August 2001

Another trip to OVW, but this time a match that has happened *many* times since

August 2001 brings us more ex-ECW, more big names from OVW and another trip from Dan for the NWA title.

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Steve Corino vs Buck Q - NW Florida (Dan's first pick)

As mentioned throughout the podcast so far, I am attempting to keep track of the NWA before it becomes part of TNA in June 2002. After a bit of searching i managed to find this match from August 2001 which has the champion from the start of this podcast series Steve Corino defending against NWA Florida champion Buck Q (otherwise known as Buck Quartermain - someone I am familiar with as an enhancement talent rom WWF). Harking back to the territory days, Corino toured regional NWA promotions in North America, facing their champions etc.
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Alex Shane vs Guy Thunder - FWA (Adam's First Pick)

I chose this match based solely on the promo at the start of the episode. Having watched the TV series up to this point the feud has been well built and the match overall is a good showcase of what the FWA was delivering at this point in time.
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Sabu & Jason Lazie vs Rob Black & A Mystery Partner - XPW (Billy's First Pick)

Sabu and porn star Jason Lazie Vs porn King pin Rob Black and a mystery partner. Blacks original partner was going to be the messiah but black not in the storyline discovered Messiah was should we say fucking his then girlfriend Lizzy Borden and black balled his Champion from all future events and also but this is not proven to have sent some masked men to chop off Messiah gentlemen sausage they were unsuccessful and only was able to cut off his pinky. Black would declare the title vacant and cut a shoot promo on messiah before the match also his partner ended up being local indie wrestler Johnny Webb.
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So here’s this months poll featuring Low Ki Vs Amazing Red from @ICWNHB , Bobby Roode Vs Joe Legend and the battle of Buff Bagwell Vs Jack Victory in the ECW arena

— Indy Wrestling 20Yrs Ago Podcast (@indywres20yrs) August 20, 2021

Listener Match: Buff Bagwell vs Jack Victory (Dan's suggestion)

Combining the write ups for the next two as they were on the same show.  I first picked this show as it felt like it followed on last month's ECW tribute which we covered with Lacey, and being held at the ECW arena was other reason for picking this as I keen to see how the crowd would be 6+ months after ECW's last show. Speaking of the crowd I picked Bagwell vs Victory as I was intrigued to see how someone like Bagwell would fare; especially so soon after his unceremonious release from WWF the previous month. I can't say that Jack Victory was a huge draw for me, but knowing that Steve Corino was here too and his pre-match promo was worthwhile enough.

Curt Hennig vs Chris Harris (Dan's Second Pick)

I then picked Curt Hennig vs Chris Harris as I'm a Curt Hennig fan so getting to see a match of his before his WWF return in January 2002 (spoilers for those in the time machine!) and one against someone in Chris Harris who's career is in it's infancy. To have this overlapping of careers is interesting to me as it doesn't quite seem possible that Mr Perfect would have a match against someone from one of the most successful tag teams in TNA situated in the ECW Arena.
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Randy Orton vs Prototype (John Cena) - Brian Pillman Memorial 4 (Adam's Second Pick)

Highspots link

This show has a number of things that stand out from the last indy appearance of Edge, to the last NWA title match with a Flair (not that one), to the last (but one) match of Dean Malenko. One other thing that this show has going on its undercard is a match between 2 lesser known guys (at the time) in Randy Orton and Prototype John Cena. I can only find one previous match between them, from OVW TV earlier that summer, so this is an interesting early look at 2 guys whose rivalry would go on to define the next 15 or so years of pro wrestling.

Keiji Mutoh vs Yuji Nagata - NJPW G1 Climax (Billy's Second Pick)

​It’s the G1 final match between Keiji Mutoh Vs Yuji Nagata. I’m picking this match because Mutoh had only become a freelancer earlier on in year and had left new japan to go to rival all japan and immediately upon arrival won the all japan triple crown title. Mutoh returned for the G1 and sensationally as an outsider went all the way to the final to face new japans new hand picked successors to Mutoh Yujj Nagata. A pretty historic match