By Graham "GSM" Matthews The following was sent in by Elkmania promoter Atlee Greene: BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, SEPTEMBER 24, 2016 – There’s a Rumble coming to Beverly this Saturday night. Thirty of the best wrestlers in New England will vie for the vacant Bay State Championship as the North Shore Rumble will headline ElkMania 4, which emanates from the Beverly/Salem Elks Lodge, 39 Bow Street. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Bell time is at 7:00 PM. Tickets cost $10.00 in advance, $12.00 at the door and are on sale at Silver Moon Comics & Collectibles located inside of the East India Square Mall, Salem, MA. There are several favorites in this talented field of thirty, including some local flavor. Salem’s Derek Simonetti vanquished his arch nemesis at last year’s extravaganza and now has his sights set on Bay State gold. “Tough Talk” Tony Spencer might be the most hated person in his hometown of Danvers as his nefarious tactics could lead him to a championship victory.
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By Graham "GSM" Matthews Samoa Joe Addressed NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura Could I criticize NXT for opening with talking segments for two weeks straight? I guess, but when they feature strong mic work from Joe and are kept short and sweet, they are extremely effective. This was another strong promo from Joe and I loved his promise to William Regal that he would continue to destroy the rest of the roster until he received his rematch for the NXT Championship. The build to TakeOver: Toronto should be fun. Austin Aries def. Oney Lorcan I'm confused as to whether Lorcan is supposed to be a heel or a babyface because we've seen him work both roles in the past. I'm also confused why more isn't being done with him. Unsurprisingly, he and Aries contested a highly entertaining match and they worked well together. Lorcan was able to showcase his skills and looked credible in defeat, so I hope he finds some direction soon. Meanwhile, I'm glad they finally started addressing Aries' feud with Itami and having the two nearly come in contact before Aries fled the ring. Classic. By Graham "GSM" Matthews Lucha Underground Champion Matanza Cueto def. The Mack While I obviously appreciate it whenever they advertise marquee matches in advance, I also like when they book big bouts on the fly and give the show that "anything can happen" feel. This segment was successful in doing that as it isn't often we see the Lucha Underground Championship defended in the opener (other than the most recent season premiere, of course). I'd say Matanza works well with wrestlers that can go in the ring, but that isn't always the case, yet Mack still managed to get a good match out of him here. It was on the shorter side, but I enjoyed it while it lasted. Cage def. Texano For an "Ultimate Opportunity" I've said this before, but Texano is almost the equivalent to what Alberto Del Rio was in WWE (yet ironically what he wasn't in Lucha Underground). He's beyond boring, and it's difficult for me to get invested in his matches as a result. He isn't an awful wrestler and this match was decent, but I couldn't care less about the guy. What's worse is that we're in for another four matches from him and Cage because Dario Cueto announced it would be a Best of Five Series. And anyone who claims Lucha Underground is copying WWE's idea with Cesaro vs. Sheamus, this was taped months in advance. By Graham "GSM" Matthews The Bullet Club def. The Cabinet I'll never understand why The Bullet Club are booked like babyfaces in matches such as this yet they're supposed to be the top heel faction of the promotion. Are certain members faces and others are heels? At any rate, it was a well-wrestled match but it didn't seem to serve a purpose. I assume this was merely a preview of what to expect when these trios eventually clash over the newly created Six-Man Tag Team Championship. On a side note, how are The Cabinet on ROH TV more regularly than anyone else yet they aren't the least bit entertaining? Keith Lee and Shane Taylor def. Ricardo Rojas and Ken Phoenix I typically don't like to compare companies, but Lee and Taylor arrived on the ROH scene around the same time The Authors of Pain debuted in NXT. They were erriely similar to me back then, but now, Lee and Taylor are light-years ahead of The Authors of Pain. And they don't even have WWE Hall of Famer Paul Ellering as their manager! Lee and Taylor are not only extremely dominant in the ring, they've evolved as characters and fans have an incentive to get invested in them, and that's what I liked about the subsequent match. |
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