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Hardaway Enjoys Revitalized In-Ring Career in Oklahoma and Texas

Posted: Aug 16th 2018 By: Michael Hunt

After nearly twenty years in the business, fans could should be able to understand when a wrestler decides to step back. To take a less active or behind-the-scenes role. That seemed to be where Dexter Hardaway was comfortable.

With his career beginning in 1998 and seemingly ending as a regular competitor around 2010, Hardaway had moved behind the scenes as a member of management in WFC. Taking the unenviable position of Director Of Operations, Hardaway tried to keep things running smoothly when faced with all kinds of surly, undisciplined individuals. That eventually put him in an bind when X-Cal faced Tim Rockwell for the WFC Title and Hardaway, in a moment of exteme concern, threw in the towel to keep Rockwell from suffering what he thought might be a career-ending injury. Hardaway could not get over the guilt of that moment and resigned (or, at least, he would have if X-Cal had not read an advance copy of the resignation letter before Hardaway could do so.)

But Hardaway was not done with WFC and found a position as a referee. Like many wrestlers-turned-referees, Hardaway’s knowledge of the rules (and experience in breaking them at times during his career) made him highly effective and sought after by many of the WFC roster members. It also put him in the target of certain WFC performers, such as the Villains. Being of a smaller stature, Hardaway was frequently pushed around by wrestlers such as WFC Tag Team Champion Wesley Crane, WFC Hometown Heroes and UWE Champion Alex Royal and many others. A man can only tolerate so much of that and Hardaway made it known to Board of Director members Bull Schmitt & Trevor Murdoch that if he was pushed one more time he was going to push back. That physical interaction came during Tim Rockwell’s WFC Title defence against Paul Puertorico, where not only was Hardaway pushed by Rockwell, but he got temporarily knocked out during it as well. During the filming of the “After the Cause” segment following that show, Hardaway resigned as a referee and asked to be put on the active duty roster so he could get his hands on the Villains.

That return to active duty was not confined to WFC as many independent federations in and around Oklahoma began to actively recruit Dexter for their shows. One of those was All-Star Pro, who brought Hardaway in as a surprise opponent for Brock Landers, who wanted to be restored to the active duty roster himself. Hardaway upset Landers in their contest and at the beginning of August found himself positioned across the ring from Prince Mahalli. Mahalli, along with his vociferous manager, Mohammad burn Ham, saw an opportunity to humiliate someone they perceived as a wrestler who had stayed past their welcome. Hardaway saw a man who was ranked as the second best wrestler in Oklahoma and knew that a victory over him could bring validity to the return. And so both men settled in the match, bringing out as many of their tricks as they could. A distraction by burn Ham turned the tide in the opening part of the match into Mahalli’s favour, but a missed Magic Carpet Ride put it back in the court of Hardaway. Both men then battled to the outside of the ring, going past the barricade and through the crowd. Hardaway then opened a door near the entrance (often referred to as the door leading to “The Vault”) and found a way to not only tie Mahalli up, but to put him in The Vault and shut the door. Hardaway then turned his attention to burn Ham, chasing him around the ring until the portly manager rolled himself into the ring. Hardaway followed soon after and picked up burn Ham’s cane, which he had dropped while seeking sanctuary inside the squared circle. Hardaway seemed to threaten to hit burn Ham with the cane, but then changed his mind, telling the bearded boaster that he was going to have to apologise to every member of the ASP fanbase present for all the terrible things he had said to them. Burn Ham begged off, pleading for Dexter not to take this action, but Dexter was convinced this was the appropriate punishment. However, before Hardaway could make burn Ham fufill this wish, Mahalli broke free from The Vault and attacked Hardaway from behind, saving his manager and once again turning the match back in his favour. That didn’t last long as a scoop slam attempt by Mahalli resulted in Dexter sliding down Mahalli’s back and hooking him into a Texas Cloverleaf, forcing the man who calls himself “Wrestling Royalty” to tap out. Unhappy with this decision, Mahalli and burn Ham attacked Dexter after the match, but did not leave him unable to leave the ring under his own power.

Both Hardaway and Mahalli competed later that night in a Battle Royal to determine the #1 contender to the ASP 5-Star Title. Mahalli was able to eliminate Hardaway and was the final man thrown out by Gemini [2nd], who won the match. But Hardaway felt invigorated by the earlier win and began to focus on the next night at WFC. Since making his return, Dexter had made no secret that he wished to contribute to the downfall of the Villains in whatever way possible. Initially, he tried to find a tag team partner to challenge Wesley Crane and Steven Cruze for the WFC Tag Team Titles, but that did not pan out. Last month, the Villains forced him to compete against the nearly unstoppable monster known as Draven and Hardaway became the latest victim in Draven’s path of destruction. This month, Hardaway decided to start where everyone usually needs to: At the bottom. So, since all of the Villains were in the main event in an 8-Man Tag Team match against the Space Age Heroes and Tommy Dean, Hardaway challenged a member of Villain Security, Reed. Reed, the protege of Alex Royal, had never participated in a singles match in WFC, so this became a contest of the grizzled veteran against the upstart rookie, both of whom had something to prove. And once again, the Texas Cloverleaf made the difference as Reed was forced to submit to it, giving Hardaway his first win at WFC since returning to in-ring competition. Hardaway proved once again that all it takes is one little mistake and he can turn that into a victory for himself.

Hardaway has also been active outside Oklahoma, focusing mainly in his old stomping grounds of Texas. He faced his old tag team partner Brad Michaels at the Andy Dalton benefit show and was victorious there, but lost to Byron Wilcott the next week at the Pro Wrestling Religion event. Hardaway already has future events lined up in both states, as he will continue his war against the Villains on August 18th by challenging Wesley Crane for the final spot in the MPX Prison Break Match. He is also slated for a rematch against Prince Mahalli (who will surely have Mohammad burn Ham with him again) in a first round match in the Tom Jones Memorial Tournament on August 31st. Hardaway seems to have found a renewed sense of purpose in this round of his career. And that promises hard times for anyone who stands across from him in the ring.