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Stratton & CBC Not Playin' Around In Tag Team Competition

Posted: Jan 20th 2011 By: CMBurnham

Good tag team cohesiveness is hard to find. It's not like 2 random people can come together and form a good tag team. At least not always. But there are times when people end up being paird and the end is greater than the sum of the parts should indicate.

Shaun Stratton was looking for a fresh start. Having spent nearly his whole career as Shane Sanchez, he was known as a great tag team wrestler and a strong performer in the Hardcore division. One of founding members of X-Rated, Stratton had recently spent time as part of the Hardcore Connection before being unceremoniously fired by that group. He took that as a sign that he needed some fresh horizons and moved to Tulsa to see what was available there.

Cold Blooded Chris had been retired. Although he'd been a member of a couple of different factions including the Popped Collar Posse and the Violence Alliance, he was still thought of mostly as a singles wrestler, with his only prolonged tag team experience being the partner of Kobra Kai in the No Mercy Dojo. C. B. C. also had a lot of experience in the Hardcore Division, but there was no Hardcore Title for him to compete for in Tulsa and hadn't been since the days of TPW. Feeling the itch to wrestle once again, CBC arrived at the Oakhurst Fire Department not knowing what to expect.

What happened was a tag team match against the Saints of Twilight in their first night together. And with both teams engaging in a brawl outside the ring, the referee called the match a Double DQ. Therefore ComPro owner Mike Two had no #1 contenders to the Tag Team Champions on Night of Champions and decided to put both teams in title contention. And things looked pretty good for the newly formed Hardcore Playas as then-ComPro Tag Team Champions The Jet Setters were down a member due to TAP Tag Team and MWA Champion Jack Legacy allegedly being in celebrity rehab. Fellow TAP Tag Team and ComPro Oklahoma X Division Champion Se7en offered take his place, but ComPro did not abide by the "Freebird Rule" that TAP allowed and Dustin was forced to take the match by himself. This would not turn out well as new champions were crowned. But not the Hardcore Playas like the fans had hoped. Instead, Reckless and current TAP Adrenaline Champion Ignition took the belts to start their second reign.

Mike Two recognised how close the Hardcore Playas had come and awarded them a non-title match at the next ComPro event. Knowing they had to make an impact or be out of the title picture, Stratton pulled off what has to be considered an upset when he hit his moonsault on one of the twins and got the win! New ComPro Executive assistant Mr. Haney came out right after the match and informed the crowd that at the January 22 show, The Saints of Twilight would be defending their titles against the Hardcore Playas.

But that wasn't the only title opportunity awaiting Stratton and CBC. This past Saturday, TAP made its return to Wagoner and Excellence Personified brought the tag team gold that they have held since May 8, 2010. Mike Iles immediately began to brag about the team's accolades to the crowd, noting that they were voted the 2010 Oklafan.com Tag Team of the Year. He then went on to point out that even though TAP had not been running shows since July, that didn't mean his team hadn't been defending the belts. Michael Barry & MWA MAX-Division Champion Dustin Heritage had defended the titles in the Pacific Northwest. The NorCal Shoot Club (Jack Legacy & Se7en) had defended the titles in the Carolinas. And even though they are not officially part of the team that is designated the TAP Tag Team Champions, Brad Michaels & Duke Swellington (aka IZW Impact Division Champion Kenny Campbell) defended the titles in Texas. (Editor's note: None of these tag team title defences have had appropriate documentation and it is uncertain how much validity there is in Mike Iles' statements about them) On this night, it would be Barry & Heritage defending the gold. And receiving the shot would be the Hardcore Playas.

It's never a fair situation when EP is present, but this one got out of hand very quickly. Even with special referee Dexter Hardaway in charge, the members of Excellence Personified began their shenanigans early on. When CBC locked a standing armbar on Michael Barry, Barry exited the ring (with CBC retaining control of the armbar), then went into the crowd, around past the EP merchandise table, out the back door, in the side door, back into the concession area (where Barry somehow acquired and partially consumed a hot dog) and then finally returned to the ring. But then the fun and games were over and EP took control. Heritage wore CBC down with some high-energy moves and Shaun Stratton was unable to connect with a moonsault. Heritage was able to pin a prone CBC and retain the belts, but it took a lot of effort.

With one title opportunity down, the Hardcore Playas hope to be able to capitalise on the second one instead. That might be just as difficult. While EP has only been together about a year and a half, their numbers advantage always tends to play into their victories. On the other hand, the Saints of Twilight have a tremendous experience factor, having been teaming together for the better part of 8 years. Add to that that they are twin brothers and they seemingly possess many of the tools to have a prolonged title reign. But CBC & Stratton have a lot to prove and this Saturday, that hunger for their first tag team title together may prove to be the deciding factor.