The Brawl Blog

Buy now: "The Franchise" John Hanley DVD

noreply@blogger.com (Craig Dixon) — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 17:43:00 +0000

Packaging for "The Franchise" John Hanley Tribute Show DVD.

"The Franchise" John Hanley Tribute Show DVD is now available for purchase! For $5.00 (which will be donated in entirety to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) you will get your copy of the video which includes:

The Tribute Show

Entire wrestling event taped in August 2015 featuring: Calypso vs. Johnny Shotgun vs. M80, Viper vs. Biohazard, Chuck Fury vs. The Impostor, Flawless vs. Khaos Kid, and The Bermanator vs. The Irishman.
Opening video montage with "The Franchise" John Hanley's best BBA moments to the theme of Stone Sour's "Through Glass"
Taped segments from John's BBA friends and their memories of "The Franchise"

John Hanley's Top Matches

A selection of "The Franchise" John Hanley's best BBA matches including:

"The Franchise" John Hanley's BBA debut vs. Viper (from 2001)
"The Franchise" & Real Deal Rob vs. Calypso & Viper (2001)
"The Franchise" vs. Flawless (2002)
"The Franchise" vs. Real Deal Rob (2002)
"The Franchise" vs. Jason Christopher (2002)
"The Franchise" John Hanley's last match vs. Viper (2010)

Slideshow

A brief slideshow of John Hanley's BBA moments set to music

You can pay for your DVD in cash or via PayPal.

If you would like to pay in cash, please contact Craig Dixon at CDYanks7723@aol.com or message him on Facebook. He will arrange a meet up.

If you would like to pay via PayPal, please send $5 (plus additional $2 if you want the item shipped) to CDYanks7723@aol.com on PayPal. Be sure to send the money to "Friends or Family" rather than for "Good and Services" to ensure that PayPal doesn't take fees.

After an undetermined amount of DVDs are sold, Craig will send all proceeds to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Welcome to YouTube

noreply@blogger.com (Craig Dixon) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 19:09:00 +0000

It's been a while since I've done anything BBA related, but I have a big one here for your viewing pleasure. I know how the website has been pretty useless nowadays, especially because all of the historical results are all text based. Who the hell wants to reminisce about those crazy Sundays by reading my horribly boring play-by-play of what when down?

Introducting the first event to ever be fully viewable on the web: BBA New Year's Nightmare 2002! I've been wanting these on the internet for years, but haven't had the computer capacity to do so until recently.

Obviously YouTube has their restrictions, as videos can only be a max of 15 minutes and they constantly remove things that are copywrited (ie, music). As of right now, we have everything up for this show, with only one copywrite warning! You can start viewing the PPV below, or check out New Year's Nightmare on the Pay-Per-View section of the BBA homepage. If you start watching it directly from YouTube, just search for the rest of it.

Have at it.

One Year Ago

noreply@blogger.com (Craig Dixon) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 18:34:00 +0000

It's really hard to believe that it has been one calendar year since the BBA returned for one day in 2010. That's right, April 11, 2011 marks the 1 year anniversary of the Reunion Show at the Dixon House of Pain. I realized I've never really publicly reacted to the outcome of the show as a whole, and I thought what better date to do it then exactly one year later. I feel now is appropriate because I've allowed the hype to die down a bit, but also because I just watched it again. I'm going to break it down into three sections:

What Went Right:

Presentation - I still think the video packages for the DVD came out fantastic, and really brought out the best of the event. I think watching the "old school" BBA clips to begin the show and recapping the actual event itself at the end had a great touch, and the quality of the videos are great. I'm a huge fan of the "Regret Not" song I chose for the end video by All That Remains, as it blended the craziness of the action with the right sound associated with bringing the band back together and putting our bodies at risk just for fun. The DVD package as a whole was better than I expected it to be, even being able to throw in some bloopers and stills from the event as bonus features (not to mention the awesome DVD packaging).

"The Franchise" vs. Viper - What more can I say about these guys? They brought us to our feet with a crazy blend of hardcore and grappling. They put it all on the line and really busted their asses for the BBA. It was one of a few 5 star BBA matches I can recount, and it topped their unbelievable BBA debut match (also against each other) from the summer of 2001. The blood, the high risk, the tacks, the story about John's surgically repaired back all told a fantastic story. Scary moment when a botched hurricanrana contorted John in a awkward position (only worse with his back surgery) almost made me regret putting the event together. They pulled through and put on a fantastic show. Big props.

Johnny Shotgun vs. M80 - I guess we can officially say this was way better than their Hotter Than Hell confrontation, eh? Solid work throughout. M80 took so many high risk bumps that I was sure he wouldn't be able to walk for weeks (almost true). Not to forget the crazy spots where Shotgun jackknifed M80 through a table or when a suplex through a table turned into a suplex through a chair! These guys put on a clinic, and I love the build that Shotgun brought to the table. A show 7 years in the making really should have some sort of build, and Shotgun wrote and brought his own story to the table.

The Crowd - The fans were really into it once the opening triple threat match was coming to a close. Can't say enough how different BBA would have been in 2000-2003 if we had a turnout as good as that. They were loud, rowdy, and rambunctious. What more could I ask for?

Helping Hands - Big props to all the help I got from Jen, Fred, & Cerney the night before the big day. I honestly didn't think we would be pressing shirts, buying padding, cutting wood, all in one night. Big ups to the girls for bringing/ordering food. John bringing over the sound system was a nice addition, and all those Championship belts that were largely unused, well...thanks anyway!

Middle Ground:

Chuck Fury vs. Impostor vs. Flawless - I thought this was solid enough curtain jerker. There were a few botches here and there,but overall the match was pretty good. The Gore through the table looked sick, and there was some solid as always work on the mic by Fury. I think if we shortened up this match by 5 minutes, it could have been great. I think the problem with finding Flawless' music killed the crowd's anticipation, as they were forced to listen to Drowning Pool's over-played "Bodies" for a full two minutes. Once Alban woke the crowd up by literally saying "the crowd could be louder", it really turned up a notch. Unfortunately, there were only a few spots left after that happened.

Bucktooth Willy (Jr.) vs. Punisher - For what it's worth, the match itself wasn't pretty. However, it followed the first awesome match in the day (M80/Shotgun), and it reaped the hot crowd. Considering it was not even the REAL Bucktooth Willy, it was entertaining nonetheless. Highlight of the match was Punisher stealing the Tooth Chipper to the delight of the fans. It was quick, funny, and filled out the card nicely.

What Went Wrong

Calypso vs. Real Deal Rob - I fault myself on this one. This was my show, I booked it, I put it together, and I was in charge of it. Back in the BBA's heyday, I got input from all over the place from Rob, John, Shotgun, etc. But because we were so out of touch, I really had no time to plan our match out and really the card as a whole. We didn't plan spots out, Rob had to bail quicker than I ever imagined, and the crowd was tired after an entire afternoon spent laughing and drinking. I feel wrong calling it the main event, because it wasn't worth the wait. I don't blame Rob for any of this, only myself. We didn't have the chemistry that we used to have, and we couldn't come up with spots on the go like the good old days. Some people think we were going too fast at the get-go, but I don't agree with that. Sure I was gassed, but that's what RDR and Calypso was always about. I was willing to go another 10 minutes, but as you must know...I really put the icing on the cake when I botched the Frog Splash and literally came crashing down (all 180 pounds) right onto Rob's ribcage. Ugly finish to an ugly match.

CX vs. Network "Confrontation" - I figured it would be good to harking back to the BBA's history by bringing back the two most powerful and influential stables back to meet each other for the very first time. Network vs. C-X could have been a good segment, but it just dragged on too long. I liked the promo that me and Sternberg delivered, but it got out of hand when people not involved were talking and distracting us. I guess it would have been better to have done an 8-man tag match here, with roughly the same outcome too. It just took too long for C-X to beat up one guy, and the crowd didn't seem to dig it.

Roster Turnout - I kind of knew this would be a problem going in. I appreciate the time everyone took out of their busy schedules to come, but I wish there was more. We were only able to scrap together 5 matches, and that only could be achieved by Fred & I working an additional match. I was happy that a few people came to just watch/be a part of the show despite not working a match (Don Davis, Mike Savage, Albania). I really was hoping to get a few of the 2001-2002 regulars there like Jason Christopher, Biohazard, Big Shot, Meteor, Backlash, etc. It definitely would have been a crazy battle royal of sorts, but that couldn't come to fruition.

Storylines/Build - I'm still not enamoured with the build I had for the event itself. I was talking about it for 7 years on the Internet, but when it came to the actual day itself...I had nothing. We relied on feuds from 7 years ago, that most of us either forgot (or never even knew to begin with). I mean, who really outside of the BBA would know that Calypso/RDR was a major feud? What about the Don Davis/Chuck Fury turn of events? Alban just sounded confused saying that they feuded for years in BBA only to see Davis help out Fury in his match. We should have cut more promos, taken out the C-X/Network segment, and built up the show through interviews. Well there's always next time...

As you can see, there are a lot of things I think about when it comes to the event. I don't have a problem with it at all, I just wish I could have capped it off with another enjoyable match as the main event. I know it wasn't great, and I think that is what truly holds this event back. I blame no one out there other than me.

Does this translate to Calypso wanting redemption? You bet your ass I want redemption. I will get redemption. Where & when? You'll know soon enough. Who? He'll never see it coming...

Vintage Commentary: BBA members respond to RDR

noreply@blogger.com (Craig Dixon) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 17:35:00 +0000

In the first edition of Vintage Commentary, we look back to the transitional period in the BBA, when the OWF folded and several joined the BBA roster. After hearing Real Deal Rob's harsh words toward the BBA product & format, Calypso & an anonymous BBA Brawler responded to the Old School Icon. It was a very controvesial topic at the time, and this could have exploded into a much bigger problem. (Editors note: I left the poorly formed vocabulary intact, for I hate George Lucas type remakes). Enjoy!

Welcome to MY first commentary for the Backyard Brawlers Association. This is for people who give a damn about what I think and why I think it. I will be talking about numerous issues that need to be dealt quickly before things get worse.

1. PPV Backyard Assault
For the most part, BBA's BA was not as tremendous as Please Forgive me was due to the shortage of BBA members attending. Guys like Khaos Kid, Bucktooth Willy, and Punisher could not attend due to numerous reasons....one being curfew (whattt). However, we did have a couple of nice surprises including the return of good ol' Big Tub of Fat and the newest promising star of the BBA....Above Average Angelo. We had to make changes at the last minute which constituted the 3 way hardcore match. But, overall, with what little we had to work with....it was good. Of course, we have a brand new WORLD champ The Franchise who put on a great show...Calypso as TV champ in which he got hurt in during the match. The 3 way hardcore match was alright and with the IC title match....no one knows what the hell happened there. doh!

2. Undercard
This is a little problem that the BBA has to deal with and we must pick any guys that we can...especially if they're dedicated. Guys like Firestarter, M80, Triple gAy are some of the dedicated and talented lower/mid card wrestlers but that just wont due despite their talent already. We need more wrestlers to establish a concrete lower card. Recently, we had signed a deal with Flawless Freddie Robinson (now you know his last name idiot) who will be working with those wrestlers in the lower card.

However, despite this....I must comment on RDR's (who) new commentary. It seems I have "balls" as well, and I'd rather share my comments on the Official BBA Homepage (however,,,never updated....CRAIG?!) It may not seem obvious to Mr. Sternberg, but we feel that it's his fault for the decline. He sits in that seat over at the commentary table week after week. I'm not going to badger you Mr. Sternberg because that's not what BBA is all about. But, I see you each week making fun of the wrestlers and letting them down for your self-benefit of a cheap laugh. I can tell from the backstage atmosphere that you are affecting these wrestlers that are trying to make a name for themselves here in backyard entertainment. Guys like Mike Savage and M80 get made fun of by you...degrading their self-esteem with their performances. I remember many months...no actually YEARS, even before Franchise or Viper entered this promotion, when wrestlers such as Crazy Joe, Meteor, M80, Mike Savage, even BUCKTOOTH Willy were overly dedicated....appearing to each show with a lot of heart and dedication. But, of course it's not the same anymore, because we have you sitting there with your asinine (sorry lol) comments for wrestlers. I have to admit, you do push the main eventers over with your commentary....but quite frankly, they don't need the push. It's the lower guys that need the encouragement that your not providing in the backstage. Although, I really do like the commentary of Johnny Isles...job well done. Rob, these veterans have worked their asses off since this young promotion started in 2000, and it's not gonna shut down by some dirty wanker from Calgary.

And, another thing that needs to be brought out to the public. Craig Dixon, administrator of Backyard Brawlers Association, does not give a shit (pardon my French here) about what you did in the past with your famous OWF and how it was ran. I speak for a lot of the guys in the backstage when I say that no one wants to know how the hell you ran your promotion and the idealistic way of running any federation. Cause I remember conferencing with you many months ago when you were still a simple commentator here in the BBA...and if I AM CORRECT...you told me face to face....and on your past commentary that you would not try to interfere with Dixon's ideas because you did want to be in charge anymore. Hey, your commentaries may be kayfabe free or whatever crap your trying to pull, but are you even defying Craig's ideas?! Hey, I admit, they may not be the right decisions at times, but who are you to make fun of them for? Obviously, HIM and only HIM, wanted to establish a feud with the IMPOSTOR before the PPV. But then, you run your mouth about the promo with the "real" world title when he's trying to do his own things. You can throw that "real" crap out the window because there is only one REALLLLLL world champ...and that is THE FRANCHISE!

And even to make matters worse....(it gets worse people...OH MY GOD), you even talk about the FLOW of the EVENTS. Wow....two words...WHO CARES?! What do you think this is....the WWF?! Hey, you god damn well know the conditions of the BBA...of how he doesn't want an audience and all...and that's why we don't have a "flow" here at the BBA. Hey, if you don't like that...take your dumb stupid commentary and go to the ACW (what) or whatever illegal promotion you're trying to pull here. The obvious difference between Mr. Sternberg and Craig Dixon is that Mr. Dixon has a life besides wrestling...it's a known fact. Craig's sole obsession and responsibility is not the BBA...and I have to admit...I respect him for that. You see, Mr Sternberg....you have to open your eyes here for just one moment of your time...because this is very VERY important. You see, Backyard Entertainment is for FUN, and the fact is is that backyard entertainment....goes ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE! The farthest it goes is Public Access, a web page, merchandise that no one will buy, and an online radio station. But, to any human being, is it really worth all those hard hours for? I don't think so. It would be nice....but there's other things to worry about...like not acting like an asshole to people.

So, lastly....Mr. Sternberg...you only know 1/4 of the story because you have pull here in the BBA. Outside of the BBA....men like m80, Savage, Punisher, Flawless, Triple A, Calypso, Firestarter are VERY ENTHUSIASTIC about BBA. They do "give a shit" as far as I'm concerned about the growing BBA because I see them more than you do. We just think you're the Canadian disease that's corrupting the BBA....DEFINITELY! (highspot!) So, whether or not you continue to stay here in the BBA is Craig's decision...but as far as I'm concerned, I hope there is no hard feelings personally...only professionally, and most of the wrestlers in the BBA locker room have only two words anticipated for you…"GOOD RIDDANCE" on your way out.

And trust me folks....that's the REALEST DEAL your ever gonna see!

- Commentary by an anonymous BBA wrestler

Calypso's response to RDR Commentary and this response from a bba member: Well isn’t this the first time that you have heard from Calypso in months? Ya damn right it is. Okay I know that the BBA website being un-updated for several months was bugging a lot of you (in reference to "FUCKING UPDATE IT"), but ya know from listening to all you complain about made me want to do it less and less. It’s just a damn website, stop complaining about your "profile" not being up.

RDR's comment about "things making no sense in BBA" really ticked me off. The fact that Rob fought Jay at the PPV is because I wanted to fight someone who I happen to have a lot of in-ring experience with. If I had fought Rob at a PPV match where I put on a better show than normal, I feel that I wouldn’t have been able to put on a good match. I am very impressed with Rob's ring work, but the one time i did fight him, I felt very awkward. When I'm in a match I like to know what to expect. In my match with Rob, all I heard from him was one spot in which he told me to hold on after a suplex, and to end the match. I think the match came out okay, but personally think I can do better with someone like John or Fred. And so what? In Rob's promo where he called me out with his former OWF members, I attacked John, and Jay turned his back on Rob and took him out. Is this much of a big step to make you fight him in a PPV match? My point is yes I agree it would have made sense if Rob had fought me, but by fighting Jay does that mean it makes absolutely no sense? I don't think so. This feud between be and Rob will continue after the PPV.

Now In response to the BBA's Members Retaliation Letter: Yes I feel that there weren't enough people in the Dixon House Of Pain for Backyard Assault, but overall I thought the event came out well...definitely (Archy) better than Please Forgive Me. This statement about the Mid/Low-Carders is absolutely true. People like M80, Flawless, Mike Savage, & Firestarter actually do give a fucking shit. They are here, week to week, competing in the BBA. If ppl didn't give a shit then they don't come (Bucktooth Willy, Meteor, Crazy Joe, Punisher). If there is no drive to wrestle then why do these same dedicated wrestlers come week to week. I personally take the wrestling aspect of this much more seriously than anyone except you Rob. Most of the ppl in it are here to have fun...and you know what? They Do. I am only happy if i feel if i put on a good match. All other wrestlers have a good time no matter if the match was horrible or great.

Lets move on to the match that DID occur at the PPV between Viper & RDR. Overall I thought it would be a great match between the two because of their experience with each other. I'm not going to go out of my way and say that this was the worst match, but I was very disappointed with this. Rob likes to put on his matches with lots of technical maneuvers, in some cases are difficult to pull off or even remember. In my short time backyard wrestling, I have dealt with the problems of wrestlers forgetting spots. I even remember when I was calling all the shots in a match and my opponent refused to do a suplex. In many case, in fact it happened at the very last show, I screwed up on a suplex. One time I fought Fred, and I was getting really mad at him because he was goofing around a lot and not performing good. But did I ever, EVVVVVVER, end the match quickly (aka walk out on a match in my LIFE)? No. Rob got very frustrated with Jay when going for a spot that somehow involved a suplex...so rob just decided to fall to the ground and end it.

My final thoughts for Rob in this matter are this...Rob you are a very funny person and i would feel like I lost an Austin or Rock if you had left. However, I don't get criticized much in the BBA, but when I do I don't like it. We call the BBA a "hobby" and that is all it truly is to most of us here. I personally love wrestling and want to continue with it after the BBA. There were no storylines when the BBA began, and all we did was wrestle...and that is all that should matter...whether it makes sense or not.

- Calypso

Layout Overhaul

noreply@blogger.com (Craig Dixon) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 20:32:00 +0000

Just in case you thought something was wrong with http://BBAwrestling.com, well...there isn't. The color scheme was totally bumming me out (I mean, it hasn't really changed since I introduced it in 2000 or 2001). Reading white or gray text on a black background just wasn't doing it for me anymore, not to mention the strain on my eyes.

A week or two ago, I decided that I was going to flip everything (white background with black text) and you are looking at the results of this change right now. I know it now risks looking "plain" and boring, but I plan on adding to the design of the page in the coming days. As of now, I finally finished making it acceptable looking. For a week or two, we had the white background up with gray text on some of the pages (what a nightmare!).

Now that things are slowing down at my job, that leaves me a ton of free time and a computer. You know what that means! I'll actually be adding content back to the site that hasn't been there in years. Look for a complete roster list (yes, including the not-so-famous BBA wrestlers), full results of every BBA event, video content, pictures, and more layout improvements. If you already haven't done so, check out the BBA Shop (http://bbawrestling.com/shop) to get your copy of the BBA Reunion Show on DVD or pick up one of the few remaining Reunion Show shirts! Check back soon, we'll have more interesting stuff down the line!

DVD 2.0

noreply@blogger.com (Craig Dixon) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 02:53:00 +0000

Hey BBA Universe...okay I'll never call it that again (stupid WWE). Just a rather quick announcement about the BBA Reunion Show DVD which was released back in September.

If you take a gander at the picture to your left, you can see that the BBA has gone Hollywood! No, not really...but the DVD now has a new label on the disk itself in addition to a brand new DVD storage case. If you ask me, it sure as hell looks a lot better than the original CD slim cases I gave out for the first few copies. As you can see, there is a whole new presentation to the event which really makes the whole package more special.

You can still get yours as always at get your copy at the BBA Shop (http://bbawrestling.com/shop) or by purchasing a copy from myself directly. They are at an incredibly cheap price of $5 and I think you all will really enjoy it. I put a lot of work into the editing process, especially with the clips of old school BBA moments to start the show. Not to mention the totally bad-ass recap clips in HD at the end of the show (which is still linked on BBAwrestling.com's main page for a preview of the event). Also, there's a few DVD extras, including a blooper reel and backstage photo gallary recapping the preparation of the event.

For those of you who already bought and own the DVD, don't you worry. I will upgrade your DVD presentation at no additional cost (cue the cheap radio personality voice)! Stay tuned to BBAwrestling.com for more updates in the coming months, including a full written recap of Realm of Champions III and more historical recaps of shows from nearly ten years ago. Until next time.

Reunion Show DVD Available Now

noreply@blogger.com (Craig Dixon) — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 21:55:00 +0000

Finally, the wait is over and the BBA Reunion Show (Realm of Champions III: The Reunion) has been released on DVD. I'm sure a few of you already heard the news from yours truly, but I'm making sure everyone out there is aware. It took a lot of time and energy to get the package done, and I'm sorry about that.

I guess I really wanted to give it the old BBA feel of making everybody wait forever (ala Total Carnage & Realm of Champions II) for a video to be completed. That, in line with never updating the website gave this whole process a 2001 feel to it. All jokes aside, I know I risked losing everyone's interest in the show by taking this long, but I'm hoping a few views of the highlights from the show from above will revive your interest.

So you can now get your copies now, for only $5.00 (USD) by either giving me the money directly, or by ordering it from the BBA Shop at www.bbawrestling.com via PayPal. I'm not entirely sure if I will eventually create a DVD case or DVD label. If I end up making one down the line, I will make sure than everyone who bought it will get it for free as well. As of now, however, it's literally just the DVD in a slim case.

I've actually already expanded on the DVD as of today, so there is definitely more content than just the Reunion Show. There is also a brief blooper reel from the show and a photo gallery slide show of the preparation and action that took place. Also, the DVD menu has been spruced up a bit as well, as it's a little less generic, and more BBA themed. I really am proud of this final product, and I hope you guys enjoy it. Stay tuned to BBAwrestling.com for the latest in BBA related news. Make sure to "Like" Backyard Brawlers Association on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @bbawrestling.

Back to work again

noreply@blogger.com (Craig Dixon) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 18:54:00 +0000

Thankfully, work has resumed on the BBA Realm of Champions III DVD. I was delayed for quite a bit of time in order to get some of older BBA footage (in at least okay quality) onto the Mac. Unfortunately, the disk drive for Mac's generally suck and have made it nearly impossible to rip a DVD of old BBA footage directly to the Mac.

The problem is finally solved, as I've had to rip the footage to the laptop, which then would go to the Mac to join the full project on iMovie. Just for fun, let's take a look at the path this footage has conquered. I'm using footage from Realm of Champions I and Realm of Champions II as the clips for the intro to the Reunion Show.

So in 2002 and 2003, these shows were originally recorded with my Camcorder that used those mini VHS. Because those mini VHS's were expensive, I reused them frequently. This meant I needed to transfer them to the normal VHS by using one of those RCA jacks (you know, the red/white/yellow wires). Of course, I needed to fit as much of content on each VHS, so I recorded in the slower speed (SLP or EP) which results in 6 hours of play time yet with diminished quality). So there is quality loss #1. Then years later, around last year, I got my VHS to DVD recorder and I began transferring a lot of BBA shows to the more relevant DVD format. DVD's work in a similar way to tapes, and there is quality loss #2 (although this time I used much higher quality speeds).

Next step was importing them to my laptop (a PC) by ripping directly from the DVD. I have to rip it to a smaller scale again to a VOB file (quality loss #3). Finally, I have to convert the file to something that is compatible with iMovies (MOV's) and that would be quality loss #4. Yikes, so don't be surprised if the opening video for Realm of Champions III isn't as sexy as the rest of the DVD. What a way to start out the show huh? I hope that starting the show with some old quality clips wont hurt it's presentation for the awesome HD stuff I got for ya.

Also as I slowly compile my clips from ROC 1 and ROC 2, I am still trying to figure out which theme song should go with the action. If you've ever seen a wrestling video, you know what kind of sound the right song should have. Along the lines of "My Way" by Limp Bizkit in the build for Rock vs. Austin, "Tear Away" by Drowning Pool for Rock/Hogan, "Always" by Saliva for the first Elimination Chamber, etc. Of course, I don't want to use something already used in a wrestling capacity. Look at some of the themes BBA has used in the past like "Crawling in the Dark" by Hoobastank and "Blurry" by Puddle of Mudd. I've been thinking along the lines of a Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin, Chevelle, Disturbed, and Seether kind of direction lately, but that changes all the time. Give me your suggestions. Please!

It's Not Too Late, It's Never Too Late

noreply@blogger.com (Craig Dixon) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 01:10:00 +0000

Check out the BBA Shop to get an awesome deal on the official Reunion Show T-shirt. It's only $5 freakin' bucks! As you can see, the front sports the Realm of Champions III logo while the back commemorates the BBA's long history at the Dixon House of Pain. Unfortunately, all of the large sized shirts are out of stock and and will not be available again (well, it's not likely). With only 6 shirts remaining (2 Mediums, 4 X-Larges) make your purchases as quickly as possible before they run out like the old school BBA Workout Shirts from the 2001-2003 heydays. Purchases are made easy by PayPal's one-click checkout! Check it out at http://bbawrestling.com/shop

I've been looking to revamp the website this summer, but a lot of things have gotten in the way. Expect a few design overhauls, which may or might include a color scheme change or two. As you can see, the right side of the main page of BBAWrestling.com has an HD video recap of what went down at the Reunion Show. Hope you enjoy that, it took a ton of time and energy. Additionally, you may have noticed that the now insignificant weather bar was removed in favor of a slideshow featuring the backstage fun we all had on April 11th. I hope to get most of the links up before the year is over, but I wouldn't expect everything to be done (damn you GeoCities!)

As far as the Reunion Show DVD goes, it's still a long way from being done. The process of creating the opening video (with clips from old school BBA) has become a burden. The only way I can seem to do it is via ripping the BBA DVD library to my Vista laptop, only to transfer the videos to my father's awesome MacBook (where I made the recap video). The quality is going to definitely be hampered by all the transferring and I just need to take time to get this right. I don't wanna rush it like the God-awful Backyard Assault video I made all those years back. Once that opening video is done, the show is pretty much ready to be ripped to a bunch of DVD's, so stay tuned. Or I could always record it directly off a television for sentimental reasons....or not.

Big stuff on the way...

noreply@blogger.com (Craig Dixon) — Tue, 11 May 2010 00:26:00 +0000

Sorry for not updating at all since the awesomeness that was the BBA Reunion Show. I was so burnt out on the website that I haven't done any Internet relating things besides posting a few Tweets and Facebook messages. I've been feverishly working on splicing together the entire show and making the necessary omissions. It's coming along very nicely, and I definitely decided on an awesome theme song to rock out to (don't worry, it's not too far away from being complete).

Obviously I have a few things to do around the website to spruce it up a bit. I'm tired of looking at the same shit that's been around for the last 7 years. Look for a few changes here and there to make things more easy on the eyes. I wouldn't expect anything soon though, as I'm trying to concentrate on getting the Reunion Show video completed. I've decided not to post the entire show on YouTube/Facebook/Myspace only because it's going to take a huge chunk of time and energy. The only way to watch the full show will be to own the DVD. I'll try to throw up a few videos on the web, but don't expect the full show. I'll try to get this thing done by the weekend, so start making your reservations now!

The ring!

noreply@blogger.com (Craig Dixon) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 19:09:00 +0000

Get Ready!

noreply@blogger.com (Craig Dixon) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 04:39:00 +0000

Believe it or not, the BBA Reunion Show is only four days away (three technically because I'm writing this late Wednesday night). I honestly cannot believe it's this close. I've wanted to do this for so damn long and it's finally upon us. These are the remaining pivotal days leading up to the Realm of Champions III: The Reunion.

Let me spew out the same shit that I've mentioned in basically every post so far...look out for supplies, don't kill yourselves, and have fun. If anyone can't find any decent recording devices then I'll just have to use my circa 1999 camcorder like the good old days. Could it be done any differently? Oh yeah, if you haven't taken off work then either A) you're a dick, or B) you're a dick and forgot. Get your asses to the Dixon House of Pain for one final showdown!

The card has taken several different turns and changes, but here is the only 2 definite matches that will go down this Sunday at 1:00 PM:

Johnny Shotgun vs. M80
"The Franchise" John Hanley vs. Viper

As you can see, I haven't even commited myself to an opponent yet. Don't you worry, I'll be making my presence felt. As will Real Deal Rob, Chuck Fury, Impostor, Flawless, and many more. The more the merrier. Again, if you don't wanna wrestle: no pressure! Just come down to the show and I'll incorporate you in some other way.

Again, keep an eye out for:

Wood
Chairs (t0 break)
Chairs (to sit on)
Carpet Padding (or any kind of padding)
Weapons
Video Equipment

I hope everyone is still going to come through for this! I know I haven't talked about it as much as I would have liked to, but I've been too busy at work to find time to talk about it. Remind all your fellow BBA members who might not have gotten the message or simply slipped from their memory. The weather looks like it's going to be great and we'll finally be able to do this fucking thing! AHHHH! BBA RETURNS APRIL 11TH 2010!

Don't mind me

noreply@blogger.com (Craig Dixon) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 20:21:00 +0000

Back-to-back days of blog posts? Holy crap! I suppose you can disregard that last post for the most part. Checked the 10-Day forecast again (twice mind you), and boy have things changed. Originally (earlier today) it shortened the rain to just Friday (4/9) and Saturday (4/10) with sunshine (!) on Sunday the 11th. However, hours later...it has changed once again.

Now it's saying no rain at all (yay) until Sunday April 11th (nay). As you can see, these early forecasts are absolute crap shoots. I don't really expect to know if the weather will hold up until a day or two before hand. Expect this to be the last weather update of mine until probably around Thursday the 8th. I will not be doing daily weather reports, because I'll just end up confusing people about whether or not the Reunion Show is a go or not. We'll all just have to hope it all works out.

The only other thing worth mentioning is if Realm of Champions III gets rained out on April 11th, that April 18th might actually be a scheduling conflict for Jen & me. Apparently, our families planned a brunch for our engagement on the 18th so you can safely assume that the new rainout date is now April 25th at 1:00 PM. Ah, don't you just love all the dates I've been throwing around? If I have confused you beyond the state of repair, please contact me ASAP.

I've added a handy dandy weather box on the right side of the main page of BBAwrestling.com (replacing that poll that nobody ever votes on). So if I never end up getting around to update you regarding the weather, you can figure it out on your own! Yeah I know it would be probably easier to just check out Weather.com, but I figure a few people will more than likely check out the BBA website anyway before heading over to the Dixon House of Pain. Stay tuned to the Brawl Blog, the Facebook Fan page, and Twitter feed to stay informed.

Weather Forcast: Not so good...

noreply@blogger.com (Craig Dixon) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:03:00 +0000

A little over a week away from April 11th means that by tomorrow, there should be some kind of early weather forecast. I just checked the Weather Channel's 10-day forecast for Rockville Centre (http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/11570?from=36hr_topnav_undeclared). The good news is it looks like it's going to start warming up this weekend for the Easter holiday. The bad news is that it appears that the weekend of April 11th might be a washout.

For those who don't care to check the link, today is the first in the line of nice Spring days that would be optimal for a BBA Reunion Show. The temperature will supposedly peak at 75 degrees on Easter Sunday (of all days) before cooling down by Tuesday (April 6th). Then from Wednesday (April 7th) through Saturday (April 10th) is rain rain rain rain rain and rain. I wouldn't expect Sunday the 11th to be much different.

As we all know, weather forecasts are almost never 100% accurate and because I checked so early it's bound to change. Here's a shitty fore-warning though: The BBA Reunion Show may be postponed until April 18th (Sunday). Please check your availability in the case that it rains all of the weekend of the 11th.

Considering the 10-Day forecast won't touch the original target date of April 11th until tomorrow, don't just assume that if the weather is nice that the show will still be a go. As I've alluded to, my dad is really concerned about the lawn getting screwed up. So if it rains like it says it will from Wednesday until Saturday, you can safely assume that Sunday will not be good. The ground would be too wet, and I don't feel like re-seeding the muddy soil. I knew this was a risk when I announced it would be in April, but let's keep it optimistic that we can get it done on the 11th. Try to keep as many Sunday afternoons open in April and May so that we can get this thing going. I'd rather have to have a rain-out than have to cancel because nobody can show up on a certain date. If you're not available for any of the immediate upcoming Sundays (except Easter and Mother's Day of course) please let me know! You can IM me, text me, call me, e-mail me, whatever. Just LET ME KNOW!

IM: vagueoutlook
Text/Call: ask for it
E-Mail: CDYanks7723@aol.com
Facebook: CraigJDixon
Twitter: @CraigJDixon

Lack of Updates = Boring

noreply@blogger.com (Craig Dixon) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 11:45:00 +0000

I love how I created the Brawl Blog in order to make updating the website a bit more easier, only to not update it in nearly 3 weeks with our BBA Reunion Show approaching in a little over 2 weeks. Way to go Calypso.

The lack of updates isn't me copping out on the Reunion Show last minute like I did back in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. I just haven't had time to update the blog with the new job and all. I'll try my very best to keep you posted on any info I have. Again, the start time is still scheduled to take place on Sunday April 11th at 1:00 PM. Just a reminder, I expect all BBA Brawlers to attend at 12 noon in order to set up and prepare.

Hopefully either this weekend or next, there will be some kind of pow wow amongst the elite BBA figureheads (including myself, Johnny Shotgun, "The Franchise" John Hanley, and Real Deal Rob). I'm sure we'll come up with some great storylines and a format/card for the event. Again, none of these are final and I can almost guarantee that there will be changes to the event minutes before we go live. Card is subject to change.

Just a few reminders now: Considering the rain we have already gotten in March, I wouldn't expect April to be any different. If it rains, if it's too cold, or even if the ground is a little muddy we will have to postpone the event until April 18th. Times would remain the same. In the likely (with my luck) event of back-to-back Sunday rainouts, we'll just keep pushing it back on consecutive Sundays until we can get this thing rolling. If we get pushed back all the way until May 9th, you can assume correctly that Mother's Day would push the back a week later, but I doubt we'll get that far anyway.

Again, a few things to REALLY start looking out for (we have l7 days left!):

Folding Chairs
Carpet Padding
Weapons
Gimmick specific attire (I'm looking at you Angelove, Flawless, etc.)
Wood (to use as tables)
Anything else you can add

Start training people. We can't go like we did when we were 14 and 15. I'd suggest jogging (or is it yogging?), bike riding, cardio, hitting up the gym, etc. If you don't really intend on wrestling for more than 5 minutes then disregard this message (but it probably couldn't kill you, right?). I've started, just make sure you don't fucking kill yourselves when we get out there on April 11th. BBA BBA BBA!

Reunion Show Officially Announced

noreply@blogger.com (Craig Dixon) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 05:59:00 +0000

The BBA Reunion Show (Realm of Champions III) is finally a month away and it's finally happening...well, don't tell that to my dad just yet. I got a "strong maybe" from him just minutes ago which is a huge step in my eyes. I'm gunna get annoying about it now, so he has little choice but to let me do it. Remember, I don't really live in RVC much so I don't want him to think I am just using his yard and whatnot.

So the date is tentatively schedule for Sunday April 11th 2010. Yes, that is exactly one week after Easter. I'm hoping a lot of people will still be around. If a lot of the "Brawlers" can't do that date, I suppose something will be have to changed. But for now, I'll run with it. The event will go live at 1:00 PM, but I want people who are scheduled to participate to come at 12:00 noon. We probably need to go over a few things and set up before we give this a go.

All former BBA members are encouraged to come down, wrestling or not. Don't worry about it if you just wanna watch, I'll try to incorporate you into the show in some other capacity (interference, quick battle royal appearance, promos, announce, etc.)

Again, keep an eye out for supplies like carpet padding, folding chairs, wood, and any kind of weapons you want to use. We need to act quickly as warm weather and BBA is approaching soon. I don't want to have to push it back to the summer when it'll be too hot. We'll have a rain date of April 18th just in case those April showers rear their ugly heads. Just like Chinese Democracy, it's finally happening!

A Preview of Things to Come

noreply@blogger.com (Craig Dixon) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:28:00 +0000

Hope everyone is enjoying the Super Bowl this freezing Sunday night. I know a lot of you haven't heard much in regards to the Reunion Show lately, but keep in in the back of your mind that I'm looking at a tentative date of April 11th (Sunday). It's one week after Easter, most likely at 1:00 PM with a arrival time of 12 noon. Again, the rain date will be a week later on the 18th.

Keep your eyes around Long Island for some of these bad ass BBA bumper stickers in the next coming months. I'm going to be giving a lot (or all) of these away at the Reunion Show. I have 200 (okay... 199) of them for now, and I doubt that I will need more before April. I have a few surprises in store for the Reunion Show, so make sure you come down for the excitement. I'm only giving away this small little surprise right now because I know a lot of people are unfamiliar with the current website anyway, so they'll likely not see them anyway.

That reminds me; if anyone has any other ideas like the bumper stickers...run it by me, I'll try to make it happen! Enjoy the rest of the game.

Supplies to Look Out For

noreply@blogger.com (Craig Dixon) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:43:00 +0000

Sorry for the lack of Blog updates, but I wanted to make sure that everyone on the main page of BBAwrestling.com had their fan shot at previewing the theme songs I suggested for the Reunion Show. Now that almost nobody voted on it, I will be making the choice. Let's move on to the next thing already...

I want to be properly prepared for the BBA Reunion Show (A.K.A. BBA Realm of Champions III: The Reunion). In order for it to be a success, we will definitely need to stack up on supplies. First off, I figure we should try and protect ourselves as much as possible. Back in 2000, we had no padding under the BBA ring and well, it hurt. It hurt a lot. Around the time of the acquisition of "The Franchise" John Hanley and Real Deal Rob we started to use carpet padding under the ring. We will more than likely need this more than ever. I see it thrown away as garbage all the time on sidewalks. I'm hoping that everyone will try and grab one roll of carpet padding in hopes that abour 5 or 6 of us bring some in to line the ring. I think I still have one from a few years ago when I thought we originally were going to do this Reunion Show. We'll need a lot more than one though.

Secondly, we will more than likely need some steel folding chairs for several purposes. Obviously, we could always use a few more chairs for some people to sit in...but that's the least of my worries. We need at least 3 chairs to complete the 4 sided ring (still have the shopping cart). 4 would be better so we can actually use the shopping cart as a movable weapon. Obviously, I'm sure someone would want to use a chair for a chairshot or whatnot, so the more the merrier. Also, don't bring a good chair that you expect to get back. These chairs are going to most likely be sacrificed for the greater good.

Thirdly, although not as pivotal as the first two, we will need wood of sorts. We used to use them as "tables". Obviously, I think these are the hardest to find so I thought it was necessary to post them. I'm talking about the thin planks of wood that we'll be able to be thrown through easily. Again, don't expect to be getting your wood back (no pun intended).

Camera equipment would be fantastic. I've already started asking around, but nobody seems to have any. I have a friend who has agreed to do all the camerawork already, so that is not an issue. Ideally, I would love the ability to put the media directly onto my computer (Windows Vista, yeah I know...). If the computer integration doesn't work, then fine I can deal with film, tape, or whatever the hell they have out there now. I would love to do the video editing myself, but in order to do that I will need a camera to do so. If you know anyone who could help, drop me a message on Facebook or somewhere.

Other notable supplies we could always use: water, a microphone, caution tape (for the ring rope), championship belts (perhaps for a Legends Championship type of thing), weapons, gimmick specific attire (Angelove, I'm looking at you!), etc. Any suggestions of things to also be added would be appreciated. I'm sure I left something out.

Choose the Reunion Show theme song!

noreply@blogger.com (Craig Dixon) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 21:56:00 +0000

As the Reunion Show approaches, I would like you, the BBA followers to choose the theme song for the show. I've got some ideas in mind, but ultimately...the choice will be yours. You can suggest themes anywhere you want: Facebook fan page, reply to this thread (click the link on the topic title), text me, the Forums on the sidebar, etc. Here are the choices I'm providing:

"And Sadness Will Sear" by Trivium

"You're Going Down" by Sick Puppies

"Still Running" by Chevelle

"Starting Over" by Killswitch Engage

"Believe in Nothing" by All That Remains (orig. by Nevermore)

"Alias" by In Flames

"Warriors of Time" by Black Tide

"Hero" by Skillet

"I Don't Care" by Apocalyptica

You can vote for these or another on the poll below:

WWE Releases BTOF?

noreply@blogger.com (Craig Dixon) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 22:22:00 +0000

Apparently, Big Tub Of Fat was not satisfied enough as being the only wrestler in history to be fired from both the BBA and the OWF. No, he also has also been working under the name "Chris Raaber" in WWE's developmental federation in Florida Championship Wrestling. He was released several weeks ago.

From Rajah.com - http://rajah.com/base/node/18147

Other developmental talent cut by World Wrestling Entertainment this past
Friday include Dino Carter (Rashard Goff), Lennox McEnroe (Byron Wilcott), Leroy
Morgan (Max McGuirk) and Lift Sawyer (Aaron Reed). All four grapplers have been
removed from the FCW talent page.

Furthermore, it has been confirmed
that Chris Raaber (Christoph Herzog) parted ways with
the organization several weeks ago. "The Bambikiller" has since returned to his
native Austria.

As indicated, he return to his home in Austria. He was previously known as "Chris Diamond" in OWF and "Big Tub of Fat" in BBA.

10 in 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Craig Dixon) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 23:29:00 +0000

Happy New Year everyone! It's hard to believe, but we've finally made it to 2010. This is an important date in BBA history. In a few months (March 26, 2010 to be exact), the BBA will reach it's 10th Anniversary! Yes, you heard me correctly. Ten years! Ten years from the very first BBA event, which occurred on March 26th of 2000. What a different timeline we're looking at here. Let's just compare yesterday to today:

We were all in middle school at the time, and now we've all (minus a few derelicts) graduated from college, have full-time jobs, or are pursuing our Master's degrees. Wow. We had no idea what the term "9-11" would signify, the Rock & Stone Cold still ruled Monday nights, and hell...Chris Benoit was still a saint! (Too soon?)

I intend on making this year the year it happens. Yes, you all know I've been talking about it for how many years now? I'm not gonna be vague or anything and drop hints. I'll just get right into it.

The Reunion Show

Yes, I want it to happen. It makes more sense than ever this time around (cue the roll of the eyes). It's the freakin' 10 Year Anniversary of BBA. I will forever be mad at myself if I don't do it this time around. We need to have the BBA Reunion Show this year. When? I'm looking at a target date in March, preferably on a Sunday (when else?). The 28th seems like a good first date. The 26th falls on a Friday, and I know nobody would really want to do that after a long week of work and the like. When we get closer to the date, I'd expect the following week to be the rain date in case we get hit with some awful weather.

It's all reliant on my discussions with my father. It's still his house, and considering that I barely live there anymore...he will more than likely be fearful for our health (or more likely his lawn). I understand his concerns, look at it this way: we're older, we haven't done this in a while, and it's probably going to be more dangerous because we're all bigger than we were in 2003 (Zylbert aside). If this is all to happen, I don't want anyone taking any stupid risks that might have seemed kosher in 2001 (including myself). No ladder leaps, no roofs, nothing too stupid. The lawn, the lawn chairs, the garbage pails, the bushes are always off limits per norm. Respect the house and my father. He got quite angry with me several times over those four crazy years because people decided it would be okay to suplex somebody onto a table that we intended on using. There will be a no tolerance rule. No standing on the swing-lounge, no smoking weed, and drinking should probably be kept to a minimum.

I really want us to have fun more than anything. I don't wanna have to be that asshole that occasionally showed up in BBA from 2000-2002. I don't wanna have to yell, I just want to do this. I'm not banning everything in regards to wrestling. We can still be dangerous when needed. Tables? Yes. Chairshots? Yes. Blood? Surely. It will still be hella fun and shit. I just want what's best for everyone. I'll probably be cool with drinking some beers after your matches, because I don't think drinking and wrestling will mix well.

Let me know if you guys are still up to this, I know a few core people are down. But what about the rest of you? Hit me up on Facebook or text me and I'll do my best to keep you all informed. Stay on the look-out for some folding chairs, carpet padding, and any planks of wood you might want to use in your matches. Let's make this the Reunion Show of all Reunion Shows! BBA!

Introducing the BBA Blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Craig Dixon) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:40:00 +0000

Welcome to the first incarnation of the Brawl Blog. I, of course, am the founder and creator of the BBA, Craig Dixon. This will serve as the informational highway when it comes to BBA news and discussion. Here I will be talking about anything that is BBA.

In fact, I have created this blog in order to make life simpler for just one person: myself. I'm hoping to be able to update this regularly without having to deal with some of the complications of web design which I am currently very overworked in. You can expect some of that Reunion Show gossip to be thrown around here, along with some random thoughts as well.

I'll keep the strictly website related updates in the section to the left of this, but will use this middle section to discuss things rather than update things. You'll get the concept of this soon enough. I want the ability to update the main page more easily, so the blog is the way to go. Make sure you also become a fan of the Backyard Brawlers Association on Facebook for up-to-the-minute news and information.

I'm hoping this will make life easier for all of us!