ABSURD! w/ Joe Feeney

While editing this podcast, all of us in the wrestling community received bad news, as Balls Mahoney passed away at the age of 44. RIP to Balls, and my condolences to his family and his friends.

Joel Gertner returns to Creative Control! "The Quintessential Studmuffin" and I cover a lot in this episode. Joel goes over his managerial influences. He also drops the news that his "Everything But The Wrestling" seminar (which I attended and which helped me with everything I've accomplished so far!) will return this summer. I cannot stress this enough: if you run a promotion or a wrestling school, have Joel in for this seminar. Anyone within earshot will learn more in those few hours than some have their entire careers!

We also discuss his infamous promos, as he tries to narrow down a favorite one. We speak about The Dudley Boyz, if Joel was ever scared while managing them due to the Dudleys penchant for creating mayhem, and if he is surprised they are still going strong on WWE programming today. We touch upon a hot potato of a topic, as Joel gives his thoughts on the WWE Network and the various lawsuit talk that seems to be growing each day. He and I cover criticism from the IWC, a topic I rant about from time to time, and Joel makes excellent points. We also talk about Joel's promotion, MXW, some of his memories on running it, and whether he sees a return to promoting in the future. And finally, with Collectorfest looming, we discuss wrestling conventions, and Joel shares a personal, funny story about meeting a legend.

You can see myself and Joel Gertner this Saturday at Collectorfest at the 2300 (ECW) Arena in South Philadelphia, from 9-3. I will have copies of the book 'Working Stiff," the first ever Creative Control t shirt, and various WWE and TNA action figures for sale. Joel will be available for photos, autographs, video messages, and may have a few surprises up his sleeve. It should be a fun day, and with legends like Kurt Angle, Shawn Michaels, Rob Van Dam, Tommy Dreamer, Bobby Heenan, and Stan Hansen all scheduled to be there, among others, if you are a wrestling fan in the Philly area, I don't see how you can miss it!

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RefereeMike Kehner returns to Creative Control to cover the gamut of his pro wrestling career, as a referee, a wrestler, and a trainer, and we cover the past, the present, and the future. We begin with some ECW stories, including the Mike Awesome situation, and the returns of Raven and Sandman in 1999. Mike goes over ECW's closure, and some of the unsung ECW heroes, both in the ring and out of the ring, as well as the craziest moment he ever saw in the ring, in ECW. He talks about his close relationship with his mentor, former ECW referee John Finnegan, and how much he still enjoy working with him today. We cover his close relationship with Steve Corino. We get into the Philly Wrestling Wars, and how it affected Mike when he wanted to work for the different warring promotions. He tells a few stories about little remembered promotion, MECW, including working with Curt Hennig, Chris Harris, and Buff Bagwell. We also talk about his time working for MLW, including a War Games match in Florida. Mike tells us his theory as to where a new promotion could best grow in the US, and that turns into a conversation about Freedom Pro Wrestling, run by former 3PW talent Kris Krude/Cesar Smalls. We get into the infamous Low Ki vs. Ahtu match for EVOLVE, and we consider what went wrong for Extreme Rising, and how Tommy Dreamer's House Of Hardcore picked up the ball that they dropped and ran with it in the Philly area. And finally, we cover Mike's career today, including working for ECWA. We talk about ECWA's very passionate fanbase, some of the up and coming young talents there, and the upcoming Super 8 Tournament, on April 23rd. We also go over the Delco Pro Wrestling show this Sunday, which will feature such talents as Robbie E, Rockin Rebel, Nick Berk, Eric Martin, Missy Sampson, Kid America, and more, with Mike refereeing, and calling it right down the middle. To keep up with Mike, please check out his Facebook page, as well as the FB pages for ECWA and Delco Pro Wrestling.

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Bill and i return to discuss the upcoming Wrestlemania card, and to give our predictions. What does the future hold for both Kalisto and Ryback? Who out of the ten women in the Divas tag team match do we see going on to further success in 2016? What would we like to see the future hold for the Dudleys? Who will stand tall in the cluster known as the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal? Will The New Day fly on their unicorns out of Wrestlemania as winners? Is Alberto Del Rio being underutilized? Who do we see winning the IC title Ladder Match, and who is the shocking favorite on the gambling websites? Where will the Divas/Womens Division go in 2016, and will Charlotte leave Mania with her title, or will Sasha be crowned? Will Bayley's possible debut affect the outcome of this match? Has AJ Styles been used correctly, and will Jericho put him over on the biggest stage of them all? What can be done in the Lesnar-Ambrose match to benefit both guys? Should Ambrose come out on top and get the biggest win of his career? What can be done to satisfy the Mania crowd when it comes to Roman Reigns? Is it a foregone conclusion that he wins, and could some post match shenanigans be exactly what he needs to get over? And finally we talk about the spectacle that Shane vs. Undertaker will be, including a heavily rumored spot in the match. It's Wrestlemania season, and we are ready for the show!

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On episode 50, part one, Bill Knight and I discuss the WWE Hall Of Fame Class of 2016. We talk about each inductee, our feelings on their inductions, and a little bit about each of their careers and their impact on WWE and the pro wrestling world in general. What do we think about the "Celebrity Wing," and Snoop Dogg's induction? Will a certain Celebrity Inductee and Presidential candidate appear on Raw later this year? What about The Warrior Award? Is it what The Ultimate Warrior intended, and does that matter? We give our thoughts on Stan Hansen's career, both stateside, and in Japan. We talk about Jacqueline's impact, not only in WWE, but in WCW and Memphis as well. We talk about The Big Bossman, his humble beginnings, all the way to his runs at the top with names like Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin. We cover The Godfather's induction, and how HOF credibility should be measured. We talk about The Fabulous Freebirds finally going in, and whether or not those who are against Jimmy Garvin's induction with the Freebirds is a legitimate gripe. And finally, we talk about the man called Sting, and his multiple decade, hugely influential run, his beginnings, the NWA, WCW, matches with Flair, Cactus, Vader, Hogan, how he overcame some bad angles and creative in his career, the stellar aspects of his TNA run, including matches with AJ Styles, Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, and more. And finally, we talk about his 2014-2015 run with WWE, expectations for his arrival, and his legendary matches with HHH at Wrestlemania 31, and with Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Episode 49's guest is former NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and current Pacific Coast Wrestler booker, The Almighty Sheik. Sheik and I cover a variety of topics, including his youth as a fan of all things Florida Championship Wrestling, wrestling training and how it has changed, working with and learning from guys like The Blackhearts and Kevin Sullivan, his early days as a member of The Market Crashers, working in Florida for and with "Earthquake" John Tenta, working with "Typhoon" Fred Ottman, and how working with the Bushwhackers led him to Puerto Rico. We go over his experiences in Puerto Rico, including dealing with the violent fans over there, and working for and with Savio Vega, Carlos Colon, and Miguel Perez. We also talk about his experiences in Japan as the NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and working for HUSTLE and Zero-One. We cover the rumors about Sabu granting his blessing over The Sheik gimmick. Sheik and I also talk about his thoughts on working the "hardcore" style, and how his character lends itself to that style match sometimes. We go over the controversial title change, when Sheik defeated Colt Cabana for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, Cabana's feelings on it to this day, and how Adam Pearce felt about the whole situation. Sheik tells me his thoughts on working with the NWA then, and how he perceives the current day NWA. We also talk about his appearances for Pro Wrestling Syndicate, and his feelings on PWS booker Eric Pleska. Finally, we come to Pacific Coast Wrestling. Sheik is currently booking for PCW, and they have their second event this Saturday night in Torrance, California, at the Oak Street Gym at 7 PM. We talk about their first show, and also about some of the stars appearing this Saturday night including The Almighty Sheik himself, MVP, Kenny King, Scorpio Sky, EVOLVE Champion TImothy Thatcher, Willie Mack, Fat Dick Johnson, Jeff Cobb, and more. If you are a wrestler today who is interested in becoming involved in Pacific Coast Wrestling, Sheik outlines what he would be looking for, as far as a wrestler's talent submission. We also talk about the future for PCW, including possible DVDs, Blu Rays, live streams, future live events, and so much more...

Please check out Pacific Coast Wrestling at www.pacificcoastwrestling.com

Episode 48's guest is former CZW World Heavyweight and Iron Man Champion, Nick Berk! Nick grew up as a Philly wrestling fan, spending his teens in the ECW Arena before being trained to wrestle at the Hawkins Wrestling Gym by Reckless Youth, Mike Kehner and Don Montoya. He came up through the ranks with the likes of the Backstreet Boyz (Trent Acid & Johnny Kashmere) and Billy Reil. We talk all about his early days as a fan, and then training, and his first match. From there we cover his entrance into CZW, and his thoughts on the Deathmatch and Ultraviolent style they utilized in the old days. We cover the "Philly Wrestling Wars" of the early to mid 2000s, and how that affected young wrestlers trying to make a payday, and also how the closure of WCW and ECW affected wrestlers around that time. We talk about Pro Wrestling Unplugged, how it came about, and his experiences there, including wrestling his trainer Reckless Youth, and his close friend Trent Acid, as well as his interaction with legends like Jake "The Snake" Roberts and Dr. Tom Prichard. We go over his trip to Japan with CZW and his views on CZW today. And finally we talk about his infamous skit as "Michael Richards" with WWE, his ability to improvise during that segment, and his dealings with Stephanie McMahon, Ron Simmons, and Cryme Tyme. He also tells a story about Vince McMahon that has to be heard to be believed! Nick also had a series of matches with WWE from 2005-2009, and we talk about his various opponents including the BWO, Animal & Heidenreich, MNM, Ken Kennedy, and more. And finally, we talk about his upcoming participation in "Delco Pro Wrestling," which takes place on April 10th at 3 PM, in Briarcliffe, PA, and will also feature The Rockin Rebel, referee Mike Kehner, Eric Martin, Annie Social, Missy Sampson, Kid America, and more!

Episode 47 sees the return of former WCW TV and Cruiserweight Champion, as well as a former WCW and TNA Creative Team member, Disco Inferno. Firstly, he and I cover Fast Lane, and the crowd's, AGAIN, negative response towards Roman Reigns, and Disco's thoughts on that. He also gives his thoughts on the current fanbase in general, and the difference between what once constituted entertaining wrestling television, as opposed to how fans think wrestling should be portrayed today. We talk about how he first met Raven, and the birth of the Disco Inferno character. We talk about how he wound up in WCW, and how the fans immediately took to the character. We cover his memorable WCW Saturday Night gimmick, where every week he would try a new variation on his secret "leg hold," and how things that that can be more memorable than actual matches. Disco also discusses teaming with Alex Wright, being on "Public Enemy Duty," and the night the British Bulldog was injured on The Ultimate Warrior's "secret" trap door. Disco then tells us about why Warrior may have been doomed to fail in WCW, and how the same factors may have affected Bret Hart's WCW run. Finally, we cover today's physical style of wrestling, which move he believes is responsible for all of the neck injuries from the late 90s until today, and how he views the current wrestling style as it relates to concussions. Throughout the show, we also discuss Perry Saturn, Paul Heyman, Vince Russo, Goldberg, Ryback, AJ Styles, his current roles in 3PW Las Vegas, Future Stars of Wrestling, and an upcoming appearance in June for PWS.

Please check out ProWrestlingLoot.com and use discount code "CREATIVE" to receive 10% off a monthly pro wrestling box of goodies!

And please check out Vince Russo's "The Brand" and the Relm Network at VinceRussoBrand.com

Episode 46 sees us speak to former ECW Triple Crown winner and current WWE 2K16 video game superstar, Mikey Whipwreck! We go along through Mikey's career, including his unusual entrance into the business, working in ECW with guys like The Sandman, Cactus Jack, Raven, Justin Credible, Mike Awesome, and more. We also delve into his appearances in the by-then, very dysfunctional WCW. He discusses his highly thought of debut match with Kidman on PPV, the confusion beforehand, and how screwy the WCW bookings could really be. He also touches on what made him throw in the towel on his WCW experience. From there, we talk about his ECW return, being managed by the Sinister Minister and teaming with Tajiri, and the end of ECW. We also cover some of his post ECW appearances with ROH and TNA, and why he did not return to TNA for Hardcore Justice 2010. Finally, we get to cover his recent appearance with Tommy Dreamer's House Of Hardcore and his surprise induction into the Hardcore Hall Of Fame at the 2300 (ECW) Arena. All in all, it is a great talk with one of the more underappreciated wrestlers of all time, and hopefully there will be a part two coming to cover all that I missed!

Please check out ProWrestlingLoot.com and use discount code "CREATIVE" to receive 10% off a monthly pro wrestling box of goodies!

And please check out Vince Russo's "The Brand" and the Relm Network at VinceRussoBrand.com

Episode 45 of Creative Control, is a MUST HEAR episode, as Vince Russo returns and gives his uncut, uncensored and from the heart feelings on Eric Bischoff, John Gaburick, his 2002 return to WWE and his dealings with Vince, Triple H, and Stephanie, the WWE's criminal misuse of Bray Wyatt, trying to recruit Paul Heyman for TNA and the fallout after Paul's meetings with Spike TV, his experiences with and expectations for AJ Styles, his true feelings on Kevin Owens, Dixie Carter, Raven, Tommy Dreamer, Sting, Bruce Prichard and many more, plus a little known story about the Ultimate Warrior and a return to WCW that never came to fruition.

Please follow Vince Russo at @THEVinceRusso on Twitter, and checking out his podcasting network "The Brand" available on Relm Network at VinceRussoBrand.com

This episode of Creative Control takes a look at the career of one of the greatest wrestling superstars of all time, and one of my personal favorites, someone who made me love the business again, Bryan "Daniel Bryan" Danielson. I go over when I first heard of him, when I first saw him, my impression of his feud with Nigel McGuiness, how I felt about his treatment on NXT, watching the WWE put roadblock after roadblock in front of him, and finally, how much I enjoyed some of his triumphs. Thank you very much for everything you did for the fans, Bryan. Are the fans holding their memories close to their hearts as they wish you the best in your future? YES YES YES!