The following is a reprint of the Torch Newsletter review of Power Pro Wrestling from five years ago this week.

-Jason Powell, Torch assistant editor

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Torch Newsletter Archive
By Chris Bell, Torch correspondent
June 27, 1998 - Power Pro Wrestling
Originally published: Pro Wrestling Torch Weekly newsletter #502
Cover dated: July 11, 1998

(Live from Memphis, Tenn. at the WMC-TV studios)... Dave Brown returned to co-host the show with Corey Maclin. They talked about the great "Blast-Off at the Dome" event the previous Tuesday night at the Memphis Mid-South Coliseum and talked about the controversial ending to the Jerry Lawler vs. Kane main event...

(1) Bobby Bronz & Lance Jade & Ashley Hudson beat Yellow Jacket & Tony Falk & Swole when Hudson pinned Swole. During the match the announcers explained that next week's show would be broadcast live in prime time at 7 p.m. from the riverfront during the Fourth of July Star Spangled Celebration. The announcers talked about the injury Hudson sustained at the hands of Koko B. Ware at the Coliseum. After the pinfall, the brawl continued.

Out of nowhere Spellbinder rushed the ring with a beer bottle and broke it over Falk's head. Glass littered the ring. Yellow Jacket then tried to attack Spellbinder, but was chokeslammed instead. Spellbinder then booted Swole in the stomach and piledrove him onto the broken glass. Bronz stepped in, but Spellbinder gave him a fallaway slam with both men landing on the glass.

Spellbinder then suplexed Lance Jade stomach first across the top rope and then left the ring, demanding to talk to Brown. He promised if anyone called him Spellbinder every again, he'd do to them what he did did to those "animals" in the ring. He turned out to be the one who was attacking everyone backstage the past few weeks and painting them yellow...

An excellent video package aired featuring highlights of all of the matches from the Coliseum event except the Lawler-Kane match which was saved until later. They announced a July 21 return to the Coliseum...

"Mr. Personalities" Derrick King then arrived to Shawn Michaels's old entrance music doing an imitation of Michaels. He said he was tired of being made to look like an idiot by chasing Jackie all over the studio week after week. He said from now on he would concentrate on wrestling and not women...

(2) Kid Wicked (w/Miss Veronica) pinned Derrick King. Wicked ducked King's "Chin Music" attempt and went for a clothesline. King sucked and hit Chin Music. But he got up when he saw Vernonica on the apron and tried to kiss her. That allowed Wicked to get up and hit a neckbreaker for the win...

Highlights aired of Baxter last week bashing TV5, America, and the U.S. flag...

Brown and Maclin expressed disgust. Baxter came out and said he is responsible for the good ratings. Brown said there were things more important than ratings such as honor, dignity, and respect for the flag. He said at the Rumble at the River, Baxter must stand in front of the fans and pledge allegiance to the flag. Baxter said he would burn a flag later on the program...

Highlights aired of the Kane vs. Lawler match. In an interview taped immediately after the match, Cornette demanded Power Pro fire Lawler and never let him wrestle in Memphis again. Good intensity by Cornette...

Mabel came out with Brian Christopher on his shoulders. They high-fived and greeted the fans before conducting an interview. Mabel said he'd be in B.J. Awesome's face for a long time to come and warned him to be ready. Christopher thanked the fans for supporting him in defeating Road Dog at the Coliseum. He said he cannot be beaten in Memphis and challenged The Rock to an IC Title match at the July 21 Coliseum event...

(3) Brian Christopher & Mabel beat B.J. Awesome (a/k/a Sir Mo) & Master B after Christopher superkicked Master B...

Randy Hales came out and showed a tape of an interview Lawler did to air on the TV show. Hales said he hadn't had time to preview it so they would all watch it for the first time together. Lawler said he let the fans of Memphis down by not beating Kane. He said he felt he couldn't cut it anymore and was retiring from Power Pro. Afterward Brown and Hales speculated on the future of Lawler and wondered if he was serious about hanging up the tights. Hales said he had some important decisions to make regarding the future of Power Pro...

Samantha and Bill Dundee came out and plugged upcoming appearances. Dundee pleaded with Lawler not to retire. They showed footage of Dundee and Koko brawling in the Coliseum dressing room after their match. Koko then attacked Dundee and Samantha with a chair...

(4) Koko B. Ware beat Ashley Hudson (replacing the injured Dundee). Brown said Hales would be crowning a new King of Memphis at the Rumble at the River... Baxter tried to burn a flag, but a WMC executive took the flag from him. Corey even shoved Baxter a couple of times...

Brown said Lawler called to say if Hales crowned a new king, it would be a huge mistake...

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