While training at ACE I met a man who quickly became the only real friend I made inside of the wrestling business. That man is Jon Harder. Jon, at the time, was the color commentator for the ACE DVD releases, but had dreams of emerging on the scene as a manager to top wrestlers in our industry. One night, I introduced Jon to Leon and they really hit it off. The three of us now shared one goal – we were going to make it in the business and we were going to make it together. Jon Harder would be the man to guide Tim Hughes and Leon St. Giovanni to the top.

On November 4th, 2010, our lives would change forever. Leon and I would embark on our first wrestling road trip to Elyria, Ohio for Beyond Wrestling’s “Developmental Hell”. Corvis Fear went to bat for us as he had done for so many others. It was an unforgettable experience and quite possibly one of the best weekends of my life. The whole weekend was full of great wrestling and fun hangouts, highlighted by a trip to the Kalahari indoor water park. We both knew at this time that we were going to fully dedicate ourselves to the sport we loved.

Shortly after that trip, everything seemed to change. Jon kept bad-mouthing Beyond Wrestling to me and Leon. He started calling it “unprofessional” and he said that we would never make any money competing for Beyond Wrestling. Jon Harder insisted that this business is about turning a profit. We brushed it off completely and continued to compete for the organization which Leon and I referred to as home. Jon became very distant during this time but continued to reach out to St. Giovanni. Slowly but surely, Leon began to buy into the propaganda that was spewing out of Harder’s mouth. Not long after it became very difficult to get in touch with either of them.

Jon eventually politicked his way into Beyond Wrestling, first offering to help with menial tasks at the closed tapings. I had hoped that once he got to see for himself how passionate everyone involved was that it would be contagious. Jon did camera at the “Gospel Of The Boards” taping, the same day Dan Barry debuted for Beyond Wrestling. But it was Barry’s open letter to the professional wrestling industry last summer that pushed Harder over the edge. Harder and St. Giovanni chose Beyond Wrestling’s first live event, “About Time,’ to launch their “professional revolution.” I suspected something wasn’t right that day but Denver Colorado ignored me when I brought my concerns to his attention.

I know we have had our differences in the past, Denver, but I’ve spent the last year proving that I am dedicated to Beyond Wrestling. I came to “Off The Grid” to help out any way that I could even though I wasn’t booked. I impressed at the “One Day As A Young Lion” workshop at the Chikara Wrestle Factory by rattling The Pitboss. I’m begging you to let me help get rid of these hypocritical imbeciles. I want to prove to you, the Beyond Wrestling fans, and the locker room that I can be a serious threat. I know Jon and Leon better than anyone. I know the weaknesses that they have done an incredible job covering up. I love Beyond Wrestling and I don’t want to see it succumb to greed like every other wrestling promotion. It is my understanding that Harder and St. Giovanni will not be there at “Burst The Bubble,” but we can cure this epidemic by putting an end to JT Dunn and his Mama’s boy tag partner. Without alliances, there is no way Harder and St. Giovanni will be able to continue their professional revolution.

BEWARE OF THE CHOP!

-Tim Hughes-

PS: Follow me on Twitter @TimHughesNews

Every time Beyond Wrestling holds one of these so-called “professional” wrestling events, the members of The Professional Revolution show up and take care of business. Think all the way back to the start of the year. DC was foolish enough to promote a secret event hoping that we wouldn’t get involved. Johnny Cockstrong could tell you about our involvement. Cockstrong felt the effects of the beating administered by The Professional Revolution all weekend which is why he is no longer #1 in Beyond Wrestling. Dan Barry, on the other hand, probably can’t tell you about our involvement. Shurman spiked him so hard on the back of his head that Barry has no recollection of the events that transpired, but I’m sure he figured it out when he woke up in a hospital bed.

Now it is up to me and Mark Shurman to represent The Professional Revolution this weekend at Beyond Wrestling “Burst The Bubble” in Bridgewater, MA. Dan Barry wants to get his hands on Mark Shurman but I’ll make sure that that doesn’t happen. If any other tough guys want to step up on Barry’s behalf, they’ll have to deal with the Sure Thing. Business is business, which means Stan Stylez, Leon St. Giovanni, and Jon Harder will be conducting business elsewhere, securing the future of The Professional Revolution. However, me and Shurman will not be alone. My enormous New England fanbase could tell you that I normally roll with my agent, Vernon Somoza, to the majority of my bookings. Somoza has always taken care of me and is someone I could consider a true professional. With Harder’s permission, Somoza will represent me and Shurman at “Burst The Bubble” on Saturday, ensuring that I will do what I do best – win.

The moment Mr. Gulak got his “win back” – and unprofessionally slapped me across my face after the bout – he knew I’d be coming for him. This struck fear into the man’s heart, because despite how he plays it off to the world, he is well aware of what I am capable of. He knows that the man challenging him is a significant upgrade of the man he beat, and he dreads that fact to it’s core. He loathes it. The last thing “Mr. Intensity” wants now that he’s finally gained some momentum is for me to snatch it from his grasp, and beneath it all, he knows I would. Better yet? He knows I will!

I can say that comfortably because I for fact will be in attendance at Beyond Wrestling’s “Burst The Bubble” come the 12th, and I will be there for our match. Beyond’s “Burst The Bubble” is going to be the location for our Rubber Match, Drew, and your choices are rather east: fight, or forfeit! Show up or no-show, but at the day’s end, there WILL be a match, and there WILL be a winner!

I’ve taken more than enough steps to assure this Rubber Match go down in the correct manner. My people and even I myself have reached out to you in every possible form and publicly laid out the challenge, and all you’ve essentially done since is take the low road and claim a CZW booking, just so you don’t have to face me. It’s a true act of cowardice from a textbook chiseler, and I for one am disgusted. You’re not a man of class or sophistication as I am by any means, but I hardly expected this type of behavior from you. I expected you to give me a hard time about this challenge, absolutely, but your evident fleeing has even caught me a tad off guard. You’ve thus far shown yourself to be a false advertisement of your own hype, and I won’t have it. I am a man of honour and valour; I stand by my word and my vows! And this coming Saturday, I back my vow when I show up and stand waiting in that ring.

The ultimate question is not whether I win or not, because either way, the outcome is inevitable. The question is: will I have to take your pride, or will you be mailing it to me?

We will find out.

- Signed,
“The Debonair Millionaire”
Darius Carter

East Side Eddie – Eddie was Beyond Wrestling’s first referee, but he went missing hours after Beyond Wrestling’s pilot taping in May of 2009. Nobody has seen or heard from this guy in almost three years. Come to think of it, nobody has seen or heard from Dubleve, either.

Dave The Potato - Potato is a great referee… and he knows it. Starting at “Of Bosses And Busters,” Potato has officiated more matches in Beyond Wrestling than anyone else. Believe it or not, Potato said he would be willing to take the match if he gets a round trip first class flight from Cleveland to Boston, hotel accommodations at a four star hotel, and a voucher for a $5 Footlong from Subway. Sorry spud, not going happen.

Robert Paulson – Some of you (OK, none of you) may remember Robert Paulson as an active member of the Beyond Wrestling roster throughout 2009. Paulson officiated at the “Of Bosses And Busters” taping after he refused to give Chris Dickinson a ride back from the gym. The idea was that he would become better acclimated with respect. We know how that turned out. Honestly, I’d rather cancel the show than bring back Paulson.

The Duke – Duke was introduced into Beyond Wrestling at the “Wrestletopia” tapings as an unbiased enforced once Chris Dickinson and the rest of the Doom Patrol had a stranglehold on the organization. Unfortunately, The Duke has his hands full these days as the new co-host of AIW’s Intense TV. Good luck with the new gig, Duke!

Nikki Heyman – Heyman, the first female official in Beyond Wrestling, shared the duties at “Keep The Streak Alive.” From what I understand she’s wrapped up in the ECW revival. Whodathunk.

Drew Taylor – I never heard back from him.

Jason Styles – The “Pop Culture” taping was absolutely bizarre. This guy showed up out of the blue and had a pair of black slacks (which he never put on) and a referee shirt. I thought he did a good job. Now he’s facing charges of soliciting sex from a minor. Whoops.

Tony Thunder – Thunder is a hell of a guy, don’t get me wrong, but he also suffers from narcolepsy. Homeboy was sleeping in the locker room at “Back in Flesh.”

Anthony Green – Obviously young Anthony, who made his debut at the “Gospel Of The Boards” taping, is the catalyst for this entire ordeal. Click here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA1Fh0NgKlQ) to watch his video message if you haven’t done so already.

Brett Lauderdale, Shannon Place, and Jake Clemons – Lauderdale, who officiated at “World Of Hurt,” “Miracle Workers,” and “Ring Leaders” was by far the most influential referee in Beyond Wrestling, opening the doors for a number of wrestlers. Shannon Place is one of the unsung heroes of the independent circuit. Not only is she a licensed official, but Shannon is one of the dedicated members of the Smart Mark Video crew. Jake Clemons is a total doofus. All three are already booked that weekend.

Mike Crockett – Crockett most recently worked the “Off The Grid” live event and subsequent studio tapings. However, after reviewing the footage from Dave Cole vs. Pinkie Sanchez, Crockett is serving a one show suspension. Human error comes along with the territory but we can’t risk jeopardizing one of the biggest matches in Beyond Wrestling history.

Corvis Fear – Fear was suffered a neck injury at a Jersey Shore Championship Wrestling event late last summer. Corvis reappeared at “Off The Grid,” hosting the live event. After The Pitboss had attacked all of the officials, Fear was able to convince him to put on the dog collar to begin his unsanctioned match against Jonny Mangue. Fear is the heart and soul of Beyond Wrestling, but he returns at “Burst The Bubble” as an active competitor. That’s certainly a better application of his skill set. Let’s see is Corvis can still go after being sidelined for close to a year.

Nick Papageorgio – I’ve heard nothing but great things about Nick’s officiating, but I have no idea how to get a hold of him. Whenever I Google his name to try and find his contact info the results are flooded with video clips from Vegas Vacation. Not a Chevy Chase fan, myself.

So that is where we are at. If you, the fans of Beyond Wrestling, have any suggestions, please email beyondwrestling@gmail.com. With less than 10 days until the show, time is quickly running out…

What started as a fun little side project unexpectedly grew into a full-fledged wrestling promotion. The unprecedented atmosphere attracted wrestlers from around the country who wanted to compete for their peers. The innovative online presentation grabbed the attention of promoters within the industry who integrated some of these fresh ideas. Yet nobody really knew what to make of Beyond Wrestling. Some still don’t. There are days I wake up and I don’t have a clue where we are heading. All I know is that I want to see how far we can push it.

In some ways I felt like we were starting to plateau just a year after our first taping. The fans who had seen our videos online wanted us to run a live event but the Northern Ohio wrestling scene was far too oversaturated to sustain another full-time wrestling organization. There were maybe a dozen or so different promotions running within a 20 mile radius of Cleveland at the time. If we were going to take Beyond Wrestling to the next level, we would have to relocate. In my mind, there was never really another option.

One thing that I learned in college that has always stuck with me is called “Blue Ocean Strategy.” I’m sure you can Google it but the concept is pretty easy to understand. Basically, the more unique your product is, the less competition you have. Applying this strategy always seemed to make the most sense since Beyond Wrestling was never intended to be a business to begin with. That pretty much contradicts professional wrestling in New England which has always been about “tradition” first and foremost. For those keeping score, that more or less means wrestlers wrestle with the sole purpose of making it to WWE. “If you’re not in this business to make money, you’re in the wrong business.” But wrestling isn’t just a business. It’s an art form!

After ECW went under, the only time New Englanders would get to support a progressive wrestling promotion is when Ring Of Honor came to town. Personally speaking, I felt like the quality of the ROH shows in Boston really started to decline as New York became a stronghold for the company. The wrestlers were not competing to the best of their ability on Friday night because they had to make sure they were a hundred percent going into NYC. Regardless, fans in Massachusetts and Rhode Island have never had a locally-based, forward-thinking wrestling promotion that they could support… or so I thought. Turns out I was living in my own bubble.

When fans think of New England independent wrestling, what is the first thing that comes to mind these days? ESPN’s coverage of Scott Hall making a fool of himself in Fall River? The New England Showcase 10-Man Tag from CHIKARA’s Brockton event? Mike Bennett? I’ve come to learn firsthand that none of these are really accurate representations of what New England has to offer. I sincerely hope someday Beyond Wrestling will be synonymous with New England independent wrestling, but in the mean time, I want to use our event on May 12 to spotlight some of the unsung heroes of the area.

Time permitting, I’ll post another blog next week detailing who to look out for and what to expect from this incredible crop of talent we’ve been lucky enough to work with in New England.

Denver Colorado
(The Man, Not The Place)

It’s Me, Steven “The Turtle Weiner, With A Quick Message Directed Towards Two Groups Of Peoples. First, To All Of My Beyond Wrestling Shell Heads, Beyond Wrestling Returns To Bridgewater, Massachusetts On Saturday Night, May 12th, And I Hope To See All Of You There! Secondly To All The Soft Shells In The Professional Revolution, Watch Your Shells. If You Try Anything Funny At “Burst The Bubble,” Old Shell Head Here Will There Shelling Up On All Of You.
See You Then…

From, STTW

As a veteran, I feel like it is my job to help any struggling athlete I come across. I strive to make everyone around me BETTER and I never pass on a challenge when it is presented to me. I will not look for an easy out. That is the responsibility that comes along with experience, Nick. These are values that need to be passed down to the next generation of wrestlers. That includes guys like AJ Evers who you and Mark have turned into a whipping boy over the past few months. Everyone on the Beyond Wrestling roster is improving at an incredible rate. That was made abundantly clear at “One Day As A Young Lion.” But how do you expect to hang with your peers without participating? How are you going to say you are one of the best if you’re not getting in the ring to prove it?

I am drawn to Beyond Wrestling time and time again because everyone on the roster is so driven. The unprecedented environment at Beyond Wrestling brings out the best in anyone that steps out from behind those banners that you helped create. At one point it seemed as though you had turned a new leaf but lately all you do is run your mouth. When you were given the chance to get in the ring with a world-traveled wrestler like Tony Kozina at “Back In Flesh” you demonstrated your lack of discipline. Kozina showed no mercy because you did not treat him with respect. I’ve seen the tape. The veteran member of Team Ambition humiliated you. I was willing to work with you again at “Crises Precipitate Change,” hoping Kozina had knocked some sense in you. What a mistake. One year after “Developmental Hell” and you were still more concerned with playing on your iPad than working on your in-ring technique.

Nick Talent, you will learn sooner or later that you reap what you sow. I will continue to forge my own path and work towards achieving my personal goals. That includes helping others along the way. You may be unwilling to invest in your future, but AJ Evers understands that in wrestling and in life you never stop learning. When you confronted me at “One Day As A Young Lion,” you didn’t take matters into your own hands. Instead, you insinuated that I would have to deal Mark Angel. If Mark has anything to say to me, he knows how to get a hold of me. If it results in another match down the line, that would be even better! I’ve defeated Johnny Cockstrong when he had more points than anyone else and I was responsible for Mark Angel’s first loss in Beyond Wrestling. Now that Mark is #1 Ranked, I’d love to knock him off again. Since you’re so quick to tattle, Nick, maybe you could let him know that, too.

See you in May.

THE FANS GO WILD! THE PSYCHEDELIC WARRIOR CONTINUES HIS WINNING STREAK HERE IN BEYOND WRESTLING at “BURST THE BUBBLE!” AARON EPIC MADE TO LOOK LIKE A FOOL! DAVE COLE IS WELL ON HIS WAY TO THE TOP OF THE BEYOND WRESTLING LEADER BOARD! WE DID IT! WE DID IT!

WE DID IT!!!

THAT is what the headlines will read Mr. Aaron Epic. I’m so glad you accepted my challenge. Prepare for the worst.

Darius –

I have important matters to attend on the weekend of May 12th. As I am sure you are aware, I work for other wrestling promotions around the world, thus sometimes bookings will conflict with one another. This match in particular is far too personal and unfortunately that means I will not be at Beyond Wrestling’s “Burst The Bubble” live event.

This also means I will not be able to hurt and embarrass you even more than I did at the “Off the Grid” taping a month ago, which I sorely want to do. You and the other wrestlers will simply have to wait.

Meanwhile, have fun whining to no one. I really think you should spend this time finding a proper training facility. Perhaps someone out there can teach you some etiquette in my absence.

Sincerely,
Drew Gulak
For A Better Combat Zone