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TNA stars coming to Border City Wrestling
Event to test interest for future TNA house shows
By
COREY DAVID LACROIX - SLAM! Wrestling
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There's an
international incident brewing between Canada and the United States. But rest assured it has nothing to do with softwood lumber.
The flash
point will take place in Windsor, Ontario as Border City Wrestling (BCW) will
host their International Incident 2 show on September 15, featuring what may
very well be the largest contingent of wrestlers from Total Nonstop Action (TNA) to appear on
an independent wrestling card.
"From top
to bottom, I don't know if there's ever been a stronger show. It's just so
jammed," said BCW owner Scott D'amore
in an interview with SLAM! Wrestling.
"This is a
real event. This is really the first opportunity for people outside of Orlando
and Nashville to get a real look at the TNA product up close and personal."
Confirmed
matches for the event reads like a TNA Pay Per View (PPV) and may very well rival
the Warrior
1 Wrestling mega event, held in Oshawa in June, for independent wrestling
event of the year in Canada.
The main
event will feature the current reigning NWA Heavyweight champion Raven defending
his title against Jeff Jarrett.
"Having the
NWA world title coming back to prominence with Raven and Jeff Jarrett here in
Windsor, unbelievable -- what a great coup for Border City Wrestling," said
D'amore. According to research done by D'amore, the last time the NWA title was
defended in Windsor was December 17, 1964, when champion Lou Thesz downed challenger Emile Dupre.
Also, Christopher
Daniels will put his X Division title on the line against BCW alumni Chris Sabin.
If those
two scheduled bouts are not enough to make area wrestling fans drool with
delight, there will also be a five-match Canada Cup tournament, with the theme
being Team Canada versus Team USA. Tourney matches will include BCW Heavyweight
champion Bobby
Roode facing off against the monster Abyss, BCW TV
champion Petey
Williams will take on Jerry Lynn,
A1 versus Rhino
and Johnny
Devine & Eric Young
squaring off against America's Most Wanted. There will also be a six-man tag
team bout to round out the tournament itinerary, along with other matches
featuring BCW grapplers.
With a
line-up that D'amore has built for this event; expectations are high for an
above average draw to the event, outshining the usual attendance the promotion
draws for their monthly events.
"I think
you're going to see fans come from Michigan, Ohio, Toronto, Hamilton, you may
even have some make the trip from Chicago," D'amore said. "Every Border City
Wrestling event when we run one of our large events in Windsor, we always get a
good cross section of fans. At our last event we ran in July, which had the Hart
Foundation reunion, we got fans from every Canadian province, twelve different
(U.S.) states, England, Ireland and Scotland. We even had fans from Australia
make the trip. Some of that is a testament to Bret Hart and
what a huge star he is and how beloved he is. But the other testament is the
fact that fans around the world are starting to learn that when it's got the
Border City Wrestling brand on it, you're going to see great action."
But there
is more at stake here than setting a high attendance figure. With the sheer
number of marquee talent on board for the show, and TNA soon to be airing
regularly on Spike TV come October 1st, observers cannot help but speculate if
this will be a test run for future TNA house shows.
"Absolutely,"
confirmed D'amore bluntly on the topic. "I'm not going to lie, not going to
keep it a secret. Really what you're seeing here is a test run on how a TNA
house show would run. You got all of the top TNA talent there -- yeah, it's a
barometer. I don't think that we could insult people by saying anything else.
It's a good opportunity to see how you run a live event. This is a way to say
'Here, this is the model we can take on the road.'"
With less
than a month away from their debut on Spike, D'amore is counting on his fellow
Canadians and their appetite for wrestling to make their presence known by
taking in the TNA product en masse.
"All the
rules change come October 1st -- coast to coast you'll be able to see TNA
wrestling every Saturday night as a part of Slamming Saturday Nights on Spike
TV. We all know Canadian wrestling fans are more loyal, more rabid, more all
around informed than American wrestling fans on a lot of levels. When the
business dips in the U.S., it still stays high in Canada because Canada is such
a loyal wrestling area."
There can
be no dispute that within the borders of Ontario, BCW has earned the symbolic
privilege to host such a massive event, as the promotion now enters its twelfth
year of operation, far outdistancing any provincial rivals.
"In those
twelve years, it didn't succeed and flourish because of Scott D'amore," D'amore
reflected. "It survived because of all the great people involved. From Chuck
Fader, who was the guy out there hustling all the promotional end of things in
the early years who's now back on board with us, to Jeffery Scott who's our
senior official, ring announcer, art designer, to all the great volunteers we
have -- the local guys that go out there and make sure the posters get up in all
the right places around town. Border City Wrestling has done some great things
and that's because we have great people that are all working for the common
good."
It's no
secret that D'amore now holds an active position on the TNA booking committee
and while that does take up a significant amount of his time, he remains with
BCW when time permits.
"How hard
is it for Border City Wrestling to operate without me? Not hard at all," told
D'amore, again, noting that the promotion almost runs itself by those involved
in Windsor. "The hardest thing for me is the fact that I miss being as deeply
involved as I would like. I'm still there, I still get updated, but I miss
being in the trenches with the people. But hey, my involvement with both
companies is part of what help make this event possible. Border City Wrestling
will go on, with or without Scott D'amore."
Tickets for
International Incident 2 can be purchased now at the BCW website. The event will be held at the Ciociaro Club
of Windsor, bell time is 7:30 pm.
Visit the SLAM! Wrestling store!
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out the SLAM! Wrestling store for the great selection in TNA products!
Corey David Lacroix only buys authentic Canadian softwood lumber. He can be emailed at coreyatslam@yahoo.ca.
