COLUMN: Striker Offers A Different Perspective On NPCI

The 2010 NPCI Tag Team Tournament is now in the books. I’d like to offer my congratulations to the team of Too Sweet who pulled out an upset and won not only the tournament but also CLASH Wrestling contracts!

We all saw exactly what it takes to win the NPCI, but you didn’t see what it takes to organize and arrange such a show. For today’s column, I’m going to take you behind the scenes for a look into what it takes to throw the biggest tournament in the state. Sit back and get ready to expand your mind as you go, pillar to post.

Weeks / Months Before the Show
Knowing the NPCI is coming up, the CLASH executive board has a series of meetings designed to determine who will be invited to the NPCI. Votes are cast, arguments are hashed out and voted on, and a final proposal is submitted to CEO Truth Martini. Truth adds a few ‘must haves’ and the board decides on the best combination of talent to both represent the best of the best in tag team wrestling, and entertain the fans. The venue, this year the Taylor Town Trade Center, is also reserved as the show date is set.

The Days Leading Up to the NPCI
As the NPCI draws closer, things inevitably change. This year saw a members of Beyond Wrestling injured and unable to compete; they were eventually replaced by MDogg20 Matt Cross & Jefferson Saint. There were teams with travel problems, and matches had to be changed. Specifically, this year saw the removal of the Jawbreakers and the addition of Cave-Manix and the lovely ladies team of Mena Libra and Sassy Stephie.

Arrangements were also made to bring in a support crew. This year we had a bolstered sound system, professional photographer, and high quality videographer.

CLASH management was also needed to assist the out of town teams in securing travel and sleeping accommodations.

NPCI, Day 1
Crews arrived at the Taylor Town Trade Center well before noon in preparation of that nights activities. The ring had to be transported, unloaded, and assembled. The entrance way and lighting needed to be set up. The sound system was prepared and tested. A space was set aside for the video camera and for CLASH Radio (which I highly recommend, by the way). Countless batteries were charged (digital cameras, video cameras, microphones, etc.), chairs set up, and banners hung. The merchandise booth was built, and the area was swept and cleaned.

There were still a couple of last minute delays or problems. Jimmy Jacobs had travel problems and was unable to attend. Luckily for CLASH, Petey Williams is both friends with Zach Gowen and lives within a reasonable distance and was willing to step up and fill in for Jacobs.

We also ran live commentary during the NPCI, so assignments of various announce teams were made, disputed, and finalized.

Aftermath
The NPCI has ended but the work continues on. The ring and set had to be disassembled. The sound and video equipment packed away. CLASH radio conducted interviews with Too Sweet and Cameron Skyy about their victories. The chairs were stacked and the ring loaded into a truck to be taken to storage. The last people were left at the Trade Center finalizing the clean up until 1:00 AM. But even then, there was still more to do.

The website had to be updated, tweets needed to be made, and status updates needed to be issued. Footage needs to be reviewed and edited (for example, the part where, during the Cameron Skyy / J. Miller interview on night 1, I called the NPCI the Triple Crown Cup [to my defense, I was just referencing the Young Lion’s Cup and I guess I just couldn’t get ‘cup’ from my mind]).

The audio commentary we recorded needs to be combined with the video and edited down to fit in the allotted time so that it will fit on DVD. Art for the DVD needs to be created.

With all that was going on behind the scenes it’s a wonder that we were able to have a show at all, yet alone one of the greatest wrestling shows in memory.

The good news, CLASH crew and executive board: you get to relax for a few weeks.

The bad news, we have to do it all again on August 14th as CLASH returns to the Livonia Elks Lodge.

Of course, this is great news for CLASH wrestling fans, as it’s another opportunity to see the best wrestlers around!

Thanks for reading, I hope to have enlightened and inspired you. Today I’ve taken you beyond the great wrestling you see in the ring. Today I took you all the way from pillar to post.

John Striker Previews The 2010 NPCI: Column #1

Welcome to a special “Best of 3 Falls” addition of Pillar to Post. As always, I am your humble and good looking host, John Striker, and today I’m going to examine four of the teams in the NPCI tournament. I’m not going to look at the normal CLASH teams that we all know and love but some of the other names that round out the tournament. I’m going to compliment my normal genius with video examples courtesy of YouTube. Without further hubbub, let’s get ready to go Pillar to Post

Age of the Fall

Wrestling fans should be familiar with both of these two men. Jimmy Jacobs was a special hand-picked opponent of Tommy Treznik back in October 2009 at This is Clash 4. He’s wrestled for ROH and countless other promotions around the globe, even defeating Eddie Guerrero on Smackdown. Zach Gowen is a former TNA and WWE star who holds victories over guys like Brock Lesnar and Big Show. Let’s look at some footage.

You’ve got two talent individuals who are ring veterans and hold impressive victories over some of the biggest names in all of pro wrestling; how can you not expect great things from these two? Age of the Fall might be the odds on favorite to win the 2010 NPCI.

Aeroform

Flip Kendrick seems to both defy gravity and live up to the ‘flip’ name with his in ring acrobatics. Louis Lyndon competed against Tommy Treznik and GQ in a triple threat match at the 2010 Relay for Life.

More importantly than any singles accolades, these two men know each other inside and out. They are a cohesive unit, and have the tag team chemistry needed to win the NPCI. Will they do it? We’ll have to attend to find out.

3.0

If you went to the Chikara show at the Taylor Town Trade Center (and if you didn’t, shame on you) then you saw 3.0 emerge victorious in the main event of the evening.

3.0 is both entertaining and capable and are representing Chikara, whose Osirian Portal, Frightmare, and Dasher Hatfield we’ve seen do well in CLASH before. Last year, Osirian Portal made it all the way to the finals. Can 3.0 outdo their fellow Chikarians? We’ll find out on the 16th.

Hybrid Wrestling

Hybrid is an awesome Ohio based promotion that members of CLASH have visited in the past. They certainly know how to bring it and will be doing so at the NPCI.

Marion Fontaine is one of the best of the best, recently fighting for the Hybrid Championship Title (and a fine looking title it is). Eric Ryan was voted Hybrid’s most improved wrestler of 2009 and was also involved in the match of the year 2009.

Hybrid is looking to establish themselves as the most talented organization in the Midwest and winning the 2010 NPCI will go a long way toward that goal.

Just four teams examined, each with a good chance of winning the NPCI. Who will actually win is a mystery that will be solved on the 16th and 17th.

Here’s a hint to the wise: buy your tickets online. (http://clashwrestling.com/buytickets/) Go ahead, save some money. You can buy me a hotdog as thanks for just saving you cash.

Alright, that’s it for today. I’m going to say that, after the first fall, it’s Pillar to Post leading 1-0.

See you all very soon for fall number 2. See you shortly after that for the funnest event of the year: the 2010 NPCI Tag Team Tournament.

Column: The Curse Of The CLASH Championship

Thanks for stopping by, make yourself comfortable, because today you will go on a very special journey. A journey of spiritual and academic awakening. A journey of literally literary proportions. Today you make the journey… Pillar to Post.

I, John Striker, will be your guide. Today I wish to enlighten you about a certain situation. I am subtitling this Pillar to Post: “The Curse of the CLASH Heavyweight Championship or How Tommy Treznik Avoided Certain Disaster.”

The Story I Heard
I preface this story with another story. I’m not saying it’s true, I’m just saying I heard it. On January 10th, 2009 Cameron Skyy won the CLASH Heavyweight title back from Jack Night (who he had lost it to in November). Skyy found an Indian shaman out in the deserts near Las Vegas and had the championship cursed, so that if he were to ever lose it again, pain and misery would befall the “new” champion. It sounds crazy right? But the statistics don’t lie…

Dragon Kreed – Won Title March 29, 2009 – Injured June 6, 2009
Dragon Kreed seemed to be on top of the world. Kreed spent most of his time in CLASH Wrestling as an unstoppable juggernaut. His strength, speed, and raw energy quickly catapulted him to the top of the heap and, on March 29th he achieved his goal of winning the CLASH Title. He went on to successfully defend the title and stop Cameron Skyy from gaining retribution. But even the mighty Dragon Kreed was not immune to the Curse of the CLASH Heavyweight Title. On June 6th, Kreed suffered a terrible shoulder injury that kept him out of action for the rest of the year. While Kreed is back in CLASH today, he has yet to recapture the CLASH Heavyweight Championship.

Tyler Elkins – Won Title January 23, 2010 – Injured March 27, 2010
While Dragon looked to recapture the title, it was Tyler Elkins who would become the next CLASH Heavyweight Champion. While Skyy and Kreed were busy fighting each other, it seemed as if the Caveman may have outsmarted both of them by focusing on his primary goal – winning the title. The Caveman couldn’t outsmart the Curse, though, and suffered an ACL tear just two months after becoming CLASH Heavyweight Champion.

Cameron Skyy – Won Title February 1, 2010 – Injured April 17, 2010
Cameron Skyy was back on top. He surpassed his own record for most CLASH Title Reigns by defeating Kreed and Elkins for the title. There’s one thing Skyy didn’t count on: the curse. He must’ve assumed that the curse would end upon his regaining the championship. He was wrong. Just two months after recapturing the gold, Skyy suffered a broken forearm.

It seems like the curse will set in two to three months into a title reign. That must come as a great relief to Tommy Treznik, who lost the title the same day he won it. Thinking back, when Dragon Kreed forfeited the title to the CLASH executive board (me, acting as their agent), I remember feeling a sudden wave of nausea come over me. Some say it was just nerves, that I was intimidated by Dragon Kreed but now I think it might have been the curse, making it’s presence known. I can’t guarantee that the curse is real but if I were J. Miller, I’d check twice before crossing the street.

John Striker Offers His First “Pillar To Post” Of 2010

Greetings loyal and lonely fans, I’m the words of CLASH Wrestling, John “The Human Thesaurus” Striker. Today I’m going to take you back to where you haven’t been in several months. That’s right, I’m coupling the greatest show of all time, Seize the Day III, which will be live this Saturday, with the greatest column of all time. Today I’m going to take you “Pillar to Post!”

Now I know some people are going to be a bit upset with me. I know some people are feeling hurt. They’re feeling abandoned, because I haven’t written my words of wisdom that is this column, Pillar to Post. I have a confession to make, a confession about why I haven’t written. In truth, I pride myself on knowing the backstage ins and outs. They give me a special insight into the direction of CLASH Wrestling. I then share a part of that knowledge with you. Ever since the ousting of Jeremy Jones as CEO, I haven’t had the access that I was used to. Additionally, the CLASHWRESTLING.COM web heads stepped up their game. The result was that you and I were finding out about CLASH Wrestling news and information at the exact same time.

Well, I’m happy to say, there was a change in one of the CLASH Executive Board seats and the new board member has given me one piece of important “insider information”. I have learned that at Seize the Day III, no matter what happens, a new CLASH Heavyweight Champion will crowned. If the ceiling caves in on the Taylor Town Trade Center, they will climb out of the rubble and continue until there is a winner. The CLASH Wrestling executive board was not happy with the fact that the last title match didn’t see a winner and they have assured me that, come hell or high water, a new CLASH Champion will definitely be crowned this Saturday, at Seize the Day III. Let’s take a look at each man’s chances, the way I see it.

Tyler Elkins
The Caveman has ridden Cameron Skyy’s coat tails straight to the top. Elkins is a true competitor and athlete. He’s a multi time champion in armature wrestling and MMA competition. Additionally, he has the aid of having his close friend and tag partner, “Ace High” Cameron Skyy in the match with him. Many people view Tyler Elkins as more of the side dish and less of the main course, as he’s been playing second fiddle to Cameron Skyy. I think that nothing is further from the truth. I think that people underestimate the intellect of Tyler Elkins. Tyler took his biggest weakness, his lack of experience, and overcame it by partnering himself with multi-time CLASH Champion Skyy. As I said, Elkins has used Skyy to round out his skills and take him to the next level. Elkins is a smart man and I think that Seize the Day III, this Saturday, it may be time for Elkins to take what he has learned from Skyy and use it to it’s fullest, to walk out as new CLASH Champion.

“Ace High” Cameron Skyy
As I said just a paragraph above, Elkins and Skyy have an inherent advantage in being partners and friends. Skyy of course also has the advantage of being a former, two time, CLASH Heavyweight Champion. Working against Cameron Skyy is is, quite frankly, Cameron Skyy. Skyy is certainly an established wrestler, a great competitor, and a proven champion. What Skyy lacks in this match is confidence. Skyy has been unable to defeat Dragon Kreed. Just when it looked like Cameron Skyy had his chance at retribution, Dragon Kreed made his return. If you were there, and you should have been, you would’ve seen Skyy’s flat out temper tantrum. I believe we witnessed all the air coming out of the sails of the boat that is Cameron Skyy.

“The Man’s Man” Tommy Tydie
Tydie is one of the most respected men in CLASH Wrestling, and for good reason. Tydie has done it all in CLASH Wrestling. He’s won the Triple Crown Cup, he’s held the Tag Title on four separate occasions, he founded and then reformed the H3RD. What Tydie has not done is captured that CLASH Heavyweight Championship. I know he wants it badly, and he certainly has the skill. Tommy Tydie may very well walk out of Seize the Day III this Saturday with his biggest goal achieved. That being said, I feel like Tommy Tydie tends to cave under the pressures of “Big Time” matches. For all that Tommy Tydie has won, he has also lost in spectactular fashion. Tydie has the skill, but it seems like he just needs a little something more to get over the hump and reach the very top of CLASH Wrestling.

Dragon Kreed
Kreed dominated as CLASH Heavyweight Champion with his intensity and strength. He certainly looked to have the fire in his eyes and heart as he made his debut and, if he’s 100% certainly has what it takes to reclaim his spot atop the CLASH Wrestling throne. Dragon Kreed is a human juggernaut, and unstoppable beast who has mowed down all challengers placed before him. Working against Kreed, however, is the fact that he has not completed in a match since For the Win in June. Kreed also has a surgically repaired shoulder. He’s also in there with three determined guys who are fully aware of his injury. Two of those men are the primary cause for his injury. It is for these reasons that I have my doubts about Dragon Kreed. I question his ability to recover from the surgery, to shake off the ring rust, and to overcome the obstacles placed before him. Kreed has been able to overcome all obstacles in the past, This Saturday, we’ll see if he can do it again.

Thanks for reading my return to CLASHWRESTLING.COM, make sure you’re at the Taylor Town Trade Center this Saturday to see if my expert analysis proves out. My pick for new CLASH Heavyweight Champion is none other than the “Cave Man” Tyler Elkins! Until next time, please feel free to leave me messages on the realauched CLASH Message Forums, let me know if there’s something you’ve always wanted to know that I can shed some light on, and most importantly, look forward with hope and anticipation, for the next time you get the opportunity to go Pillar to Post.

Striker Offers Spiritual Enlightenment In Pillar To Post

Greetings once again, from the mind of CLASH wrestling, I’m John, the mind of CLASH wrestling, Striker and I’m going to take each and every one of you on a journey of knowledge and spiritual enlightenment. That’s right, fans, today I’m going to take you Pillar to Post.

Out of Town Guests
Someone once said that houseguests are like fish, after three days they both stink. This weekend it seemed as though there were plenty of familiar ‘guests’ at CLASH wrestling. Most of them were a joy and a pleasure to be around, but some stunk after the very first day.

I’m referring to Josh Thor, who, aside from generally being a jerk to the fans as of late, had some choice words for CLASH Radio in general and myself in particular. I’m not sure if it’s because his former tag team partner was on SyFy (which is, as an aside, a terrible name for a TV station) not too long ago or what, but Thor certainly has a new found attitude problem. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing but respect for the man as an athlete, but to degrade me? Hey, Jeremy Jones and I are fairly close, Thor best remember that next time he wants to run me down.

Injuries
I had a sit down interview with Wreckingball at Fandimonium. He was his typical angry self. Like Dragon Kreed, he didn’t really have an outlook on his return to CLASH, which is unfortunate. I find it ironic that Wreckingball’s upset that there have been no ‘injury updates’ on him when he’s not only been unreachable, but when I did talk to him he gave me no update! It’s almost like he’s just looking for a reason to walk around angry. On that note, I hope he doesn’t read this, because I’m sure he’ll find a reason to be angry about it!

On a positive note, I have it on good authority that nobody was seriously injured at Fandimonium. Between the Street Fight main event and a scary moment involving Joey Kings, it’s good to know that we won’t have any more athletes on the shelf for the months ahead. Stay safe, guys!

Tag Team Turmoil
It looks like, after their impressive win over H3RD at Fandimonium, Nightlife is set up to square off against Friends at This is CLASH 3 on 8/22. I think this match will really set the tone for the future of the CLASH tag team division and is worth the drive up to Mt. Clemons by itself.

We’ll also see H3RD take on Beauty and the Beast in what I’m sure is going to be a truly great matchup. If H3RD loses this match, I have to imagine they can kiss their chance at getting a Tag Team Title shot anytime soon goodbye. Beauty and the Beast had a title shot at Fandimonium, but only after defeating Fast and Fabulous and the Power Rangers. Call me crazy, but I think that Page and Kings deserve another chance at getting those straps and I’m rooting for them over H3RD!

Also lurking in the background is Ace High Cameron Skyy and Tyler Elkins, who may be looking to break down the door into the Tag Team division by defeating Will Vendetta and “The Rocker” Marty Janette.

Consolation Prize
Of course, Skyy may be looking simply to plant a feather in his cap by saying he defeated the former World Tag Team Champion, Jannetty. Skyy, don’t forget, has that consolation prize and, while the Tag Team Division in CLASH is certainly competitive, I believe Skyy’s ego is too large to share the glory of a championship with anyone. I said it before, and I’ll stand by it: I will be utterly shocked if Skyy does anything else with his consolation prize beside insert himself into the CLASH Heavyweight Title picture.

Of course the picture isn’t crystal clear, as CLASH has been without a champion for some time now. I, for one, hope that the situation is addressed at This is CLASH 3 at the Gibraltar Trade Center in Mt. Clemens. Miller and Tydie both have legitimate claims to the number one contender position, and I’d like to know how they plan to resolve the problem.

In any event, with awesome tag team action and all the top CLASH stars, in addition to the return and Mt. Clemons CLASH debut of “The Rocker” Marty Jannetty, This is CLASH 3 is shaping up to be a huge, “can’t miss” show.

Like all good things, this column has come to an end. Don’t weep for it’s passing. Instead, just smile and reflect fondly on this occasion when you went… Pillar to Post.

John Striker

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