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So Many Demands, So Few True Contenders

Posted: May 20th 2009 By: CMBurnham

Several months ago, Outlaw found himself in the position of being asked to serve as MSWA commissioner. He felt he was up to the task and promised a no-nonsense approach. And he delivered on those promises, handing out hefty fines and making it very clear that he was in charge.

This worked well...for a while. But even the best authouritarians have to remind people now and then that they're in charge. And it seems that several of the MSWA stars have gotten a little restless in their pursuit of fame and glory. They've started to verbally demand title shots without having much of a record to back up their requests.

Take Brock Landers, for instance. Brock's wrestling record for 2009 is 0-6. A perfect record, albeit in the wrong direction. But back in November, 2008, Brock earned a title shot at the MSWA Oklahoma Title, held by Bad Boy. He received that shot, plus a couple of additional ones. But he was unable to capitalise on it. Yet Landers found himself in the position of striding to the ring, kicking MSWA ring announcer Milton Winkelman out and declaring to the captive audience that he wanted some gold. If Landers wants to be viewed as a true contender, he needs to start by getting some wins. Over ANYONE.

Another person whe has been chomping at the bit for Bad Boy is Maniacal Mike. Mike arrived this week and declared that Bad Boy wasn't present and that was because he was scared. He promised to do "whatever it takes" to win the Oklahoma Title. This brought Outlaw to the ring and a reminder was delivered in short form to Mike. At the previous show, Mike used a screwdriver to the head of TAP Champion the Canadian Red Devil, getting DQed as a result. Outlaw said that if he ever caught Mike doing that again, not only would he suspend Mike for life, but he'd make sure that he never wrestled anywhere else in the state ever again.

Mike's thirst for gold prompted Outlaw to set him up against a champion, specifically the MSWA Mid-South Champion Aaron Neil. And wherever Aaron Neil is these days, it seems that IZW Tag Team Champion Johnny Z isn't too far behind. Johnny made his presence known after Aaron had disposed of Mike and again, Outlaw was forced to rectify matters by putting Johnny in a match against SWCW Tag Team Champion Bud Barnes. No title at stake here, but it was another chance for Johnny to prove that he deserved a shot.

To try and address the demand for the Oklahoma Title, Outlaw announced a Round Robin Tournament to name a #1 contender. 2 matches were held on this card. In one, SWCW Champion 3rd Rail disposed of Vash Heartley (who, like Landers, has ZERO wins under his belt this year. How did he get entered in this?) and Brian Blade took out Dexter Hardaway. Future matches will be announced at the cards and eventually a #1 contender will be named.

And that's all well and good, but it ignores one simple FACT: the last time Bad Boy defended the MSWA Oklahoma Title was on Mar 1. That means that it's been almost 3 months since that gold was put on the line. Outlaw clearly stated that the titles would be defended every 30 days or else the champions would be stripped. That 30-day mark passed almost 2 months ago and some reporters wonder if Outlaw is letting his previous association with Bad Boy get in the way of his doing what he should be. If Bad Boy cannot be at the shows and defend his title, he doesn't deserve to be champion. If he CAN be at the shows, he needs to show up. Either way, Outlaw needs to make a decision, as his lack of action in this situation not only tarnishes the reputation of the MSWA, but aso causes a major shadow to fall over his word.

Tags: Outlaw, MSWA, Brock Landers, Bad Boy, Milton Winkelman, Maniacal Mike, TAP, Canadian Rec Devil, Aaron Neil, IZW, Johnny Z, SWCW, Bud Barnes. 3rd Rail, Vash Heartley, Brian Blade, Dexter Hardaway