National Wrestling Superstars made its annual return to Long Branch, NJ's Italian-American Memorial Association Showgrounds on Saturday night August 1st for its always-anticipated "Wrestling Stars Under The Stars" outdoor show. The weather gods showed they are indeed wrestling fans, for after weeks and weeks of what has seemed to be interminable rain, the weather was clear and dry and perfect, and that contributed to a healthy turnout of fans to see a fantastic night of NWS action.

Before the show, NWS management announced to the fans that former WWE star Gene Snitsky, who had been scheduled to fight ECW hardcore alum Balls Mahoney in a steel cage in the main event, had been involved in a serious car accident two nights ago, and was not able to wrestle this night. It was announced that instead, Balls would face off in the cage against fellow ECW hardcore alum and tag-team partner Axl Rotten.

In the opening match, NWS Heavyweight Champion "Corrupted" Corey Havoc (with manager Gigalo Joe Jones & his bodyguard Evil T.N.T) retained his title against Shock. This was a rematch from a week ago in Middletown, NJ where Havoc retained the title after outside interference, and NWS management deemed him worthy of a rematch. After a heated brawl, outside interference would once again prove the difference, as Shock had Havoc down for the count after hitting a standing moonsault, when Gigalo Joe Jones distracted the referee and T.N.T snuck into the ring, leveled Shock with a chokeslam, and placed Havoc on top of him. The referee turned around none the wiser and counted the 1-2-3 for Havoc.

In a Three-Way Elimination Match, NWS Cruiserweight Champion Mighty Mikey Pacifica retained his title against Devon Moore and Chikara Wrestling star Frightmare. Three of the best high-fliers around treated the NWS fans to plenty of action on the ground and (more frequently) in the air. Devon Moore was the first to be eliminated, after a sternum-cracker by Pacifica and a 360-Splash off the top rope by Frightmare who scored the pinfall on Moore. Frightmare and Pacifica battled for several more minutes before Pacifica caught Frightmare in a reverse hurricanrana and held him down for the three-count. Both combatants shook hands after the match in a show of sportsmanship.

In a tag-team match, The Nigerian Nightmares (with managers "Voodoo Princess" Sheeda & Gigalo Joe Jones) defeated "The NWS Wise Guys" J.D. Smoothie & Jumping Joey Janella. Smoothie and Janella were understandably reluctant from the start to lock up with the two undefeated super-heavyweights, but not wanting to lose face (not to mention their pay for the night), they attempted to use their quickness and ring savvy early on. It was to no avail, as the Nightmares pummeled Smoothie and Janella unrelentingly for several minutes before squashing Janella between them in a Nigerian Sandwich, and flattening him with a Nigerian Leg-Roll for the three-count.

In another tag-team match, former WWE Headshrinker Samu & Evil T.N.T (with manager Gigalo Joe Jones) defeated one-time ECW brawler The Equalizer & luchador Manuel Manny Moore. Samu showed he has not lost any of his skill (not to mention savagery) since his WWE days, and despite a valiant effort by Equalizer and Moore, a chokeslam by T.N.T on Moore got him the three-count for his team.

In a grudge match between top Women contenders, Angel Orsini defeated Brooke Carter. This match was a return bout demanded by Brooke after last week in Middletown, NJ, when Angel used outside interference to pin Brooke in an inter-gender tag-team match. Brooke took the fight to Angel, and for nearly fifteen minutes the two tough ladies traded holds and impact moves inside and outside the ring, neither giving in, until Brooke missed a moonsault from the top rope and Angel caught her in her Flatliner "Kiss of Death" finisher for the 1-2-3.

The show paused briefly while the crack NWS ring crew assembled the steel cage (in record time, it should be noted).

In the Steel Cage Match Main Event, ECW hardcore alum Axl Rotten defeated fellow alum Balls Mahoney. Balls and Axl realized that even though they were former tag-team partners and long-time friends, there was no way to have a "friendly" match when you had two former ECW hardcore icons locked inside a steel cage, and decide to go full bore at each other hardcore-style. That they did, utilizing chairs and cooking implements from the food vendors to bust each other open early on. Balls attempted to exit the cage early on after pummeling Axl into a bloody mess, but referee Jimmy Storm said that it was too soon and refused to open the door. An enraged Balls powered the door open, knocking referee Storm flat and requiring NWS senior referee Kenny Edwards to replace him. Balls and Axl continued their fight for several more minutes, and Balls attempted to exit the cage a second time, only to have manager Gigalo Joe Jones slam the door against Balls' head, knocking him out cold. Axl took advantage of the open door and the stunned Balls to crawl out of the cage himself, earning the victory. A smug smiling Jones entered the cage, and informed Balls and the fans that this was his revenge for Balls costing his team a victory last year. He then called for The Nigerian Nightmares to come into the cage and further punish Balls, which they did, but Axl quickly returned to the cage, and the two ECW hardcore alums turned the tables on the Nightmares and pummeled them. The Nightmares quickly retreated, leaving Jones alone in the cage with Axl and Balls, who leveled Jones with twin chair shots and knocked him cold, sending the crowd home happy.

NWS returns to action in Belleville, NJ on Friday night August 14th with appearances by One Warrior Nation and former WWE Oddities member The Giant Silva, followed by a return to the Union, NJ Elks Lodge on Friday night August 21st, and Basking Ridge, NJ's St. James Church Gym on Saturday night August 22nd.

Follow NWS on the Web at www.nwswrestling.com.