The Battle Continues: Are Devil's & Walker's Strings Being Pulled By Rockwell?
Two years ago, a three-way feud involving Johnny Z, Aaron Neil & Kevin Morgan dominated the state and was eventually voted the Oklafan Feud of the Year. 2012 might see the same thing happen as a feud between three of the top wrestlers in the Northeastern part of the state appears no closer to resolution, despite spilling into two different companies.
ComPro Champion Brandon Walker has been targeted by both The Canadian Red Devil and Tim Rockwell. And most of that issue has been confined to the ring in ComPro. But a few months ago, Rockwell entered the ring in UWE and began terrorizing Walker, attacking from the audience hit-and-run style. Last month, Rockwell's antics cost Walker the UWE United States Title. He was also involved in Walker's loss of the ComPro Showtime Title, taking Walker from the prestigious position of being a Triple Crown Champion to only having one title left.
What Rockwell hasn't been able to do is defeat Walker cleanly in either company. In FACT, Rockwell's win-loss record, as pointed out in a previous Oklafan article, hasn't exactly been stellar this year. But he wasn't so worried about his own accomplishments two weeks ago when he was given the opportunity to pick Walker's opponent at the UWE event in Tahlequah. He told the crowd that he could have picked UWE United States Champion Christopher Fury, but Fury had already beaten Walker. He thought about picking the Mercenary as money always talks. But then Rockwell realized that he could choose ANYONE in the state and decided that there was only one guy who could "fit in the hell that is Tahlequah". Rockwell then introduced the Canadian Red Devil, who made his official UWE debut.
The Devil showed his clever side towards Walker, going so far as the offer to let Walker lay down and be pinned so they could then both go across the street to the casino. But when that offer was refused, it was down to business. As both men knew each other well, this match was quite long, but very evenly contested. The end came with Walker executing a flying body press off the top rope. The Devil rolled through, but Walker fought and managed to roll through again, pinned the masked superstar with just 45 seconds left before the time limit expired.
Walker got to return the favor later in the show by picking Rockwell's opponent and he chose Anarchy 2nd. Like Rockwell had done, Walker stayed at ringside to do color commentary to the crowd. But Rockwell had more mind games up his sleeve as he exited the ring and grabbed a water bottle, took a swig and spat it in the face of Walker. This brought Walker out of the broadcast booth to take issue with Rockwell and referee Stephen was completely preoccupied with this, missing the Commission slide into the ring and execute a double suplex on Anarchy 2nd. Rockwell then picked up the scraps (and one of his first victories for 2012.)
One week later the fires were still burning between all three men. Rockwell was chosen as a partner by Mitch Carter to take on The Bullies, but after the match was over, told the crowd that he had been ordered by ComPro owner Mike Two not to interfere or even appear at ringside during the ComPro Title match between Walker and the Devil. Rockwell agreed and promised to stay in the back. And he upheld that promise for the duration of the match as the Devil attempted to capture the longest-recognized Heavyweight Title in Northeastern Oklahoma. As was true the week before, the match was even and lengthy, with both men's knowledge of each other making a surprise victory impossible. Both men went for their finishers, but reversed out. Then the Devil locked in a Sharpshooter and, just as had happened two shows previously, music began to play from the entrance way. But this time, it wasn't the Devil's music, but Tim Rockwell's. That caused the Devil to break the hold and move to the corner nearest the entrance, waiting for Rockwell to break his promise. But Rockwell never came through the curtain and the music stopped as suddenly as it had begun. The only thing different was that Walker had time to recover and connect with the Defamation of Character, scoring the pin and retaining his title. And THEN Rockwell emerged, entering the ring and reminding the Devil what happened two shows prior. He started to say, "Payback's a bitch", but never got to finish the statement as the Devil reached out and grabbed Rockwell by the testicles!! Walker then slammed into Rockwell with the title belt and, with both men laying in the ring, declared that they were both pathetic and he could easily beat them both at the same time.
So clearly, Rockwell has an issue with both men, who certainly have an issue with each other. And while it appears that Rockwell was the master manipulator on these two occasions, that hasn't always been the case. He certainly didn't play CRD's music to interrupt his title match with Walker, but the Devil denies doing it as well. So who did? And while he's cost Walker two titles, he can't seem to pry that last one away from Walker, nor drive him from either federation. Is there a bigger game at play here? This issue needs resolution before all three men end up so paranoid and self-destructive that their careers cannot be saved.
