AS I SEE IT: A WrestleCon Update
Bob Magee
Pro Wrestling: Between the Sheets
http://pwbts.com
Everyone knows the first weekend in April is Wrestlemania weekend, and about all the events associated with it. But at least some of you don’t know about the mega-convention/wrestling orgy called WrestleCon, planned for Friday, April 5- Sunday, April 7…just prior to WrestleMania.
Highspots and WWNLive are the event’s co-promoters, which will take place at the Meadowlands Expo Center on 355 Plaza Drive in Secaucus, NJ. The event convention will feature major wrestling guests, vendors, six shows of LIVE wrestling and more. It’s saef to say that the event will be the biggest weekend in indy wrestling history. The Meadowlands Expo Center is only 3 miles from the site of Wrestlemania, five miles from Manhattan and minutes from the Newark Airport. It is easily accessible to those in New Jersey (and elsewhere) from the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Expressway, and is accessible by a wide variety of means of New York/New Jersey transit, including PATH, and NJ Transit.
Fair warning…bring lots of money. There are all sorts of different costs for different events. PLEASE consult the Wrestlecon site at (http://www.wrestlecon.com) for a full list of costs and information. However, a VERY basic list of information follows.
If you’re going to attend the individual wrestling shows outlined below, you can pay for a individual ticket to those shows (ticket prices listed below). If you are attending the other events AT ALL…plan on buying either a single day admission ticket: $20 or a weekend admission for $30. Those get you into the Expo. Autographs and/or photo ops are additional, in some cases a decent amount. Some events have also chosen to add additional charges.
Here is the huge large WrestleCon schedule of events. Remember, check out prices BEFORE you go.
Friday, April 5
4:00 pm – 6:30 pm: EVOLVE (1st Row $50; 2nd Row $40; GA $25)
This event features a one day tournament to crown the first EVOLVE Champion. Each wrestler was given a seed based on their Record and standing on the Leader Board. Their seed is stated before their name and their Record is in parenthesis. The #1 and #2 seeds receive first round byes. The format for the tournament is:
Bracket A
* First Round Match/Four Way Freestyle: #5 Rich Swann (3-2) vs. #6 Samuray Del Sol (2-3) vs. #7 Sami Callihan (3-7) vs. #8 Jigsaw (1-3)
* Semi-Final: #1 Chuck Taylor vs. Winner Of First Round Match
Bracket B:
* First Round Match: #3 AR Fox (7-6) vs. #4 Jon Davis (5-4)
* Semi-Final #2 Ricochet vs. Winner Of First Round Match
* Tournament Finals to crown the first EVOLVE Champion with Bracket A Winner vs. Bracket B Winner
In non-Tournament action, a Tag Team Main Event: The Young Bucks vs. The Super Smash Brothers
Plus: Open The Freedom Gate Champion Johnny Gargano, Brian Kendrick, Uhaa Nation, Arik Cannon, Orange Cassidy & Drew Gulak of The Gentleman’s Club,-The Scene of Caleb Konley & Scott Reed with Larry Dallas
8:00 pm – 10:30 pm: Combat Zone Wrestling (1st Row $50; 2nd Row $40; GA $25)
* Main Event: CZW World Champion MASADA vs. the returning ‘Crazy Monkey’ JUN KASAI
* Stand-Up and Fight: GREG EXCELLENT takes on COLT CABANA
* Aerial Assault: SHANE STRICKLAND vs. AR FOX vs. RICH SWANN vs. CHIVA KID vs MK McKINNAN
* International Tag-Team Match: The Sumerian Death Squad (TOMMY END & MICHAEL DONTE) vs. OI4K (JAKE & DAVE CRIST)
* Eight Man Tag-Team Match: DREW GULAK’s Campaign for a Better Combat Zone vs. NILES SOZIO’s The Front
11:55 pm – 2:00 am : Kaiju Big Battel (All tickets GA $25)
Saturday, April 6
WrestlExpo – 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
10:00 am – 1:00 pm: Legends of the Ring “Classic” Superticket
10:00 am – Noon: Highspots.com presents Bret “Hitman” Hart
Noon – 3:00 pm: K&S Wrestlefest Superticket
Noon – 2:30 pm: SHIMMER Women’s Athletes (1st Row $50; 2nd Row $40; GA $25)
* Steel Cage/SHIMMER Title Match: Champion SARAYA KNIGHT vs. CHEERLEADER MELISSA
* Rematch from SHIMMER 52: AYAKO HAMADA vs. “The Wrestling Goddess” ATHENA
* The SHIMMER return of AMAZING KONG
* Former SHIMMER Champion MADISON EAGLES
* The SHIMMER debut of New Zealand’s EVIE
* MIA YIM returns from Japan
* SERENA returns after an 18 month absence
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Legends of the Ring & Lucky 13 “Gimmicks” Superticket
4:00 pm – 6:30 pm: CHIKARA (1st Row $50; 2nd Row $40; GA $25)
* Saturyne vs. Kobald
* Ultramantis Black returns
8:00 pm – 10:30 pm: Dragon Gate USA (1st Row $75; 2nd Row $50; GA $25)
* Open The Freedom Gate Title Match: Johnny Gargano defends vs. Shingo
* Open The United Gate Title Match: CIMA & AR Fox defend vs. The Young Bucks
* Akira Tozawa vs. Ricochet
* Sami Callihan vs. Uhaa Nation
* Brian Kendrick vs. Rich Swann
* Jon Davis vs. Samuray Del Sol
* Six Way Freestyle: Chuck Taylor vs. Arik Cannon vs. Jigsaw vs. Tony Nese vs. Fire Ant vs. Shane Strickland
Plus more to be signed with: The Super Smash Brothers, EITA, The Scene
11:55 pm – 2:00 am: 5 Dollar Wrestling LIVE! (All GA $5)
Sunday, April 7
WrestlExpo – 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
9:00 am – 1:00 pm: Legends of the Ring presents the Ultimate Warrior
10:00 am – Noon: Highspots.com presents Bret “Hitman” Hart
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm: Dragon Gate USA
* Main Event #1 – The Six Man Tradition Continues: CIMA’s Team vs. Johnny Gargano’s Team (participants will be announced soon)
* Main Event #2 – Battle Of The Best: Shingo vs. Akira Tozawa
* Ladders Are Legal High-Flyers FRAY: Two competitors start. Another enters the ring every two minutes. Eliminations can take place at anytime by pinfall, submission or DQ. Ladders are legal once all participants enter. Already entered: Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, Samuray Del Sol, Facade with more to be added!!!
* Special Challenge Match: Brian Kendrick vs. Chuck Taylor
* Tag Team Attraction: The Super Smash Brothers vs. Sami Callihan & Arik Cannon
Plus more to be signed with: Ricochet, AR Fox, Jon Davis, Rich Swann, Uhaa Nation, Christina Von Eerie, EITA,,The Scene of Caleb Konley and Scott Reed w/ Larry Dallas, Tony Nese.
Then, on the evening of April 7, there’s this show you might have heard of…. called Wrestlemania.
Until next time….
— Bob Magee