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Grapple Season

Now that the holiday shopping season is in full screen, we’re definitely seeing the push for Valley consumers to go local. Instead of being shackled to corporate radio, we can head to a local bar or music venue to take in an indie band. If you’re looking to keep it...
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Hero Worship

Luis GonzalezSee: a video interview with Luis Gonzalez. Sports superstars in Phoenix have a nasty habit of choking in big-game opportunities. Not so with Luis Gonzalez. With one extraordinarily timed swing of his baseball bat during the 2001 World Series, the Arizona Diamondbacks slugger reinforced his hero status to thousands of locals — myself included — […]
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Elite Xtreme Wrestling Brings “WWE on a smaller scale” to Mesa

Men in tights, women in skimpy shorts, and fans in a beer-drenched uproar -- local professional wrestling organization Elite Xtreme Wrestling (EXW) has all three hallmarks of its "sport" and more. Founded by former minor league baseball players Brian Barnett and Derick Neikirk, EXW offers the same entertainment as the...
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Top 10 Wrestling Entrance Themes

With Wrestlemania coming to Glendale on Sunday, pro wrestling fever is taking the Valley by storm. In addition to the big event itself, there are numerous auxiliary events happening all weekend, including a Friday gig at Club Red by World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho's heavy metal band, Fozzy. In honor...
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WWE Hall of Fame Tickets On Sale Tomorrow

Less that three months remain until Vince McMahon brings his ginormous "Super Bowl of Wrestling" (a.k.a. Wrestlemania) to the Valley of the Sun in March, which is gonna be a major deal. In fact, the entire week before the big event happens at University of Phoenix Stadium will be filled...
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Put Up Your Faux Dukes

People make fun of professional wrestling, but it’s actually a performance art. The coordination, agility, and strength required of pro wrestlers make the “sport” a lot like ballet -- or at least like a bizarro version of ballet with carnies as dancers. The fine-arts enthusiast in you should know that...
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Woven Bones: In and Out and Back Again

Artist: Woven BonesTitle: In and Out and Back AgainRelease date: May 18Label: Hozac RecordsThis is what the Black Lips hath wrought. The garage rock of much of the past two decades was about teenage kicks. In the parlance of the kids, it was punk 'n' roll, straightforward and unhinged blasts...
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West Point

Sorry to break it to you, but the crown jewels of Scottsdale ain’t the latest oxygen bar or the newest plastic-surgery joint. Rather, it’s the Parada Del Sol Pro Rodeo, which takes place in arguably “The West’s Most Western Town” (at least locally). The 57th annual event kicks off with...
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Smackdown on Jefferson

For Valley pro-wrestling fanatics, March 28 can’t get here quick enough. That red-letter date is when next year’s WrestleMania XVII comes to town, and the pay-per-view extravaganza (dubbed the “Super Bowl of wrestling”) promises to be one hell of a party. For grappling groupies, it’ll be like Woodstock, Christmas, and...
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The Sets in Tempe Closes for Business

It saddens us to report this, but Tempe music venue The Sets has gone belly up after five years. As in closed. Finito. The big goodbye. The multi-room bar and nightclub shut its doors permanently on Sunday night following a local battle of the bands showcase. But as startled as...
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Mexican Standoff

he ultra-contentious issue of illegal immigration has divided our community into warring camps: sign-toting nativists versus pro-Latino supporters. While it’s unlikely the parties will reach common ground anytime soon, both sides might enjoy Pro Wrestling Revolution’s luche libre night at Celebrity Theatre. Por que? Because the main event is a...
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WrestleMania, the Super Bowl of Wrestling, Coming to Glendale; Announcement Expected Tomorrow

We received an e-mail stating that World Wrestling Entertainment will be holding a press conference tomorrow afternoon at the stadium to announce a "major international event" occuring there in spring 2010 that will "draw visitors from around the world for five days of activities." Although the e-mail doesn't specifically identify the event (and only names the WWE in the subject line), we're fairly certain it's next year's Wrestlemania 26. After all, the yearly grappling extravaganza and pay-per-view is the only such event that the WWE puts on during the spring. A similar press conference is held every year around this time announcing where WrestleMania is heading next.
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Slipknot Makes ‘Em Mosh at Dodge

I've been in my fair share of mosh pits, but I'm pretty thankful that I wasn't in any of the three or four that raged on all through Slipknot's show at Jobing.com Arena on Thursday night. Swirling like tornadoes full of teen angst and shirtless fat dudes, the pits dominated...