Incredibly Strange Wrestling

[IANdrewDiceClay]

Just ordered the book of the history of this promotion, because I'm quite fascinated by it (and because it was only 2 quid). Meltzer used to review their shows and made it out to be completely mental. This was pre-internet as well, where most of the mental shite came about. This was 1995/96 and included wrestlers such as the Klu Klux Klown and Harley Racist. One of these events featured JR Benson (the bloke who filmed the Cornette Dairy Queen video when he was in Smokey Mountain) vs a wrestler called The Rapist where the loser would fall into a bunch of needles which would make him contract Aids. There's valets pissing on wrestlers faces to revive them. There's a homeless commissioner. I dont usually like promotions like this, but its blows my mind that this was around in the mid 90s. Shite like this was usually done for cheap internet publicity (like XPW and the likes). Its insane. Whats even more strange is that half of the ISW roster are best mates with Jim Cornette and have worked for OVW. Ron Hed who is the host of it (and seen drinking a womans piss) is the OVW ring announcer. The big fat valet called Stacey is Cornettes wife. You'd think someone like Cornette would want this lot dead, and not be pals with them.

 

Its NSFW. Its probably not safe for anyone who respects pro wrestling, but its something to see. Pretty mad.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=playe...p;v=9dJuUDEaykA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64TqCS1xZGc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGbp5hlv0QE

[Vamp]

They promoted shows with bands too didn't they? Or in facdt they might have started out as being a small side to gigs and festivals or something. I seem to remember reading up about them and they were insanely hot in their region for a period.

[CTXRussomark]

I still have a few 20th Gen VHS tapes from years back and outside of the initial shock value they're an absolute chore to sit through. One of them has an entire show filmed inside an empty warehouse (not Ian Rotten style, just literally a ring in a warehouse with no crowd) and I never managed to make it through the whole thing. So yeah, it's a bit of fun for the novelty value, but it wears off pretty quick.

[Forrest]

Just ordered the book of the history of this promotion, because I'm quite fascinated by it (and because it was only 2 quid).

 

Where did you get it? I was going to buy it a while ago and never bothered, but for 2 quid, I must pick it up.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

Its on Amazon.

[Vamp]

I still have a few 20th Gen VHS tapes from years back and outside of the initial shock value they're an absolute chore to sit through. One of them has an entire show filmed inside an empty warehouse (not Ian Rotten style, just literally a ring in a warehouse with no crowd) and I never managed to make it through the whole thing. So yeah, it's a bit of fun for the novelty value, but it wears off pretty quick.

 

It strikes me as one of those things where the production stories are probably more interestin than the shows. Although I suppose the shows might have a counter culture feel to them if you're into that kinda thing. I've only ever seen the odd clip on youtube.

[Arch Stanton]

It strikes me as one of those things where the production stories are probably more interestin than the shows.

 

I was just about to say the same thing. I can imagine the book being a fascinating read, but trying to sit through just a few minutes of footage is borderline impossible.

[Devon Malcolm]

Ian, you had me at "Harley Racist". Definitely going to investigate this!

[IANdrewDiceClay]

Although I suppose the shows might have a counter culture feel to them if you're into that kinda thing.

That's what interested me when I was watching it. The production values are so shit and the graphics are done with the same software John Lister used on the Hulk Who? comps in the mid 90s. There's something so of its time about how its put together and something so unlike the time about what actually goes on in the ring. Seeing them knocking about the street filming promos on the fly is fun as well. Its creatively uncreative if that makes any sense. As has been said, watching this for more than novelty just isn't possible. For its so mental as a one off. If this was done now it would be like "here's another bunch of attention seekers trying to get hits on the internet". But the fact it was done through the mid 90s tape trading scene gives it far more charm than shite like IWA and XPW. And a few of them went on to do decent things, so it wasn't backyarders behind it. A lot of them were trained and worked for proper promotions around the country.

[Statto]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=playe...p;v=9dJuUDEaykA

 

That's quite a spectacularly ballsed-up Asai moonsault attempt at just after 1hr 27m on that video. Ouch.

[Vamp]

Its creatively uncreative if that makes any sense.

 

I guess its like crappy exploitation movies that paracinema fans like, the kind of things that are kind of several different things and don't quite achieve being anything. From what I've read of ISW it seems like its performance art but its not and its wrestling but its not. And what makes those sort of things so unwatchable is a) they're insanely boring and b) they're not what we've come to expect from things and they're uncomfortable viewing as a result. But that's also what makes them interesting.

 

Plus, you know, its got birds pissing on blokes.

[Flatulent Dad]

I got this one years ago. The Mariachi band at the beginning were more entertaining than anything on the card.

 

Yom Rippur v Cletus The Fetus

Piloto Suicida v El Profeta w/ Johnny Legend

Osama Bin Mascaras v El Asesino del Postal

El Mecanico v El Fugitivo

Excalibur v Joey Ryan

Pino Boy v Jack Bull

The Ballard Bros. v King Faviano / Li'l Cholo

Los Cubanitos (Ricky Reyes & Rocky Romero) v Scott Lost / Funky Billy Kim

Spanky v Adam Pearce

[Vamp]

Osama Bin Mascaras

 

Now that's a gimmick.

[Cannibal Man]

I've got a few DVDs of both ISW/ESW promotions, and as mentioned the stories and hype and what you imagine the actual shows to be like are about a million times more entertaining than the actual footage of the shows themselves. I remember for ages just imagining how much fun it'd all be with all those mental gimmicks and names going at it at places like the Fangoria conventions and getting really excited at what sites like Slambamjam described the shows as being like until the day I got my hands on loads of it from a trader.

 

It reminds me of Bill Drummond describing seeing The Residents for the first time. Spending forever building up this big mystique in your mind, only having partial information to hand, looking at the record sleeves, hearing the stories, seeing the pictures. But all it comes down to in the end is four dickheads in daft masks and tatty suits fannying around in Birmingham Town Hall. Same with this. You expect a living, breathing Rob Zombie album cover come to life, and what you actually get instead of the all out comedy madness you expect you get either an empty warehouse or quiet convention hall with a crowd of largely unarsed onlookers watching somebody in a generic mask masquerading as Yom Rippur. It's a brilliant idea, but just not executed to any sort of standard that you could build up in your own mind, from everything i've seen. There's a clip on a Bob Barnett comp that looks loads more fun than the bar/convention shows with a band playing while, I think, Supreme from XPW and someone take on another tag team in a small club with a packed crowd.

 

It's the same issue with a lot of Onita stuff. You cram as many mental sounding words and stipulations into the one badly translated match type, and instead of world war 3 taking place inside the confines of a 9,000,000 volt double hell exploding swimming pool time bomb cage you get Mr Pogo wheezing and falling over slowly into some plywood with barbed wire stapled to it.

 

The book does look great, however.

[Egg Shen]

I always remember seeing it listed on the old tape trading lists, i never actually saw any of it though. I remember JR Benson from some old school APW video i had though where Vic Grimes and his partner beat the fucking shit out him (whatever happened to Vic Grimes post XPW?).

 

There was always weird and wonderful shit on them lists. First time i read 'Matsunaga vs. The Crocodile' i started counting out my pennies to get hold of a copy, then it arrived and it was a case of 'that was it?'...still, Matsunaga was the man.