Wrestling with Pop Culture presents: the return of Monstrosity Championship Wrestling

Before you put Halloween behind you and start preparing for those Thanksgiving family feasts, Wrestling with Pop Culture is proud to announce the return of Monstrosity Championship Wrestling! And now that the votes have been tallied, we have even more reason to celebrate as Wrestling with Pop Culture won the Reader’s Choice award for Best Local Blog in Creative Loafing‘s Best of Atlanta 2012.

Poster by West "Knife" Evans.

This time MCW finds a new home at Club Famous, inside Famous Pub in Toco Hills. Old rivalries continue as the intolerant Alabama Wolfman (who hasn’t competed since his encounter with the flamboyantly fanged vampire Dragula last March) brings his angry cousin the Kentucky Wolfman to get ravenous revenge. You’ll also see an age-old rivalry play out in the ring as long-time adversaries Rock, Paper and Scissors battle for supremacy.

Monstrosity fans will also be treated to returning favorites like “Calm Like a Bomb” Pandora, the Washington Bullets and “The Zombie King” Papa Marko, while talents such as “The Monster Killer” Asesino, “Bona Fide” Fred Yehi, “The Demigod” Mason and the tag team known as Worst Case Scenario (Ethan Case and Eli Evans) make their MCW debuts. Reckognize Apparel will also have a limited edition Yehi T-shirt available exclusively at this event. Professor Morte and the rest of the Silver Scream SpookShow crew will preside over these fiendish festivities as the Casket Creatures provide macabre musical offerings. Win a bag of edible body parts from Pine Street Market, a Dead Elvis flask from Diamond*Star*Halo, artwork from Neon Armour and other raffle prizes! These and many more surprises await you on Nov. 16, starting at 8 p.m.  The cover is only $10 and Cayrum Honeys will provide fiendish freebies and devlish drink specials such as a creepy concoction known as To Hell You Ride!

Georgia Wrestling Now welcomes “Wild Child” Joey Kidman, Atlanta Midget Wrestling’s Pit Bull and TNA’s Gunner

Halloween’s only a couple of days away, which might explain the eclectic nature of this week’s Georgia Wrestling Now. After attending WWE‘s Hell in a Cell at Philips Arena on Oct. 28, Team All You Can Eat’s Matt Hankins and Wrestling with Pop Culture talk to established and emerging competitors from upcoming Georgia wrestling shows. Our first guest is preparing for one of the biggest matches of his young career as he challenges the Ultimate Dragon for the Peachstate Wrestling Alliance Heritage Championship on Nov. 3, and I’m talking about the “Wild Child” himself, “Rock & Roll” Joey Kidman. Atlanta Midget Wrestling‘s Pit Bull talks to GWN about the promotion’s Columbus Georgia Convention and Trade Center debut on Nov. 9, and its return to the North Atlanta Trade Center on Nov. 10. Finally, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling‘s Gunner talks to us as he prepares to challenge Rick Michaels for the Pro Wrestling Resurrection Heavyweight Championship at Turmoil on Nov. 4.

Former TNA Television Champion Gunner challenges Rick Michaels for the PWR Heavyweight Championship at Turmoil. Photo courtesy TNA Wrestling.

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Santino Marella looks to have a hell of a time at Hell in a Cell

Courtesy WWE.

While his language barrier mishaps and comical in-ring demeanor are what most people think of when they hear the name Santino Marella, it’s easy to overlook the Milan Miracle’s reigns as Intercontinental, United States and Tag Team Champion. And after recently teaming with Zack Ryder to form Team Co-Bro, Marella’s chances of advancing to the tag team tournament finals at Hell in a Cell seemed promising given Co-Bro’s first-round win over Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel. Unfortunately for Marella, Co-Bro fell to the Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow) to be eliminated from the tournament. But Marella still hopes his cobra will have a chance to strike at the pay-per-view, and recently talked to Wrestling with Pop Culture about that possibility, among other things.

You’re not scheduled for any matches at Hell in a Cell. Do you think there’s any chance of you being part of this pay-per-view?

I was hoping to be in the finals of the tag team tournament with Zack Ryder, but…

I was sorry to see how that turned out for Team Co-Bro. I’m also sorry to see yet another Hell in a Cell pay-per-view without Santino Marella on the card.

I do not have a rich history with this pay-per-view, but this has been a great year for me. In 2012, I’ve been on every pay-per-view this year! So I definitely hope I’m involved at Hell in a Cell because I want to keep the streak going. It’s also a very prestigious pay-per-view because always something special happens at this pay-per-view, something that’s going to blow your mind. That’s the job of this pay-per-view, that’s the goal. There’s always something very shocking and that’s why I want to be part of it because I want to see history in the making.

With Hell in a Cell being in Atlanta, it’s fun to recall almost a year ago when Raw was in Atlanta with the Muppets. And you actually got some help from Beaker…

Yes. That was, for me, one of the most memorable things I have ever seen. It was right up there with when I met Bob Barker because the Muppets are not just a piece of Americana, that’s an icon for the world. Every country knows the Muppets. They’re the originators. It puts me in the feeling of when I was little boy. Everyone likes that nostalgic feeling to feel like a kid again. The Muppets were amazing.

Courtesy WWE.

Beaker gave me potion and this potion was to give me super strength and speed. But I could not swallow it because it tasted so bad I thought maybe it was wrong one, maybe it was poison. So I spit it out in the face of Jack Swagger. It was accident, actually. He spun me around and I spit at the same time. And from spitting it in the face, I was able to roll him up and beat him. It wasn’t, I’m sure, what Beaker intended. But it got the job done.

WWE has made a point of holding big events in Atlanta over the past several years. How do you think your personality and wrestling style fare with Southern audiences like the ones in Atlanta?

In that part of the country, the fans are so passionate and so crazy and we always love to come there. When the fans are so crazy, they elevate us and make us put on a better show. The louder they get, the more we go crazy, then the louder they get in return and there’s just this circulating energy that goes back and forth. I’m telling you, the feeling and atmosphere in the arena is second to none. We love coming there.

Do you think you might try to talk to any Atlanta icons for Santino’s Foreign Exhange while you’re in Atlanta?

I would like to go to the Georgia Aquarium because I heard the aquarium is very nice. There’s a restaurant we usually go to close to the airport called the Spondivits and we like to get the steamed bucket. I know that’s not a real icon, but we enjoy Atlanta. I’m going to try to steal the show if I can. I hope I don’t get arrested for stealing.

www.wwe.com

Wade Barrett hopes to bring his Barrett Barrage to Hell in a Cell

Recovering from injuries can often cause competitors to lose their momentum upon their return to action. But in the case of former Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett, his WWE return has been highlighted by a dominant winning streak and change in attitude he likes to call the Barrett Barrage. Although this barrage has not yet guaranteed him a match at this Sunday’s Hell in a Cell, Barrett is still hoping to compete at the pay-per-view on his quest to obtain championship gold. Here, he talks to Wrestling with Pop Culture about his new mean streak and his goal of becoming the first English WWE Champion.

You only recently returned to WWE after recovering from an injury and returning to your bare-knuckle boxing training. Since then, the Barrett Barrage has been in full effect as you’ve dominated one opponent after another. Where did you find this extra aggression?

Courtesy WWE.

I’m glad to be back. It’s been seven or eight months since I got injured, so a lot of frustration and aggression has built up in that time. That’s combined with a slightly new style of bare-knuckle fighting-oriented offense. It’s good to be back and I’m looking to go places pretty soon.

You’re not yet scheduled for a match at Hell in a Cell, but you’ve previously had great success at this pay-per-view, picking up one of the biggest victories of your career over John Cena two years ago. Given your record there, what do you anticipate for this Sunday’s event?

You’re right, that Hell in a Cell match against John Cena is probably one of my biggest victories ever. It was a huge moment for me, especially so early on in my career. But the card’s still wide open for this year’s Hell in a Cell and, fingers crossed, I’ll hopefully be able to get myself on the card.

A lot of people have had career-defining moments at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view and in the Hell in a Cell match. How would you feel about actually competing inside the Hell in a Cell cage?

It’s an amazing match and I haven’t actually had a Hell in a Cell match yet. I think it’s something that really just lends a certain legitimacy to the toughest competitors in the WWE. When you look at the people who’ve had the most success in those kind of matches, guys like Mick Foley, the Undertaker and Triple H, those are some of the toughest guys to have ever competed in WWE. I’d certainly like to see myself in that category of tough guys. When the opportunity comes, I’d definitely like to step into the cell and take on whoever might be up for the challenge.

You’ve defeated just about everyone you’ve gotten in the ring with since you’re return. Is there anyone in particular you’d like to face this Sunday, given the opportunity?

I’ve always got my eye on the champions here in WWE, be it CM Punk or be it Sheamus, who are the two champions at the moment. I’d love to step in there with either one of them. England’s never had a World Heavyweight Champion or a WWE Champion, so I’d love to be the first one. But the way wrestling works, you have to work your way up the ladder a little bit first. I don’t expect to be thrust into the title picture with either of those guys, but in the long run whoever the champion is – I don’t care if it’s CM Punk, Sheamus or anybody else – that’s the person I’m going to be going for.

You’re obviously not the only person with your sights set on those two. But there are some other interesting match-ups to be had between you and other fellow Europeans such as the current United States Champion Antonio Cesaro.

Courtesy WWE.

Yeah, definitely. I’m a big fan of Antonio Cesaro. I think he’s done a great job since he’s gotten here, and I’m very impressed with his intellect. He speaks five languages or something like that. That in itself is hugely impressive, then he’s done such a great job in the ring since he got here. So his momentum continues, but he will be losing that momentum if he comes across the Barrett Barrage in the ring.

Outside the ring, I understand you also have a role in one of WWE Studios‘ upcoming films. What role will you be playing?

A byproduct of me being injured and being off for six or seven months meant that I was freed up and available to take part in a film called Dead Man Down, which is being produced by WWE Studios. It’s got several top movie stars in it like Colin Farrell and Terrence Howard, and it had a pretty good budget. So I think it’s going to be a good film. It was great to be part of it. I play an enforcer or bodyguard to one of the bad guys in the film, so I had a pretty cool part and really enjoyed it. It was a great experience. I think that’s being released in April of next year, round about WrestleMania.

www.wwe.com

A Dark Harvest comes to Academy Theatre this Halloween

Up until a month ago, Friday nights at Academy Theatre were reserved for Platinum Championship Wrestling. But when the evil EMPIRE took over PCW’s show, then shut it down in an attempt to kill the entire promotion, it left the theatre with some time to kill on Friday nights. Beginning Oct. 26 and running through Halloween night, Academy Theatre presents the Dark Harvest Haunted House, a chilling recounting of the tragedy that befell the town of Harvest many years ago after the arrival of a carnival sideshow filled with the grotesque and obscure.

The Dark Harvest Haunted House is celebrated with a series of events beginning with tonight’s Dark Harvest Masquerade Ball, featuring performances by the Thimblerig Circus, the City Gate Dance Theater Company, The Artifice Club‘s DJ Doctor Q, a costume contest and more. That’s followed by the Dark Harvest Family Festival on Oct. 27 and 28, featuring carnival games, face painting and a more family friendly version of the Dark Harvest Haunted House.

Although wrestling will not be part of the sideshow festivities, the spirit of PCW will always haunt Academy Theatre (at least for those of us still affected by the loss of what had become a Friday night wrestling ritual). But Dark Harvest offers a new Halloween tradition that includes an entirely different type of haunting.

www.academytheatre.org

Deathblade fights zombies in a cage during the Atlanta Zombie Apocalypse

For the third year in a row, the living dead have taken over part of Atlanta with the Atlanta Zombie Apocalypse. And this year there’s even more zombie-killing enjoyment to be had for those with the will to survive. A ZWar has been waged on the Center for Disease Development, the agency responsible for this zombie outbreak and rumored to have something to do with Monstrosity Championship Wrestling, which debuted at AZA last October. (Read more about MCW here and here.) As has been established in previous years, the CDD has been experimenting on the living to create mindless zombies and other creatures. But now these mad scientists are attempting to completely eradicate humanity by weaponizing the living dead. But the remaining survivors are raiding the CDD’s facilities to try and regain their freedom.

A victim flees for her life during the Curse of the Undead.

If you survive the CDD’s threat, you’ll face the Curse of the Undead, which has caused the dead to rise from their graves yet again. But instead of laboratory experiments, it’s satanic-looking druids responsible for this zombie outbreak, which has resulted in the local police department being stretched to its limits with missing persons reports and other chaos. The cops that haven’t buckled under the pressure are still trying to help, but there’s little they can do when there are strange things happening (and even stranger people harboring their zombie kin) in the woods. Thankfully, there is a hero named Bruce out there who is maintaining a cheesy sense of humor while fighting off zombies with his chainsaw.

But even your protectors have a scam of their own going, and it’s called the Zombie Shoot. Unlike in previous years, where zombies aimlessly roamed an outdoor firing range, now you can be armed and chase zombies through the abandoned motel for some brain-splattering fun (for an additional fee). And if you think killing zombies is fun, you’re really going to like the Ultimate Fighting Zombies matches found in the lawless outdoor area of ZWar. And you might recognize a guy named Deathblade, who helped protect the uninfected last year, but has since taken his fighting skills to the UFZ cage for our entertainment. Fighting zombies every night is hard work, which is why Wrestling with Pop Culture appreciates the fact that Deathblade took a moment to tell us about his involvement with AZA.

What is your role at the AZA and how did they discover your talents?

Basically, they needed somebody crazy enough to keep the zombies in line and dangerous enough to put them down. And that was me. Last year I kept the town safe; this year I’m providing entertainment as a part of the UFZ: Ultimate Fighting Zombies.

What is your UFZ fighting record?

I actually retired undefeated. Now I’m in there coaching my protege Ripper right now. She, of course, is currently undefeated as well. One defeat and you’re pretty much dead, so…

I’ve noticed that you wear the face paint of various different professional wrestlers such as the Road Warriors and Demolition. Is there any meaning behind that, other than the obvious?

Deathblade prepares to fight zombies while donning the warpaint of Road Warrior Hawk. Photo by Divine Danger.

I was a wrestler myself until I got banned from every known organization for my brutal tactics. I just want to pay tribute to some of the guys that came before me and set the bar for insanity that I try to raise every night.

It’s weird that you used to be a professional wrestler because you bear a striking resemblance to a guy I’ve seen at Platinum Championship Wrestling named Johnny Danger. Do you know anything about him?

Yeah. Actually, I’m a big fan of Johnny Danger. I’d like to see how he does against some of these zombies one day, perhaps as part of Monstrosity Championship Wrestling in the future.

He’s no stranger to MCW as he grappled with monsters in the ring at this year’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Monster Bash.

Yeah, I remember that. I think he’d be a great addition to the UFZ, and Deathblade would be happy to train him.

www.atlantazombie.com

Georgia Wrestling Now welcomes Michael Cannon, Stryknyn, Worst Case Scenario and DeWitt Dawson

You ever notice how many big wrestling shows there are in Georgia this time of year? Well, Georgia Wrestling Now has certainly taken note. And if this week’s edition is any indication, there are no signs that this trend is ending anytime soon. After successfully defending the Southern States Championship against Anthony Henry in a loser-leaves-Alternative Pro Wrestling match last Friday, “The Lethal Dose” Stryknyn talks about his match against Adrian Hawkins for the Young Lions Championship at Anarchy Wrestling‘s Fright Night this Saturday. Revolution Wrestling Association Tag Team Champions Ethan Case and Eli Evans, collectively known as Worst Case Scenario, talk about their upcoming match at the inaugural People’s Wrestling League Battle for Supremacy tournament. DeWitt Dawson, who has been managing The Jagged Edge and new Platinum Championship Wrestling Champion “The Revelation” Shane Marx at Universal Independent Wrestling, also requested a few minutes of our time, as did NWA Action Champion Michael Cannon. So Team All You Can Eat’s Matt Hankins and Wrestling with Pop Culture tried to oblige them all, while also discussing WWE‘s Hell in a Cell, Rampage Pro Wrestling‘s Doctoberfest and more.

Ethan Case (front) and Eli Evans (back), collectively known as Worst Case Scenario, are guests on this week's Georgia Wrestling Now.

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