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The 2010 Oklafan Mid-Year Report

Posted: Jun 30th 2010 By: CMBurnham

2010 is more than halfway done and we at Oklafan.com are pleased to release The Mid-Year Report. In this report, we'll look at the top 20 wrestlers of 2009 (as listed in the Oklafan Top 50) and see where they stand today, what they've accomplished and where they might be going. With a little less than 6 months left before the end of the year, some performers might need that extra motivation to kick things into gear. So, without further adieu, let's get to it:

1. Dane Griffin. Funny how history repeats itself, but with variations. Last year I talked about how Griffin was off to a great start and looked like he was going to repeat as #1. That came true. This time, though, things appear a little different. Situations haven't been as kind to Griffin in 2010. He won the GPCW Title on January 15 only to see the federation shut down in May. Slightly over a week later, on January 23, he captured the NWA-OK Oklahoma Title. He's held that belt for 5 months now, but NWA-OK has only run one show this year, on May 7. So that title is practically inactive. He also brought the IZW Tag Team Titles home in April with Shane Rawls and still holds those belts, even though he seems to have lost the guidance of manager Brad Michaels. Griffin's appearances in MSWA have been sporadic at best. It seemed that he was going to try and reform T. M. S. with Ryan Reyes, but that plan fell apart. And when Max McGuirk made a reappearance in MSWA, Dane was nowhere to be seen. He likes to boast about how he's been #1 two years in a row as well as having been voted Most Improved this past year, but it looks unlikely that he will three-peat unless he decides to focus more on active Oklahoma federations.

Current ranking: 9

2. The Canadian Red Devil. How the mighty have fallen. CRD competed in every active federation last year except for GPCW. He began this year as the ComPro Showtime Champion, but when he lost that title, it seemed to mark the beginning of a downward spiral that has sent him into oblivion. He was unable to recapture that belt. And he received a shot at ComPro Champion Richie Adams when ComPro relocated, but wasn't able to win that title either. CRD also competes regularly in TAP where he is a former 2x champion. But at their most recent show, he was unable to upset champion Reckless and was overheard saying that part of the reason for that was the unexpected presence of Shane Morbid in the match. He's made two appearances in MWA this year and been unsuccessful in both. He competed this past Sunday in an opening round match in the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Title tournament, but he and the Canadian Luchadore were defeated by the New Age Syndicate. And he has reportedly been banned from competing in SWCW for unclear reasons. To put it succinctly, it's not been a good year for the Devil so far. If he has any hope of making it back up to last year's position, he needs to turn things around ASAP.

Current ranking: unrated

3. Aaron Neil. The IZW Champion has been a mainstay of the ranking system and is one of the few wrestlers to always be featured in the Top 50 since it's inception. Neil is a talented individual, but he seems to have chosen not to use those talents to the best of his ability in IZW. He recently became the first 4x IZW Champion, defeating John O'Malley and Angel Williams in a Triple Threat Match. But he's also aligned with Impact, Inc. in Lawton, which sees him rely on help from MSWA Champion Johnny Z, Randy Price and Steve O. Over in MSWA, Neil was defeated by Johnny for the MSWA Title. Since that loss, he's made only one appearance, where he defeated Johnny by countout after disguising himself as the Midnite Rider. Perhaps the most frustrating thing has been Neil's seeming lack of commitment to wrestling. As a regular competitor for both IZW and MSWA, as well as GPCW when it was in existance, Neil had the possibility of competing about 45 times in the first half of this year. So far, he's only seen action 18 times. If he expects to continue to be thought of as one of the best, he needs to be more active. Otherwise, he might soon be forgotten.

Current ranking: 6

4. Kevin Morgan. The man the people voted as the Wrestler of the Year has taken some steps to try and live up to that expectation and they seem to be paying off. Morgan reigned as a dual champion for most of the beginning of 2010. He defeated John O'Malley for the IZW Title in February and then upended Jermaine Johnson for the MSWA Oklahoma Title in March. Although he lost the IZW Title back to O'Malley, he continues to be in possession of the Oklahoma Title. He's also reformed his tag team with Xavior in IZW and they are now known as Awesome X. Be it singles or tag team competition, Morgan seems prepared to handle whatever is thrown at him. He ran Big Daddy Dominator out of MSWA and defeated Bud Barnes in a Lumberjack Strap Match this past Sunday. It certainly seems likely that he'd enjoy an opportunity at Johnny Z's MSWA Title, especially after all the mental anguish Johnny put Kevin through last year. Kevin's already been a Heavyweight Champion in IZW and SWCW. Might 2010 be the year he completes the hat trick?

Current ranking: 3

5. Shane Morbid. Morbid started the year as Oklahoma's only Triple Crown Singles Champion, holding the MWA MAX-Division, TAP Oklahoma Heritage and ComPro Heavyweight Titles. He has none of those belts in his possession at this point. But he's set his sights on regaining the ComPro Title from Richie Adams and also has challenged TAP Champion Reckless on July 17 in a Title vs. Career match. Morbid has long been thought of as one of the best performers in Oklahoma, but perhaps this is the year that he finally gets recognized as THE best. The fans said he was the best in 2008. Since that time, he's only gotten more accomplished. Always a Top 20 guy, we at Oklafan currently believe that he is the man who currently sets the standard for wrestling in the state. Whether that will continue to be the case depends entirely on Shane.

Current ranking: #1

6. Montego Seeka. Disappointing. Montego abandoned the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Titles, leaving his partner Ky-ote Joe out on his own to deal with challenges from the New Age Syndicate, sometimes with help from temporary partners. Eventually, those belts had to be stripped. Down in IZW, BLK-OUT ended their 1 1/2 year existence when Jermaine Johnson turned his back on Montego during Seeka's IZW Title match with Aaron Neil. Now, Seeka and Johnson are embroiled in a bitter feud which most recently saw Seeka defeat Johnson in a Dog Collar Chain Match. Feuds are a natural part of wrestling, but if Seeka isn't careful, this could shorten his career like the Tommy Rich/Buzz Sawyer feud shortened both theirs. And since Montego is competing exclusively in Oklahoma for IZW, this lessens his visibility. Too bad. His talent is high, but his devotion seems to be low.

Current ranking: unrated

7. Jermaine Johnson. Unlike Seeka, Johnson is making more and more progress in both MSWA and IZW. He began the year as MSWA Oklahoma Champion, but lost that belt on March 7. And, as stated above, he ended his partnership with Montego Seeka in BLK-OUT and is on his own there. In MSWA, he seems to have become obsessed with La Reina de Corazones. But he's had no success in wooing her to his side in his own unique manner. As a member of Impact, Inc., it seems that Johnson and Bernie D might be a good choice to enter the MSWA Tag Team Tournament and perhaps they could control even more gold. At this point, Johnson needs to do something. He remains visible, but he seems a little directionless at the moment. Not bad, but not good either. Just stable.

Current ranking: 7

8. Seth Allen: He left Oklahoma last year in October and hasn't competed here since. While it seemed like he was off the radar in Ohio for a long time, Oklafan recently received word that he had captured 2 singles titles and a tag team title in 3 different federations in the Ohio area. Good to see that Seth is still competing at the high level he set for himself here. Perhaps one day we'll see him on national TV.

Current ranking: unrated

9. Ky-ote Joe. Joe seems to follow that adage about "If you don't succeed, try, try again." But perhaps he should look into the other saying about "He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day." For what seems like an eternity, Joe has been pursuing the IZW Impact Division Title, but he has yet to be able to lay his hands on it. Be it Wage, Randy Price or Eric Rose, all of them have fought off Joe's challenges. Perhaps its time to focus on something different. We would like to suggest that Joe reform Aerial Assault in IZW with Montego Seeka, although there would probably be some trust issues since Seeka abandoned Joe in MSWA while they were champions. Whatever needs to happen, it needs to happen quickly or Joe is going to become the guy that comes out and people immediately think "Oh well, I guess we know who's going to win this one."

Current ranking: #48

El Super Colibri: ESC is dead. At least in Oklahoma. In his place stands Brandon Walker, the man behind the mask. But without the mask, Walker seems to be much less motivated. He's challenged for the UWE Title held by Jonathan Cross, but has come up short in that. He picked a fight with former tag team partner Justin Lee, but that went nowhere as Justin defeated him on May 14 and he hasn't been seen in ComPro since. He was one of the 4 competitors for the vacant TAP Adrenaline title, a title he had to vacate due to injury, but was eliminated in that 4-Corners Elimination match and has not been back to challenge Richie Adams for the belt. It seems that Walker is more interested in competing in Arkansas and Texas in recent months. He was destroyed by Shane Morbid in MWA and hasn't been seen since their Tables Match. Again, the issue of dedication seems to rear it's head as Walker doesn't seem to be interested in competing in Oklahoma much these days. And that's a shame.

Current ranking: unrated

11. Reckless. The member of the Saints of Twilight has held the TAP Title for over one year, but faces his stiffest challenge on July 17 when he puts his title up against Shane Morbid's career. And while a one-year+ title reign looks impressive, the FACT that TAP was shut down for the second half of 2009 takes some of the shine off of that accomplishment. Still, Reckless has fended off every challenger since TAP restarted in 2010. But he is only competing in TAP, leaving his brother to handle things in ComPro. Rumour has it that Reckless is suffering from some lingering injuries and needs to take some time off. Perhaps a loss to Shane Morbid and time to recuperate will be a blessing in disguise. Sadly, it will also put his ranking in jeopardy.

Current ranking: 17

12. Justin Lee. After 9 years, could it be the end of Justin Lee? He began wrestling in September, 2001. But recent months have seen him barely register on the results. He's held no titles in 2010. He had a brief feud with former partner Brandon Walker, but it seems to be over before it began. And he's only competed 15 times this year. Could the Broken Arrow Bad Boy be ready to hang up the boots? Well, don't count him out just yet, as it seems he has some unfinished business with the Saints of Twilight, who attacked him and his friend Max McGuirk at the TAP show in June. Maybe this personal issue is just what is needed to reinvigorate Justin. But, like his partner The Canadian Red Devil, he needs to kick it into gear before it's too late.

Current ranking: unrated

13. Bud Barnes. He went from being one of the more promising big men in Oklahoma to being a despicable human being. Bud Barnes turned his back on his cousin Moonshine and showed no remorse when Moonshine was injured in a match and has been unable to compete. He severed ties with SWCW, made a few sporadic appearances in IZW, but seems to be calling MSWA home. But that home is one where he doesn't seem to be wanted. He's become something of a "gun for hire" and recently took up for his friend, Big Daddy Dominator, going so far as to take his place in the Lumberjack Strap match against Kevin Morgan. It seems that someone with his size and ability should be a singles champion, but he has not made any inroads in that direction. Perhaps Barnes should find a tag team partner and enter the MSWA Tag Team Tournament. Or perhaps he should just call it quits, because he's on a rapid spiral to nowhere.

Current ranking: 43

14. Michael Barry. Recently, Oklafan published an article highlighting the accomplishments of "Excellence Personified". This list did NOT include Michael Barry. Barry has had a very unproductive year. He lost the MWA Title to Jeff Starchild in one of the worst cage matches ever. Starchild then turned around and dropped the title in his first defense, but that wasn't against Barry (who, logic would dictate, should have gotten a rematch), it was to Jack Legacy. Barry won the BYEW Championship at a show in Guthrie on June 2nd, but then was reportedly fired from the company the same night, although their website still lists him as champion. He's made challenges against Shane Morbid in both TAP and ComPro and come up short in both. He hasn't been back in IZW for many months. As one of the founders of EP, Barry should have the pedigree to be one of the most successful men in the state. Instead, he's one of the least accomplished in 2010. Like Justin Lee and CRD, Barry needs to make something work for himself and do so quickly. Otherwise, things look grim for him.

Current ranking: unrated

15: Xavior. It seemed that by this time, Xavior should have laid claim to a singles title. That hasn't happened. Xavior began the year as the SWCW Cruiserweight Champion, but lost that belt to Crisstopher Crow in February and left SWCW shortly after that. He has made some inroads in IZW and, after a couple of months of getting his feet under him, is now tagging with Kevin Morgan as Awesome X. They haven't been able to wrest the IZW Tag Team Titles away from the Future Hall of Famers, but perhaps they just need one more shot. In MSWA, where Xavior began his career, things seem the grimmest for him. He defeated Ky-ote Joe and Austin Tacious to become the #1 contender to the MSWA Oklahoma Title, but wasn't able to defeat Kevin Morgan for that. He isn't in line for a Heavyweight Title shot against Johnny Z. Perhaps he needs to find a tag team partner and enter the MSWA Tag Team Title tournament. Xavior needs direction or he will slip off the radar and that would be a shame.

Current ranking: 33

16. Brandon Groom. Groom looked to be on his way to challenging John O'Malley for the IZW Title, but abruptly left IZW in January. He told Oklafan that there were personal reasons for him to leave, which included (but were not limited to) the grind of the travel and the amount of time it took away from him seeing his daughter. Groom has since left professional wrestling altogether and is concentrating on a burgeoning MMA career.

Current ranking: unrated

17. Eric Rose. He fulfilled what many thought was the untapped promise of his career by becoming the IZW Impact Division Champion and held that belt for most of the first half of 2010. But he's another one that seems to be too comfortable in one federation and could do with some more exposure. After losing the Impact Division Title to Wage, he was unsuccessful in regaining it and is now in something of a career slump. Perhaps Rose is the person to help Ky-ote Joe (and vice versa). They've tagged before in the past. Rose certainly could do with some freshening up and while he'll never be the biggest dog in the fight, hopefully that doesn't mean he's given up the fight altogether.

Current ranking: unrated

18. Tim Rockwell. How the mighty have fallen. 2007 saw him as the best in the state. 2008 saw him #3. Last year, he tumbled to #18. Now, he's on the precipice of being another forgotten performer. Rockwell is another competitor who seems like he's just about given up. He's on a major losing streak in MWA and doesn't seem able to buy a win even if he had Ted DiBiase's money. ComPro sees him as a fan favourite, but the reaction is tepid at best and he's feuding with a manager when he should be setting his eyes on Richie Adams or Ignition. At least in TAP, he's got direction in both the form of new manager Richard Pierce as well as the focus of the TAP Oklahoma Heritage Title held by Dutch Hagen. Maybe success in one federation can reignite the spark in the others. Right now, Rockwell looks like one of the veteran wrestlers who has overstayed his welcome.

Current ranking: unrated

19. Korvin Sage. A name change and an attitude adjustment often signal desperation. And that seems to have been the case for Sage. He's still one of the most technically accomplished performers in the state, but he finds it frustrating to find opponents who can challenge him due to his style. (Too bad he never faced off against Brandon Walker). He's confined himself to SWCW, although he did make a recent foray into TAP and seems to be willing to be a regular there. In both federations, he's tag teaming with Draven Cross. Sage hasn't been a regular tag team wrestler since the days of the New Style Outsiders in 2007. While they gel well, they aren't making strong headway towards either SWCW Tag Team Champions X-Rated or TAP Tag Team Champions Excellence Personified. Fans want to see the return of the Sage they remember. The one who was highly successful. This Sage just doesn't seem to be meeting that mark.

Current ranking: unrated.

20. Jack Legacy. One of the most veteran members of the Oklahoma rosters, Legacy has finally made the best of an opportunity when he was granted the MWA Title shot in May. The result was a new MWA Champion. Legacy also briefly held the ComPro Tag Team Titles with Se7en earlier this year and he and his Jet Setters partner, Dustin Heritage, have been pursuing Legion 13 in an effort to reclaim the tag team gold in that federation. Legacy also remains a threat to any title he chooses to challenge for in TAP along with the rest of EP. Legacy reappeared on the scene with dominance last year and seems guaranteed to only get better this year. Might it end with him in the Top 10, a position he's never held? He's on his way there.

Current ranking: 15