Well, the name pretty much says it all. On June 11, 1995, wrestlers from several indy promotions (including SMW and the USWA) competed on a special card to celebrate a quarter century of wrestling in Louisville. It's certainly a nice sentiment, something you would never see from the WWF. Sadly the Louisville Gardens didn't look very full on this occasion.

Corey Macklin comes out to pump up the crowd, then introduces Jim Cornette. Cornette, clad in a Sgt. Pepper jacket, comes out to "Bad Boys" (you know, the Cops theme) for some reason. Jimmy gives a nice speech about what Louisville wrestling means to him, then calls out Lance Russell. Lance hypes the show and gives props to Louisville as well. Nice start to the show.

Gorgeous George III vs. Super Mario: You'd know George better as the Maestro-he had a cup of tea in WCW a year or so ago. He's doing, well, the Gorgeous George gimmick here. Super Mario is-wait for it-a morbidly obese fellow who looks like Mario from the Super Mario Brothers series of video games. George mocks Mario's weight, so Mario grabs a flower and toasts George with a fireball. I'm sorry, that's a lie. Mario bumps George with his ample stomach and knocks him outside. George gets back in the ring and takes over with some forearm shots, but Mario reverses a corner whip. Mario charges (well, leisurely walks), but George moves and then hits the big guy with a clothesline for the quick pin (1:21). Then a blue hedgehog jumps Mario after the match. God, I'm sorry, let's move on.

Debbie Combs [c] vs. Miss Texas (U.S. Title Match): I don't know what league this U.S. title is affiliated with. I think it's just a random belt. Miss Texas is Jacqueline, BTW. I know what you're thinking: "Independent Women's Wrestling? Fast forward, baybee." But it's really not too bad. We get some chain wrestling to start, then I think they blow a spot where Texas was supposed to sunset flip Combs but Debbie backdrops her instead. They redo the spot in any case. Combs then busts out the staples of Women's Wrestling, the Airpane Spin and Giant Swing. Combs tumbles to the outside after a corner whip, and Uptown Karen (don't ask me) comes in the ring and bops Texas with a loaded purse. Combs gets back in the ring and goes for the cover, but gets up when she hears from the fans what transpired. Miss Texas then goes outside and finds Karen and throws her back in the ring for some righteous retribution from the faces. I dunno, if you sneak attack someone, maybe it's not a good idea to hang around afterwards. Oh yeah, the match is a no contest (4:12). We get the obligatory hug from the faces after the match.

Buddy Landell [c] vs. Tracy Smothers (SMW Heavyweight Title match]: Man, no matter what I review I always seem to run into Buddy. Tracy's in full Southern Boy mode tonight, with Confederate flag tights, Confederate flag jacket, and a Confederate flag. Basic stuff to start as they fight over a hammerlock, with Buddy complaining about fake hairpulls. Smothers gets elbowed charging into the corner, allowing Buddy to take control for the next few minutes. We get the obligatory abdominal-stretch-grab-the-ropes bit. Buddy then gets elbowed during a corner charge, allowing Tracy to hulk up. Tracy goes on a rampage with some good looking offense, including a flying elbow and a funky looking enziguiri. Tracy tries to finish off Buddy with a cradle, but Buddy reverses and grabs the tights for the win (6:24). Nothing wrong with the match, but it didn't set my world on fire, ya know?

Billy Jack Haynes vs. Brickhouse Brown: Wow, Billy Jack Haynes! I haven't seen him in years. Anyway, BJH gets on the stick before the match and disses the South (I think-the audio was hard to make out), so Brickhouse attacks him and hits him with a flying headbutt that sends Haynes to the outside. Brickhouse (who's actually a dead vocal ringer for Booket T) gets on the stick and says he came to kick some ass He chases Haynes around the outside of the ring, and of course Haynes gets back in the ring first and stomps on Brickhouse when he tries to get in. Haynes then dominates Brown with some power moves, and even pulls off a top rope splash! Haynes goes up top again, but Brown shakes the ropes and Haynes crotches himself. Brown then goes on the offensive, hitting a Russian leg sweep and then a top rope headbutt. He goes up for a second headbutt, but Haynes moves out of the way and pulls the tights for 3 (4:42). I don't think I've ever seen Brickhouse win a match.

PG-13 [c] vs. The Rock n' Roll Express (USWA Tag Title Match): The Express is Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton, while PG-13 is Wolfie D and JC Ice. The Express have the NWA Tag Titles, but they aren't on the line here. Ricky Morton gets on the stick and surprisingly plays the heel, dismissing PG-13 as mere wannabes. He then introduces a new valet for the Express, Andrea, who looks like she belongs in a Whitesnake video. Wolfie D starts against Gibson and hits some nice armdrags on both members of the Express, sending them outside. Gibson and Morton then regroup and beat the hell out of Wolfie with some simple but nicely executed double teams. Lance gets the idiotic statement of the night by saying that Gibson and Morton are still "just kids." I mean, really. JC Ice gets tagged in and uh, plays Ricky Morton. We get a litany of classic tag cheating, i.e., Ice goes for a pin off a sunset flip but Andrea is distracting the ref, Ice gets a tag but the ref doesn't see it. Ice manages to duck a double clothesline and hit one of his own. He makes the hot tag to Wolfie D and a pier 6 breaks out. We actually get the lucha "everyone misses a move off the top" sequence. PG-13 hit double sunset flips for a 2 count. Andrea tosses powder in Wolfie's eyes and Gibson goes for a cover, but the ref stops at 2 when he sees the powder. Wolfie rolls up Morton, but the ref is busy escorting Ice out of the ring, allowing Gibson to DDT Wolfie and put Gibson on top. But while the ref is escorting Gibson out of the ring, JC Ice bops Morton with a hupcap and Wolfie gets the pin (16:33). Really, really cool old school. Probably around ***1/2 stars. The Express beat up Ice and Wolfie after the match and spraypaint "Boy" on their backs.

The Fabulous Ones (w/James E. Cornette) vs. Tommy "Wildfire" Rich/Doug Gilbert (w/Ronald P. Gossett): The Fabs would be Stan Lane and Steve "Skinner" Keirn, and are reuniting for this special occasion. Stan Lane starts off with Tommy Rich. Stan ducks a clothesline and responds with the Fargo Strut. Tommy tries to do the same but gets met with a kick in the ass. Doug gets on the mic and tries to start a "Go Tommy Go" chant to no avail. The Fabs manage to handle Rich for a few minutes, working in the illegal switch. Tommy finally goes to tag Doug, who reluctantly enters the ring. Gilbert gets on the mic again and threatens to knock Keirn's teeth down his throat. Alas, Doug is also befuddled by the Fabs double team tactics. He rolls to the outside for some relief and gets a racket shot from Cornette. Rich and Gossett protest to the ref, so Lane gets on the mic and asks the crowd if Cornette used the racket, and they all shout "NO!" at once. Funny stuff. Gilbert tries to smuggle a chain into the match, so the Fabs respond by trying to smuggle Cornette's racket in their trunks. Doug tries to use the chain but wallops Rich instead. Doug gets beat on some more and crawls to the wrong corner for support, earning a bite from Keirn. Doug then goes to his corner for a conference, but Lane puts a stop to that with a double noggin knocker. Keirn then tries a corner charge and gets a boot for his troubles. Keirn plays Ricky Morton for a few minutes as the heels cheat like hell, using wrist tape to choke Keirn liberally as well as the illegal piledriver. Rich slaps on a long bearhug, but while he's jawing with the ref Keirn makes the hot tag. Lane comes in a house o' fire, and soon a pier six breaks out. Gossett gets in the ring and hits Lane with a chain, so but soon eats a racket shot himself from Cornette. Gilbert nails Cornette and covers Lane, but the ref stops at 2 when he sees the tennis racket in the ring. While Gilbert tries to explain himself, Keirn nails him forearm and Lane covers for the 3 (21:19). Went waaaay too long for what was essentially a comedy match, and probably wasn't what you would call a "good" match, but it certainly was entertaining (to me, anyway).

Jerry "The King" Lawler [c] vs. Joe LeDuc (USWA Unified Title Match): LeDuc would be a really fat lumberjack, who may be the ugliest wrestler I've ever seen. Joe was an old-school wrestler, and was about 50 when this took place. Anyway, he gets on the mic and threatens to toss Lawler over the top rope to the floor. LeDuc, evil lumberjack that he is, then jumps Lawler and chokes him out with the microphone cord. For the next few minutes Joe pretty much just punches and chokes Lawler. Lawler comes back with some punches of his own and PULLS DOWN THE STRAP. Lawler slams LeDuc (!) and hits the second rope fistdrop, but LeDuc kicks out at 2. LeDuc goes back to mauling Lawler, and when the ref tries to get in the way, LeDuc slams him, then clothesline him for good measure, earning the DQ (5:00-ish). P.U. Lawler bails to fight another day. LeDuc actually passed away a few years back.

Parade of Legends: The list: Gypsy Joe (I think that's what Lance Russell said), Frank Morrell, Corsica Joe (I could be wrong there), Sarah Lee, Cora Combs, Jim White, Tommy Marlin, Phil Hickerson (in wrestling gear), "Bullet" Bob Armstrong (ditto), Joe LeDuc (who comes out, grabs his certificate, and storms to the back. Now that's keeping kayfabe.), Eddie Marlin, Jerry Jarrett, Christine Jarrett, and Jackie Fargo. Jackie does the Fargo Strut to a huge pop, and then gives a nice little speech about what Louisville wrestling means to him. I'm really not familiar with any of the wrestlers, but this was a nice segment.

Best of Louisville Battle Royal: Both pinfalls and getting thrown over the top rope count as eliminations. Participant include: Brian "Grandmaster Sexay" Christopher, Buddy Landell, Tommy Rich, Phil Hickerson, Joe LeDuc, Doug Gilbert, Jimmy Valiant, "Bullet" Bob Armstrong, Bill Dundee, and Jerry Lawler. Standard battle royal stuff follows. Gilbert backdrops Armstrong out for the first elimination (1:42). Valiant gets tossed out by Landell (1:57), but gets his revenge by immediately pulling Buddy out for an elimination (2:03). Hickerson gets pinned by Dundee and Christopher following a Dundee punch (3:04). Dundee gets tossed by Rich (3:49), and Christopher pins Gilbert after something the camera misses (4:11). LeDuc and Lawler brawl to the back and get counted out (4:48). Now we're down to Rich and Christopher. Rich beats on Christopher for a minute until Brian makes a comeback. Rich goes for the Ric Flair corner pin, but Frank Morrell sees the feet on the ropes and stops the count. While Rich is arguing with the ref, Christopher rolls him up for the 3 count (6:33).

While Brian celebrates with his trophy, Billy Jack Haynes comes out and attacks Christopher. It seems he feels he's the best in Louisville. Anyway, he smashes the trophy on Brian's head and busts him open. Someone should tell Billy he's look more like a badass if he dropped the fanny pack. Lawler and Dundee run out for the save and that's the show.

Some fans reminisce about Louisville wrestling, and we're done.

Epilogue: Pretty much for old school fans; newer fans probably just wouldn't be into this. But if you like older stuff, this is probably worth a look. The two tag matches are a lot of fun, and nothing outright stinks (well, except LeDuc-Lawler). At the very least, it's nice to see a show that respects wrestling's past. Actually, Louisville wrestling thrives today thanks to Ohio Valley Wrestling, which has sold out the Louisville Gardens quite a few times, thank you very much.

That's all for now. I'll be back with something sooner or later. Until then, you know where to go (thecubsfan.com, of course).