I’ve performed this twice up to now. Written this weblog…made it nearly to the top then I do one thing that causes me to lose the entire thing. That is the third time.

With that stated, this shall be just like the Tenacious D track “Tribute”…it is not the best weblog ever, nevertheless it’s a tribute. 

Forgive me upfront if this feels redundant. It actually does writing it.

We’ll name this a retrospective for lack of a greater time period – although this was solely in 2022. 

Let’s start…for years it has been mentioned having a W4H Champion. I am all for championship titles, nevertheless it will get somewhat too wild when it will get previous round willy nilly or when you could have too many championship titles.

After a great deal of dialogue, a pair buddies satisfied me to only do it. Initially I wished all of the legends of the underground scene – Jonny Firestorm, Tristan Baldwin, Scrappy, Braden Charron, and so on. Scheduling all these guys for a similar day has confirmed tough. I’ve had shoots with 3/4s of these guys however by no means have I ever been capable of get them all of sudden.

If I could not get all the celebs I wished then I might must go a unique route. For our first picks, I went with some guys I preferred and thought had been both nice or on the verge of being nice.

I wished to shoot the match in one-day. A real check of the champion and I feel you understand if somebody has what it takes if they will do all of it in sooner or later. Alas, we weren’t capable of get 8 guys who I believed had been certified. We had been capable of get 6 certified candidates for the primary night time of filming. That meant 3 of our first spherical matches.

Now I wanted a customized championship belt. Certain utilizing a duplicate or toy belt is enjoyable, nevertheless it would not really feel like a real customized championship belt…and luck would have it that I knew somebody who was making fairly priced customized gold. I am a fan of the white leather-based belts just like the WWF Intercontinental one within the late 80s early 90s, so I wished one thing related. After some backwards and forwards on the thought, we agreed on a glance. All I needed to do now was wait.

I met up with him at a professional wrestling occasion and he had the stuff. After getting back from his automobile, he pulled out of his bag the model new, one-of-a-kind W4H Championship. I used to be stoked! It is official, I am the “mastermind” of my very own wrestling group – full with an actual championship belt. 

We set a date to make use of my buddies ring in his storage. He was gonna be out-of-town however did not thoughts us utilizing the ring so long as we weren’t too rambunctious.

The primary spherical needed to be distinctive from what we have performed earlier than, so I picked Brit Professional Rounds as the principles of the primary bouts. For the reason that first-time I took half in a Brit Professional match, I felt at house with the type. A lot enjoyable concepts you are able to do with it plus it is an endurance recreation.

Everybody needed to have a particular look or one thing distinctive. Being a fan of 80’s and early 90’s professional wrestling, I had some concepts in thoughts for the fellows. I additionally had the good thing about a good friend with an unlimited assortment of WCW & WWF Superstars precise wrestling gear that they’d parted with together with Buff Bagwell. 

First up, Javier The Hunk – a sizzling up-and-comer on the professional and underground scene. He is younger and has an ideal novice wrestling pedigree. On high of that, he is gaining some success within the professional wrestling scene with the massive guys. He wasn’t a high canine but, however I knew he had the potential to be.

Now what was he gonna put on? He reached into his bag of wrestling gear and pulled out a couple of gadgets. I am not an enormous fan of singlets however one thing about his pink novice singlet from his highschool days felt proper…so long as he made positive to drag the straps down to point out these pecs and abs. He agreed and we had our first star of the match.

Each rookie must face a veteran opponent, so I pulled my very own identify out of the hat. I knew after I scheduled Javier that I wished to check him within the ring. I’ve seen him in motion and I’ve heard good issues, however nothing like getting up-close to search out out if he is nearly as good as marketed. 

I am very primary in my favourite outfits – clear white boots, basic 3-striped socks pulled up and a metallic/latex speedo. My buddy threw me his lengthy ring jacket to high off the look, however I later ditched that.

Subsequent up, was Joey Nux – he is a heavyweight badass. Undoubtedly has the potential to be the highest man at W4H. The title laid round his means or over his shoulder. He is been on fireplace since debuting at W4H, so let’s examine if he is obtained what it takes to win the gold. 

My good friend with the WCW ring gear assortment pulled out one in every of his favourite appears to be like – a half pair of trunks mixed with an extended pair of tights in brilliant pink zebra print. I had my doubts, however he saved reminding me that we had been making an attempt to do one thing completely different (and hopefully higher) than the usual W4H wrestling match. Joey eased my issues with the proper black leather-based vest. A bandanna to match topped the look off. 

Seeing Joey in that outfit, Gabe Steele began licking his lips. Gabe is a fan of basic professional appears to be like and knew he wished  to get his arms on the muscled bodybuilder. Gabe nearly at all times has the very best gear within the room and this was no exception. He pulled out a couple of outfits earlier than hand-picking one. Gabe has a singular look and a few latin flare, so he match completely into the match and it is exhausting to argue that he hadn’t been worthy of a spot. He simply has had probably the most matches, discovered probably the most strikes and improved probably the most within the shortest time I feel I’ve ever witnessed.

Final of our first night time first spherical motion pitted boy subsequent door, clean-cut and healthful Max Ryder in opposition to Drew Harper. I knew precisely what I wished for Max…like I stated, I am a fan of that 80s and 90s professional wrestling and he was the proper patriotic babyface. It is one in every of my favourite outfits to put on on the professional scene and in underground matches so I knew proper the place to get it.

I am not saying I used to be cheering in opposition to Max Ryder however I feel it is apparent that Max has the potential to be one of many huge stars of W4H, nevertheless, I do not suppose he has the killer intuition. It is greater than strikes and abilities – it is perspective. 

Drew Harper has that look, he is grown as a wrestler and he’d make a great champion. Not too huge, not too inexperienced. He might’ve upset his means into being W4H Champion – I strongly imagine that. We wanted one thing that match the texture of the match and it did not take Drew lengthy to drag the Tarzan impressed trunks out. He regarded like a man on TV wrestling. Now, might he pull it off.

 On the finish of the night time, Gabe Steele and I had been sitting round with our different good friend chatting when it was determined we would have the primary match of spherical 2 proper now. All of us agreed it needed to be one thing completely different than the primary spherical and the reply was NO DQ, WEAPONS ALLOWED. I had a desk that we might break so Gabe and I wiped the sweat off, freshened up and performed round within the ring – inside and outdoors.

It was enjoyable…till my good friend returned house proper as we concluded our match. 

The place was a multitude. Weapons and speedos all over the place. Plus I feel we had been utilizing a fog machine for one thing. He had forgotten we had been utilizing his place…or I did not make clear totally and he was VERY SURPRISED. After he calmed down a bit, he wished to understand how the matches had been and if he might see them.

That first night time was superb and we labored out some concepts to get the match going. We simply wanted 2 extra guys to fill out the bracket. I used to be holding out hope for Scrappy or Tristan or Jonny or somebody of that caliber. Hell, perhaps Lon DuMont would come out of retirement. After pondering on it, I knew I had 2 guys who had been succesful.

Daddy Texas was recent on the scene. He is tall and watching him in motion I noticed glimpses of greatness. He is moist behind the ears, however, hell, he is from Texas – that is virtually the land of Champions. We wished to current him much like Max Ryder however completely different. We could not discover the cowboy outfit so we went with that basic  clean-cut faculty wrestler look. 

He was out-matched from the star. With just one spot left within the match, I knew I needed to get probably the most expert and knowledgable wrestler I knew- Chase Sinn. For the reason that first time I met him I have been amazed by how a lot he is aware of concerning the guidelines and strategies of wrestling – not simply professional. I as soon as noticed him re-position himself on a pin-fall as a result of his toes had been underneath the ropes and that was in opposition to the principles. Most referees do not even know that rule and Chase Sinn did not wanna depart any probability for shedding the match.

We filmed the second half of the match after the completion of the primary spherical. Chase Sinn ended up competing 3 occasions that day – a real check of a champion. And truthfully, I feel he ought to’ve gained. The dude can wrestle anyone – regardless of the dimensions or talent degree. He is that rattling good.

I used to coach with Chase Sinn and we have wrestled a couple of occasions – each time I be taught one thing new and I’ve enjoyable attending to problem my abilities. You might say I used to be trying ahead to the massive Championship match between the 2 of us. We have got good chemistry and do not thoughts going “off-script” in our bouts. 

The completion of the match left me somewhat unhappy. Sure, I gained the match. Sure, I most likely ought to’ve been the primary actual champion in W4H (hey, I am the boss and I am nearly retirement age) – however I wished my buddies to be in it. 

Do not take that flawed. The match was superb. However what do you suppose we make this just like the Olympics. Perhaps each 4 years we put one on. Perhaps each 2? What do you suppose?

Perhaps a committee to see whom will get voted in to compete for the W4H Championship.  Who would you could have put within the 8 man match?