UCW Wrestling's Vincent Stone & Eli Black vs. The Black Dragon: Something Is Wrong Here

     The video posted above is Cashman & West's brilliant "American City Suite" from 1972, back when New York City was going to hell in a handbasket. From the song, it's undeniably clear that Cashman & West possessed a deep, profound love for NYC, and that's why they were so passionate in their critique of Gotham.
     The analogy I'm trying to make is that I love UCW Wrestling and that's why I don't hesitate to voice my own outrage when I see it heading down the wrong path. Rookie after rookie disappears from that federation, and there's a reason for that. (My Beautiful Precious Johnny Deep -- still featured on UCW's "active" roster -- was supposed to return to competition after the summer. No one mentioned which summer.)
     The "reason" is the influence of the man behind the mask in video #395. UCW founder Michael Bodyslam is adamant about prohibiting me from identifying whichever wrestler happens to be portraying the Black Dragon in any UCW presentation. For those of you who have difficulty clapping your hands without missing, I won't spoil the intrigue; I'll simply remind everyone that #395's Black Dragon is the wrestler who Johnny considered to be the "worst guy" in the company...the blatant sadist who introduced sleaze to the federation and has a propensity for "wrecking prettyboys"...the manipulative, behind-the-scenes Svengali who has been awarded UCW's top honor.
     The four screen caps posted above the "American City Suite" video illustrate why I will never again be able to despise Eli Black to the degree that I once did. Without giving too much away, I'll just say that those pics depict the result of Eli's cockiness and his proclivity for jumping to conclusions. In this case, Eli sincerely regrets those character flaws, and he's not ashamed to display that regret to Vincent as the cameras are rolling.
     In a typical display of hubris, Eli allowed Vincent to compete alone in UCW for the first time, without the benefit of Eli's supervision and guidance. Of course, Vincent was matched against the wrong opponent to face under such circumstances, and the results were disastrous.
     Prior to Eli's departure, there were several events that foreshadowed this match's outcome. Early on (at the 4:26 mark), the Black Dragon showed utter disregard for the fact that he was wrestling on a thin 1.25" mat over a concrete floor, and bodyslammed Vincent with tremendous force. Vincent seemed amazed by the impact. Unable to move, with the wind knocked out of him, Vincent laughed about his predicament. Eli asked, "You alright, Vinnie?" sounding genuinely concerned. Vincent was unable to answer, but the show must go on, and the video continued without an edit.

Vincent applies a leg scissors but is lifted off the mat...

...then slammed HARD (just watch it in slow-mo)

Eager to please, Vinnie seems apologetic that he can't move

     Lest we believe that this slam was an aberration, Vinnie endured two similar slams during the later stages of the match. Note: This Black Dragon performs at indie pro wrestling events in an environment where injuries are de rigueur -- he himself recently received a concussion -- and young grapplers in particular are expected to "pay their dues." Case in point is a 2012 Magnum Pro Wrestling show in Iowa, during which 16-year-old Ryan Kidd was brutalized by 16-year veteran Tony Kozina. According to a description of the match, Kozina "acts like the entire match is a joke for the first few minutes before hitting Kidd (a wrestler who had only been alive as long as Kozina had been in the business, mind you) with several stiff throws, piledrivers and full-contact kicks before locking in an unprotected headscissors, resulting in Kidd legitimately being choked into unconsciousness." Like Vinnie, Ryan Kidd gamely continued on with the performance as long as he could. Here's a video of the encounter...

     (It should be noted that Ryan is still a teenager and still wrestling, despite that horrid experience. You can "like" Ryan's Facebook page here. There are also Ryan Kidd interviews from 2012 posted on YouTube, so you can see just who it was that Kozina chose to bully.)
     Getting back to the destruction of Vinnie, a modified half Boston crab wasn't punishment enough, so the Dragon reverted to a familiar below-the-belt grab -- a maneuver designed to both hurt and humiliate an opponent.

      Yes, the kind of maneuver that would get anyone kicked out of a legitimate fed -- and a few illegitimate ones -- but UCW is undergoing a Golden Age for Heels. Certainly, co-owner Ethan Axel Andrews, anti-bullying crusader and moral compass for the company, would never speak casually about such tactics or utilize them himself...

     ...and we wonder why UCW is losing their best "faces." Also, why cast doubt on Shane's character? Has Shane ever tag teamed with Quinn Harper? You know, when that Bel-Air prep first debuted in UCW, I worried about the jealousy he'd arouse (something similar happened to Johnny, when his popularity eclipsed Eli's). However, I didn't expect the Shane Saunders envy to come from a UCW owner.
     Despite the wayward drift of UCW, Vinnie seems determined to succeed in the federation, and match #395 is no squash. Eli's protegee holds his own against the Dragon even after enduring cannibalism. (By the 1:33 mark, this rabid beast has already bitten Vincent in the buttocks, and it later sinks its fangs into Eli.) Vincent utilizes certain strategies that you typically see in high school matches (no surprise, since Eli was a top HS wrestler in Pennsylvania).

Vinnie loves making eye contact with the camera

     Of course, when Eli was present during this match, it was often fun and games for the two childhood friends.

"Welcome to America, biotch."

"If you can say please get off me in perfect English, I'd be more than happy to."

"Japan muscle? You ever heard of built Ford tough?"

     This match was not reviewed by Ringside at Skull Island, probably because of the countless xenophobic wisecracks uttered by Eli (much to the amusement of his sidekick in the red, white, and blue trunks). Sure, this Black Dragon is a roughneck, nationalistic American himself who's in on the joke, but I knew that wouldn't matter to Blogger Joe. I almost made some snide remark about "Miss Political Correctness," but then I read Joe's most recent blog entry, entitled, "Finisher."
     Yes, it's true, ladies and gentlemen. Joe is finally calling it quits -- and no, I'm not happy about it. I don't suppose Joe ever really gave a damn about what I've written in this blog...but if any of my quips played even a minor role in Joe's decision, I feel guilty about that.
     The fact is that I've always had immense respect for Joe as a reviewer, although I never let on to that fact. It's my nature to play the devil's advocate, and Joe gave me plenty of fodder for my own articles. As a matter of fact, if Joe hadn't pissed me off to such a degree when he reviewed match #336 then I would have never started writing about UCW. In a very real sense, if there had been no Ringside at Skull Island, there would be no Old Freddie Young's Blog.
     Joe, if you read this, I hope you reconsider. You have a very rare gift of eloquence and the fact that you used that talent to promote the underground wrestling scene was special. You're providing us with a very valuable service and if we haven't always shown our appreciation -- well, I hope it's not too late.
     At any rate, the Vincent Stone & Eli Black vs. Black Dragon match is video #395, and it's available for download here: http://www.ucw-wrestling.com/videolatest2.html. Let's support UCW and show our gratitude toward the guys who give us this gift.