Author: Mike Malowany

When Wrestling Matters

In 2019, normally with my “Tales from Ringside”, I chat about a wrestler or an experience I had on a certain nigh like when wrestling matters. This week I am going to talk about my experiences with a particular promotion. This is when wrestling matters. This past week Northern Alberta had one of their tri-monthly visits from a promotion known as Canadian Wrestling’s Elite, or CWE for short.  CWE is based out of Winnipeg, and while they run the majority of their shows in the Manitoba area, they are also known for their tours throughout Canada.  The promotion packs up…

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When The Inmates Run the Asylum

Sometimes in life, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, even if it’s when the inmates run the asylum.  With the WWE introducing the new 24/7 Title the night after Money in the Bank 2019, I got flashbacks of the summer I had my own version in Monster Pro Wrestling when the inmates run the asylum. This week’s tale takes you back to the summer of 2018.  In Monster Pro Wrestling, as with most promotions in Alberta, there is a break in the action for the month in July. This gets extended for MPW, as the only event for the…

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The Viking Rage of Vince Austin

After watching Double or Nothing 2019, I saw some big differences between the conventional wrestling program and what was on there, reminding me of the Viking Rage of Vince Austin. One of the biggest things I noticed is the amount of blood that Dustin Rhodes spilled in his match with Cody.  It was a real throwback to yesteryear, where blood was used as a plot point, not just for shock factor.  And that brought me to the character I am highlighting on this week’s Tale, the Viking Lord Rage of Vince Austin. Vince Austin, in his career in Alberta, has…

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The Forging of Steele

If you go back in time to some of the greatest factions, there has always been a wrestler that seems to be the complemental piece to the forging of steele.  That person who is there to be the minor player in a bigger storyline.  The Four Horseman always had Barry Windham and Lex Luger.  Evolution had Randy Orton or Batista. The Ministry of Darkness had… well… a few parts.  You get the point.  But when it comes to these people, sometimes it takes them branching out on their own to show. What talent they truly have as the forging of…

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Changing Places

From my years of watching wrestling, both as a fan and as someone behind the scenes, one of the hardest things to execute is an effective double-turn and changing places. Having someone change from a bad guy to a good guy, and vice versa, with the fans getting fully behind it, is one of the best accomplishments that a pair of wrestlers can accomplish. When done right, you can turn Bret Hart into the most hated heel in a company, and Stone Cold the most loved face. Changing Places In this week’s tale, I will take you back to when…

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When Opportunity Knocks

In 2019, the latest edition of tales from ringside, and when opportunity knocks!  Those that have followed me on social media may know this, but as of May 4th, I resigned my active roles with any wrestling promotion to work on other reporting endeavors. While I am not going into specific details on why I have left, it has led to a lot of time to reflect on my time in the business, and many of the events that were a major part of it. This is what happens when opportunity knocks. When you finish off something, the first thing…

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In a Blais of Glory

In 2019, sometimes in life you just must look back and truly appreciate what you have and realize that you have been truly spoiled with the riches one has as we present in a Blais of glory. With the Prairie Wrestling Alliance celebrating their 18th Anniversary this past Saturday in Edmonton, I was sitting back in my seat before the show thinking about all the great matches the promotion has put out.  It all takes me back to my first big show I attended for the promotion, Night of Champions 2013. In a Blais of Glory – Night of Champions…

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A Lethal Dose of Poison

There are things in people’s lives that one doesn’t necessarily want, but they are essential to being successful in some portion of your life with a lethal dose of Poison.  The best example in today’s case is that bottle of cough medicine that tastes awful, but you need it to get over that killer cold. Most people remember the infamous promo Vince McMahon had in 2001 about “injecting the WWF with a lethal dose of poison”.  From there, the New World Order returned, and for a time, chaos ensued, but at Wrestlemania X8 a moment was created that fans will…

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The Best Hype Man in Alberta

This week’s tale is ironically about a man who has flipped wrestling in Edmonton on its ear again. It seems that things are all over the place when it comes to talent in 2019. He is the best hype man in Alberta. When podcasting, one of the things I personally hate to record is “best of” and prediction shows. The reason being, is that it almost guarantees one or two people will be missed or overlooked.  If you take a listen to our Backbreaker Media Honours from this past month here, you will notice one egregious omission.  In talking about…

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When Worlds Collide

Sometimes when people watch a movie, relive sports moments, and check out archived wrestling footage, people ask “what if?”  What if Batman and Iron Man went Head-to-head?  What if Gretzky played at the same time as Ovechkin? Or what if Sting and the Undertaker fought in their prime?  Well, in terms of Alberta Wrestling we saw a sample of that this past Friday night, when worlds collide. One of the greatest desires of talent and loyal wrestling fans in Alberta (most notably Edmonton) is the thought of a “supercard”. A night where all local promotions combine together for a showcase…

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