In an off season full of big trades & signings, my beloved Boston Red Sox signed two outstanding relief pitchers, in an effort to bolster their bullpen from its lackluster 2010 status, as the boys from Beantown signed Tampa Rays middle man Dan Wheeler &, in the bigger of the two moves, inked up Chicago White Sox closer Bobby Jenks.

The moves here are obviously huge- the biggest issues the Sox had last year, besides the injury plague that hammered New England, was the lack of depth behind the brilliant set up work of Daniel Bard- now, with a stronger supporting cast, hopefully the team will bolster its win total, and make a return to the World Series.

Sorry to report the death of Paul Morton, the father of our friend of  Rock n Roll Express fame, Ricky Morton. No additional imformation was made available. Paul was a longtime referee for both the Jerry Jarrett/Jerry Lawler promotion, based in Memphis, and its predecessor, the Nick Gulas promotion that, up until the mid 1970s, encompassed all of Tennessee,Alabama, Kentucky, & parts of North Carolina, at the very least.
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Thanks to all who have provided feedback, in particular those whom have enjoyed the history of pro wrestling in Hagerstown,Md that I did a few days ago.....I intend to throw more your way, as I have already reviewed results from 1965-1968.   Just yesterday, I drove by the the old Armory on North Potomac St, and it occured to me that it would be great to photograph the place,outside and, if allowed, inside, to give any of you interested in what  the place may have looked like 45 years ago, when the giants of wrestling rolled into town. Obviously, the place has surely been upgrade since the last time I was inside 91986-87), but the outside basically looks the same. Now this may seem like a less than challenging task for most, until I remind you of my inability to even download a photo of myself onto this page....

 Am I the only person who finds Alberto Del Rio incredibly entertaining and effective? I look at him & Rey Mysterio squaring off, and it just feels, already, like a classic rivalry. Del Rio has done such a good job on Smackdown the last couple of weeks, that I have entertained thoughts of ordering the upcoming WWE PPV Tables,Ladders,& Chairs. Despite my affinity for the squared circle my entire life, I am no easy mark when it comes to PPv ordering- I usually order two or three per year-Rumble,Mania, & Summerslam.

A big part, in my opinion, of Del Rio's work is, of course, his pedrigree- this is no "WWE find"- this young man is the son of legendary luchadore Dos Caras, & the nephew of the "Man of 1,000 Masks" Mil Mascaras. The pose & mannerisms he uses not only in the ring, but on the microphone, are traits that cannot just be taught- the are instinctive, and growing up in a family of wrestlers doesn't always guarantee the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, but it helps keep it close, of which Dos Jr is proof. His ring work is way above average, his facial expressions are spot on, & his ability to garner a strong negative reaction is quite impressive,especially considering his limited time work in the States, as opposed to Mexixo, where interview skills are so much more necessary.

I don't think, however, it quite his time to take the title in the "traditional" pro wrestling sense, mainly because he hasn't gotten over "all the way" yet ( though hes definitely on his way)  however, as I discussed a few blogs ago, "sports entertainment" is a little different, so its possible ADR could get the title this Sunday.

Perhaps more tomorrow morning...take care! remember feedback is always welcome!

SSS