AS I SEE IT - 5/29/2002:
Seeing the "Best of the Best"...

by: Bob Magee

• Innersoul Body Piercing, 102 New Broadway, Brooklawn, NJ - (856) 456-7720
  
• Somerton Beverages, 13510 Bustleton Avenue, Philadelphia, PA - (215) 673-1900
  
• Ontario Street Comics, 2235 Ontario Street, Philadelphia - (215) 288-7338
  
  Those from the Buffalo area can travel with a group from Buffalo's Sportsblast TV. They are scheduled to leave from Buffalo, NY at 8:00 AM, and arrive in Philadelphia at about 2:00 PM. If you live in the area and would like to get involved with this they can be reached at (716) 896-1695.
  
  Here is a list (and profiles for the participants scheduled) for Best of the Best 2:
  
  
• B-Boy
  
  B-Boy has worked for various California independent promotions; including Ron Bassman's Universal Pro Wrestling, the lucha-style Revolution Pro, UIWA, CCW, Millenium Pro Wrestling, International Wrestling Council, ACW, and E.P.I.C.
  
  He has held the Universal Pro Wrestling lightweight title, CCW Cruiserweight Title, 3 time CCW Tag Title Champion, UIWA Maximum title, UIWA cruiser weight title.
  
  In an interview on the UPW website, he said it best himself. “If it wasn’t for pro-wrestling, I’d be either in jail or dead!” As a youthful member of Asian San Diego gangs, it was wrestling that turned around a young guy bound for a dead end future.
  
  Having spent much of his childhood as an "Army brat" (including three years in the Philippines), he found out about a local training facility in San Diego that originally provided him a way out. He takes pride in his ability to “twist typical moves around into something that [are] unique and my own”.
  
  He has worked with such Southern California talent as Frankie Kazarian, Mikey Henderson, Lil' Cholo, El Genio, Lucky, American Rebel, Taro, Rising Son, NOSAWA, and Michiko Ohmukai. Ricky Reyes, Prodigy, The Ballard Brothers, and Pinoy Boy; as well as his fellow Southern Californian Super Dragon.
  
  
• Super Dragon
  
  Super Dragon has worked for various California independents including All Pro Wrestling, Revolution Pro XPW, Millennium Pro Wrestling, WPW, and Mexico's Promo Azteca.
  
  He was voted 2001 Southern California Wrestler of the Year and was in both the 2001 SoCal Match of the Year and Match of the Year runner up by the So-Cal Uncensored website.
  
  He has wrestled such independent and Southern California stars as American Dragon, Low-Ki, Christopher Daniels, Juventud Guerrera, Spanky, Bobby Quance, Jardi Frantz, Mr. Excitement, Xcalibur, Rising Son, Ultrataro Jr., Disco Machine, and American Wildchild.
  
  Watch for Super Dragon's finisher, called the "psycho driver", From reports, it has to be seen to be believed. For those who remember when he used it, think Scott Steiner's "Steiner Square Driver" taken up two notches.
  
  
• Current CZW wrestler Ruckus
  
  Ruckus is an incredibly talented junior heavyweight in what some see as the body of a heavyweight, with incredible agility allowing to perform such moves as the Space Flying Tiger Driver.,
  
  He has wrestled for CZW, and other northeast independents such as Maryland's MEWF, POW, Heritage Wrestling, Nittany Wrestling Federation, Hardway Wrestling and NWA-Jersey.
  
  He has held titles such as the MEWF Mid Atlantic Title, Maryland Champion, Tag Title, Lightweight Title); Nittany Wrestling Federation Intercontinental Champion and Heavyweight Title; the Big Japan Pro Wrestling Junior Heavyweight title and the CZW Junior Heavyweight Championship.
  
  
• Current CZW wrestler M-Dogg 20.
  
  One of the hottest stars on the Midwest indy circuit today, MDogg 20 has worked for New Era Pro Wrestling and Cleveland All Pro Wrestling in Ohio, before debuting recently for CZW.
  
  He has feuded with career long rival Josh Prohibition, and such names as Chris Hamrick, Chris Chetti, and the SAT.
  
  Possesses one the most stunning aerial arsenals in wrestling and adds a gymnast's background to his talents.
  
  
• Current CZW and BJW Jr. Heavyweight Champion, Trent Acid.
  
  Trent Acid has wrestled for EWF (Hardway Wrestling), CZW, IWA Mid-South, Big Japan Wresting, Jersey All-Pro Wrestling, ECWA, NCW, NWA-New Jersey, NWA East, and WXW.
  
  He has held the BJW and CZW Junior Heavyweight Titles (the CZW Title three times), and has held the CZW Tag Team Titles three times with Johnny Kashmere.
  
  
• Trent Acid's tag team partner, Johnny Kashmere.
  
  Johnny Kashmere has worked for the following promotions: CZW, Big Japan, PWF, EWF (Hardway Wrestling), IWA Mid-South, NCW, NWA Jersey, NWA East, NWA Wildside, ECWA, Liberty All-Star Wrestling. He has held the CZW Tag Team Titles three times with Trent Acid, and once as part of the Kashmerinos with Robby Marino.
  
  
• "The Wonderkid" Jonny Storm.... Storm is one of the most exciting high flyers in wrestling, and is among the favorites in Best of the Best. Storm debuted in 1994 against Robbie "The Rocker" Thomas. He has held the FWA All-England Title and British Welterweight Championship.
  
  Trademark moves for Storm include: The Thunderstorm (Split-legged Moonsault), Stormin' Steiner (Reverse Frankentoyota), Frankensteiner, The Down Pour (Lifting Spinning Front Front Face Slam), and an Asai Moonsault.
  
  Storm has worked for various British promotions including: All-Star Wrestling; British Wrestling Federation (BWF); Capital City Professional Wrestling; Extreme World Warfare (EWW); Frontier Wrestling Alliance (FWA); NWA-UK Hammerlock Wrestling; Rumble Wrestling Promotions; Ultimate Wrestling Alliance (UWA); Universal Championship Wrestling (UCW); The Wrestling Alliance (TWA); Wrestling Around the World (WAW).
  
  
• Jodie Fleisch
  
  Jodie "Phoenix" Fleisch is another one of the great young British wrestlers, with experience in the UK, Europe and Japan.
  
  His trademark move include the Spaceman Shooting Star plancha, the Shooting star press, and the Wallclimb Moonsault.
  
  He was the FWA All England Champion in 2000, UWA Tag team Championship in 1999.
  
  He has wrestled for FWA, UWA, NWA-Hammerlock Wrestling, FCW (Netherlands), Michinoku Pro, and for a variety of European promotions.
  
  He had his best match in Michinoku Pro with Minoru Fujita and Shiryu II against CIMA, Christopher Daniels (Curry Man), and Super Boy in September 2000.
  
  The other officially listed participants for Best of the Best are E.P.I.C. and Revolution Pro's B-Boy and Super Dragon, Ruckus, and new CZW wrestler M-Dogg20.
  
  
• Jason Cross
  
  Cross is a four year veteran, known primarily for his wrestling with Bill Behrens's nationally syndicated promotion, NWA Wildside.
  
  Cross uses the 450 splash and a running shooting star press (similar to the spot used by the SAT's Red).
  
  Cross has worked with such junior heavyweights as Caprice Coleman, Rick Michaels, David Young, Adam Jacobs, Jaime Knoble, Jeremy Lopez, and Air Paris.
  
  Cross has worked for NWA-Wildside, Northern Wrestling Federation (Ohio), NAWA/Georgia and USA Wrestling (Tennessee). He has held the NAWA Intercontinental and Tag Team Championships, and WWA Lightweight Champion.
  
  He has worked numerous classic matches with AJ Styles, including an indy Match of The Year nominee at NWA Wildside's Fright Night on October 20, 2001 with Jimmy Rave, JC Dazz, for one of the most unbelievable matches ever in Wildside history.
  
  
• Tony Mamaluke
  
  Tony Mamaluke was trained by Dean Malenko, at the famous Malenko Wrestling School in Florida.
  
  He wrestled in WCW, appearing at WCW Bash at the Beach and Starrcade 1999, and as a manager for Big Vito and Johnny the Bull. He was a former ECW World Tag Team Champion with Little Guido Maritado, and was part of the Full Blooded Italians stable in ECW with Little Guido and Sal E. Graziano.
  
  Mamaluke most recently has been working for IPW-Hardcore Wrestling in Florida where he has competed in programs with Jet Jaguar at Traditionally Violent in an incredible matchup; and NWA Wildside,. along with fellow Malenko graduate Jeremy Lopez.
  
  Mamaluke works a wild aerial style, and is not afraid to take risks...sometimes going too far for his own good.
  
  
• Nick Berk
  
  Berk has wrestled for CZW, NWA-Jersey, Jersey All-Pro Wrestling, EWF/Hardway Wrestling, MEWF/Maryland, Liberty All-Star Wrestling, and IPW-Hardcore Wrestling/Florida, among others.
  
  Berk briefly held the CZW Heavyweight Champion, in a wild night in February 2001, where he defeated current title holder Justice Pain, and held the Iron Man Title (in his "softcore" incarnation. He twice held the Jersey All-Pro Wrestling Light-Heavyweight Title.
  
  
• Elix Skipper
  
  CZW has filled the final slot in the Best of the Best with "Canada's greatest cruiserweight, and former WCW Cruiserweight Champion"...Prime Time Elix Skipper. Skipper comes in to this year's tournament, as Juventud Guerrera did last year, with the bragging rights of a former WCW Cruiserweight Champion.
  
  According to CZWrestling.com:
  
  "Skipper is known just as much for his charisma as 'Prime Time' as much as he is for his abilities to fly and grapple with the best junior heavyweights in the sport today. Skipper is a graduate of the WCW Power Plant and has recently competed in the HWA and NWA Wildside, both successfully. Skipper will get his opportunity under the spotlight of CZW to prove his doubters and critics wrong. Skipper is very excited about the opportunity to compete in the tournament and to show the world what Elix Skipper is truly capable of. On paper, this year's tournament is shaping up to be the tournament of the year."
  
  Skipper most recently has been working with St. Louis's Gateway Championship Wrestling and NWA-Wildside, and worked post-WCW with the Heartland Wrestling Association.

Along with the Best of the Best tournament, the June 8th show also features the return to the ring of Wifebeater, as he makes his return to action (after having been out with an injury since the December 13th CZW Cage of Death show), challenging Lobo to a match under "his rules".

Until next time...

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(If you have comments or questions, I can be reached by e-mail at bobmagee1@hotmail.com)