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The 2013 Oklafan Mid-Year Report

Posted: Jul 12th 2013 By: CMBurnham

2013 is almost 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 2012 (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 ado, let's get to it:

1. Double D: Funny how history seemingly repeats itself. In 2011, D was ranked #1 in the Top 50, then dropped to #4 by Mid-Year 2012. He dropped again this year and I wonder if there is something to this. Like many other very popular wrestlers, D can be too trusting. It might even be fair to say that he is a bit naive. So when he faces groups like Impact, Inc. or Impact Elite, he seems to expect it to be a fair fight, even though he should know it won't be.
Current ranking: #3

2. Jermaine Johnson: I was deeply disappointed when I saw Jermaine had allied himself with MSWA Mid-South & IZW Champion Johnny Z in IZW. I should have suspected as much I suppose given their association in MSWA. And under other circumstances, it would be a great accomplishment for him and Jordan Jacobs to hold tag team gold in both feds. But Jermaine has only been successful in IZW when all of Impact Elite has been in the match. And over in MSWA, he and Jordan took advantage of an injured Scott Sanders and defeated Shawn Sanders and Tyson Jaymes for the belts. In both feds, Jermaine does not seem able to be successful alone. This was not true last year. And if it were not for his natural charisma, he might not be on the list at all. He needs to start winning.
Current ranking: #39

3. Brandon Walker: Brandon competed exclusively for UWE in 2013, engaging in a brief feud with UWE Champion Anarchy 2nd. But his career came to a stop on April 20 when he lost to Brett Taylor and was forced to retire.
Current ranking: unrated

4. Damon Windsor: Since the breakup of Big Business, Windsor has been struggling to find the success he did with Kevin Morgan. He has been bogged down in a feud with Morgan, which has broadened to include all of Impact Elite. And Nemesis was forced out of MSWA several months ago, although he did return on a couple of occasions to interfere in Impact, Inc. business. Windsor was often thought of as the brains of Big Business. He needs to use those brains to rise back to this level.
Current ranking: #10

5. The Canadian Red Devil: There are many who will cry about bias or other factors, but I think the stats speak for themselves: CRD won 3 titles in the first half on 2013. He has competed in 6 of the 10 Oklahoma federations in the first half of 2013. There is no one else who has stats approaching those. Optimally, this is what all wrestlers should try to do. He competed in many different areas and was successful in doing so.
Current ranking: #1

6. Damien Morte: Morte started the year very strong, holding the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Titles with Damon Windsor. He also won the IZW Impact Division Title from Jermaine Johnson in a TLC match. It seemed like he might have been on the way up to #1, but then it all came crashing down. Nemesis lost the MSWA Tag Titles to Impact, Inc. in a Loser-Leaves-Town Match and Morte was involved in a car accident that rendered him unable to defend the Impact Division Title. Outside of a one-off appearance in MSWA a month or so ago, Morte has not appeared in an Oklahoma ring.
Current ranking: unrated

7. Bobby Starr: Another wrestlers who has competed in many different federations (MSWA, IZW, ComPro, BPPW) and won titles in 2 of them (ComPro Showtime Title, MSWA Oklahoma Title). So he should be right under CRD at #2, correct? Wrong. Because titles do not always equal success. CRD went most of 2013 without a title and was still a success. Starr was Oklahoma Champion for the bulk of 2013, but lost match after match. He actively ducked and avoided wrestlers who were vying for his title. Even in IZW, despite embracing the fans, he still has not been an overwhelming success. Starr needs to get motivated to get back on top.
Current ranking: #44

#8: Aaron Neil: The Bronze Bull spent most of the first half of 2013 being a lackey for Madame Erica and trying to manipulate Venus out of an inheritance. It seems to have been a wasted effort and distracted him from regaining the IZW Title for the 7th time. Now he has formed a partnership with Bobby Starr, but it is unclear as to their focus on the IZW Tag Team Titles as Starr seems more preoccupied with backstage shenanigans. Neil has long been a focused competitor and needs to find that ability again. Quickly.
Current ranking: #24

9. Jordan Jacobs: See Jermaine Johnson. They have been bonded at the hip for most of 2013. But Jordan lacks a significant singles run in 2013. He did win the 2013 Impact Player of the Year Tournament, so that guarantees him an IZW Title shot, but that title is held by his buddy Johnny Z. So that makes it pretty much a non-factor. Jordan does not have the charisma that Jermaine does and really needs to up his game significantly to up his ranking.
Current ranking: #45

10: Super Skunk Ape, Jr.: 3 matches. 3 losses. It has not been a good year for SSSA, Jr.
Current ranking: unrated

11: Rage Logan: Has not competed since September 1, 2012
Current ranking: unrated

12: Sam Stackhouse: It should be noted that these rankings are as of June 30, 2013, so Sam's recent SRPW Title victory does not figure into it. If you look at the match results, you will see that Sam has generally been victorious, but never consistently in the title picture. He's had a long term issue with Ray Martinez, dating back to the emotional manipulation that Martinez and Selena pulled. So it was almost like the title was not the important thing to Sam. FACT is, it is almost unclear exactly what is important to Sam. And that just isn't good.
Current ranking: #36

13: Kevin Morgan: Earlier the issues following the breakup of Big Business as it affected Damon Windsor were discussed. Kevin Morgan is even worse off. Along with the lack of success in IZW, Morgan has been obsessed with eliminating Bad Boy from MSWA. And he has come nowhere near accomplishing this goal. Now, he had had to resort to beating up on Bad Boy's father, who has an artificial leg. Really? These are not the actions of a Top 50 wrestler.
Current ranking: unrated.

14: Drake Gallows: As was written earlier this month, some people are content to stay in their comfort zones. Drake is making an effort to step out of his and it is paying off. Already a star in SWCW, he now has a guaranteed title shot thanks to winning the 3 Stages of Hell Match. He also has a chance to become IZW Impact Division Champion in a 3-Way Ladder Match on July 20. And he is undefeated since making a return to MSWA. Overall improvement and it pays off.
Current ranking: #5

15: Randy Price: Randy has been completely engulfed in a feud with The Old School Assassins. He appears to have handled Bryan Cruize and now looks forward to Brad Michaels. Impressive, as he is doing all this without the help of Gary Tool. Sadly, it has taken Price's eyes off the prize of IZW gold and he could easily be forgotten if he isn't careful.
Current ranking: unrated

16: Jon Cross: Cross has been focused on UWE United States Champion Tim Rockwell, but not on the US Title. It's another personal feud and we've seen where those tend to get people. Also, Cross has made only a few ventures outside of UWE to SRPW and WFC. His ability and charisma should have him in demand. Perhaps, unlike Drake Gallows, he just isn't ready to step outside the comfort zone yet.
Current ranking: #19

17: Graham Bell: Competed in 7 of the 10 Oklahoma based federations. Still hasn't won any titles in 2013, but has come very close on several occasions. He's a young guy with a bright future.
Current ranking: #2

18. Kid Krazy: He started the year as SRPW Champion, but after losing that, there just seemed to be no focus for him. He competes in UWE, but is midcard at best. He lives in Oklahoma City, but does not compete for either MSWA or SWCW. Is he another one afraid to step out of his comfort zone?
Current ranking: unrated

19: Tim Rockwell. He is one of the few that has been ranked in the Top 50 every year, but that is at risk now. Even though he is UWE United States Champion, he has not exactly been a fighting champion. And he is almost exclusively a UWE property. Tim was once one of the most recognized wrestlers in the state. I wonder how many in Oklahoma would know him now.
Current ranking: unrated

20: Kareem Sadat: The Oklahoma Hardcore Legend continues to surprise. He recently captured the SWCW Hardcore Title for the 23rd time. And he did so while suspended from the SWCW Roster! Sadat is not just tables and staplers and bowling balls. He has brains as well, outsmarting SWCW owner L. J. McDaniels. It will be interesting to see how much longer he can continue to do this.
Current ranking: #17