JABolich
League Member
The Hoss Report
Greetings from beneath the beat-up old Oakland A's cap, and welcome back to the Hoss Report! For those of you who don't recall, I'm GXW road agent and erstwhile columnist Jim Hosselhoff. Awhile ago I was asked to write a column after every GXW show giving my thoughts. Unfortunately, I took ill sometime in early April and spent a lot of time in emergency wards before recovering around the recent Global Warfare. Fortunately, I'm alright now, so expect to see more Hoss Reports in the future!
Did I say the future? I meant right now. Here are my thoughts.
GLOBAL WARFARE 2003
First off, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge the efforts of GXW's production team in putting together the best-looking set in the history of this promotion. Fabulous work, guys. Without our production teams, this product wouldn't look the way it does.
I'm a closet AC/DC fan, so I was quite happy to see them make an appearance. Yet another example of GXW reaching out into the mainstream.
Congratulations to Jennifer Rowe on winning the Women's Championship, defeating Trynyty Wang in a match that proved to me at least that the women in GXW can be hosses too. I'm intrigued by the tension between Rowe and her partner, Lori Wilson. Could there be a match in the future?
I was deeply disappointed by the effort put forth by RAZE and Shawn Matthews, who not only neglected to promote their Genocide match, but also forgot the stipulations during the match itself! Fortunately, they DID eventually get back on track, with a little help from the man known as Clapper. I'll say right now that Clapper is a HUGE hoss who's gonna go big places here in GXW.
Speaking of Clapper, I was also disappointed in Zell Hunter and Justin Sane, who also didn't bother to promote their match. Fortunately, Clapper was on hand to make it intriguing. Hunter and Sane are both hosses when they're motivated, but Clapper's a hoss of a different breed altogether.
I said many months ago that Stephen Waltz was going to go places, and it turns out I was right. Waltz is a hell of a hoss who's made a huge impact here in GXW, and his win over Adam Benjamin served to further that impact.
Who would've thought that Reuben Fasco would pull out the upset win against Gabriel Poe, especially considering that he'd only won a single match prior to that? Fasco's a hoss, but I think his fame might be getting to his head. Once he comes down to earth a little, he's gonna be something big.
And wouldn't ya know it, even more Clapper, as he defeated David Allen Black and Dallas Winston to claim the Xtreme Title. Mark my words: Clapper will bring that belt some much-needed prestige, something it's sorely lacked ever since Gabriel Bane lost it to Die Kriegmaschine way back when.
Man, was the Stairway To Hell match insane or what? Not only did we see some hard-hitting competition, we saw the return of the Monsta Boyz AND Randy Cobb. Not only that, we saw DreamMaker turn on Ed Brown and Vince Jacobs, putting them both out of commission! Congratulations to the Dark Carnival for claiming the Tag-Team Titles. Powers and Poe are both big hosses, but there are definitely better things in store for both than wallowing in the tag ranks. Powers in particular could easily make a splash by returning to the main event scene.
Congratulations to Boogie Smallz for defeating Kendall Codine to retain the Continental Title. But what is up with Christian Sands, anyway? The man is a hoss, to be sure, but I think he's got a small problem letting go of the past. It should be interesting, though, to see how he deals with Smallz in the days ahead.
And a fond welcome-back goes out to Rob Sampson, who made his return with a resounding win over Eric Davis. I've always felt that Sampson is a hoss of the highest caliber. Could a run at the World Title be in store for Mr. Main Event? We'll see.
Both John Miller and Kin Hiroshi have earned a great deal of respect among the staff here at GXW for putting forth a hundred and ten percent in their match at Global Warfare. Congratulations to Miller for retaining the title and to Hiroshi for coming up out of relative obscurity to challenge for it. Both of these magnificent hosses deserve a standing ovation.
And to cap it all off, we witnessed the arrival of the Uprising. It's good to see Dan Ryan and Randy Cobb back among us - Ryan in particular is one of the biggest hosses I've EVER seen - but they seem to have picked some dubious allies in the Dark Carnival and DreamMaker. I seem to recall that Ryan and Powers have some heat relating to Powers' drinking and the death of Ryan's family in a drunk driving incident. I can't help but wonder if they've buried that particular hatchet.
All in all, a great show for GXW. All the hosses in the back deserve a huge round of applause.
REVOLUTION THOUGHTS
This upcoming Revolution looks to be one of the most intriguing yet. We have some unlikely matches that have taken shape as a result of the issuing of a challenge call by GXW management. Could we see some new stars rise in Zurich?
Should be interesting to see what happens with Max Blackshire in the house, not to mention Rob Sampson. Blackshire's a real hoss, but from what little I've seen of him in Superior Championship Wrestling, he's INSANE! I suppose watching your brother die in the ring will do that to you, though. I haven't seen much of Max in-ring, but if he's anything like his late relative Cyrus, he'll be a pleasure to watch.
I thought Mercedes Devon was a valet, not a wrestler? Either way, the three-way match between Jennifer Rowe, Devon, and Trynyty Wang should be interesting. See? The ladies in GXW aren't just T&A - they can wrestle, too. Despite what Mr. McFarland would have you think. It's true, kids: Gary Mac is NOT a hoss.
What guts Adam Benjamin has, answering Dan Ryan's open challenge! Benjamin's a huge hoss to be sure, and he's definitely improved himself as of late, but he faces the proverbial immovable object in the Ego Buster, who's a hoss in his own right. I'm hoping to see Benjamin overcome the odds and score a victory here, but he's got his work cut out for him.
David Black and Reuben Fasco, huh? This match has the potential to be very, very bloody. Both men are hosses with a penchant for talking a lot of trash, and watching them back it up is going to open a few eyes. I'm banking on Fasco to pull out the victory and keep the momentum rolling after his win over Gabriel Poe.
Looks like Stephen Waltz is facing a big obstacle of his own, as he's slated to defend his Television Title against DreamMaker, who eliminated him in a battle royal earlier this year. Dreams is a MONSTROUS hoss with a lot of momentum going for him. I'm rooting for Waltz to avenge himself here, but DreamMaker could very well shut him down.
Poor Hellfighter. He may have bitten off more than he can chew by challenging Vicious and Delicious to a handicap match. On the other hand, Rage and Styles seem to have lost a step or two lately. Hellfighter's a hoss when he's motivated, and if he can take advantage of V&D's sluggishness lately, he might just pull out the upset.
I'll say right now that the tag-team title match could very well be a show-stealer. The Dark Carnival are on a roll coming off of Global Warfare, but the Monsta Boyz are enormous hosses and they're looking to keep their own momentum rolling after their surprising reemergence at the Pay-Per-View. I suspect that Powers and Poe will retain, but it'll be a tough fight for them.
And finally, our main event pits some new faces against each other for the World and Continental Titles, as John Miller, Boogie Smallz, and the returning Christian Sands go head-to-head. I can't even begin to guess on this one. I will say, though, that Sands in particular seems obsessed with victory. That alone could be the deciding factor in this match, and it could certainly spawn an upset if either Miller or Smallz underestimates him.
ONSLAUGHT THOUGHTS
Interesting lineup for this edition of Onslaught. We've got a few new faces and some old ones being thrown into the fray.
The war of words between White Mantis and Angel of Death has already begun to escalate, with AOD and Mantis's agent, Steve St. Laurent, bickering back and forth furiously. Both AOD and Mantis are big hosses. AOD's got the experience edge here, but from what I've seen of Mantis, he's got the sheer drive to counteract that. This could go either way.
I'm not sure WHAT to think of the match between Death and Dane Dawson. Same goes for the match between Shawn Matthews and RAZE. None of these four have stood out in GXW lately. I'm banking on Matthews to show us something good this time, though. He's a huge hoss, and when he's motivated, he can work wonders.
The four-way match between Flash, Hardknockz, Golde, and Dragonsblood has the potential to be a barnburner if all four men can get it together and compete. We could easily see a star emerge here.
And finally, I must say it's a shame to see Kendall Codine reduced to GXW's B show. Codine was challenging for the World Title around this time last year, but he's fallen a long way - as have Frankie Scott and Dallas Winston. All three are hosses, but I think Codine stands the best chance of victory here.
Well, that's it for this Hoss Report, folks. I'll check in with you after Revolution. Until then, keep on truckin'.
~ Jim Hosselhoff
Greetings from beneath the beat-up old Oakland A's cap, and welcome back to the Hoss Report! For those of you who don't recall, I'm GXW road agent and erstwhile columnist Jim Hosselhoff. Awhile ago I was asked to write a column after every GXW show giving my thoughts. Unfortunately, I took ill sometime in early April and spent a lot of time in emergency wards before recovering around the recent Global Warfare. Fortunately, I'm alright now, so expect to see more Hoss Reports in the future!
Did I say the future? I meant right now. Here are my thoughts.
GLOBAL WARFARE 2003
First off, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge the efforts of GXW's production team in putting together the best-looking set in the history of this promotion. Fabulous work, guys. Without our production teams, this product wouldn't look the way it does.
I'm a closet AC/DC fan, so I was quite happy to see them make an appearance. Yet another example of GXW reaching out into the mainstream.
Congratulations to Jennifer Rowe on winning the Women's Championship, defeating Trynyty Wang in a match that proved to me at least that the women in GXW can be hosses too. I'm intrigued by the tension between Rowe and her partner, Lori Wilson. Could there be a match in the future?
I was deeply disappointed by the effort put forth by RAZE and Shawn Matthews, who not only neglected to promote their Genocide match, but also forgot the stipulations during the match itself! Fortunately, they DID eventually get back on track, with a little help from the man known as Clapper. I'll say right now that Clapper is a HUGE hoss who's gonna go big places here in GXW.
Speaking of Clapper, I was also disappointed in Zell Hunter and Justin Sane, who also didn't bother to promote their match. Fortunately, Clapper was on hand to make it intriguing. Hunter and Sane are both hosses when they're motivated, but Clapper's a hoss of a different breed altogether.
I said many months ago that Stephen Waltz was going to go places, and it turns out I was right. Waltz is a hell of a hoss who's made a huge impact here in GXW, and his win over Adam Benjamin served to further that impact.
Who would've thought that Reuben Fasco would pull out the upset win against Gabriel Poe, especially considering that he'd only won a single match prior to that? Fasco's a hoss, but I think his fame might be getting to his head. Once he comes down to earth a little, he's gonna be something big.
And wouldn't ya know it, even more Clapper, as he defeated David Allen Black and Dallas Winston to claim the Xtreme Title. Mark my words: Clapper will bring that belt some much-needed prestige, something it's sorely lacked ever since Gabriel Bane lost it to Die Kriegmaschine way back when.
Man, was the Stairway To Hell match insane or what? Not only did we see some hard-hitting competition, we saw the return of the Monsta Boyz AND Randy Cobb. Not only that, we saw DreamMaker turn on Ed Brown and Vince Jacobs, putting them both out of commission! Congratulations to the Dark Carnival for claiming the Tag-Team Titles. Powers and Poe are both big hosses, but there are definitely better things in store for both than wallowing in the tag ranks. Powers in particular could easily make a splash by returning to the main event scene.
Congratulations to Boogie Smallz for defeating Kendall Codine to retain the Continental Title. But what is up with Christian Sands, anyway? The man is a hoss, to be sure, but I think he's got a small problem letting go of the past. It should be interesting, though, to see how he deals with Smallz in the days ahead.
And a fond welcome-back goes out to Rob Sampson, who made his return with a resounding win over Eric Davis. I've always felt that Sampson is a hoss of the highest caliber. Could a run at the World Title be in store for Mr. Main Event? We'll see.
Both John Miller and Kin Hiroshi have earned a great deal of respect among the staff here at GXW for putting forth a hundred and ten percent in their match at Global Warfare. Congratulations to Miller for retaining the title and to Hiroshi for coming up out of relative obscurity to challenge for it. Both of these magnificent hosses deserve a standing ovation.
And to cap it all off, we witnessed the arrival of the Uprising. It's good to see Dan Ryan and Randy Cobb back among us - Ryan in particular is one of the biggest hosses I've EVER seen - but they seem to have picked some dubious allies in the Dark Carnival and DreamMaker. I seem to recall that Ryan and Powers have some heat relating to Powers' drinking and the death of Ryan's family in a drunk driving incident. I can't help but wonder if they've buried that particular hatchet.
All in all, a great show for GXW. All the hosses in the back deserve a huge round of applause.
REVOLUTION THOUGHTS
This upcoming Revolution looks to be one of the most intriguing yet. We have some unlikely matches that have taken shape as a result of the issuing of a challenge call by GXW management. Could we see some new stars rise in Zurich?
Should be interesting to see what happens with Max Blackshire in the house, not to mention Rob Sampson. Blackshire's a real hoss, but from what little I've seen of him in Superior Championship Wrestling, he's INSANE! I suppose watching your brother die in the ring will do that to you, though. I haven't seen much of Max in-ring, but if he's anything like his late relative Cyrus, he'll be a pleasure to watch.
I thought Mercedes Devon was a valet, not a wrestler? Either way, the three-way match between Jennifer Rowe, Devon, and Trynyty Wang should be interesting. See? The ladies in GXW aren't just T&A - they can wrestle, too. Despite what Mr. McFarland would have you think. It's true, kids: Gary Mac is NOT a hoss.
What guts Adam Benjamin has, answering Dan Ryan's open challenge! Benjamin's a huge hoss to be sure, and he's definitely improved himself as of late, but he faces the proverbial immovable object in the Ego Buster, who's a hoss in his own right. I'm hoping to see Benjamin overcome the odds and score a victory here, but he's got his work cut out for him.
David Black and Reuben Fasco, huh? This match has the potential to be very, very bloody. Both men are hosses with a penchant for talking a lot of trash, and watching them back it up is going to open a few eyes. I'm banking on Fasco to pull out the victory and keep the momentum rolling after his win over Gabriel Poe.
Looks like Stephen Waltz is facing a big obstacle of his own, as he's slated to defend his Television Title against DreamMaker, who eliminated him in a battle royal earlier this year. Dreams is a MONSTROUS hoss with a lot of momentum going for him. I'm rooting for Waltz to avenge himself here, but DreamMaker could very well shut him down.
Poor Hellfighter. He may have bitten off more than he can chew by challenging Vicious and Delicious to a handicap match. On the other hand, Rage and Styles seem to have lost a step or two lately. Hellfighter's a hoss when he's motivated, and if he can take advantage of V&D's sluggishness lately, he might just pull out the upset.
I'll say right now that the tag-team title match could very well be a show-stealer. The Dark Carnival are on a roll coming off of Global Warfare, but the Monsta Boyz are enormous hosses and they're looking to keep their own momentum rolling after their surprising reemergence at the Pay-Per-View. I suspect that Powers and Poe will retain, but it'll be a tough fight for them.
And finally, our main event pits some new faces against each other for the World and Continental Titles, as John Miller, Boogie Smallz, and the returning Christian Sands go head-to-head. I can't even begin to guess on this one. I will say, though, that Sands in particular seems obsessed with victory. That alone could be the deciding factor in this match, and it could certainly spawn an upset if either Miller or Smallz underestimates him.
ONSLAUGHT THOUGHTS
Interesting lineup for this edition of Onslaught. We've got a few new faces and some old ones being thrown into the fray.
The war of words between White Mantis and Angel of Death has already begun to escalate, with AOD and Mantis's agent, Steve St. Laurent, bickering back and forth furiously. Both AOD and Mantis are big hosses. AOD's got the experience edge here, but from what I've seen of Mantis, he's got the sheer drive to counteract that. This could go either way.
I'm not sure WHAT to think of the match between Death and Dane Dawson. Same goes for the match between Shawn Matthews and RAZE. None of these four have stood out in GXW lately. I'm banking on Matthews to show us something good this time, though. He's a huge hoss, and when he's motivated, he can work wonders.
The four-way match between Flash, Hardknockz, Golde, and Dragonsblood has the potential to be a barnburner if all four men can get it together and compete. We could easily see a star emerge here.
And finally, I must say it's a shame to see Kendall Codine reduced to GXW's B show. Codine was challenging for the World Title around this time last year, but he's fallen a long way - as have Frankie Scott and Dallas Winston. All three are hosses, but I think Codine stands the best chance of victory here.
Well, that's it for this Hoss Report, folks. I'll check in with you after Revolution. Until then, keep on truckin'.
~ Jim Hosselhoff