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Defiant in Triumph

Posted: Feb 1st 2016 By: The Tribune Staff

Champions come in all stripes, some much loved and others much reviled, but every one a winner after the heat of battle subsides and it's time to raise the championship belt in triumph.

Killer McKenzie and partner Moonshine Mantell won the NWA Texoma Tag Team Championship last summer and have managed to keep it despite the fiercest of challenges. The fact that fans don't care for Killer and partner Moonshine Mantell are of no concern to the champions. The look of confident disdain on the Killer's face attests to the attitude of triumphant defiance. The Killer has the belt and that's all that matters.

The Sons of Texas

?I don't like anybody,? Mr. McKenzie told The Tribune after he and Moonshine defended their championship at Sherman, Texas, on January 15 by defeating The Bold and The Beautiful, a pair of talented dandies from McAllen, Texas. ?Let me correct that. I don't like anybody but The Sons of Texas, the gentlemen I associate with. Anyone else's opinion doesn't matter to me.?

Calling The Sons of Texas by the name ?gentlemen? may be a stretch, but we'll take The Killer at his word. After all, he is a Texan ? a six-foot, one-inch and 395-pound giant of a man from the Brazos River bottoms of Waco. And despite his size, Killer McKenzie can be as swift as a rhino in the wild when he's pumped-up and angry.

River City, San Antonio Style

A ring professional since 2008, Mr. McKenzie learned his craft in San Antonio under the guidance of River City Wrestling pros Don Juan, Dirty Andy Dalton, and Chris Marvel. ?They showed me the ropes, literally, and I flourished from there,? Mr. McKenzie said. ?They knew what they were doing ? and still do.?

Dirty Andy joins The Killer, Moonshine Mantell, Cowboy James Claxton, and Mad Dog Ken Johnson as full-fledged members of the notorious Sons of Texas. Alex Reigns is an original member of the band, but duties in other venues has kept him otherwise busy in recent seasons. ?We're as close as brothers,? Mr. McKenzie said.

The Killer wanted The Tribune to deliver a special message to NWA Texoma fan favorites Tim Storm and APOC The Apocalyptic Menace, who have been less than complimentary of The Sons. ?If you see them, tell them that anytime they want to step into the ring and see what The Killer's all about, then they're more than welcome. It's time for them to reach the end of the line.?

The End of the Line is Killer McKenzie's closer, a spinning sidebar slam evocative of NWA North American Champion Tim Storm's signature move. What happens when The Killer lays the End of the Line on an opponent?

?You can count to 10, buddy,? he said. ?They don't get up.?