Ryan "Camel" Cuddihy: October 8, 2001

Well, here we are again, with a rather dismal update to the Dirtsheet... but I can't write everything... here's hoping that this gets some sort of reaction from my staff to get them into gear.

Before I get started on a recap of KotR (which was ABSOLUTELY FUCKING INCREDIBLE), I'd like to do that whole fed spotlight thing on a federation a lot of you probably have heard of. The Hardcore Wrestling Federation may soon find itself getting regular coverage on the Dirtsheet (in fact, the only other article in this issue is a preview of their next PPV) with the influx of NYSWF and EWA stars showing up. I've also heard some rumors of a legendary former-NYSWF-and-elsewhere wrestler showing up there in the near future, but I haven't gotten word from Lance Sterling on the truth behind it. Either way, they've got quite a good number of very talented individuals, with all the hardcore action you could ever want. Give it a look see.

And now... King of the Ring 2K1. Two words for you: holy shit. If you didn't see this PPV, you have two options: buy the encore, or dig yourself a hole. It was that good. Debuts, re-debuts, re-re-debuts, some of the most insane matches I've ever seen in my tenure in this circuit... it had everything for everybody. And now: King of the Ring 2001.

~ The preshow was one of the best I've seen... ever. You know what usually happens with preshows, i.e., they suck. This one actually had me watching the entire time... and why not? It had all the great moments of the last month, plus a couple of new ones... including the stipulation for the Main Event: a ladder match! How's that for waiting 'till the last minute?

~ Dredd d. Jonathan Snyder. I hyped this match better than the EWA did, and it didn't disappoint. For a match with little hype preceding it, and no real feud to build it up, the two of them brought old history to the ring... and they absolutely beat the shit out of each other. Neither man is past his prime yet, and they proved it in that match. Afterwards, Chris Kage, Joe Satre, Evan Douglas, and Johnny Blaze of all people teamed up to form the Mid-Card Hoes. You ask me, it's a little silly to name yourself after the bane of BOB President Ryan Monk's existence. But hey, that's why I will never be a Mid-Card Ho. Damn, I'm clever.

~ EWA newcomer Karma made her first EWA TV appearance in an interview with Larry Watson, and she showed herself to be very up on her history, giving us a little taste of what's to come. She also made a couple of extremely accurate remarks as to the personalities behind the EWA's roster. Expect a lot from her in the near future: she could become a key player in a couple of storylines.

~ Jack Reed d. The Fallen One. A great hardcore rules brawl between these two, and it's nice to see Reed going back to what made him famous, and from the looks of things, he's doing it pretty well. And as a plus, I got to see Crazy Eddie. As for TFO, he's got to pull his act together if he wants to get out of the low-card, but I think he can pull it off. After the match... who made a comeback at the expense of former tag partner Reed? That's right, Erik Nuff has made his return, and doing so has absolutely destroyed Reed. I'm seeing a biiiig feud coming out of this, and who wins in that situation? Everybody bit Reed and Nuff, who'll probably end up injured beyond repair as a result.

~ Harvey Knox d. Johnny Flash, Knox advances in the King of the Ring. I was a little upset, until I realized how good Knox really is. I've been watching Knox, and I must say I've been a little prejudiced against him for some reason. But his work in the KotR has shown me what I've been ignoring for the last couple of months: Harvey Knox has a lot of talent. There's no shame in losing to this guy. I just hope that Flash can come to terms with that himself. I must say, though, I really liked the idea of Flash as EWA World Champ...

~ X-Calibur d. Andre Griffin, X-Calibur advances in the King of the Ring. Griffin seemed out of this match, as he had what was basically a death match with Venom later in the night... and it cost him his spot in the tourney. Definitely not match of the night material.

~ Joe Satre d. Will Haynes. No DQ? No problem! Not for these two, anyway. Solid performance by both men, but it was the Pimp Daddy who pulled out the win. After the match, the rest of the Mid-Card Hoes joined Satre in welcoming their newest member to the EWA... Jimmy "Not JJ From Good Times" Walker. The EWA's about to be stimulated. Let's just hope Walker can do better here than elsewhere.

~ Venom d. Andre Griffin. A hard fought match. Andre Griffin just seemed off his game the entire night though, and Venom took advantage of that. Either way you look at it, it looks like Griffin took some serious damage in this match, probably from the Extreme Poison on a chair that ended the match. We hope he's back at full health soon.

~ Ray Willmott d. Laura. A lover's quarrel this wasn't. It got pretty damn violent at times. One of the better matches of the night, believe it or not, and well worth checking out. Either way, the Brit won out, and all was right with the world, or something.

~ CHC makes an arrogant statement toward Chris Kage about the main event, and he makes sure Venom knows that Harding Cash isn't finished with him yet. Good to hear... I must say, I've been very impressed with Cash as of late (which shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone).

~ Chris Kage d. Sean Boden in the Human Torch, retaining the EWA Lightheavyweight Title. OK, seeing this match the first time in the NYSWF was crazy enough, but Kage and Boden topped it. This was a brutal spotfest from beginning to end, and Boden's suicidal dive into the inferno was absolutely crazy as hell. Both men went through more than hell to win that match, but thanks to Boden's Entropy through the cage, he lost the match for himself... but he took the advantage away from Kage going into the Main Event, no question. Sean Boden didn't walk out of the arena that night, but I've gotten reports (from me) that he'll be fighting through his injuries. Guy's a nutcase, no question.

~ The Golden One d. Johnny Blaze to retain the EWA IC Title. Another excellent match-up, these two put in more work than anyone I've seen in a long time. Buried Alive was only a name, because by the time this one was over, Johnny Blaze had to be as close to death as anyone I've ever met... and as for TGO? He didn't look to be in great shape, either. TGO also showed he could just about make any move his own, ending it with a modified Crackpipe. Will this feud be over? I hope so, if only because if it keeps going, I doubt both of them will live through it.

~ Harvey Knox d. Arch Kincaid in a Heaven and Hell match to retain the EWA Hardcore Title. WOW. This was match number 2 that cemented Knox' skill and talent in my mind, because 1) he thought the damn match up, and 2) he wrestled it to perfection. That's not taking anything away from Kincaid, because he fought harder than anyone I've ever seen. There are three matches other than the Main Event that really stole the spotlight: Kage/Boden, TGO/Blaze, and this one. Absolutely a match to watch. Arch Kincaid may have ended his career here, though, unfortunately. If this is the case (I have yet to get any confirmation from EWA HQ), we wish him the best, and pray that he's in the best of health.

~ Harvey Knox d. X-Calibur to win the King of the Ring Tournament. Match number 3, another one fought to perfection by Harvey Knox. This man can't be human, he fought three matches, and still managed to come out on top in all of them. Again, not to belittle X-Calibur, who also put on one of the best shows I've seen from him. X-Calibur didn't lose without a fight, but Harvey Knox is a monster. Incredible. Knox meets up with the Heavyweight Champ this November at the Clash of the Champions, whether that be Cash or someone else.

~ Jack Daniels d. Evan Douglas in the steel cage. Another match that was absolutely incredible. Douglas and Daniels were almost completely even until Clarissa entered the match... to help Daniels. I certainly didn't see that coming, and I don't think anyone else did. A little case of Stockholm syndrome? Either way, Evan Douglas took some really hard shots to the head, it's a wonder he's not braindead yet.

~ Harding Cash d. Chris Kage in the Main Event to retain the EWA Heavyweight Title. Unbelieveable. The fact that Chris Kage even went into this match shows something of his talent, after his match with Boden earlier, but it wasn't going to happen with the injuries he'd sustained, especially in a ladder match. Both men fought harder than I've ever seen them fight before... Cash had obviously underestimated Kage, but he still was able to pull out the win. A spectacular match to end a spectacular PPV, without question. And the look between Cash and TGO after the match... what was that about? I'd like to know... and I think we'll find out this week.

As you can tell, I was quite pleased with KotR 2K1, and apparently, so was Duane Gates. He was quoted as calling it, "in my opinion, the best PPV in EWA history." And I had my doubts... how dare I. Let's take a look at the action coming to us from Texas this Wednesday and Thursday:

On Wednesday Night War:

~ Chris Dawson goes head to head with Will Haynes. I don't know much about Dawson, since this is his EWA debut, but Haynes hasn't been on the top of his game. This one could go either way.

~ Johnny Flash takes on Karma in her EWA debut. This one's gonna be Karma's proving grounds. She's got what it takes on the mic, but does she have what it takes in the ring? And Flash will be looking for redemption after getting knocked out of the KotR... let's see if Karma's admiration for Flash will get in the way of her kicking the crap out of him.

~ Jay Pills debuts against the returnign E-Nuff. I feel sorry for Pills in this one, having to start up against someone like Nuff. As much as I think this kid might have some potential, I also think Nuff's going to destroy him.

~ Laura defends her TV Title in a Triple Threat match against Johnny Blaze and X-Calibur. There's no question both men deserve the shot at the title, and it's quite possible that Laura's losing her graces in the eyes of President Gates. This one could be interesting.

~ It's a non-title Main Event, as Jack Daniels locks horns with Harding Cash. You know what? I'm not gonna even speculate on this one: no matter who wins, they're gonna tear the house down.

And for Thursday Night Thunder:

~ Steven Arwich makes his debut against Dredd. Good luck, Steven.

~ Jonathan Snyder fights Jack Reed. This one could get interesting... both of them really need to work to get back to the status they once had, and whoever wins this one is one step closer to stardom. As a Jack Reed mark, I must vote for Reed to win over Snyder. And Crazy Eddie. Gotta love Crazy Eddie.

~ Paranoid Perry takes on Jimmy Walker in his EWA debut. We know Walker's got what it takes to win, and we know Perry's not to be underestimated, but we also know Perry has been off his game as of late... I have a feeling this match is going to be "DY-NO-MIIIIIIIIIIITE!" Sorry, had to get that joke out.

~ Harvey Knox defends the EWA Hardcore Title against Venom. Two of the most sadistic bastards in the EWA fighting each other with no rules? Screw the outcome, just be sure to have a mop handy.

~ It's a Four Corners Elimination match as The Golden One and Sean Boden defend their titles against the teams of Long Island Hardcore, Chris Kage and Joe Satre, and Ray Willmott and the third of the Triple Threat, Jonathan Storm. Now, this match would be one for the record books anyway, but it's another putting Triple Threat members against each other. The incredible amount of talent in this match is stunning enough... the question of who's gonna win is too early to tell. I'm not even gonna try to pimp LIHC, because I'm not so sure they can win this one: it's that hard to tell. Just watch, dammit.

So there ya go. Be sure to check out the NYSWF's weekend, as they keep up the North of the Border tour. And be sure to check out the HWF this weekend, too, the PPV's relatively cheap in comparison to some of the others around here... of course, "cheap" when it comes to wrestling PPVs is basically anything less than $25.

Camel out, bebbies.