AS I SEE IT 6/21


AS I SEE IT
Bob Magee
Pro Wrestling: Between the Sheets
PWBTS.com

Michael “Trent Acid” Verdi was found dead Friday morning in Philadelphia by his mother at age 29. He was best known as half of The Backseat Boyz with friend and partner Johnny Kashmere, as well as working in many notable singles programs in Combat Zone Wrestling, Ring of Honor, and Jersey All Pro Wrestling.

Kashmere wrote in his Facebook page Friday in reaction to Verdi’s passing:

“I cant believe i’m typing this….Trent Acid my best brother for life, has passed away. he was found at his home this morning around 9am by his mother. i have no info now and i can barely stand up, will know more soon….keep him and everyone in your prayers please this is horrible. I love you trent RIP”

Verdi was three times Combat Zone Wrestling Junior Heavyweight Champion, four times co-CZW Tag Team Champion (with Johnny Kashmere), once CZW Best of The Best tournament winner; once co-ROH Tag Team Champion (with Kashmere), twice Jersey All-Pro Wrestling Tag Team Champion (with Kashmere), once co-East Coast Wrestling Association Tag Team Champion (with Kashmere), three times once co-Hardway Wrestling Tag Team Championship (with Kashmere) once co-National Championship Wrestling Tag Team Champion (with Kashmere), once Phoenix Championship Wrestling Tag Team Champion (with Johnny Kashmere), once United States Xtreme Wrestling Heavyweight Championship, once UXW Xtreme Championship, once UXW United States Championship, once UXW Tag Team Championship (with Mike Tobin), twice Urban Wrestling Alliance Light Heavyweight Championship and once UWA Tag Team Champion (with Billy Reil). Singles titles included once Pro Wrestling Unplugged Heavyweight Champion, once Big Japan Pro Wrestling Junior Heavyweight Championship; and once Juggalo Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Champion.

But with all his achivements, Verdi had his demons, with multiple arrests for drug possession, including heroin and pills, and recently did jail time and rehab, including doing time after a 2008 incident with friend Billy Reil, which resulted in seven months in jail.. During Verdi’s periods of being clean and sober, he talked about not wanting to walk down the path of family members with similar problems and to get back fulltime into the wrestling business. Verdi was awaiting trial for a charge of possessing five Xanax pills without a prescription dating from a October 2009 arrest. His most recent arrest was the result of a probation violation for attempting to take dates with Big Japan Wrestling (out of the United States).

I remember a very young Trent Acid doing moonsaults off the old bleachers at the ECW Arena. I remember an incredibly talented wrestler who could make magic in the ring….and a guy with a great sense of humor. Being called on Friday afternoon with this news makes me feel really old and really sad.

PWBTS sends its condolences to the Verdi family and to Trent Acid’s many, many fans.

In other news, I’d say something about the fiasco surrounding Bryan Danielson’s firing, besides noting the “Daniel Bryan” chants that broke out during Vince McMahon show-opening promo and again at the end of the PPV main event; but I’m going to let Jim Cornette do it, courtesy of his statement on Kevin Eck’s column in the Baltimore Sun website:

What’s your take on the Bryan Danielson situation in WWE?
[Laughs] I don’t even know where to start. I would have fired the other guy [ring announcer Justin Roberts]. He took the tie off and choked the ring announcer. The ring announcer made the funny “choke face.” I would have fired him because he was taking me out of thinking it may be a legitimate shoot happening. I would have fired the chokee; they fired the choker.

I’ve heard it was because the toy company that sponsors them was upset, or somebody at the TV network said it was too violent, or it reminded them of Chris Benoit, or Linda [McMahon]’s trying to buy a Senate seat and that will get in the way.

Ugh! It’s wrestling! And here’s the most likable, talented, young guy, and a darling of all the real diehard wrestling fans, and they just slapped a turd right in their faces by firing the guy for something that he didn’t even know he wasn’t supposed to do. He was a scapegoat. That goes back to my point. You can’t have a giant corporation, a publicly traded company, involved in promoting professional wrestling because the very aspect of wrestling that appeals to the people who like wrestling is that it is wild and outrageous and violent and crazy.

Speaking of Bryan Danielson….

Vince McMahon’s stupidity results in a bonanza for independent wrestling fans beginning this coming weekend as CHIKARA Pro Wrestling has Bryan Danielson booked on June 26 against Eddie Kingston, and as part of a June 27 doubleheader in Cleveland with Absolute Intense Wrestling, which presents CHIKARA’s return to Cleveland, followed by AIW’s “Absolution 5” at the West Park Party Center, 3556 West 130th Street, Cleveland, OH. Tickets can be purchased in advance at AIwrestling.com

Dragon Gate USA also has Danielson booked for its first anniversary celebration “Enter the Dragon”, on Saturday, July 24th at the ECW Arena with an 8:00pm belltime.

Tickets are on sale now in the DGUSA Store or by calling 267-519-9744 as Bryan Danielson returns to Dragon Gate USA

Matches scheduled include:

Open The Freedom Gate Title Match
BxB Hulk defends vs. Masaaki Mochizuki

The War Ends (participants will be announced soon)
CHIKARA Sekigun vs. Kamikaze USA

Appearing are: Open The Dream Gate Champion YAMATO, Shingo, CIMA, Dragon Kid, Naruki Doi, Masato Yoshino, Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw, Jimmy Jacobs, Jon Moxley, Johnny Gargano, Chuck Taylor and many others still to be announced soon.

There will be a Bonus Card with a 6:30pm for Golden Circle and VIP Balcony ticket holders. More info coming soon.

Dragon Gate ticket packages are:

  • Front Row – $75 (BxB Hulk collectible ticket, free gift, early admission for meet and greet, early admission for bonus match, plus a reserved seat),
  • Second Row – $50 (BxB Hulk collectible ticket, free gift, early admission for meet and greet, early admission for bonus match, plus a reserved seat)
  • Third Row – $35 (BxB Hulk collectible ticket, free gift, early admission for meet and greet, early admission for bonus match, plus a reserved seat)
  • VIP Balcony – $50 – Limited Quantity (BxB Hulk collectible ticket, free gift, early admission for meet and greet, early admission for bonus match, plus exclusive seating in the balcony)
  • General Admission – $20 (BxB Hulk collectible ticket, first come, first serve seating)

    CHIKARA Pro Wrestling has Danielson booked on June 26 against Eddie Kingston and as part of a June 27 doubleheader in Cleveland with Absolute Intense Wrestling, which presents CHIKARA’s return to Cleveland, followed by AIW’s “Absolution 5” at the West Park Party Center, 3556 West 130th Street, Cleveland, OH. Tickets can be purchased in advance at AIwrestling.com

    Pro Wrestling Guerrilla has Danielson booked on July 30 against a wrestler to be named. You can read more about this booking at Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.

    Oh and for those wiseasses who sent me the snide e-mail about Tournament Of Death being the next audition for “The Biggest Loser”…yup, here’s a plug for Tournament of Death 9.

    CZW presents: Tournament of Death 9 on Saturday, June 26th, 2010 at The Ultraviolent Underground, located at139 Ebenezer Church Road, Townsend, Delaware with a 3:00 pm belltime. For tickets and more, go to CZWrestling.com

    For directions, go to this link

    TOURNAMENT OF DEATH 9
    First Round Lineup:

    First Time Ever
    MASADA vs. ZANDIG

    First Time Ever
    NICK F’N GAGE vs. Big Japan’s ABDULLAH KOBAYASHI

    Payback’s a Bitch
    J.C. BAILEY vs. DANNY HAVOC

    SCOTTY VORTEKZ vs. DYSFUNCTION

    Non Tourney Matches:

    Ultraviolent Grudge Match
    DRAKE YOUNGER vs. BRAIN DAMAGE

    Ultraviolent Tag Team Deathmatch – Fans Bring the Weapons –
    DJ HYDE and GREG EXCELLENT vs. SAMI CALLIHAN and JOE ‘CHAINSAW’ GACY

    – DJ Hyde has challenged the CZW faithful to bring their most creative weapons to this year’s Tournament of Death event. In addition, the boss is asking fans to BRING THE LIGHT TUBES! This year’s event is going to be one of the most Ultraviolent spectacles of all time, and we need your help to ensure it delivers as it always does as the world’s premier Deathmatch tournament.

    Tickets are priced at $35 – Front row, $30 – 2nd and 3rd row, and $25 for general admission.
    Arena Door Bus Trips will have a bus from the ECW Arena to “Markland’s Acres” leaving at 12:30 pm on June 26. Bus ticket and admission are $60. Go to Arena Door Bus Trips.com for information.

    Until next time…

    If you have comments or questions, or if you’d like to add the AS I SEE IT column to your website, I can be reached by e-mail at the address above.

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