Booking 101: Tim's NWF

[TDalton]

Card #192 - 9/08/2006
Akron Armory - Akron, OH

1. Koko B. Ware b Virgil
Virgil has shown some fire of late, but Koko was the fireman this night, winning with a flying headbutt as Sherri Martel looked on approvingly.

2. Chris Candido b Justin Credible
Former partners collide once again. Credible wrestled despite the aggravated injury, and was greatly slowed as a result. After getting the pin with a jumping vertical suplex, Candido left Credible a bloody mess in the ring.

3. Jimmy Snuka b Dan Severn
In the NWF's history, Snuka tends to run hot and cold. It looks like he's starting to heat up again. He ended this bout with a series of big moves, finishing with a powerslam.

4. Rikidozan & Antonio Inoki b Antonino Rocca & Ilio DiPaolo
First time teaming of Inoki & Rikidozan. They killed Rocca dead early on to the point where it became a 2 on 1 against Ilio. DiPaolo was great here, firing back and getting near falls on both men, but eventually was worn down and pinned by the Thunderous Chops of Rikidozan. Allegedly, Rikidozan has finally brokered an agreement between Inoki and Giant Baba. The duo is expected to team on the next card.

5. Masked Superstar ddq Bobo Brazil
As a result of last card's melee after the Redheads vs. Superstar & Albano tag bout, Bobo signed for this match against Superstar. It turned into a donnybrook and both men were DQ'd. Albano announced after the match that he had signed a great new superstar who would debut on the next show. Is this a sign that the Captain is losing faith in Masked Superstar as his "singles guy" and enforcer?

6. Mad Dog Vachon & Larry Zbyszko dq The Crusher & Iron Mike DiBiase
There was talk of Mike DiBiase leaving the NWF to join his son Ted in St. Louis, and by the end of this contest he was the center of attention. After a back and forth match, Zbyszko had Crusher covered when DiBiase made the save with a chair shot for the DQ. He was clearing the ring when he accidentally drilled Crusher with the chair. After Crusher recovered, the two argued, and DiBiase whacked him with the chair again (no accident this time). Mike stormed off saying he was leaving for now, but that the NWF hadn't seen the last of him.

7. Yukon Eric dq Sabu
These two collide a week before their respective tag partners (Don Leo Jonathan and The Sheik) meet for a third time to decide the North American Champion. This one fell apart quickly, and Sabu was DQ'd for choking with the microphone cord. There was a small post-match scuffle, but it was broken up by security before it got out of hand.

8. Giant Baba b Bruiser Brody
Rikidozan was in Baba's corner. It looked like Brody had the match won, but Baba got a quick reversal and hit the dreaded Neckbreaker Drop for his 14th win of the year. The record for singles wins in a year is 16 (held by several) and Baba has a good shot to set the record.

9. NWF Tag-Team Championship: Executioners b Flying Redheads (Texas Death Match)
This feud goes back to the Redheads beating Albano's Dream Team (Beefcake & G Valentine) for the tag belts on May 26th. Albano had the Masked Executioners waiting in the wings, and they beat the Redheads for the belts two months later. The Redheads won a handicap match at Summer Showdown and got a DQ win over the champs a week later to set the stage for this bout. Off the charts ***** contest with tons of near falls and heart-pounding action. With all four men exhausted and bloodied, Lyons had #2 cradled for the apparent win, but Albano interfered. That allowed #2 to make the tag and #1 got the pinfall on Bastien with a backbreaker in a tag-team match of the year candidate.

The NWF just keeps getting better and better! Next week we storm into the Great White North for a show at the Memorial Coliseum in Niagara Falls, Ontario! The big main event is a return bout for the North American Title with The Sheik defending against Don Leo Jonathan! In what will certainly be a brawl, The Crusher faces Mad Dog Vachon! Who is Lou Albano's newest signing? Can Giant Baba & Antonio Inoki co-exist? All this and more on Card #193!!

[blueraider1]

dunkirk is north of jamestown on route 60.great card btw tim.

[TDalton]

All the venues that will be listed in my posts were places that Pedro Martinez' NWF actually ran shows in the 70's. I have about 25 different arenas to choose from in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia (and one in Ontario, Canada).

[Tournament Master]

Great job Tim. I like the new addition of what to expect next week. This is my first vist to the LOW fed threads...but I had to visit when I saw you were posting your fed. Hearing about your fed at G-con makes me want to start playing LOW more.

[Stu]

We're all in for a treat. Having kept up with Mr. Dalton's fed for awhile, it is very well done. I always manage to steal an idea or two from the NWF!

[Joe]

Great fed, Tim!

Having read a lot of Tim's GWF fed back in the day, I know what kind of quality his stuff is.

The last time I was home in Arkansas, I happened to run across a GalactiCade card that Tim had done. It was excellent and far ahead of it's time in terms of build-up and match coverage.

Looking forward to more of the NWF!

[TDalton]

Wow! I actually took a look through that Galacticade writeup (was it the one with Alpha vs Thantos and Warrior vs Chaos?) a couple of weeks ago. It was pretty in depth. I must have had much more free time.

Joe, you had to be an infant way back then! You were probably conning people into buying you baby food, but still...

Card #193 will be up either tonight or tomorrow night.

Thanks to all for the kind words. I'll do my best to have an exciting fed that makes sense.

[TDalton]

Card #193 - 9/15/2006
Memorial Coliseum - Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

1. Magnificent Muraco b Virgil
Lou Albano's "big surprises" have a reputation for not being big at all, but this one certainly was! The Magnificent Muraco, fresh from a great run in Florida, is now in the NWF! He finished off Virgil with the Hawaiian Hammer in a match that was more competitive than expected. The Guiding Light said that while Muraco will see some action in tags, he will not form a regular team with Masked Superstar.

2. S.D. Jones dq Bobby Heenan
After bad mouthing Jones' won-lost record in a recent interview, Heenan found himself in the ring with Philadelphia's favorite son. Mad Dog Vachon accompanied Heenan to the ring, but left suddenly after the bell rang. Jones bounced Heenan until Larry Zbyszko ran in and used a Piledriver for the DQ.

3. Riviera Playboys b Antonino Rocca & Ilio DiPaolo
Ilio was looking for some payback on Rose, who beat him by countout in a singles encounter. The Playboys pulled out every dirty trick in the book and busted up both popular opponents. Finish saw Rose trying to finish DiPaolo with move after move, but Ilio would just shake them off. Finally, Sherri Martel passed Rose an object which he used to KO the double tough Ilio.

4. Justin Credible dq Chris Candido
Looked like Candido was trying to once again re-injure Credible from the opening bell. He wasn't successful, and his aggressiveness got him DQ'd. Candido was pounding on Credible after the bell until the Singapore Cane turned things around.

5. Bruiser Brody & Jimmy Snuka b Flying Redheads
The winners here would be declared top contenders for the NWF tag-team titles. Lyons got his knee clipped early and had mobility problems the rest of the bout. Snuka had Lyons covered after a Superfly, and when Bastien tried to make the save, he was stopped by Albano's newest protege Muraco.

6. Larry Zbyszko cor Masked Superstar
Superstar has been on a recent 4-0-1 tear, and will get a title shot at Nick Bockwinkel on the next card. It's the first high profile conflict between Albano ans Heenan, who have been able to coexist thus far. Superstar did get distracted by Zbyszko's turnbuckle removal tactics. Controversial finish saw both men fighting outside the ring. Zbyszko rolled back in to just beat the count while Heenan had a hold of Superstar's ankle.

7. Giant Baba & Antonio Inoki b Dan Severn & Richard Hutton
Rikidozan seems to have finally gotten Baba & inoki to bury the hatchet. The Japanese legends looked a little rusty as a team, but also showed flashes of greatness. Hutton & Severn had a solid match despite the loss. It now appears the three 3-man teams are history. Rikidozan, Baba and Inoki will be their own unit with all the other members on their own. This news was met with surprise by all involved.

8. The Crusher b Mad Dog Vachon
More time was spent outside the ring than inside the ring. Seemingly in retaliation for Mad Dog's tactics in the earlier bout, Heenan left ringside once the bell rang. Crusher was still ticked about the situation with Mike DiBiase on the last show and opened up on Vachon. Mad Dog fired back and the battle lasted until a bloody Crusher hit the Bolo Punch for the win. The two brawlers continued to lay in haymakers on one another after the bell, with neither man backing down.

9. North American Championship: The Sheik dq Don Leo Jonathan
Best match yet between these two. The Sheik took a big beating right off the bat. Things looked worse for the champ when Sabu was ejected from ringside after interfering in the bout. Sheik, in trouble, went to his standby sharp object to turn things around. Problem was, Jonathan got it away from him and carved Sheik up right in front of the ref for the DQ, although the crowd was thrilled. In three matches so far, we have a double DQ and a DQ decision for each man. It seems this feud will need a little something extra to settle things once and for all...

Holy crap! Can I say crap with this filter? Is this great stuff or what?!

Next week the NWF returns to The Palisades in McKeesport, PA (the site of NWF Card #1 way back in January 2003) for the next big show! NWF Champion Nick Bockwinkel defends against the Masked Superstar! The Flying Redheads square off against Magnificent Muraco & Lou Albano! A fiery rivaly from Japan is rekindled as Bruiser Brody takes on Antonio Inoki! The Crusher teams with S.D. Jones to tussle with Mad Dog Vachon & Bobby Heenan! Ilio DiPaolo finally gets his singles rematch with Playboy Buddy Rose, and much much more!!

[Joe]

tdalton said:

Wow! I actually took a look through that Galacticade writeup (was it the one with Alpha vs Thantos and Warrior vs Chaos?) a couple of weeks ago. It was pretty in depth. I must have had much more free time.

Joe, you had to be an infant way back then! You were probably conning people into buying you baby food, but still...

Card #193 will be up either tonight or tomorrow night.

Thanks to all for the kind words. I'll do my best to have an exciting fed that makes sense.

That was the one. Man, that was a great write-up and way ahead of its time.

And yes, I had stacks of game even as a youth!

[TDalton]

Quick note - I'll have Card #194 up tonight or tomorrow. Card #195 from the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh will follow quickly.

I try to stay 8-10 cards ahead of the results that I'm posting in this forum. I just finished #204 yesterday, so I've got a little catching up to do.

[TDalton]

Card #194 - 9/22/2006
The Palisades - McKeesport, PA

1. Justin Credible & Virgil b Chris Candido & Koko B. Ware
An odd tag pairing of four feuding tag-teams. Not much chemistry between the participants. Credible pinned Koko after a shot with the Singapore Cane while Virgil had the ref distracted.

2. Masked Executioner #2 dq Jimmy Snuka
Albano never seems to ever get rid of Snuka for long. The two have been after each other since the Captain first entered the NWF. Now Snuka and his partner Bruiser Brody have received the next tag title shot at Albano's Executioners. Snuka dominated, but his temper got the best of him in the end. He wouldn't break a choke on #2, and was DQ'd as a result.

3. Ilio DiPaolo cor Playboy Buddy Rose
Ilio was gunning for Rose after a tainted countout loss on Card #191. Ilio put Rose in the Airplane Spin outside the ring, and a disoriented Playboy was unable to make it back in the ring by the 10 count, even with some help from manager Sherri Martel. After splitting countout wins, Ilio challenged Rose to a Lumberjack Match on the next show.

4. Rikidozan b Richard Hutton
The first of three matches pitting one of the Japanese trio against a member of their former team. Rikidozan was in control for most of the bout and won with his Thunderous Chops.

5. Magnificent Muraco & Captain Lou Albano b Flying Redheads
Although Muraco struggled a little in his debut, he was a wrecking machine here, busting up both Redheads. Finish saw Albano tag in against a nearly unconscious Lyons and pin him after a shot with some type of object that the ref never saw.

6. Antonino Rocca b Giant Baba
There were handshakes before and after this bout, as Baba has remained popular despite joining Rikidozan & Inoki. These two fan favorites gave it everything they had, and Baba had trouble with Rocca's unorthodox offense. Rocca got the pin after a series of top rope dropkicks.

7. The Crusher & S.D. Jones b Mad Dog Vachon & Bobby Heenan
After the wild brawl with Crusher & Vachon on the last card, they hooked up again in this tag. They started and immediately were furiously pounding on one another. Another crazy fight with neither of these guys wanting to tag to his partner. Heenan wanted in whenever Crusher was down, but Mad Dog wouldn't tag out. Finally, Heenan slapped Vachon's back in what was ruled a blind tag. The tables quickly turned on Bobby, but when he went to his corner, an indignant Mad Dog wouldn't tag back in. S.D. wound up pinning Heenan with a big KO punch, and Heenan was furious! He and Vachon were arguing in the ring after the bell when Zbyszko snuck in and nailed Mad Dog from behind. The two double-teamed him and were about to break out the steel chairs when the Crusher hit the ring and saved Vachon! As Mad Dog recovered, the two stared at each other for a moment...then proceeded to beat the hell out of one another again until they were both exhausted! After another short stare down, they both left the ring.

8. Bruiser Brody b Antonio Inoki
In a revival of their famous feud in Japan, these former partners started out fast. It looked like a classic in the making until Brody scored a controversial pin following a big boot. The ref clearly missed Inoki's foot on the ropes. With Inoki's backstage clout, look for a rematch in the future.

9. NWF Championship: Nick Bockwinkel b Masked Superstar
This was the first major confrontation between Heenan and Albano managed grapplers. Since both managers have many irons in the fire already, it doesn't appear that this will become a raging battle...at least not yet. Good bout, but Bockwinkel was never in serious trouble. He won with the Figure 4 Leglock, allowing Heenan to claim top manager honors for now.

Wow! The NWF just keeps getting wilder and wilder! Look for that trend to continue on the next card from Pittsburgh's Civic Arena, where the Masked Executioners defend the tag-team gold against Bruiser Brody & Jimmy Snuka in the main event! Also just signed is a huge grudge match as Larry Zbyszko takes on former Heenan Family member Mad Dog Vachon! You'll also see TWO big special matches (a real rarity here in the NWF) as Justin Credible faces Chris Candido in a Singapore Cane Match, while Ilio DiPaolo hooks up with Playboy Buddy Rose in a Lumberjack Match! Don't miss all the great NWF action!!

[TDalton]

Coming in 2007: The World League Challenge!

Starting in 2007, the NWF will host the first ever World League Challenge! Participants from 16 different countries will compete in a single elimination tournament to crown the World League Champion!

Past and present NWF stars are expected to be among those chosen to represent their respective countries.

The selection process to choose the territory which would act as host of the event was grueling. It's yet another feather in the NWF's cap to be chosen for this honor.

Participants will begin being announced in October 2006.

[TDalton]

Card #195 - 9/29/2006
Civic Arena - Pittsburgh, PA

1. Koko B. Ware b Virgil
Strong win for Koko, one half of the Riviera Playboys, who pinned a scrappy Virgil with the Ghostbuster.

2. Magnificent Muraco b Red Bastien
After a shaky but successful debut, Muraco has been a steamroller. He pinned Bastien after the third Asiatic Spike of the bout. The controversial taped thumb of Muraco has led to much debate among NWF officials.

3. Rikidozan & Giant Baba b Antonino Rocca & Richard Hutton
The makeshift team of Rocca & Hutton showed little continuity, which hurt them. Rocca had some early success, but once Hutton was in the ring, the Japanese duo wore him down until he was pinned by Rikidozan with the Hiplock.

4. Antonio Inoki b Dan Severn
Despite jumping out to an early advantage, Severn was overwhelmed by the submission skills of Inoki, falling victim to the Octopus Hold. The Japanese trio looks strong and unified, but has yet to indicate they wish to challenge for any of the NWF titles.

5. Ilio DiPaolo b Playboy Buddy Rose (Lumberjack Match)
Great bout with all sorts of near finishes and reversals out of left field. Ilio had Rocca, Credible, Yukon Eric & Bastien as his lumberjacks. Rose had Koko, Muraco, Sabu & Candido. After all sorts of craziness, it was Ilio's Airplane Spin that ended Rose's unpinned streak of five matches.

6. The Sheik & Sabu b Don Leo Jonathan & Yukon Eric
Another barnburner that saw Yukon get destoyed but never give in (which is par for the course in his matches). When Jonathan got in, both Sheik & Sabu worked over his back, including several shots with a steel chair. Sheik finally locked in the Camel Clutch, and Jonathan passed out from the pain. North American champion Sheik has now wrestled in 34 matches (combined singles & tag) without being pinned or submitted since entering the NWF. He will defend the North American title against Jonathan for the 4th and final time in a Steel Cage match on the next show.

7. Justin Credible b Chris Candido (Singapore Cane Match)
Two gimmick matches on one show! Very rare stuff indeed! Just crazy skull bashing with the Singapore Canes by both guys. Finish saw Credible get the pin after nailing Candido with a Cane shot when Chris was attempting a top rope move.

8. Larry Zbyszko b Mad Dog Vachon
Zbyszko stays undefeated in an intense brawl where Mad Dog got busted open early due to Heenan's constant interference. Out of nowhere, The Crusher hit the ring and knocked both Zbyszko and Heenan around. When Mad Dog recovered, he went crazy and was on the verge of winning until Heenan tripped him up on a deathjump attempt. That allowed Zbyszko to hit the Piledriver and get the pin. Heenan wanted to inflict further damage after the bout, but once again Crusher cleaned house and helped Vachon up. After a brief pause, the two started throwing haymakers at one another until deciding to call it a night and leave the ring. Rumor has it that Heenan is trying to add to his "Family" and will be bringing someone in within the next few weeks.

9. NWF Tag-Team Championship: Bruiser Brody & Jimmy Snuka dq Masked Executioners
There were a couple of big moves and near falls right at the bell, then it turned into a free for all. Executioner #1 wound up smacking Snuka with one of the title belts for the DQ.

The NWF just keeps on rocking! Card #196 from the Erie County Fieldhouse has one of the most anticipated matches in NWF history - the Steel Cage showdown between The Sheik and Don Leo Jonathan for the North American Title! You'll also see Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka in one-on-one action against Masked Executioner #1! Larry Zbyszko & Bobby Heenan have challenged Mad Dog Vachon to a handicap match - will he accept? Antonio Inoki gets his rematch from Card #194 with Bruiser Brody! The Flying Redheads are in tag-team action squaring off against Magnificent Muraco & Masked Superstar! All this and much much more on Card #196!

[Chad Olson]

I like how you've been slowing bringing Crusher & Mad Dog together to fight the Heenan Family. And I can't wait to see the big blowoff between the Executioners & Snuka/Brody. Can the Sheik hang on against Don Leo in the cage? (I know the answer, but I'm not telling!) The World League will make things exciting in 2007, great booking as always!

[TDalton]

Card #196 - 10/06/2006
Erie County Fieldhouse - Erie, PA

The Fieldhouse in Erie was buzzing over one of the most anticipated matches in NWF history - the big Steel Cage blowoff with Don Leo Jonathan challenging for The Sheik's North American Title! Let's get to the action...

1. Yukon Eric b Chris Candido
Yukon took his usual beating, but proved too strong for Candido to handle. He tried a Blonde Bomb, failed, and wound up in the Kodiak Krunch. Yukon has reversed his fortunes in singles bouts after losing his first three.

2. Antonino Rocca & Ilio DiPaolo b Riviera Playboys
Rocca was double-teamed early, but then Ilio put a beating on Koko. This effectively made the body of the match Ilio vs. Rose, with Sherri Martel trying some underhanded tactics from ringside. Rocca chased Martel from ringside while Ilio hit Koko with a big bodyslam for the win.

3. Jimmy Snuka b Executioner #1
A wild bout filled with all kinds of high-impact moves. #1 tried a bombs away kneedrop four times, but missed three of them. Albano was all over the place. Lots of twists and turns and drama. Finish saw #1 climbing to the top rope with an object handed to him by Albano. Brody ran down and pushed the big Executioner from the top. Snuka followed with a picture perfect Superfly for the win.

4. Sabu b Justin Credible
Quick match - Sabu attacked at the bell. After a couple of counters, it was Air Sabu and a handful of tights for the pin.

5. Rikidozan b Dan Severn
Completely one-sided. Rikidozan finished Severn with 3 straight Hiplocks and his Thunderous Chops.

6. Flying Redheads b Magnificent Muraco & Masked Superstar
After tearing up the NWF, the Redheads have been on a slide since losing the tag belts. This result reversed that trend, showing that the Redheads are still a force to be dealt with. Lyons took Superstar apart and finished him with the Figure 4 Leglock. Albano has no current plans to use Muraco & Superstar as a regular team.

7. Bruiser Brody b Antonio Inoki
Big rematch from the controversial decision on Card #194. Not nearly the classic match that was expected, but a clean win for Brody with Jumping Knee Drop.

8. The Crusher & Mad Dog Vachon cor Larry Zbyszko & Bobby Heenan
What started out as a handicap match with Mad Dog against Zbyszko & Heenan turned into a tag match when The Crusher, Vachon's rival, came to the ring and offered to be his partner. Crusher will obviously take any chance to get his hands on members of the Heenan Family. After some early problems working together, it was all Crusher & Mad Dog. It got so bad that Heenan dragged a stunned Zbyszko out of the ring and convinced him to walk out. After the show in the locker room, Heenan was overheard on the phone with a wrestler who will debut on the next show. Rumor has it that this signing will knock the NWF on it's ear!

9. North American Championship: The Sheik b Don Leo Jonathan (Steel Cage Match)
After 3 inconclusive finishes, this was the big finale between Jonathan, a former 3-time NA Champion who holds the record for longest NA title reign (36 cards) and The Sheik, who has not been pinned or submitted in singles or tag action (34 matches total) since entering the NWF in November 2005. The early action was all Jonathan. Sheik had little offense but managed to stay out of pinning predicaments. The turning point came when Sheik popped Jonathan with his sharp object, busting him open. Jonathan fought out of the sadistic hammerlock and Camel Clutch in a gutty display. A bloody Don Leo was pulling himself up on the ropes when Sheik grabbed his legs and yanked him into the Camel Clutch while digging at the forehead cut with his object. The referee was forced to stop the bout, as Jonathan could not intelligently defend himself. Fans were unhappy with the ref stoppage, but the decision seemed fair, as a nearly unconscious Jonathan needed to be carried back to the dressing room.

There you have it! Another spectacular NWF show! Will the Sheik's reign of terror ever end? Who will be the next man to step up and challenge the Syrian madman? You can ponder these questions while waiting for the next big show from the War Memorial Arena in Johnstown, PA! The main event will be a special non-title challenge match as NWF Champion Nick Bockwinkel faces Mad Dog Vachon! In other matches, The Crusher will square off against Larry Zbyszko, Bobby Heenan's newest Family member will debut, the Japanese trio of Baba, Inoki & Rikidozan will see action in a six-man tag, and much much more!

[TDalton]

Sorry, forgot to post these earlier - as of Card #195

SEPTEMBER 2006 RANKINGS

NWF: NICK BOCKWINKEL (C)
NA: THE SHEIK (NA)
1. Don Leo Jonathan (2)
2. Rikidozan (4)
3. Antonio Inoki (7)
4. Giant Baba (1)
5. Mad Dog Vachon (3)
6. Bruiser Brody (6)
7. Larry Zbyszko ( - )
8. Justin Credible (9)
9. The Crusher ( - )
10. Antonino Rocca (10)

TAG: MASKED EXECUTIONERS (C)
1. Bruiser Brody & Jimmy Snuka (2)
2. The Sheik & Sabu (4)
3. Flying Redheads (1)
4. Riviera Playboys ( - )
5. Giant Baba & Antonio Inoki ( - )

[TDalton]

Card #197 - 10/13/2006
War Memorial Arena - Johnstown, PA

1. Ray Stevens b S.D. Jones
Bobby Heenan debuted Stevens as the newest member of the Heenan Family. He squashed Jones, winning with the Bombs Away. Most expect Stevens, who is no slouch as a single, to reform his legendary tag-team with Nick Bockwinkel.

2. Justin Credible & Virgil b Chris Candido & Playboy Buddy Rose
A makeshift tag bout saw Candido and Rose have some early success, but fall apart late. Credible pinned Candido after a DDT. Candido has been on the losing end of his feud with Credible, and promised to bring in a reinforcement, perhaps as soon as next week.

3. Yukon Eric b Koko B. Ware
This is Yukon's 4th singles win in a row after losing his first 3 matchups. During some attempted interference, Eric planted a big kiss on Sherri Martel before finishing Koko with the Kodiak Krunch.

4. Rikidozan, Giant Baba & Antonio Inoki b Richard Hutton, Dan Severn & Jimmy Snuka
It was the united Japanese trio against former teammates in this big six-man tag. Looooong match. Inoki looked very strong and had Snuka pinned, but allowed Rikidozan to get the cover. There have been rumors swirling that Rikidozan is negotiating for a return to Japan. It is not known how that will effect Inoki & Baba.

5. Bruiser Brody cor Masked Executioner #2
One-sided victory for Brody, who has been outstanding in singles matches of late. After mauling the Executioner, Brody tossed him out of the ring onto Lou Albano, where #2 was counted out. Brody and tag partner Snuka already hold a DQ win over the Executioners, and get another shot at the tag titles on the next show.

6. Billy "Red" Lyons b Masked Superstar
Wild back and forth action with multiple finishers and near falls. Lyons was busted open early, and by the finish, Superstar was bleeding through his mask. Finish saw Albano reverse a cradle to Superstar's advantage, but Bastien reversed it back as Albano was put out of the ring by the ref.

7. Larry Zbyszko b The Crusher
Heenan looks to have a very formidable stable right now with Bockwinkel, Stevens and Zbyszko. With Crusher and Mad Dog Vachon forming a loose alliance based on their mutual enemy, they are back to being short-handed in the battle. Finish saw Zbyszko nail the Crusher with a Piledriver on a chair while the ref was trying to get Vachon off the apron. Zbyszko has a perfect 6-0 record with this win.

8. Antonino Rocca & Ilio DiPaolo dq The Sheik & Sabu
Looks like Rocca will be the next man (victim?) to challenge The Sheik for the North American Title. If this match is any indication, Sheik's days may be numbered, as Rocca had a field day against both opponents. Finish saw Sabu get DQ'd for the Arabian Facebuster on Rocca.

9. Non-Title Challenge Match: NWF Champion Nick Bockwinkel (boo!) b Mad Dog Vachon
Vachon was up against it early, as Heenan, Stevens and Zbyszko were all ringside. The Crusher came out for Mad Dog, but the deck was stacked in Bockwinkel's favor. With Vachon always looking over his shoulder, it was difficult to mount much of an offense, and the champ used it to his advantage, winning with the Bockwinkel Sleeper. When Zbyszko & Stevens tried to put a little post-match hurtin' on Vachon, Crusher ran them off with a steel chair.

Another great show is in the books! The NWF returns to Cleveland next week for a show headlined by the tag-team title rematch of the Masked Executioners defending against Bruiser Brody & Jimmy Snuka! Other matches include the exciting and extremely popular Antonino Rocca taking on Sabu in a battle of unorthodox aerial specialists and a tag match with Yukon Eric & Don Leo Jonathan facing the Riviera Playboys! After the main event tonight, a tag-team grudge match has also been signed pitting The Crusher & Mad Dog Vachon against Larry Zbyszko & Ray Stevens! All that plus an announcement by Chris Candido about another wrestler set to make his NWF debut!

Also, look for the first 5 participants in the 2007 World League Challenge to be announced soon!

[TDalton]

The first 5 participants have been announced for the 2007 World League Challenge!

ILIO DIPAOLO (ITA) - current NWF wrestler who has become a big local favorite. Can he beat the best the world has to offer?

ANTONINO ROCCA (ARG)- Ilio's current tag-team partner and hugely popular star in the NWF.

MIL MASCARAS (MEX) - international superstar, former NWF competitor and perennial heavyweight champ in his native Mexico

AL COSTELLO (AUS) - one half of the Fabulous Kangaroos tag-team. This will be his first time competing in the NWF area.

KILLER KOWALSKI (CAN) - former top contender for the NWF singles titles. He couldn't win the gold in the NWF, but will his luck change in this tournament?

Promoter note: Any wins and losses by current NWF grapplers in this tournament will not count in the rankings. Of course, a good showing in the Challenge could only lead to good things.

[TDalton]

Card #198 - 10/20/2006
Cleveland Arena - Cleveland, OH

1. Steve Corino b Virgil
Chris Candido announced that his new tag-team partner would be wrestling in his place tonight. Out came Corino, who struggled at first, but put Virgil away with Old School Expulsion. This puts some pressure on Justin Credible to find a partner so he can even the odds.

2. Red Bastien cor Masked Superstar
Upset win for Bastien. The biggest news actually came out after the bout. It appears that Lou Albano does not plan on renewing Superstar's contract, which is up at the end of the month. Ever since Albano signed Magnificent Muraco, there was speculation that Superstar's days might be numbered.

3. Yukon Eric & Don Leo Jonathan b Riviera Playboys
First win for the Yukon/Jonathan team, which took a while. All their matches are very close, but they can never seem to get the big break to finish their opponents. Yukon pinned Buddy Rose with the Woodsman's Chop despite Sherri Martel's attempted interference.

4. Giant Baba dcor Richard Hutton
Hard hitting scientific encounter that ended when Hutton was trying to get Baba locked in the Cowboy Backbreaker, but both took a spill over the top rope and were unable to beat the 10 count.

5. Rikidozan b Ilio DiPaolo
The hugely popular DiPaolo held the advantage for most of the bout, but the Japanese legend came back and got the win with a Hiplock in this second straight scientific matchup.

6. The Crusher & Mad Dog Vachon b Larry Zbyszko & Ray Stevens
Crusher and Vachon have officially become a team, united in their goal to rid the NWF of the Heenan Family! Despite a couple of rough outings against Zbyszko, Crusher was on fire tonight, finishing off "the Living Legend" with the Crusher Nelson.

7. Magnificent Muraco b Billy "Red" Lyons
After Lyons scored an upset win over Masked Superstar on the last show, Albano decided to send Muraco after him. Muraco attacked at the bell and held the advantage fo most of the bout, winning with an over the shoulder backbreaker.

8. Sabu dq Antonino Rocca
Earlier in the week, it was officially announced that Rocca would be the next challenger for The Sheik's North American Title. In this prelude, he squared off with Sheik's nephew Sabu. As expected, there was lots of high flying, high impact and high risk action. Sabu was clearly trying to soften Rocca up, and did a good job. Sheik was at ringside and distracted the ref for two Arabian Facebusters. Rocca made a fiery comeback, but got too carried away in exacting his revenge and was DQ'd for throwing the ref out of the ring in order to continue his assault.

9. NWF Tag-Team Championship: Bruiser Brody & Jimmy Snuka dq Masked Executioners
Brody & Snuka got a DQ win over the champs back on Card #195, and were looking to take the titles home this night. The match started slow, but turned into an uncontrollable brawl that saw Executioner #1 get DQ'd after grabbing Brody's chain from the ringside table and smashing Snuka with it.

Holy cow! Another DQ win for Brody & Snuka - looks like it's stipulation time for the tag-team straps! Next week sees the NWF debut at the Memorial Auditorium in Utica, New York with a big main event, as The Sheik faces Antonino Rocca for the North American Title! The show also features a big six-man tag with the Flying Redheads teaming with Snuka against the Executioners and Magnificent Muraco! Just added is a match with The Crusher taking on Larry Zbyszko with no one allowed at ringside! Justin Credible will square off against newcomer Steve Corino, Yukon Eric sees action against Playboy Buddy Rose and in a rematch, Giant Baba and Richard Hutton hook it up again.

Special announcement: For the upcoming 200th NWF Card, I will be holding my first ever Battle Royal! Yes, I've been playing GWF/LOW since December 1986, and have NEVER done a Battle Royal. The winner will get a shot against NWF Champion Nick Bockwinkel (boo!) in the main event!

[TDalton]

Four more wrestlers have been added to the impressive list of combatants in the World League Challenge!

JIM LONDOS (GRE) - very popular superstar from Greece who will be making his debut in the NWF rings. With his impressive resume, he has to be one of the favorites to win it all!

ANTONIO INOKI (JPN) - a former 2 time NWF North American champ, he was chosen as the Japanese representative by Rikidozan.

MAD DOG VACHON (ALG) - current NWF fan favorite who will make sure that the World League tournament is a Dog Eat Dog affair!

NIKOLAI VOLKOFF (CRO) - former NWF United States champion and NWF Tag-Team title holder returns to the area. Can he prove himself once again?