Somebody Call 911! Connor is Watching Wrestling On Fire (10-26-13)

Live (well, tape delayed) from the McGrath Mansion in the art of Deering Center, it’s another recap of Wrestling On Fire! Last week, we saw the start of the tournament for the vacant WOF Championship with Former ECPW Champ “The Re-Enforcer” Andrew Anderson defeating long-time Northeastern indy vet (and former ECW and WCW job guy) Gino Caruso, thanks to some nefarious interference and a shocking heel turn by WOF Commentator Ken Reedy. This revealed that Anderson’s attack on Reedy was all a setup that allowed them to uh…well, hey, let’s start the show and see why this happened!

The show starts with the video tribute to Angelo Savoldi that we saw two weeks ago. It’s well done but the placement is sort of odd considering the segments that follow.

We reveal that Mario Savoldi Jr, the overly excitable, dopey occasional host of WOF was also in on the set up. Reedy badmouths the NWA for trying to take control of WOF’s television pie and says he won’t let ECPW do the same. Mario Jr “shoots” on his dad and Gino Caruso and says they’re idiots for thinking that ECPW is superior to WOF. Savoldi cackles that the WOF fanbase didn’t see this coming and him and Reedy “schooled” everybody and now the New School is ready to take down the Old School of Mario Sr and Gino Caruso. Hrm.

You know I try to give every new angle a chance but this just gives me bad memories of the New Blood-Millionaires Club angle from ’00 WCW, right down to having similar names for stables and the fact that the heel side is led by two marginally charismatic non-wrestlers. Though I don’t think even this promotion is stupid enough to have this end with Ken Reedy winning the WOF Championship after getting thrown through a steel cage by Apolo. Also, why are WOF playing heels in an inter promotional feud presented on WOF’s show?

ECPW Tag Team Championship Match: Frankie Flow and Bandido Jr (c) Vs Buzz Bloodsaw and The Wrecking Ball

Charlie Savoldi is upset, beyond belief over Reedy and Mario Jr’s turn and the shocking swerve. Savoldi says “Not even the Conn Man saw this coming.” It’s true, I didn’t. Reedy says him and Junior will bring WOF into the year 2013 and that their up and comers are better than the established ECPW stars. Reedy says most of WOF’s stars are at home but they sent Bloodsaw and Wrecking Ball to the ECPW show to “throw them a bone”. WOF stars weren’t staying at home, they just don’t exist. This is the first time I’ve seen Wrecking Ball. He’s a big dude in a worksuit who resembles Bam Bam Bigelow in appearance and in-ring style.  Charlie talks about trying to get in touch with Uncle Tommy “but nobody’s home”. You can interpret that statement in a number of ways. Most interesting thing about the match is Frankie Flow playing Ricky Morton in this match. Usually, the big guy in a little guy-big guy team just comes in to clear house so it’s weird to see him doing a lot of the work here. This match is really reminiscent of a mid-card Monday Nitro match where the announcers just completely ignore it to talk about the main event storylines. Although Charlie Savoldi makes a rare for WOF, current pop culture reference and calls Wrecking Ball “Miley Cyrus’ Favorite Wrestler”   Reedy says most of the Savoldi Family will come to his and Junior’s side. Bandido Jr and Flow retain the titles after Bandido hits a super kick on Bloodsaw and Flow finishes him with a full nelson slam. As far as matches that kick off inter-promotional feuds go, this was moderately better than the Buff Bagwell-Booker T match on Monday Night RAW at the start of the Invasion. C

It’s inevitable that WOF and ECPW are going to feud but the way they’ve kicked it off feels all wrong. I don’t know why you have non-wrestlers like Mario Savoldi Jr and Ken Reedy leading the heel side when you have guys who are perfectly capable in the mic and in the ring like Brian Fury and Andrew Anderson available. It’s ironic. There was just a shoot column on Wrestling On Fire’s website from longtime Savoldi cohort and former WOF announcer Brian Webster talking about how fans don’t really care about angles involving non-wrestlers. Yeah, every now and then, you’ll get a Vince McMahon, who’s charisma and character can make up for the fact that they can only get in the ring a few times a year. But for every McMahon, you have three Mike Adamles and Jonathan Coachmans. Reedy and Savoldi are good hype men but so far, seem to be mediocre heels.

I’m not ready to say this angle is beyond salvage. I like that so far, there’s shades of gray with ECPW heels still being heels and WOF faces still being face (although I’m afraid when WOF’s two remaining prominent babyfaces Ricky Reyes and Apolo reappear, they’ll suddenly be rebranded as ECPW dudes). I think the best way to avoid the mistakes of the past is by not forgetting them. Still, early in the process here and I think this angle could be cool. Yeah, so far, it seems to be a retelling of the New Blood-Millionaires Club feud but don’t forget that feud started with a great concept. Yeah, it went horribly awry but maybe, somehow the folks at WOF will be able to do an invasion angle right this time.

Anyway, does anybody have a bridge to sell me?

Everybody remember that ANYTHING can happen on Halloween so make sure to NOT feed your dogs chocolate this All Hallows Eve!