ringsidephotos.net Blog

Check out the kids at NWA-C this past Saturday, waiting to touch hands with their favorites…

NWA Charlotte had their first Queen City Tag team tournament this past Saturday…congrats to Steven Walters and Derrick Driver who came home with the trophy and a check for 10,000$ (it wasn’t the giant novelty kind though)…Great seeing the Naturals again, not great seeing Chase threaten to use my camera bag as a weapon…The British Lions are actual subjects of the Crown! (not like some British posers…), I was tempted to pull some Benny Hill type shenanigans at ringside, but I figured it would be too dated for them…Zack apparently suffered a nasty shoulder injury and had to go to hospital, we hope he is okay…III and the Skull Krushers in the ring at the same time was rather imposing looking…I am incredibly jealous of Kirby Mack’s hair, there-I said it…Was treated to supper at the historic Skyland Restaurant in Charlotte – a great spot with a lot of local wrestling history in it…The pictures will be up soon – I took over 400, so there is a bit to go through…

Photos from the 10 April show in Charlotte will be up soon…I among several people who was disappointed with the turn out at the show…the return of Roddy Piper to Charlotte after 20 years and the return of wrestling to the Grady Cole Center (the Charlotte Park Center as Mr Florida pointed out) after possibly the same amount of years really warranted a huge turn out…not sure what this means or where blame should be placed…the close to 300 people that were there had a good time regardless and I did as well…one of my long time friends came on the road trip with ER and I…I was afraid that he wouldn’t have a good time as he is not the biggest wrestling fan and was only going on the hopes of getting a picture with Piper…turns out he had a great time, got his picture and a couple of autographs too.

I cannot say enough about how much of a gentleman Roddy Piper was…completely laid back…cordial to everyone in the VIP line on stage…he would ask where they were from, and get a little information about them before doing the picture…a class act!

I told my friend who accompanied me that going to certain shows is like attending a homecoming, you see people that soemtimes you haven’t seen in a long time…great to see the Mid-Atlantic Mafia who were out in full-force…our friend Graham Cawthon from The History of the WWE site was there…Deon Davis (he played Barack Obama on WWE)…two lovely ladies-Elaine & Nola from The Gillespie Agency…the NWA Charlotte bosses-JD Costello & Jay Joyce…the Masked Superstar!

Next week is Hardcore Hell at NWA Anarchy…

Well sort of…a handful of my pictures are now being used in some Wikipedia entries:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NWA_Anarchy (pic of Bill Behrens)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerbomb (a photo of Mikael Judas’ Crucifix powerbomb)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirby_Mack (photo of our friend Kirby in his “Big K mark” shirt)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melissa_Coates (entrance photo of Melissa)

“What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.  There’s an almost melancholic, ephemeral, fixed aspect to it.  It’s what makes photography so captivating.”

-Karl Lagerfeld

I actually wrote this on 1 March, I’m just now getting it up… 

If you haven’t seen them yet, check out the pics from RSPDN show number 5 here: http://ringsidephotos.net/pws_22809.htm

This was the biggest crowd I have seen at the York Rec Center so far…the fans who braved the cold weather got to see three title changes and a TNA superstar.

Kudos to Jake Manning & Mike Lee in their “Loser Leaves PWS” match…Mike wrestled on one of the first “roadtrip” shows I ever went to – the first “Anderson Brothers Classic Tag Tournament” on 11 December 2004 in Shelby,NC.  I had recently spent lots of time with Mike running the Highspots printers behind the scenes at the Ric Flair appearances.  As we say here in the Pea Ridge – “a nicer feller you’ll never meet!”  Good luck Mike in the “real world.”  A little aside, after Mike and Jake’s match I did in-ring photos with Abyss…I took the disk to the promoter and asked where he’d like them, his answer – “give it to Mike and tell him to start printing!”  Our work is never done, Mike.

Our friends the Macks regained the PWS tag straps from Caleb Konley and Brandon P after vacating them earlier in the night…so technically I guess it would three tag title changes in one night? 

Thanks to our fan, Tyler for donating a couple of ROH tickets to us Saturday night!

On the stands now (Barnes & Noble had it) is the special year-end awards issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated!

Check out page 34 for our photo of the Flair brothers together in Charlotte and then page 62 for our photo of Ricky Steamboat Jr (runner up to the 2008 PWI Rookie of the Year).  We’re quite proud of Blake “Aldridge” who took the photos for us.  Seriously though, every time I see my name and one of my photos in PWI, it’s just as good as the very first time!

And plus, Mama would be proud as both of her bouncing boys, my brother Brett and I are both in this issue.

Site Update:  I have added the “b&w project” gallery link to the gallery gateway page.

First a plug for the upcoming show on 14 February:

Be sure to check www.NWACharlotte.com for more info and scheduled matches.

ER and I arrived at the NWA Coliseum in Charlotte a little before 4pm, courtesy of the Miss Peggy Lathan Xpress. 

I had visited the building on 6 December before the PWS show at Vance High School and it was still an open warehouse, but was beginning to show how great it was going to be.

I walk in and we see a wrestling building, simply put.  To our left, the interview stage and “rock star” seating area of couches and chairs.  To the right, the “Cage & NWA Wearhouse.”  Straight ahead, the object that draws the attention and eyes of wrestling fans and wrestlers alike: the squared circle.  Crowned by the light array, the ring sat in center court. 

The Mid-Atlantic Mafia was represented by “Boss” Bourne and “Capo” Cline.  Dick and Peggy got a special shout-out from JD at the beginning of the show.

Good to see a lot of familiar faces at the show in the back and in the crowd.

A fantastic turn out too for the show.  About an hour before the show started I snuck out the front, and who was there to greet me as first in line, none other than our friend RedBeard.

There were even two massage therapists on duty in the back!  The lovely ladies from WhyKnot Massage in Charlotte, NC – check them out the next time you are in the Queen City.

The “set” of NWA-C has a “deconstructed” look to it.  Each side of the entrance way is covered with old signage, tin, wood, barbwire, glass, paper etc.  The actual entrance is carpeted and surrounding by bright new metal and light displays.  It is a physical representation of the “new” emerging from the “old.”  The new NWA Charlotte emerging from the past NWA of Jim Crockett.  Nicely done.

I will have the photos up hopefully starting tonight.  I took well over 400, so it will take me just a bit. 

I’m really looking forward to a good relationship with NWA Charlotte, to JD & Jay – congratulations!  The hard work has paid off.