Classic Championship Wrestling Event Wrap-up 8.22.06
Thomas Keister
August 25, 2006
With tension and controversy still raging from Fan Appreciation Night, the seats at the CCW Arena were quickly packed to the rafters, as the fans were anxious for answers from last week's big event. With the crowd overflowing into the hallway outside the arena entrance, I found myself thankful for my space in the press box. The big questions on everybody's mind were what was going down next between the Fat N The Furious and the HNIC (with the Prophet and Jessie Bell in tow, no doubt), as well as the most combustible situation in Classic championship wrestling right now, the feud between former tag team partners "Smooth" Johnny Spade and Dynamite Derrick. As bell time approached, the crowd proved they were willing to wait all night, if necessary, to see the next chapter in these two sagas.
The action kicked off with Jebidiah Blackhawk seeking to reverse his fortunes from last week as he stepped into the ring with another cagey veteran, Guido Andretti. Both came out to rousing ovations, although Andretti's was probably not the one he had anticipated on the way to the arena. The SRO crowd was not giving Andretti a lick of ground as he attempted to set his own pace early on in the contest, frustrating Blackhawk with stall tactics. Blackhawk was not having it, however, and the result was Andretti catching a couple "breathers' on the arena floor. The plan would prove successful for a brief spell, as Andretti took control and mounted a big run of offense, often testing the limits of Senior Official Darrell Mays' patience. Feeding off the fans, Blackhawk was able to mount a comeback, sealing his first win back in CCW following a big-time chokeslam.
The ground only intensified as the Fat N The Furious hit the ringside area with a purpose, demanding H.N.I.C. show up and answer for their brutal sneak attack last week. When a search failed to turn up the H.N.I.C., the Prophet or Jessie Bell, the team then called for CCW Comissioner Chris Alexander. After demanding the H.N.I.C. and being informed they weren't there yet, the FnF wanted some team, any team, to take out a week's worth of pent-up anger on. While Alexander swore he would make the situation right between the two teams, Vito Andretti had a vow of his own, and that was whichever team climbed into the ring with them later on,"would be stepping into the ring as the H.N.I.C."
The fans weren't ready for a break in the action, and neither was CCW as the second match of the evening featured Chris Alexander squaring off with Elmore Fudd, accompanied, as always, by Mrs. Elmore Fudd. Fudd quickly found himself at a disadvantage as Alexander started the bout in fast fashion, using several near-falls to try and wear down his opponent early on. As with any match involving Fudd, one eye has to be kept on Mrs. Fudd, who proved her value at ringside by using a well-timed trip to allow her man to take solid control over the Commissioner. A miscue by Fudd allowed Alexander to return fire, and then gain the heavy end of the paycheck after connecting with a cross-body block from the corner.
The crowd barely had time to catch their breath, only to lose it cheering "Smooth" Johnny Spade on his way to the ring, calling for Dynamite Derrick to come out to the ring to settle the score between them that has only intensified over the past couple of weeks. Derrick reminded Spade of "certain contractual obligations" that were keeping the match from happening. The "obligation" in question was an attendance rider that Dynamite Derrick had placed in the original match contract, barring a rematch until a certain level of ticket sales were reached. While Spade continued to try and goad Derrick into the ring, Derrick informed him the ticket sales had missed by just one person, and as a result, the fans wold not be seeing the two of them in the ring. Having absolutely none of it, Spade grabbed a member of the CCW ringside staff and dragged him to the lobby, giving him a handful of cash and making him buy the remaining ticket. The main event for the evening, which fans had been clamoring for for weeks now, was sealed, much to the disgust of Dynamite Derrick, who now had no other choice but to face the music.
The mid-card kicked off with young up-and-comer Matt Maverick stepping up against Kliff Hanger, and as expected,"The Black Redneck" picked up some of the loudest cheers of the night as he made his way to the ring. While he may have been in a joking mood, Kliff Hanger wasted little time in taking it to Maverick, as it was all Kliff Hanger's match in the early goings. Maverick would capitalize at the halfway mark, scoring the majority of his offense for the evening. The pace kept up, and as the bout wore on, it appeared both men were ready to work on instinct if need be, as Kliff Hanger showed, reversing the pin attempt from a high cross body block from Maverick to slide out of Portland with another hard-fought win. In the classiest moment of the night, Kliff Hanger took the time to shake Maverick's hand, going on to thank the fans for their support of CCW, the hottest new indie promotion in the Kentuckiana area.
As the second half of the show kicked off, the crowd was delighted as Bad Medicines #6 made their way to the ring, the unenviable opponents for a fired-up Fat N Furious. Minus the services of Tim the Baker, the Bad Medicines were clearly overwhelmed by not only the huge welcome the Portland crowd had for the hometown favorites, but also the welcome their opponents had in store for them. The first 5 minutes was an exercise in tag team domination, as Andretti and Jack Black used big-time power, brawling, a quick tags to punish the masked duo. While the Bad Medicines managed to turn things around for them in this match, it was to be too little, too late, as a hot tag by Black to Andretti sparked the beginning of the end, which came in spectacular fashion as Black, who is well-known for being one of the most agile super-heavyweights on the indie scene, hit the top-rope splash on Bad Medicine #6 to score the pin. That would turn out to be far from the end of the action, however.
From out of nowhere, Apollo, JB Thunder, the Prophet, and Jessie Bell hit the ring, looking for a repeat performance of last week's sneak attack, in which they tried to hang both members of the FnF. Commissioner Chris Alexander, anxious to maintain order following the chaos from last week, called to the back, and Kliff Hanger, Johnny Spade, and Matt Maverick hit the ring to even out the odds. Immediately demanding a 3-on-3 match, the Fat N The Furious got exactly that as Alexander agreed, setting the match for next week. With the animosity between these two factions already at a boiling point, when the collision occurs next week, they very well could bring the house down at the CCW Arena.
If the fans hadn't already seen more action than the ticket promised, it was then time for the evening's main event. Dynamite Derrick, who has enjoyed the edge he holds over his former partner since betraying him, and has tried almost every trick in the book to loophole his way out of a rematch, instead found himself standing across the ring from a vengeful and determined "Smooth" Johnny Spade.
Employing his mind games, Derrick tried to stall the beginning of the match, but by this point, both CCW owner Marcus Schneider and Chris Alexander had seen enough of Derrick's behavior. With Schneider running interference, Alexander caught Derrick unaware, throwing him into the ring, where Spade was waiting to deliver a shower of chops and hard right hands, whipping the crowd into a frenzy as Spade was finally getting a chance to dish out some revenge. However, Spade's temper may have been playing against him, as he telegraphed a textbook spinebuster by Derrick. While he may have wasted too much time playing up to the fans, Derrick continued the assault on Spade with his own flurry of chops, kicks, and booming right hands.
At the moment Derrick thought he had Spade put away, a double-clothesline instead found both men struggling to regain control as the ref went through the 10 count. An attempted high spot by Spade led to him straddling the ropes, courtesy of a fast-thinking Dynamite Derrick, although Spade would repay in kind as Derrick attempted a superplex, leading to him straddling the ropes as well. The match ground on as both men desperately tried to escape with the pin, to no avail. Fed up, Derrick grabbed the ring bell, sliding into the ring with bad intentions for Spade. The referee's intervention led to a flat-out brawl, giving the ref no other choice but to declare a no-contest. With the draw for the inaugural CCW Heavyweight title tournament announced for next week, don't think you've seen the last of these two battling each other, not by a longshot.
The evening's card was concluded with a battle royal featuring not only CCW superstars, but members of CCW's in-house training center. In addition, the fans were treated to a brief appearance by the one and only Biff Wellington III, as well as a masked mystery man, billed only as "The Weirdo." Having had the exclusive opportunity to sit in on the training sessions, it was good to see the students getting the chance to work in front of a paid audience. The class seems to be progressing well, as evidenced by trainee Brandon Scott's upset win, as he dodged an attack to eliminate the Prophet, picking up a once-in-a-lifetime win in his professional debut.
The celebration was cut short, however, as the H.N.I.C. and company entered the ring, quickly surrounding the now-unsure rookie. Apollo and JB Thunder each offered their congratulations for the win, containing an obviously angry Prophet at bay at the same time. Apollo then offered Scott the chance to act as the FnF's partner in the six-man tag match for next week. After the already nervous Scott politely declined, the trio took the opportunity to attack Scott, leading to a return to the ring by the Fat N The Furious. After cleaning house, the FnF then turned to Scott and made their own offer for Scott to team up with them in the match. Now, with a little more incentive, the rookie agreed the second time around, and to give the fans just a little bit more, Commissioner Chris Alexander called for a referee and the bell, giving the crowd an unexpected bonus match.
The impromptu 6-man started off with the H.N.I.C. and the Prophet slow to enter the ring. They may have wanted the FnF, but certainly not this soon, not before returning to the drawing board. The opening part of the match clearly favored the FnF and Scott, as Andretti and Black were relishing any chance they got to get their hands on Apollo, JB Thunder, or the Prophet. The tide quickly turned, as JB Thunder capitalized on the inexperience of Brandon Scott, soon double-teaming the guy who started the evening as a prospect in a battle royal but now found himself in a main event-caliber match. Throw in the occasional interference by Jessie Bell, and not only the Fat N the Furious but the ref had their work cut out for them. After reaching the FnF corner with the hot tag, the match threatened to break down and give the fans their second no-contest of the evening, but the FnF would not be denied payback, taking the win as Scott scored the fall on Thunder. If the fans had not seen enough, Andretti then called for a rematch next week. If it is half as good as this week's spur-of-the-moment match, I have no doubt the expected sell-out crowd next week will have just as much to talk about at the conclusion of next week's event.
Classic Championship Wrestling holds live events every Tuesday night at the CCW Arena, 3327 Northwestern Parkway in Louisville, Kentucky. Doors open at 7:00pm, with a bell time of 7:30. General admission is $5, or $3, with a coupon available on the CCW website.
For more information on Classic Championship Wrestling: http://www.ccwevents.com
The action kicked off with Jebidiah Blackhawk seeking to reverse his fortunes from last week as he stepped into the ring with another cagey veteran, Guido Andretti. Both came out to rousing ovations, although Andretti's was probably not the one he had anticipated on the way to the arena. The SRO crowd was not giving Andretti a lick of ground as he attempted to set his own pace early on in the contest, frustrating Blackhawk with stall tactics. Blackhawk was not having it, however, and the result was Andretti catching a couple "breathers' on the arena floor. The plan would prove successful for a brief spell, as Andretti took control and mounted a big run of offense, often testing the limits of Senior Official Darrell Mays' patience. Feeding off the fans, Blackhawk was able to mount a comeback, sealing his first win back in CCW following a big-time chokeslam.
The ground only intensified as the Fat N The Furious hit the ringside area with a purpose, demanding H.N.I.C. show up and answer for their brutal sneak attack last week. When a search failed to turn up the H.N.I.C., the Prophet or Jessie Bell, the team then called for CCW Comissioner Chris Alexander. After demanding the H.N.I.C. and being informed they weren't there yet, the FnF wanted some team, any team, to take out a week's worth of pent-up anger on. While Alexander swore he would make the situation right between the two teams, Vito Andretti had a vow of his own, and that was whichever team climbed into the ring with them later on,"would be stepping into the ring as the H.N.I.C."
The fans weren't ready for a break in the action, and neither was CCW as the second match of the evening featured Chris Alexander squaring off with Elmore Fudd, accompanied, as always, by Mrs. Elmore Fudd. Fudd quickly found himself at a disadvantage as Alexander started the bout in fast fashion, using several near-falls to try and wear down his opponent early on. As with any match involving Fudd, one eye has to be kept on Mrs. Fudd, who proved her value at ringside by using a well-timed trip to allow her man to take solid control over the Commissioner. A miscue by Fudd allowed Alexander to return fire, and then gain the heavy end of the paycheck after connecting with a cross-body block from the corner.
The crowd barely had time to catch their breath, only to lose it cheering "Smooth" Johnny Spade on his way to the ring, calling for Dynamite Derrick to come out to the ring to settle the score between them that has only intensified over the past couple of weeks. Derrick reminded Spade of "certain contractual obligations" that were keeping the match from happening. The "obligation" in question was an attendance rider that Dynamite Derrick had placed in the original match contract, barring a rematch until a certain level of ticket sales were reached. While Spade continued to try and goad Derrick into the ring, Derrick informed him the ticket sales had missed by just one person, and as a result, the fans wold not be seeing the two of them in the ring. Having absolutely none of it, Spade grabbed a member of the CCW ringside staff and dragged him to the lobby, giving him a handful of cash and making him buy the remaining ticket. The main event for the evening, which fans had been clamoring for for weeks now, was sealed, much to the disgust of Dynamite Derrick, who now had no other choice but to face the music.
The mid-card kicked off with young up-and-comer Matt Maverick stepping up against Kliff Hanger, and as expected,"The Black Redneck" picked up some of the loudest cheers of the night as he made his way to the ring. While he may have been in a joking mood, Kliff Hanger wasted little time in taking it to Maverick, as it was all Kliff Hanger's match in the early goings. Maverick would capitalize at the halfway mark, scoring the majority of his offense for the evening. The pace kept up, and as the bout wore on, it appeared both men were ready to work on instinct if need be, as Kliff Hanger showed, reversing the pin attempt from a high cross body block from Maverick to slide out of Portland with another hard-fought win. In the classiest moment of the night, Kliff Hanger took the time to shake Maverick's hand, going on to thank the fans for their support of CCW, the hottest new indie promotion in the Kentuckiana area.
As the second half of the show kicked off, the crowd was delighted as Bad Medicines #6 made their way to the ring, the unenviable opponents for a fired-up Fat N Furious. Minus the services of Tim the Baker, the Bad Medicines were clearly overwhelmed by not only the huge welcome the Portland crowd had for the hometown favorites, but also the welcome their opponents had in store for them. The first 5 minutes was an exercise in tag team domination, as Andretti and Jack Black used big-time power, brawling, a quick tags to punish the masked duo. While the Bad Medicines managed to turn things around for them in this match, it was to be too little, too late, as a hot tag by Black to Andretti sparked the beginning of the end, which came in spectacular fashion as Black, who is well-known for being one of the most agile super-heavyweights on the indie scene, hit the top-rope splash on Bad Medicine #6 to score the pin. That would turn out to be far from the end of the action, however.
From out of nowhere, Apollo, JB Thunder, the Prophet, and Jessie Bell hit the ring, looking for a repeat performance of last week's sneak attack, in which they tried to hang both members of the FnF. Commissioner Chris Alexander, anxious to maintain order following the chaos from last week, called to the back, and Kliff Hanger, Johnny Spade, and Matt Maverick hit the ring to even out the odds. Immediately demanding a 3-on-3 match, the Fat N The Furious got exactly that as Alexander agreed, setting the match for next week. With the animosity between these two factions already at a boiling point, when the collision occurs next week, they very well could bring the house down at the CCW Arena.
If the fans hadn't already seen more action than the ticket promised, it was then time for the evening's main event. Dynamite Derrick, who has enjoyed the edge he holds over his former partner since betraying him, and has tried almost every trick in the book to loophole his way out of a rematch, instead found himself standing across the ring from a vengeful and determined "Smooth" Johnny Spade.
Employing his mind games, Derrick tried to stall the beginning of the match, but by this point, both CCW owner Marcus Schneider and Chris Alexander had seen enough of Derrick's behavior. With Schneider running interference, Alexander caught Derrick unaware, throwing him into the ring, where Spade was waiting to deliver a shower of chops and hard right hands, whipping the crowd into a frenzy as Spade was finally getting a chance to dish out some revenge. However, Spade's temper may have been playing against him, as he telegraphed a textbook spinebuster by Derrick. While he may have wasted too much time playing up to the fans, Derrick continued the assault on Spade with his own flurry of chops, kicks, and booming right hands.
At the moment Derrick thought he had Spade put away, a double-clothesline instead found both men struggling to regain control as the ref went through the 10 count. An attempted high spot by Spade led to him straddling the ropes, courtesy of a fast-thinking Dynamite Derrick, although Spade would repay in kind as Derrick attempted a superplex, leading to him straddling the ropes as well. The match ground on as both men desperately tried to escape with the pin, to no avail. Fed up, Derrick grabbed the ring bell, sliding into the ring with bad intentions for Spade. The referee's intervention led to a flat-out brawl, giving the ref no other choice but to declare a no-contest. With the draw for the inaugural CCW Heavyweight title tournament announced for next week, don't think you've seen the last of these two battling each other, not by a longshot.
The evening's card was concluded with a battle royal featuring not only CCW superstars, but members of CCW's in-house training center. In addition, the fans were treated to a brief appearance by the one and only Biff Wellington III, as well as a masked mystery man, billed only as "The Weirdo." Having had the exclusive opportunity to sit in on the training sessions, it was good to see the students getting the chance to work in front of a paid audience. The class seems to be progressing well, as evidenced by trainee Brandon Scott's upset win, as he dodged an attack to eliminate the Prophet, picking up a once-in-a-lifetime win in his professional debut.
The celebration was cut short, however, as the H.N.I.C. and company entered the ring, quickly surrounding the now-unsure rookie. Apollo and JB Thunder each offered their congratulations for the win, containing an obviously angry Prophet at bay at the same time. Apollo then offered Scott the chance to act as the FnF's partner in the six-man tag match for next week. After the already nervous Scott politely declined, the trio took the opportunity to attack Scott, leading to a return to the ring by the Fat N The Furious. After cleaning house, the FnF then turned to Scott and made their own offer for Scott to team up with them in the match. Now, with a little more incentive, the rookie agreed the second time around, and to give the fans just a little bit more, Commissioner Chris Alexander called for a referee and the bell, giving the crowd an unexpected bonus match.
The impromptu 6-man started off with the H.N.I.C. and the Prophet slow to enter the ring. They may have wanted the FnF, but certainly not this soon, not before returning to the drawing board. The opening part of the match clearly favored the FnF and Scott, as Andretti and Black were relishing any chance they got to get their hands on Apollo, JB Thunder, or the Prophet. The tide quickly turned, as JB Thunder capitalized on the inexperience of Brandon Scott, soon double-teaming the guy who started the evening as a prospect in a battle royal but now found himself in a main event-caliber match. Throw in the occasional interference by Jessie Bell, and not only the Fat N the Furious but the ref had their work cut out for them. After reaching the FnF corner with the hot tag, the match threatened to break down and give the fans their second no-contest of the evening, but the FnF would not be denied payback, taking the win as Scott scored the fall on Thunder. If the fans had not seen enough, Andretti then called for a rematch next week. If it is half as good as this week's spur-of-the-moment match, I have no doubt the expected sell-out crowd next week will have just as much to talk about at the conclusion of next week's event.
Classic Championship Wrestling holds live events every Tuesday night at the CCW Arena, 3327 Northwestern Parkway in Louisville, Kentucky. Doors open at 7:00pm, with a bell time of 7:30. General admission is $5, or $3, with a coupon available on the CCW website.
For more information on Classic Championship Wrestling: http://www.ccwevents.com
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