• Look Back In History
• Pmessages
• Quiz
• Stump The Staff
• Top Fifty
• Close

Making History pt 2: Tommy Dean Wins the Freedom Rings Rumble

Posted: Jun 13th 2024 By: CMBurnham

The goal of any singles competitor in pro wrestling is to ascend to the top of their company. To win their Heavyweight Title. That title brings the most recognition. The most money. The most honour and prestige.

Tommy Dean knows what it takes to be a company's champion. He's done it in BPW. He's done it in CPW.

And now he stands on the precipice of becoming only the third WFC Grand Slam Champion because Tommy won the 2024 Freedom Rings Rumble, earning him an opportunity at the WFC Championship. The only WFC prize that Tommy has never held.

Every year, 30 of the top stars in WFC and the area hope their luck is good and enter one-by-one into the Freedom Rings Rumble. The goal is simple: Outlast everyone else as they are thrown over the top rope with both feet touching the floor. Whoever does that earns a WFC Title match at the WFC Anniversary event in October.

Tommy already has a couple of major accomplishments in WFC. He was the first ever WFC Prime Champion. And earlier this year, he defeated current WFC Prime Champion for the WFC Hometown Heroes Title, a title that he has been chasing for almost 7 years. But the WFC Title has always eluded him. And Tommy used that as motivation even though he was clearly unhappy with his numerical draw when it was shown on the video screen prior to the Rumble match. The match started with Dan Webber and Riker going at each other until the arrival of current WAH Hunger Dojo Champion Daniel Aaron Michalles. BPW Oklahoma Tag Team Champion Derek James tried to enter next but was superkicked by WFC Tag Team Champion Johnny Lightning. The Blue Bolt entered at #5, but only faired minimally better than Michalles. Then Dean came in at #6. And somehow found a way to survive as 24 more wrestlers came to the ring and were eliminated at various points.

The Rumble saw some debuts, such as WAH Living Hope Champion Jean-Claude. It also saw returns as The Lunchador and The Canadian Red Devil both made their way back to WFC. But ultimately opportunity came down to 4 people: 2 representatives of HIM: Zac Royal and Tim Rockwell, Duke Cornell and Tommy Dean. Cornell and Dean had a past together as both men were part of HaVen and Tommy appeared to try to appeal to that past to counter the HIM pairing. Cornell, though, could not be trusted and it became 3-on-1 until Rockwell removed himself from the ring and come to join the commentary booth. Rockwell watched in disappointment as first Tommy eliminating Royal, then Cornell. Thinking he had won it all, Dean was blindsided with an attack from the returning Rockwell, who was desperate to win this match and regain the WFC Title he had lost to Thrash earlier in the event. That was not in the cards for him as Tommy hoisted him over the top rope and was the last man remaining.

Tommy Dean now has his opportunity in October to lay claim to the one prize he has never had in WFC. But will he be facing Thrash or someone else? Tim Rockwell invoked his rematch clause for the WFC Title at the July 6th event, but WFC Director of Operations Stevie Caballero decided to make the match a Fatal 4-Way Match and include Duke Cornell and Zac Royal as well since they were in the final four. Tommy will certainly have his eyes firmly placed on that match as he prepares for the chance to take his WFC reputation out of this world...as champion.