FIGHTS: ZBF.com recognized! Repost from Apocalypse Nana: 21 and Counting. Some of the Best Undiscovered in ...

Apocalypse Nana: 21 and Counting. Some of the Best Undiscovered in ...: Publishing has come a long way since the days of paper submissions and multitudes of rejections. Readers were at the mercy of the publish...

FIGHTS: RETROSPECTIVE-ROH's Supercard of Honor IV '09 recap from Houston, Texas

RING OF HONOR'S FIRST TRIP TO TEXAS
by
Bowie V. Ibarra

Ring of Honor is returning to Texas Saturday June 1st at the Shrine Auditorium in San Antonio, Texas.  South and central Texas wrestling fans have been looking forward to the event for months now.  This visit is not their first, however, as Ring of Honor staged two events.  One of those events was Supercard of Honor, put on Friday April 3, 2009 in Houston, Texas.  ZombieBloodFights.com was in attendance at that event.  Here's a recap of the fun that was had, via the Ring of Honor DVD.

ROH:  SUPERCARD OF HONOR IV RECAP

The DVD opens with a ROH World Champ Nigel McGuinness promo.  In it, he talks about how he's breaking down physically, but is ready to defend the title against Jerry Lynn.

ERICK STEVENS vs. RHETT TITUS

We are then treated to a great opening matchup between Erick Stevens and Rhett Titus.  It was a great match that got the fans riled up early.  You have to remember, this was a bit of an international affair, as the crowd was chock full of people not only from Texas, but from around the world.  And all of them took pleasure in chanting to the sexually charged Titus, "You're a Virgin."

They put together a great match, and Stevens ended up beating Titus.  Naturally, the crowd was as rude as their ticket prices allowed, questioning Titus' manhood on the way out.  But he came back with the standard homophobic slur to the fans.  Good times.

CHRIS HERO/EDDIE EDWARDS/INCOGNITO w/Shane Hagadorn 
vs.
KEVIN STEEN/JAY BRISCOE/MAGNO

This match was notable, as just moments into the match, the top rope broke.  The rest of the match was fought with no top rope, and they did a great job working through the bizarre event.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
==  Chris Hero is now Cassius Ohno in WWE. 
==  Eddie Edwards returns to Texas will be competing at the second ROH show in SATX. 
==  Incognito took Vince's check and became Sin Cara Negro before being unmasked by Sin Cara Azul and becoming the 'cholo' Hunico.
==  Jay Briscoe also returns to Texas as the Ring of Honor Champion to take on Roderick Strong for the title.

D-Lo Brown cuts a heel promo.

KATSUHIKO NAKAJIMA vs. RODERICK STRONG

As per their styles, this bout was a hard hitting and intense bout.  During this match, you got the sense that the guys were wrestling on the show in the old fashioned tradition of trying to do even better than the last match that went before them.  It was an outstanding matchup which Strong won.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
==  Roderick Strong will be appearing in SATX and fighting Adam Cole for the TV Title

BOBBY DEMPSEY
vs.
KAMALA w/Shane Hagadorg and Kim Chee

This wasn't much of a match, but it was great to see Kamala come out and spend a few minutes in the ring and get a check.  Dempsey made friends with Kamala by painting the same symbols on his fat body.  They ended up attacking Hagadorg.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
== As per Wikipedia:  On November 7, 2011, Jim Harris had his leg amputated due to complications of high blood pressure and diabetes, forcing him to retire.  On March 27, 2012, Harris's son, Kamala Jr., stated in an interview that his father might also have his other leg amputated.  His right leg was amputated shortly afterwards and a campaign was launched seeking donations to cover his financial needs.

Alexander Koslov cut promo against Bryan Danielson before their match.  He did it all in Russian.

FOUR CORNER'S SURVIVAL
CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI vs. BLUE DEMON, JR., vs. BRENT ALBRIGHT vs. EL GENERICO

This was an outstanding match, not only for the talent, but personally for me.  It was the first time I had a chance to see a legend of lucha libre in the form of Blue Demon, Jr.  Not only that, but it was outstanding to see him wearing the '10 Pounds of Gold' of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
I remember this match so much for several reasons.  As a spectator from Germany was able to tell me how to say 'Go fuck yourself' in Swiss to Claudio.
I also remember finally getting to shout in Spanish at El Generico, as I thought his gimmick was mocking lucha libre.  Even after the event, I was still not sold on Generico until later.
This is also around the time that someone's remaining birthday cake made it around to my section.  I'll never forget how much community I felt that night.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

==  Claudio Castagnoli has gone on to WWE and become Antonio Cesaro.
==  El Generico is in the WWE Florida territory without the mask and as Sami Zayn

ALEX KOSLOV vs. BRYAN DANIELSON

This was another outstanding fun and scientific matchup.  Having started his training under arguably the best wrestler to ever step in the ring, Shawn Micheals, Bryan had a kind of homecoming of sorts.  The two amused the crowd with their great wrestling and entertaining antics. 

It was interesting to see Danielson walk around with a kind of swagger in the ring.  Though he remained humble, you could tell he enjoyed it.

This was also the first time I heard the chant, "You're going to get your fucking head kicked in."  That's still a chant I wish I heard to this day.  He also got a 'Best in the World' chant as well.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
==  Bryan Danielson went on to the WWE, and has held several titles, including the Big Gold Belt World Championship.

D-LO BROWN vs. COLT CABANA

These two put together an outstanding match, featuring a tapout the ref did not see before D-Lo knocked Cabana out with a foreign object.

DAVEY RICHARDS vs. KENTA 

Outstanding and physical match for KENTA's NOAH Lightweight Title.  Kenta defended it with extreme prejudice.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
==  Davey Richards returns to Texas to face Jay Briscoe for the ROH World Title.

"AGE OF THE FALL" JIMMY JACOBS/AUSTIN ARIES
vs.
TYLER BLACK/NECRO BUTCHER

This was a fun match as well, with both teams playing to the crowd and taking to the skies.  In the end, Aries pins Black via Brainbuster.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

==  Jimmy Jacobs has competed around Texas and has been a part of the current Texas indy wrestling revolution.  He returns to Texas as a member of SCUM. 
==  Austin Aries has joined TNA Impact Wrestling and has held multiple titles there.
==  Tyler Black joined WWE and is one of the members of SHIELD.
"Age of the Fall" Jimmy Jacobs and Austin Aries vs. Tyler Black and Necro Butcher

ROH WORLD TITLE MATCH
NIGEL McGUINNESS vs. JERRY LYNN

This title match was filled with emotion and energy from not only the wrestlers, but the crowd.  Everyone desperately wanted to see Jerry win, and they were not disappointed.  It was a great ROH Title match.

I think one of the best parts was when Nigel McGuinness got under the skin of those at ringside and said, words to the effect of, 'You bought your ticket.  You have a good time.'  Gold!

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
==  Nigel had a short-lived run in TNA when he had to retire due to injuries.
==  Jerry Lynn has also retired as well after a nagging back injury finally won his match with Jerry.  He had a year-long farewell tour.
Both will be remembered as some of the best wrestlers to ever lace up their boots.

And now, ROH returns to San Antonio, Texas.  And though we aren't going to see what amounts to a Mayweather/Pacquiao dream matchup between the Kingz of the Underground against the Briscoes, ZombieBloodFights.com still welcomes them back, and still looks forward to the fun.

Maybe next time, Ring of Honor.  Maybe next time.

Get all the info, including tickets, here!

Read the ZombieBloodFights.com preview here!

==================

BOWIE V. IBARRA is the author of the noted zombie horror series, 'Down the Road', from Permuted Press and Simon and Shuster.  His latest novel, 'Pit Fighters: Double Cross' is a combat sports themed book about the adventures of a MMA stable in south Texas, featuring a Mexican luchador who crosses over into MMA.  'Pit Fighters: Double Cross' is available in paperback and Kindle for as low as .99 cents.

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You can network with Bowie and read about his Tex-Mexploitation stories and check out his book trailers at his personal website, ZombieBloodFights.com.

ZOMBIES: Mainak Dhar - Amazing man, amazing zombie horror author

by Bowie Ibarra

Vital Stats

Full Name: Mainak Dhar

Nickname: They tried calling me Maniac in college, but it never stuck.

Primary Specialty: Making stuff up

Secondary Specialty: Blowing up or otherwise mangling stuff I make up

Favorite Quote(s): “Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

ZombieBloodFights.com - It’s great to have you here on the ZombieBloodFights.com blog, Mainak.  I have to admit I’ve been looking forward to this interview for a long time.  Welcome. 

Mainak Dhar - Thanks- really glad to be here.

ZBF.com - If your Facebook page is correct, you currently reside in Thailand.  Many of my readers enjoy combat sports.  Have you ever been to one of the big Thai kickboxing arenas like the Lumpinee Thai boxing facility?

MD - Yes, am in Thailand but in the process of moving to Singapore on July 1. This is my second stint in Thailand (I lived here between 1999-2001) and I really love the people and the culture. I have seen a couple of Muay Thai fights in areans, but most of my exposure to it has been courtesy Tony Jaa’s bonecrushing badness in Ong Bak.

ZBF.com - What are your thoughts on combat sports?  Do you have any favorites, or would you rather be participating in something else.

MD -  learnt Karate for 7 years as a kid, ending up with a Brown Belt, callused hands and too many bruises to remember from sparring. So combat sports and self-defence was a part of my formative years. To be honest, I don’t like watching it much as a spectator sport, but someday I hope to learn Aikido- a sport that has always fascinated me.

ZBF.com - Your Facebook page also talks about a project you are working on involving your father.  Tell us about that.

MD - My father, Maloy, passed away in May 2012. He was a prolific writer as well, and what made his story really cool was that he published his first book at the age of 59 and went on to be  the #1 bestselling non-fiction writer in India. He was an intelligence officer, and his blockbuster was a book called Open Secrets, the first time a retired intelligence officer in India wrote about the state of Indian intelligence agencies and how they are misused by politicans. Created a real controversy and earned him tons of admirers for his courage, and of course a few enemies. I want to keep his legacy alive- and the first phase is over. I have digitized Open Secrets and some more of his work, and put it up on the Kindle store to reach readers worldwide. Phase II is finishing an unfinished book he had letft on his computer.

ZBF.com - When did you become interested in writing stories?

MD - Ever since I was a kid, my dream was to be a writer. My first `published’ work was in Grade 7 when we were living in Canada. I stapled together some of my poems with solutions to the next term’s Maths textbook and sold it to my classmates at 50 cents a pop. That was the first time I got the thrill of seeing my work `published’ and I remembered a quote by Stephen King that the moment someone pays you a cent for your work you are a professional writer. So at age 12, I decided I had become a professional writer, and there’s been no looking back.

ZBF.com - What is your process when putting together a story?

MD - It all starts with the spark for an idea. That can come in different ways- for some books (Vimana, Zombiestan), the name stuck in my mind and I began creating the story. For the Alice in Deadland story, the idea came first and the story followed. But wherever the spark comes from, I jot down the broad flow and themes in a diary I have with me (for my next book, am planning to move to the digital equivalent on my Galaxy Note). Once the broad flow make sense, I start typing. Of course, as often happens, I revisit the flow and change things as I actually start writing it down, and it is an iterative process.

ZBF.com - Tell us a little bit about your book with Zombiestan.

MD - Zombiestan was my first zombie novel, and my attempt was to inject something new and unique into a genre I enjoy tremendously as a reader. I believe a writer succeeds when he embraces what makes him unique v/s being another of a herd, so instead of yet another zombie apocalypse story set in the US, I set Zombiestan in the Indian subcontinent, where I am originally from. The connection to the War on Terror (the outbreak starts among Taliban exposed to bio-weapons) gives it a universal resonance, but setting it in India give the story a couple of unique areas to play with. Simple things like the higher population density and what that would mean for the speed with which the outbreak spread, the fact that personal gun ownership is almost non-existent in India, and what that would mean for those survivors trying to fight back.

ZBF.com - Though the groundwork for zombie horror was set down with a western perspective on the fictional events of a zpoc, I believe it’s very important to get global perspectives on the event as well.  I’ve recently read many great zombie stories from European writers.  What cultural perspectives about the zombie apocalypse can readers expect from your book?

MD - There are several cultural themes I explore in Zombiestan which I hope readers take away along with enjoying the action. First, the outbreak is in a way a metaphor for religious fanaticism and how those blinded by it seek to spread their message, even if it means destroying innocent lives. The key protagonists were chosen deliberately- a Christian Navy SEAL, a Hindu boy and girl, and a Muslim writer- all banding together to protect a young child who may hold the key to stopping the outbreak. That was done to show that irrespective of our religion or background, inherent goodness can unite us all when faced with evil.

ZBF.com - When you have time to read, who are some of your favorite authors, and some of your favorite books?

MD - My all time favorite is the Lord of the Rings trilogy because of the wonderful worlds and characters Tolkien created. I read a fair bit of sci-fi and fantasy (Larry Niven, Stephen Baxter) and of course, a healthy dose of horror (Stephen King being another favorite).

  

ZBF.com - What do you look for in a good zombie horror story?

MD - Believable characters (every protagonist doesn’t have to be a `Rambo’ archetype), and a twist that injects something into the genre beyond just the blood and gore. Just read a book by Thomas Brookside called De Bello Lemures, which was about Roman soldiers encountering zombies in ancient Britain and how they would interpret it, retold as a translation from a scroll. That’s what I mean by original twists on an otherwise pretty crowded genre.

ZBF.com - In a true zombie apocalypse, do you think humans from different cultures and belief systems could unite against a common goal, or will they not cooperate and, ultimately, join the zombie hordes?

MD - I hope they do, and in Zombiestan that’s what I try and portray. However, while common people will probably help each other, I hold out little hope for how our politicians and leaders will behave.

ZBF.com - Any other projects we can look forward to?

MD - Just polishing off my Alice in Deadland trilogy, which I think zombie lovers will enjoy. Book II- Through The Looking Glass, was uploaded a couple of months ago, and Off With Their Heads, the prequel to Alice in Deadland, will be ready by early July. Including Zombiestan, that would make it four zombie books on the trot for me, and I may take a break from zombies and work on a dystopian novel I’ve been thinking of for some time.

ZBF.com - Where can readers find out more about you?

MD - My personal piece of real estate on the web is at www.mainakdhar.com and I’m on Facebook and Twitter (@mainakdhar).  I occassionally write a blog at mainakdhar.blogspot.com. Always happy to meet new people and connect, and am just a click away.

ZBF.com - Thanks, Mainak.  It was great to have you visit the blog.

MD - Thanks for giving me the opportunity, and loved visitng your blog. Good luck.

============

Bowie Ibarra is the author of the 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Permuted Press and Simon and Schuster.  His latest zombie book, "The Fall of Austin", was said to "...kick undead ass" by Johnathan Mayberry, New York Times bestselling author.  It is available in paperback, Kindle, and other e-reader versions.

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