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The 2009 Oklafan Mid-Year Report

Posted: Jul 6th 2009 By: CMBurnham

2009 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 2008 (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: It looked like Griffin was going to have a great year and, to be fair, the first half wasn't bad. 4 days into 2009, he captured the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Titles with Seth Allen & Max McGuirk. And in May, he won the IZW Impact Division Title. But along with the accomplishments also came failures. Griffin won a match to be named the #1 contender to the NWA-OK Oklahoma Title, but shortly after that match, he was fired by NWA-OK management. He lost the Impact Division Title on June 20 and the MSWA Tag Team Titles a week later. Currently, he's without any Oklahoma title gold. Still, he's made a significant impression and is a strong contender to be the first wrestler to repeat as #1 in the Top 50. Current ranking: #2

#2. Ky-ote Joe: Joe seems to be spinning his wheels in IZW. He qualified for the Impact Chamber match, but didn't secure a win. He engaged in a somewhat pointless feud with Randy Price. He looked to be on the path to tag team glory in NWA-OK as he and Kunna Keyoh chased NWA-OK Oklahoma Tag Team Champions High Society around the state, but that dream ended when Native Pride was torn apart by Keyoh's betrayal at the last show in Ada. He did manage to capture some gold in MSWA, as he became the MSWA Oklahoma Champion by winning a battle royal. It's a small compensation, though, for someone who should be contending for the top title in the fed, not the secondary. Plus, he hasn't been back in MSWA very long and is now a target for many of the more experienced wrestlers that he may not be familiar with. Joe also doesn't venture north of I-40 very often, something that may be holding him back. Current ranking: #11

#3. Tim Rockwell: Not a great year for "The Pride of the Lone Star State". Rockwell began 2009 as the MWA Champion, but lost that title in a Triple Threat Bullrope Match to Blake Albright. He also lost the TAP Oklahoma Heritage Title to Jon Cross. He seemed unmotivated and unfocused in ComPro until the return of his uncle, Bernard Funk, and the reformation of Texas, Inc. A goal was set to recreate the glory of 2007 by once again becoming Triple Crown Tag Team Champions. The first step was accomplished by winning a tournament to become the first MWA Tag Team Champions. They went on to win the TAP Tag Team Titles as well, but the plan seems to have stalled there. They've been suspended from SWCW for months. Funk has been suspended out of ComPro and MWA. Rockwell has been forced to compete either in singles competition (which holds no real interest for him) or with temporary partners. His focus seems to be drifting and the dream of once again being the top tag team in the state may be out of reach for this Texan. Current ranking: #12

#4. Canadian Red Devil: Who could believe it? This lithe, high-flying Canadian has really stepped it up this year. He's competed in over 50 matches and the year is only half over. The Devil spent the first half of 2009 as the TAP Champion before losing that title to Reckless and for one day was a double champion as he won the tournament to crown the first ComPro Showtime Champion. He's formed a good team with Damien Morte in MSWA and just needs more opportunity to work his way up the ladder in that fed. Plus, he's looking to make his first appearances in GPCW and IZW, maybe as early as next week. This kind of exposure, combined with a strong work ethic and great ring skills, epitomises what we at Oklafan look for in the wrestlers in this state. Hopefully, the Devil has set an example that others can look up to. Current ranking: #1

#5. Al Farat: Once one of the most competitive people in the southern half of the state, Farat has spent a good deal of 2009 booked outside the state and has limited his appearances in Oklahoma to NWA-OK, where he remains 1/2 of the Oklahoma Tag Team Champions. He and partner Thomas Trump have fended off the challenge of Native Pride and he has personally engaged in a war of words with radio DJ Mike Manos. Still, wrestling once a month, no matter how successful you are, isn't going to do much to increase your standing. Farat needs to decide whether it's important for him to be here in Oklahoma or running around the country. He can't have both. Current ranking: #27.

#6. Kevin Morgan: You'd think that two heavyweight championships would move a guy up a few notches. But you'd also think that a guy like Kevin Morgan would have achieved more in his brief career. He won the tournament for the AWFUL Title, but that federation appears to be dead in the water, so the belt is essentially meaningless now. He won the SWCW Title last week, but only after chasing 3rd Rail for what seemed like forever. Is he a top contender in MSWA? No, even though he started his career there. He's often working opening matches instead of facing MSWA Champion Aaron Neil in the main event. He's been a regular competitor up in ComPro, where it seems obvious for him to challenge champion Draven Cross, but again, he hasn't stepped up to do that. We're not sure why Morgan seems content, but that can be a death knoll for a wrestler. Current ranking: #6.

#7. Michael Faith. Hasn't competed in Oklahoma since losing the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Title earlier this year to T. M. S. He suffered an ankle injury while helping his mother move some furniture at the house. Since recovering from that, he's appeared in Texas, but has not set foot in a ring in our state. Current ranking: unrated.

#8. Shane Morbid. Incredibly popular and highly driven, Morbid seems on the brink of capturing his first Heavyweight Title in 3 years. He began the year in an intense feud with his former partner Cast-Iron Cothern, eventually driving him from the state. He was immediately ambushed by Dexter Hardaway and even a victim of a hit-and-run attack after a show in Muskogee. This culminated in a bloody battle that saw Hardaway injured and vowing never to return to ComPro. Morbid has taken up the mantle of the United States to combat Stevie Caballero's Foreign Legion in MWA and even thoguh he is frequently outnumbered 3 to 1, he doesn't back down. And, he captured his first gold of the year this past month, winning the TAP Oklahoma Heritage Title from Jon Cross. Now, the fans are waiting for him to step forward and challenge Draven Cross. If he wins the ComPro Title, it could be enough to move him into position as number one. Current ranking: #4.

#9. Les Mayne: Les moved to Arizona and got married to Frankie Dee. He recently returned to the state and made a comeback speech at the NWA-OK event in Ada, but has not competed in the ring yet. He did, however, venture down to Texas and win a tag team title with Thomas Trump. When Les finally does make a return to the Oklahoma mats, it will be with gold on his mind. Current ranking: unrated

#10. Xavior. Disappointing. That about sums up Xavior's year so far. Outlaw told him that the branding iron would turn out to be more of a curse than a blessing and it appears he was right. Xavior has done little of note anywhere. He has not recaptured the SWCW Cruiserweight Title,despite multiple efforts. He has stopped coming to ComPro events. He seemed to be working towards an MSWA Oklahoma Title shot against Bad Boy, but that lead nowhere. And then there was the goofy pirate gimmick that summed up his appearance in AWFUL. Where's the talented, driven performer that we saw last year? He was top 10 material. Now, it seems like he's Marty Janetty, while Kevin Morgan has gone on to be Shawn Michaels. Current ranking: #24.

#11. Max McGuirk. His first (and apparently only) Oklahoma Title was captured at the beginning of the year and he, Seth Allen and Dane Griffin used the interchangability of thier tag team well. McGuirk ventured into IZW and continued to make appearances in MWA until the end of April, when he went to a WWE try-out camp. He was offered a developmental deal with the WWE and left for Florida Championship Wrestling earlier this week. I predict we'll see a lot more about Max and hope that, in time, he'll be carrying the McGuirk name on to greatness like his mother and grandfather before him. Current ranking: unrated.

#12. 3rd Rail. The monster has not been very dominant this year. He spent most of his time in MSWA preoccupied with former tag team partner Tyson Jaymes. But he hasn't received any shots at the MSWA Title. Over in SWCW, he's a 3 time champion. But one of those title runs was ended by Kevin James Sanchez, who, although Top 50 ranked, doesn't exactly seem like someone 3rd Rail should fall victim to. And now, he's once again without any gold, as Kevin Morgan is the SWCW Champion. 3 years ago, when Rail was the most dominant man in central Oklahoma, it took someone his own size to stop him. That intensity and fear is what Rail needs to find again in order to come back to this level. Current ranking: #24.

#13: Striker. Striker captured the MSWA Title from Al Farat last year and hoped to have a long productive championship reign, but a doctor's diagnosis and need for facial reconstruction to relieve a breathing problem has brought about the end of his career. Current ranking: unrated.

#14. Michael Barry. Another guy who's slipping down the slopes of greatness. Barry was IZW Champion at the beginning of the year and a member of Impact, Inc. in good standing. Now, neither statement can be said to be true. Barry lost the title on Valentine's day and hasn't made an appearance in IZW since April. He has been chasing the MWA Title held by Blake Albright (ironically, a member of Impact, Inc. brought in after Barry's departure), but hasn't been able to put that gold around his waist. Most recently, he has been taken under the wing of Mike Iles and is a part of the newly formed faction Excellence Personified. They've made inroads in ComPro and TOPW, but it's too early to tell if they can be successful. Barry seems to function well in large groups, so it won't surpise us to see him with gold around his waist once more time. But it also seems like that should have happened several times this year. Current ranking: #35.

#15. Thomas Trump. Much of what was said about Al Farat applies to Trump. They've been pretty much bonded at the hip this year. But Trump also comes across as a parasite, finding a strong talent to leech off of. Individually, Trump does not have the accolades or skills that Farat does. If they ever lose those tag team titles, look for a possible parting of the ways between the superstars with Trump coming out on the bad end. Current ranking: #32

#16. El Super Colibri. Finally showing the talent that many fans knew he had all along, it's been a bull year for the masked star. He's captured two titles: The MWA MAX-Division Championship and the TAP Adrenaline Title. And he was the first champion in both those divisions. He also has a guaranteed contract for a title shot against any champion in ComPro which he has yet to cash in. Rumour has it that he may be venturing into southern Oklahoma and returning to SWCW this summer. Wherever he appears, excitement always follows and it seems gold is soon to be in his grasp. Current ranking: #5

#17. Kunna Keyoh. Traitor. Benedict Arnold. Untrustworthy. These are words that apply to the Chickasaw native. He could have heard words like "champion", but he threw that away when he turned on Ky-ote Joe and demanded to reopen the Hardcore Division, where he seemed most comfortable. Now, he's sure to be embroiled in a feud with his former Native Pride partner. But what will that really gain for him? And he's not working anywhere outside of NWA-OK, which limits his exposure. Can't really justify ranking him high. Current ranking: unrated.

#18. Angel Williams. Another member of Impact, Inc. gone AWOL. He's not appeared in an IZW ring (or any Oklahoma ring) since April. His opponents are probably glad that he's not there to beat them up, but his absence is something of a mystery. Current ranking: unrated.

#19. Justin Lee. Once the epitome of the Light Heavyweight Division, Justin has given his all over the past 10 years. This year, he added ComPro Tag Team Champion to his resume as he and El Super Colibri captured the belts. But a knee injury during a tag team title defence has put Justin on the part-time roster. He has yet to return to ComPro and Boss Campbell has run his mouth about putting Justin out of wrestling. Justin has made apperances in other federations in the area, but seems to be taking time off. Still, he's had a good first half of the year. He just needs to make sure he comes back soon or else he'll be forgotten like so many other stars. Current ranking: #20.

#20. Eric Rose. Incredibly popular in IZW. But not going much of anywhere. Rose has all the skills needed to move on to the next level. But instead, he gets mired down in pointless matches that don't gain him titles or notereity. Instead, he just racks up wins and losses without any direction, content to bask in the cheers of the female fans. Now is the time to pick a title (we suggest the IZW Impact Division belt) and pursue it until you gain it. Don't waste the gifts you've been given. Capitalise now, before it's too late. Current ranking: #36.