MPW Recap: Renegade Memorial Tournament, Edmonton, August 3

Monster Pro Wrestling held it’s Third Annual Renegade Memorial Tag Team Tournament this past Saturday at the Alberta Avenue Hall in Edmonton. The event is one of Monster Pro Wrestling’s Big Four events of the year, with the highlight being an eight-team tournament with the main event fought under Tables, Ladders and Chairs rules.

On top of the tournament, the MPW Sirens Title was on the line as Phoenix defended against Sexy Samantha. As well, Headline Shaun Martens defended the MPW Heavyweight Title against two challengers in the Cheetahbear Jude Dawkins and the War Boy Dalsano. This year, the wrestlers put on an amazing show for the capacity crowd.

Let’s recap!

First Round Action:

Renegade Memorial Quarterfinal Matchup: Kid Cyrus/Rich King def. Blake Kannon/Sultan Singh

Saturday night started off hot, with one of the most hated men in MPW, the Provincial Champion “Main Event” Blake Kannon, teaming up with a man who debuted last month, Sultan Singh. Their opponents, the rag-tag team of King and Cyrus, had the Tag Titles in their hands last month until Annihilation interfered in their title match. While both teams have had less-than-lengthy runs together, each loo

Both teams went toe-to-toe throughout this matchup, with Kannon and Singh showing stellar chemistry for a first-time-ever team. However, while Singh and the Provincial Champion were able to keep King and Cyrus at bay, it wasn’t long before the newcomer Singh made a fatal flaw. Late in the battle, Singh headed up to the top rope, looking to put his opponents down for good. However, in the midst of Singh’s senton attempt, King was able to not only manoeuvre out of harm’s way but make the tag to Cyrus. As King held up Singh in a Fisherman’s Suplex, Kid Cyrus nailed Singh with a Superkick, knocking him out for the 1-2-3 and advancing in the tournament.

Renegade Memorial Quarterfinal Matchup: OG Cat’s Meow (Nasty Nate Nixon/Viva La Mexi-Kato) def. King B/Dangerous Danny Evans

The Renegade Tag Team Champions going into the show, the OG Cat’s Meow, were feeling confident going into the tournament. Frankly, as they should have: their opponent, King B, did not have his regular tag team partner TY Jackson available due to injury. However, King B found himself a heck of a replacement in Dangerous Danny Evans, who was making his Monster Pro Wrestling debut.

It was Evans who received the call to kick off the match, and the big man was impressive in his first few minutes in the squared circle. Yes, size is the obvious advantage when it comes to Danny Evans, but the big man is deceptively quick, too. While Evans held the advantage for the early parts of the match, the Cats used their experience to take over and were able to isolate King B after he’d tagged in. Despite the relentless assault, King B’s resilience shone through, and while Nixon and Kato threw everything but the kitchen sink at the former titleholder, King B stayed alive.

Eventually, he managed to get the hot tag to Evans, who cleaned house and looked to have the rides turned in his team’s favour. However, it seemed as though the early success had got to Evan’s head by the end of the bout. In fact, that overconfidence was the sole reason for the team’s defeat in their quarterfinal matchup. As King B desperately called for the tag late in the matchup, Evans refused to listen and tag the former titleholder into the match. With Nixon isolated, Evans decided to head to the top rope for a splash. Reminding everyone why it’s called the “High-Rent District”, Evans crashed and burned on a splash to Nixon. Nate followed up the mistake with his double-underhook DDT, known as the “Buck-Nasty” for the 1-2-3 and allowed the Champs to advance.

Renegade Memorial Quarterfinal Matchup: High Octane (Pro Payne/Ajax) vs. Dad Bod Squad (Rick Jules/James Crowder), NO CONTEST (Double Count-out)

These two teams are very familiar with each other, Both of these teams have had business with each other for the past three months, and that familiarity was evident on Saturday night.

This match had a hot start, with Jules and Crowder taking it to the big men with a relentless attack right off the bat. Once the teams settled down into their match, however, the size advantage of High Octane became evident. Immediately, they used it to isolate Jules and wear him out. However, the veteran was able to escape Octane’s onslaught and tag in Crowder.

From there the pace of the match picked up. In the chaos of the match, Ajax looked to provide a little help to Payne but instead caught the big man right in the face with a big boot. It left Payne incapacitated on the outside; however, it wasn’t long before Crowder and Jules sent Ajax out there soon after. The Squad followed them out, and a brawl ensued on the outside.

Unfortunately for both teams, they forgot about the referee’s count. Despite Jules’ attempt to beat the count at the last second, both teams missed the count of 10 and were eliminated from the tournament.

Renegade Memorial Quarterfinal Matchup: Annihilation (Massive Damage/Wrath) def. Lumberjack Larry Woods/Danger Zone Mitch Clarke

The final quarterfinal matchup was slightly more than personal than the preceeding matches. Last month, the former Tattoo Terminators cost Lumberjack Larry the MPW Heavyweight Title after interfering in the evening’s main event. Following the tilt, Clarke gave an impassioned speech, asking for this match against Wrath and the man Clarke dubbed “Massive Cholesterol”. In addition, due to Massive’s attitude towards new Commissioner Jimmy Zero, the stakes were raised for this match. If Larry and Mitch advance, Massive Damage would be fired.

This match was intense throughout, with Mitch and Larry taking it to the veterans. No team could gain a real advantage until Mitch and Larry managed to isolate Wrath. Mitch and Larry managed to connect with a double Fisherman’s Buster, and it looked like Wrath was done. Unfortunately, the pin was broken up by Annihilation’s brother-in-arms, MPW Heavyweight Champion Shaun Martens. Finally, Mitch Clarke had enough of the interference and chased Martens out of the Alberta Ave. However, that left Larry all by himself, essentially turning it into a handicap match in Damage and Wraths favour. Unfortunately, Larry got caught with a Spiked Piledriver. With his partner absent, Larry was helpless, and within seconds had been covered for the victory. Unfortunately, the win also allowed Massive Damage to keep both his job and challenge for the tag team titles in the evening’s main event.

Following the match, Mitch came back in the ring, and the former Champions began to argue. The shoving contest appeared to hit a fever pitch when Mitch picked up Larry with a double-leg, holding him in the air. But before Clarke would slam Larry down, cooler heads prevailed, and Clarke set Larry down. A truce was had, but is there a rift between the former Tag Team Champions?

Championship Matches:

MPW Sirens Championship Match: Phoenix (c) def. Sexy Samantha

Two long-time rivals squared off for the MPW Sirens Championship on Saturday, as current titleholder Phoenix defended against Sexy Samantha.

Of the numerous times that these rivals have faced each other, this may have been the most intense we have seen both Champion and Challenger. This was evident as the crowd cheered both competitors following a chain pinning sequence early in the matchup. As the match rolled on, the veteran challenger took control of the match. It seemed Samantha’s new gear gave the former champion some extra motivation. As Samantha executed her patented spinning heel kick in the corner, it looked like the Sirens title would be changing hands.

However, out of nowhere, an unknown cowgirl, complete with a cowboy hat, boots, daisy dukes, and a flannel shirt, approached ringside. She got up on the apron, nodding towards Samantha. Extending her hand, it appeared that the new champion was going to have an ally. However, at the last moment, the Cowgirl pulled her hand back and dropped to the floor. This distraction allowed Phoenix to recover, and she rolled up Samantha off the ropes and bridged into a 1-2-3 pinfall.

While the Champion retained, the bigger question coming out of the matchup has to do with the cowgirl. Who was she, and why does she have it out for Sexy Samantha?

MPW Heavyweight Championship Match: Headline Shaun Martens (c) def. “The Cheetahbear” Jude Dawkins and “The War Boy” Dalsano

After having the rest of Annihilation by his side since he won the title last November, MPW Heavyweight Champion Shaun Martens had to handle his business alone on Saturday night. In his biggest title defence to date, Martens was tasked with facing off with two very different challengers. The Cheetahbear, with his power and aggressiveness, and Dalsano, the newcomer with speed and cunning, made Saturday’s match a daunting defence.

Early in the match, Martens looked to form an alliance with Dalsano, insisting Annihilation needs a “War-Boy”. Early on, Dalsano seemed to accept the invitation, leading to Dawkins taking a plethora of abuse from both competitors. However, at each turn, he was fighting back. The Cheetahbear eventually got caught by the double-team; fortunately for him, the numbers advantage soon turned into a one-on-one, when Martens laid out Dalsano with a vicious clothesline. Martens continued the onslaught on both competitors, including a second-rope death valley driver on Dalsano. Eventually, the tides turned in Dawkins favour, and Martens quickly sacrificed Dalsano to the Cheetahbear. In a move that hasn’t been seen in Monster Pro Wrestling since executed by Teddy Hart, the Cheetahbear hit Dalsano with a sick Canadian Destroyer.

With Dalsano out cold, Martens found his window of opportunity. From behind, Martens sent Dawkins into the steel ring post, with Dawkins’ momentum sending him to the outside. Rather than using his finisher on the unconscious War Boy, Martens simply applied the Cobra Clutch to Dalsano. Before Dawkins could get back in for the save, the referee saw Dalsano’s arm dropped three times, confirming the submission. Martens retains.

Tables, Ladders, Chairs, Champs

With the Count-out of Dad Bod Squad and High Octane, the MPW Head Office made an executive decision. Rather than allowing the Cat’s a bye to the final, all three teams would compete in the TLC Match for the Renegade Tag Team Championships.

On the surface, it appeared that the current champs were in the best shape heading into the match. Kid Cyrus appeared to have sustained a hip or leg injury in their quarterfinal match, and Annihilation had the shortest break between the two matches. Conversely, Nixon and Kato looked fresh and stayed that way to start the match, evading the battles inside the ring as the action picked up.

It didn’t take long for that strategy to be utilized to their advantage.

With all three teams now on the outside, Massive Damage and Wrath appeared primed to send Kid Cyrus and Rich King onto a table. However, unbeknownst to their opposition, the Cats moved the table out of the way, sending King and Cyrus crashing to the mats. With their opponents incapacitated, the Cats and Annihilation moved the action back inside the ring, with Nate towing a ladder for good measure. However, Massive Damage subsequently found a chair to his liking and went about destroying both Nate’s back and the ladder itself. After all six competitors traded shots with chairs, the action once again headed to the outside. However, this time it was Wrath that ended up on a table, and Cyrus and King double-suplexed Massive Damage through both the table and his compatriot.

Needless to say, the crowd went insane.

Back in the ring, Nate and Kato looked to secure the Tag Titles with a fresh ladder. However, they were intercepted by King and Cyrus, and the duos battled through the ring. The biggest turning point in this brawl was when Nate took a page from Jude Dawkins’ playbook from the previous match and hit Cyrus with a Canadian Destroyer, this time, however, through a chair.

With Cyrus was laid out, King was on his own. With a clear advantage, it looked all but assured that the Cats were going to retain. Unbeknownst to either team, unfortunately, Massive Damage and Wrath had utilized their time to recover. It looked like the monster Wrath found another gear, grabbing Nate off the ladder and brutalized him with a sick Package Piledriver. Looking to escape the Tattooed Terminators, the Cats ended up on the outside. Unfortunately for them, they weren’t safe out there. Taking hold of their opponents, Annhiliation set up yet another table, only to immediately destroy it with the bodies of the Cat’s Meow.

With the Cat’s seemingly neutered for the match, Annihilation seemed poised for victory. Both Wrath and Damage seemed set to double-team King as they re-entered the ring. Fortunately, seemingly out of nowhere Kid Cyrus returned to the ring from his extended breather and helped King fight off both Damage and Wrath. With the Terminators incapacitated, King finally had a clear path to the championships. Within seconds, the titles had been unclipped, and both King and Cyrus stood tall as Renegade Memorial Tag Team Champions.

Up Next:

The next show for Monster Pro Wrestling will take place in Lloydminster August 8. However, MPW returns to Edmonton as part of the Italian Cultural Festival on August 25. The free show from Giovani Coboto Park in Downtown Edmonton, named “Big Trouble in Little Italy” (excellent name courtesy of former MPW GM Mike Malowany) starts at 2 pm. For details, check out Monster Pro Wrestling on Facebook, or Instagram.

Last Five:

MPW Recap: Renegade Memorial Tournament, Edmonton, August 3

The WCSN