R.I.W Wrestling Legend: Crypt Keeper

Posted on August 4, 2025 by bloodlinematt

The Halloween season is almost upon us, and as you can see, we are once more here at the Rotten Ink Arena for a spooky “R.I.W Wrestling Legends” update that is sue to chill your blood as well as gross you out as today’s subject is a hardcore death match wrestler who is truly a horror themed wrestler as his name is The Crypt Keeper (or Crypt The Keeper), and he is based on the Tales From The Crypt host of the same name. He terrorized the federations of Japan, and now he is the main event update for this countdown to Halloween update. So let’s head to the snack bar and grab some witch’s punch to drink and maybe some candy corn to munch on, and then let’s get to our seats as I can hear his sinister laugh echoing all around and that’s the sure sign that this event update is about to start. Try not to get to scare.

Jose Estrada Jr. started his Pro Wrestling career in 1986. Hould work for World Wrestling Council (WWC) in Puerto Rico as Super Medico III and would team with his father Super Medico I as the Super Medicos, and they would even capture the company’s tag team titles. In 1991 he would find his way to Japan and would start working for FMW as Jose Estrada Jr. and would have hardcore street fights against the likes of Atsushi Onita, Tazan Goto and Ricky Fuji. Jose would also go back to working under the Super Medico III for a short time in FMW as well as in WWC where he would be apart of a tag team called Solid Gold. But in 1993 he would become the wresting horror grappler named Crypt Keeper who wore a TV show Crypt Keeper mask as well as a skeleton mask. He would work for WING and became a hardcore wrestler who did death matches and would have battles with Jason The Terrible, Crash The Terminator, Leatherface, The Headhunters as well as Shoji Nakamaki. During this time as well Crypt Keeper would also make small stops in Mexico even working for CMLL. And in 1994 he even would even return to work some matches in Puerto Rico. Crypt Keeper quickly became a heel that fans feared and opponents knew that they would be involved in a brutal match. In 1995 Crypt Keeper would start working for more federations in Japan including IWA and BJW as well as would work small shots in America as well as more matches in Mexico’s CMLL and would wrestle against the likes of El Canek, Arlantis, Dos Caras, El Rayo de Jalisco Jr., El Dandy and Silver King. In 1996 he would head to FMW and become one of the company’s biggest heel stars and was considered a draw and would also start working for them under the ring name Halcon Negro and would start using that name more often from them. In 1997 he would have a house show tryout match for the WWF losing to Miguel Perez, and when working for FMW at the time he once more changed his name to Black Hayabusa. And while he worked under many names and gimmicks, his most well loved in Japan was Crypt Keeper.

Jose Estrada Jr. would then leave Japan and head to WWF to become a member of the Savio Vega lead group Los Boricuas and would feud with The Nation Of Domination as well as The Disciples Of The Apocalypse starting in mid-1997. His run with the WWF would mostly see him teaming with his stable mates Jesus Castillo, Miguel Perez and Savio Vega, and they would have matches against the likes of The Legion Of Doom, The Head Bangers and The New Age Outlaws. And while Jose Estrada Jr. would get some wins, he and his fellow Los Boricuas members found themselves falling down the card and racking up more losses. During his solo matches in WWF he would lose matches against the likes of Goldust, Edge, The Godfather and El Hijo Del Santo (on the short run show WWF Super Astros), and by late 1999 Jose would be out of WWF and find himself retired for a few years. But around 2001 he started working the indies around the world again and would work as The Crypt Keeper again off and on for many hardcore matches. Today while he is pretty much retired, he can from time to time be seen at conventions. Over his years as a wrestler he would capture some gold mostly in Puerto Rico but would be a two time WING World Heavyweight Champion. He is not in the WWF Hall Of Fame, and sadly I do not think he ever will make it in.

I was a big fan of FMW when I was a teenager and one of the wrestlers that stood out to me was Crypt Keeper as he was a brawler who wore a HBO Tales From The Crypt mask (or sometimes just a skeleton one) and would team and even fight the other horror themed wrestlers in the company in matches like barbwire, coffin and death matches. And when Crypt Keeper would cackle and laugh he became even more awesome to me as it added to his creepy, spooky persona. You could see that he was trying to do something a little different with his version of the character and this was also seen in his wrestling attire as it was very baseball themed and made him standout, but I will also say I liked when he would also wear the back suit. And like many masked wrestlers, during his run some knock off wrestlers using the gimmick popped up and worked the indie’s around the world pretending to be him or just straight up stealing the gimmick. While Jose Estrada Jr. was a good worker in the WWF during his run, I have to say I enjoyed his time as Crypt Keeper way more as I found it to be way more interesting. And I know that he was not as hardcore as most of the other horror themed wrestlers of that time, but dang it, he was an entertaining one who seemed to get into scaring the fans as well as being as “hardcore” as he could get in the ring. From the first time I saw Crypt Keeper in the ring, I always thought it would be cool to see him join the WWF and have a run against The Undertaker as it would have been great to have him pop out of a coffin and go after Taker with a barb-wired baseball bat! I mean Crypt Keeper could have fit well into the Attitude Era and could have been a great addition to the Hardcore Division. While the Crypt Keeper gimmick didn’t last all that long in the world of wrestling, it did leave its mark and was the best thing Jose Estrada Jr. did in wrestling in my opinion as I find it very memorable.

We are now at the point of this review where we will be taking a look at the DVD set and review some of the matches on the discs, like always between 4 to 8, sadly I only have 3 solo matches of his on my best of DVD. I want to thank HyperDevil for having this set in stock and also want to thank Crypt Keeper for his hard work in the world of wrestling. I also want to remind you that I will only be breaking down randomly select matches from this set and will be breaking down the match and will be rating the matches on a 5 Star rating system. I also only choose from single matches, as I want to break down his matches that showcase his style. Here is what the stars mean ½ Means a really terrible match, * Means a bad match, ** Means a below average match, **1/2 Means a good average entertaining match, *** Means a good match, **** Means a great match, ***** Means an epic match. So if you are ready, let’s step into the ring with Crypt Keeper.

Best Of Crypt Keeper

Match 1: Crypt Keeper vs. Keisuke Yamada

As the bell rings, Keeper is the aggressor and starts hammer Yamada with hits in the corner and then hits a clothesline as well as some well places stomps and repeats this attack in another corner until Yamada is able to escape his attack and with a backslide gets a two count and then starts beating up Crypt with hammering hits and knocks him out of the ring and then dives out on him. Once back in the ring Yamada remains in control even locking a step over toe hold on Crypt trying to get him to tap, Crypt gets to the ropes but still takes a beating for a bit by Yamada the two start smacking the hell out of each other until Crypt makes a mistake and finds himself in a arm lock on the mat, and like before once out of the move Yamada keeps up his attack. The fans are clearly behind Keisuke Yamada as they cheer him on as Crypt Keeper rolls out of the ring to shake off the butt kicking he has been getting, and once back in he continues to get beat up on that his until he is able to hit a big boot and a running bulldog, and now Crypt is in control, and goes for many pin attempts. Crypt keeps Yamada on the mat and works over his limbs trying to get him to quit and even trying to get the quick pin. The two once more exchange punches and moves Crypt hits a massive power bomb and it did not keep Yamada down, nor does a top rope fameasser. But after Crypt Keeper hits a power slam he is able to get the win via pin. This is one of those odd matches from Japan that has bursts of hard hitting impactful moments that is then slowed down with rest holds and it makes for a fun and yet some what dragging match. Keisuke Yamada looks good in the match as he is in control for most of the match and even comes of aggressive and his chops are loud and brutal looking. Crypt Keeper hits some really hard hitting moves but does not showcase his more hardcore death match style moves. The two’s chemistry was a little off and at times the match come off a little botchy in spots, but the live fans seem to enjoy it and even with those moments its an average entertaining match.

Grade: **1/2

Match 2: Crypt Keeper vs. Jason The Terrible

This is a spiked nail death match that pits two horror themed wrestlers against each other! Crypt attacks Jason as he is making his way to the ring and the two fight into the fans and Crypt knocks off Jason’s hockey mask and rams his face into the bed of nails and tries to push the nails deep into the flesh of Jason, and does it again as Jason starts to bleed. Once in the ring Crypt keeps the beating up and tries to knock Jason out of the ring and onto the bed of nails. Jason fights off the attempts and while he is getting beat up he just keeps coming after Crypt who is clearly the more aggressive of the two this far and keeps trying to toss Jason out and onto the nails. When Jason finally gets the upper hand he as well tries to toss Crypt out of the ring and onto the nails and both at this point are using mostly brawling moves to do so and from here the two go back and fourth with taking the momentum and failing to toss the other onto the nails. Jason during this time does hit some big choke slams that get’s the fans to pop. And it’s Jason who is finally able to knock his opponent onto the bed of nails as Crypt lands hard on them after being knocked out of the ring and with that Jason wins the match. This was a very slow paced Spiked Nail Death Match as most of the time is spent with them trying to toss or kick the other out of the ring and onto the nails, and besides a few cool movies like the choke slams from Jason and the fameassers from Crypt the match is pretty much just punches, kicks and stomps and I know that is pretty normal for these types of matches but at times these two seem like they are moving in slow motion. The match also only has Jason bleeding and it’s a shame that the hockey mask is removed right from the start as it takes a little away from this monster vs. monster match. Over all an ok death match that sadly was nothing that special, and it did seem the live fans did enjoy it for the most part.

Grade: **

Match 3: Crypt Keeper vs. Shohji Kakamaki

This is a coffin match where you have to get your opponent into a coffin for a 10 count. As soon as the bell rings Crypt Keeper goes on the attack and rips at the injured head of Shohji and starts kicking him in the head and causes him to bleed. Crypt keeps up a fast paced attack landing a big power slam and then tossing him into the coffin, Shohji escapes and goes after Crypt who takes big head butts that rock him. Shohji takes him outside the ring and beats Crypt up in front of the fans with punches and knees and Crypt fights back with a chair. Once back in the ring Crypt is now in control and with a laugh he pile drives Shohji into the mat and back into the coffin he goes for a nine count, Crypt makes him pay for getting up with a big drop kick. Crypt beats him up some more and back in the coffin Shohji goes for once more a nine count, this angers Crypt even more who turns up the beating and power bombs him onto the coffin lid before tossing him back into the coffin and letting out his trademark laugh. Shohji cannot escape the coffin this time and looses the match given the big win to Crypt Keeper. This was a very entertaining coffin match that for the most part had Crypt Keeper in charge and allowed him to pull off some basic and yet impactful moves like his drop kick, power bomb and pile driver, and while being dominate most of the match he still allowed Shohji to look like a fighter and even sold really well for him. The coffin was made of very cheap pressed wood and from the moment it comes into the match it is falling apart, and this added to the enjoyment of the match. The fans in attendance also seemed to really be into the match and cheered and clapped when needed and my favorite moment of the match is the pile driver due to not only it looking impactful but also the fact that Crypt Keeper is doing his crazy laugh! Over all this is a fun match and while not the best coffin match I have ever seen it is one that entertained me lots.

Grade: ***

The Crypt Keeper was a wrestler that scared the fans as he would cackle with evil laughter as he attacked his opponent with his violent brawling style, and while in America he never did find his place, in Japan he was a feared mid-card heel who could draw. And while WING and FMW were his home federations, I will say it again, it would have been great if they would have brought him in to the WWF as this gimmick and not just a generic henchman for Savia Vega in the team Los Boricuas, as I feel a feud with The Undertaker and or Kane would have been great…or even making him a member of the Ministry Of Darkness back in 1998 as this masked menace could have been great alongside The Brood, Viscera, Acolytes and Mideon as he cackled his way into the feud with The Corporation. But the lights are flickering and the Jack-O-Lanterns are blown out, so that is our cue that this spooky update event is over and it’s time for us to head out of the Rotten Ink Arena, but before we head out into the cold night air I would like to tell you that the next update will take us to the world of cheesy horror films as we will be talking about Sharknado 3! So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a wrestling match or two and as always support your local wrestlers. See you next update as the sharks are flying and the chainsaws are revving.

R.I.W Wrestling Legend: Dark Patriot

Posted on June 13, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. As you can see, we are once more at the Rotten Ink Arena. This “R.I.W Wrestling Legend” update event is going to be a quick and yet entertaining one as the main event star is the masked wrestler Dark Patriot that was one of the top heels in GWF as well as other indie promotions starting in the early 90’s and would win titles and get mega heat from the fan for his cheating ways. But as quick as Dark Patriot took the world of pro wrestling by storm, he disappeared only to show up at smaller events from time to time over the years. So let’s grab some food and drinks from the snack bar and find our seats as this is going to be a fun one. And I don’t know about you readers, but I am enjoying doing these R.I.W Wrestling Legends updates as they give me a chance to talk about some of my favorite wrestlers as well as chat about ones that are new to me. So as you can hear, the music has started and the house lights are down and that means this event is about to start!

The Dark Patriot would make his in ring debut in 1991 in the GWF and was a masked man who was a hated heel from the moment he appeared as he had a goal to beat up The Patriot who was the company’s most popular Baby Face and as well would go after Eddie Gilbert. During his time in the GWF he would also win the GWF North American Title and would get wins over the likes of The Patriot, Chaz, Terry Garvin and Gary Young. And for a short time he was one of the companies top Heels and would stay in the GWF until 1992 and would then show up in ECW in 1993 and would have a very small run and would wrestle names like Terry Funk, JT Smith, Sandman and Miguel Perez Jr. and would even team with Eddie Gilbert to win the companies Tag Team Titles, but had a falling out with management and this caused him to leave ECW. The Dark Patriot in 1994 would start working small runs in the USWA as well as IWA in Japan and would over the years would show up in the indies to work and he is still doing this to this day. During his short run The Dark Patriot would win titles and be a hated heel in all the promotions he worked for. The man behind the mask was Doug Gilbert, the brother of Eddie Gilbert, who became a pro wrestler in 1986 and was trained by his father Tommy Gilbert, and while he worked as himself most of his career he would also work as Nightmare Freddie, The Enforcer and Wrestling Machine # 1 to name a few, and who knows maybe he will get a update event as himself in the future.

Growing up, I used to watch the GWF and one of my favorite Heels in the promotion was The Dark Patriot who I found to be a skilled brawler who was the perfect opponent to The Patriot, who was one of my favorite wrestlers at the time! I mean would loud his mask with a foreign object and headbutt his opponents to try and get a cheap win, plus I mean his red and black color scheme set him apart and made him the true Anti-Patriot and a true dark heel who was hell bent on causing chaos in the GWF. One thing you have to say about The Dark Patriot is he was a good worker and put on great matches, and I liked his gimmick of being the heel version of the pro American wrestler The Patriot. What is crazy for me to now look back on is just how short of a run The Dark Patriot had because when I was younger he seemed liked he was around for a while and seemed like one of the biggest heels of the early 90’s! I also like how when cutting a promo Dark Patriot would have a southern accent and his voice is not what you would expect, but that also worked so well for him as it made him standout from the heels that were all over the WWF at the time as GWF was very much more of a southern wrestling promotion as they were based out of Texas. I can also remember that Bruce Prichard aka Brother Love from WWF was his manager when he was released and this changed his character slightly. While Dark Patriot is still around from time to time to this day his major run in wrestling was in the 90’s and he was a great worker who was the perfect heel to take on baby faces like The Patriot and Eddie Gilbert in GWF.

We are now at the point of this review where we will be taking a look at the DVD set and review some of the matches on the discs like always between 4 to 8. I want to thank Coliseum Of Wrestling & Boxing for having this set in stock and also want to thank Dark Patriot for his hard work in the world of wrestling. I also want to remind you that I will only be breaking down randomly select matches from this set and will be breaking down the match and will be rating the matches on a 5 star rating system. I also only choose from Single matches, as I want to break down his matches that showcase his style. Here is what the stars mean ½ Means a really terrible match, * Means a bad match, ** Means a below average match, **1/2 Means a good average entertaining match, *** Means a good match, **** Means a great match, ***** Means an epic match. So if you are ready, let’s step into the ring with Dark Patriot.

Best Of Dark Patriot

Match 1: Dark Patriot vs. The Patriot

The match starts with Dark Patriot punching and kicking The Patriot into the corner and as the referee’s back in turned Bruce Prichard the manager of Dark Patriot takes some cheap shots of The Patriots ribs. But this only fires up The Patriot who ends up ramming the head of Dark Patriot into the corner multiple times and then clotheslines him out of the ring. Outside Dark Patriot has had enough and starts making his way towards the locker room, and Bruce begs him to come back as if Patriot wins he gets to beat up Bruce in the ring for 5 minutes! The Patriot goes out of the ring after him and the two start fighting in the fans who scatter to get out of their way, they then make it to ringside and exchange punches before getting back in the ring where The Patriot hits a suplex and then keeps the momentum on his side with big punches. But it’s short lived as Dark Patriot turns the tide and even allows Bruce to keep getting in cheap shots behind the referees back. Dark Patriot gets him into the corner and keeps hitting big punches, but Patriot fights back and makes a big mistake and charges Dark Patriot who moves and this cause the baby face to fall out of the ring. Once back in Dark Patriot locks Patriot in a chin lock in the middle of the ring, but once out the two once more exchange punches and holds. In the end The Patriot hits Dark Patriot with his Patriot Missile finisher and as he goes for the pin Bruce enters the ring and attacks making The Patriot win by DQ and not pin. This is a great match if you are into the feud between The Patriot and Dark Patriot in GWF as this was a match that had the fans fired up showed just how over The Patriot was and just how good of a cheating heel Dark Patriot was. This match is more of a brawl and has both men trying to hurt each other as they both have nuclear heat with each other and both do a great job of telling a story in the ring as well as making each other look good. The Patriots finisher The Patriot Missile looks impactful, and I love how the Dark Patriot tries to use the foreign object in his mask attack in the match. Over all this is a solid match that I wish had a little less Bruce Prichard interference in it, but still was very entertaining and made me flash back to watching these matches as a kid.

Grade: ***

Match 2: Dark Patriot vs. Chaz

The start of the match Dark Patriot uses his strength to push Chaz around, but the young baby face uses his speed to show that he as well has skills and keeps Dark Patriot on the losing end of exchanges. But Bruce Prichard the manger of Dark Patriot distracts both the referee and Chaz and this allows Dark Patriot to cheap shot Chaz and take the momentum of the match for a moment, but Chaz gets fired up and fights back. But like before both Dark Patriot and Prichard cheat to get the upper hand, Dark Patriot even hits a big side suplex that rocks Chaz. Dark Patriot tries for a top rope diving headbutt and misses and this gives Chaz a chance to fight back even hitting a bulldog. But the Dark Patriot is able to load his mask with a foreign object and headbutt Chaz in the back of the head knocking him to the mat and allowing Dark Patriot to get the win via pin. This was a quick fun match that was pretty competative as Chaz fights hard against Dark Patriot and the fans in attendance really were behind Chaz to win it, and they are not happy when Dark Patriot cheats to win with the help of his manager Bruce Prichard who was in my opinion used to much in the match as at times its like he is trying to steal the heat from his own man. Dark Patriot is great at being the chicken shit heel when he needs to be, but also the sneaky one when the time is right. Plus I am a mark for the loaded mask spot as it works so well for him to cheat to win. Chaz is a solid worker and is fast in the ring, and the fans really did like him. Over all a good match that entertained me and again showcased the skills of being a good indie heel by Dark Patriot.

Grade: **1/2

Match 3: Dark Patriot vs. Eddie Gilbert

As soon as the bell rings Eddie Gilbert goes right after Dark Patriot and rams his head into the turnbuckle and then starts unloading big punches on the masked man that causes him to stumble around the ring. The two fight outside the ring and Eddie even chases him into the fans in order to beat him up even more. Once back in the ring Dark Patriot cheats with a poke to his eyes and then starts his attack and of course Bruce Prichard even takes a few shots at Eddie who ends up making a comeback hitting Dark Patriot with one of his signature moves called The Hot Shot and is only able to get a one count when Dark Patriot gets his foot in the rope to break the pin. The Dark Patriot is able to use a foreign object behind the referees back in order to rock Eddie and even then hitting a pair of pile drivers but is only able to get a two count on Eddie who kicks out. Dark Patriot goes then for a sleeper hold, Eddie breaks the hold with a jawbreaker and when Dark Patriot tries to fire off a series of punches Eddie is so fired up he does not feel them but Eddie lands some punches that floors Dark Patriot and then tries to remove his mask. But while the referee is not looking Bruce tosses Dark Patriot an object that he puts into his mask and head butts Eddie but is only able to get a two count when Eddie gets his foot on the rope. As the referee argues with Bruce Prichard, Eddie grabs an object and hits Dark Patriot in the head flooring him. As Eddie goes for the pin Bruce enters the ring and kicks the referee and this gives Eddie the win via DQ. This is a really solid match as Eddie Gilbert was such a great worker who had the fans cheering and the punches and moves flying all the while being super entertaining and landing big hits and holds. While some of the time Eddie made Dark Patriot and his moves look week, it just some how worked as it built Eddie up as a loved baby face and played up on the cheating masked heel of Dark Patriot. The two pile drivers from Dark Patriot look great and he does a fantastic job of selling for Eddie throughout the match. The one down side to this match is the ton of Bruce Prichard interference again…its like he is the master of getting the match to end in DQ…even with the bad finish the fans being into this and the big match feel makes it a great one to watch.

Grade: ***

Match 4: Dark Patriot vs. Ben Jordan

As soon as the match starts Dark Patriot pushes Ben into the corner and starts throwing punches and then delivers a massive suplex. Dark Patriot continues the beating with a big body slam and a series of elbow drops the Dark Patriot is not done with this beating as he then rips at the face of Ben who is clearly being destroyed in the ring. Dark Patriot even clotheslines Ben over the top rope and they both tumble to the outside where he continues to beat the hell out of Ben. Once back in the ring Dark Patriot continues his assault and finishes the match with The Patriot Missile the finisher of The Patriot and gets the three count and win via pin. This is a total squash match as Dark Patriot totally beats the hell out of Ben Jordan who maybe throws one punch the whole match as he is totally just beat up and defeated. This is the Dark Patriot that made me a fan as he is brutal, mean and is using Ben Jordan to send a message to The Patriot, who he was feuding with at the time. Dark Patriot was super aggressive in the match and was pretty much just brawling and beating poor Ben to death. Not much to say besides super entertaining match and was lots of fun for a squash.

Grade: **1/2

Match 5: Dark Patriot vs. JT Smith

As soon as the bell rings these two size each other up and both try a few holds to see the style and power the other has, that is until JT hip tosses and then arm drags Dark Patriot to the mat, but Dark Patriot does not take this for very long and gets JT in the corner and makes him eat punches and shoulders. Dark Patriot keeps the heat on JT and lands hits, holds and pin attempts. JT makes a comeback with flying head scissors and a body slam to turn the match tide and gets a two count when he hits a moonsault. The two start exchanging again and even fight outside the ring before returning back inside where the referee is knocked out by accident during their brawl. This of course gives Dark Patriot the time to attack JT once more outside the ring and use dirty and cheating tactics. Dark Patriot even tosses JT off the commentator’s booth that was 20 feet off the ground and then dives off it to cause more damage to JT. The match ends with the Dark Patriot getting back to the ring and JT being counted out. This is a brawl that showcases the darker side of the Dark Patriot who is aggressive when attacking JT and even took a high risk by diving off a booth, and this shows why Dark Patriot could be a very dangerous heel in the ring and the fans loved to boo him! While for a large portion of the match, JT is getting his butt kicked, he still is able to showcase his talent slightly and his style and Dark Patriots mix really well. It was clear that this match was a way to build Dark Patriot coming to ECW as he looks strong and it seems that they were building a feud between he and JT Smith. Over all this is a good match that has some really cool moments and did its job of building Dark Patriot as a top heel.

Grade: **1/2

Match 6: Dark Patriot vs. Ragin Rebel

As soon as the bell rings Dark Patriot attacks Rebel with some elbows and then gets him into the corner and starts kicking and then flings him out with a hip toss. As Rebel is on the mat Dark Patriot keeps working him over, and keeps the beating up with even a big suplex being hit. Rebel is able to make a comeback after Dark Patriot misses a series of leg drops and fires off some hits and holds and even is able to get a two count on a pin attempt. Dark Patriot comes back with a pair of elbows in the corner and even slams Rebel to the mat, but once more misses a leg drop this time off the ropes that gives Rebel a chance to fight back. Rebel ends up hitting some arm drags then body slams him to set up a rope leg drop that hits perfectly. Dark Patriot then fights cheap and hits a low blow and then gets him in the corner and hits a series of chops, and behind the referees back he once more goes for a low blow. Dark Patriot racks his back and then to mock the crowd dances around the ring with Rebel as the fans are cheering for the baby face. The two end up exchanging back and fourth and it’s Ragin Rebel who gets the win after Dark Patriot taps out from a Crippler Cross Face. First thing I have to say is one of the production crew for this promotion kept standing in front of the hard camera and this causes you to miss much of the action as you look at his back…like man be aware of your surroundings. The match is your average being held in a school as the crowd is small, but they are fired up and the kids all cheer for the baby faces and that is why Ragin Rebel is clearly these fans’ favorite wrestler. Rebel is not a bad worker and hits some good moves that look smooth and sells very well for Dark Patriot and when getting beat up this makes the fans cheer louder. Dark Patriot is solid like always as he does a great job of putting over the younger wrestler and even gets the fans to get mad as he mocks them and his opponent. Not much else to say about this match as it was a pretty fun watch, the worker needs to move away from the camera and it was sad to see Dark Patriot lose due to tap out.

Grade: **

The Dark Patriot was a wrestler who worked the Indies throughout the 90’s and was a great heel that should have gotten his chance in WWF or WCW as he would a great heel who did a great job of cheating, getting heat and help making the baby faces look even better. As a kid watching GWF on ESPN, I really did think he was a great worker and a great gimmick. But as you can see, this update event is coming to an end as the lights are up and the clean up crew is out and that is clearly a sign that we need to make our way to the exit, and as we do so let me take a moment to tell you our next update will be about as we will find ourselves hanging out with that friendly ghost Casper. So until next time read a comic or three, watch a film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. And for those wondering we will be talking about the 1995 film Casper that had an adaptation comic released by Marvel Comics and not Harvey Comics!

R.I.W Wrestling Legend: Phantasio

Posted on April 2, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. As you can see, we find ourselves back at the Rotten Ink Arena as it’s time to start our celebration of WWE WrestleMania that is a major sporting event that takes place every April and is like the NFL Super Bowl and MLB World Series for wrestling fans. The Arena is decorated like a kids magic show and every fan has been given a popper as today’s “R.I.W Wrestling Legend” was the master of the squared circle mystical magic arts (kind of like the Burger King mascot The Magical Burger King from the 70’s) who could shoot streamers from his hands and steal your underwear from under your tights and who vanished with a puff of smoke from the WWF after only a few matches and this curiosity was named Phantasio! So let’s head to the snack bar and grab some punch and popcorn and find our seats as this update event is going to be a fast and fun one.

Phantasio started his pro wrestling career on September 13, 1993 working for United States Wrestling Association under the names Spellbinder and Harry Del Rios (his real name) and would work the company until 1995. He would have matches with such names as The Rock And Roll Phantom, Moondog Spike, Doomsday, Wolfie D, Skull Von Crush and Jeff Gaylord, to name a few. During this time he climbed up the card pretty fast and would find himself even in a few main events. This caused him to get a tryout in the WWF for a very short run (more on that later). Spellbinder would quickly return to the USWA and would find himself working the upper middle card with a few main events and would even win the USWA World Title twice. During this time as well Spellbinder would work a few other indie promotions and would be somewhat of a draw for each of the companies. He would also work under other names like Elijah, Streak, Super Spell and Shock, to name a few. He would also win titles in such companies as NWA Main Event, Power Pro Wrestling, Xcitement Wrestling Federation and Memphis Wrestling. He would retire from wrestling in 2012, and while never a huge superstar, he made his mark in Tennessee wrestling. He also would work with such names as Axel Rotten, Giant Silva, Paul Diamond, Reckless Youth, PG-13, Ducth Mantel and Jerry Lawler. But now let’s talk about his off and on employment with the WWF over the years.

In 1995 Phantasio would make his way to the WWF and would be a magician wrestler who wore mime makeup and would do tricks to entertain his fans as well as distract his opponents. His first match would be against Mike Hollow in a dark match and then would have his first and only televised match against Tony DeVito and would shock and entertain the young fans in the crowd. He would then work another dark match, this time against Rad Radford, before he would find himself let go and having to go back to work for the USWA. But in 1997 they would give Phantasio another chance; this time going by Spellbinder he would work against Aldo Montoya during a Shotgun Saturday Night taping. The match would not be aired. Late in 1997 he would work three days at house shows being defeated by Mark Henry at all three events, and with that his WWF career would come to an end, and he would not work for the promotion again. But to be fair in 2001 at a cross promotion event and while working for PPW, he would be on the same card as some WWF Superstars. Phantasio’s final match would be the last of his in ring career as he would beat Simon Dean at the PWS 5 Year Anniversary Show. And just like that with a poof of smoke, Phantasio was gone from WWF and would never make a big impact like he was hoping for.

Phantasio is one of those wrestlers that I can remember seeing his debut match on TV and was like, this guy is strange and his gimmick of magic made me wonder what heels he would be going up against in the future…and just like many others during this time, he just kind of vanished and was never mentioned again. While he was a name in the Memphis, TN area with his Spellbinder character before and after his WWF run, he is pretty much known for his one match for the world’s biggest wrestling company. Most of the time when Phantasio is brought up it’s on peoples worst WWF Gimmicks Countdowns or is mocked by online wrestling critics and bloggers, but I am not going to do that as I feel that he did have a memorable gimmick that was different for the time and if WWF would have stood behind him, they could have had a solid lower mid-card baby face they could have feuded with many heel wrestlers working at the time. I mean his magic was basic in the ring and would amount to poppers, confetti and even a little fire breathing and his in ring work was solid but not main event level. If Phantasio would have stayed in the WWF, I would have liked to have seen him work matches against the likes of Adam Bomb, Jeff Jarrett, Jean-Pierre Lafitte, Tatanka and Owen Hart. And then I would have liked for him to turn heal and have a Black Magic gimmick and feud with The Undertaker. But it was clear that the powers that be in the WWF just were not a fan of his as only one TV match and only two dark matches show that they had no faith in him. There have been many rumors over the years about why Phantasio did not have a full run in the WWF with some saying his appearances was only done as a favor to Jerry Lawler whose son Brian Christopher was friends with Phantasio. Others claim that during his first TV match his fire trick went wrong and set some of the backstage area ablaze. Another big rumor was going around that The Undertaker was upset over him as he thought it was to close to his own, and lastly it was said that they just did not like his in ring work…are any of these rumors true, who knows. But I for one think Phantasio, Spellbinder or whatever name you know him by was not a terrible worker and the magic gimmick was a cool one that set him apart from others.

We are now at the point of this review where we will be taking a look at the DVD set and review some of the matches on the discs, like always between 4 to 8, with sadly this one being a little shorter as we are only going to cover is one WWF Match. I want to thank HyperDevil for having this set in stock that features many great matches of him as Spellbinder and also want to thank Phantasio for his hard work in the world of wrestling. I also want to remind you that I will only be breaking down randomly select matches from this set and will be breaking down the match and will be rating the matches on a 5 Star rating system. I also only choose from single matches, as I want to break down his matches that showcase his style. Here is what the stars mean ½ means a really terrible match, * means a bad match, ** means a below average match, **1/2 means a good average entertaining match, *** means a good match, **** means a great match, ***** means an epic match. So if you are ready, let’s step into the ring with Phantasio.

Best Of Phantasio

Match 1: Phantasio vs. Tony DeVito

Phantasio starts the match off with a shoulder tackle, knocking Tony to the mat and then after dodge a clothesline is able to shoot streamers at Tony that flusters him. Phantasio then hits some arm drag takedowns three in a row and then poses for the crowd as Tony rolls out of the ring and throws a fit out of frustration. Once back in the ring Tony and Phantasio trade off working over each others arms before Tony is able to land a few punches that backs Phantasio into the corner. But after working the ropes Phantasio hits a big shoulder block that levels Tony and has brought the momentum back on to the magic man’s side who then hits a pair of scoop slams before going for an atomic drop and then removing Tony’s boxer shorts from his tights with his magic and then roles him up for the three count and the win. After the bell rings, Phantasio then pulls a prank on the referee and removes his boxers as well. This was the debut and final match for Phantasio in the WWF, and let’s just say it was a little rough and had no sizzle to the action in the ring. The pacing of the match is slow for such a quick match as many of the moments are set of for spots to showcase the magic of Phantasio who mostly throughout the match did very basic moves likes slams and arm drags, but I will say his shoulder block looked really good and impactful. The ending of the match was super silly with the boxers removal and got a pop for some of the live crowd while the second time he did it to the referee was meet with mostly silence. Phantasio while coming out got somewhat of a reaction from the younger fans was meet with wonder by the older ones who seemed to be slightly amused by his magic tricks, but he was doomed when they gave him no music to come out to and he had no finisher to truly pop the fans as he wins by a rollup. Over all, this was a slightly below average TV match and a strange debut for a character that vanished just as quick as he appeared.

Grade: **

Sadly I think that this match is what truly doomed Phantasio in the WWF as he was not able to showcase his in ring work and the magic tricks. While a cool concept, it just came off odd to many in the crowd and this caused him to have a very mixed response from the fans in attendance. During the match poor Gorilla Mansoon tried his best to put Phantasio over, at one point even calling him comic book character Spider-Man! While the DVD set has many of his matches as Spellbinder on it, I just wanted this update to focus on his mirco run in the WWF as he was one of those wrestlers I remember debuting and always wonder what happened and where he went. I do think he was a good worker and worked better matches before and after his time in WWF. It’s a shame he never got to show his skills while there. So as you can see, this update event is over but WWE WrestleMania month continues as our next update will showcase another WWF Superstar who only lasted a small amount of time with the company supposedly because extreme bullying and I am of course talking about Outback Jack! So let’s make our way to the exit and as we do, as always read a comic or three, watch a wrestling match or two and as always support your local wrestlers. See you next update back here at the Rotten Ink Arena for a down under good time.

R.I.W Wrestling Legend: Chief White Owl

Posted on April 12, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. Once more we find ourselves at the Rotten Ink Arena for a very special “R.I.W Wrestling Legend” update event as our main event star is a true legend of the sport in Ohio and the Great Lake area and was the master of the Tomahawk Chop who war danced his way into the hearts of fans. I am of course talking about Chief White Owl! A part Native American wrestler who became a true icon in the eyes of fans and is long overdue to get his time to shine in the Rotten Ink Arena! So let’s grab some snacks and a drink and then find our seats as this is going to be a quick update that will showcase his talent and his wrestling story. As you can see, the house lights are dimming and that means it’s time for some wrestling action.

Chief White Owl started his pro wrestling career in 1956. While he worked smaller shows before this, around this time is when he started to make a name for himself in the sport. Working in the NWA Territories he mostly stuck around the Great Lakes area and really became a big draw in his home state of Ohio. Booked as a baby face, his war dance, Tomahawk Chop and brawling style made him a draw, as when fans seen his name on a card they attended. During the early days of his career he would wrestle such names as The Terror, The Iron Russians, The Volkoff Brothers and Sputnik Monroe. With in his early matches Chief White Owl found himself on the losing end, but quickly as his popularity with fans grew he found himself moving up the card. Throughout the 50’s he would work for Midwest Wrestling Association and this made him a true superstar in Ohio. But by the early 1960’s he would have a run for Pennsylvania based company Spectator Sports and would have some big matches against such names as The Destroyer, Gorilla Monsoon, Klondike Bill, Johnny Powers, Gypsy Joe and Baron Gattoni, to name a few. In 1965 Chief White Owl had a run in WWF (then WWWF) and would work for them until around late 1965 and would have matches against big names at the time like Waldo Von Erich, Arnold Skaaland, Johnny Rodz, Dr. Jerry Graham and The Golden Terror. After this The Chief would return working the NWA areas around Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania and by the late 60’s would even work matches in Canada. Throughout the early 1970’s Chief White Owl remained a big star on the indies and would also help put over the up and coming wrestlers, and by 1976 we would wind down his career before retiring in the early 80’s. During his wrestling run he would capture tag team gold alongside partner Luis Martinez around six times in the NWF promotion, would team with Wahoo McDaniel, get a win at Madison Square Garden and is another name that proved you could be a big star and a draw for companies and never needed a title belt to achieve his popularity. Sadly Chief White Owl would pass away from neglect from the nursing home he lived in in 2008 at the age of 72, gone and never forgotten as Chief White Owl was an icon of Pro Wrestling in Ohio. It’s also sad that he has not made it into the WWF Hall Of Fame yet, as I feel he should be.

Chief White Owl is a wrestler that I wish I would have gotten to see live, but sadly he was retired by the time I was old enough to go to events as it would have been awesome to watch him wrestle in the now-gone Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio. I first found out about Chief White Owl from my friend Theresa who knew someone in his family and who told me the sad tale of his passing, and after reading about his legacy in wrestling and just how amazing of a person he was said to be, I needed to find and see some of his matches…and sadly, not many are around to be viewed. Seeing the matches and footage I can of White Owl made me a bigger fan, as I like his brawling style, his war dance always got a great pop from the fans, his appearance was awesome as his headdress made him standout and his Tomahawk Chop signature move was well done and looked like a proper finisher for that era of wrestling. When reading about Chief White Owl I also found out that Bobby Fulton of the tag team The Fantastic and fellow Ohioan grew up watching his matches and was a fan himself. On a serious note, it’s very sad when you hear the details of how Chief White Owl passed and those at the nursing home should be ashamed of themselves and be held accountable for what they did, and my thoughts are with his family as they still battle for justice and a change in the way America allows their nursing homes to be run. But while his end was heartbreaking, his legacy in wrestling will live on forever and his name will never fade.

We are now at the point of this review where we will be taking a look at the DVD set and review some of the matches on the discs, like always between 4 to 8. Sadly I only have one match to cover for this “R.I.W Wrestling Legend” update. I want to thank HyperDevil for having this set in stock and also want to thank Chief White Owl for his hard work in the world of wrestling. I also want to remind you that I will only be breaking down randomly select matches from this set and will be breaking down the match and will be rating the matches on a 5 Star rating system. I also only choose from single matches, as I want to break down his matches that showcase his style. Here is what the stars mean ½ means a really terrible match, * means a bad match, ** means a below average match, **1/2 means a good average entertaining match, *** means a good match, **** means a great match, ***** means an epic match. So if you are ready, let’s step into the ring with Chief White Owl.

Best Of Chief White Owl

Match 1: Chief White Owl vs. Steve Stanlee

As the bell rings, Steve is able to land a punch at the top of White Owl’s head dazing him for a second as Steve keeps his attack going landing punches and kicks. After a few moments White Owl lands one big punch that knocks Steve to the mat and White Owl is fired up as he does his war dance and lands a few punches that causes Steve to get out of the ring to stop the attack. Once back in the ring Steve is pushed up against the corner and White Owl hits a big chop, but soon Steve is able to get White Owl in a sleeper hold that is broke when White Owl gets to the ropes but takes a elbow to the back of his neck when Steve lets go. Steve then hits a series of kicks to the stomach of White Owl and then goes for his eyes, but White Owl fights back with a punch to the gut and a standing headlock that backs Steve into the ropes and tangles his arms in them and delivers a chop and even lands another as Steve escapes the ropes. The two exchange hits and holds and battle until the time limit, but the referee decides to give the win to Chief White Owl. This is a classic old school wrestling match filled with brawling punches, basic wrestling moves and signature moments that would pop the fans and while it would be considered bland by todays standards of in ring work this is a very good match for its era. Steve Stanlee does a fantastic job of selling for The Chief and does so many little heel moves that makes the fans just hate him, meanwhile Chief White Owl does his war dance, his tomahawk chops and uses his fired up temper to have the fan eating out of his hands. White Owl’s series of drop kicks look really great and he as well is great seller as he makes Steve as well look good in the ring as its clear the two had good chemistry. The time limit decision win that goes to The Chief was a little confusing, but the live fans seemed to dig it so I guess it worked. The pacing was well done and Steve Stanlee even was able to get in some silly heel comedy moments as well as cheating to help the pace along. Over all this was an entertaining old school match and shows why Chief White Owl was a well loved wrestler.

Grade: ***

The legend of Chief White Owl is still going strong to this day as his family, friends and fans keep his memory alive. And for those wondering, Chief White Owl’s real name was George Dahmer and his mother was part Native American. He was a natural as his gimmick. I really do wish more matches of his would come to the light of day as I would love to see more of his work as I like his fighting spirit as well as his hard hitting brawling style. Well as you can see, the update event is over and the house lights are back up and the cleanup crew is out so that is our cue to head on out of the arena, but before we part I would like to alert you that our next update will have us stay in the world of wrestling as we are still celebrating WWE WrestleMania Month and we will be spending some time with the one and only Uncle Elmer, who was the powerhouse of the Hillbilly Family that took 80’s WWF by storm. So until the next update event, read a comic or three, watch a wrestling match or two and as always support your local wrestlers. See you back here at the Rotten Ink Arena for the next update, and I wonder if the snack bar will have Friend Pig Parts in stock?

R.I.W Wrestling Legend: The Texas Hangmen

Posted on March 13, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. As you can see, we find ourselves once more at the Rotten Ink Arena as we have another “R.I.W Wrestling Legend” update event planned and this one will feature a tag team that mostly made a name for themselves in Puerto Rico but did have a good run in the AWA and while they did not last that long as a team, they did capture some gold and built up a reputation of being a brawling, rough and tough masked menacing team…and this team is The Texas Hangmen and as you can see, they are the main event for this update. So let’s head to the snack bar and grab a drink and some chili to snack on and then find our seats as this will be a quick and hard hitting update event.

The Texas Hangmen was a masked outlaw cowboy team that started working together around 1988 in Windy City Wrestling under the names Hangman # 1 and Hangman # 2 and could not find their groove mostly losing to more established teams before leaving the company and finding their new home in the AWA that they started working for in 1989 and found some more traction and started going under the names Psycho and Killer. They worked matches against the likes of The Guerrero Brothers, The Tokyo Bullets and John Nord and Scott Norton. They were hated heels and fans loved to boo these brawling masked men who would challenge for the AWA Tag Titles but never could win them. The Hangmen would stay in AWA until around 1990 when they went out of business. The Texas Hangmen then traveled to Puerto Rico to work for WWC and would become a big team that feuded with many of the company’s top teams and stars from The Medics, The Invaders and even Carlos Colon. The Texas Hangmen would also capture the WWC Tag Titles twice during this run and would stick around until 1991 before returning to the states to work for USWA. Once in the USWA, they found themselves a top team for the company and would quickly capture the Tag Titles as they beat Jeff Jarrett and Eddie Gilbert (who was filling in for Jerry Lawler). But even being the Tag Team champions, Texas Hangman were being booked very oddly as they ended up losing to many of the companies top stars at the time like Bill Dundee and Steve Keirn. They would stick around USWA for a short time and would break up for a time and would get back together for one last run in WWC in 1997 that would have them win the company’s Tag Title and by the end of the year The Texas Hangmen were no more. While The Texas Hangmen never made it to the big companies like WCW and WWF, they did make their mark in AWA and WWC and would find their marks later when they disbanded. I should say a version of The Texas Hangmen had a small run in WCW as a jobber team.

Frank Vizi was the wrestler behind the mask of Psycho and he was trained by Tom Stone and started his Pro Wrestling career in 1984, and is known as Bull Pain, a wrestler who worked for ECW, WCW and JCW. He would end up retiring in 2012 and was a mid-card heel that fans loved to hate. Mike Morgan was Killer, and he started his Pro career in 1982 and was trained by Jake Milliman and Rocky Stone and would best be known as Mean Mike, a member of the WCW tag team Disorderly Conduct, and part of a similar team called Texas Hangmen that were a jobber team. He would as well retire in 2012. While The Texas Hangmen or even Disorderly Conduct are not household names, and Bull Pain is only with diehard ECW fans, these guys made their mark in the world of Wrestling and over their careers had captured titles as well as did a great job of entertaining fans all over the world. At this point The Texas Hangman are not in the WWE Hall Of Fame, and I doubt if they ever do make it.

In the late 80’s and early 90’s Tag Team wrestling was very big and teams like the Road Warriors, Demolition and The Powers Of Pain were the ones that brought fans into arena as they had a look of face paint, flashy gear and a badass wrestling style that made them feel like true tough guys and like they could snap their opponents’ necks. I feel like The Texas Hangmen are a team that traded the face paint for masks, as well traded in the apocalyptic fashion for western gear and used names like Killer and Psycho to show that they meant business. They also would bring out nooses to show that they truly were Hangmen as I can remember them getting a little heat from people when they used the nooses to hang and choke Invader # 1 and this single act is what made them big names in Puerto Rico and made them feared by fans as they came off as true madmen. Growing up I remember The Texas Hangman from the AWA and seeing them on ESPN and wondering why they were not working for WCW as their look and style would have fit right in and they could have had some great matches with the likes of Steiner Brothers, Road Warriors and even Doom. The crazy thing to think about is that as a team they only stayed together for a few years and when disbanding the team the each tried to make their own paths in the business, and while they both did find small amounts of success I would have liked to seen them stick together and try to make runs in WWF, ECW, CMLL, New Japan and WCW. They are also a team that I am pretty sure got their gimmick stolen as Texas Hangmen or teams with similar looks and names would pop up in small indie federations. Another very interesting thing about The Texas Hangmen is that their background as a team is very all over the place with many saying the started in AWA and others saying it was for the smaller indies before landing in AWA, but one thing is for sure they were a entertaining team that I would love to see have a match at Rock Star Pro Wrestling in Dayton, Ohio against a team like The Hooligans or even The Bad Dudes.

We are now at the point of this review were we will be taking a look at the DVD set and review some of the matches on the discs like always between 4 to 8. Sadly on a side note I could only review 3 full matches. I want to thank HyperDevil for having this set in stock and also want to thank The Texas Hangmen for their hard work in the world of wrestling. I also want to remind you that I will be breaking down the match and will be rating the matches on a 5 Star rating system. Here is what the stars mean ½ Means a really terrible match, * Means a bad match, ** Means a below average match, **1/2 Means a good average entertaining match, *** Means a good match, **** Means a great match, ***** Means an epic match. So if you are ready, let’s step into the ring with The Texas Hangmen.

Best Of The Texas Hangmen

Match 1: Texas Hangmen vs. Carlos Colon & T.N.T

The Texas Hangmen and Carlos and T.N.T start brawling before any of them even get in the ring and the fans are going crazy as they keep throwing punches all around as it’s clear that these teams have a hatred for each other. Carlos even rips one of the Hangman’s mask as he is trying to make the masked man bleed with big punches. T.N.T gets one of the Hangmen into the ring as Carlos rams the others head into a plate as the ring is set up in the middle of a baseball field, once they all get back to the ring the match becomes more of a normal tag match and Carlos and T.N.T take control of the match landing hits, holds and even using what looks like a fork on the heads of The Texas Hangmen. For a short time the Hangmen make a comeback but it quickly turns into both teams brawling and they take it outside the ring again and the match it thrown out as the two teams keep on fighting and even the locker room empties to try and break them up. This match is pretty much mostly a brawl with both team just exchanging punches and kicks in and outside the ring and the fans were really into this match as it was clear that they love Carlos Colon and T.N.T as for most of the match they are in charge. The match also has blood and The Texas Hangmen prove that they are brawlers and can take a beating and dish out a beating and still seem like contenders. The match ending in a brawl and being thrown out was very fitting as it was clear that fans would come back for a rematch between these two teams. Over all, while it’s nothing super special when it comes to moves, the story they tell in the ring as well as the chemistry between the two teams is good and that is what makes this match a great watch.

Grade: ***

Match 2: Texas Hangmen vs. Invader # 1 & T.N.T

As soon as the two teams get into the ring they start brawling, and Invader even takes one of the Hangmen out of the ring and uses a chair on him and is delivering big punches while in the ring T.N.T is beating up on the other Hangmen and these beating continues for a while even at one point T.N.T chokes one with a belt and Invader smashes the other over the head. The teams end up taking the brawl into the ring again and it turns into a normal tag match with each team exchanging holds and mostly punches back and fourth. The referee ends up getting knocked out, and The Texas Hangmen try and use their bull rope to hit Invader # 1 with but T.N.T saves him for a moment, but one of the Hangmen uses the rope to choke Invader who is in deep trouble. The match is thrown out as The Texas Hangmen leave the ring and head to the locker room as T.N.T and Invader # 1 pose for the rabid cheering fans. This is another brawling match that pretty much follows the same formula as the last match that is pretty much the baby face team brawling with the heel team all around the arena as the fans cheer and once they get it back into the ring the match goes back and fourth and in the end a brawl erupts and the match ends with a no contest. No big moves are thrown, the brawling looks great and the hanging spot looks good as his the reversal of the hanging. Over all just another brawl that is entertaining and both teams look good throughout the match. The fans in attendance are really into this match as well, and I am not sure but at one point I think a fan throws a smoke bomb around the ring…a wild match.

Grade: ***

Match 3: Texas Hangmen vs. Invader # 1 & Bronco # 1

The Texas Hangmen are the tag champions, and as they head to the ring, they taunt the fans who really hate these guys. Bronco # 1 has seen and heard enough and goes out after him and gets them both in the ring and Invader # 1 starts dealing out some punches. When the Hangmen roll out of the ring, they return only to taunt the fans some more. And every time the match is about to start and Invader # 1 gets any momentum the Hangmen roll out of the ring. Once the match really starts Invader and Bronco take the momentum and use fast tags to keep the match in their favor, Bronco even works over one of the Hangmen’s arm as the fans cheer, but shortly after The Hangmen take control of the match and use their brawling style to cause pain. The two teams then take turns going back and fourth with momentum and several times Invader # 1 tries to go for the pin but it’s always broken up by the other Hangman. But after a big punch Invader # 1 is finally able to get the win via pin and the fans go wild as they have just won the Tag Titles. This match starts off way to slow and I get that The Texas Hangmen were getting heart from their taunting and slowing down the action, but when watching at home it sadly comes off bland and uninteresting. But while it starts off not great, I think the match speeds up slightly and the tag team chemistry between Invader # 1 and Bronco # 1 was good as they did fast tags and used double team moves to keep their two monster heel opponents down. The Texas Hangmen are doing their normal brawling style, but also use lots of rest holds throughout the match. The finish is a little odd as well as such a simple move ends a title match. At times I also have to point out that when Bronco # 1 would do off the rope moves he seemed very awkward and stiff. But much to say besides it was an ok match between four skilled workers that the fans seemed to be into for the most part, I was entertained but was also slightly bored at times.

Grade: **1/2

The Texas Hangmen was a pretty cool tag team that worked all around the world and clearly was big draws as heels in Puerto Rico as the fans really did seem to hate them. And it really is a shame that they never got a full chance to show their talents in one of the two major companies WWF and WCW as I really do think they could have been a solid mid-card heel team that could have helped put over the companies top baby face teams as well as get win over some of the mid and lower card ones. Teams like The Texas Hangmen are a product of the past as you just don’t see teams like them on TV anymore. But as you can see, the matches are over and the house lights have came up and the cleaning crew are out so that’s our clue to leave and as we make out way to the exit doors I would like to tell you that our next update will take us away from the squared circle and back into the world of Western themed media as we will be talking about the iconic cowboy Red Ryder and his comic books as well as his B.B. Guns! So with that until next time read a comic or three, watch a wrestling match or two and as always support your local wrestlers. Oh and remember the phrase “You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out Kid” as Red Ryder and it go hand and hand.