and his ravens Huginn and Muninn. I won't promise to have a new column up every week, but I have enough old ones that I plan on rewriting and republishing that there should be something new up at least every Odin's Day.

The rest of the time, I will be talking about less serious wrestling stuff, about films, about comics and all the other pop culture junk that bounces around my empty skull. I will probably also post up some examples of films from the YoungCuts Film Festival from time to time. And I may even take requests.