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AS I SEE IT: Big Van Vader wants you to get off his lawn....and stop the flippy stuff

Posted: May 30th 2016 By: Bob Magee

To me, there are two world class cruiserweights putting on a helluva match with acrobatics mixed with submissions mixed with some old school European lifter shots.

Well, the argument started with a Tweet by Big Van Vader, doing his best impression of the old man yelling at kids to get off his lawn:

Blantant acrobatics,no story,is there anything done in this video that relates to winning u could get 2 high school gymnast and put ona show

Well, Ricochet responded with one of the best replies to the "[fill in the blank] isn't wrestling" argument I've ever seen:

?People don?t understand that ?professional wrestling? is an art. And much like ANY art, there are endless ways to express it. It can LITERALLY be anything the performers in the ring want it to be. If two guys want to go out there and use light tubes and light each other on fire, then that is their way of expressing their style of wrestling. If they want to go out there and go hold for hold and keep it mat based, then that is their way of expressing their style of wrestling. If two guys want to go out there and clothesline each other real hard and chop each other for 5 minutes straight, then that is their way of expressing their style of wrestling. If two guys want to go out there and use comedy and make the people happy and laugh, then that is their way of expressing their style of wrestling. If two guys want to go out there and use aerial maneuvers and acrobatics to ?wow? the crowd?then guess what??? That is THEIR way of expressing their style of wrestling. Although you may not agree or like a certain style does not mean that it isn?t wrestling. Did it used to be a certain way?? Yea. But just like anything it changed, it evolved.?

William Regal added his two shillings:

?I watched the match and was shocked. You need to start doing real stuff like people from my era like kip ups, flying head scissors, cart wheels and criss crosses. Get a grip! When I started the job in ?83 a lot of the older fellas used to say that Marc Rocco and Marty Jones (who were the real pioneers of the CW style) had killed the business because they did to much. Although they may not admit it anymore, most of the heavyweights in Europe thought the brilliant lightweight and middleweight wrestlers were bad for the job because their style was ?not believable enough?. Every country I worked in before I came to the US had different styles and ways of doing things. As long as there?s effort then it?s right. If the people paying you are happy and you get reactions then make your stuff as good as it can be with what skills you have.May not be for everyone but that?s ok. In the match I saw two fellas who looked like fighters having an excellent, hard competed match in a different style.Win win!

As I always say (more typically when they argument is made about hardcore wrestling)... using the same analogy I always use as comparison for food... I can't like sushi if we like steak, Mexican food, Greek, or southern BBQ. Obviously that isn't true, so in the same vein WHY can't there be different styles of wrestling?

I liked ECW and got to see years of it at the ECW Arena and elsewhere. I also like traditional Southern matches, and have been lucky enough to watch them both on TV and live in their element, down in Smoky Mountain Wrestling. I've seen a ton of Lucha...and puro. I like them all.

Let the argument begin....

Speaking of types of shows that get that reaction, Combat Zone Wrestling counts down to its fifteenth annual Tournament of Death on June 11 at the Ultraviolent Underground, 179 Ebenezer Church Road, Townsend, DE with a 2:00 pm scheduled start time.

The wild card to the show is CZW founder Zandig showing up for the first time in four years at Prelude to Violence; then suggesting he might "show up at DJ Hyde's mother's backyard" (aka the Markland family farm better known as the Ultraviolent Underground) for Tournament of Death. The week before Zandig lends his name to a Game Changer Wrestling show in Howell, NJ. I fully expect a DJ Hyde sighting there to continue the storyline.

For directions, go to this link on Google Maps, or put 139 Ebenezer Church Road, Townsend, DE in your phone, tablet, or GPS device. Note: the event is in a relatively rural area, so any water, sunscreen, and other supplies need to be purchased beforehand.

Tournament of Death matches announced thus far:

- Light Tubes Death Match
Danny Havoc vs. Alex Colon

- In a stipulation of Donst's choice
Tim Donst vs. Rickey Shane Page

- Home Run Derby match
Jeff Cannonball vs. Matt Tremont

- Barbed Wire Madness
Conor Claxton, MASADA

Non-tournament matches

- Devon Moore vs. Dale Patricks

- DJ Hyde vs. Josh Crane

- A deathmatch from the wrestlers of Rockstar Pro Wrestling

The band "Eat the Turnbuckle" will provide intermission entertainment.

This is an outdoor event and is scheduled RAIN OR SHINE. General Admission tickets are $25.

Tickets will be available online at CZWrestling.com
Orders are shipped on Fridays or Saturdays. If your order is placed 2 weeks prior to the show your tickets will not be shipped. A credit for merchandise will be issued in the event that you pay for shipping and your tickets are not shipped. Once your tickets have been shipped you will receive an email with your USPS delivery confirmation number.

Keep your eye on CZWrestling.com, PWBTS.com, and all the official CZW social media for the latest updates.

Until next time...