August 2005...I snuck into that show...

Hello again, - I quickly want to say a thank you to all who have reached out about the site, it warms my little black heart that so many are enjoying it. 

Last weekend I joined Mitchell's Mess & More at the Sports Wax Promotions - Collector's Jam at the Concord, NC Arena & Event Center:

 

This weekend, I'll be joining the table at the 4th & Goal Collector's Vault show in Shelby, NC at the LeGrande Center.  

I've posted a few photos from August 2005 here. Other than the routine HVW and APW shows this month, I did venture out to Asheville, NC with Nick Fury to attend the Universal Championship Wrestling show at the Civic Center. Very cool for me as the Civic Center is where I used to watch the NWA whenever they came through town. I wasn't booked to shoot this show, but I was at the right place at the right time and got to go to ringside.  Even though the attendance was very low, it still had a big show feel to me, plus I got to shoot the Steiner Bros. for the first time. 

That's it, thanks for reading and don't forget: Take the Picture.

June 2005 & it's Con Season!

In June 2005, I shot 8 shows - including my first APW hardcore event: "Blood, Guts & Hardcore" at Ground Zero in Spartanburg, SC; and a trip to the National Guard Armory in Sylva, NC. 

Click Here For the June 2005 Album!

In Mitchell's Mess & More news - it's warming up, which means it's convention/show season!  MMM has lots of shows - see them here!  

The gang will be getting together again this year at SC Comic Con in Greenville,SC and Mad Monster Expo in Charlotte,NC.  We've recently set up at a couple of 4th & Goal Promotions' Collector's Vault shows (see below) and are booked for upcoming shows in Shelby, Gastonia, and Salisbury.  Check out their website or Facebook - Brandon and his family run great shows that won't break your bank. I'm glad to support them and I am a big fan of their affordable show model. Many of the bigger cons have forgotten that if a family can't afford to bring all the members in, then none of them are coming in. 

We got to set up at Wrestling Evolution's "No Rest for the Wicked" show in Lincolnton, NC on March 14th - thanks to the W.E. Crew!

Thanks for reading and don't forget: Take the Picture. 

March 2005

First off, I'll be heading to Greenville, SC tomorrow for the annual Retro-Toy Con! Looking forward to getting back together with the Mitchell's Mess & More gang -the toy con has become another great time for us just to hang out and have a good time...and stay up late for the room swaps! 

The year is winding down, but you have a couple more chances to see MMM in 2025. December 12-13th, we'll be at Fourth & Goal Promotions: Collector's Vault Showcase in Gastonia, NC. This will be the first of their shows we'll be set up at - I'm looking forward to it. 

Next up, on December 20-21st, MMM is once again at the Lumberton Toy & Comic Holiday Show in Lumberton, NC. 

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Photos for this post are from March 2005. This month saw me take my first road trip for a show in Kingsport, TN on the 11th with Ken Magnum and Viper. 

Ken got to meet some nice locals: 

And we got to meet the King of Kingsport: 

March 18, 2005 - the first High Velocity Wrestling "Redneck Champion" title belt: 

March 19,2005 - here's a mid-air shot of Dirty kicking Nick Fury - American Pro Wrestling, Spartanburg, SC. 

On the 25th, I was invited to shoot the last "Hardcore Hell" show under the NWA Wildside banner. "Hot Shot" Shane Austin invited me and I was welcomed by the talent and Bill Behrens, who ran the promotion. It closed a month later as Bill left to work at WWE's Deep South Wrestling. I would return to the building though as it reopened as NWA Anarchy. This night I shot one of the best pics I ever got in my opinion - look for the fireball in this gallery!

You can view the show here, and will occasionally see me at ringside. This was before I started wearing solid black, so you can't miss me, it looks like I was wearing an orange shirt (why? I don't know...I should have listened to that drag queen who told me I look like the Great Pumpkin in orange). 

Thanks to all for reading - and have a happy Thanksgiving. 

Crimson Mask, Part 1

I love shooting bloody wrestling pictures.  Not all the time, but I never missed an opportunity to get a good bloody face pic.  I had several wrestlers who made sure to "freeze" so I got a good shot.  Used wisely, blood adds drama, anger, sympathy and vengeance to a match.  Used unwisely, it looks amateurish and desensitizes the crowd.

I came across these pictures below this morning and thought I would share them.  This was a six man tag match between Ethan Case, Law and Tattoo against Wicked, Torment and _____(?-I can't for the life of me remember his name, if anyone can help),  I can't recall the events that led up to this brutal match, but here you go.  From 21 January 2006, Southern Wrestling Association in Forest City, NC:

Phoenix?