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Two Cents Worth: J.W.?s Top 10 For 2010

Posted: Jan 11th 2011 By: CMBurnham

J.W.?s Top 10 For 2010

In the spirit of this year?s controversial polls for the Oklafan year-end awards, I, again, wanted to offer my top 10 wrestlers for 2010. While my wrestling experience in Oklahoma, is not as vast as the proprietors of Oklafan, my list will consist of the wrestlers that I seen at shows from Tornado Alley Pro, Compound Pro, and Maximum Wrestling Alliance.

10. Korvin Sage

I had only gotten to see Korvin Sage wrestle a few times in 2010, which is the only times I?ve ever seen him in action. Sage was very impressive in the outings, and he may be the best high-flyer in Oklahoma today, but again, I haven?t seen all of the wrestlers in Oklahoma. Though I have not attended a Sooner World Class Wrestling (SWCW) event, Sage was able to win the tag-team titles in 2010 as a member of Bleach, Ink. with partner, Draven Cross. In TAP, the team debuted before TAP?s hiatus, making an instant impact in the tag-team division. Sage was an enormous portion of the success of the team. It will only be a matter of time before this team will win the TAP tag-team titles.

9. ?Terrific? Tim Rockwell

Tim Rockwell would have been higher on my list, but there was a question that was never answered in 2010?who is Tim Rockwell? Let?s not misconstrue, I know Tim Rockwell, but his career seems to lack direction. In Compound Pro, he is currently the Showtime champion, but it was difficult to determine if he was more focused on eliminating Excellence Personified from Compound or focusing on the Showtime title. In the MWA, it was difficult to determine if he was focused on winning the MWA Heavyweight title, ending the career of Silo Sam, argue with his Uncle Bernard Funk, or help the Foreign Legion maintain their tag titles. The only focus Rockwell maintained was in TAP, where he focused on the current Oklahoma Heritage Champion, ?Dirty? Dutch Hagen. However, Rockwell did not return to the TAP roster soon enough before the brief hiatus the Wagoner-based federation embarked upon. Whatever his mission, Rockwell needs to focus on what he is capable of?being the top guy in whichever federation he chooses to work.

8. Se7en

As a member of Excellence Personified, Se7en has certainly gained some recognition across the state, which he really didn?t lack before becoming a member of the group. During 2010, he won the Compound Pro tag-team titles and the Compound Pro X-Division championship. In addition, he won the TAP tag-team titles with the other members of Excellence Personified, as they defend these tag-team titles using the legendary ?Freebird? rule, where any two members of EP can defend the titles. Se7en still has the Compound Pro X-Division championship and the TAP tag-team titles, which proves that he is equally as good in singles competition as he is in tag-team competition. This is not often the case, but Se7en has proven that he is that good.

7. ?Mr. Saturday Night? Michael Barry

While Michael Barry is one of the best wrestlers in Oklahoma today, I?m sure he?ll agree that 2010 was not one of the best years in the career of Mr. Saturday Night. Early in 2010, he lost the MWA Heavyweight title to young superstar, Jeff Starchild, in a cage match that led to a nearly meaningless feud with ?Third Generation Superstar? Max McGuirk. In Compound Pro, he won the Showtime heavyweight title only to lose a few months later. With all due respect to all former Showtime champions, Barry needs to aim higher and set his sights on the Compound Pro Heavyweight title. In TAP, he is one of the tag-team champions, per the ?Freebird? rule, but he shares the titles with three other members of Excellence Personified. He had the opportunity to earn a shot at the TAP Heavyweight title, but could not finish Shane Morbid in the last match of a gauntlet match, after Morbid had wrestled previously in the match. With Michael Barry and Jack Legacy having a dispute in MWA and Barry being the current number one contender to Legacy?s title, no one knows how Barry?s year will begin, let alone end.

6. Richie Adams

With less than two years of wrestling experience, Richie Adams has already achieved more than most wrestlers achieve during the span of their career. Few might argue that 2010 is the year that Richie Adams exploded onto the scene. On March 13, after competing in a royal-rumble style battle royal, Adams won a contract to challenge for any Compound title at any time. Later that night, he attacked a prone Shane Morbid and quickly beat him for the title. A month earlier, he defeated Steven Sterling, Brandon Walker, and Dexter Hardaway in a four-way elimination match to win the TAP Adrenaline championship. Due to an injury, Adams was stripped of the title, so he never officially lost the title. He did lose the Compound Title four months later to Morbid, but he did make an impact that will likely carry over into 2011.

5. ?The Human Action Figure? Jeff Starchild

With wins over Michael Barry, Tim Rockwell, and Dustin Heritage, Starchild quickly shot to the top of the MWA rankings and even won the MWA Heavyweight championship. Given his record in tag- and six-man tag matches, he does not do well, but as a singles wrestler, Starchild is as good as anyone. His high-flying maneuvers are awe-inspiring, and they often dazzle the crowd. In addition, one would have a difficult time finding a wrestler with more charisma or a better rapport with the crowd. Starchild did not start off 2011 on a positive note, but few could argue that 2010 was a great year for this young star.

4. ?Handsome? Jack Legacy

Few people, if any, had a better year than Jack Legacy. Not only did he win the Compound Pro tag-team titles twice and the TAP tag-team titles once; Legacy won the MWA Heavyweight title, and has held the title for the past eight months now. So, why isn?t Legacy #1? Well, Legacy?s first Compound Pro title run lasted only one month. During his second title run, he never got the chance to defend the titles, and the JetSetters are no longer the champions. The only reason he is recognized as a TAP tag-team champion is because EP defend the titles under the ?Freebird? rule. However, Legacy has not wrestled in a match as a TAP tag-team champion. Finally, in his eight months as the MWA champion, he has only defended the championship three times, most of the time getting help from Mike Iles or other members of EP. The rest of his title run has been plagued by meaningless tag matches. While Legacy has certainly earned the accolades of a champion in 2010, he rarely did anything during his time as champion.

3. ?Mr. Endurance? Sugar Shane Morbid

Although Morbid lost the MWA Max-Division title in May, he did not let that detract him. He had also lost the Compound Pro Heavyweight title earlier in the year, but he was able to regain the title in August, in his first chance to win it. In TAP, Morbid began the year as the Oklahoma Heritage champion, but lost the title to the same man he lost the Compound Pro Heavyweight title to, ?Dirty? Dutch Hagen. However, Morbid remained confident, and he was able to win a gauntlet match, beating Michael Barry to win a shot at the TAP Heavyweight title. He took the shot and dethroned the 13-month reign of Reckless. Add that up, and Shane Morbid held multiple titles throughout the year. Though he has not been seen in MWA since his championship loss, his success in TAP and Compound Pro ranks him high on the list.

2. ?Luxembourg Beast? Dirty Dutch Hagen

Dutch Hagen lived up to his moniker and proved to be an absolute beast during the 2010 year. In February, Hagen, along with Legion 13 tag partner Jesus Rodriguez, won the Compound Pro tag-team titles. Though the duo lost them two weeks later, they quickly regained them and held them for five months before being dethroned again. In March, Hagen won the TAP Oklahoma Heritage title from tough competitor, ?Mr. Endurance? Sugar Shane Morbid. He has continued to hold the title, despite several rough challenges from ?Terrific? Tim Rockwell. In June, Hagen teamed with Boris Saarikoski as the Foreign Legion, and under the guidance of ?Big? Stevie Caballero, they won the MWA tag-team championship. Though Hagen has a new partner, he continues to be a tag-team champion. In December, Hagen finished off the year by winning the Compound Pro Heavyweight title from rival Shane Morbid. Though 2010 was an explosive year for the Luxembourg Beast, 2011 looks like it may just as good.

1. ?Darling? Dustin Heritage

Often times, I watch AWA classics on ESPN, and there is footage of a very young Shawn Michaels. In my opinion, it mirrors the abilities that ?Darling? Dustin Heritage has currently. While several people will argue that point, that is my opinion, and I?m sticking to it. Heritage?s championships are not quite as impressive as lower-ranking grapplers on the list, but Heritage was an absolute workhorse in 2010. In May, Heritage was able to beat two of the most impressive wrestlers in Oklahoma?s history, Shane Morbid and Dexter Hardaway, to become the MWA Max-Division champion, which he still holds, as of this writing. Also, in May 2010, Heritage helped Excellence Personified win the TAP tag-team titles, which they still hold. In August, Heritage and JetSetter teammate, Jack Legacy, won the Compound Pro tag-team championship, though they lost the titles before the end of 2010. One thing is for sure?once Heritage wins a title, it is nearly impossible to win the title away from him. Once others begin to recognize just how good Heritage is, it will only be a matter of time before most titles will be in his possession and impossible to take from him.

Well, that?s my list for 2010. There may be very few people that agree with it, but this is my list, and I?m sticking to it.

J.W. McGillicutty