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The 2015 Mid-Year Report

Posted: Jul 8th 2015 By: CMBurnham

2015 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 2014 (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. Drake Gallows. Many people were surprised last year when Gallows was named #1, but he earned the spot due to hard work, diligence, travel and focus on championships. While in IZW, he made the Impact Division his own. He also captured is first Heavyweight Title in SWCW. This year, Gallows has made attempts to capture the ComPro Title and the WFC Hometown Heroes Title, but has fallen sort each time. He is currently in the tournament for the MSWA Mid-South Title, but has severed ties with IZW. With only 17 matches in the first 6 months, it seems like he has reduced his schedule quite a bit, so his ranking will reduce as well.
Current ranking: 10


2. Double D. For all intents and purposes, he is an IZW exclusive. He came back into IZW last year after being on the receiving end of a vicious beating by Impact, Inc. and challenged for the IZW Title held by Jermaine Johnson. Currently, he is embroiled in a personal issue with Randy Price, defending the honour of Erica. That is great, but it does not earn you championships. 27 matches for the year is great too, but not if you are only seen by a fraction of the potential audience.
Current ranking: 26

3. Graham Bell: Another really great year for the K. C. Wolves, both together, as they are the current IZW Tag Team Champions (their 2nd reign this year) and also held the WFC Tag Team Titles. Graham was also a semi-finalist in the Ryder Memorial Cup Tournament in WFC. The Wolves are certainly in demand around the country, which diminishes the opportunity for them to compete in Oklahoma. This forces a lowering of their ranking, but may predict greater things for them as a whole.
Current ranking: 8

4. Luke Langley: Most of what was said about Graham can be said about Luke. And while it is true that Graham as had more singles matches this year, Luke has been successful in more of his singles competition. In a singles ranking of wrestlers, that can sometimes be the difference maker.
Current ranking: 7

5. Paul Puertorico: Competed in 6 companies so far this year. 27 matches. 2-time ComPro Oklahoma X Division Champion. All the qualities we look for in a top ranking in our Top 50. The only problem: he lost the X Division Title to a girl. And really, that killed a lot of credibility in our eyes. Perhaps he can redeem himself in the second half of the year.
Current ranking: unrated

6. Jake O?Brien/Sheepy O'Brien: Another competitor who, on the surface, appears to be a strong qualifier for the top of our list. He held the ComPro Title for almost 1 complete year, then regained it the same night he lost it....thanks for Richard Pierce, his manager. He tried to capture the IZW Impact Division Title from Jordan Jacobs, but was unable to...despite having pinned Jordan twice in their first two meetings. He is a member of the Caballero Cartel...which means he has no real shot at gaining the WFC Hometown Heroes Title (not that he seems able to buy himself a win in WFC anyway). For someone who has called himself the Title Hunter in the past, he is lacking in his hunting prowess in 2015. He really needs to step up his game in the 2nd half of the year.
Current ranking: unrated.

7. Spike/Spike Lopez: There may be no wrestler with more heart and determination than Spike. Forget that he has competed in 6 different federations this year. Forget that he held both the ComPro Showtime and MSWA Oklahoma Titles, simultaneously. Three weeks ago, Spike suffered an injury that would have forced most wrestlers to abandon their match (and that was what was encouraged). But Spike not only insisted that the match continue, but he came through the match victorious. Spike then entered a Battle Royal, against doctors orders, in the #1 spot the next week to try and earn a shot at the UWE Title. And all this while helping the love of his life battle a deadly disease. Spike knows sacrifice. Spike lives wrestling. He has announced that he will be taking time off after fulfilling one last match this Saturday (again, against doctors orders) so that he can have surgery. There is no telling how long he will be out of wrestling, but if at all possible, Spike as promised to be back bigger and better than ever. Timing sucks, because at this point, he is the best the state can offer.
Current ranking: 1

8. Damon Windsor: Another IZW exclusive. Windsor appeared to be content being the flunky for Impact, Inc., doing whatever Johnny Z wished. He manipulated Lisa Generro into coming into wrestling to betray her ex-husband, Kevin Morgan. Now, he is teaming with Johnny Z and attempting to bring the IZW Tag Team Titles back into the fold of Impact, Inc. So far, they have been unsuccessful. Too bad that he has no interest in moving his talents to other areas of the state.
Current ranking: 44

9. Sam Stackhouse/One Man Sam. Sam continues to impress naysayers with his physical ability, but recently has started to embrace his Big Man status and use his size more traditionally. That may have been one of the things that brought him success and made him the winner of the 2015 Ryder Memorial Cup Tournament. This means he has a WFC Hometown Heroes Title opportunity waiting for him down the line. Additionally, he only as one more match to win in his Best-of-5 Series with Mr. Nasty. And recently, Sam has made inroads to MSWA. Sam stays busy, with 27 matches to his credit this year. If he could add a title to the resume for 2015, it might secure him his much-desired #2 ranking.
Current ranking: 5

10. Mr. Nasty. Much like his rival, Sam Stackhouse, Mr. Nasty has shown tremendous improvement in 2015. He held the UWE United States Title for most of the first half of the year until losing it to Clint Cassidy, thanks to the betrayal of The Brotherhood. He also held the WFC Hometown Heroes Title at the beginning of the year until losing it to Jon Cross. Nasty does not seem interested in trying to regain that title for a fourth time. Instead, he and Tim Rockwell have their sights set on A. C. Slaughter and the WFC Tag Team Titles. And it appears that resolving his issue with the Brotherhood takes precedent over any titles in UWE. Nasty made a couple of appearances in MSWA and seemed to be pegged as a contender in the MSWA Mid-South Title Tournament, but that status is uncertain at this point. Too bad, as travel now seems like something that would help Nasty quite a bit in taking those last few steps to being the best in the state.
Current ranking: 4.

11. Jon Cross. The Fans voted him the best wrestler in the state two years in a row. We at Oklafan do not completely agree, although we certainly believe he is ONE of the best. His status as WFC Hometown Heroes Champion reflects that (Stevie Caballero and the Caballero Cartel not withstanding). But WFC is just one place. And the biggest complaint against Jon has always been that he does not like to move out of his comfort zone. He has formed a tag team in UWE with Brandon Walker, but they do not seem to be making any waves outside of there. Cross has made some appearances in SRPW, but in total, only wrestled 18 matches this year. It would certainly benefit him if he could find some additional venues to showcase his talents.
Current ranking: 9

12. Brian Breaker. Breaker is a unique case. He has good connections to Japan and spent quite a bit of time there recently. It would seem like someone like that would be more dominant in Oklahoma, but Breaker does not seem to be able to climb to the top of the ladder. A controversial decision against Clint Cassidy a couple of weeks ago denied him the UWE United States Title and he recently lost a Loser-Leaves-SRPW match, so no chance of him winning gold there. Breaker as competed on both of the BMLL cards, so perhaps he is trying to make connections in to Mexico as well. Whatever the case, this year the focus has NOT been in Oklahoma.
Current ranking: unrated

13. Matt Majestic: Majestic never looked like someone who should have the success he did. But he could engage an audience like very few others. And that translated into success as he captured the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Title and SRPW Title this year. Sadly, he lost the SRPW Title to Riker before he ever had a chance to put the belt on and then he lost a Loser-Leaves-SRPW match to, of all people, Jameson Thadeous Doggins III, after having defeated the rest of The 3rd Dimension of Wrestling. In ComPro, he won the Oklahoma X Division Title from Paul Puertorico, but lost it back to Paul a month later, then suffered a major injury after the match. Matt has moved to the Northeast portion of the US and is still recovering from that injury. Nevertheless, he did more in his final days here in Oklahoma than many have done who have not left.
Current ranking: 48

14. Kevin Morgan: An IZW exclusive. Kevin was the monster everyone feared stepping into the ring with and the man no one wanted to make mad. And he still is. Only, for some reason, he turned his back on the fans and embraced the hatred inside himself. Maybe it was the betrayal of Lisa Generro. Maybe it was the frustration of not being able to remove Johnny Z from IZW. Or maybe it was something else altogether. Morgan chose to attack Jeff Wolfenbarger as Wolfenbarger was calling out Total Darkness. Does this mean that Total Darkness and Kevin Morgan are associated? That remains to be seen. Kevin does seem to have refocused his attention on the IZW Title. Maybe if he can capture that, he will return to the top 20 area where he was last year.
Current ranking: 36

15: Fuel. Wrestlers are sometimes accused of having multiple personalities and Fuel is a great example of that. In UWE, Fuel is the fighting hero, looking to recapture the UWE Title from his brother. In WFC, Fuel is the cowardly chicken, crying and complaining about nearly everything. In both companies (and SRPW, when he chooses to compete there), Fuel is incredibly talented. But it seems like he as taken a step backwards again, as he has only competed in 13 matches this year. At this point, the Top 50 is quite a long ways away from him.
Current ranking: unrated

16. Jermaine Johnson: One of the best comeback stories of 2014. Johnson returned and recaptured the IZW Title. He held it until the end of May, 2015, fending off repeated challenges from Johnny Z and Double D, only to fall victim to Brad Michaels redeeming his IZW Title opportunity due to his having won the Impact Player of the Year Tournament. Johnson embodies charisma and skill, but like others on this list, is an IZW exclusive. Still, his accomplishments in IZW so far this year cannot be ignored. But he also cannot rest on those laurels the entire year.
Current ranking: 13

17. Scott Sanders. The larger of the Sanders twins is another exclusive talent, but not with IZW. Instead, due to the closing of SWCW, Sanders has been an MSWA exclusive. He and his brother Shawn have always been outspoken about their tag team accomplishments, but they have not been able (or willing?) to challenge for the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Titles since Rick Russo and Largus RagnaBrok won them. Perhaps the impending opening of EmpCW will provide Sanders an added area to practice his craft in. Or maybe he will step forward to challenge Mascara La Parka for the MSWA Oklahoma Title and establish a singles career for himself. Clearly something needs to happen if Sanders expects to be on the list again.
Current ranking: unrated

18. Striker: Striker began the year on a good note, resolving an issue with his son, Maddox Jones, to earn a shot at the WFC Hometown Heroes Title in January. But in March, he suffered a major knee injury in a match with Jake O'Brien and is still recovering from that.
Current ranking: unrated

19. Rick Russo. Currently 1/2 of the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Champions. But another victim of the closing of SWCW. Additionally, Russo suffered a concussion earlier in the year that sidelined him for a couple of months. All totaled, Russo has only wrestled 6 times this year. Not an outstanding record for someone who wants to be a top competitor in Oklahoma. Russo needs to either increase his time in the ring or look for different federations to compete for.
Current ranking: unrated

20. Skyler Faden/Xachary Faden/X-Statik: Skyler Faden did what so few have chosen to do: he decided to broaden his horizons and move on to the next level. Faden left Oklahoma in April after competing in ComPro, IZW, WFC, UWE and SRPW. While he never held any titles this year, he impressed so many people by stepping up and doing what so many had been told: get serious, find a good school, go, train, and aspire to reach the next level. At this point, Faden is training at Seth Rollins school and hopes to make it onto the Ring of Honor roster at some point in the future. While he may not have made a tremendous impression IN the ring this year, he certainly as made a huge impression on many of the Oklahoma stars OUTSIDE of the ring by taking this risk.
Current ranking: unrated