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Rockwell Gets By With A Little Help From His Friends (and Enemies)

Posted: Apr 23rd 2008 By: CMBurnham

As one of the elite double champions in Oklahoma, TAP Oklahoma Heritage and ComPro Oklahoma X Division Champion Tim Rockwell constantly has to keep his guard up to preserve his titles. While it's no secret that Rockwell has the abilities to handle all challengers, he prefers to rely on treachery and outside interference to win his matches, as demonstrated this past weekend, when he managed to barely hold on to both belts.

Rockwell opened the TAP show by coming out to brag about his becoming the inaugural Oklahoma Heritage champion. He and his uncle Bernard Funk stormed the ring and Rockwell announced to all present how he could beat anyone in the locker room. It should be no surprise that this provoked a response, but the responder was something of a surprise as Dexter Hardaway emerged from the locker room. Hardaway, who had not competed for several months since being fired from IZW by commissioner Mike Iles, entered the ring and reminded Tim that he trained the Terrific one and as a result, deserved to get a title shot. Rockwell shot back, asking Dexter what he had accomplished lately besides retiring. As far as the champion was concerned, he deserved nothing. Then a 3rd entrance music hit and UWF06 Texhoma Champion Les Mayne, the man Rockwell beat to become champion, came out to join everyone else. Mayne admitted that Rockwell beat him the previous month, but stated that the outcome would have been different if Bernard Funk hadn't interfered. This prompted Rockwell to issue a proposal. If Mayne could defeat Funk in a 1-on-1 match, he'd earn a shot at the Oklahoma Heritage Title. Dexter immediately piped up and asked about his title shot. Rockwell said that if Mayne was in it, Dexter could be too.

So the match was on between Mayne & Funk with the veteran holding his own for a while, then lots of interference from Rockwell on the outside making things even. Eventually, Rockwell saw that Funk wasn't going to get the job done on his own, so he entered the ring and hit Mayne with his cowbell, causing a disqualification. After a brief 2-on-1 attack, Mayne's partner Dane Griffin came to the rescue, but it seemed like it might be a little too late. Mayne was injured and had to be helped from the ring. Rockwell thought he had everything in hand.

Right before intermission, TAP ring announcer Quarky Storm announced to the crowd that the TAP championship committee was forcing Rockwell to defend his title. While Les Mayne wasn't going to be able to challenge for the belt, his partner Dane Griffin would take his place and Rockwell would face him and Dexter Hardaway in a Triple Threat Match in the main event. And when it came time for the main event, Rockwell decided to twist the knife in the back of the fans just a little more. He forced the ring announcer to announce him as the "Texas Heritage Champion", placing a sticker of Texas over the flag of Oklahoma on the belt. Dane Griffin and Dexter Hardaway wasted no time trying to attack Rockwell, but the champion used a tactic he applied the previous Saturday when he won a shot at the Oklahoma X Division Title: he stalled outside. While his two challengers beat each other senseless, Rockwell waited to pick up the pieces and only entered the match periodically until he sensed his moment. After Hardaway applied the Bruce Almighty Driver to Griffin, Rockwell entered, hit Hardaway with the One-Stop Drop, threw him out of the ring and covered the prone Griffin for the win. Despite facing a 2-on-1 situation, Rockwell would leave with one title still in his grasp.

His night wasn't done yet, as he headed down the highway to Tulsa and a title rematch against Cold Blooded Chris. While Bernard Funk wouldn't be joining him, Rockwell's manager Big Stevie Caballero took up the ringside position. Rockwell was confident that he could once again outmove and outthink the hefty former champion and again, it was the presence of outside assistance that helped the most. While Rockwell distracted the referee, Caballero made judicious use of his cowbell against C. B. C.'s head, knocking him loopy and again allowing Rockwell to retain a title he might otherwise have lost.

So it seems as long as Rockwell has some ringside assistance, he will win. And he'd better hope that nothing happens to Stevie, as ComPro will be holding a 2-night tournament to determine the #1 contender to the Oklahoma X Division Title this week. Former champions such as Justin Lee & Shane Morbid as well as current ComPro Tag Team Champions New Canada and many others are entered into this event. Rockwell won't have much time to prepare for the winner, but knowing him, he'll just try to get by...with a little help from his friends.

Tags: Tim Rockwell, TAP, ComPro, Bernard Funk, Dexter Hardaway, IZW, Mike Iles, UWF06, Les Mayne, Dane Griffin, Quarky Storm, Cold Blooded Chris, Stevie Caballero, Justin Lee, Shane Morbid, New Canada