Is TPW being set up for an Invasion?
Since 2003, there have been 2 ongoing federations in the Tulsa area: Tornado Pro Wrestling and Steel Rage Pro Wrestling. And while there has been a quiet detente between the 2 since their respective inceptions, things appear to be heading in a different direction as of last Saturday night.
Prior to the show on Saturday, SRPW star Dexter Hardaway began to post on the TPW message board, challenging Oklahoma Old School Champion Rocco Valentino to a match for that title. Rocco´s responses were polite, but negative, in regards to that match. Then new TPW star Rancid, who has been rather verbal on the TPW & IZW boards, began to issue challenges towards Dexter, which Dexter replied to in kind.
When Saturday night came around,Dexter entered the arena, paying at the door, and sat next to this reporter for the 1st half of the show. But at the 5th match, which was announced as being Rancid vs. Mr. Mike York, head referee Mike 2 came out and told TPW Commissioner Kitty that the match was being called off and York was to leave the ring. At that point, Kitty called for Dexter to get in the ring with Rancid and answer for the postings that had been made on the TPW message board. Dexter, in street clothes and with no preperation, entered the ring and, after a hard-fought bout, pinned Rancid. Rancid´s associate, the Shadow of Death, entered the ring, causing Dexter to back off, then left with Rancid. But Dexter wasn´t done. He then proceded to enter the TPW locker room, where he was promptley escorted out by Rocco Valentino and Brian Lakewood. Rocco then publicly announced that this was the last time that he would tolerate Dexter´s shenangigans and that, as far as he was concerned, his place was in the stands with the fans, not in the locker room. He warned Dexter that if this were the beginnings of an attempt at an invasion by SRPW, he would not back down because this was his ring and his house and his Old School title. Lakewood & Valentino then went to the back, while Dexter left at intermission.
There to observe all this were Dexter´s longtime tag team partner Luc Lapointe (who he had gained a win with over Paul Linam & former SRPW Champion Shane Morbid the previous night), Cpl. James Warbois and SRPW Tag Team Champion Tommy Smash. All are current members of the SRPW roster. None made any attempt to interfere in the dealings between Dexter, Rancid & Rocco.
Dexter again posted on the TPW message board that TPW should be on the watch for when his next appearance would be, as it would probably be a surprise. Rocco responded that SRPW was not the first group to try and put him out of business and it would not be the last either.
Dexter is one of the most decorated wrestlers in Oklahoma, winning titles in ever federation he has competed in. While in OPW (which was owned by Rocco), he was an Oklahoma Tag Team Champion (w/ Chuck Singer) and Oklahoma Light Heavyweight Champion. He would continue to compete for OCW, winning the Oklahoma Hardcore Title there, before departing for SRPW at their inception. He made his TPW debut at the end of last year, teaming with Rico Suave against Brian Lakewood & Butch Dalton. In January, he earned a shot at the TPW Light Heavyweight Champion, the Canadian Red Devil and, although he came up short there, his performance was immpressive enough, combined with his ranking at #4 in the Oklafan Top 50, to gain him a shot at the TPW Oklahoma Title, held by Romero Contreras. But he never took that shot, chosing instead to go compete on an SRPW show that night, where he, Cpl. James Warbois & Austin Idle defeated members of the Dalton/Legacy Gang.
SRPW owner Sarah Harmon and Commissioner Ray Martinez have yet to comment in any way on the actions of Dexter.
