|
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
UPW Partners |
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
UPW Lite |
|
INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT ROUND #1MAY 25, 2002 By Mike Machnik “The Fan in the Stands” UPW owner Rick Bassman took the microphone to thank the large and excited crowd for turning out for the first round of the first ever International Junior Pro Wrestling Championship Tournament sponsored by Ultimate Pro Wrestling in the United States and Zero One in Japan. Ultimate Pro Wrestling will stage their second round next Saturday, June 1, again at the RAW Center followed by the quarter and semi finals at the Anaheim Market Place on Friday June 14 with the final round held in Japan. Rick then turned the microphone over to our ring announcer for the night, Todd Keneley, who brought out the first match.
Rocky Romero vs. Andy van Dam Andy came out to his usual wildly
enthusiastic applause and proceeded to toss his Cuban
Drunken Irishman vs. Lil’ Nate The Irishman fell through the ropes
into the ring to loud applause. Climbing to his feet the
Tommy Wilson vs. Frankie “The Future” Kazarian
Lattimer vs. Scott Young
Shawn Riddik vs. Devon Willis
Ricky Reyes vs. Scott Lost Scott Lost’s flying leg lariat smacked
across Ricky’s chest knocking him to the mat. Scott’s runn
Before Todd Keneley could announce the next match Smelly came running into the ring panting and sweating and demanding to be weighed again. Samoa Joe brought the scale into the ring. Smelly stood on it as if he was trying to step lightly. Todd bent down and then stood up to announce… 211! Smelly got off the scale, picked it up and smacked it over Todd’s head laying the announcer out in the ring. Smelly fished in Todd’s pockets for his information card then said he would announce the last match of the night, which would not include Samoa Joe standing at ring side not because he was too big but because he was a loser. For a big guy Joe can move fast and he and Smelly pummeled each other in a full circuit of the ring before a gaggle of referee’s came running from the back to pull them apart. Finally getting what he wanted, sort of, Smelly announced the last match of the night.
B-Boy vs. “Supa Badd” Brian Taylor
Advancing to the
June 14 Quarter-Finals at The Anaheim Marketplace: B-Boy Frankie Kazarian Lil' Nate Ricky Reyes Rocky Romero Scott Young Tempting Devon Willis |
opponent
around the ring, even getting a quick two-count after a monkey
flip out of a corner. But Rocky caught the popular brawler
rebounding off the ropes and spun him over into a power slam.
Andy tried to punch his way out of trouble but a poke in the
eyes cut him off. Rocky quickly settled into working Andy’s
right knee with a series of locks, crabs and plain old
stomps. Andy squirmed, kicked with his free leg and stretched
for the ropes with the fans cheering him on. Whipped into the
ropes Andy outmaneuvered the Cuban on the rebound shooting
Rocky high overhead with a crashing back body drop. Andy’s
flying cross body block off a ring post left both wrestlers
moving slow. But when they came together again it was the
Cuban who outmaneuvered the fan favorite tying on a submission
leg lock in the middle of the ring where there was no escape.
WINNER: Rocky Romero
Before
Todd Keneley could announce the next match, former two time
UPW Champion Smelly climbed into the ring, grabbed the
microphone and demanded to be a part of the tournament. There
were many shouted questions from the fans about Smelly maybe
being over the 210 pound weight limit. But Smelly had come
prepared and produced a scale, which he stepped on with some
hesitation. Todd got down on his hands and knees to read the
numbers, then stood up to announce that Smelly weighed in at
215! Smelly denounced Todd, the cheering fans and the scale
as prejudiced and took off out of the ring at a run.
Irishman
went into a “most muscular” pose, sort of. Nate couldn’t
compete with that so instead he sent the Irishman flying with
a series of arm drags and tosses. Whipped into a corner the
Irishman slumped to the mat just ahead of Nate’s running
shoulder block letting the little guy crash into the metal
ring post. The Irishman rolled Nate up as he bounced back but
had trouble figuring out where Nate’s legs were, allowing the
rookie to slip out of the pin at the count of two. Smelly,
still running and now glistening with sweat, charged through
the arena and into the ring between Nate and the Irishman,
sending them both sprawling. Nate and the Irishman returned
the favor sending the ex-champion sailing through the air.
Nate hit a high dropkick on Smelly’s chest that sent the
would-be junior through the ropes into the cheering fans.
Stumbling back to his feet Smelly swore he’d be back and then
ran out into the dark. Meanwhile, back in the ring the
Irishman hauled Nate up on his shoulders for an airplane spin
that left the kid stumbling around the ring and the DI looking
pleased with himself. But when the two wrestlers started
exchanging punches the Irishman’s all went wildly wide while
the kid’s kept connecting, decking the Irishman on the mat.
Whipped into the ropes the Irishman bounced off with a running
clothesline that went low catching Nate in the gut and
flipping him over. The Irishman splashed down on Nate and got
a two count from the referee before Nate kicked out. But the
Irishman jumped up shouting “I won” and waving his arms. The
referee pulled the Irishman’s arms down telling him he hadn’t
won. Whether the Irishman ever got the message is uncertain.
What is certain is that Nate hit the Irishman at a run sending
him into the ropes and on the rebound rolled the DI up on his
shoulders and held him there for the count. WINNER: Lil’
Nate
“The
Future” started the match by running Tommy Wilson out of the
ring. Tommy hesitated getting back inside the ropes, dodging
in and out to beat the referee’s count as the UPW fans booed.
Rolling back in the ring Tommy took advantage of the
distraction of Smelly, sweat flying, as he ran through the
arena, to poke Frankie in the eyes. But it didn’t help much
as moments later Frankie sent Tommy Wilson flying over the top
rop
e
to the outside again. This time Tommy grabbed Frankie’s
ankles and pulled “The Future” out of the ring where he had
more success pounding Frankie’s face into the ring apron
before shoving him back under the ropes. Tommy continued
punching and gouging, eventually strangling Frankie by
straddling his throat over the middle rope until the referee
pulled him off the future. Bouncing off the ropes Frankie
surprised Tommy Wilson by trapping him in a spinning neck
breaker that had both wrestlers down on the mat. Coming back
to their feet on the ropes Tommy and Frankie traded punches
until Tommy Wilson went down. Frankie hit the rookie heel
with a springboard back elbow off the ropes, a flying head
scissors, and a side kick that knocked Tommy on his back.
Tommy Wilson surprised Frankie and the fans by beating the
count and then outmaneuvering Frankie into a spinning neck
breaker for a two-count of his own. Both wrestlers were
struggling but it was Frankie who eventually got Tommy Wilson
up in the air and dropped him on his head and shoulders,
rolled him up and held on for the count. WINNER: Frankie
“The Future” Kazarian
Scott
Young’s dropkick sent Ladimir through the ropes into the
fans. Not waiting for the referee’s count Scott slid out
under the bottom rope to chase Ladimir back into the ring,
trapped him in a corner where he stomped Lad down the
turnbuckles and then monkey flipped him back to the middle of
the ring. Scott, looking confident and in control went for
some sort of slam, but Ladimir wasn’t done a
nd
sliding around Scott lifted him up and then pounded him into
the mat with a side slam. Then it was Ladimir’s turn to
stomp, flip and slam until Scott managed his own reversal that
took Ladimir down in a surprise neck breaker that got Scott a
two count. Scott headed for a ring post, but Ladimir was
right behind him, throwing punches. But it was Scott who won
the battle of the fists sending Ladimir back to the mat where
Scott hit him with a dropkick off the top followed by a roll
up and the pin. WINNER: Scott Young
Shoved into a corner, Devon complained to the referee that
Shawn had pulled his hair, while running his hand over the
short stubble on his head. Shoved into a corner again and
forced to break Devon slapped Shawn then ran for next corner,
stuck his head through the ropes and demanded the referee make
Shawn back off. It didn’t help. Shawn sent Devon flying
around the ring eventually flipping him out over the top
rope. Devon complained to the referee about unfair tactics by
his opponent until Shawn came through the ropes to defend
himself and Devon grabbed his ankles and pulled him out of the
ring. Devon’s flurry of fists on the floor ended by smashing
Shawn’s face into the solid ring apron. Taking the fight back
to the ring Devon Willis sent Shawn bouncing around the ring,
eventually trapping him and beating him down a corner, then
charging in with a running knee to the face. Flipping Shawn
back to center ring with a belly-to-belly suplex out of the
corner Devon went up the ring post for a splash that came down
gut first on Shawn’s rolled up knees. Both wrestlers were
slow getting up, but both were throwing punches with Devon
wobbling away the distinct loser in the exchange. Shawn
caught Devon with a flying back elbow then hit him with a
dropkick as Devon bounced off the ropes. But when Shawn came
in for the finish the wily Willis slipped behind him and
dropping Shawn on his face rolled him up for the pin.
WINNER: Devon Willis
ing
dropkick connected high on Ricky’s chest as he came up off the
mat sending him through the ropes into the fans. Ricky
complained about being fouled but the referee seemed
unimpressed. Reentering the ring cautiously Ricky met Scott
in a series of head and shoulder tie-ups that went to the mat
before Ricky hooked on a leg and arm combination that forced
Scott to gra
b
for the ropes. Scott fought Ricky into a corner, hit him with
a running spear into the gut, then tried to roll the Cuban out
to the middle of the ring but Ricky slipped the move into an
arm bar and again Scott had to stretch for the rope with his
feet to force a break. Scott hit a flying head scissors that
flipped Ricky on his head, but the Cuban ducked a flying leg
sweep, grabbed Scott’s left arm as he hit the mat and forced
the Lost Boy to struggle for the ropes again. The two
wrestlers exchanged punches, Scott using only his right fist,
his tortured left hanging at his side. It was enough though
as Scott sent Ricky Reyes wobbling around the ring. Scott
closed in but whatever move he intended went badly wrong as
Ricky Reyes dropped the Lost Boy on the back of his head and
shoulders and hooked on a standing arm bar in the center of
the ring. Scott bucked and squirmed but nothing would shake
Ricky Reyes off or move him toward the ropes. WINNER:
Ricky Reyes
When “Supa Badd” backed B-Boy into a corner the UPW
Lightweight Champion claimed Brian had pulled his hair, which
the fans loudly booed. “Supa Badd” denied pulling hair and
claimed it was all muscle, then flexed his biceps to prove his
point. The fans laughed and the referee warned Brian to keep
his hands out of B-Boy’s hair. A “Supa Badd” dropkick sent
B-Boy through the ropes to the ring apron followed by a super
kick that sent him flying into the fans. Brian chased B-Boy
back into the ring, stomped the champion in a corner and hit a
runni
ng
kick to B-Boy’s chest that knocked the champion down the
turnbuckles. But “Supa Badd” went for one too many high risk
moves and wound up crashing to the mat where B-Boy hit a
running kick Brian’s face. An over the knee backbreaker
followed by a high knee drop that
landed on “Supa Badd’s” face got B-Boy a two count. The
Lightweight 
Champion threw Brian into the ropes but “Supa Badd”
came rebounding back with a spear that drove a shoulder deep
into B-Boy’s gut and carried him across the ring. Brian came
up slow, but B-Boy came up slower. “Supa Badd” Brian Taylor
pulled down his shirt, flexed his muscles (such as they are)
for the stunned fans, and dived off a ring post on B-Boy but
got only a two count. A struggle for control followed with
reversals and blocks that ended with Brian being dropped on
the back of his head and shoulders. When that got B-Boy only
a two count he took Brian up in a vertical suplex and dropped
him on his head and shoulders again and this time held him
down for the count. WINNER: B-Boy