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Russo Changing Lives One Match At A Time

Posted: Apr 23rd 2011 By: CMBurnham

When people think "Hardcore", they think weapons, violence and blood. But there's a different kind of hardcore in some performer's minds. It's the kind of hardcore that indicates how committed and tough they are. How determined they are to be the best.

SWCW Hardcore Champion Rick Russo is working to convine everyone that he's THAT kind of hardcore. Although he's a former SWCW Champion, he seems almost prouder to be the Hardcore Champion. And when he came out to address the crowd at the Underground Arena on April 2, he had a story to tell. He said that when he arrived at SWCW, he was just happy to be there. He was even happier when he formed the team of Locked & Loaded with Ryan Reyes. But eventually he got tired of carrying Reyes and after defending the Tag Team Titles 4 times with him, he fired him and defended them 4 more times on his own. He also brought up how he defeated 2 of the largest men in SWCW, Draven Cross and 3rd Rail, simultaneously to become the SWCW Champion. He made 5 successful defences of that title before losing it to Tyson Jaymes. As far as he was concerned, he is the hardest working wrestler that SWCW has ever produced. But on this night, he was going to hang out with the people and take the night off.

That didn't sit well with SWCW Commissioner L. J. McDaniels. L. J. came out and reminded him that the Handcuff match he had with Maniac Mike the previous week at Hardcore Hallelujah hadn't ended the way it was supposed to, due to the inefficient refereeing of Crazy Charlie. So although it was listed as a win when the results were sent out, L. J. was throwing that result out and orderng a rematch in the main event.

Despite being caught off guard, Russo didn't back down from the challenge and the two men met in the main event, prepared to destroy everything in their path. Russo was no stranger to using the items around him as weapons and Mike felt the sting of the ring bell and the Hardcore Title belt across his back as the battle made it's way outside the ring. Once the action came back into the ring, Russo set Mike in a chair and clotheslined him, then locked in his submission move, the Lifechanger. To his credit, Mike refused to tap out. L. J. decided to make his presence known, so Russo grabbed L. J.'s briefcase and hit him with it, following that with an impact from the steel chair. But once Russo got back in the ring, Mike took to the offencive. Some quick collaboration between L. J. and Mike saw Mike grab Russo from behind and hold him while L. J. prepared to hit him with his briefcase, but Russo yanked Mike forward and L. J. hit his own man. Russo was able to pin the concussed Mike to retain his title and after the match was over, it seemed like perhaps Mike was angry enough at L. J. to turn on him. With the crowd encouraging him, Mike stalked L. J. around the ring, but L. J. smooth voice and calm temper was able to talk Mike down from committing an act of violence on the manager.

Mike still felt he had something to prove 2 weeks later and didn't care who he had to go through in order to do so. In the opening match, he faced off against Tyson Jaymes and utilised an odd move to gain the win. Mike's Hardcore Connection associate Ryan Styles laid Tyson out with a spear after the match was over. Mike then made his way out during the non-title match between Russo and 3rd Rail after Russo locked in the Lifechanger. Mike grabbed the Hardcore Title belt and dangled it in front of Russo. This brought Tyson Jaymes out for a little revenge from earlier. Mike and Tyson both made their way into the ring and Tyson was able to wrest the Hardcore Title away from Mike, but when he went to hit Mike with it, Mike ducked and Tyson ended up slamming the gold up against 3rd Rail, knocking him out and allowing Russo to get the pin. This did little to solve the problems that had existed between Tyson & Rail since Rail unexplainedly powerslammed Tyson, leading to their loss of the SWCW Tag Team Titles to Brandon Moxley & ComPro Oklahoma X Division Champion Se7en. Tyson gave a thumbs up to Russo for his win and tried to assuage the angry Rail with a Snickers bar, but Rail was having none of it and threw the candy away, then left the ring area.

SWCW isn't the only place that Russo is changing lives. He's on his way up the ladder in MSWA as well, This past Sunday, he was involved in a Triple Threat against David Kyzer and the debuting Aaron Kennedy. Russo was dominant in that match, punching Kyzer in the stoumacha and hitting a Russian Leg Sweep before throwing him out of the ring, then doing the same on Kennedy for the win. Russo's aggression was almost off the charts as he continued to beat on the rookie until MSWA owner Bad Boy came to the rescue.

Russo's focus has brought him good success in recent weeks. Perhaps his ranking as #50 in the Oklafan Top 50 served as motivation as Russo was vocal about how unhappy he was with that position. If he continues to be successful this way, he very well could be Heavyweight Champion in both federations or anywhere else he chooses to work at. And the life that he'll have changed the most is his own.