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Does the Skunk Ape Have The X Factor To Become A Champion?

Posted: Feb 3rd 2012 By: CMBurnham

Sometimes it just takes the proper motivation to take someone to the next level. And perhaps that motivation came at the end of the year when Super Skunk Ape, Jr. was voted the Oklafan Fresh Face of the Year.

He's a strange competitor. Reminiscent of George "The Animal" Steele (assuming Steele had even more hair than he already possessed...and it was orange), the Skunk Ape possesses an unorthodox arsenal of moves and seems to rely on brute animalistic strength for most of what he does.

While he might have won an award, when it comes to wins and losses, 2011 was NOT Skunk Ape's best year. He finished out the year with losses to Ignition and Goldeneye and seemed well on his way to being a footnote in the annals of ComPro history. But the announcement that the voters on this site had seen the most potential in him must have revived him and helped carry him through the majority of the 2012 Oklahoma Stampede on January 7th. Skunk Ape entered 1st and survived for a long time. Even after being eliminated, the fans weren't done seeing him as he had been signed for a title match against ComPro Oklahoma X Division Champion Se7en. As one of the most experienced members of the Oklahoma roster, it seemed that "The NorCal Shooter" would be the last person to suffer from the Skunk Ape's antics or those of his manager, Sensei Bolo. But it seemed like no matter what the X Division Champion tried, it didn't faze Skunk Ape. After about 7 minutes of frustration, Se7en grabbed his title belt from the ringside table and made his way to the back, resulting in a countout victory for the Skunk Ape, the first of his brief career.

This also meant that Skunk Ape had to be looked at as a viable contender in a rematch for the Oklahoma X Division Title. And that was something that Se7en's manager Mike Iles could NOT tolerate. At the next ComPro event, Skunk Ape was booked in a match against Richie Adams and if Skunk Ape won, he would get an Oklahoma X Division Title match at the next event. It was pandemonium at ringside as Skunk Ape's manager Sensei Bolo was present, Adams' manager Stevie Caballero was present and not one to be left out, Mike Iles walked out to join the party, even though Se7en was not booked on the show. Iles took the microphone and began to regale the audience (who really weren't paying attention as they were focused on the match) about how Se7en had walked out during the previous show because he didn't believe that Skunk Ape was a worthy contender to his title. Iles promised everyone in earshot that there was no way Skunk Ape was getting a title shot and remained at ringside for the rest of the match. His presence was certainly key to the ending (and might have alluded to a little collusion between Iles and Caballero). With Caballero on the ring apron arguing with referee Chance Snodgrass, Iles went to the opposite side where Skunk Ape had perched, prepared to fly off onto a prone Richie Adams. Iles crotched the orange-furred star on the top rope and Adams recovered, giving Skunk Ape an Impaler DDT from the top for the win. Caballero was joyful. Iles was ecstatic and Skunk Ape's brief rally towards championship gold seemed to have ground to a halt.

But all hope isn't lost as Sensei Bolo can certainly protest the ending of the match to ComPro owner Mike Two. And if Mike Iles can get things set up in his champion's favour, Bolo can accomplish the same. The odds certainly seem to be against Se7en remaining champion much longer, as he has held that title for nearly a year-and-a-half. If Skunk Ape can be in the right place at the right time, he can find himself hoisting that title belt proudly, a great accomplishment in a brief career.