14 Years of Blood, Sweat, & Tears: 2006

On April 9th Northeast Championship Wrestling presents its Fourteen Year REUNION from the Jacob Jones VFW Post in Dedham, MA. Beginning in 1997 a group of friends banded together to create their own brand of professional wrestling, and a unique, one of a kind experience would follow. In this special retrospective one of NCW’s founding fathers John C. Howard looks back at the history of NCW from his own eyes. The following opinions are his own however, and do not reflect the views of Northeast Championship Wrestling in any way.

When I started this project last year for NCW’s 13 year REUNION I didn’t realize the huge undertaking I was tasking myself with, and to be honest soon became overwhelmed as I struggled to meet the deadline. One year removed and with our 14 year anniversary on the horizon [April 9th] I thought it was time to finally finish what I started (much like the majority of NCW’s history) and complete this chronicle of ‘Blood, Sweat, & Tears’.

2006

For as bumpy a road as 2005 was, 2006 was a million times worse. Heading into our first event of the year (Silence the Violence V in Dedham) we were still trying to figure out what we were and what we wanted to become. Despite our fantastic debut event in Dedham the previous October, I was still uneasy about the future of the promotion and what our focus should be. Even with my past experiences in the New England wrestling scene, coming back into the fold I felt like I was starting all over again. And with promotions like NECW surging to the forefront of the New England indy scene, I was definitely trying to play catch up with my peers.

With the 2005 Big City Rumble winner Chris Venom challenging Ruy Batello for the Heavyweight Championship, and with guys like “Bad Boy” Billy Black, Moco, and Michael Sain fading away we made a concerted effort to start building up the new gang that was populating the locker room. The brand new NCW New England Champion Doug Summers was set to defend his Title in a rematch against former Champion “Hot Stuff” Paul Hudson, while the Tag Team Champions Generation SLAM squared off against The Maine State Posse to continue their rivalry that began at NO FEAR.

A major focal point of Silence the Violence V was also the announcement of our new NCW President, as Commissioner Richmond Black opted to step down from his post. Voting had been ongoing for the previous two months on the NCW website, and the newly elected Official would make his debut in Dedham. The man voted in (legit) by the fans was former NCW Tag Team Champion “The Full Effect” Mike Paiva, the high flying Emerald Fuzion member who last appeared at the 2005 REUNION for his swan song from active competition. Truly touched by the feedback and the outpouring support from the voters, Paiva showed up to Dedham ready to give the fans what they wanted—that is until he had his first drink of the evening… By the time the new NCW President came to the ring for his presidential address the evil side of Mike Paiva showed up with him, with the former “Full Effect” berating the crowd and  turned himself on the fans. At that moment a new (old) star was born.

Thanks to an assist from The Original Kings of Old School (Derik Destiny, “Textbook” Dean, & “The Pinnacle” Paul Lombardi) “Revolution” Chris Venom used a pair of brass knucks to defeat Batello, winning the NCW Heavyweight Championship for the second time. It was a shocker to the fans (and to the boys in the back), but a decision had to be made to shake things up from the ground up. During NCW’s two year sabbatical Chris Venom became one of the top fan favorites in New England, leading NECW as their Heavyweight Champion while also making huge strides in Steve Bradley’s WFA. He became much closer with “Brutal” Bob Evans during this time, and became a better wrestler because of it. As far as Chris Venom has gone in the business (beyond how far he SHOULD have gone IMO), I’ve always considered him an NCW guy. Here was someone who literally came from nowhere (the basement of PYCW) to showcase his talents, made a dynamic personality for himself and continuously adapted to better himself. Venom’s Title win in 2006 however, went over like a fart in church all things considered.

It should be noted that as Venom cheated in every way possible to win his second Heavyweight Title, and as the new NCW President watched from the commentary table, he enjoyed every moment of Batello’s anguish. Following the match “The Portuguese Sensation” demanded Paiva to restart the match, but Paiva stated that the referee’s decision was final and that Chris Venom was the new Champion. Ruy went to slug the new President, only to have “The Full Effect” put a twelve year old boy into the line of fire, preventing his assault.

A Hostile Environment

As we searched out new buildings to run out of, we were able to help secure a venue in Groton CT thanks to Tim Kilgore and his Wife, with the show being a benefit for the DeMolay chapter (a subsidiary of the Masons) in that area. Running out of the Elks, we planned a huge event to celebrate NCW’s return to Connecticut for the first time in 6 years. Not only would Doug Summers face his biggest challenge as Champion to date by defending his New England Title against TOKOOS’ Derik Destiny, but Generation SLAM would also be defending the NCW Tag Team Titles against The Fighting Tootsies, while young Davey Loomis  challenged Chris Venom for Venom’s NCW Championship. This would be a marquee event for NCW, as “The Portuguese Sensation” Ruy Batello would also begin his quest to get his eventual rematch with Venom by taking on Triplelicious in a #1 Contenders Match.

Full Disclosure: If there was one event that could have killed NCW’s comeback dead in its tracks then Hostile Takeover 2006 was that event. Everyone had worked so hard on promoting this event, but the fact of the matter is Groton was a huge city to work within, and we were also counting on a big push from the DeMolay representatives to help us spread the word. And that’s when I finally learned that no matter who you’re running a benefit for, you cannot trust them to do the legwork. Things became only more muddied when we learned that NECW was running an event in Plainfield that night, and would be utilizing a majority of the talent we had been integrating into our roster over the last year for THEIR event. While it wasn’t too far a distance, many had to choose one over the other to avoid the headaches of rushing from venue to venue. It was decided that both Doug Summers and Chris Venom (our two singles Champions) would work the first half of our show, with them shooting over to Plainfield for the 2nd half of NECW’s.

With that in mind and with a push from some of my confidants, we brought in a bunch of talent that had never worked for us before, trying to even out the show from top to bottom. So evemn as NCW was still trying to overcome its identity crisis with our second coming things only got more frenzied with the arrival of The Big Islanders (Makua & Kahuka), X-Rated (Sean Styles & Leo Cambria), Avil Graves, Mikey Marvelous, & “THE ICON” (his words, not mine) Angel.

The day of the show things got worse, as the creepy bastards at the building stated that anyone entering the hall would have to sign a ledger before they’d gain admittance. Are you fucking kidding me?! So not only was this Elks Lodge hidden deep within the back roads of Groton, but now anyone (wrestler, referee, camera guy, paying fan) wanting to come into the building for our show would have to sign their disturbing guest book for their records (and possible kidnapping. No one’s seen Shawn Styles in quite a long time). Its okay I thought to myself, this is a benefit show. All the kids would bring their friends and family to support a good cause and help raise money for THEMSELVES. But no, only about half the kids bothered to show up, with the casual audience even smaller.

The show itself was even worse, as Doug Summers and Derik Destiny’s styles clashed just enough to provide an awkward encounter for the NE Title, while NCW novice Avil Graves took it upon himself to berate and scream at Rob Impact following their epic four corners match featuring Cenobite and said “ICON” Angel. When endearing yourself to a new locker room, the best thing to do is probably not chew out a member of the family you’re trying to impress, losing your cool and looking like a douche bag in the process. X-Rated and The Big Islanders had a serviceable tag team match, but they just weren’t clicking with what crowd was there, and what I was looking for in NCW. I love Makua and truly believe bigger things should have happened for him in wrestling, but Hostile Takeover was not the event to showcase it.

A small bright spot on the show saw Venom defend his NCW Title against Davey Loomis, in a match that finally helped validate some of the potential people had been talking about for the last year. After Venom gained the victory thanks to help from “The Rocket” Fred Curry Jr, Venom & Curry assaulted the amateur grappler until Ruy Batello made the save chasing Venom out of the building (and straight to NECW). From behind Triplelicious jumped Batello, and their match kicked off, spiraling into a stiff, hard hitting, old school brawl with the NCW veterans fighting tooth and nail to become the #1 Contender for their coveted Championship.

Except that was just the first 30 seconds of the match, and things quickly deteriorated from that point. Batello became blown up and completely off his game, and after a few miscues and blown spots Batello was able to pick up the win with a vicious ‘Ruination’. Despite the sweet finish, Ruy’s quest to regain his coveted Championship was dead in its tracks. I saw it in his eyes and knew it even going back to January in Dedham.

Ruy Batello was done.

After the show (with Generation SLAM defeating The Fighting Tootsies to retain their Tag Team Championship with Kilgore’s Wife booing them out of the building) I had the opportunity to talk with Ruy about what was next for him. Beyond the fact that this benefit show nearly killed NCW completely, disrupting us financially to the point we had to take the next two months off to regroup, I had to talk to one of my best friends about his passion for the business being gone, with him barely going through the motions. His heart wasn’t into it was showing in his performance and appearance.

My own heart sank when I realized that we had worked so hard to bring NCW back, only to have one of its charter members leave us behind so soon. Ruy knew he was done for awhile at that point, he just didn’t know how to express it and let me know. And though I didn’t immediately know it at the time, Ruy Batello stepping down as the #1 guy and walking away probably saved the promotion from destruction and helped save HIS career in the process.

It’s His Density… er, Destiny

NCW COLLISION COURSE would take place on Saturday night August 5th from the Jacob Jones VFW Post, and would feature Ruy Batello’s Farewell. Knowing this would be Ruy’s final night in the company, President Paiva opted to show an act of kindness, offering Ruy any type of match he wanted for his grand finale.

Batello came out for his interview, and while it’s been joked about amongst the NCW crew years later it was never more apparent than at that moment—it was on this night, Ruy Batello’s retirement, that the sonofabitch learned how to ‘work’. Always pushing himself to keep up with the rest of his peers, Ruy relied on comedy and personality to establish himself as a player in the local scene. It wasn’t until his natural charisma shone through that the fans began to take to “The Portuguese Sensation”, and it wasn’t until 2002 that anyone (NCW specifically) even gave him the chance to BE a star. Ruy won the NCW Championship in his breakthrough match against Tim Kilgore, and it was supposed to be the beginning of a new era for the promotion and Batello himself, but unfortunately NCW was a mere four months away from shutting down for its 2 year sabbatical.

Ruy never got the chance to grow in his role and as a wrestler, and by the time NCW came back in 2005 it was already too late. Despite having a solid match with Jason Blade at the REUNION show Ruy had already been inactive for nearly a year prior after leaving PWF-Northeast, and when he went up against Paul Lombardi at the Big City Rumble he finally found himself playing catch up with a whole new breed of talent. Ruy’s time had passed. But when he stepped through the curtain on August 5th, 2006 to announce his final match to the Dedham crowd, everything changed. Like fixing that light bulb that had been burnt out for the longest time. That was Ruy Batello’s farewell. Showing energy we hadn’t seen in years Ruy Batello challenged Chris Venom for the NCW Title, promising to walk away win, lose, or draw regardless of the outcome. President Paiva smarmily agreed, only to eat a Super ‘Ruination’ from the former Champ for his troubles. Lighting up the crowd with a smile on his face, Batello knew it was going to be a good night.

The undercard saw Generation SLAM continue their feud with the Maine State Posse as Thornhill, Pittman, & Amber teamed up to take on the trio of Scotty Vegas, Alex Chamberlin, & MTE in an intergender six person match. Doug Summers suffered his first major loss since debuting in NCW, as Derik Destiny and TOKOOS screwed him out of the New England Title in the “Old School Challenge”.

Davey Loomis picked up a big win over Triplelicious, continuing to earn raves for his amazing athleticism after breaking out against Venom. And in the beginnings of a classic rivalry, Tim Kilgore severely injured Rob Impact during their one on one match, with Kilgore trying to end the career of the young Phoenix to ‘save his career’.  While the storyline was very Raven-like, it was also very intentional to be that way. Our goal at the time was to add an extra dimension to the pretty boy Rob Impact character, and we felt making him our version of Tommy Dreamer (yes he was once a pretty boy!) would do the trick. Whether it worked or not can be subjective, but at least we tried something different.

It was soon time for the Main Event, and the crowd was buzzing (as were the boys in the back) about Ruy vs. Venom, and what might happen now that the Heavyweight Championship was on the line. In a spirited brawl, Batello brought the fight to “ TheRevolution” and his entourage, deflecting interference from both Paul Lombardi and Bryce Andrews (the match was made No DQ) to DDT Venom onto the NCW Championship belt and giving “The Portuguese Sensation” his second Heavyweight Title. Following the match a parade of NCW wrestlers stormed the ring for an emotional send off, looking to pay respects to their friend and brother. In a true moment of respect, even Ruy’s former tag team partner MTE joined the celebration, realizing the unique nature of the situation. Before too much celebrating could commence however President Paiva returned to the ring, looking to retrieve the Heavyweight Championship. True to his word Batello delivered the belt, but not before cutting one of the most emotional speeches of his life and  following it up with a 2nd Super ‘Ruination’, laying out his newfound nemesis for the last time (not).

With the retirement of Ruy Batello, and the uncertainty of the NCW Heavyweight Championship, everyone was wondering what would come next. We needed focus, we needed direction, and it seemed that the vacant NCW Championship was going to be the drive everyone needed to saddle up.

NO FEAR or No Future?

Looking to maintain some type of momentum after the Dedham show, we decided to hold a “TV taping” (despite not being on TV) at the world famous Loomis Arena. This was a mixed bag of fun and depression, but it did help deliver a breakout performance from Evan “Hawkeye” Hunter, who was primed to challenge the NCW New England Champion Derik Destiny for his old school belt. Also this event saw Dean Livsley take his first steps back between the ropes, when he was the final man eliminated (by “Hawkeye”) from the New England Title Battle Royal to become the #1 Contender for the Championship.

NCW’s next event was scheduled for October back in Dedham, NO FEAR II, where we would crown the new NCW Heavyweight Champion. The 8 Man Tournament would headline the show, with Evan Hunter challenging Derik Destiny for the New England Title while Generation SLAM would celebrate their first year as Champions would be set to defend their Tag Team Titles in the 2nd annual Tag Team Invitational. The buzz was high, and I truly believed this would be NCW’s opportunity to finally shine after such a long time of struggling. Little did I know there was one final drop (the biggest) on that proverbial rollercoaster, when the night before the event (let’s say 11pm at night) I found out the ring we were renting would not be getting to Dedham for the show.

To put things into perspective, it is well known that upon NCW’s return in 2005 we began using the old ICCW ring (i.e. the Loomis ring) for our events. The relationship I had/have with the Loomis family is beyond words, and without them NCW would not exist today (or yesterday, or tomorrow). Despite me stealing his child away from him and adopting him for myself, Larry Loomis and everyone in between have been an invaluable piece to our puzzle, and this was never more evident than on that day in 2006. You see the Loomis family was going to be out of town until the day of NO FEAR, and utilizing the ring was out of the question. As a backup, I contacted an old ‘friend’ who many know as SCW Eric, who insisted we could use their ring for the show. Letting me know everything was all set; I took it at face value. That is until I got word that the truck had not been rented, and could not be rented to haul the ring to Dedham. Dejected and confused, I made a last ditch effort to find an alternativem to no avail. This did not go over well with the VFW folk, and due to our last minute cancellation we burned a very important bridge with the venue, losing the hall because of it.

Crushed, I had to cancel the show and kill our Title tournament all in one fell swoop.

Feeling like we were in a no-win situation and on the brink of giving up, we soon got word that we would be having a private show at the Pomfret Preparatory School in Pomfret, Connecticut. Exclusively for the students living on Campus, the show would be headlined by the school’s Headmaster David Hastings teaming up with alumni Davey Loomis, taking on the dastardly duo of Triplelicious & his manager JC Marxxx.

With nothing to lose, we tried to piece together a fun show for the fans in attendance, putting all storylines surrounding the vacant Heavyweight Title on the back burner while focusing on the characters themselves. By doing this the weight of the (NCW) world was lifted off our shoulders (my shoulders) and ended up having an amazing event because of it.

Everyone had their working boots on that night, and gave the packed house everything and more. With only 6 matches everyone took their time, gave 110% and made an everlasting impression on the students in attendance. “Textbook” Dean wrestled his first singles match in four years after having shoulder surgery, and tore up the ring with a terrific match against Don Vega. MTE and Doug Summers gave the fans a nice little slugfest that showcased Doug’s rising popularity, and Rob Impact took on Tim Kilgore in a violent Stretcher Match, continuing the feud they began back in August.

While Gen SLAM successfully defended their Tag Team Championship against the duo of Cenobite & The Kreeper, all four men (along with the beautiful Taeler and Lil’ Kreep) busted their ass and put on a fantastic tag match that showed why Generation SLAM was the best team going in NCW. The show was culminated with Davey Loomis & Headmaster Hastings’ victory over Trip & JC, a ‘fun’ spectacle that saw the Wildman Hastings (bare feet in jeans and a button up) get his hands on the overconfident Marxxx.

Dubbed Pomfret Panic, the event helped reenergize the entire roster with a new determination heading into the New Year. With a Champion to be crowned, and a hungry and capable roster looking to make an impact, 2007 was shaping up to be an interesting year.

Previous Articles:
13 Years of Blood, Sweat, & Tears: 2005
13 Years of Blood, Sweat & Tears: 2003-2004
13 Years of Blood, Sweat, & Tears: 2002
13 Years of Blood, Sweat, & Tears: 2001
13 Years of Blood, Sweat, & Tears: 2000
13 Years of Blood, Sweat, & Tears: 1998-1999
13 Years of Blood, Sweat, & Tears: 1997

Tags: Afterburn, Alex Chamberlin, Angel, Avil Graves, Bob Evans, Cenobite, Chris Venom, COLLISION COURSE, Davey Loomis, David Loomis, Dean The Beast Livsley, Derik Destiny, Don Vega, Doug Summers, Fred Curry Jr, Generation Slam, Groton, Headmaster Hastings, JC Marxxx, Jon Thornhill, Mike Paiva, Mikey Marvelous, MTE, NCW Heavyweight Title, NECW, New England Title, NO FEAR, Paul Lombardi, PC Cruz, Pomfret, Ray Diamond, Richmond Black, Rob Impact, Ruy Batello, Scotty Vegas, The Alumni Club, The Big Islanders, The Maine State Posse, Tim Kilgore, Timothy Pittman, X-Rated