UWF “First Blood” PPV recap – New York City

This summer former ECW producer Steve “The Hustler” Karel announced that he was launching a very unique wrestling promotion that would blend the worlds of pro wrestling and hip hop (and toss in a little extreme action). This promotion was called the Urban Wrestling Federation or the UWF and set it’s goal to appeal to both the hardcore ECW crowd from the late 90’s as well as hip hop fans as well. The UWF kicked off the promotion with a PPV entitled “First Blood.” Where was the PPV held? In the birth place of Hip Hop and one of ECW’s old stomping grounds, New York City.

The debut PPV opens up with Hip Hop website, allhiphop.com’s Gina Torres outside of a building with “breaking news.” She says that rapper Uncle Murda had been arrested earlier in the day after an altercation with a Miami rapper and an unnamed pro wrestler. Gina says he was last seen being taken away in a police car screaming “it’s a man’s game now.” We then go into the UWF PPV opening which features the UWF’s slogan, “the ring is the new block” followed by highlights of some crazy action which features some recognizable stars like Homicide and Eddie Kingston as well as some relative unknowns.

We cut to Steve The Hustler talking about getting everybody together. They name drop several rappers in this segment including Billy Blue, Melle Mel, and Cuban Link among others.

Now to the ring, the ring announcer Larry Legend welcomes us. Before he can say anything Lowlife Louie Ramos interrupts him and makes his way down to the ring. Ramos says the UWF has brought the streets to the ring, with some very colorful language. Ramos is a part of Uncle Murda’s crew. Someone comes through the crowd and blasts Ramos with a chair repeatedly! It’s Murder 1!

Murder 1 destroys Ramos with the chair and he is busted open already. Murder 1 pulls out a damn shank (no really it was a tooth brush with a sharpened end, I kid you not) and stabs Ramos repeatedly and busts him open again! Murder whips Ramos into the ropes and hits him with a Big Boot followed by a Diamond Cutter! Murder says this is called “First Blood” and he just drew it. Murder puts the boots to Ramos and says he drew that first blood in the name of ATL (Atlanta). Murder says if Ramos thinks he’s got a hard crew, he hasn’t seen sh*t until he’s seen Block’s crew. Atlanta’s Big Block (who managed both the Boyz N Da Hood group and Young Jeezy at one time, and currently manages Gorilla Zoe) makes his way down to the ring with high flyer Ruckus and Grim Reefer. Block says he came all the way from the ATL to get that money. Uncle Murda interrupts him.

Murda comes down to the ring with EC Negro & KC Blade, the Dirty Rotten Scoundrelz. Murda says he doesn’t know what Block is talking about but this is his town, and they’re gonna’ give Block’s crew a good old fashioned NY ass whooping. Before that match can get going Miami’s Brisco makes his way down to the ring with the Ghetto Mafia (Dope & Creed). He says all they care about is the young money and cash money. He says something not so nice about NY and ATL girls and then says Ghetto Mafia is gonna’ show them whatsup.

Triple Threat Tag Team Match
Ruckus & Grim Reefer w/ Big Block vs. Dirty Rotten Scoundrelz (EC Negro & KC Blade) vs. The Ghetto Mafia (Dope & Creed)

The fight is on! Ruckus hits Creed with a Back Handspring into a Head Scissors Takeover! Creed comes back with a Big Boot but Ruckus answers with a Back Heel Kick! Dope comes in and hits a Mafia Bomb on Ruckus, but then Blade comes in and knocks Dope down. Blade whips Dope into the ropes and goes for a clothesline, but Dope ducks and goes for a Cross Body. Blade catches him in midair and hits a big Power Slam! Grim Reefer comes in and lights Blade up with some chops but Blade shrugs it off and tosses Reefer into the corner. Blade charges but Reefer gets his boots up. Blade catches Reefer’s legs and tries to toss him over the top rope but Reefer bounces his legs off the ropes and into Blade with a Rebound Dropkick. Reefer follows up with a Lariat attempt but Blade ducks so Reefer hits him with one with the other arm! Negro comes in and absolutely DESTROYS Reefer with a Cobra Clutch Driver! Creed comes in and hits Negro with kicks and punches and elbows. Creed attempts to whip Negro into the ropes but Negro reverses it. Creed holds onto the ropes and then pulls them down as Negro charges him. Negro goes crashing to the floor and then Creed hits a Slingshot Plancha over the top onto several of the guys! Reefer climbs into the ring and hits an insane Springboard Somersault Plancha onto everyone on the floor! Ruckus and Reefer line DRS (Dirty Rotten Scoundrelz) up on the floor and then climb up on the apron. Ruckus dives off of the apron with a Shooting Star Press onto Negro and then Reefer dives off with a Splash onto Blade! Everybody is down now. Reefer gets to his feet and tosses Negro into the ring. Reefer beats on Negro as the announcer tells us that they can actually pin each other on the outside, so it doesn’t matter where the matches go. Reefer comes off the ropes and hits a gorgeous Spinning Headscissors into a Crossface! Blade comes in and breaks up the hold. On the outside Creed and Ruckus are brawling. Blade whips Reefer into the corner and Reefer attempts to float up and over him in the corner, but Blade catches him on his shoulder. Negro comes over and they hit a crazy Gutbuster/Diamond Cutter combo! Dope comes in and kicks Blade in the head. Ghetto Mafia grab Negro and try to whip him into the ropes but Blade grabbed his partner’s legs from the outside to stop it. Dope stomps Blade but Negro catches a second wind and fights back only to eat a Backbreaker from Dope. Creed then hits a Slingshot Guillotine Leg Drop on Negro over Dope’s knee! Ruckus and Reefer come in and knock Dope out to the floor. They whip Creed into the corner and then Ruckus shows his insane athleticism with several handsprings into a Back Elbow in the corner on Creed which he calls the Razzle Dazzle. Ruckus then whips Creed into a Spinning Heel Kick from Reefer. Dope comes in and hits Reefer from behind and then clotheslines Ruckus to the floor. Ghetto Mafia shoves Reefer into the corner and start beating him down. They pick Reefer up into the air and then Double Bomb him into the corner! Blade comes back in and tosses Ghetto Mafia to the floor and then they hit an absolutely DISGUSTING double team move. Negro lifted Reefer up onto his back in a kind of Reverse Tombstone (think Kazarian’s Fade To Black Move) while Blade came from behind and grabbed Reefer in a Piledriver at the same time! Just nasty! DRS pose to the crowd but Creed rolls in and steals the win as they were posing!

Winners: Ghetto Mafia via pinfall

DRC and Block’s crew continue to brawl to the back while Brisco and his boys celebrate the win.

We cut to a vignette of NY rapper Red Café and he calls his crew the Shakedown Mafia. He’s with the team of the S.A.T. (Amazing Red’s cousins) and they say if they like what you have then they’ll take it.

Cut to Brisco who’s in a truck when Cuban Link comes up and Brisco tells him he needs his help. Brisco hands him an envelope for something he needs him to take care of. Brisco wants Cuban to find out what all the other crews are up to. Brisco wants the UWF Title in his crew.

In the back Billy Blue walks up to his crew and approaches Bestia and asks if his money. Bestia can’t find it and he thinks Bestia thinks he’s a joke. Bestia says he had the money. Billy says he has an hour to get him his money. He tells Buck Chyld and Bestia to go get him his money and if they don’t get him his money it’ll be their problem.

Big Block is in the back talking about not much.

Uncle Murda is bitching about Louis Ramos getting beat down and DRS losing their match. He looks at Homicide and he says he’s their only shot at the title so he has to whip his opponents ass.

Buck Chyld is on the phone with someone talking about winning the belt when the big guy that Block was just talking to approaches him and slams him into the wall and then takes him out with a Running Knee. Façade then comes in behind him and walks into Bestia’s locker room. Bestia was looking through Façade’s stuff I think. Bestia takes off running and they run to the ringside.

UWF Heavyweight Title Tournament
Bestia vs. Façade

Bestia is the son of Lucha Libre legend, Damian 666, and is currently a very good up and coming star in Lucha Libre. Façade hits Bestia with a back kick and then sets up a ladder near the entrance ramp. Bestia comes from behind him and slams Façade into the ladder. Bestia then charges at Façade but Façade backdrops him onto the ladder! Façade tosses Bestia into the ring and then he hits a Double Spring Armdrag off the top. Façade hits the ropes but Bestia backdrops Façade over the top. Façade lands on the apron and then hits Bestia with a shoulder block through them. Façade then slingshots back into the ring and then ducks a clothesline from Bestia and then springs back up into the air with a Kipup into a kick! Façade hits the ropes and then a Springboard Asai Moonsault! 1…2…NO Bestia kicks out! Façade chops Bestia and then whips him into the ropes but Bestia bounces off and takes Façade down with a shoulder block. Bestia hits the ropes and hits a nice Hurricanrana! Bestia then goes for a Spinning Headscissors but Façade shoves him off. Bestia lands on his feet and then leaps over a leg sweep attempt from Façade and takes Façade down with an Enziguri. Bestia follows up with a Somersault Leg Drop! 1…2…NO Façade kicks out! Façade rolls out to the floor and Bestia attempts a Baseball Slide but Façade side steps him. Façade then attempts to backdrop Bestia onto the apron but Bestia bounces off the ropes into a Head Scissors Takeover on Façade into the guardrail! Bestia picks Façade up on his shoulder and then drops him down onto the guardrail. Bestia pulls out a ladder and sets it up at ringside while Façade grabs a chair. Façade hits Bestia in the gut with the chair and then blasts him over the back with it. Façade slams Bestia into the table and then tosses him back into the ring. Façade climbs to the top and then actually walks the ropes as Bestia gets to his feet and picks up the chair. Façade springs off the ropes with a Missile Drokick sending the chair into Bestia’s face! 1…2…NO Bestia kicks out! Façade drapes Bestia over the middle rope and then hits a Slingshot Guillotine Leg Drop. Bestia then hits a Springboard Bulldog. Façade follows up with a Split Legged Corkscrew Moonsault! 1…2…NO Bestia kicks out again! Façade climbs up top and Bestia rolls out to the apron. Façade walks the ropes again and it looks like he was going to go for a Hurricanrana to the floor but he slipped and it causes both guys to go crashing over the top rope back into the ring. Façade covers Bestia and gets another nearfall. Façade hits Bestia with a forearm that sends Bestia back to the apron. Façade goes to the top and walks the ropes again to try and hit that hurricanrana, but Bestia counters into a Powerbomb off the apron through the table he set up earlier! 1…2…3!

Winner: Bestia via pinfall (Powerbomb through a table)

Billy Blue walks out with his crew and he tells everyone to make some noise for Bestia. Blue says usually they would celebrate a winner but not in this case because he still doesn’t have his money. Blue says the fans see an entertainer right now but he sees someone that owes him money. Blue’s crew jumps Bestia and beats the hell out of him. Steve Mack picks Bestia up but Billy tells him not to kill him because he just won. Billy says they can’t kill him because they need him to win the belt. Mack picks Bestia up and carries him to the back.

Steve the Hustler is on the phone with someone, I think Red Café, with Melle Mel. Melle Mel talks to Red Café on the phone and says he’ll take care of Red Café’s crew tonight. Red Café is locked up or something. Café tells Eddie Kingston to win his match tonight and to ride with Mel.

We cut to Jeez on the street and a dude from Uncle Murda’s crew approaches him about stealing some of Murda’s “product.”

Homicide cuts a promo on Eddie Kingston and says he gets more b*tches, money, and hustles harder than Kingston. He says this is his hustle and his game.

Melle Mel and Eddie Kingston discuss his match with Homicide in the Tournament and Mel gives him a pep talk. Kingston says tonight starts Kingston’s road to becoming a legend and he discusses his past with Homicide. He says he wants money and with that title comes money. He says he’s tired of not having anything.

UWF Heavyweight Championship Tournament
“Notorious 1-8-7” Homicide w/Uncle Murda vs. “Last of a Dying Breed” Eddie Kingston w/Melle Mel

Kingston jumps Homicide at the bell and tosses Homicide out to the floor. Homicide slams Kingston hard into the guardrail and then rolls him into the ring. Homicide lights Kingston up with chops and slaps. Homicide tosses Kingston back out to the floor and then sets up for a dive but Kingston walks away. He points to his head but then turns around and Homicide dives off the apron with a Somersault Plancha onto Kingston on the floor! Homicide talks trash to Melle Mel and then tosses Kingston into the guardrail again. Kingston and Homicide exchange chops on the floor and then Homicide pokes him in the eyes and rolls him back into the ring. Homicide stands on the throat of Kingston in the corner and then hits a Running Dropkick to Kingston in the corner. Homicide hits a Running Front Kick to the face of Kingston in the corner and then he puts Kingston up on the top rope. Homicide slaps Kingston and then rakes his eyes and climbs up with Kingston and hits a Superrana! 1…2…NO Kingston kicks out! Homicide chokes Kingston on the middle rope and talks trash to Melle Mel at the same time. Homicide attempts to whip Kingston into the ropes but Kingston counters into a knee to the gut. Kingston then hits a Front Suplex. Kingston chokes Homicide with his boot and then chokes him on the ropes while raking at Homicide’s eyes at the same time. Homicide tries to fight back with body shots but Kingston pokes him in the eyes. Kingston hits Homicide with chops in the corner and then Homicide comes back with a chop and whips Kingston into the corner. Homicide hits a Running Clothesline in the corner but Kingston answers right back with a knee and then a Gutbuster! Kingston locks in a Waistlock on the mat. Homicide fights to his feet and counters into a Keylock and while he has him in the submission Kingston’s shoulders are also down giving him a nearfall. Kingston reverses the hold and then whips Homicide into the corner. Kingston whips Homicide hard into the opposite corner and then he locks Homicide in a Body Scissors. Homicide is able to get into the ropes and actually work his way out of the hold and tie Kingston’s legs up in the ropes. Homicide then slams Kingston’s knee hard down onto the rope. Homicide grabs the guardrail but Kingston comes out and tries to stop him. Homicide slams the guardrail into Kingston’s chest repeatedly and then he slams it into his head! Back in the ring Homicide lights Kingston up with chops in the corner. Kingston reverses it and hits a series of nasty chops himself. Homicide shrugs them off and goes nuts and headbutts Kingston. Homicide whips Kingston into the corner and hits a Flying Forearm! He hits a 2nd Flying Forearm and then goes for a 3rd but eats a Yakuza Kick from Kingston! Kinston whips Homicide into the corner and then charges at him but Homicide counters with a drop toe hold that sends Kingston crashing into the turnbuckles. Homicide follows up with a Vertical Suplex. Homicide climbs up top and hits a Flying Headbutt! 1…2…NO Kingston kicks out! Homicide hits a Hangman’s Neckbreaker and gets another nearfall. Homicide goes for the Gringo Cutta but Kingston shoves him into the corner. Kingston then hits a Backdrop Driver! Kingston follows up with the Backfist To The Future! 1…2…NO Homicide kicks out! Kingston follows up with the Sliding D (Sliding Forearm Smash to a seated opponent)! 1…2…NO Homicide still kicks out! Kingston climbs up top but Homicide punches him in the nuts! Homicide climbs up top and hits the Super Gringo Cutta! Homicide follows up with the Cop Killa! 1…2…3!

Winner: Homicide via pinfall (Cop Killa)

We cut to the street where the S.A.T. are approached by Slyck Wagner Brown talking about someone messing with Uncle Murda’s product again. They say it wasn’t them and Red Café didn’t have anything do it with it. S.A.T. implies that someone from Miami was involved.

In the back Kingston is going nuts after losing to Homicide. He screams that he’s still standing and it’s far from over between he and Homicide.

DRS approach some guy on the street and tell him they have an offer for him and they need him to go the “spot” and handle business for them.

Bestia talks about his boys jumping him but he understands why they did it.

Ghetto Mafia says they’re the dominant tag team in UWF when the guy that DRS was talking to walks up and he wants to buy some dope. DRS jumps Creed while Dope goes to get the dope. They beat him down.

DRS then jumps Dope and beats him down too and then they steal his bag (presumably drugs).

Homicide and Slyck Wagner Brown talk trash to Big Block and his boys in a club. One of Block’s boys flashes a gun in his waist so Homicide & Brown bail. They jump in a car and speed off while dude actually pops shots at him!

FINAL THOUGHTS

Well, first off they were going for unique and differently and that is most definitely what you get here. If you are easily offended by a lot of violence, explicit language, and drugs stay away. In fact, you are most definitely not the demographic UWF is attempting to reach here. Anyone that trashes the promotion is going to be doing so mainly because of the drug implications, guns, and other things being featured, but you should take it for what it is. UWF is pretty much attempting to create a gangsta/urban movie inside of the wrestling business with “sets” or “crews” waging war on each other, more so in the ring than on the streets.

Some of the segments introducing the stars felt forced and did a poor job at times in actually introducing us to the stars. If you watched in the preview videos that UWF put out then you probably knew of most of them by now but anyone that didn’t would have struggled to figure out who some of the guys were.

The in-ring action was really fun. The opener was WILD and just an exciting match to get everybody hyped.

Bestia/Façade was another good high flying match up that had a few clunky spots but still both guys looked good. I was really shocked to hear that Bestia at least speaks some English.

Homicide-Kingston was nowhere near the blood bath that I figured it would be but was still a good match. It looks like that feud is obviously going to be a focal point here.

This was a nice jumping off point, there are definitely some improvements to be made but it’s a nice place to start off.