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TAKING A DEEP LOOK INTO PHILADELPHIA'S PRO WRESTLING UNPLUGGED AS THEY PRESENT THEIR MARQUEE EVENT 'THE CRAZY 8' THIS WEEKEND

Inside the Crazy 8

Philadelphia independent promotion Pro Wrestling Unplugged will present the "The Crazy 8" this Saturday at the the New Alhambra. Named for the PWU-exclusive match that will headline the event (see YouTube.com video above, and it's worth your time to do so), the show is considered to be the main date on the PWU calendar and will be preceded by a special meet and greet tailgate party that afternoon with PWU regulars as well as 2 Cold Scorpio, The Nasty Boys, and Tammy Sytch among others appearing.

In the alphabet soup that is independent wrestling in the Northeast scene, it's seemingly impossible to build any fan loyalty. Through trial and error, Pro Wrestling Unplugged has quietly done that, growing from running before scant crowds in a Philadelphia bar to its own wrestling training academy to several hundred fans at the former ECW Arena

It was a weird process for the company, which was founded by the Backseat Boys after a falling out with long-time home promotion Combat Zone Wrestling. PWU was anything but a success early, with some of the same fans who followed the team suddenly treating them as outcasts. An intense feud between the two sides continued personally and professionally, although over time, as more and more CZW regulars departed from the company, many of them, including Eddie Kingston, Messiah, Z-Barr and Adam Flash ended up working for PWU. As time went on, and the promotion moved to the New Alhambra, some of those fans followed, as even did CZW's long-time announcers Eric Gargiulo and John House.

Over the last few years, however PWU has grown into own animal, not relying on being Xerox of any other independent promotion or following the trends. No, instead, the promotion should be proud of carving its own niche and attracting a mix of families, hardcore fans, and locals looking for a fun night out. PWU doesn't have the hardcore, sometimes stringy atmosphere of an ROH show, nor does it bring the vibe of the glory days of CZW's punk rock feel.

While PWU may not always get lion's share of the online attention, they are doing something far more important from a grassroots point of view. They aren't out to conquer world. No, Pro Wrestling Unplugged is something of a throwback to the simpler days of running an independent company where the wrestling and the fun atmosphere for a few hours was the draw, not the brand name associated with it. It's about a fun night out at the wrestling matches - what a novel idea

"We have a great core audience and are extremely thankful for them. This is a big night for us. We are also trying to impress upon all of the fans coming for the first time why we are considered such a fan friendly promotion, " said PWU's Tod Gordon when contacted on Wednesday. "As was my goal in the "real" or "original" ECW days, I strive to make sure that no one ever leaves a show I'm involved with feeling like they didn't get their money's worth. This Saturday night, people should attend because they will receive much much more than that. We appreciate the different promotions people can choose from to spend money that they work their tail off all week to earn. Therefore, we aim to overwhelm them in an effort to make us their promotion."

Gordon pointed out that from the perspective of a level of importance, "Crazy 8" was PWU's own version of Wrestlemania. "We are bending over backwards ,all the way from the top office people, to our volunteer workers, to make this a very special event for all of our fans. This is our way of thanking those who have been loyal to us over the last few years whether it be by attending all of our live events or purchasing our DVDs. It's going to be a night to remember for our core group of wrestlers who want to make their names and entertain. That's what good pro wrestling should always be about."

Beyond the lineup of matches that night, PWU is also bringing in TV actor Burt Ward or the famed 1970s Batman series, who will be seconding Johnny Kashmere against ROH regular Delirious on the show. Ward's appearance came as something of a lark following several months of Kashmere wearing a replica Batman utility belt to the ring. It sounds silly on the surface but fits with Kashmere's storyline and it's something unique you'd likely never see elsewhere.

Even the New Alhambra is getting into the act to help make the show something special, sending out word last week that they will honor two new inductees into the building's "Hardcore Hall of Fame", which already honors Terry Funk and the late Ted "Rocco Rock" Petty. This year, Petty's partner in Public Enemy, Mike "Johnny Grunge" Durham and former ECW World champion The Sandman (who will be present) will be honored as banners in their honor are unveiled and hang in the building permanently. Two more fitting names couldn't be honored. While ECW put the venue on the map, it was Public Enemy that became the promotion's first in-house act that made the venue famous. Likewise, Sandman became the first local Philadelphia star from that era to explode to national stardom.

Still, the focus will be on pro wrestling with a 30 Minute Iron Man match featuring Tag champions AMIL defending against rivals and former champions The SAT, the next chapter in the Messiah vs. Adam Flash feud, Kashmere vs. Delirious and the promotion's marquee signature match, the Crazy 8 featuring a scaffold, swinging ropes, and more insanity to provide Detox, PWU champion Devon Moore, and even 2 Cold Scorpio a new dimension to ply their aerial offense. Joey Matthew, Eddie Kingston, The Thomasellis, and Luke Hawxx highlight the card, facing PWU regulars building their own name. Like I wrote, it's all about a fun night out at the matches, what a novel idea for 2007.

The complete announced lineup for this Saturday's show features:

*Crazy 8 Match featuring PWU champion Devon Moore vs. 2 Cold Scorpio vs. Detox.
*PWU Tag Team champions All Money is Legal vs. The Maximos - Iron Man Match
*The Nasty Boys' PWU debut
*Joey Matthews vs. Pete Hunter
*Johnny Kashmere (with actor Burt "Robin" Ward) vs. Delirious
*John McChesney vs. Luke Hawxx vs. Aramis
*Eddie Kingston vs. Brandon Thomaselli
*The Messiah vs. Adam Flash
*Lucky vs. TJ Cannon vs. JC Ryder vs. Bruce Maxwell
*PWU Women's champion Amy Lee vs. Annie Social
*The Iron Saints (Sal & Vito Thomaselli) will take on the Bosom Buddies (Teddy Fine & Drew Blood)

The show, scheduled for a 7:30 PM belltime, will be preceded by a "Tailgate Party" at 4:30 PM.

For more on Pro Wrestling Unplugged, visit www.ProWrestlingUnplugged.com.

Mike Johnson can be reached at Mike@PWInsider.com.

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