BASLER’S BLOG
by Al Basler
Odds & Ends
First and foremost, I would like to take the time on behalf of myself and all of my colleagues in New England Championship Wrestling to offer our thoughts to everyone who was affected by the events at last week’s Boston Marathon. The lights of those we lost will continue to shine on in the hearts and memories of everyone whose lives they touched. The heroic efforts of many people of this region amidst this tragedy make us very proud to represent New England.
As they say, the show must go on. And for NECW, the show has gone on. The last couple of weeks have seen some interesting developments on New England Championship Wrestling on Plum TV. Let’s take a look at what’s gone down.
Tag Team Turmoil
The rivalry between the NECW Tag Team Champions, “Superstar” Scotty Slade and “The Shure Thing” Mark Shurman, and Mike Webb and Nick Farenheight has been heating up. If you recall, the champions won the vacant titles in a match with Webb and Farenheight after Shurman used one of the Tag Team Titles as a weapon. Last week on NECW, the rematch between the two teams aired. Once again, Webb and Farenheight looked poised to become the NECW Tag Team Champions.
The challengers took the fight to the champions throughout the match and on many occasions were a split second for coming away with the victory. The momentum was clearly with Webb and Farenheight as the match rolled on. Slade and Shurman felt it and decided to walk away and take a count out loss, preserving their titles. Once again, the Webb and Farenheight were robbed.
Those who were in attendance for Bouts For the Scouts in Abington witnessed Webb and Farenheight getting a measure of revenge against the champions by scoring another victory, this time in a 6-man tag team match. Looking at the scoreboard, they now hold two victories over Slade and Shurman, and their only loss to them came under dubious circumstances at best. While it’s obvious that Webb and Farenheight are quite frustrated that they haven’t walked away as the NECW Tag Team Champions yet, they are riding the wave of momentum. They are clearly deserving of another shot at the champions. It seems they have their number. But Slade and Shurman are crafty, so don’t count the champions out… unless they want you to to avoid losing the titles.
The Peacock Struts Again
This week on NECW, we saw the return of “The Party Peacock” Dalton Castle as he scored a victory over the debuting “Juicy” Justin Corino. Dalton Castle is one of the most interesting competitors to step foot in NECW in a long time. A popular afternoon radio personality on Q103 in Albany, NY, the man also known as “The Charasmatic Milkshake” is quite the character. The crowd really takes to his unorthodox personality, and it is clear that he has fun every time he steps through the curtain.
The one thing that should never be underestimated about Dalton Castle is his ability in the ring. With a very accomplished amateur wrestling background, he can roll with anyone in NECW. He is also deceptively strong, something well-evidenced by his signature Dead Lift German Suplex. Keep your eye on this Peacock in the months to come.
A Bitter End
The feud between “The Boston Bad Boy” Jason Rumble and Elia Markopoulos, which has been going on for almost a year and a half, finally appears to have come to a close. It began with Elia making comments about Rumble’s father, who had recently passed, and became very personal very quickly. Rumble’s history with the Crown Jewels is well-documented and he was not happy to see the group continuing to use the name that he helped build. All of this led to many confrontations and matches between the two over the course of the last 18 months. It all came to a head at Bouts For the Scouts in a match seen on this week’s NECW.
Both men competed in a Boston Street Fight with so much on the line. If Jason Rumble lost, he would have to leave NECW. If Elia Markopoulos lost, the Crown Jewels would be no more and the name could never be used again. With so much at stake, they brought everything they had, and I would say they left it all in the ring, but the ring couldn’t contain this one. The action spilled all over the Abington High School gym and even into the locker room. In the end, it was Jason Rumble who had his hand raised in victory, putting the final nail in the coffin of a group he was once a proud member of. Elia tried to make a name for himself at the expense of the veteran Rumble, but “The Boston Bad Boy” showed he is no one’s stepping stone.
Next week, we will be gearing up for Friday Fight Night in Randolph. I’ll be taking a look at the line-up for this great event and let you know what you can expect as NECW crowns a new Television Champion.