Issue #1 (11/30/04)



Dave's Top Ten Moments in Backyard Wrestling


10. Witnessing JT Ice be the 1st and only individual to take Murder 1's 3PM.
- It was a triple threat with these two and myself at UWA in Marysville. Roy went up for the 3PM (300 Pound Moonsault) and I was supposed to tell JT when to move but it was too late. He took it hard and I felt bad but after the match, JT seemed to be fine.


9. Watching the Light-Heavyweight Gauntlet.
- BCW Blood, Sweat, & Chairs 2002 marked the 1st and only Gauntlet match I've ever seen in Backyard Wrestling ever. 8 participants. It was long (about 45 minutes). It had it's boring parts. But for the majority of the match, it was very entertaining and it flowed. I still enjoying watching it to this day. Especially the final 2 in the Gauntlet, TRU and Roc.


8. Watching Vince WoMahon vs Q-Ball.
- This was Vince's 1st and probably last match. It happened, of all places, in the UGWA. Who would have known that Vince WoMahon could wrestle better than a quarter of the UGWA roster. He took bumps. He did moves. He entertained better than a lot of the guys. He did a damn good job. Q-Ball still kicked his ass but this match marked the end of the LONGEST FEUD in backyard wrestling history. trust me.


7. Stealing the show in my WFW Debut.
- Medieval, Q-Ball, and myself drove up to the APW Garage in Hayward to go to our 1st WFW (Western Federation Wrestling) show. We thought high of ourselves and had a goal to top the card. A lot of the guys didn't think much of us until we got into the ring. We surprised them with high spots that we just repeated from a previous triple threat match we had at WrestlePalooza 3. It was one of the few times we got a round of applause after the match had already ended.


6. Hearing the laughs from the crowd during my gimmick switch match with Q-Ball.
- Dave Van Dam turned into D-Ball, while Q-Ball turned into QVD. It was the first ever Gimmick Switch Match (Another BCW exclusive). Q and I did it purely for entertainment purposes. A few real funny moments. One was when I imitated Q-Ball's patented "Screamin Leg Drop". Another was when Q executed one of the worst rolling thunders I have ever seen. And to top things off, Q climbed up top, and purposely slipped and fell down, ribbing me from my fuck up at WrestlePalooza 3.


5. Successfully nailing the "De Ja Vu&" with Medieval for the 1st time.
- During the triple threat ladder match at Hardcore Holiday 2002, Medieval and myself executed a double tilt-a-whirl head-scissor. It was awesome. It was actually voted by all the guys as the best move to be done in BCW. We had practiced the move a few days earlier for about 2 hours and out of about 20 tries, we hit it once. So going into the match, We were a bit unsure about it. Then, I hurt my leg falling off the fence and through a table. So it looked like we were going to have to scrap the spot, but at the last minute, we decide to go with it and hope for the best, and sure enough, we hit the move.


4. Wrestling Xcel @ the final WFW show, 2 The Xtreme.
- This match meant more to me than probably any other match. I'm not sure why but it did. Maybe because for the first time, I was wrestling somebody who I KNEW was better than me. I was wrestling someone with some pro training under his belt. Not to mention it was the end of our feud, which involved the break up of Dynamite and Xcel as a tag-team. It could of also been because it was WFW's Final show and with their largest crowd ever, I felt I had something to prove. It was a great match with only one botched spot. The audience was polled after the show and it was about 50% for my match with Xcel and 50% for Xaiokai/Medieval. Nonetheless, it was a memory I'll never forget.


3. The release of BCW's 1st DVD.
- It was exciting for me because I'm a mark for my own fed. BCW's 1st DVD release was an entrance videos DVD entitled, BCW: The Videos vol. 1. It basically had about 24 entrance videos from many BCW wrestlers. It was a break through to us considering that most backyard feds don't have entrance videos for their wrestlers, at least none that I know of. I can't tell you how many hours Q-Ball, Murder 1, Vince, and myself spent watching that DVD. (as we are the biggest fans of our stuff)


2. Feeding off the hot crowd during my triple threat match at Great Saturday 1.
- Even though there were only about 12 people cheering for the main event of Great Saturday 1, it was still very special to me. I've now wrestled in crowds of 100 + but back then, things were way different. BCW was going through a transition during late 2001. We were slowly getting rid of the young guys and implementing the UGWA/EBW talent into our product. Great Saturday 1 really marked the beginning of the transition. For the 1st time, the crowd consisted of more than 6 people and the crowd was EXTREMELY hot! Almost every move was followed by a huge pop. I can't speak for Roc or Medieval (who were my opponents) but the crowd in that match made me feel like I could do anything.


1. Wrestling in the 45-minute Ironman match at the UGWA.
- This may have been the best match I have ever had. Medieval and myself have always had great matches and this one topped them all. We went 45 but could of easily gone the full hour. It was real easy to get the crowd into it this time around because of how extreme of a heel Dynamite Dave became. I think what really hit the spot for me that day, was when Murder 1 came to me after the match was over. I was still selling my beating from the match so I just laid there on the floor, face down, acting unconscious. All of the cameras were on Medieval as he was getting a victory interview. Anyways, Murder 1 comes up to my "unconscious" body, and slips a 5 dollar bill in my limp hand and whispers into my ear, "hears your money you lucky son bitch." You see, earlier that week, Murder 1 and myself made a friendly $5 bet on who would have the best match of the show. Heh. I cracked a small smile when he said that and he then walked away as I still laid "unconscious". Its too bad that not one video camera caught any of it on tape.

Issue #2 - Week of 12/6/04 - "Dave's Top Ten Favorite Backyard Wrestling Gimmicks

issue #2 (12/6/04)


Dave's Top Ten Favorite Backyard Wrestling Gimmicks



10. TRU
- Originally, TRU was a reflection of Steven Richard's Right To Censor gimmick. TRU stood for, "The Right 2 Uncensor." So we just called him TRU for short. TRU started as more of a Too Cool / White rapper guy who wanted to uncensor everything in BCW. He later evolved into the serious, bad ass Bulgarian that we all know today. TRU is a unique character for a few reasons. One, he is the only backyard wrestler I know, who truly has, (no pun intended) his own theme song. He always takes a beating in his matches and never complains about jobbing. And finally, TRU played a heel so well that 90% of his matches came out good because of crowd heat.




9. Doug Divine
- Chance Calloway's alter-ego was none-other than Doug Divine. This character, though short-lived, was very innovative to say the least. The main thing about Doug that caught my attention was his 7 (yes... 7) different finishing maneuvers.(one for every deadly sin) One of them was called "Divine Intervention" and was an awesome move; one in which I had never seen before. The whole idea of a born-again Christian / priest (or whatever he was) that was so villainess and evil, made Doug Divine so appealing. And one last thing. His attire was by far, the most professional out of the bunch.




8. Juan Santiago Santa-Maria Escobar
- Another short-lived character that should of went a long way. Juan was hilarious! Simply put, he did not need to know a single wrestling move to make the crowd pop for him. I mean, look at his full name...and his dog, Menudo...and his servant, Pepe. On his first match ever, he got a louder pop than practically the entire roster on that show.




7. Roc
- From 1st sight, you see the name and immediately think it's another Rocky Maivia wanna-be. But Roc, is nothing like WWE's Rock. Infact, the only thing they share, is the Rock Bottom as their finishing moves. Roc did start out impersonating "The Rock", but soon fell into his own persona. His size and charisma set him aside from the rest and made him the biggest and best babyface in BCW history...and for the matter, I'm willing to say backyard wrestling history. Its just to hard to boo him. Even when he was in EFT, (a heel tag-team), everyone boo'ed Dave but cheered Roc. With the combination of high flying, incredible charisma, and the constant label of an underdog, Roc has all that is needed to be one of the best characters in backyard wrestling ever.




6. TGKA Andy
- The Guy Known As Andy is the only other guy in BCW, other than Roc, who just could not be boo'ed. Most BCW followers will remember chants of "It's the guy!"....whether he was walking into the backyard, or entering his match. The amateur wrestler turned backyarder shows no emotion. Infact, most of his facial expressions are just simply blank so you can't really tell if he feels any emotion. And his name...so simple...I mean..The Guy Known As Andy... And his finishing maneuver...it was nothing more than a modified small package...so simple, its funny...It is this simplicity that got Andy so over with the fans...and no one will ever forget, "The Move Known As Headbutt."...Classic




5. Japanese Luchador
- What to you get when you mix puroresu and lucha libre?...or more specifically, A Japanese wrestler and some Mexican whore?...you get the Japanese Luchador!!! Another comedic character in BCW, The Japanese Luchador never failed to entertain and get some laughs from the audience. Unlike Juan, Japanese Luchador could actually wrestle. So he had everything that made a good character.




4. Azrael
- Azrael was very original in my book. Here is a guy, a narcissist, but to such an extreme level. He would run away from a match if he found a blemish on his body. Azrael claimed to live in Azrael City and was the true, perfect man. "You want some of this!?...How bout a little that?!" was his favorite line to say as he would flex his rather skinny arms. Azrael was so full of himself, that he even named his finishing move, "It's Azrael" His reason: Azrael said that there is no name worth labeling the move except for "Azrael." The most impressive thing he did was the Matrix Kick. He would walk along the wall and come down with a kick to his opponent's head. Awesome.




3. Dynamite Dave
- The character known as Dynamite Dave, started out in WFW. Dynamite Dave was a cocky, arrogant, self-centered athlete. Though he had a lot to say and sometimes would not shut his damn mouth, he always backed-up his words with incredible performances in the ring. Dynamite Dave dropped out of the wrestling scene for a few months after WFW's downfall, but came back with a new fire in the UGWA. This new Dynamite, was bigger, stronger, a hell of a lot meaner, and of all things, a racist. Dynamite Dave brought so much anger and hate that he easily became no. 1 heel in the UGWA....and one of the top heels in WSW. He formed a racist group called, "White Supremacy." It (Racism) is a dangerous field to experiment a gimmick in, but Dynamite Dave pulled it off and left a huge mark in the UGWA's history. One of the best heels in backyard wrestling ever.




2. Chance Calloway
- I find it amazing that Chance Calloway's gimmick has never-ever been done in the big leagues. It's one of things were you are like, "wow, I can't believe I never thought of this." Chance Calloway was a high roller from beautiful Atlantic City, NJ. So much energy and charisma. Everything seemed to revolve around gambling. One of his moves was called the "Jackpot." His finishing maneuver was another innovation. The "Longshot" as it was called (but most people knew it as "No Chance" because he always yelled that out before he did it) was a inverted Russian leg sweep / cobra clutch / ddt. You would have to see it to believe it. Chance was the BEST backyard wrestler I had ever seen. Period.




1. Vince WoMahon
- Vince WoMahon (pronounced Wo-Man) is a class act. I don't care what anybody says. I don't care that he is a rip-off of Vince McMahon. Vince WoMahon is just too damn entertaining to not be number 1 on my list. Vince WoMahon has done so much in backyard wrestling. He was the owner of EBW. He was a referee in BCW. He was a manager of White Supremacy in the UGWA. And...He wrestled! Vince started off as most of us did...by imitating his WWE counterpart. But he, like the rest of us, evolved into his own character. His raspy voice telling people to "Shut Up!"...or telling people, "It's WoMahon!! Damn it!...not Woman!" is something no one can forget. He reminds me a lot of Bobby "The Brain" Heenan back in his old managing days in the WWF. WoMahon is the richest man alive. He claims to have his own private island on his private part of the world. The fans love to hate on Vince. This is another key to why his gimmick is such a success. Now that he is also a part of White Supremacy, his character can only take a turn for the better. The best heel that I have seen in my backyard wrestling career.

issue #3 (1/4/05)

Dave's Top Ten Entrance Themes in Backyard Wrestling



10. Kay-C -"One Step Closer" (Linkin Park)
- Everyone should know this song and it is one of Linkin Park's best singles in my opinion. The song fits Kay-C's character perfectly and has a great chorus. It makes a good entrance video, has lots of energy in it, and puts out emotion.




9. Q-Ball - "Point 'em Out" (Three 6 Mafia)
- This song caught my ear back in UWC. Not because the instrumental sounds awfully like Goldberg's WCW theme, but because it just sounds like a solid, bad-ass wrestling theme. Q-Ball really made me think that Three 6 Mafia made a song for a wrestler.




8. Bulgarian Luchador - "Tri Biri" (Gumenti Glavi)
- When I approached Slavy with the idea of this character, he told me he had an idea for a great theme song. He wasn't lying. "Tri Biri", is an awesome song. I have know idea what they are saying in the song, because it is all in Bulgarian, but it has a great beat, and the tempo of the song just seems to fit perfectly with the way Bulgarian Luchador acts. I bet Slavy thinks of it a little differently though considering he knows all the lyrics.




7. Xcel - "X Gon' Give It To Ya" (DMX)
- The song is pretty upbeat. Not to mention the small fact it fits in with Xcel's name. I mean, you hear, "X Gon' Give It To Ya" and it has inter-meaning (Xcel being "X"...anyways, It's a good song for a wrestler's theme and it gets the 7 on my list.




6. Roc - "Rock Superstar" (Cypress Hill)
- This song has "dramatic" written all over it. From the child-like bells in the background to the deep, rap lyrics, it was a perfect choice for BCW's Roc. Roc was no doubt "dramatic". Not to mention his size but the child-like bells in the song could represent how small Roc is...once the song hits with the hard rock, it can translate to Roc's hard hitting, fast-paced style in the ring. I still listen to this song all the time.




5. Chance Calloway - "What's Golden" (Jurassic 5)
- "What's Golden" has style...Chance Calloway has style... "What's Golden" has energy...Chance Calloway has energy..."What's Golden" has a party atmosphere written all over it and so does Chance. What's golden to Chance Calloway? His casino winnings? Maybe his championship gold?...




4. Kay-C - "Meaning of Life" (Disturbed)
- Kay-C's 2nd theme song in BCW was even better than his 1st. This time around, his song is faster, harder, and darker. The message, like "One Step Closer", is the same. They both talk about insanity and losing one's mind. But this one has more of the "Oh Shit" factor to it...By that, I mean that once it hits in the backyard, everyone in the audience are like, "Oh Shit!"...someone's coming...They know immediately Kay-C is coming.




3. Slash - "Am I Evil?" (Metallica)
- Speaking of the "Oh Shit" factor, this theme song takes the cake. "Am I Evil?" hits harder and more sudden than any other theme song I have heard. The song is so damn heel. So heel...everywhere I have wrestled, I always hear people say as Slash comes out, "Damn, good choice in music"..and they are all right. Not to mention that it has so many loud, hard drum beats making it a good song to make an entrance video to. Just imagine one of Slash's infamous cane shots every time you hear one of those loud beats.




2. TRU - "Uncensored Paradise" (TRU)
- The main reason this song is #2 is because it is original. TRU did it all himself. The "Gangsta's Paradise" instrumental was artificially created so that is original. TRU wrote the lyrics, composed the lyrics, and mixed the whole song himself. Whether you like the song or think TRU is the worst rapper on Earth, you cant deny that the song fits TRU perfectly and that TRU has done something with his theme that probably 99.9% of other backyarders havn't done.




1. Chad McCain - "Sonne" (Rammstein)
- This song is awesome. Hands down the best song I have heard in backyard wrestling. #1, it isn't a very popular band or song, therefore, it comes off as more original than if you just took something straight off of the current TRL list. #2, it has the best chorus. The chorus is a very important part to a theme song. The chorus is the time where a wrestler strikes his or her pose on the stage, while standing in the corner, or after a victory. It is generally, the dramatic portion of the song and the wrestler's entrance video. Just listen to all the great chorused themes in WWE. Hulk Hogan's "Real American", Bret Hart's "Hart Attack", Shawn Michaels "Sexy Boy", DX's "D-Generation X"...All of those themes, I'm sure, you could all recite the beat and lyrics of the chorus, in your head. THAT..is what Chad McCain's theme, "Sonne" does.