Miscellaneous North American Indies, Rarities & Compilations.

IWA Puerto Rico 'Zona Impactante' TV June 11th - July 3rd 2004 £7
The only information I have about this is that it contains four episodes of IWA Puerto Rico's syndicated weekly TV show. I have no listings, no recommendations, no clue - hence the discounted price for a four-hour show. Good luck to those who try it!

JCW Jersey J-Cup 2003 (Volume 1) August 24th 2003 £7
Jersey Championship Wrestling's annual showpiece: a 16-man tournament featuring all the top indie talent from America's north-east, with stars from ROH and CZW lending their weight to the draw. Credit to JCW for its classy production of a classy tournament, including a neat history of the Jersey J-Cup. Los Boriquas vs The Disciples of Darling (JCW Tag Team Title Match)… Jay Lethal vs Rob Eckos… Homicide vs Grim Reefer… Jimmy Jacobs vs Dixie… Alex Shelly vs Ruckus… CM Punk vs Sonjay Dutt… Johnny Ova vs Dan Barry… Shawn Sheridan vs Deranged… Slyk Wagner Brown vs Dave Greco (all First Round Matches)

JCW Jersey J-Cup 2003 (Volume 2) August 24th 2003 £7
In addition to the final rounds of the J-Cup, Volume Two features a special match between Matt Stryker and the pride of Essex, Jonny Storm. Jay Lethal vs CM Punk… Homicide vs Alex Shelly… Jimmy Jacobs vs Shawn Sheridan… Slyk Wagner Brown vs Johnny Ova (Quarter-finals)… Jay Lethal vs Jimmy Jacobs… Homicide vs Slyk Wagner Brown (Semi-finals)… Matt Stryker vs Jonny Storm… Jay Lethal vs Homicide (Final)

IWC Super Indy Title Tournament March 22nd 2002 £7
Critically acclaimed one-night tournament held in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. If you're a fan of the ECWA's Super 8, this is very much in the same vein. CM Punk vs Chris Hero… Orion vs Super Hentai (both First Round Matches)… Scotty Gash & J-Ru vs Devil Bhudakahn & Dennis Gregory (IWC Tag Team Title Match)… Christopher Daniels vs Colt Cabana… Low Ki vs Kid Sensation (both First Round Matches)… Super Hentai vs CM Punk... Low Ki vs Christopher Daniels (both Semi-finals)… The Sandman & Balls Mahoney vs Shirley Doe & Jimmy Vegas… Christopher Daniels vs Super Hentai (Final)

APW King of the Indies 2001 (Day 2) October 27th 2001 £7
Donovan Morgan vs Bison Smith… American Dragon vs Doug Williams… Low Ki vs Samoa Joe… Christopher Daniels vs AJ Styles (all King of the Indies Quarter-finals)… Battle Royal… American Dragon vs Donovan Morgan… Low Ki vs Christopher Daniels (both King of the Indies Semi-finals)… Scoot Andrews, Tony Jones, Super Dragon & Spanky vs Vincenzo Massaro, Frankie Kazarian, Jardi Frantz & Adam Pearce… American Dragon vs Low Ki (King of the Indies Final)

APW King of the Indies 2001 (Day 1) October 26th 2001 £7
Another cracking US indie event. Nearly all of the talent that went on to found Ring of Honor appeared somewhere on this two-day tournament - which should give a pretty good indication of both the style and quality of the action on offer. Doug Williams vs Adam Pearce… Bison Smith vs Tony Jones… Donovan Morgan vs Scoot Andrews… Samoa Joe vs Frankie Kazarian… American Dragon vs Spanky… Christopher Daniels vs Super Dragon… AJ Styles vs Jardi Frantz… Low Ki vs Vincenzo Massaro (all King of the Indies First Round Matches)

UPW California Collision March 31st 2001 £7
The 'between-jobs' Rob Van Dam travels west for a corking showdown with the 'Fallen Angel' Christopher Daniels. Brian Taylor vs Mr. Wright… Juventud Guerrera vs Mikey Henderson… Big Time vs Phat… Navajo Warrior vs Staz… Bronx Brothers vs Definition of Pain… Ricky Reves vs Andy Van Dam vs Prodigy… Ultimate Army vs Nova & Hardcore Kidd… Ballard Brothers vs Latinos Locos… Mike Modest, Tony Jones & Donovan Morgan vs Billy Dee, Frankie Kazarian & Mike Know… Rob Van Dam vs Christopher Daniels

OMEGA Reunion December 1st 2000 £7
Held at Southern Pines, North Carolina, this card brought many of OMEGA's gradutes home - including AJ Styles, Steve Corino, Shannon Moore and more. OMEGA, which also produced the Hardy Boyz, is a breeding ground for some spectacular wrestlers. Damian Drake vs Tanner Martin… Davey Chetum vs Black Skull… Scab vs Lazarus vs Mike Gunner… Tim Cheek vs High Octane… AJ Styles vs Rick Michaels… CW Anderson vs Lodi… Shannon Moore & Shane Helms vs Adam York & Christian Matthews… Steve Corino vs Cham Pain (ECW title vs OMEGA title)

Heroes of Wrestling PPV October 10th 1999 £7
This card needs no introduction, but I can't resist: this is the worst pro wrestling PPV ever produced. Only two of the matches were rated above DUD by the Wrestling Observer, and to be honest, they're the least interesting of the lot. The real appeal here is watching walking disasters like the Iron Sheik, the Bushwhackers, Jake Roberts and George 'Animal' Steele fighting fiercely for the title of Worst Match of the Year. There's a hint of sadness when you consider the former greatness of many of those involved, but don't worry: you'll get over it pretty quickly. Marty Jannetty & Tommy Rogers vs Samoan Swat Team… Greg Valentine vs George Steele… Too Cold Scorpio vs Julio Fantastico… The Bushwackers vs The Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff… Tully Blanchard vs Stan Lane… Abdullah the Butcher vs The One Man Gang… Bob Orton vs Jimmy Snuka… Jake Roberts & Yokozuna vs Jim Neidhart & King Kong Bundy

IWA Puerto Rico Junior Heavyweight Title Tournament May 20th - 21st 1999 £7
A stellar line-up of talent turned this obscure tournament into something of a collector's item. Royal Rumble (winner gets a bye to the tournament semi-finals)… Pablo Marquez vs Danny Boy… Christopher Daniels vs Pepe Prado… Taka Michinoku vs Reckless Youth… Alexander Otsuka vs Aguila… The Great Sasuke vs Tiger Mask IV… Super Crazy vs Jeff Hardy… Yoshihiro Tajiri vs Black Scorpion… Taka Michinoku vs Aguila… Yoshihiro Tajiri vs Super Crazy… Aguila vs Christopher Daniels… Yoshihiro Tajiri vs Aguila (IWA Junior Heavyweight Title Tournament Final)

OMEGA Legends & Legacies January 29th 1999 £7
Features the Hardy Boyz in astonishing form, just before they signed long-term deals with the WWF. Joey Matthews vs Christian York… Willow the Wisp vs Will Powers… Otto Schwanz vs Bison Toad vs CW Anderson (three-way dance)… Cham Pain vs Kid Dynamo (Shannon Moore)… Venom vs Sweet Dreams… The Serial Thrillaz (Shane Helms & Mike Maverick) vs The Hardy Boyz

NWA Battle of the Bloodletters '98 February 7th 1998 £7
A real rarity here: Cactus Jack on loan (and on the loose) from the WWF, at the height of Mick Foley's tri-personality angle. He faces old rival Doug Gilbert in a building-wide brawl. Lupus vs Overweight Lover… Metal Maniac vs Great Caruso… Dave Keller vs Evil Twin… Ray Oddyssey vs Rick Ratchet… Manny Fernandez vs The Patch… Reckless Youth vs Lance Diamond… Devon Storm & Twiggy Ramirez vs The Misfits… Cactus Jack vs Doug Gilbert

APW At Its Hardcore Best 2 / ICP Stranglemania September 9th 1997 - February 7th 1998 £7
Two hardcore tapes in one: a compilation from APW, and the infamous video where full-time piss-takers Insane Clown Posse add their personal commentary to the IWA King of the Death Matches Tournament. ICP's comments are crude, very funny and - occasionally - right on the money. Picture quality on Stranglemania isn't great, but I blame the clowns.

Terry Funk's Wrestlefest September 11th 1997 £7
If anyone knows how to retire, it's Terry Funk. He's certainly had plenty of practice. This is a new version of his most famous retirement - a special card held in Amarillo, Texas. He faced then-WWF World Champion Bret Hart in the marathon main event, with an undercard featuring the likes of Sabu, Mick Foley, Hayabusa and the Head Hunters. This is famously featured in Beyond the Mat (see back page). Roadkill vs W*ING Kanemura… Taz vs Chris Candido (ECW TV Title Match)… Shark Tsuchiya vs Cooga… Balls Mahoney vs Buh Buh Ray Dudley… Shane Douglas vs Tommy Dreamer (ECW World Title Match)… Dory Funk Jr. vs Rob Van Dam… Mankind vs Sabu… Jake Roberts & The Head Hunters vs Jinsei Shinzaki, Hayabusa & Masato Tanaka… Bret Hart vs Terry Funk

IWA Mid-South Eddie Gilbert Memorial Brawl '97 April 12th 1997 £7
Ray Odyssey & Inferno Kid vs Adrian Hall & Twiggy Ramirez (NWA North American Tag Team Title Change)… Mr. Puerto Rico vs Steve Corino… The Black Scorpion (Rick Ratchet) vs Donnie B. Deviously… Tommy Gilbert vs Ian Rotten… King Kong Bundy vs Don Montoya… Lance Diamond vs Reckless Youth vs Cheetah Master (NWA North American Title Triangle Match)… Marty Jannetty vs Harley Lewis… Dan Severn vs Dory Funk Jr. (NWA World Title Match)… Battle Royal… Doug Gilbert vs Buddy Landell… Flash Funk vs Ace Darling… Goldust vs Derrick Domino

Stu Hart Retirement Show December 15th 1995 £7
After 50 years in the business, Stu Hart finally stepped out of the limelight with this card - and what a sendoff. Many graduates of Stampede (and survivors of the Hart Family Dungeon) appear, and everyone gives it everything they've got. The tag match featuring Brian Pillman and the Funks is as wild as you'd expect it to be. Makhan Singh vs Gothic Knight… Bertha Faye vs KC Houston… Chris Benoit vs Rad Radford… 123 Kid vs Keith Hart… Brian Pillman & Bruce Hart vs Terry Funk & Dory Funk Jr… Bret Hart vs Davey Boy Smith

SMW Super Saturday Night Fever January 28th 1995 £7
Smokey Mountain began its last year on a high note: Fever features a wild, ****1/4 tag match between the Gangstas and Heavenly Bodies, Jerry Lawler winning the SMW title, a nifty match between Chris Candido and the man who later became Balls Mahoney, and a young Glen ('Kane/Isaac Yankem/Diesel Mk. II') Jacobs wrestling as 'Unabom'. D-Lo Brown vs Brian Logan… Chris Candido vs Boo Bradley… Ricky Morton vs Unabom… Buddy Landel vs Tracy Smothers… Tony Anthony vs Jerry Lawler (SMW Title Change)… Buddy Landel vs Tony Anthony (lights out match)… The Heavenly Bodies vs The Gangstas… Royal Rumble Match

UWF Blackjack Brawl September 23rd 1994 £7
Financially, Herb Abrams' Las Vegas 'supercard' bombed spectacularly, with only 200 people turning up on the day. However, the wrestlers clearly had a blast - Mick Foley in particular, as he achieved a lifelong goal by wrestling his hero, 'Superfly' Jimmy Snuka. Dan Spivey vs Johnny Ace… Mando Guerrero vs Jack Armstrong… Sunny Beach vs Dr. Feelgood… Bob Orton vs Hellraiser Thor (Tony Halme)… Karate Kid vs Little Tokyo… Irish Assassin vs Sampson… Stevie Ray vs Tyler Mane… Candi Devine vs Tina Moretti… The Killer Bees (B. Brian Blair & Jim Brunzell) vs The Warlord & Power Warrior (Larry Power)… Cactus Jack vs Jimmy Snuka (lumberjack match)… Steve Williams vs Sid Vicious (UWF Title Match)

NWA in Woodbury, NJ April 23rd 1994 £7
The big match here is Terry Funk vs Chris Benoit, but several other luminaries drop by - including Lawler, Spicolli, and a young, anorexic-looking Osamu Nishimura. Jerry Lawler vs Johnny Gunn… Doink vs Mike Smith… Louie Spicolli & Ron Starr vs The Blackharts… Terry Funk vs Chris Benoit… Silver Streak vs Osamu Nishimura

USWA Memphis Monday Night Memories March 7th 1994 £7
Commercial tape of an epic elimination match to determine the 'King of Memphis', featuring just about every name to ever grace the territory. Also includes copious build-up (interviews, angles and so forth). Terry Funk, Tommy Rich, Eddie Gilbert, Doug Gilbert & Koko B. Ware vs Jerry Lawler, Austin Idol, Brian Christopher, Jimmy Valiant & Moondog Spot (ten man 'King of Memphis' elimination match)

NWA in Woodbury, NJ February 19th 1994 £7
This card features an extremely good Sabu-Benoit main event, and a bonus Sabu-Benoit rematch from the following month. Abbuda Singh vs Akuma Bushido… The Spiders vs Chris Evans & Ed the Razor… Doink vs Jerry Lawler… Sabu vs Chris Benoit

NWA in Taylor, MI January 28th 1994 £7
House show presented by the AAPW branch of the NWA, including a corking Sabu vs Al Snow match. Snow actually works the opener as well, under his Shinobi guise. Also features the legendary Helmut Hessler, a wrestler who could never be as interesting as his name suggests. Dan Severn vs Shinobi… Vladimir Koloff vs Judge Dredd… Helmut Hessler vs Death Dealer… The Tazmaniac vs Tommy Dreamer… Ivan Koloff vs The Junkyard Dog (chain match)… Sabu vs Al Snow… Kevin Sullivan & Greg Valentine vs Barbarian & Virgil… Battle Royal

SMW Thanksgiving Thunder '93 November 26th 1993 £7
Bobby Blaze vs Chris Candido ('loser is tarred and feathered' match)… Prince Kharis vs Tim Horner… The Bullet vs Kevin Sullivan (first blood match)… The Rock 'n' Roll Express vs The Moondogs… Brian Lee vs Dirty White Boy (SMW Title Match)… The Bruise Brothers vs The Heavenly Bodies (streetfight)

NWA Grandslam I & II April 17th & July 10th 1993 £9
The two shows that turned Sabu into the original 'overnight sensation'. Good quality handheld recordings. NWA Grandslam: Brad Rheingans vs Taz… Billy Blaze vs Horace the Psychopath… Larry Cameron vs Tommy Ferreira… Chris Candido vs Jerry Lynn… Sabu vs Lightning Kid… Charlie Norris & Masa Saito vs The Hater & Nailz… Road Warrior Hawk vs Terry Funk. NWA Grandslam II: Ricky Rice vs The Hater… Battle Royal… Derrick Dukes vs Jungle Fighter… Brian Christopher vs Chris Candido… Sabu vs Jerry Lynn… Billy Blaze vs JB Trask… Road Warrior Hawk vs Eddie Gilbert

GWF Light Heavyweight Title Tournament July 12th & 13th 1991 £7
Ye olde Global Wrestling Federation is still remembered fondly, not least for grooming Jerry Lynn, Sean Waltman (Lightning Kid), Raven (Scotty Anthony) and Marcus Bagwell (Handsome Stranger) for eventual stardom. This TV special features extended highlights of all this tournament's first round matches, followed by full versions of the following. Lightning Kid vs Chaz… Handsome Stranger vs Rip Rogers… Mike Davis vs Brian Adias… John Tatum vs Terry Garvin… Jerry Lynn vs Terry Daniels… Adrian Street vs Steve Simpson (all Quarter-finals)… Handsome Stranger vs Lightning Kid… Steve Simpson vs Mike Davis… Jerry Lynn vs John Tatum (all Semi-finals)… Lightning Kid vs Steve Simpson (Playoff)… Jerry Lynn vs Lightning Kid (Final)

GWF Tag Team Title Tournament July 26th & 27th 1991 £7
Another TV special from the archives. Cactus Jack & Makhan Singh vs Randy Rhodes & Eric Fontaine… Tom & Mike Davis vs Bill Irwin & Johnny Ace… Stan Lane & Steve Cox vs Chris Walker & Steve Simpson… Rip Rogers & Scotty Anthony vs Joel Deaton & Chaz… The Royal Family vs Sunny Beach & Stevie Ray… The Renegade Warriors vs Bad News Brown & Big Bully Busick (all Quarter-finals)… Cactus Jack & Makhan Singh vs Tom Davis (handicap match)… Chris Walker & Steve Simpson vs The Royal Family… Scotty Anthony & Rip Rogers vs The Renegade Warriors (all Semi-finals)… Cactus Jack & Makhan Singh vs Chris Walker & Steve Simpson (Playoff)… Chris Walker & Steve Simpson vs Rip Rogers & Scotty Anthony (Final)