MLW Fusion Episode 74: Go Shiozaki vs. Alex Hammerstone

For the first time in Major League Wrestling history, the league presents a main event hosted by Pro Wrestling NOAH from Nagoya, Japan! 3-time GHC Heavyweight Champion Go Shiozaki collides with MLW National Openweight Champion Alex Hammerstone in a pivotal N1 Victory tournament match. An international showdown as two of top ranked NOAH and MLW heavyweights rumble, expectations are high for Hammerstone. In deep waters, Hammerstone faces one of the most accomplished NOAH wrestlers in history in Go Shiozaki. Following the shocking conclusion to last week’s FUSION, Low Ki makes a statement… or is it a declaration of war as he readies for battle in the War Chamber? ½ of the World Tag Team Champions Richard Holliday looks to continue the Dynasty’s dominance and end the summer in triumph over the Hart Foundation as he wrestles Brian Pillman Jr. Will the rogue rookie of the Hart Foundation out scrap the 6’3” smug and uptight blue-chipper? Tune in to find out. With Low Ki’s shadowy past, Ross and Marshall Von Erich look to their father Kevin Von Erich in Hawaii for wisdom as the war drums begin to bang louder for the War Chamber. What in the hillbilly hell is up with Mance Warner??? Ol Mancer checks in after a wild ride to jail courtesy of Promociones Dorado. “The Bone Collector” Dominic Garrini is coming to cripple the competition in MLW. Learn more about the BJJ gold medalist. Injustice’s Jordan Oliver clashes with Gringo Loco as Loco looks for payback following the outcome of last week’s thrilling trios bout. Rich Bocchini and Tony Schiavone call the action from three cities in a world’s showcase edition of MLW FUSION!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a418dNoWwo

New Hart Foundation vs. The Maine State Posse - Limitless Wrestling (Maine)

MATCH: New Hart Foundation (Teddy Hart & Davey Boy Smith Jr.) vs. The Maine State Posse (DangerKid & Aiden Aggro)
EVENT: Hooked On A Friedman (5/11/19)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1iH5rkKYks

Well, At least Impact Wrestling Now Has a Better TV Deal Now, LOL. ANTHEM MEDIA PURCHASES AXS TV

If you can't GET ON a TV Station, Just buy a Network, LOL!

Anthem Media, the parent company of Impact Wrestling, has come to terms on a deal to purchase AXS TV,   The agreement was reached just minutes ago after a long negotiation.

The deal will, obviously, see Impact Wrestling migrate from The Pursuit Channel to AXS, where far more viewers will be able to view the series.  There have been plans in place for secondary Impact programming to debut on Pursuit as well.

This move places Impact Wrestling on the best TV platform it has landed upon in forever as the jumping around from cable network to cable network, something that has been going on for the last five years after SpikeTV pulled a multi-year deal from Dixie Carter, at the time President of Impact, when she declined to take less money in 2014.    Since then, Impact has landed on Destination American, Pop TV and The Pursuit Channel, all with dwindling audiences after each move.  This gives Impact a chance to reverse that trend.

While AXS does not give Impact the entire cable TV and satellite universes, it’s a much larger cable network than they had been on and now they can move forward without a “gun to their head” mentality waiting for the inevitable.

As it was reported back in July, there had been discussions going on for months attempting to secure the purchase of AXS, which would give Anthem Media a much needed footprint in the United States.  The initial hope was to have had the deal done by early July and had that timeline taken place as hoped, Impact Wrestling planned to announce they were moving to AXS the Monday after Slammiversary.

We have been told that Anthem's purchase will not change New Japan Pro Wrestling or WOW's status with AXS, but obviously that can change.  Impact sources are confident in stating that AXS programming will remain in place as it currently exists, although Anthem-owned content, including Impact, will soon migrate over.  Impact Wrestling, under its current management team of Scott D'Amore, Don Callis and Ed Nordholm, have long sought to build a working relationship with New Japan, which has distanced itself in recent months from Ring of Honor, so owning their TV platform gives Impact a nice advantage as New Japan works towards running more in the United States.

AXS TV, formerly HD Net, was launched in January 2001.  While known as HD Net, the network aired ROH on HD Net for a year.  It was rebranded as AXS TV in July 2012.   

Former WWE Manager Slick On Why He Believes He's Not In The WWE Hall Of Fame

Back in the 80s and early 90s, managers were as common in WWE as wristlocks and one of the most notable was The Doctor of Style, Slick. He managed such Superstars as Akeem, The Big Boss Man and The Iron Shiek before transitioning to being a broadcaster.

Three years ago Slick was a part of the class action lawsuit against WWE regarding brain injuries suffered in the ring. Being a part of that suit is what Slick believes is keeping him out of the WWE Hall of Fame as he said on the Prime Time with Sean Mooney podcast.

"I think, that I can say with certainty, that I would be in the Hall of Fame, ahead of Teddy Long, had I not have been a part of that lawsuit," stated Slick. "I think I still will [get into the Hall of Fame] because I know Vince... he's mad now, but as time goes by, he'll cool off, and we'll get a chance to talk, and I still believe I will be. If they never put me in there, they're still not going to take away the fact that I was very, very successful, and that my name had become a household name within wrestling circles."

Slick was at the 2016 WWE Hall of Fame but as an inductor instead of an inductee. He posthumously inducted The Big Boss Man into the Hall of Fame and Boss Man's widow and daughters accepted on his behalf.

The class action lawsuit that Slick was a part of was dismissed in September 2018 and Slick was asked if he has any regrets in being part of the suit.

"Of course not. No I don't regret it; it's only fair. I mean, we made [Vince McMahon] millions of dollars, and we've not been fairly compensated. And we have people who get hurt all the time," said Slick. "I don't want to go into that part, but I have great difficulty, even with my memory. Even now, as we've been doing this interview, sometimes I can't remember what it is I want to say."

FORMER PROMOTER & ANNOUNCER JOE PEDICINO RECOVERING FROM STROKE

Joe Pedicino, who over the course of his career has hosted and produced a number of professional wrestling series and worked as a commentator for World Championship Wrestling, suffered a stroke back in June and is currently bed-ridden while undergoing physical therapy due to the loss of the use of his right leg and has had to learn to speak again.  

Pedicino's wife, former WWF announcer Boni Blackstone, made the announcement regarding Pedicino's health over the weekend with a YouTube video as he battles back from his health issues.

Pedicino, 69 years old, is best known for several entries into professional wrestling television, one being the late 1980s syndicated This Week in Pro Wrestling series, which he created and produced as well as co-hosted with Gordon Solie.  The excellent series featured clips from across the world of pro wrestling, including at times specific WWF interviews for the series, and covered breaking wrestling news stories.    Bill Apter and later, Paul Heyman would appear on the series regularly.  The show provided a lot of exposure for smaller, regional and international companies to get their material out across the United States in ways that would not have been possible beyond the wrestling magazines of the era.  That series from January 1987 ran through March 1988 with a storyline ending that Paul Heyman had brought the show and ended it.

Pedicino also produced and hosted a syndicated eight-hour block of professional wrestling content alongside Solie and Blackstone out of Atlanta, where he has been based for decades, running that package from 1986 through 1992.   WATV-TV in Atlanta was the nucleus for the package, which aired on Saturday nights from 8 PM - 3 AM Eastern with new host segments built in as wrap-arounds.  The syndication package was an idea Pedicino brought to the station after having only been working for their sales department for about 6-8 weeks, somewhat inspired by what horror host Elvira was doing with older monster and horror films.   The package would feature material from different NWA member promotions, the WWC in Puerto Rico, Continental Wrestling, Memphis Wrestling and even men's and women's professional wrestling from Japan.   Through the series, Pedicino met his wife, Boni Blackstone, who won a contest to become the co-host of the package. 

 The tail end of the run saw future WCW announcer Scott Hudson do some of his earliest TV work in the business as well, working with Steven Prazak, who went on to work with ECW and the GWF.  At its height, the package was being seen in 90 markets in the United States.

In the early 1990s, Pedicino helped found the Global Wrestling Federation in Dallas and was the face and lead announcer for the group, which ran out of the former Sportatorium, giving national attention to Sean Waltman (Lightning Kid at the time), Marcus Bagwell (working under a mask as The Handsome Stranger), The Patriot, Jerry Lynn, Scott Levy (at the time, Scotty the Body), Mick Foley and others via the series' afternoon time slot on ESPN.  Allegedly backed by a Nigerian businessman, the group was actually backed by Texas businessman Max Andrews and came out strong with lots of other well known names including Eddie Gilbert and Terry Gordy before becoming populated by local Texas stars.  Pedicino would depart the project within a year as costs were cut across the board.  

Pedicino also did some commentary and news segments for World Championship Wrestling in the late 1980s.   During his time in the business, Pedicino had put together a number of charity events to raise money for different entities and at one point, raised $10,000 doing a Wrestlethon event on local TV, assisting a fan who needed a liver transplant.

Pedicino had moved on from professional wrestling in the 1990s, beyond some online interactions with fans in the early days of the AOL and Prodigy online services.  He focused most of his attention on owning and operating several radio stations in the Georgia area with his company, Legacy Media South Atlanta.   He worked as General Sales Manager for WCNN in Atlanta and 92.5 The Bear in Fayetteville, GA, among other stations and had retired just a year or so ago from working full-time.  I believe his last pro wrestling-related appearace was at a NWA Legends Fanfest in Atlanta promoted by Greg Price back in 2011.