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20 Years Later: Two Oklahoma Veterans Still Battling Each Other In The Ring

Posted: Jan 5th 2012 By: CMBurnham

Twenty years ago, the Tulsa-area wrestling scene looked a lot different. The main promotion was a federation called the World Wrestling Empire and they ran for the first half of the 1990s. Although no proper documentation has ever been found of their title histories, the recollections of fans who watched their TV show, combined with the assistance of their owner Raymon Downey, has allowed Oklafan to put together what it can in terms of information for the WWEmp.

There were many major stars who got their starts in the WWEmp. Chief Red Eagle, Bernard Funk, Generation X, even "Oklahoma Legend" Rocco Valentino. All these stars have now retired and moved on to other aspirations in life.

But like pro wrestlers are often want to do, there are some that just can't give up the spotlight. And two of those veteran performers are "Bonecrusher" Bobby Burns and "The High Flyin'" Shane Cortez.

Burns is the most senior member of the Oklahoma roster, beginning his career in 1984. Although there were some period of inactivity, he has been a regular in the Southwest US area since returning to Oklahoma wrestling in 2005.

Cortez had been absent from the Oklahoma rings since 1999 when he moved to Texas. But he recently relocated and reentered the scene at the initial MERC event in late 2010. He took another year off to get back into prime wrestling shape and is now a regular competitor for SRPW. As is Burns.

And that's where the trouble lay. Both these men know each other very well. They have fought numerous bouts and spilled quarts of blood at each others' hands. Neither is willing to admit that the other is the better man.

It's uncertain as to what each man felt when they learned they were paired against each other on the last wrestling event of 2011. Perhaps a secret sense of pleasure as they knew they could try to best each other again. Perhaps a bit of fear, that this might be the time one of them slips up and proves the other is the better competitor. Whatever it would be, Burns and Cortez would face each other in 2011, but in their minds it was 1993 all over again.

Burns came to the ring first and immediately began to berate the FACT that he had to be in "Okiehomer" as he called it. It was the standard spiel from Burns: Oklahomans stink, they're poorly educated, etc, etc. Then, Shane Cortez, with the lovely Marissa at his side, came to ringside and the energy quickly picked up. After the bell rang, the familiar stomp of the foot by Cortez, followed by the chant of "Go, Shane, Go!" rang through CHAOS.

The match was very even and this served only to frustrate Burns. As he is accustomed to being the most experienced member of any locker room he steps into, he wasn't quite sure how to handle facing someone who remembered all his old tricks. But the power game was certianly in Burns' favour and while age hadn't reduced a lot of the quickness Cortez had in the '90s, the high-flying tactics had to take a backstep, except on special occassions.

No matter what he tried, Burns couldn't seem to get and keep the upper hand. Seeing no way to come out victorious in this event, Burns rolled Cortez out of the ring and grabbed a chair, slamming it onto the back of his opponent. Referee John the Encourager called for the DQ, but Burns paid no mind to that, instead picking Cortez up and giving him a powerbomb onto the ring apron. And then, as if enough hadn't been done, Burns grabbed his cowbell and began to whip Cortez in the middle of the ring with it. But even though he'd been beaten in the ring, Cortez wasn't down and out. As Burns was soaking in the boos from the crowd, Cortez rallied and rose back up. Burns couldn't believe his eyes when he turned around and fled the ring, leaving his trenchcoat and hat behind. So Cortez saw an opportunity to have some fun at Burns' expense. He donned the hat and coat and strutted around in them, then piled them in the middle of the ring and stomped on them, sending a signal to Burns that he wouldn't tolerate anymore of Burns' shenanigans.

Cortez left the ring and it was cleared of Burns' wardrobe. But as long as both men are licensed and active in the ring in Oklahoma, the issues between them aren't over. Burns is announced as facing Big Smooth at SRPW's first event in 2012, while Cortez has yet to have an announced opponent. But rest assured, both men will certainly be keeping an eye on each other, waiting for one more opportunity to prove themselves the better veteran on the Oklahoma circuit.