REPOST: GLOW Revival “Dead On Arrival” Due To Shady Promoter; Several Girls Not Paid

**Editor's Note - I am reporting this article that was originally posted by ringbellesonline.com. This article serves great importance because it is a prime example of some of the horror stories that occur daily in this business, and by none other than one of the biggest con-men and pathological liars this business has ever spawned. I personally have had numerous encounters dealing with this individual, but normally do not air out my dirty laundry in public. Apparently his con artists antic have caught up with him and here is yet another story of a someone (Eric Nyenhuis) who should be blackballed from this business.**

We’ve been on a bit of a GLOW kick here at Ringbelles for the last week or so. Having talked to the utterly charming and intelligent Angelina Altishin (GLOW’s Little Egypt) for the most recent edition of the Women of Wrestling Podcast, we’ve been keeping an eye on goings-on at Cauliflower Alley’s 2012 Reunion, where Lisa Moretti (aka GLOW’s Tina Ferrari and WWE’s Ivory) was honoured, Angelina presented two seminars to atendees, and several GLOW originals made special appearances. Even WWE’s Kharma was spotted on local news, putting over the original GLOW product. However, one thing we haven’t mentioned (other than in passing in this week’s Roundup) was that running opposite Cauliflower Alley, across town in Henderson, NV – there was an attempt to revive the product with a GLOW-branded show billed as “A Night of Fan Appreciation”. There had even been talk that this would herald a GLOW “Season 5″ as a TV product.

It seemed a bizarre day to try and launch a revival, given that anybody in the Las Vegas area with any interest in wrestling would almost certainly be going to Cauliflower Alley – not to mention that with a large number of GLOW originals already committed to be at Cauliflower Alley, even those who were hardcore GLOW fans (if such a thing still exists in 2012) would have had a difficult decision to make. The day after, the best we could cobble together was a partial talent list and a partial set of results – and it became clear that the revival wasn’t exactly a success. We first heard of a crowd of possibly 50 (and that was taking into account local trainees). We’ve even heard an estimate considerably lower than that. That, unfortunately, was only the tip of the iceberg, as we’ve since heard various shady stories regarding promoter Eric Rolphe Nyenhuis. Click through to after the jump for the full story.

At this point, we may as well go right to this YouTube video posted today by Freakshow Wrestling’s Scorch The Clown where he calls for a boycott on any future events promoted by the aforementioned Eric Rolphe Nyenhuis (who calls himself the new CEO of GLOW, under the name Eric Danger Nyenhuis).



Scorch actually makes a lot of points in this video that we’ve been busy confirming ourselves over the last couple of days, and we’re able to confirm that we’ve heard similar stories from various parties involved in the ill-fated reunion. Most notably, we’ve independently confirmed that a number of girls were stiffed on pay and lied to about a number of things. Rather than being put up in the Gold Coast Hotel, the girls were to be put in a sub $40 per night flea pit, the promised “limousine transport” to/from the hotel ended up being a number of people crammed in the back of a van, and unsurprisingly the promise that the venue had paid catering also turned out to be false. Perhaps most damning is the fact that (as mentioned by Scorch), Nyenhuis was caught trying to sneak out of the venue before the show was over to avoid having to pay several of the talent. He then tried blaming investors etc, before jerking around the girls for several hours as they ended up following him around Vegas until his trail went cold. One of the girls had been given a hotel room key, but nobody had told them where they were supposed to be staying – and it was only through the good graces and contacts of Stu Stone (who worked on the show as a manager and managed to pull in some favours) that they were eventually able to find a hotel for the night. The next morning, Nyenhuis was still nowhere to be found – meaning that fly-in talent who had to get back to the airport had to organise their own transport back.

As for the show, the promised “hair and makeup artists” turned out to be Nyenhuis’ girlfriend – GLOW original Roxy Astor and her daughter Kayla (who worked the show as Brittany Astor), the sound guy was Astor’s son, and the photographer was Roxy’s other daughter’s boyfriend. Promotion was non-existent outside a facebook fan page (which has since been taken down by Nyenhuis’ business partner, who was *also* lied to) and the event was described as “unprofessional”. From what we’ve been able to gather, only four matches were put on, and outside of the Legends Battle Royal (which was won by GLOW original Hollywood), none of the other three had a finish. Taeler Hendrix (working as Vanessa Hendrix Wundor – aka VH1) had some sort of a no-contest with Kitana Vera (as Lil’ Figi) (we’ve been unable to determine the exact finish), Buggy Nova (as Donna Dead) went to a Double DQ with Brittany Astor) and Sara Del Rey (as Sara Death Ray) went to a 15 minute draw with Candice LaRae (as Robyn, The Super Hero).

The one thing that we’ve heard throughout from every source is that nobody is blaming or knocking the GLOW girls, either originals or new – and that the utter failure of this project lies solely on the head of this shady promoter, Eric Nyenhuis. It brings us no pleasure to bring this to the attention of our readers – and even though we assume Nyenhuis will disappear off the grid for an extended length of time after this debacle, we believe (and hope) that nobody else should have to put up with the (in the words of Scorch) “Bullcrap” that a number of these performers have had to over the last few days. Please, we urge that any wrestlers who are approached by this man in future heed this warning.

We will bring you more news if and when any develops.

Dean Ambrose - Pro Wrestling's Next Big Thing

There aren't many times when I look at a young wrestler and try to predict his future in the business. After all, what's the fucking point? Under the WWE creative umbrella, he'll win a title 3 months after debuting, flip from babyface to monster heel atleast four times throughout the year, and eventually be recycled into a new gimmick until he's frustrated enough to quit the business or wrestle for TNA until they go out of business. But there is a new guy about to be called up to the main roster and debut. There isn't a single thing about him that ever needs to be changed. And to think, he's still in his infancy. You are about to witness what could potentially go down as one of the business' greatest antagonists. And you will get to witness it from the beginning, and for years to come. I give to you, Dean Ambrose.

He's not big, but he's tall enough. He's not ripped, but he's solid. He doesn't really look the role, but that will play into his advantage. And he's got a mouth on him that spews a promo like a true traditionalist of the business. A down right gritty renegade who flips the bird to flamboyancy of the entertainment portion but gives his last breathe to finish the fight. When I look at Dean Ambrose, I see Terry Funk in his early twenties.

You may remember him as Jon Moxley, and you may have followed his career on the indy scene in Ring of Honor, to name a few. Feel privileged for that opportunity, for it will hold a special place in your heart to know that you witness the birth of greatness for a mere twenty dollars in a VFW hall. While his name has changed, his formula and ingredients haven't. Ambrose is designed to be a star, and anyone who has the opportunity to share the ring with him will declare it an experience.

I hold high praise for Ambrose, not for what he has done - but for what he believes. In the early 80's, I found my passion for the business through characters who I believed truly existed in the real world. Later on in life, when I first started to break in - I realized that the magic that made them so effective to my imagination was that the person they were in real life wasn't too far off from who they portrayed themselves to be in the ring. To me, that meant that there was some reality to this business. Terry Funk is another who brings truth to my words. The man you meet is the same as the man you watch, cheer and jeer for. The man is a walking, living, breathing character. Ambrose doesn't play it...he IS it!

Recently, Ambrose's debut has been pushed through social media following a series of verbal attacks on hardcore legend Mick Foley. When have you ever heard of a newcomer getting an endorsement from a legend to kickstart his career?

At a house show in December, I saw Ambrose perform in a match against Daniel Bryan. While Bryan's work has been praised as one of the best in the business, it far different from the style Ambrose brought to the fight. It was a clash of two styles which surprisingly, Ambrose garnered more attention. While Bryan's moveset seemed well thought out and better choreographed and designed - Ambrose seemed sloppy, unprepared and trying to adjust to Bryan's dance. You might be asking, "So why are you so high on Ambrose if he looked sloppy?" The answer is, because he designed it that way.

Ambrose came staggering to the ring as if he had been sleeping off a hangover in the locker room from an all night drinking binge the night before. As if an agent yelled to him, "AMBROSE! GET THE FUCK TO THE RING! YOU'RE ON 2 MINUTES!" He sold what he was doing backstage without ever having to say what it was. He let our imaginations run free, but not too free where we got lost in disbelief. We were free to believe what he was feeding us. BIG difference. His ring style simply said, "I came in here to fight. What the fuck is this guy doing flying and bouncing all over the place? Stay still so I can beat the shit out of you!"

Ambrose sold like no other. You bought into his pain, his cockiness, and his arrogance. You almost wanted to fight him yourself.

The office has had him touring with the crew and performing at local house shows to evaluate his work and make sure he's ready for TV. He's been winning his matches so that fans get acquainted with him and his style. In one of his recent wins, he finished the match by rolling down his knee pad and planting a bare knee into the face of his opponent. No finishing move needed. A simple heel tactic that hasn't been seen since the 80's that screams in volumes, "I came here to fight. I came here to win. And I came here to hurt someone". Very reminiscent of Jake "The Snake" Roberts when he first arrived on the scene and stunned the world with his DDT.

Now all that I have written is glorifying Ambrose's ring work. I haven't even begun talking about his promo skills. In all honesty, I could write for hours on how good and effective he is in engaging the audience and keep relevance while portraying a character like he was Marlon Brando. You feel his pain in his words. You sense there are tears in the eyes behind the sunglasses. He paints a perfect picture of how he continues to interpret his feud outside of the ring and into his real life - a trait Don Muraco was legendary for.

If this were a comic book, Dean Ambrose would easily be the character Deadpool. He is an experiment of taking the best qualities out of some of histories best characters and breeding them into one new man. He's a genetic gimmick freak stirring qualities from Funk, Flair, Muraco, Roberts, Arn, Piper, Race - to name a few.

Watch the video above. You are about to witness a legend in the making... as long as the sitcom machine doesn't botch this natural born wrestler by stuffing penciled words down his mouth and allows him spit on his own. If they do it, generations from now will emulate his antics much like Ric Flair is emulated today. I predict, Dean Ambrose will be pro wrestling's next big thing.

Last of a Dying Breed Leads To Extinction

Back in the 90's, when the n.W.o. gimmick started to fade with the overkill of adding older wrestlers who flat out refused to put over the younger talent, I was a huge advocate of passing the torch to the next generation of young stars whop would bare the burden of carrying the success of the industry on their backs. After all, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Bret Hart and Randy Savage only had so much left in them. They were in their twilight of their career and new stars had to be handed the responsibility of keeping the business alive.

Luckily, the young stars that were promoted were names like Chris Jericho, The Rock, Eddie Guerrero, and even a guy like Triple H. Watching this past Wrestlemania, it truly was the end of an era. Triple H, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker are "yesterday's names". Michaels is already retired. Taker is on his way out. And Trips married the bosses daughter and will be running the show for the next 50 years.

So who are the new stars of today? John Cena is a no-brainer. CM Punk has finally found his mojo and will become of the next big stars for the business. But then what...? Who else is there? Jericho's career near it's end. He wants to go out on top, spend time with the family and pursue other projects. It won;t be long until we hear that Jericho will be taking another hiatus, and perhaps a more permanent one. Then what? How much more can Cena carry on his back? Orton can help with the load and switch back and forth. Who's the next big star? Who will get "the call"? Sheamus? Maybe. I think he's a great worker, but the gimmick is limited. Who else?...I'll wait.

See, even though the torch is being offered up, there really isn't anyone there to take it and run with it. Alberto Del Rio is a great heel, but the fans don't get him. I don;t think Alberto gets himself. The "entertainment" is so overwhelming in his character and in how he responds to the other characters, that Del Rio almost comes off as confused in the ring. He's like, "Mira Papi, I'm to wrestle. I didn't know I had to act like a Telemundo novela."

Dolph Ziggler is ready and willing - but I don;t think the office is 100% sold on him right now. They see a work horse looking to steal the show and they figure, "Let's not feed him. The more he starves, the harder he'll work for food." But Ziggler isn't a quitter, and his day will come when people start referring to him as the next Shawn Michaels. How long did Michaels have to carry around Marty Jannetty? Then he had a manager in Sherri Martel. And then they let him go on his own. And then he had a bodyguard. And THEN... he became world champion and arguably the greatest of all time. I urge you fans to stick with Ziggler, because there will be a day when he is the hottest thing on the wrestling market. I called it for Shawn Michaels back in 1992, and I call it here on Ziggler.

The one that bothers me the most is Wade Barrett. The WWE invested so much into him with the ill-fated Nexus angle, and then they tried to get him over on his own. Now, he's just a guy who can get the right shoe to fit. He's uncomfortable in the ring, he's uncomfortable to watch, and he's as wooden as Pinnochio's penis.

Barrett has the tools to be a hard nosed competitor and respected in the same breath as William Regal, Fit Finlay and even JBL. He has the same rugged style and approach blended with a a technical twist. So why isn't he getting over? The night the Nexus angle took off, I was convinced that I was convinced that i was witnessing something big. I thought this was a game changer like the n.W.o. was. This army of rookies became the main antagonist of the show, main eventing with John Cena - and Barrett was their leader. How could that fail?...I don't know, but it did. And since the angle was dissolved, Barrett was repackaged as an European tough guy who boasted of being a bare knuckle champion. But what did any of the prove in the ring. In the squared circle, you were still a chump. Nothing became of Barrett. Even when he's out with an injury, it has no effect what so ever with the progress of the show. he was filler material right off the cookie-cutter clone line. Only difference was that he had a little size on him, other than that, same shit as everyone else.

Sure, you'll always have one that rises above the rest. You'll have your Cenas Ortons, Jerichos, Punks...but they amount to nothing if their opponents are less than nothing. They are only as good as the match they can design with their opponent. Anybody remember matches where Bret Hart had to wrestle Kwang, or Skinner, or that fucking French pirate with one eye? Remember Hogan trying to get over Zeus, The Dungeon of Doom and the fucking Yeti? Hogan was the best at getting people over. Look at what he did for The Ultimate Warrior. Not even The Warrior can believe it. It's almost cliche to hear an old school traditional wrestler refer to themselves as, "The Last of a Dying Breed". But maybe it's true. Remember the dinosaurs? Funny how we refer to Hogan and Flair as one of them, what happened when the dinosaurs no longer roamed the earth? What will happen when the Hogans, Flair, Stings and Undertakers wrestle in the ring? Will it be the end of the wrestling world much like the dawn of time?

The WWE creative plan needs to be re-evaluated. They may book for the bigger picture better than TNA does, but their product still comes off as day-to-day. Especially when there are reports that scripts are being rewritten minutes before show time. It's a fucking wrestling show. Exactly what needs to be re-scripted for the greater good. Call me crazy, but when there were less scriptwriters, it was considered the golden age of the business. People actually wanted to get involved and help protect the secret of the kayfabe magic. And yes, I'm saying this about all the creative bookers in the business - me being one of them.

Just let them wrestle already. Let the championship be the prize for being the best. Then you wonder why the new kids on the block are so green? Because they are too busy working on their acting skills rather then their wrestling skills. They are more focused on memorizing the script rather than the spots in their match. I look at the business the same way an adult looks at today's youth - "THAT is what is going to lead the world and take care of me in the future?"... I guess it is really coming to an end, isn't it?