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INDY SHOW OF THE WEEK: NEW ENGLAND CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING TO TAPE FIRST COMCAST SPORTSNET TV SHOWS THIS SATURDAY IN QUINCY, MA

New England Championship Wrestling will hold their first television tapings this Saturday 12/19 in Quincy, MA.  There are a million promotions with a million different television deals, from Internet shows to public access to legitimate networks and beyond, but NECW's jump to television is unique, in that the promotion, which has quietly built a loyal following in recent years in the Boston area, will be partnering with Comcast Sportsnet for the series.

That partnership is important in that it's not just another indy promotion paying it's way for glorified infomercial time.  Instead, the partnership will see NECW airing in a specific timeslot throughout all of New England on the same network that broadcasts Boston Celtics games and be carried on Comcast's Video on Demand channel in the New England area.  The series, which will debut this January, will also be available nationally for those who subscribe to Comcast sports packages.  

It's a major clearance for a promotion that has been slowly building itself up by running solid shows and taking small chances.  Owner Sheldon Goldberg, a longtime wrestling historian featured on several A&E wrestling documentaries in the 1990s, isn't one to make grandiose claims that are baseless.  He's more of the soft-spoken ilk, preferring to let the company's moves make the statements for him.   Indeed, when the company filmed a joint announcement with Comcast management to hype the deal, Goldberg didn't even inform his own locker room until moments before the video was aired for fans in the venue.

NECW has built itself on the old school ideals of the professional wrestling of old, good vs. evil with a strong helping of solid in-ring wrestling based on technical finesse and young talents trying to make their names.  Names including TNA's Roxxi, ROH's Eddie Edwards and even British star turned TNA Tag Team champion Doug Williams were utilized in pushed positions here before being used elsewhere.   NECW also pioneered the first weekly online TV series, something Goldberg felt was practice for an eventual television clearance, but the deal had to be the right one, one made for the proper financial reasons, not for the sake of being able to claim they were on TV.  With the Comcast partnership accomplished and the hopes of being able to tap into that synergy, the next goal on the company's agenda is to take their homegrown talent and begin to build them into local stars.

Step one in that regard will take place Saturday night in Quincy, MA at the National Guard Armory.  The first taping is currently scheduled to feature several episodes being filmed, featuring the following matches:

*NECW Triple Crown champ Max Bauer vs. "Sensational" Scott Levesque with Handsome Johnny & Sammi Lane

*NECW Television Champion "The Heat" Kris Pyro vs. Kejimura

*World Women's Wrestling Champion Alexxis Neveah vs. Taeler Hendrix

(NECW Tag Team Championship: Rican Havoc vs. The Crown Jewels with "Mr. Fabulous" Tony Ulysses

Also scheduled to appear are  D.C. Dillinger, Ryan Bisbal, Real Natural with "The Rock God" Brett Adams, "The Talent" T.J. Richter will have another $5,000 Bodyslam Challenge to anyone who can slam Mr. Munroe and more.

Yes, a bodyslam challenge.  Throwback indeed.  Throwback into the future of NECW and possibly, the entire New England wrestling scene.

For more information on New England Championship Wrestling, visit http://www.necwwrestling.com.

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