While in Japan last week, I learned that UPW Commissioner Pete Doyle had stripped Tom Howard of the UPW Heavyweight Championship. I promised, "live" (via the internet) that I would respond, using this edition of "The Weekly Wire," just as Doyle used the Wire last week to make what I now understand is known as "Doyle's Decree."

Well, here is my response...

Tom Howard, in my opinion, is one of the best pro wrestlers in the world today. In a long line of great UPW Champions, including the likes of Christopher Daniels, Mikey Henderson, John Cena, Samoa Joe and Predator, Tom wore the UPW Heavyweight Championship with unequaled honor, dignity and authority.

As our fans know, Tom started UPW with me in 1998, has been the Head Instructor at Ultimate University for most of the time since (training John Cena, Nathan Jones, Victoria and countless others) and on a personal note, is the individual I often call "one of my best friends in the world."

So, it saddened me when Commissioner Pete Doyle recently stripped Tom of the UPW Heavyweight Championship. When he gave as his reason Tom's non-defense of the belt due to his numerous sojourns to Zero-One, it angered me at first as well. After all, Tom Howard is in Japan representing UPW with his usual class and authority, and I feel that in many ways, his numerous victories there are in a sense, successful UPW Title defenses. I felt at the time that taking Tom's title for that reason was, basically, a cheap shot.

I didn't want to respond upon learning this news last Wednesday because, plain and simple, I was mad. Now that a week's gone by, I look at it differently. I consider Pete's perspective -- that one of the most respected Titles in pro wrestling, the UPW Title, should be defended here in the US and at UPW, actively and often-- as solid perspective. Although I still have serious regrets, I grudgingly have to say that I endorse "Doyle's Decree." And bottom line, I did give Pete the authority to make these types of decisions, so I can, and will, live with it.

So, Pete Doyle has scheduled a 4-man tournament to decide a new UPW Champion. I agree with the diversity in competitors he's selected -- Tom Howard-protégé Big Chris Moredetzsky, the entertaining and unpredictable Skulu, old school representative Scrap Iron Adam Pearce and deserving UPW veteran Superstar Keiji Sakoda. I agree so much in fact, that my chagrin at the situation concerning Tom Howard is now equaled by my enthusiasm for what promises to be an intriguing, and excellent, tournament. On July 11 at The Grove, it's Skulu Vs Pearce and Sakoda Vs Big Chris, in what should be two awesome matches. The alternatives for the Finals pairing are equally, if not more, compelling. In short, each of the four competitors is deserving in his own way and either would make a fine UPW Champion. I very much look forward to being at The Grove on Friday, July 11, and witnessing all the action, up-close-and-personal!

Grudgingly again, I say "well done" Pete, but remember this...like yourself, I still retain decision-making authority here at UPW. I respect your decision and have done my part, which includes not only giving "your" tournament my endorsement, but going as far as bringing the UPW Heavyweight Title belt back from Japan. On behalf of Tom Howard, myself, and I suppose, the UPW fans, I'll hand that belt to you at the commencement of the tournament. All this having been said, I now demand that you respect my authority as well...Once the tournament concludes and a new UPW Heavyweight Champion has been crowned, I've already named the "perpetual # 1 contender." Subject to his availability to challenge for the coveted UPW Heavyweight Championship Title, that #1 contender is...Tom Howard!

Let the games begin!
Rick Bassman

The Weekly Wire
By Todd Keneley

Who will leave with the gold at Title Wave?
This is the question that all of us involved in Ultimate Pro Wrestling and our great fans are anxiously waiting to be answered. The answer is only one week away, as four of the most impressive, diverse, and dominant superstars to ever step into the squared circle will lock horns for an opportunity to capture the richest prize in UPW. As promised, UPW Owner Rick Bassman has weighed in with his thoughts concerning UPW Commissioner Pete Doyle's decision to strip Tom Howard of the Heavyweight Title and the subsequent 4-Man tournament, which will take place at Title Wave on July 11 at The Grove of Anaheim. As you just read, Bassman is looking forward to witnessing the competition first hand, and is prepared to hand the championship belt over to Commissioner Doyle that night to signal the official beginning of the quest to determine the next title holder. The UPW Chairman further declared that the new champion will have a date with destiny in the form of a match with the former champion; should Tom Howard ever return to a full-time competitive UPW schedule in the U.S. That being said, let's take a closer look at the four individuals who have earned the right to battle for the belt at Title Wave.

KEIJI SAKODA
Height: 6'
Weight: 240 lbs.
Hometown: Tokyo, Japan
Favorite Quote: "I am the deadliest man in UPW!"
Finishing Moves: The Roaring Elbow, Diamond Dust
Career Highlights: Defeated WWE's John Cena, teamed with Smelly to defeat Jon Heidenreich and WWE's Nathan Jones, joined forces with Masato Tanaka and Shinjiro Otani as "Team Emblem" in Japan, has made numerous WWE appearances.

When looking up "intensity" in the dictionary, the definition might as well read, see Keiji Sakoda. The Japanese Assassin defines the term every time he steps into the ring. Sakoda is an efficient machine of destruction that overwhelms opponents with his mastery of martial arts and painful submission holds combined with bone crushing power maneuvers. Keiji recently returned to his native Japan on several occasions to join forces with Japanese Superstars Masato Tanaka and Shinjiro Otani in a lethal faction known as "Team Emblem". His experience in Japan has crossed over to his matches here in the U.S. as Sakoda frequently utilizes Tanaka's "Roaring Elbow" and the "Otani Wash" in his deadly arsenal of attacks. He has come very close to winning the UPW Heavyweight Championship in the past. At Shock Wave, Sakoda took then champion Tom Howard to the limit and left him a bloody mess in one of the most physical contests in UPW history. Keiji continues to leave a trail of fallen adversaries behind. He will not stop until he stands alone as the most dominant force in UPW. July 11 may prove to be the night that his goal becomes a reality!

CHRIS MORDETZSKY
Nickname: Big Chris
Height: 6'4"
Weight 257 lbs.
Hometown: Santa Monica, Ca.
Favorite Quote: "The road to nowhere is paved with excuses; my opponents are on a 4-lane highway!"
Finishing Move: (Pumping) Iron Cross

This 20-year-old protégé of former UPW Heavyweight Champion Tom Howard has all of the tools needed to become a huge star in professional wrestling. He has the body of a Greek God, a positive attitude, and the never say die spirit and work ethic that it takes to succeed when swimming with the sharks in this highly competitive world of sports entertainment. Although he is the least experienced of the four competitors, Mordetzsky enters this tournament riding an incredible wave of success and momentum. At Entertainment Overload, he outlasted 21 other hungry Superstars and stood alone as the victor on a night in which UPW brought back a Southern California tradition, the 22-Man Battle Royal. The win instantly put the powerful youngster on the map and proved that he is certainly a force to be reckoned with. Per the stipulation of the match, Big Chris was rewarded for his triumph by being declared the #1 contender for the UPW Heavyweight Championship. He was looking forward to the opportunity to face his mentor Tom Howard in a title match. Commissioner Doyle's decision to strip Howard of the title put Chris' dream on hold. As a result, Mordetzsky will not only be fighting for himself, but for Howard as well. Big Chris had this to say: "I want to win the title for Tom as much as for myself. The championship match between he and I would then be reality, only now I would be the champion, and Tom would be the challenger!" Will the winner of the 22-Man battle Royal once again catch lightning in a bottle and achieve his dream of becoming the UPW Heavyweight Champion at Title Wave? He certainly has his work cut out for him as he must first get past the much more experienced Keiji Sakoda to earn an opportunity to fight for the title.

SKULU
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 312 lbs.
Hometown: Jungles of Samoa
Favorite Quote: "Isahhhhhhh!"
Finishing Moves: Savage Splash, Polynesian Powerslam
Career Highlights: Becoming one of UPW's most popular Superstars, defeated former 2-Time UPW Heavyweight Champion Smelly, frequently represents UPW in Japan while competing in Zero-One, has wrestled several matches for WWE.

This Samoan Savage is one of the most charismatic Superstars ever to step into a UPW ring. Don't let his tribal dancing and other entertaining antics fool you; Skulu is an extremely focused and dangerous competitor who mixes brute strength with shocking agility for a man of his size. Skulu often leaps from the top rope, squashing opponents with his devastating "Savage Splash". Wrestling legend Rowdy Roddy Piper recently witnessed the impressive maneuver first hand during the filming of one of several exclusive appearances by "Hot Rod" in UPW titled "In The Pit With Piper." The segment will appear as a special feature on the upcoming UPW DVD release, "Future Shock." Skulu's skills have allowed him to become a very popular attraction in Japan. The savage often represents UPW while competing in Zero-One under the name "King Adamo." He Weighs in at over 300 pounds and has a very low center of gravity. As a result, it is very difficult to take this powerful Polynesian off his feet. The other competitors in the tournament may not be able to execute many of there signature maneuvers on a man of Skulu's size and strength. Will this be the advantage that Skulu needs to bring home the gold? One thing is for sure, when the bell sounds, it might as well be the dinner bell, because Skulu will be ready to eat up the competition!

ADAM PEARCE
Nickname: Scrap Iron
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 233 lbs.
Hometown: Chicago, IL.
Favorite Quote: "Respect, Tradition, Honor...School is back in session!"
Finishing Moves: Rackbomb II, Piledriver
Career Highlights: 2001 King of Indies and Sweet Science 16 competitor, offered WCW developmental contract, has made several WWE appearances, teamed with Hardkore Kidd as "Hardkore Inc." in UPW.

Scrap Iron Adam Pearce is a throw back to the "Old School" era of professional wrestling. In fact, his official web site is known as Adam Pearce's Throwback Realm! Pearce is a real student of the game who has patterned his in ring style after some of the greatest legends in wrestling history. The other three competitors in the tournament will have a tough task ahead if they must face "Scrappy" one-on-one. It is very difficult to prepare a strategy for defeating Pearce. His opponent must be prepared to face Bret Hart, Arn Anderson, Dusty Rhodes, Michael Hayes, Jerry Lawler, Rick Flair, Roddy Piper, and Hulk Hogan among others as Scrap Iron borrows extensively from their playbooks. Pearce is also a master of the mind game and knows just about every shortcut to victory that there is to know inside the squared circle. Long time UPW fans will remember Pearce as a former member of Hardkore Inc. He and Hardkore Kidd spread destruction like butter through UPW's tag team division. Currently Pearce is focused on singles competition and his opportunity to win the UPW Heavyweight Championship. He certainly seems to have a lot going for him. Scrap Iron made his professional wrestling debut in May of 1996, making him the most experienced out of the four competitors striving to take home the title on July 11. He also has quite a bit of tournament experience having participated in the King of Indies and Sweet Science 16 in the past. Always outspoken, should Adam Pearce become the new UPW Champion at Title Wave, we are likely to never hear the end of it!

So the stage is set for what promises to be a historic night, which will culminate with the crowning of a new UPW Heavyweight Champion! Although the four individuals selected to compete by Commissioner Doyle have very diverse backgrounds and styles, they all have one thing in common; none of them have ever held the UPW Heavyweight Title. Who will take home the gold at Title Wave? Make sure that you are at The Grove to find out!

Sparks fly between UPW's Big Schwag and Riki Rachtman!

On Tuesday night July 1, UPW Owner Rick Bassman, senior official Marty Rubalcaba, and self proclaimed "Manager of Champions" The Big Schwag were guests on Riki Rachtman Radio (RRR) to promote UPW's upcoming summer extravaganza at The Grove, Title Wave. The interview began as planned with Rachtman professing his love for professional wrestling and his excitement of being selected by UPW to host the VIP after party at The Grove on July 11. Rachtman also went on to admit that although he had worked for WCW for a number of years, he never was given an opportunity to live his true dream of performing as a wrestling manager. That is when things started to get ugly. Schwag, apparently upset that Rachtman was closing in on his turf began to sling a series of insults at the popular D.J. which at first seemed to leave Riki shocked and at a loss for words. Rachtman, obviously upset, then lashed out at Schwag resulting in a heated war of words that ended with the contingent from UPW being asked to leave the studio long before the allotted time for the interview had elapsed. The following statement is a first hand account of the night's shocking events written by UPW referee and witness to the melee, Marty Rubalcaba:

Hello everyone,

On the night of 07/01/03, Rick Bassman, Big Schwag and I were guests on Riki Rachtman Radio (RRR) in Los Angeles. Representing and promoting UPW was something I was looking forward to. Riki was very polite and enthusiastic about the interview and the invitation for him to host the after-party at The Grove. It was a pleasure to meet Riki (one metal head to another). The interview started off very well and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Rick, Schwag and I took questions from listeners about professional wrestling in general, UPW, Ultimate University, and Title Wave on July 11. It was my understanding from speaking to Riki and Schwag prior to going on-air, that the two knew each other from the past and had somewhat of a history. During the interview, Riki mentioned that Schwag was once a doorman for his clubs including "The Cathouse" back in the day. Perhaps Schwag who fancies himself as a "The biggest manager in wrestling" and a superstar actor took offense to Riki bringing up his less glorious past. Riki went on to mention that he worked with WCW at one point, and felt that he was not used correctly. Rachtman had really wanted to be a manager. This is when things seemed to take a turn for the worse. Schwag began to lay into Riki for some reason. You could cut the tension with a knife. Schwag argued that Riki had not paid his dues in wrestling and insulted Rachtman saying, "interviewing girls in bikinis does not make you a part of this business pal!" He then referred to Riki as a "pretty boy," calling him "Farrah Faucet with a mullet!" Rachtman then fired back with some insults of his own. Things were said from both sides that listeners didn't get to hear; believe me, it was not pretty. As we went to break, we were asked to leave the studio by Riki's producer. I was shocked. How could this happen?! I know Riki is a big wrestling fan and was excited to promote UPW, but now, I have no idea what will happen. As I drove home, I listened to the remainder of the show. I was glad to hear Riki say that despite what had happened, he still intended to make it to The Grove for the show. I then heard Riki's listeners state that they had Riki's back and wanted a piece of Schwag. I ask, please don't let this incident imply that UPW is promoting violence. I heard UPW announcer Todd Keneley call in and try to smooth things out with Riki. I hope that Riki and his listeners can forgive UPW for one bad apple and come out on July 11 to have some fun. I would personally like to extend my sincerest apology to Riki and everyone at KLSX 97.1 FM. I'll see you at The Grove next week!

Take Care,

Marty

Once again, despite this unfortunate altercation, Riki Rachtman has confirmed that he will be on hand at Title Wave next week to host the VIP after-party at The Grove's amazing Tera Rosa Room. Once again, on behalf of everyone at UPW, I would like to apologize to Riki Rachtman and KLSX 97.1 FM for the unprofessional actions of Brett "Big Schwag" Wagner. I hope that both sides can co-exist on July 11 for what promises to be a fantastic event.

The Weekly Wire returns next week with all the latest breaking news in UPW as well as an in-depth look at UPW's first ever steel cage match which is set to go at Title Wave!

This week on upw.com
By Murphy McDermott

Well folks, it's getting closer and closer. As I write this, we are 8 days away from one of the most anticipated shows in UPW history. "Title Wave", with its phenomenal line up, promises to be an amazing night.

The card has been finalized, The Grove of Anaheim is looking forward to our return, and we are looking forward to returning to The Grove.

But even with all the excitement around "Title Wave", we still found some time to add the following updates to upw.com this week:

We added a new section to upw.com this week! This section, entitled "7 Days" is a day by day breakout of what is going on within UPW, as well as with the UPW superstars and vixens. Stop by and see what's new on "7 Days".

We updated one of our newer sections to upw.com this week. This section allows the fan to take a peek behind the curtain and see what happens behind the scenes, at after parties, as well as backstage. Come check out what's new in the "Backstage" section of upw.com.

Tom Howard, Skulu, The Predator, and Vansack "Shaolin Punk" Acid represented UPW at ZERO-ONE on the "STORM 2003" Tour. The tour concluded this week, so click on over and see the complete "STORM 2003" Tour results.

http://www.upw.com