You can’t say that Saturday evening’s Oil City Rumble wasn’t eventful.
It was there that fans were treated(?) to an appearance from former Stampede Wrestling star and local crazy person Jason the Terrible, who was looking for revenge on Brice “The Slammer” Sova following his loss the previous evening. It was also an event that saw Matt Hart return to Edmonton to challenge for the RCW Canadian Heavyweight Championship, a brand-new women’s champion crowned, and a main event battle royal to select the next challenger for the heavyweight title.
Let’s recap!
The Headline:
Jason the Terrible Does Exactly as Expected from Jason the Terrible
Saturday marked the second straight evening featuring former Stampede Wrestling star Jason the Terrible. The previous evening saw Mr. the Terrible come up short in his efforts against Brice “The Slammer” Sova, a fact that ostensibly left a sour taste in the Stampede legend’s mouth. Much like the Hulk - the big green monster, not the wrestler, brother - Jason was unable to control the raging spirit that dwelled within him and made multiple appearances in front of the crowd throughout the evening.
Thankfully, the first of said appearances was for his scheduled rematch with the Slammer. Right from the get-go, the battle spilt outside the ring, with the pair duelling over merchandise tables and around the Edmonton Sportsdome, each reigning massive blows upon their opponents.
As could be expected considering, well, it’s Jason the Terrible, it wasn’t long before the grey floor of the Edmonton Sportsdome was caked in a layer of crimson. In an admittedly savvy move, the Slammer struck Jason with his infamous hockey mask, leaving a massive bloody gash on the Stampede stars face. From that point, the match was all Sova, and as the battle made it’s way back towards the ring, the Slammer laid in a series of massive strikes to his nearly pension-eligible opponent. With Jason unconscious in the middle of the ring, Sova headed to the top rope looking to put his opponent away. It was at that point, unfortunately, that Vince Austin of the Viking Rage made his presence known, attacking the Slammer and causing the match to be thrown out. A savage beatdown commenced, as Austin and Jason attacked the prone Slammer with a series of strikes. Thankfully - and not only for the Slammer, but the fans in attendance - KOTA made his way to the ring to make the save. Shortly after, Austin and Mr. the Terrible exited the ring.
However, this was not the final time we would see Jason the Terrible. Following a lengthy clean-up of blood by the numerous volunteers from Oil City Roller Derby, Jason surprisingly made an in-ring appearance in the middle of the intermission. As he entered the squared circle, the only sound emanating were the blood-curdling screams of “Slammer!”. After what felt like an eternity, Sova appeared from the entranceway but rather than face the battered Jason, Slammer was given a mic and told Jason to get out of the ring, that he is done, and that he should just retire. After negotiations between RCW officials and the former Stampede star, Jason left the ring and returned to the locker room.
Why stop there, though?
The evening’s main event, the Oil City Rumble, was set to see a brand-new number one contender crowned for Heavy Metal’s RCW Canadian Heavyweight Championship. Seemingly not content with his prior appearances and ostensibly left with a taste for gold, Jason returned to the ring for the third time and attempted to get in on the action. This time, however, RCW officials, security and Oil City Roller Derby members managed to restrain Jason, who was likely still showing the after-effects of his earlier tilt with Slammer. Finally, Jason was sent back to the locker room for the final time in the evening.
It was unlike anything seen at an RCW show in quite some time, and quite likely an independent show in the city. It was certainly controversial, prompting this statement from Real Canadian Wrestling:
“Real Canadian Wrestling management tried to contain the situation the best the company could, and will not being business with Jason ever again. RCW does not condone or support his actions (following) his match.”
The Championships:
Hart Unsuccessful in Edmonton Return
In his first Edmonton appearance in over a year, Matt Hart challenged Heavy Metal for the RCW Canadian Championship.
While Hart has been clear that his end goal in Real Canadian Wrestling is the promotion’s heavyweight championship, Saturday was about so much more than RCW’s top title. The history between Hart and Heavy Metal is as bitter as they come in independent wrestling, all stemming from Metal’s ruthless assault on the Hard 2 Kill star following last year’s inaugural Smith Hart Memorial Tournament. Since then, the two have been at each other’s throats at every turn, with no clear conclusion in sight for the two blood rivals.
Saturday’s match was no different than their previous affairs, in the best possible way. The two absolutely brutalized each other, with neither willing to concede an inch in their pursuit of the heavyweight title. The two are remarkably similar in-ring, and it made for an incredibly entertaining affair between the duo.
While Hart may be the favourite heading into most matches, there’s a reason that Metal has been one of the top dogs on the Albertan indie scene for nearly his entire career. For every shot that Hart threw his way, the Top Talent star had an answer, not only outpowering the Hard 2 Kill member but outwitting him on numerous occasions. At the end of the day, it was simply too much for Hart to overcome, and at the end of the night, the record-setting reign of Heavy Metal remained intact.
Kayla Jaye Captures RCW Women’s Championship
Just call her Kayla Three-Time.
Saturday evening saw Kayla Jaye challenge Angelica for the RCW Women’s Championship in a 2-out-of-3 falls match, and as has happened so often before, the two delivered in an absolute barnburner.
The history between these two long-standing rivals is well-versed throughout Alberta. As two of the premier female stars in Western Canada today, the duo have been intertwined since their days with Monster Pro Wrestling. As the two made the move to RCW, their feud came with them, and the pair have been brutalizing each other over the women’s championship since it’s reintroduction just over a year ago. However, it’s Angelica who’s established herself as the most dominant titleholder, entering the evening with the title’s longest reign since it’s reintroduction.
Early on, it looked as though that reign would continue, as Angelica earned the first fall of the match off of a patented Eat Defeat. However, Jaye’s resilience was palpable throughout the match, and despite Angelica’s physical dominance, Jaye was able to capture her third women’s title in two straight falls.
Irish Nites Shock Tag Team Titleholders
If you’re looking to kick off an evening with a great match, there are few better at doing so than the four men involved in Saturday night’s opener.
Saturday started out with the RCW Commissioner Irishman in the ring, calling out the Tag Team Champions, the Neon Knights. Immediately, both Jack Pride and Travis Cole entered the ringside area to thunderous applause. It was the duo’s first Edmonton appearance since defeating the Malicious Militia to win the titles nearly three weeks ago, and it was clear that the two were chomping at the bit in looking for some action. However, with neither Maverick Jack or Barricade available for the respective teams, there was no clear contender for the tag team titleholders to take on Saturday evening. However, the Irishman found a supplementary team to take on the champs in a non-title contest in the brand-new tag team of the Irish Nites, Son of Irish and Nite.
It appeared as though the surprise announcement threw off the tag team titleholders early on, as the duo found themselves fighting from behind through the first portion of the battle. However, they soon found their groove and took it to their fledgeling opponents. The team established their focus on Son of Irish; Pride and Cole looked to ground the high-flyer, leaving Son of Irish on the mat, almost completely knocked out.
However, Irish eventually managed to make the tag to the Morning Star Mercenary, and he cleaned house, and the pace of the match quickly picked up. Unfortunately, with neither team able to gain a clear advantage, the Irish Nites relied on some chicanery to assure their win. As Son of Irish and Cole battled on the outside and subsequently turning the referee’s attention their way, Nite shrewdly struck Pride in the head with his trademark mannequin head behind the referees back. Unaware of the situation at hand, Son of Irish headed back into the ring, hitting a picture-perfect Shooting Star Press as Nite nailed Cole with a Superkick to the outside. Incredibly, in their first official match together, the Irish Nites picked up the 1-2-3 over the tag team champions. One would have to assume that the pair have now lined themselves up for an opportunity at the tag team titles.
The Best of the Rest:
Oil City Rumble
Battle Royals are the most beautiful piece of cacophony in professional wrestling, and Saturday night’s main event was no different. It’s chaos in it’s purest form, with each member of the RCW roster looking to be the last man standing in the squared circle in the over-the-top challenge.
In the end, it was Dean Richtor that was able to eke out a victory on Saturday night, shrewdly eliminating both members of Top Talent at the same time with a cleverly-pulled rope as the pair charged him. For his efforts, Richtor has been rewarded an opportunity at the RCW Canadian Heavyweight Championship in Edmonton.
Chimera Dominates the Profane Profit
Since losing his magical orb to Jordan Aries, Dante has been a loose cannon of sorts, routinely interrupting other wrestler’s matches and adopting a more aggressive style in the ring. However, that was of absolutely no help to him on Saturday night, as he was facing off with two-time RCW Tag Team Champion Cody Chimera. Since being defeated for the titles just under a month ago, the Malicious Militia star has, well, maliciously taken out everyone in his path, developing a keen sense of ring awareness to match his absolute ruthlessness in the ring.
That was no more evident than on Saturday night. Though both Dante and his associate Mr Spectrum threw everything and the kitchen sink at Chimera, all it took was one devastating ankle lock to end the Profane Profit’s evening. It was an impressive showing for Chimera, who despite losing the tag titles mere weeks ago has to be inching closer to a championship opportunity of his own.
One Spear to Rule Them All
Saturday night saw Big Jesse Youngblood take on the Giant Orion in one of the biggest challenges of his RCW career - both figuratively and literally.
There are few wrestlers in Western Canada who can match up with Big Jesse Youngblood’s mix of size and agility. There’s a reason he’s one of the longest-reigning RCW Heavyweight Champions of all-time; his giant frame is only matched by his pure athleticism, not only routinely busting out moonsaults, but making them look easy. If independent wrestling featured any sort of sports betting system, you better believe that my money would be on Big Jesse nearly every single time he entered the squared circle.
However, Saturday saw him tasked with facing not only a monstrous opponent but a motivated one. Following a loss to Slammer last week in Red Deer, it looked as though Orion entered the evening with an aggressive new attitude, and he looked to take it to Youngblood early and often.
Frankly, he did so in spades, launching a volley of offence on the Original Aboriginal and sending Jesse on the defensive throughout most of this match. However, even in the worst of times, Youngblood can never be counted out simply due to his devastating spear. No one has kicked out of the Youngblood Spear in months, and that statistic can now include the Giant Orion. Following a simple ducking of a lariat, Youngblood shot off the ropes like a bullet, connecting with a devastating Spear that knocked the Giant out cold. Seconds later, it was all over for the challenger, earning Youngblood yet another victory in the process.
Spencer’s Final Thoughts:
Overall, Saturday’s show was a very entertaining night, at least when excluding some offputting moments from Jason the Terrible. Even for those that love hardcore wrestling, the segments involving Jason could be a throwback to the bloodbaths of the ’80s, but unfortunately, many fans did not expect that level of violence and decided to leave the venue. As evidenced by a number of delighted fans, there’s a market for a more aggressive or hardcore style in the Edmonton area, but the segments were certainly uncomfortable for those who attended the event hoping for a family-friendly event.
That being said, the in-ring action was stellar as always. The title matches were both highlights as per usual, and the team of the Irish Nites looked incredible in their inaugural matchup together.
Something to keep an eye on as the next few months play out is the relationship between Heavy Metal and Big Jesse Youngblood. The two seemed tense following their eliminations in the Oil City Rumble, and with Jess continuing his winning ways, we could see the two face-to-face in the squared circle sooner rather than later.
Next up, RCW takes to Edmonton, Calgary and Ponoka for a brief three-show tour through September 26-28. Tickets are available in advance through any Real Canadian Wrestling roster member.
Latest Wrestling Content:
- Conversations With Love 31: A Conversation With Travis Cole
- BREAKING: Saskatchewan’s High Impact Wrestling Shutting Its Doors
- Last Week in Alberta Wrestling: September 11 – 17, 2019
- CWL: An Interview with CWE’s “Hotshot” Danny Duggan
- BREAKING: Kayla Jaye Captures RCW Women’s Championship
