Saturday night saw the Real Canadian Wrestling roster return to Red Deer, Alberta for RCW Fight for Glory, the promotion’s third event under the combined RCW/CWC banner. Seven matches made up the card for July 20th’s event at Festival Hall, with a #1 contenders bout between Jack Pride and Travis Cole headlining the evening. As always seems to be the case with any Red Deer wrestling event, the card more than lived up to the hype, with most (if not all) of the matches not only meeting expectations but exceeding them. Despite the absence of big names like tagSTRUGGLE, Dylon Stone, Brice “the Slammer” Sova and Kayla Jaye on the card, the talent on the card more than delivered.
Like good sex advice, let’s wrap it up!
The Headline:
The name may have changed, but that doesn’t mean that Cody Chimera and Maverick Jack are any less dangerous.
It was clear that there was a different air about Jack and Chimera from the onset of Saturday night’s show. Since winning the RCW Tag Team Championships on June 10th, both men have quickly established themselves as one of the top teams in Western Canada. The seamless chemistry between not only Chimera and Jack, but the rest of their Dirty Inc faction has been a highlight of Real Canadian Wrestling shows since Dirty Mike Jones recruited the pair to his ranks mere months ago.
However, prior to the pair’s championship bout against the pairing of Barricade and “Real Talk” Dean Richtor, it wasn’t Jones who led the duo to ringside. Celia Fayte, formerly one of the Calgary consorts of the faction, entered the squared circle and began to admonish not only the city of Red Deer but Real Canadian Wrestling management itself. Fairly standard fare, until the shocking revelation that Jones had purportedly been fired in an attempt to hold Dirty Inc down. However, said Fayte, that wouldn’t prevent the champions from continuing their reign of dominance over RCW. The duo would henceforth be known as the Malicious Militia, and as the strains of their brand-new entrance music hit both Chimera and Jack made their entrances.
While their match wasn’t quite the dominant performance the pair would have liked - more on that later - the team was still able to retain their RCW Tag Team Championships in a hard-fought victory against Barricade and Richtor. However, that wouldn’t be the last we’d see of the Malicious Militia for the evening.
In the midst of the evening’s thrilling main event between Jack Pride and Travis Cole, Fayte appeared at ringside in what appeared to be an innocuous attempt to watch the match. However, as Pride and Cole halted their match and questioned her appearance, both Chimera and Jack appeared from the venue’s outside entrance and began to ruthlessly beat down the prospective #1 contenders. While Pride and Cole eventually gained the upper hand on the Malicious Militia, it just served to show that the duo was as Dirty as ever.
The Championships:
Cole, Pride Pushed to Limit
The evening’s main event was an advertised battle between Travis Cole and Jack Pride with the #1 Contendership to Dylon Stone’s Alberta Championship on the line.
As mentioned in our last recap, there’s a reason that Pride has earned his reputation as one of the fastest-rising stars on the Albertan scene today. Well, the same can easily be said of Travis Cole. Since taking up more consistently with RCW late last year, Cole has been one of the standouts on the roster, consistently delivering top-notch bouts with the likes of Dylon Stone, Sydney Steele and Chris Perish.
However, yet another constant through Cole’s time with Real Canadian Wrestling has been his perpetual rival Pride. The two have followed eerily similar paths through the past few months, with both men ascending up the card at a rapid rate. While the two have battled time and time again, though, Saturday saw perhaps the biggest match of their storied rivalry take place. With not only the #1 contendership but the main event slot on the line, the anticipation was through the roof for the bout.
Boy, did the two deliver.
From the opening bell, it was clear that both Pride and Cole came to deliver. It was a perpetual game of one-upmanship from the two erstwhile #1 contenders; whether it be the fast and furious start to the match or each brutal chop to the chest, each consistently had an answer for the other. Fortunately for the fans in attendance, neither was able to put their opponent away in the early goings of the match.
With neither Cole nor Pride able to gain a clear advantage in the opening minutes, both men continued to throw themselves around like rag dolls in pursuit of the #1 contendership. Pride was at his high-flying best, hitting a vicious moonsault off the apron that looked to have Cole down for the count. However, not only was Travis able to kick out but answered with a devastating suicide dive of his own. It was clear that neither Pride nor Cole was willing to concede an inch to their opponent, and the effort clearly showed to the RCW faithful. The audience built to a crescendo of cheers with each blow, with many on the edge of their seats in anticipation of someone’s impending victory.
Unfortunately, as previously mentioned, that victory would never come. The Malicious Militia made their presence known in the waning moments of the match and proceeded with a vicious beatdown of both competitors. A ruthless series of shots with both titles and chairs commenced; however, when all looked lost, Barricade ran in and attacked both of the RCW Tag Team Champions. Conspicuously, though, Dean Richtor ran in alongside his tag team partner Barricade, he merely stood outside the ring as both Cody Chimera and Maverick Jack brutalized the now-trio inside the ring. Eventually, Pride was able to run off both Jack and Chimera, with the match declared a no-contest. It only makes sense for Cole and Pride to take on the Militia at this point; the question, then is if they can put their differences aside.
Metal, Youngblood Defeat “The Omen”
While the RCW Canadian Heavyweight Championship wasn’t defended at Fight for Glory, the promotion’s top titleholder was still in action on Saturday night as Heavy Metal teamed with Big Jess Youngblood in a handicap match against “the Omen” Gabriel Lestat. While the match was previously announced as a tag team matchup featuring Brice “the Slammer” Sova, Sova was ostensibly unavailable for the show, leaving Lestat without an ally against two of the top workers in the province.
It was clear that the Omen, while at a disadvantage from the onset, wasn’t deterred by the unforeseen circumstances. In fact, it was Gabriel that first called out Metal, challenging him to enter the ring at the onset of the match. At first, the RCW Champion obliged, stepping into the ring and towards Gabriel. However, in a move befitting a wily vet, immediately tagged in Big Jess. While initially, Youngblood looked confused, his focus was soon turned on The Omen. As Gabriel charged, Youngblood ducked the ropes, forcing Gabriel to back off of his aggressive approach.
However, seconds later, Youngblood seemingly took offence to Gabriel’s words and began to circle the former PWA Esteemed champion. A deft heel hook from Lestat brought Youngblood to the mat, and Lestat began to the Omen began to work him over with a series of vicious submissions. However, while Gabriel was able to briefly gain the upper hand, it wasn’t long before the Original Aboriginal was back on his feet and taking it to his opponent. The two long-time rivals put on an absolute clinic for the opening minutes of the match until a head-scissors from Lestat to Youngblood caused the latter to tag in his partner, Heavy Metal.
However, mere seconds after tagging in, Metal was already on the outside of the ring by his own devices. Rather than engaging the enrage Lestat, Metal simply tagged back out immediately upon reentering the ring. It seemed, though, that the time on the outside was all that Youngblood needed, as he immediately went to task on the Vampire.
However, as the Omen attempted to rally on the outside of the ring, Heavy Metal finally chose to make his presence known. With Gabriel lining up for a knee to a prone Youngblood, Metal took advantage of a distracted referee to trip up the Vampire and subsequently get tagged in. Finally, Metal entered the ring and laid a brutal beatdown on his opponent, showcasing why he’s the longest-reigning RCW Champion of all-time. Both he and Youngblood showcased why the name Top Talent isn’t just figurative; they routinely toyed with the Omen, brutalizing him at every opportunity they got. However, though he bent, Gabriel didn’t break. Somehow, the Omen managed to reverse or kick out of every pinfall that Youngblood or Metal threw at him.
Despite Gabriel’s resilience, however, the match was dominated by Top Talent. The duo worked seamlessly together in their assault on the Vampire, trading tags at every opportunity and working over the Omen.
That is, however, until some miscommunications between Metal and Youngblood left them prone to an offensive onslaught from the Vampire. While the team had the clear advantage in the early goings of the match, it looked as though they couldn’t find an answer for the innovative offence that Gabriel unleashed on both the current and former RCW Champions. As the Omen rallied, so did the crowd, erupting with every manoeuvre that Gabriel laid into Top Talent.
In the final minutes of the match, it looked as though Gabriel could have a real shot at victory. Not only had he managed to slow down both Youngblood and Heavy Metal, but an errant spear from the Original Aboriginal to the RCW Champion left the latter laying. More importantly, it left Youngblood - the legal man at this point - prone to an onslaught of offence from the Omen. That’s exactly what happened, too; with Metal seemingly out of the picture, Gabriel hammered Youngblood with a series of suplexes and looked to secure the winning pinfall over his opponent. However, Metal was able to recover at the perfect moment and interrupt the pinfall at the last second.
With the RCW Champion back in action, it was only a matter of time before the numbers game caught up to the Omen. While he was able to lay in a series of stiff shots to both his opponents, including a wicked throat punch to Heavy Metal, a well-timed lariat from Jess to Gabriel finally gave Top Talent the upper hand for good. Though Gabriel was able to escape a piledriver attempt from Big Jess, a well-timed eye rake allowed Heavy Metal to hit the Omen with a wicked powerslam. Seconds later, Top Talent hit their finisher, and it wasn’t long before Gabriel was enjoying a proverbial three-second tan.
In the end, Metal and Jess simply proved to be too much for the Omen. While it was a valiant effort, and one the Omen should be proud of, the lack of a partner definitely left him at a disadvantage on Saturday. While a pair of lesser opponents may have been able to be exploited, there’s simply no denying Top Talent.
Malicious Militia Make In-Ring Debut
As previously mentioned, Saturday saw the newly-named Malicious Militia defend the RCW Tag Team Championships against the unlikely duo of Barricade and Dean Richtor.
While the pairing may seem random, Richtor and Barricade have transitioned seamlessly to the RCW tag team division. The duo’s in-ring chemistry is palpable, with “Real Talk” providing the briskness to Barricade’s brawn. However, with the team tasked with their first one-on-one opportunity at the tag team titles, some questioned whether or not the team would be able to take the next step in their development together.
All of those questions were quelled seconds into the pair’s battle against the Malicious Militia. Both Barricade and Chimera kicked things off for what was the evening’s second match, and early on it looked as though Chimera had his work cut out for him in the form of his massive opponent. In the battle’s opening seconds, Chimera attempted to run the ropes and hit a shoulder tackle on Barricade; however, the resulting collision made it sound as though Chimera had run into a brick wall. Unphased, Chimera attempted to slow Barricade down with a headlock, but again was thrown to the ropes and taken down by his monstrous opponent.
Looking to change things up, Maverick Jack tagged into the match for the first time, but he, too, was met by the monstrous presence of Barricade. Jack was picked up for a massive slam almost immediately after tagging in, which Barricade followed up with an elbow drop. However, Jack kicked out of the match’s first pinfall, which led to Richtor tagging in for the first time.
With both Richtor and Barricade legal for the standard five-second interval, the pair took out Jack with a pair of clotheslines; however, once the match reverted back to one-on-one, Jack was able to take advantage of Richtor for a brief moment and give the Malicious Militia the upper hand for the first time in the tilt. However, a series of kicks from Real Talk to Jack put the tag team champion on the ropes. Subsequently, Jack was thrown into the corner by his challenger, but shrewdly reversed an attempt at a monkey flip and begins to brutalize Dean Richtor. Shortly after, Jack tagged in Chimera for the first time since the opening stanza. However, Jack was thrown into the pole and some nifty footwork from Real Talk allowed him to take over once again.
Unfortunately, as Richtor attempted to lay a textbook running knee on Cody Chimera, Militia manager Celia Fayte got involved in the match for what wouldn’t be the last time. After grabbing at Richtor’s leg and causing a momentary distraction, Chimera hit a running knee of his own to regain the advantage for the artists formerly known as Dirty Inc. Tagging Jack back in, the pair hit a massive dual suplex on Real Talk Dean Richtor but were unable to put him away.
While Jack was unable to secure a pinfall, that didn’t slow the momentum of the Malicious Militia. After a few heavy blows from Maverick Jack to Dean Richtor, Chimera was tagged back in and hammered Richtor with a humongous German Suplex. With Richtor dazed, Maverick Jack tagged back in and the duo hit the Soup Kitchen on Richtor. Inexplicably, Dean was able to kick out of what’s put so many others away. With Maverick Jack looking dumbfounded in the ring, Chimera took to the outside and looked to remove Barricade from the equation.
With Barricade out of the picture, Chimera tagged back in and the pair looked to hit Richtor with another dual suplex. However, this time Richtor was able to not only avoid taking the move but reversed it into dual DDT’s. As he went to tag in his partner, however, Barricade was nowhere in sight, leaving Real Talk prone to the merciless hands of the Malicious Militia.
Fortunately, when all looked lost, Barricade made his way back to the apron. Savvily, he tagged himself back into the match as Richtor was thrown against the ropes. Though Chimera was able to secure a three-count on Real Talk, the referee’s refusal to count left him baffled as to why he hadn’t secured a win. Glancing about the ring, Chimera’s gaze finally reached the monstrous Barricade, who’d made his way into the ring unbeknownst to either member of the Malicious Militia. After taking out both Maverick Jack and Chimera with lariats, he attempted to hit one of his patented splashes to the corner on Chimera.
However, the former Dirty Inc member was not only able to avoid it, but both he and his tag team compatriot were able to drag the unconscious Barricade to the middle of the ring. With both cascading the top ropes, the pair hit their opponent with a set of stereo splashes, with Jack able to secure the winning pinfall.
While the game has changed, said MacGruber, the players remain the same.
Austin Retains, but the Giant Orion Dominates
After an impressive showing against Sydney Steele at Dealer’s Choice, the Giant Orion was granted an opportunity at Vince Austin’s RCW Commonwealth Championship on Saturday night.
While his match with Steele may be his highest-profile tilt thus far, Orion has looked solid since joining the Real Canadian Wrestling roster mere weeks ago. Standing at what I’d estimate to be over seven feet tall, the former MMA fighter is deceptively quick in-ring and often surprises his opponents with his unique blend of agility and power. However, Austin’s confidence was assuredly sky-high heading into Saturday’s tilt, with both a singles battle with former ally Günnar and his nearly year-long blood feud with “the Universe” Zack Mercury recently concluding in his favour. It also goes without saying that Austin held the numbers advantage in Saturday’s match against Orion, with both “the Profane Profit” Dante and Viking Rage manager Mr Spectrum accompanying Austin to ringside.
Despite the presence of Austin’s compatriots, Orion didn’t seem phased to kick off Saturday’s Commonwealth Championship match. Right off the bat, Orion was able to utilize his size to his advantage, sluffing off Austin’s first punch of the match and taking him to the corner. After a massive splash, Orion heaved Austin to the opposite side of the ring; however, before he was able to capitalize, Austin had rolled outside of the ring to regroup.
However, the temporary setback did nothing to slow down the giant. Rolling out of the ring himself, Orion first attacked Viking Rage manager Mr Spectrum and subsequently smashed Austin’s face against the apron. Again utilizing his massive size advantage, Orion collected the prone Commonwealth Champion and threw him into a barricade. With both Spectrum and Austin’s Viking Rage compatriot Dante put out of commission at the hands of Orion, it was simple for the giant to effortlessly bring the action back into the ring. With the action truly one-on-one for the first time, Orion began to work over the left arm of Austin, heading to the top rope and going old school on the Commonwealth titleholder.
However, it wasn’t long before the Viking Rage made their impact felt once again. With Orion looking to finish things off, both Dante and Spectrum hopped up on the apron and distracted the Giant. However, as he had time and time again, Orion made short work of the temporary distractions, knocking them both off the apron and began to work over Austin once again. A brutal beatdown ensued, with Orion levelling Austin with blow after blow, capped off with a massive slam. However, shockingly, Austin kicked out.
Unfortunately, the final attempt at interference finally paid off for the Viking Rage. Unbeknownst to Orion, in the midst of the chaos, it appeared as though Mr Spectrum handed off a chain of some sort to the Commonwealth Champion. It was that chain that would prove to be Orion’s undoing. After yet another brief distraction from Spectrum and Dante, Orion set up Austin for a patented powerbomb. However, with the referee unable to see his hand, Austin clocked Orion with the weapon previously given to him by his manager and pinned Orion in the confusion. A short three-count later, and Austin had successfully defended his Commonwealth Championship.
While Orion was mocked by the Viking Rage as they exited, the monster was met with raucous applause from the Red Deer faithful.
The Best of the Rest:
Kat Von Heez /Zoë Sager vs. Cherry Dahl/Alix Zwicker (Special Guest Referee: Big Bruce)
Four of the top female talents in Alberta battled it out on Saturday night, as Prairie Wrestling Alliance staples Zoë Sager and Kat Von Heez teamed up to take on a pair of long-time Red Deer favourites in Cherry Dahl and “the Masterpiece of the East” Alix Zwicker. With three of the four women from last month’s acclaimed PWA Championship match present for the evening’s action, early predictions had many speculating the bout to be one of the highlights of the night. As easy of a prediction as it may have been, all four women delivered in the night’s second match. With Big Bruce on deck as the evening’s special guest referee, there was plenty of room for hijinks; however, Bruce was able to keep a relatively solid handle on things for the duration of the match.
Both Sager and Zwicker kicked off the match for their respective teams. While Zwicker attempted to start the match off cleanly, Sager shrewdly ducked under the ropes, allowing the Storm graduate to kick off the match on her terms. As the pair finally locked up, Sager savvily pulled the hair of Alix Zwicker and used it to drag her to the corner. However, rather than attack, Sager patted her on the head condescendingly. While the same thing occurred on the second lock up, however, this time Sager attempted to condescendingly shove Zwicker. This time, however, Zwicker not only struck back, but her power advantage forced Sager to the mat.
It was an advantage that the Masterpiece of the East continued to exploit throughout the opening frame of the matchup. A series of arm drags followed from Zwicker, despite Sager’s attempts to power out. Again and again, Sager was taken to the mat. A massive neck breaker from Zwicker to Sager had the good guys off to a hot start, but the opportunity was used to tag in both Von Heez and Cherry Dahl.
Off the hop, it was an odd sight to see two long-time rivals in Sager and Von Heez team up, given their previous rivalry in the Prairie Wrestling Alliance. However, despite the obvious tension between the two, it was clear that the pair were familiar with each other, as their chemistry was evident from the first tag.
After a staredown between the two powerhouses, both Dahl and Von Heez exchanged holds until Dahl cleverly snuck between Von Heez’s legs and attempted a roll-up. However, after kicking out at one, Von Heez immediately began to work over Dahl’s left leg. Fortunately, Dahl recovered before any major damage was given, and quickly gained control of Von Heez’s left arm. However, Von Heez used her formidable strength to toss Dahl into her corner, and as she did, Dahl was hit with a kick from Sager that went unnoticed by the referee. Immediately, Von Heez followed up by a massive powerslam to Dahl, and again began to work the left leg of her opponent.
After Von Heez conclusively worked over Dahl, Sager tagged back in, and the duo hit a massive side slam/neck breaker combo that looked to have their opponent down for the count. Subsequently, Sager went for the pinfall but was unable to keep Dahl down. Furious, Sager dragged her opponent to the opposite corner and bashed Dahl’s leg against the ring post a number of times. After continuing to work over the leg, Sager tagged in Von Heez, who again attempted a pinfall. After a number of strikes to the knee of Dahl, Von Heez attempted her patented bridging sharpshooter. However, Dahl miraculously worked her way out of it and managed to land a few massive strikes. Unfortunately, Von Heez continued to assert her power advantage, responding with a series of chops in the corner before a set of ruthless kicks to the thigh.
With Dahl weakened, Von Heez seemingly sensed the opportunity to put her opponent away for good. Effortlessly, the PWA powerhouse lifted Dahl to the top of the ropes; however, with a burst of strength, Dahl fought back and hit Von Heez with a devastating boot to the face. With Von Heez reeling, Dahl followed up with a massive tornado DDT off the ropes and utilized the opportunity to finally make the hot tag to Alix Zwicker. Zwicker immediately took over, hitting a series of manoeuvres to both opponents including a massive chin buster to the now-legal Sager.
Eventually, however, the PWA stars recovered to hit Zwicker with a dual suplex; however, the pinfall was broken up by Dahl. As tensions boiled over, the four begin to brawl, with the standoff ending with both Sager and Von Heez hit by dual X-Factors. However, a set of follow up clotheslines was reversed by Sager and Von Heez into a pair of ruthless dual german suplexes to Alix and Cherry.
With both opponents neutralized, an irate Von Heez tagged herself in and absolutely tossed the prone Zwicker across the ring. Luckily, it enabled Dahl to tag herself in, but she was instantly hit with a giant Samoan drop. Seconds later, with Dahl secured in a DDT position, it looked as though Von Heez had the match put away. However, Dahl was shrewdly able to utilize her momentum to drive both herself and Von Heez backwards, causing not only Sager to be bumped off the ropes, but Dahl to hit her patented bulldog on Von Heez. However, while Kat was able to recover, Sager put the final nail in her team’s coffin, walking out on Von Heez as she attempted to make the tag.
With the tag match essentially becoming a handicap match, it was only moments before the team of Dahl and Zwicker were able to capitalize. While Von Heez performed admirably in her partner’s absence, it wasn’t long before she fell victim to some chicanery from her opponents. As Von Heez looked to hit a finishing suplex on Dahl, Cherry was able to shrewdly reverse the attempt into a rollup for the 1-2-3.
Unfortunately, while Bruce was able to keep the action under control bell-to-bell, it wasn’t long after the match ended that Von Heez took exception to the referee’s actions. Whether upset at the referee specifically or simply the result, a massive fallaway slam from Von Heez to Bruce at least seemingly left her satisfied as she made her way to the back.
Kota Debuts for RCW
While former PWA Champion Sheik Akbar Shabaz may be beloved in his home promotion, Saturday night’s pre-intermission matchup saw the Sheik reverting to his old, ahem, “crowd-pleasing” ways. Immediately upon entering the ringside area, Shabaz began chastising the crowd, suggesting that they didn’t deserve to see him wrestle and questioning why he’d made the trek to Red Deer in the first place. Amidst a chorus of boos, Shabaz continued, announcing that the person he was scheduled to wrestle purportedly wasn’t showing up, and the Sheik applauded the nameless opponent for making what he called an excellent decision.
However, at that moment, Shabaz was interrupted by the tones of unfamiliar entrance music. As the fans in attendance turned their attention to the entrance ramp, their gaze was met by the debuting Kota, an imposing figure dressed in all black ring gear. Silently, Kota made his way into the ring, and immediately squared up to the former PWA Champion.
While the Sheik attempted to jaw jack his opponent, Kota gazed firmly, yet silently, directly at Shabaz. Frustrated, the Sheik took a swing at his opponent, and despite striking him square in the jaw, there was nary a reaction from the Knight of the Apocolypse. Again, Shabaz struck and again, Kota refused to recoil. In the midst of a third punch, Kota exploded, unleashing a series of punches on his nemesis. Seconds later, he effortlessly tossed Shabaz to the corner and began to work him over with knee after knee. After laying a number of devastating chops into the Sheik, an elbow drop/leg drop combination allowed Kota to attempt the first pinfall of the match. However, Shabaz used his in-ring awareness to cleverly roll out of the ring.
Unfortunately, while Kota attempted to drag shabaz into the ring, the Sheik sneakily raked the eyes of his debuting opponent. However, an attempt to take Kota to the corner was blocked, and the Knight of the Apocolypse effortlessly heaved Shabaz back into the ring. After a massive stalling suplex to the Sheik, Kota attempted to pin Shabaz with one foot. However, again the Sheik was able to escape. Again he rolled out of the ring, but this time, he was ready for the counteroffensive from Kota. As his opponent attempted a suicide dive, Shabaz laid a massive uppercut square in his jaw, leaving Kota reeling for the first time in the tilt.
While it’d taken longer than expected to gain the advantage over his debuting opponent, Shabaz more than made up for it with the ruthlessness of his beating. A number of strategically placed shots left the Knight of the Apocolypse reeling, and it looked as though despite his earlier dominance that Kota would kick off his RCW career 0-1. However, a shrewd reversal of an attempted top rope manoeuvre from Shabaz locked the Shiek in a liontamer-type submission, and though Shabaz would make it to the ropes to break the hold, it was clear that the damage had been done. Though Shabaz was able to regain some momentum with a massive swinging neckbreaker, it wasn’t long before Kota truly began to assert his dominance over the former top titleholder.
Despite a number of near-falls on Kota, it was clear that the Knight of the Apocolypse simply wouldn’t be satisfied with anything less than a victory. After a massive backbreaker from Kota to Shabaz, the former planted Shabaz with a move that was eerily reminiscent of Zack Mercury’s Overdose. With a devastating reapplication of the liontamer, it was mere seconds before Shabaz tapped out in agony.
It was a stellar debut for Kota; now, let’s only hope the momentum doesn’t slow.
Vitorio Impresses
The evening’s opening match saw Dante of the Viking Rage taking on a relative newcomer to RCW, Alonzo Vitorio.
Dante entered the ringside area to raucous boos. Vitorio enters to cheers for the first time in his young RCW career. It’s a testament to Vitorio’s work that in his short time with the promotion, the fans are already starting to sway in his favour. In fact, it was Vitorio that got the crowd going early, and who offered an early handshake to Dante. However, the Profane Profit rejected Vitorio’s show of respect, slapping him in the face. However, the favour was quickly returned to Dante, and the pair locked up to kick off the evening’s action.
Early on, it looked as though Dante would be able to assert his power advantage over his opponent; Vitorio, however, recovered quickly and worked over the arm of Dante. It allowed him to apply an early submission to the Profane Profit; however, as we’d often see, Mr Spectrum got involved and pushed the rope closer to his Viking Rage protegee, forcing a rope break. However, it wasn’t long before a series of arm drags to Dante gave Vitorio the upper hand yet again over his opponent. Frankly, he controlled Dante with relative ease, doing push-ups on his back while effortlessly controlling his arm. A few well-placed elbows from Dante looked to get him back in the action, but Vitorio’s impressive agility allowed him to continue to hold his opponent at bay.
As so often happens, however, an eye rake from Dante gave him an advantage – briefly. Vitorio, again, was able to utilize his impressive agility to regain control over his opponent. After a few well placed, strikes, he sent Dante to the outside.
Unfortunately, at that point, the tides started to turn in the Viking Rage member’s favour. As Vitorio cascaded the ropes in an attempt to finish of Dante, the Profane Profit kicked his opponent off the top and began to target both the left leg and back of Vitorio. Shortly after, a knee to the face gave Dante his first pinfall attempt; however, he was unable to put Vitorio away. Vitorio was resilient, despite the thorough working-over of his back for the majority of the match. Time and time again, Vitorio was able to kick out of pinfall attempts from the Profane Profit.
Finally, Dante attempted to take Vitorio to the top rope himself, looking to put his opponent away. However, Vitorio was able to reverse the attempt into a pancake on Dante, and Vitorio laid a devastating axe handle to the prone Viking Rage member. However, despite even hitting the Profane Profit with a massive bulldog-type move off the ropes, he still wasn’t able to finish him off.
The climax to the match came fast and furious. Looking to finish off Dante with a patented knee strike, Vitorio instead hit his knee on the ring post due to a well-timed manoeuvre from the Profane Profit. However, Dante was unable to capitalize, missing a prime opportunity at an enziguri. Shortly after, Vitorio hit a running knee and looked to have the match finished. However, Spectrum pulled referee Charles Spencer out of the ring. Dante applied a sleeper hold to Vitorio, but fortunately, he was able to reverse. As Dante attempted yet another sleeper, Vitorio utilized yet another bulldog off the ring post to reverse it into a roll-up and a victory.
Final Thoughts:
Can anyone remember the last time a Red Deer show hasn’t delivered? Because it certainly wasn’t Saturday night.
Even despite the lack of top names like Brice “the Slammer” Sova, Chris Perish, Angelica, Kayla Jaye et al, the RCW stars put on an excellent show on Saturday night at Festival Hall. Both Travis Cole and Jack Pride delivered in yet another stellar main event, marred only by the appearances of Dirty Inc the Malicious Militia. The women’s match was a highlight of the card yet again, and names like Alonzo Vitorio and the Giant Orion looked impressive in what were many fans first looks at both men.
The only damper on the evening was the purported storyline firing of Dirty Mike Jones; over the past few months, Dirty Inc has been one of the major success stories for Real Canadian Wrestling, and one only hopes that the payoff to Jones’ absence leads to something bigger down the line for what many are calling the most dominant faction in Western Canada. To paraphrase the man himself, Real Canadian Wrestling could either be dirty….or in the dirt.
All catchphrases aside, if you’re a professional wrestling fan in the Red Deer area, there’s simply no reason to not be buying tickets any time RCW/CWC is on the docket. You’re truly missing out if you don’t.
Last Five:
- CWL: Interview with Former Impact Star Gursinder Singh
- Real Canadian Wrestling Recap: Dealer’s Choice, Edmonton, July 13
- Last Week in Alberta Wrestling: July 9 – July 16, 2020
- BREAKING: Michael Richard Blais to Make U.K Debut
- Premier Championship Wrestling to Welcome Mike Quackenbush
