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Texas, Inc. Strikes Gold at the COMPOUND

Posted: Dec 12th 2006 By: CMBurnham

They've been champions individually in several other federations. They've been a strong tag team since their formation at the end of 2005. But it wasn't until Dec 9, 2006 that Tim Rockwell and his uncle Bernard Funk, collectively known as Texas, Inc., scooped up their first tag team title. And they added a new manager in the course of events: Big Stevie Caballero.

COMPOUND Pro Wrestling announced that it would crown its first tag team champions at the show December 9 and Texas, Inc. were named as the top cede for that title. A Tag Team Rumble was held to determine their opponents and the newly reunited team of Sudden Impact won that privelege, lastly eliminating the ICF pairing of X-Cal and Cast-Iron Cothern. Prior to the show beginning, Big Stevie Caballero had come and promised that the winners of the Tag Team Rumble would earn his services and he would guide them to the tag team titles. While it was difficult to read the masked twins' expressions about Stevie's offer, it seemed as if all 3 men were on the same page as, after winning the match, Sudden Impact were almost attacked by Texas, Inc., but Caballero held his ground and appeared to fend off the dasterdly Texas duo, allowing his new clients to prepare for their match.

And that match came in the semi-main event of the show as Texas, Inc. came out, followed by Sudden Impact and Big Stevie. The match was quick and hard hitting, as should be expected of both duos. But the key point came near the end when Big Stevie appeared to accidentally trip one of the Sudden Impact twins, allowing Tim Rockwell to cradle him and gain the 3-count. While Texas, rejoiced, Caballero jumped up and down in outrage and Sudden Impact left the ring area. Caballero actually let his "anger" carry him into the ring and it appeared for a brief point that he would be jumped on by Rockwell & Funk. But Big Stevie played his trump card by taking the microphone and reminding the crowd that he had promised to leave the show with the tag team titles....and that was precisely what he was doing, as his new clients were the tag team champions, Texas, Inc. The hated threesome then celebrated in the ring as the fans jeered and booed, basking in the success of their tag team title victory and the wool they had pulled over the fans' eyes.

Texas, Inc.'s luck has been somewhat mixed in 2006. They began the year on the receiving end of a beating from Oklahoma Triple Crown Champion Rocco Valentino & NWA Universal X Division Champion Justin Lee as revenge for having put Lee & Valentino out of action for 2 months as a result of repeated spike piledrivers. Funk and Rockwell split their forces for most of the beginning of 2006, with Funk focusing on Valentino and the newly created Oklahoma Old School Title and Rockwell battling with Justin Lee, culminating in a Broken Arrow Street Fight on a TPW card. The reintroduction of Tim Rockwell's other uncle, Flamon Raymon, helped refocus Texas, Inc., but Raymon only stayed around for a couple of months and soon Funk and Rockwell were soon back in their rut. Rockwell became the first (and probably only) CXW X-Core Champion in August. The 2 Texans ventured into AACW and FCW, recording wins and losses in both places. Both wrestlers also saw the end of SRPW with Tim battling former 918 Boys tag team partners Cade Sydal and X-Cal before that federation was shut down. In October, they almost captured their first tag team title when they were one of the three teams to participate in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match against Mass Destruction and the Devil's Rejects to crown the first NWA Universal Tag Team Champions. But all this experience still felt like spinning their wheels to them until they captured the COMPOUND Tag Team Titles.

Tim Rockwell cornered this reporter prior to the end of the COMPOUND show Saturday and demanded that the following statement be printed: "Texas Inc. Once again proves why we are, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the best damn tag team throughout this region. All you naysayers, doubters, and promoters have been all proven wrong. And the funny thing about it: NO ONE SEEN IT COMING! Sure, everyone knew we would win the tag team title. Hell,
we're Texas, Inc. There isn't a tag team out there that can touch us. But no one knew Big Stevie was a part of Texas, Inc.. We played you all like a bunch of fools. For the past 4 months or so, you all called Stevie, a loser, bad luck,the man killing the careers of guys like Mr. York, Porkchop, and so on. First off, you have to have a career before anyone can kill it. Secondly, Big Stevie is a winner. Like he said and I quote, "You wanna be a winner, you bet on a winner" I guarantee you this, I bet all Big Stevie's money was on Texas, Inc. that night! God Bless Texas!"

Rockwell, Funk, & Caballero's affiliation goes back to the strong days of SRPW when Caballero was the ringside photographer. Caballero has long said that he used that time to scout the best and worst talent availabe, all in preperation for the point that he would step in as a manager. And while Texas, Inc. never officially tagged together in SRPW, both had plenty of ring time for Caballero to see them. Caballero, never one to shy away from an opportunity to speak his mind, sent Oklafan the following statement regarding his new champions: "It was so easy setting this plan up, but I mean come on, how could it not be? How hard is it to flummox a bunch of stupid Okies? Pork Chop, Dorkapaloser, Dexter Hardaway and especially those masked boobs Sudden Impact, all tools to set our little plan in motion. I do have regrets about all this though. For one, I'm sorry that we had to keep you in the dark, but hey, you're a reporter, you report, and we couldn't risk any leakage. But you're a smart guy, not fresh off the turnip truck or anything, you know how long I've known Tim Rockwell and Bernard Funk. You know that I've been a guest at their homes and visy-versy, so come on, what did your guts say? My only other regret is that it was so darn easy. Big Stevie and Texas Inc enjoy a good challenge, and this was hardly one of those."

While he hasn't been appearing with his affiliates for several months, fellow Texas, Inc. member Ryand Davidson has been no stranger to gold himself. He's the current MSWA Mid-South Champion and defeated Tyler Bateman in a Best-of-5 Series over the summer for the vacant IZW Impact Division title. His opinions on the recent hiring of Big Stevie Caballero are currently unknown.

So now the question remains: how long can Big Stevie keep his charges as "winners"? There are plenty of strong tag teams in COMPOUND waiting for a shot at the new champions. Besides ICF and Sudden Impact, who have already been mentioned, there are various pairings of the P.I.N.K. Nation that could be formed to challenge for those straps. And an undefeated team in the form of the Compound Varsity seems to quietly be biding their time. While Varsity commander Rocco Valentino probably has his hands busy defending his Oklahoma Triple Crown, fellow Varsity members Justin Lee & Romero Contreras have racked up an impressive record in their tag team ventures and would be more than happy to challenge Texas to a championship shootout in the ring.