Around the Ring: Hate Keepers spoil Axel Rico-Jacob Fatu title match
RECAPPING CSW, FREELANCE, ROCKET PRO & ICW MILWAUKEE
By Mike Pankow, Pat Ackerman and High 5 Tom
January 19, 2023
With the start of a new calendar, wrestling around the Chicago area and in the Midwest came out a blazing.
In this edition of Around the Ring, Windy City Slam looks back at a crazy Chicago Style Wrestling show which included more attacks from the Hate Keepers on the promotion’s debut on IWTV.live, WWE Hall of Famer Ricky Morton challenging for the Freelance Wrestling Championship, a loaded Rocket Pro show and the crowning of a new ICW (Milwaukee) World Champion.
Chicago Style Wrestling: CSW began its new season as CSW Champion Axel Rico battled “Samoan Werewolf” Jacob Fatu to a brutal no-contest in the main event of “Season Premiere” when the Hate Keepers jumped in the ring and attacked both competitors on the Friday, Jan. 13 show at the American Legion in Franklin Park.
Streaming live for the first time on IWTV, CSW brought it, capping off the night with a physical main event between the 300-pound MLW star and Rico, who was making his first title defense since winning the belt from Joey “Jet” Avalon in November.
Axel Rico is still the Chicago Style Wrestling Champion after his match with Jacob Fatu was declared a no contest. (File photo: Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
Late in the match, Rico hit a sit-out powerbomb on Fatu and got a deep 2-count from referee Michael “Turtle” Brennan for a near fall. Fatu hit a Samoan Drop and a Superfly splash, but the resilient Rico escaped just before 3.
After nearly 20 minutes of action with neither able to score a pinfall, Conan Lycan, Solomon Tupu, Jay Marston and Shain Boucher rushed the ring and beat down Fatu and Rico, but the adversaries eventually rallied to chase the Hate Keepers away.
General manager Steve Ahrendt left his broadcast position and came out to ringside to verbally scold the Hate Keepers and suspend them for the second time and barred them from appearing on CSW’s next show on Feb. 17.
“Uce, thank you for fighting me, my brother,” said Rico, who took the mic after the show and showed mad respect to Fatu. “That was a fight right there. If you’re ever in Chicago and you feel like ass-kicking, Axel Rico’s got you! Any day of the week.”
The show opened with a five-person scramble loaded with many former champions and hungry competitors. Avalon, the former CSW Championship came out on top, by pinning former CSW Tag Team and Metra Division Champion CJ Esparza following a package piledriver in a bout that also featured former CSW Women’s Champion Heather Reckless, former CSW Tag Team Champion “Career Killa” Chris Miller and up-and-coming “Dog-Faced Bastard” Greg Murray.
On a few occasions, the 4-foor-11 Reckless tried to sneak in and get a quick fall as she put her Black and Brave Academy education to good use. The towering Miller throttled Reckless with a chokeslam at one point in a match filled with high-impact maneuvers. In the end, Avalon made a huge statement in his quest to get a rematch with Rico.
Drinking buddies Marco Anthony and “Irish Car Bomb” picked up another victory and may have put themselves in line for a tag team championship opportunity by defeating the young, cocky, brash duo of “Englewood’s Finest” Jax Johnson and Ryan Matthews. Johnson and Matthews tried several dirty tricks, but it was Mulligan who put one over on Matthews when he spit whiskey in his face, leading to a double-team finish on Matthews and 3-count.
In a real hoss fight, the Hate Keepers’ Lycan defeated Cody James after a somersault splash. Lycan already has a CSW Championship in his pocket from winning the 10-man gauntlet in November, but he continued his momentum against the 280-pound James, who has picked up some impressive victories himself as of late. Lycan has one of the best blends of strength and agility on the Midwest scene.
In a trios match with some strange bedfellows, “All Day” Marshe Rockett, Adam Stallion and Joey Mayberry defeated the team of Tupu of the Hate Keepers, Attorney Eric Schultz and the debuting Riley Rose. Rockett earned the victory for his team by hitting the M-80 (RKO) on Tupu and securing a 3-count.
Veteran wrestler and former CSW Tag Team Champion TJ Steel confronted GM Ahrendt in the ring and demanded better treatment, saying he should get a singles championship opportunity and even used the word “threaten” toward Ahrendt. Ahrendt said on Twitter that the confrontation was “unsettling.”
Steve Boz, the 30-year veteran of the ring, successfully defended his CSW Metra Division Championship with a victory over rising star Iniestra. Iniestra is the current champion at Janesville Wrestling Alliance and has been showing out for several promotions recently even getting a shot in AAW Pro’s Chi-Town Rumble last month.
Boz ended the match with a Michinoku Driver and scored the 3-count, keeping up his string of title defenses which also included Tupu, Matthews, Miller and NWA star Aron Stevens (fka Damien Sandow).
Mateo Valentine and Jack Moody of Big Mood seemed to be on the verge of winning the CSW Tag Team Championships when they faced Boucher and Marston of the Hate Keepers. At one point, it appeared that Big Mood had won the titles as it looked like referee Dev Anderson counted to 3 as Valentine had Boucher pinned. The ruling was Boucher had his foot on the rope. The Hate Keepers retained moments later when Boucher rolled up Valentine and got the pin with his undetected feet on the ropes for leverage.
CSW Women’s Champion Sierra retained in her first title defense against Shelly “The Bombshell.” (File photo: Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
In his first title defense, new CSW Women’s Champion Sierra retained when she held off the challenge of rising star Shelly “The Bombshell” in the semi-main, but it wasn’t without a little controversy. Shelly wrestled one of the best matches of her career, but she couldn’t quite pull off the victory as Schultz of Team Babushka accidentally cost her the match.
Shelly was on a roll after repeatedly hitting Sierra in the corner with alternating knee strikes before Avalon came out to distract referee Kevin Woods while attempting to help Sierra. With Woods tied up with Avalon, Schultz saw the opportunity to help Shelly, but Sierra wiggled free from Shelly’s grasp and Schultz nailed Shelly with a forearm strike. Sierra then dumped Schultz and hit the Backpack Stunner on Shelly to get the 3-count.
After being berated by Shelly, Schultz struck Shelly with his briefcase. Joey Mayberry and Jillian came out to check out on Shelly, then an enraged Skye Blue came out and superkicked Schultz to gain a measure of revenge for some of Schultz’s tactics toward her last year.
CSW returns to the American Legion for its next show on Friday, Feb. 17 with special guests NWA Women’s Champion Kamille and current AEW/ROH wrestler Blake Christian.
—Mike Pankow
Freelance Wrestling: Professional wrestling is truly an amazing spectacle especially when a supposedly past-his-prime, 66-year-old Ricky Morton challenges for the Freelance World Championship. One-half of the NWA’s great Rock n’ Roll Express just keeps going like the Energizer Bunny.
Robert “Ego” Anthony, who recently celebrated 20 years in the business, retained his Freelance Championship by pinning Morton with his feet on the ropes for leverage in front of a rabid, sold-out crowd at Logan Square Auditorium on the North side of Chicago at “Any Given Saturday” on Jan. 14.
Robert “Ego” Anthony remains the Freelance World Champion after defeating Ricky Morton. (File photo: Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
Morton took it to Anthony, including pulling off a Canadian Destroyer that would make Petey Williams proud. Anthony held onto his gold despite the absence of the despised Frank the Clown, who often finds a way to make an impact in every one of Anthony’s title defenses.
After the match, Anthony wasn’t satisfied as he attacked Morton after the bell. Morton’s son, Kerry, and former Freelance Champion Storm Grayson came out for the save. Grayson took the mic and said he was tired of Anthony’s “sh*t” and wanted his rematch for the title. Anthony retorted that he will make Grayson “walk through hell” at next month’s LSA event.
Anthony decreed that Grayson must defeat two former Freelance Champions to get another shot at him. Freelance announced this week that Darin Corbin and GPA are those two ex-champions, and that gauntlet match will take on Friday, Feb. 10 at “Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge.”
The show opened with the traditional Freelance Scramble as Craig Mitchell blew through the competition to win the 6-man event, pinning Evan Greenaway after hitting the Trapper Keeper piledriver. The match also featured David Ali, Connor Hopkins, Bucky Collins and the Freelance Faithful’s latest cult hero, The Sorta Incredible Iverson.
After Mitchell’s victory, James Russo, the advisor to Project M.O.N.I.X. came out and said his “Project,” presumably referring to M.O.N.I.X, was done with Freelance Wrestling, but that someone is coming for Mitchell.
The younger Morton, Kerry, defended his NWA Junior Heavyweight Championship against the wily veteran GPA. As usual, GPA put on a technical and psychological clinic and nearly dethroned Morton. However, Morton countered GPA’s attempt at Straight A with a rollup for the pin to escape with the victory.
Grayson continued building momentum toward a potential rematch with Anthony by winning a high-stakes triple-threat match over EFFY and Trevor Outlaw. In a sometimes funny, sometimes serious bout, Outlaw hit EFFY and Grayson with a double noggin-knocker and Grayson actually kissed EFFY. In the end, Grayson was the most opportunistic man by hitting Outlaw with his patented knee strike to get the 3-count on “Yours Rudely.”
In a battle of Reality of Wrestling trainees, Kylie Rae came out victorious over Raychell Rose. Rose dominated the bulk of the match, even hitting a Pedigree on Kylie, but “Chicago’s Favorite Daughter” kicked out. Kylie wrapped up the victory with a crucifix pin.
After intermission, The Bang Bros successfully defended the Freelance Tag Team Championships over the physically-imposing Locked & Loaded (“Golden Gun” Mark Wheeler & Jessie V). It legitimately appeared for a while that Wheeler and Jessie were going to take the straps back home to Canada.
Despite getting beat up by the bigger opposition and dealing with Taylor Rising around ringside, Davey Bang and August Matthews stepped up to the plate again and pulled out the victory. Bang and Matthews scored with the 900 (Double 450 splashes) to gain the pinfall to the roars of the Freelance Faithful.
In another great triple-threat match, Heather Monroe took the victory over Free Range Kara and Blair Onyx in the semi-main-event. After Onyx hit a DDT on Kara and appeared ready to score the pin, Monroe pushed Onyx out of the ring and covered Kara to steal the win.
—Mike Pankow
Rocket Pro: Quinn Whittock retained his Rocket Pro Wrestling Championship defeating former champ “Old Evil” Christian Rose in the main event of Resolution on Saturday, Jan. 7 at a packed St. Joseph’s Park in Joliet.
Rocket Pro Champion Quinn Whittock puts Christian Rose in a sharpshooter during their title match on Jan. 7. (Photo courtesy Missy Sweders/Take Action Photography)
Rose got distracted by the mysterious masked man that had been attacking him, and while the referee was distracted, Whittock hit Rose with a crowbar. After the match, the masked man revealed himself to be Rose’s long-time rival Bucky Collins.
Before the show officially began, Chet Gunderson was abducted by Brian Krazer and Joee Blues of No Coast during Chet’s entrance with the Lovely Intoxicated Men.
General Manager Damien Saint came out to address the fans to start the show. Per GM Saint, RPW commentator Steve Ahrendt now reports to Joey Roth and Jbek the Paycheck is now personal assistant to THE Ryan Matthews. Saint also took time to introduce a new faction to RPW called the Undeniable, which members include Matthews, Eric Schultz, and “Sensational” Devin August and Skylar Reed of Kings of 6Ix.
A video was shown of “Shogun” Chris L.O.G.A.N. attempting to mend his friendship with “All Day” Marshe Rockett over drinks but this was unsuccessful.
Gunner Brave retained the Outer Limits Championship in a match against “All Day” Marshe Rockett by disqualification after Rockett ignored the referee’s request to release a choke.
Rion Skillz and Intercounty Champion Maximus Orion defeated August and Reed.
Kevin Kade defeated The Amazing Turtle and “Ruthless” Rockin’ Rivera (c) to become the new RPW Chicagoland Champion. The Idols came out after the match to resolve a fight between Kade and Rivera while Roth got caught in the crossfire.
Schultz defeated Aaron Stone by countout after Matthews stole Stone’s Rocket to the Top Briefcase, causing Stone to chase him to the back.
“Wild Child” Connor Hopkins defeated Sabotage, L.O.G.A.N. and the debuting “Hawaiian Hitman” Koa Laxamana to become No. 1 contender to Brave’s Outer Limits Championship. After the match, “Shogun” expressed that he was tired of the Idols, which led GM Saint to come out and make a match between L.O.G.A.N. and Flash Harris for Cupid’s Carnage on Feb. 4.
After expressing the success of Davison Sarai’s sessions, refusing to explain their attack on Chet Gunderson, and telling the fans they no longer deserve the fun No Coast, Trevon Wolfe, DC Shaw and Mikey Osirus came out to confront their No Coast brothers, leading GM Saint to come out to make a match between Blues and Wolfe.
Blues defeated Wolfe. When the referee was distracted by Krazer and Sarai, Joee wrapped a chain around his hand and gave Wolfe a low blow, giving him the victory. After the match, Krazer, Sarai and Blues beat down the other No Coast members, all culminating in Osirus injuring his left leg after Krazer dove on Osirus’ chair-wrapped leg.
Matthews defeated “The Boomstick” 12 Gaige. After the match, Stone confronted Matthews and tried to get his Rocket to the Top briefcase back in his possession but was beatdown by Matthews’ Undeniable brethren as Saint watched while laying across the corner ropes.
In the semi-main, Jonny Nigh and Damien Grey (c) defeated Brooks Berna and Damien Deschain to retain the RPW Tag Team Championship. The match was initially won by Berna and Deschain, however the match was restarted when head official Cristian Torrejon informed the match official that Grey’s foot was on the rope during the pinfall.
—Pat Ackerman, The Lovely Intoxicated Men
ICW Milwaukee: In a crazy main event, Public Enemy No. 1 Eric Dillinger claimed the vacant ICW Championship by defeating DYSfunction, who replaced the originally scheduled Tylor Sullivan during “Violent New Year” from Da Bar on Saturday, Jan. 7, in West Allis, Wis.
First up, my boys Country Air (Zach Hendrix & Doc Simmons) faced off against Theory of Asian Unity (Josiah & Haun) in a match that was sponsored by the Midwest Wrestling Podcast. What a way to start a show and the year. The “students” TAU gave Country Air a run for their money, but Country Air was too much for the young upstarts as Zach Hendrix pinned Josiah. This match set the bar very high for not only this evening but for the year to come.
In a showcase of two of ICW’s brightest young stars, “The Apex Athlete” CJ Cole took on “The Big Steppa” Armando Alvarez in a 2-out-of-3 falls grudge match. Alvarez won the first fall (albeit with his feet on the ropes). However, after battling back from adversity, Cole rallied to take the last two falls, ultimately knocking Alvarez out with the Shiniest of Wizards.
Next “The Pitbull” Zac McGuire squared off against The Dastardly Nell Dillinger in an anything goes match, the blow off to a feud that has been brewing since the Pitbull returned to action. It has been a long road back to the ring for McGuire (and I just want to shout out Zac, good to see you back in action, my friend). After these two hit each other with everything minus a kitchen sink, McGuire hit the Pitbull Pedigree DDT on the chair for the win.
Mo Foley, pictured at All Heel Wrestling in Nov. 2022, defeated IMPACT Wrestling star Alan Angels at ICW Milwaukee’s January show. (File photo: Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
Mo Foley picked up an impressive victory over IMPACT Wrestling star Alan Angels. Last month, Foley returned to ICW after a very extended absence and called out the former AEW star. These two went at it tooth and nail, but in the end, Foley hits a Foley5 bomb to get the pin on Angels.
Then we had Beautiful Bobby V, Marvelous Ethen Matthews and Cute Craig (with Val Malone) going up against DYSfunction, Gunner Wixx and the returning “Midwest Slayer” Stacy Shadows. To say this is a family feud is an understatement of epic proportions. For a match that went all over the bar, it turned into a showcase for Shadows’ return to dominance. She ended the match single-handedly taking all out three members of Bobby V’s stable with the final spot getting Cute Craig with a vicious side suplex pin combo.
“The Spectre” Jayden Mercer faced off with “The Doomslayer” Blazin’ Ben in another chapter of a rivalry that turned very sour in a hurry over the ICW Milwaukee Alternative Championship. These guys knocked the proverbial snot out of each other in a high-paced and stiff match. Mercer hit the Hell’s Gate Neckbreaker for the 1-2-3. However, Mercer was not finished as he kept up the assault on Ben with some vicious chairshots until Cole came in for the save. Will we see Cole vs. Mercer next month?
Evil Inside (Chucky Bates & Shawn Priest) retained the ICW tag titles over MarJaxx (Marman & Jarrod Jaxx). In what can only be called a pier-six brawl, saw Evil Inside take it to MarJaxx where Bates and Priest combine for wicked Evilbuster to attempt to get the pin on Marman. Well, that was until Jaxx interfered with a chair and Ref Junior called for the bell with Evil Inside retaining by DQ.
Then the real chaos began as MarJaxx laid waste to Evil Inside with chairs until the team of the Great Outdoors came in for the save but they get the same treatment. With bodies everywhere, MarJaxx stood tall, until Country Air finally came in for the save. This could all come to a head next month.
In the main event, Eric Dillinger was supposed to face Sullivan for the vacant ICW World Championship. Sullivan was a replacement for GQ Yanni, who had been stripped of the ICW title. Unfortunately, shortly after the bell rang, Sullivan was injured and the match was stopped. However, DYSfunction was not going to let that slide and announced that Dillinger’s new opponent was ... DYSfucntion.
So, DYS kicked off his sandals, laced up his boots and wrapped his wrist and it was time for the deathmatch chicanery to ensue. In a match that included many light tubes, staple guns and a pane of shower glass, Dillinger survived and got the pin and was crowned the new ICW champion.
—High5Tom of the Midwest Wrestling Roundup Podcast
Scott Spade (Photo: Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
Ringside chatter: There will be immense fallout after the hectic conclusion to the POWW Entertainment “Road to Slamfest” show that took place on Saturday, Jan. 7 in Fox Lake. After Max Holiday’s POWW Championship defense against Hunter Paine was thrown out after Holiday attacked special enforcer Jimmy Blaze, all hell broke loose. Blaze’s Revolution tag team partner Eric Freedom tried to help his friend, but he ended up meeting Holiday’s big boot. TINY, Mistress Misery and Scott Spade then seemingly came to Revolution’s aid. Holiday grabbed the mic and told Blaze that he had an “Ace up his sleeve” and then Blaze then got hit by Spade with a chair, took a kendo shot from Misery and a brass-knuckles shot from TINY. Blaze and Spade are still Southland Championship Wrestling Tag Team Champions and they’re slated to defend against a team called Dysfunction this Saturday night (Jan. 21). … Freelance Wrestling announced a special benefit show, entitled “Redhawk Rumble”, which will take place at Marist High School on Chicago’s South side on Friday night, Feb. 3. All proceeds will benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. This event is in conjunction with the Marist hockey program. … “Sharpshooter” James Creed won the Indiana Rumble at ARW’s latest event on Jan. 14. It represents Creed’s biggest victory since coming back from rehabbing a knee injury. Creed is slated to face JPH in a grudge match at SCW’s “Winter Warfare” on Saturday in Chebanse. Creed blames JPH for his injury, which occurred several months back. … Sam Adonis recently surrendered the Warrior Wrestling Lucha Championship because another commitment is causing him to miss this weekend’s Warrior Wrestling 27 show in South Bend. El Hijo del Vikingo (also the AAA Mega Champion) is facing Rey Horus and Flamita to crown the new Lucha Champion. Adonis is slated to return at February’s Warrior show at Thalia Hall in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. … Congratulations to Country Air, who won the Brew City Wrestling Tag Team Championships for the first time during BCW’s Jan. 14 show in Waukesha, Wis. … Local star Blair Onyx was an extra on WWE SmackDown’s broadcast from Green Bay on Jan. 13. Onyx was a security guard as she was trying to break up a backstage fight involving Charlotte Flair and Sonya Deville. … Chicago-area native Backwoods Brown looks to celebrate his three-year anniversary as Great Lakes Championship Wrestling Champion with a title defense against Dustin Jackson at Saturday night’s GLCW show in Cedarburg, Wis. … WWE, ECW and IMPACT Wrestling legend Al Snow is coming to Zanies Chicago (1548 N. Wells) on Saturday, April 29 to do a comedy show with David Vox Mullen and Alydar Skyy. A VIP meet and greet is at 2:30 and the show begins at 4 p.m.
—Mike Pankow
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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