Calvin Tankman continues domination
FREELANCE UNDERGROUND TITLE ELUDES PROJECT M.O.N.I.X.
By Mike Pankow
December 31, 2022
The Project M.O.N.I.X. saga took another turn at Freelance Underground’s “The Final Countdown” – maybe a bit of a downturn – as the enigmatic M.O.N.I.X. could not unseat the dominant champion Calvin Tankman despite numerous opportunities.
Freelance Underground Champion Calvin Tankman tosses Project M.O.N.I.X. during their main event match at “The Final Countdown” in Joliet on Dec. 17, 2022. (Photo: Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
Nearly fourteen months after initializing “The Final Phase,” M.O.N.I.X. appeared ready to write a happy ending to this chapter of his story with a crowning achievement – a Freelance Underground Championship victory – at the Cantigny VFW in Southwest Suburban Joliet on Saturday, Dec. 17.
But it was “Heavyweight Hustle” who wrote the narrative on this night, but not after M.O.N.I.X. put up a fight.
The 350-pound Tankman, who had about a 130-pound weight advantage on his challenger, hit M.O.N.I.X. with a Tankman Driver, but M.O.N.I.X. survived and kicked out at 2. With the referee Derek Martha distracted by M.O.N.I.X.’s adviser, James Russo, M.O.N.I.X. nailed Tankman with a belt shot, but the big man kicked out before 3. A Final Phase DDT couldn’t finish off Tankman either.
Late in the match, Russo jumped on the ring apron to draw Tankman’s attention and M.O.N.I.X. saw an opening, but Tankman sidestepped the hard-charging M.O.N.I.X., who knocked Russo down hard to the floor. Tankman seized his chance, snatching M.O.N.I.X. up into position and crushed him with another Tankman Driver, which secured the final 3 count, extending his reign well past the 400-day mark.
M.O.N.I.X. lay prone as Tankman held both the Freelance Underground Championship belt and M.O.N.I.X.’s commemorative Undisputed Freelance Championship belt above his head. M.O.N.I.X. was on the canvas for several minutes as Russo and Martha tended to him. M.O.N.I.X. eventually rose to his feet and hobbled out under his own power as the event concluded.
Where M.O.N.I.X. goes from here will be a story to watch over the coming weeks and months (as who will be the next challenger for Tankman’s title). Freelance Underground’s next show is slated for Saturday, Feb. 11 back in Joliet.
The show opened with the energetic Bang Bros defending the Wrestling 4 A Cure Tag Team Championships against Koko Lane and GPA. GPA got an inspirational kiss from his fiancée Laynie Luck before the match started. Lane and GPA tried to ground the high flyers with every dirty trick and tactic, but Davey Bang hit the “Riding the Bus” spear and both he and August Matthews scored the pin on the veteran GPA.
Joe Alonzo, who recently signed a contract with the NWA, came out to the ring and complained about not having a scheduled match or being on the poster. He laid out an open challenge for anyone in the back and “Everybody’s Friend,” the lovable Chico Suave came out to answer the call.
Alonzo and Suave put on a fun, competitive match in front of one of their mentors, Robert “Ego” Anthony, who attended the event. Alonzo finished off the contest by hitting a superplex and pinning Suave, much to the dismay of the audience.
Pick n’ Pop continued their reign as Freelance Underground Tag Team Champions with a victory over “Beyond Alpha” Ezio Orlandi and Ethan Price. Pick n’ Pop also continued their run as babyfaces in FU where they are usually heels in Freelance as the crowd ate up their antics.
Bryan Keith holds Mojo McQueen’s voodoo doll after he defeated “The Voodoo King.” (Photo: Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
With Koda Hernandez’s grit and “One Man Dynasty” Darius Latrell’s power moves, Pick n’ Pop has great chemistry. After hitting a double B-all-in’ Elbow on both of his opponents, Latrell took out Price with a bruising Uranage slam on the ring apron, then Hernandez capped off the match with a tandem Blockbuster on Orlandi for the 3-count.
On the heels of his classic bout with Speedball Mike Bailey from the night before at Freelance Wrestling at Logan Square Auditorium in Chicago, Bryan Keith had a bit of a different experience with the macabre veteran Mojo McQueen. “The Voodoo King” presented a unique challenge to the grappler from Texas.
Keith found himself quite frustrated with the histrionics of McQueen, who used a voodoo doll to inflict abdominal pain on Keith. It took referee Dev Anderson to take the doll away from McQueen and leave an opening for Keith to rally. Keith nailed McQueen with the Emerald Tiger Driver to put him down for the count.
After intermission, sometimes rivals and sometimes tag partners Gunner Brave and Sabotage Sean Logan went at it in a solid matchup. Brave, who has been producing some quality performances as Outer Limits Champion at Rocket Pro Wrestling, picked up the victory in front of his hometown fans. Brave pinned Logan after a Code Red. Logan impressed after being a part of a five-man scramble back at the October show in Joliet.
Laynie Luck uses her boot to choke Alice Crowley in the corner as Kayla Kassidy looks on. Luck won the triple-threat match when she pinned Crowley. (Photo: Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
In the semi-main event, Laynie Luck scored the victory in a triple-threat match over Kayla Kassidy and “Big Al” Alice Crowley, coming to FU from Kentucky and Indiana, respectively. Luck, as she has for most of the past year, played the heel as did Kassidy, who has experienced her share of success in FU and recently worked some matches for the NWA. Crowley, making her first appearance in Joliet, was the most appreciated by the crowd.
Luck and Kassidy took turns beating up Crowley before “Big Al” turned the tables. There were a couple of periods of miscommunication between Luck and Kassidy. With Kassidy taken out of the equation, Luck rolled up Crowley and used her tights for leverage in a gaining a pinfall in a very entertaining affair. With the win, Luck gained a measure of revenge on behalf GPA, who was pinned by Crowley a few months back at one of FU’s shows in South Suburban Thornton.
Notes: Storm Grayson was originally scheduled to defend his Freelance Underground Independent Championship against veteran Ruff Crossing. Crossing could not make the show, so the match was scrapped. Grayson did appear at Warrior Wrestling 26 in Chicago Heights and lost to AEW Tag Team Champion “Platinum” Max Caster of The Acclaimed. Grayson’s Independent Championship reign also has exceeded 400 days. … Freelance/Freelance Underground regulars Frank the Clown and Trevor Outlaw were also a part of Warrior 26. … Freelance Underground is taking the month of January off before returning to Joliet in February.
For a gallery of over 300 photos from the event: https://www.windycityslam.com/freelance-underground-the-final-countdown
Catch Windy City Slam editor Mike Pankow talking local and national pro wrestling every week with Chicago-area wrestling guests on Windy City Slam Podcast, part of the Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network. Episodes drop early Tuesday morning wherever you download podcasts or at https://windycityslam.podbean.com/.
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