COMPOUND PRO WRESTLING

	And so the curtain closes on another chapter of COMPOUND's existence. It's been a while since I wrote a column. Mostly due to outside issues taking priority. But there was no way I was bypassing this time to share with you my thoughts on the last COMPOUND show at Sheridan Avenue Church. I was really pleased to see so many familiar faces in the crowd. Many old friends, like Ray & Cayde. Older friends like the returning Professor...excuse me, DR...Pain. Plus pretty much every COMPOUND regular who has become a member of the family over the past couple of years. What Rocco Valentino said at the beginning was true. He built the ring and started COMPOUND, running his first event at Veteran's park. Only thing he got wrong was the date. It was 2006, not 2004. Either way, it's been a long time. That first event was memorable because there were supposed to be two shows, but a horrendous thunderstorm wiped out all possibility of the second show happening. One of our former columnist, the Lurchin' Urchin, totaled her car trying to get home in that storm. I remember a drenched group of wrestlers huddling under the tarp, waiting for the storm to abate just enough that they could get the ring down. Kind of a humbling beginning. As a side note, it was kind of ironic that Rocco defended his COMPOUND Title against Shane Morbid on that very first show. Getting back to old faces, there were many that came back to participate in the Any Title/Any Time Battle Royal event. Rage Logan, Damien Morte, Das Karnage and former champions Sage and Draven Cross all made one last appearance at the event. Most shocking of all to me was the return of the Greatest Bolo, someone I thought for sure had given up the business and headed back to Guatemala, OK. I spoke to him briefly at intermission and he said that he might be making an appearance at the TAP show at the end of the month. Good to see him. There were some faces that were notably absent such as Dawn of Extreme, Jake McCoy and Cold Blooded Chris. And then there was Alec Bisogno, who proved that just about as good of a wrestler as he is an announcer. Ugh... As far as the winner of the Battle Royal goes, is anyone really shocked that Richie took this one home? Richie is an intelligent man and I don't just say that because he has my close personal friend, Stevie Caballero, as his advisor. No, I mean he received many opportunities to be in the ring with Shane Morbid and he learned from every one of them. So for him to get this contract was an indication to me that he was ready to step up to the big time. I just didn't know that it would happen so soon. Kenny Campbell demolished the Masked Martyr. Hopefully we've seen the last of that idiot. It happened so quickly I don't think SOD even had a chance to get an "AAAAAGGGHHH!!" out. The Canadian Luchadore took the X Division Title back from Bobby Star. I wrote an article on Oklafan.com about the obsession that Luchie was showing towards this title. It was unhealthy borderline psychotic. I think for his sake (and Bobby's, I suppose), it's a good thing that COMPOUND is taking a couple of months off. Luchie needs to get his head together and calm down, so he can prepare for some new challengers coming his way. The officiating in the Rockwell/Hardaway match was obviously biased as several times the referee went to admonish Stevie Caballero and he repeatedly had to tell him that he wasn't doing anything. This was a battle of people who knew each other very well and that was obvious from the counters and reversals that were demonstrated in that match. Rockwell ended up winning with a grapevine DDT. It should have been Dexter, but that's fine. Perhaps Dexter will move himself into contention for the X Division Title now. I think we all saw the pain and frustration on Justin Lee's face. He doesn't understand why Brandon Walker turned on him last week and to be honest, I don't either. Perhaps Brandon was jealous of Justin picking Kenny to team with and get a shot at the tag team titles. If so, GET OVER IT, Brandon. This is your friend. Your best friend. You two were a tremendous tag team and should have been able to go and win titles anywhere you competed. That won't be be happening now and it's your fault. Justin offered you his hand. You duped him into thinking all was forgiven, then sucker punched him. He hesitated when he had a clear shot to give you a 55 MPH kick and take you out. You didn't hesitate to give him a spear, then the Defamation of Character for the win. You've now created a giant problem for yourself, Brandon. I hope you can fix it, for the sake of your career. I suppose it's possible to say that Justin's loss is Dr. Pain's fault. Pain always said that when he wore his Justin Lee T-shirt, Justin lost. This time, he had the shirt with him, but didn't wear it. Perhaps the pent-up bad vibes from Pain's absence simply overwhelmed Justin. Or maybe it was the smell, as Pain isn't terribly hygienic... Legion 13 became 3-time Tag Team Champions, ending the brief reign of Excellence Personified. And, while I think L13 are a great team, I was almost prepared to cheer for EP this time. While I may not like their attitude, I have to give FACTual credit where it's due. They came into this match the defending tag team champions, despite what Alec ImaBozo said when announcing them. I cheered when Mike snapped off at him for that incredibly stupid mistake. (Mike Two, why do you keep using this guy? At least when Jamie messes up, nobody really notices because they're all staring at how hot she is.) But Idiot Iles, you had to go and ruin it by choosing to once again throw that whole "smartest man in professional wrestling" thing in my face. I've just about had it, Iles. You're so insecure that, even when you surround yourself with talent that is generally above par (or, in Se7en's case, quite superb), you have to remind everyone how great you are. I would love to put together a team and prove to you that you are NOT the smartest guy in this business. I know I can outthink you. I know I can outstrategise you. And it would be an awesome birthday present if Mike Two would allow me to do just that. At COMPOUND's next show on May 14, give me 3 guys, Mike. Let me have 3 guys to manage. And if my team doesn't beat their team, I'll stand in the ring publicly and state to all the fans assembled that Mike Iles is smarter than me. But Iles, if your team loses, then I expect the same of you. Please, Mike Two. Let this happen. I just want to get this point over and done with. The battle for the Showtime Title featured two of the men with the best win-loss records in COMPOUND today. Ignition has done everything he could to hold on to that title. And while he might not have won every match cleanly, he still won them and retained the belt. Evan Newcastle has shot out of the cannon and straight up the rankings in COMPOUND. He has suffered no defeats and the only blemish on his record was a No-Contest against Shane Morbid when Dexter Hardaway interfered. This match would prove who the best rising star in the company was. It even lured Michael York, who had been out following knee surgery, back to ringside to root on his partner. Facing 4-on-1 odds would have put Newcastle in a horrible place, but with the Canadian Red Devil as the special referee, that helped even things. Boss Campbell's minions demonstrated a belief that they were not going to be able to legally gain a victory over the newcomer and tried to resort to a DQ decision, which would let them keep the title, even though they lost the match. The Devil would have none of that. Even extreme shenanigans such as the Devil being knocked out and York rolling his body into the ring, then trying to slap CRD's hand to the mat 3 times to count a pin didn't pay out the way he'd hoped it would. It all came down to Evan making the most of a missed opportunity and catching Ignition in the TKO for the win. His first title in what will probably be a long string of success was gained this night. And it seemed like the night was going to come to a close with a tremendous match between Michael Barry and Shane Morbid. But it just wasn't Shane's night. Did he beat Barry to retain the COMPOUND Title? Sure, he did. But in the course, he got deeply lacerated by Barry to the point that he had to have 4 staples to close the wound. Nonetheless, it was a hard-fought victory and the fans believed they were going to go home, leaving the belt in the trusty hands of Shane Morbid. But if you were one of those fans who left when Mike Two was making his closing statements, you missed a moment of sheer brilliance. After fighting this incredibly brutal match, Morbid found himself being confronted by Richie Adams, who brought a referee and cashed in his contract. Morbid was in no position to fight and quickly fell victim to Adams' opportunistic nature. 3 seconds later, Richie Adams stood in the ring as the new COMPOUND Champion and for the first time since the very first Night of Champions, every COMPOUND Title changed hands on the same night. Do I consider myself a fan of Shane Morbid? Yes, I do. But he let his guard down here and Adams capitalised. Stevie could even tell that Shane was so weak, he didn't need to be out there with Richie when the match took place. All Richie needed was a low blow and a schoolboy to put his name in the record books. And thus ended COMPOUND's run at Sheridan Avenue Church and once again, weekly wrestling in Tulsa is on hiatus. COMPOUND will be around and new opportunities are being investigated, but for now, we'll have to find something else to do with our Saturdays. I'll miss seeing everyone, but something tells me that when COMPOUND resurfaces on May 14 at McKinley Elementary, the crowd will be as big or bigger than they were at this show, all because they'll want to be back in front of the action they enjoy. Somebody keep my seat warm CMBurnham P. S.: Mike Two, seriously, make that match for May 14th.