AS I SEE IT 10/25: A lifetime of watching underdogs, and Jushin Liger in 2 weeks

by: Bob Magee For some reason, I've always had a natural sympathy for the underdog. It seemed to start when I was younger, when I hated it when another kid got bullied by someone louder or bigger.

It always makes me watch at least one part of the annual Christmas TV tradition here in the United States...the unending airings of Jean Shepard's "A Christmas Story", when "little Ralphie" finally flips out and beats up the bully that's been terrorizing Ralphie and his friends through this depiction of childhood life in Cleveland, OH (sure beats the hell out of a certain someone "hulking up" and taking out the heel...at least I can root for this fictional character).

That same feeling moved on as I became interested in politics. My politics are what would be considered left-of-center by American standards (to translate for non-political types, that means I'm not voting for George Bush this year). I support the role of government to help the disenfranchised help themselves. It means I defend the rights of women and others racially or otherwise marginalized in American society.

That sympathy for the underdog probably played a role in my career choice of education and counseling, helping people who most of the time didn't have much at all make the most of their human potential....sometimes despite themselves.

It continued in later years as I supported ECW when it started in 1992 at a small bar in center city Philadelphia (the space is now a Ross clothing store), and thereafter from 1993-2001 at the world's most famous Bingo Hall... over the WWF and WCW in their impossible dream of. In the same spirit, I support independent promotions whenever possible, rather than being simply a WWF/E fan through my presence and the flagship site of this column, PWBTS.com.

So with all the above...that sympathy is why last Thursday night was so much fun...to see the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees; not just beating them....but coming back from as far back as three outs away from being swept 4 games to 0.

Before I get hate mail from New Yorkers, I've nothing against the Yankees in particular. I'll listen to a Yankees game during the spring and summer when going to shows in North Jersey. I rooted for them as a very little boy living in upstate New York (back long enough ago that Mickey Mantle was still a star, to give you an idea). And yes, Yankee Stadium is a baseball cathedral.

But on October 21, 2004 at 12:05 am...the "curse" died and the underdog Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees in an improbable comeback...only the third team in the history of ALL of North American professional sports (only 2 teams in the NHL previously did) to win a post-season/playoff series after coming back from being down 3 games to 0.

But seeing that sort of impossible dream was fantastic...and made for a lot of late nights watching the exciting extra inning games that made up much of the series.

I have to wonder how much fun Gabe Sapolsky and company will have if the crowd in Revere, MA (near Boston) for the November 5th "Weekend of Thunder" event (featuring a main event of "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson vs. Jushin Liger) is celebrating a World Series win from less than a week before. People may STILL be celebrating if the Red Sox somehow pull off a win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Speaking of that weekend, Ring of Honor returns to the Boston area on Friday, November 5 for the first night of the "Weekend of Thunder" featuring Japanese legend Jushin "Thunder" Liger, as he takes on "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson.

Other matches:

  • Samoa Joe and Jay Lethal will take on Pure Wrestling Champion John Walters and Nigel McGuinness.

  • ROH Tag Team Champions Rocky Romero & Ricky Reyes of The Rottweilers (with Julius Smokes) will defend the belts against Roderick Strong and Jack Evans of Generation Next.

  • Dan Maff and BJ Whitmer take on the Carnage Crew of HC Loc & Tony Devito in a Boston Street Fight...

  • CM Punk of The Second City Saints will take on Generation Next's Austin Aries

    Tickets

    Tickets are available at this link for the November 5th show. Tickets (very few) are available $35 second row and $25 third row. $20 general admission tickets are also available.

    Directions




    The site of the November 5th Boston area show featuring Jushin "Thunder" Liger is Greater Boston Indoor Sports, located at 321 Charger St, Revere, MA.

    For those familiar with the area, Greater Boston Indoor Sports is immediately adjacent to the Northgate Shopping Center as seen in this map.

    Mass transportation/MBTA

    Greater Boston Indoor Sports is accessible from downtown Boston via the Blue Line taken to Wonderland Station, then a transfer to the 426W bus to Northgate Shopping Center.

    3 other MBTA buses will take you to Northgate Shopping Center from different parts of the Boston area. Please check MBTA.com for maps and schedules of these routes.

    By car

  • From Boston
    Take Central Artery to Exit 27/US 1/Northeast Expressway. Continue on US 1/Northeast Expressway for about 6 miles until you reach the circle connecting with Route 60. Go toward Northgate Shopping Center. Go just past Center, and take a right at Charger Street.

  • From Boston/alternate
    Take I-90 eastbound onto Ted Williams Tunnel. On I-90 eastbound out of Tunnel, look for signs saying 1A North and veer to left AWAY from Exit 26/Logan Airport. You are now on Route 1A.East Boston Expressway. Continue on Route 1A/East Boston Expressway northbound until reaching Revere. Exit Route 1A at Route 60/Squire Road. Take Squire Road northbound to just before Northgate Shopping Center, and take a left at Charger Street.

  • From Logan International Airport (for all the fans traveling in from out of the Northeast)
    After exiting Airport, take Route 1A/East Boston Expressway northbound. In Revere, exit Route 1A at Route 60/Squire Road. Take Squire Road northbound to just before Northgate Shopping Center, and take a left at Charger Street.

  • From New York City and points south
    Take I-95 northbound to Boston area until you reach Exit 12/I-93 northbound. Continue on I-93 northbound until you reach Boston. Take 1-93/Central Artery through Boston to Exit 27/US 1/Northeast Expressway. Continue on US 1/Northeast Expressway for about 6 miles until you reach the circle connecting with Route 60. Go toward Northgate Shopping Center. Go just past the Center, and take a right at Charger Street.

    Bus trips

    WrestlingBusTrips.com will be sponsoring a bus trip to the Revere, MA evening of Weekend of Thunder on Friday, November 5th. The cost will be $80, which includes a ticket to the event, VIP admission to get the best general admission seating, round trip transportation on our luxury bus including monitors playing classic Jushin Liger matches, a bathroom, as well as including a $5 tip towards the driver of the bus.

    WrestlingBusTrips.com will have pickups in:

  • Elizabeth, New Jersey at the Rexplex
  • The Manhattan Center (311 West 34th Street/8th Avenue)
  • The Modell's behind the Queens Center Mall - PENDING INTEREST

    Pickup times will be announced next week. ALL PAYMENTS ARE DUE SATURDAY OCTOBER 30TH WITHOUT EXCEPTION. Payments can be made via Paypal.com or money order. Please email AGENTCLPT@aol.com for reservation and payment information.

    There is also special package price for $120 total (including tickets) for fans who wish to this show and the Elizabeth, NJ the next evening. For details, email AGENTCLPT@aol.com.

    Then, the next night... Ring Of Honor returns to the Rex Plex in Elizabeth, NJ on November 6th as the second installment of the "Weekend of Thunder", as Jushin Liger makes his return to the New York area for the first time in 13 years. The November 6th show starts with a 8:00 pm belltime.

    The featured match is a Dream Partner Tag Team Match with:

  • Jushin "Thunder" Liger and ROH World Champion Samoa Joe against "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson and Low Ki

    Other matches scheduled:

  • The Second City Saints team of CM Punk and Ace Steel take on Generation Next's Austin Aries & Roderick Strong.

  • Dan Maff and BJ Whitmer will finally get a shot at the Tag Team Titles held by Ricky Reyes & Rocky Romero

  • John Walters defends his Pure Wrestling Title against Homicide (with Julius Smokes)

    Tickets

    Tickets for the above are on sale here:

  • From ROHwrestling.com at this direct order link. Available tickets are 5th row reserved/$25 and General Admission $20

  • From Ticketmaster.com at this direct order link for 4th row Reserved and General Admission tickets (service charges apply).

    Transportation

    Mass Transit
    NJ Transit's Northeast Corridor train line from Manhattan has a stop at Newark Airport. Walk up off the train to the entrance for the Air Train (a shuttle train around the airport) through Newark Liberty Airport.

    Take the Air Train to the stop for Terminal A. Walk to ground level and look for the bus stop outside, where the New Jersey Transit #62 (Woodbridge Center/Perth Amboy) bus goes directly to Ikea/RexPlex from Terminal A at the Airport.

    The schedule for Route 62 (Woodbridge Center/Perth Amboy) is at this link (Adobe Acrobat required).

    Fans will be able to travel back to Manhattan after the show, as NJ Transit buses leave Rex Plex (look at the stop on the schedule marked IKEA, which is across the street from the Rex Plex) at 10:44 pm and 11:39 pm on Saturdays. You can either go through the Airport as listed above, or take the #62 bus all the way in to Newark's Penn Station, and make connections to Manhattan.

    Driving directions

    For those in the region driving to the show, the Rex Plex is directly next to the Elizabeth, NJ Ikea superstore seen in the graphic.

    Here are more detailed directions:

    New York City:
    Take the Lincoln Tunnel into New Jersey and follow NJ Route 495 to the New Jersey Turnpike at Exit 16E. Then, take the New Jersey Turnpike southbound, until you reach Exit 13A (Elizabeth/Elizabeth Seaport/Newark Airport).

    Get off the New Jersey Turnpike at Exit 13A, and follow signs for Ikea (Center) Drive-Elizabeth Seaport. As you follow these signs you will be crossing over the Turnpike, and continue traveling on this road until you see the signs for Ikea, Toys R Us and RexPlex. Make a left onto this road (Ikea/Center Drive). Follow this road around until you see Toys R Us on your left, Ikea ahead of you and RexPlex (red building) on right. Park in front of the building.

    From Western New Jersey:
    Take I-78 East, US 22 East or 24 East. Follow the Newark Airport and US 1/9 signs. At Newark Airport, follow the US 1/9 signs south to Elizabeth/North Avenue East/Seaport. Follow signs to Seaport and Ikea.

    From Northern New Jersey/directions 1:
    Follow Garden State Parkway south until Union Tolls. Follow I-78 East to Newark Airport, then take US 1/9 South to Elizabeth/North Avenue East/Seaport. Follow signs to Seaport and Ikea.

    From Northern New Jersey/directions 2:
    An alternative is to take Route 17 South to I-80 East to New Jersey Turnpike.

    Get off at Exit 13A, and follow sign for Ikea (Center) Drive-Elizabeth Seaport. As you follow these signs you will be crossing over the Turnpike. Continue traveling on this road until you see the signs for Ikea, Toys 'R Us and RexPlex.

    Make a left onto this road (Ikea/Center Drive). Follow this road around until you see Toys R Us on your left, Ikea ahead of you and RexPlex (red building) on right. Park in front of the building.

    From South Jersey:
    Take the New Jersey Turnpike northbound to Exit 13A.

    Get off the Turnpike at Exit 13A, and follow sign for Ikea (Center) Drive-Elizabeth Seaport.

    As you follow these signs, you will be crossing over the Turnpike. Continue traveling on this road until you see the signs for Ikea, Toys R Us and RexPlex.

    Make a left onto this road (Ikea/Center Drive). Follow this road around until you see Toys R Us on your left, Ikea ahead of you and RexPlex (red building) on right. Park in front of the building.

    From Newark Airport:
    The Rex Plex is across the New Jersey Turnpike from Newark Airport. Take either a taxi or the New Jersey Transit #62 bus to Ikea/RexPlex.

    From Brooklyn and South Shore Long Island:
    Take the Belt Parkway to Verrazano Bridge (Staten Island) to the Goethals Bridge into NJ.

    Take the exit from the Goethals Bridge onto the New Jersey Turnpike and go one exit north to Exit 13A.

    Get off at Exit 13A, and follow sign for Ikea (Center) Drive-Elizabeth Seaport. As you follow these signs you will be crossing over the Turnpike, and continue traveling on this road until you see the signs for Ikea, Toys R Us and RexPlex.

    Make a left onto this road (Ikea/Center Drive). Follow this road around until you see Toys R Us on your left, Ikea ahead of you and RexPlex (red building) on right. Park in front of the building.

    From The Bronx, Queens, and North Shore Long Island:
    Take the Throgs Neck or Triboro Bridge to the George Washington Bridge to the NJ Turnpike southbound to Exit 13A.

    Get off at Exit 13A, and follow sign for Ikea (Center) Drive-Elizabeth Seaport. As you follow these signs you will be crossing over the Turnpike, and continue traveling on this road until you see the signs for Ikea, Toys R Us and RexPlex.

    Make a left onto this road (Ikea/Center Drive). Follow this road around until you see Toys R Us on your left, Ikea ahead of you and RexPlex (red building) on right. Park in front of the building.

    For information on the venue, you can go to the Rex Plex website at Rexplex.com.

    Bus Trips

    New York
    WrestlingBusTrips.com will return to the Rexplex in Elizabeth, New Jersey on Saturday November 6th.

    E-mail AGENTCLPT@AOL.COM for reservation and payment information. WrestlingBusTrips.com is currently accepting payments via money order and Paypal.com.

    Boston
    A luxury bus will travel from Boston to the Rexplex on Saturday, November 6th, PWTours will be providing a special Luxury Bus complete with bathrooms, and TV for ROH/Puro viewing all the way to get fans pumped for American Dragon vs. Liger.

    Fans can either take it one way from Boston to the Rexplex for $55 (including ticket), or to return to Boston at the conclusion of quite possibly the biggest weekend the wrestling world has seen for the cost of $85 (including ticket).

    Seats are also available to those who already have tickets, for a $20 discount.

    Those on the Boston bus trip will be able to enter the building before the general public, with first choice of the General Admission seats.

    For information, contact Jim Quinlan at prowrestlingtours@hotmail.com for details.

    Until next time...

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    If you have comments/questions, or if you'd like to add the AS I SEE IT column to your website, I can be reached by e-mail at bobmagee1@hotmail.com)