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"Real Wrestler" Richmond Now a Threat To ANY BPW Title at ANY Time

Posted: Jul 19th 2023 By: CMBurnham

The frustration must be overwhelming for Luke Richmond.

For almost the entirety of 2023, he has been chasing championship gold. He achieved that gold on April 15th, 2023 when he beat Jamie Holley for the NCWO United States Title. But that was only one piece of gold he was interested in. He also set his eyes on the BPW Oklahoma Title. And this title was more personal to him. Or at least defeating the wrestler who holds that title is: Brandon Groom.

Richmond has referred to himself as "The Real Wrestler" for quite a while now. He has an extensive amateur background and seems to shun many of the trappings of professional wrestling. He's not a "character". He's not a "showman". He doesn't even speak very much, instead allowing his manager, Mr. J., to explain what is going to happen to his opponents before it does.

Richmond knew that Groom's reputation is very strong. All-State wrestler at Bristow High School. All-American wrestler at Bacone College in Muskogee. Richmond was not intimidated by that. He believed that he could defeat Brandon Groom if given the right set of circumstances. In February, he fought Groom to a Double-Countout, which left neither man satisfied. So the stakes were upped. In April, they faced off again in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match. Each fall had a different stipulation. The first fall was an amatuer-style grappling match, which Groom won. The second fall was a Submission match, which Richmond was triumphant in. And the third and deciding fall was a Steel Cage match where the only way to win was to escape the cage. Groom came out victorious there and believed that he had cemented the challenge of Richmond and could move on to other competitors.

And while Richmond was down, he was by no means out. For in both of those challenges to Groom, there was something missing. Or more appropriately, someONE. Mr. J, his manager, was out with a knee injury when Richmond challenged Groom in those matches. And J and his devious mind began to clutch at several strings when he returned to action this past Saturday. While Richmond was not scheduled to face off against Groom for the BPW Oklahoma Title that night, he was in a championship match, facing El Gallardo for the BPW Lion Heart Title in a Triple Threat Match that also involved Trench Blythe. Prior to that match, Richmond and J arrived carrying a big briefcase and J quickly took the microphone and expressed his displeasure at the way things had happened in his absence. He announced that he had talked to the BPW Board of Directors and explained that his absence had created an unfair competitive environment for Richmond. And to make up for that, they had bequeathed him a briefcase containing an Any Time/Any Title contract. Which meant that no title in BPW was safe, not even Brandon Groom's.

Richmond was not successful in his challenge for the Lion Heart Title, but it was fair obvious after the announcement from Mr. J that that was not really the title in the forefront of his mind. And now he had the weapon he needed to get to that belt, no matter if it remained with Groom or if it went over to Mascara Purpura, who was challenging Groom for that belt that night. Groom and Purpura went 25 minutes in their match with Groom being pushed outside his normal comfort zone of moves and incorporating some of the lucha style into this match. And he was able to squeak out a victory, leaving him exhausted in the ring. That brought Richmond and J out to try and take advantage of the situation, but in J's excitement, he forgot one tiny important rule: if a cash-in is going to occur, BOTH competitors must be able and willing to answer the bell. And in this situation, Groom was NOT able to answer the challenge.

Frustrated beyond belief, Richmond directed J to get a sledgehammer from under the ring and planned to exorcise his frustration on Groom with that weapon, but Mascara Purpura grabbed it and pulled it away, challenging Richmond to an impromptu match. Despite wrestling for 25 minutes before that, Purpura stood ready to meet everything that Richmond brought and closed the night out with a decisive win. Nonetheless, Richmond is still in possession of the Any Time/Any Title briefcase. He once again has Mr. J. in his corner And he clearly has the BPW Oklahoma Title in his sites. Rumour has it that Charlie Haas will be coming to Oklahoma in August to challenge Groom for that title. Could Richmond play his cards right and walk away with his second championship at that point? Or will Richmond simply lay in wait until an even more opportune moment arises?