[The Big Shill]

One of the biggest events of the year in wrestling in New England happens this coming Saturday night, August 16th at the National Guard Armory, 1000 Hancock Street in Quincy, MA, as New England Championship Wrestling celebrates its 8th anniversary with BIRTHDAY BASH 8: LARGER THAN LIFE!

Main Event: Triple Threat Match for the NECW Triple Crown Championship: “The Mohawked Enforcer” Max Bauer © vs. Big Rick Fuller vs. D.C. Dillinger

The main event may well be the biggest main event in company history as the three biggest men in NECW square off with the company’s biggest prize on the line. NECW Triple Crown Champion, “The Mohawked Enforcer” Max Bauer battles both the man he defeated for the title, Big Rick Fuller and former champion, D.C. Dillinger. This will be an all out war between three giant-like competitors!

NECW Tag Team Championship: PRIDE © vs. “Rocket” Fred Curry, Jr. & a Mystery Partner

The new NECW Tag Team Champions, PRIDE (Dan Freitas & Brian Nunes) defend the titles in an unusual rematch against one half of the former champions, “The Rocket” Fred Curry, Jr. and a mystery partner. Curry, a third generation wrestler will be accompanied by his legendary father, former 60’s & 70’s star “Flying” Fred Curry. Everyone in NECW is wondering, could the elder Curry be coming out of retirement at BIRTHDAY BASH 8 to contend for the NECW Tag Team Championship?

NECW Television Championship: Handsome Johnny © with Sammi Lane vs. “The Real Deal” Brandon Locke

The NECW Television Championship will be on the line in a return grudge match. Champion, Handsome Johnny, with his sultry valet, Sammi Lane, puts the belt up against former champion, “The Real Deal” Brandon Locke. Last month, Locke and Johnny went to the time limit and two five minute overtimes before Johnny walked out, taking a countout loss. This time there will be an extended time limit as Locke tries to regain the coveted championship.

World Women’s Wrestling Non-Title Feature Match: “The Portuguese Princess” Ariel © with Brendan Michael Thomas vs. Lexxus

In a World Women’s Wrestling feature match, the current World Women’s Wrestling Champion, “The Portuguese Princess” Ariel takes on former champion Lexxus in a non-title match with some unusual stipulations. If Ariel wins, Lexxus must win 10 straight WWW matches to get a shot at the title. If Lexxus wins, she not only gets a title shot, but Ariel’s agent, Brendan Michael Thomas will become her personal servant for 30 days!

Special Challenge Match: “Die Hard” Eddie Edwards vs. Jason Blade

Also signed in a special challenge match, “Die Hard” Eddie Edwards makes his return to NECW after a successful tour of Europe to take on former PWF Heavyweight Champion, Jason Blade. There is no love lost between these two, who are among the most finely tunes athletes in NECW history. Look for a first class display of athletic prowess when the bell rings for this collision.

Special Challenge Match: “The Natural” Scott Osbourne vs. Makoto

In another special challenge match, “The Natural” Scott Osbourne, managed by Brian Cairo, arguably the hottest up and coming talent on the NECW roster, collides with the undefeated masked man from the Orient, Makoto. Both men have been on a hot streak in NECW, but only one will leave in a blaze in glory at BIRTHDAY BASH 8!

8 Man Survival Match: Team Nightmare vs. Richter, Matthews, Damon & Rumble

Also at BIRTHDAY BASH 8, a special 8 man survival match, as all four members of Team Nightmare (Evan Siks, Nick Steel, Lil’ Nicky Amaral and Frankie Vain) battle former NECW Television Champion, “The Talent” T.J. Richter, the self-proclaimed “Future Superstar” Ryan Matthews, Darling Damon and Jason Rumble.

In addition, we will have a live Pat’s Pit segment and more.

Don’t miss THE event of the summer in New England wrestling: BIRTHDAY BASH 8: LARGER THAN LIFE!

Tickets for NECW’s BIRTHDAY BASH 8: LARGER THAN LIFE are $12 in advance, $15 at the door. Kids under 12 are $9. Front row VIP tickets are $20. Advance tickets can be purchased at all FYE locations, K.C.’s Sports Cards, 33 Temple Street in Quincy Center and online at www.NECWwrestling.com

[maddogms]

*took a bump*

[topropephotography]

The Big Shill wrote:

Special Challenge Match: “Die Hard” Eddie Edwards vs. Jason Blade Also signed in a special challenge match, “Die Hard” Eddie Edwards makes his return to NECW after a successful tour of Europe to take on former PWF Heavyweight Champion, Jason Blade. There is no love lost between these two, who are among the most finely tunes athletes in NECW history. Look for a first class display of athletic prowess when the bell rings for this collision.

MOTN.

[Capt Boston]

topropephotography wrote:

The Big Shill wrote: Special Challenge Match: “Die Hard” Eddie Edwards vs. Jason Blade Also signed in a special challenge match, “Die Hard” Eddie Edwards makes his return to NECW after a successful tour of Europe to take on former PWF Heavyweight Champion, Jason Blade. There is no love lost between these two, who are among the most finely tunes athletes in NECW history. Look for a first class display of athletic prowess when the bell rings for this collision. MOTN.

Why bother to even have the match then?

[Rachel5831]

topropephotography wrote:

The Big Shill wrote: Special Challenge Match: “Die Hard” Eddie Edwards vs. Jason Blade Also signed in a special challenge match, “Die Hard” Eddie Edwards makes his return to NECW after a successful tour of Europe to take on former PWF Heavyweight Champion, Jason Blade. There is no love lost between these two, who are among the most finely tunes athletes in NECW history. Look for a first class display of athletic prowess when the bell rings for this collision. MOTN.

i agree.

[bulldogwrestler25]

it sound really big show!

[OnceXtremeAlwaysXtreme]

Edwards vs Blade is going to be sick !

[EricYoungFan]

I'm really excited to go too this, i haven't been to a NECW show since Decemeber... So i'm interested to see how everything is different.

I'm very anxious to see Eddie VS Blade

[The Best Of The Very Best]

POST EDITED

[Joshua B]

I came very close to attending. I'd like to know how the Edwards vs Blade match was.

[GrayGhost]

Joshua B wrote:

I came very close to attending. I'd like to know how the Edwards vs Blade match was.

I heard it was top shelf from a couple who attended. Not much of a shocker there, with those two.

[trektattoo]

blade/edwards was match of the night! Eddie came out on top!

[Joshua B]

Thanks guys. I'm really sorry I missed it. I think NECW should promote a match like that above anything else on the card. Must be political why they don't.

[maddogms]

Joshua,

Honestly, we'd love to be able to do so, except that you can't promote matches like that on the top of the card when the men in it can't be full-time regulars on your roster.

Both Eddie Edwards and Jason Blade are tremendous talents, as evidenced by the match they had at Birthday Bash. Unfortunately with Eddie's increasing Japanese and International schedule and Blade's reputation/demand growing outside of New England, neither are available as much as we'd love to have them in NECW.

This is a growing pain and challenge of running an independent wrestling company that runs angles and continuity using some of the top guys available. You invest time and money in promoting them, with full knowledge that eventually those people will likely not be available to you as frequently as they once were.

[Joshua B]

Thanks for the insight Mad Dog. I completely understand that school of thought.

I know this is after the fact, but I wonder what would happen if NECW took a different approach and promoted a match like this as a special opportunity to see two in-demand wrestlers, and actually promote the fact that they're also having success in ROH. Obviously, promote the fact that they're having success abroad, but I think using the prestige of ROH for your benefit would help. Promoting to fans like myself who at least casually follow the larger indies by fully disclosing everything positive going on in their careers, right down to saying "Eddie Edwards, who recently joined Larry Sweeney's faction, Sweet & Sour Inc" or "Jason Blade, who is now part of the YRR faction"...

But by catering to the smart fans, it might take your business in a direction away from where you're going. I'm in the music business so I understand there are different schools of thought when it comes to promoting certain performers/artists who aren't signed to your company. I guess I feel like the best policy is to be honest with people, cater to the most passionate fans, and hope that by promoting the industry in general, your business will grow along with it. But my business philosophy isn't always in sync with the boss and the owners. Maybe that's why I'm not running a company a they are.

But big up to you and Sheldon for taking the time to open up to the fans and give them a sense of the reasons behind the decisions you make. I continue to be impressed with NECW's professionalism. I wish I could be more supportive by going to events, buying products, etc.

[The Big Shill]

Joshua B wrote:

Thanks for the insight Mad Dog. I completely understand that school of thought. I know this is after the fact, but I wonder what would happen if NECW took a different approach and promoted a match like this as a special opportunity to see two in-demand wrestlers, and actually promote the fact that they're also having success in ROH. Obviously, promote the fact that they're having success abroad, but I think using the prestige of ROH for your benefit would help. Promoting to fans like myself who at least casually follow the larger indies by fully disclosing everything positive going on in their careers, right down to saying "Eddie Edwards, who recently joined Larry Sweeney's faction, Sweet & Sour Inc" or "Jason Blade, who is now part of the YRR faction"... But by catering to the smart fans, it might take your business in a direction away from where you're going. I'm in the music business so I understand there are different schools of thought when it comes to promoting certain performers/artists who aren't signed to your company. I guess I feel like the best policy is to be honest with people, cater to the most passionate fans, and hope that by promoting the industry in general, your business will grow along with it. But my business philosophy isn't always in sync with the boss and the owners. Maybe that's why I'm not running a company a they are. But big up to you and Sheldon for taking the time to open up to the fans and give them a sense of the reasons behind the decisions you make. I continue to be impressed with NECW's professionalism. I wish I could be more supportive by going to events, buying products, etc.

Joshua,

Very interesting question on your part and I will try and answer it as best I can.

The most important thing an independent wrestling promotion can do is establish its own idenity. I wouldn't say that we don't tell the truth about stars like Blade and Edwards and their success elsewhere. In fact, we do mention Edwards work elsewhere all the time, and the same with Blade. We don't flaunt them as ROH stars, because they were stars for NECW/PWF first.

In the context of our promotion, it's more important to emphasize their role with us than their roles elsewhere.

Our job is to put forward what NECW has done. And the more you know about what we've done, the more inclined you'll be to follow NECW going forward.

[GrayGhost]

I agree with Sheldon. ROH is a huge company, and very successful, but they are not the "be all and end all". Ive seen Eddie and Jason Blade for many years all over, and have seen them "cut their teeth" in promotions like PWF, NCW, NECW. ACW in CT, CW, etc etc. While ROH certainly pushes them to an "even higher level", the indy roots really is what got them started, and into peoples minds.

Sheldon, do you have full results of the show? Im sorry I missed it again, but my announcing for the baseball tourney and other issues have caused me to cut back. I honestly do hope to return to NECW soon, if things work themselves out.

[CRoach]

I can't see the problem. If someone you're promoting is suddenly plucked into the international scene, just start promoting someone else in the company. What's the big deal?

[maddogms]

CRoach,

Its not a problem per se, more of a challenge. To just start "promoting someone else in the company" is not as easy as it sounds. Yes, you can begin to put your energies into another talent, but there is the cumulative sum of the promotion on that previous talent. If you spend a year promoting wrestler A and that person moves on to TNA and you begin promoting wrestler B, its not an instant lateral move by that talent. True promotion of talent takes time, exposure and energy.

That's my thoughts on it, I am sure Sheldon will have a much better way of explaining it.

[The Big Shill]

maddogms wrote:

CRoach, Its not a problem per se, more of a challenge. To just start "promoting someone else in the company" is not as easy as it sounds. Yes, you can begin to put your energies into another talent, but there is the cumulative sum of the promotion on that previous talent. If you spend a year promoting wrestler A and that person moves on to TNA and you begin promoting wrestler B, its not an instant lateral move by that talent. True promotion of talent takes time, exposure and energy. That's my thoughts on it, I am sure Sheldon will have a much better way of explaining it.

CRoach: What Matt is saying is that "promoting someone else" is what will happen, but when you lose someone that has been in TV angles and involved in the promotion as a character for a long time, the investment we make in promoting that person comes to an end. In this case it's a happy end for that talent, but it forces us to build someone else and that is not an immediate process.

I will give you an example from NECW's past without mentioning names, although you may figure it out from the description. Several years ago (before the merger with PWF), NECW was going to put the title and a huge push behind someone who was signed by a major US promotion. It happened literally on the eve of us starting his build to the title and so sudden that an immediate choice had to be made as to where to go with the title and thus the direction of the promotion. The person I chose (and I did the choosing, not the booker at the time) was the best and most logical choice on the roster. Unfortunately, as good a person as he was, he was not the same caliber performer and was put into a spot he wasn't really ready for.

To really promote someone, and we promote the talent, we don't just put on matches, it takes time and effort on everyone's part. So losing someone, for whatever reason, becomes an event which has a ripple effect on everything we do.

Ghost: We will have those results up for you later tonight, as I am working on all the website changes now.