Rise of the Champions
KPW: RISE OF THE CHAMPIONS
Despite the chill weather outside, a packed crowd was in attendance at Wellington High School on Friday for KPW's first Wellington show of the year. Fans from around the city gathered to witness the finest in New Zealand professional wrestling action as eight tag teams vied for the richest prize in New Zealand professional wrestling - the vacant KPW Tag Team Championship!
The show opened with announcer Blair "the Flair" introducing KPW's distinguished guest, Wellington City Councillor Rob Goulden. Mr Goulden was on hand to present the belts to the eventual winners of the tournament. Mr Goulden then led the crowd in a one minute silence for those affected by the shooting incident in Napier that had begun the day befo
TOURNAMENT QUARTER-FINAL MATCH #1: "Powerhouse" JADE DIAMOND and WHETU (with Mr Juno Huia) versus "IceWolf" CHRISTOPHER SIMONS and EL CONDOR
The fan favourite team of Jade Diamond and Whetu entered with their technical advisor Mr Juno Huia, a New Zealand legend who wrestled in the "On The Mat" era as the Maori Warrior. Manager Bobby Cool had obviously kept the ex-wrestler in the loop regarding the potential displayed by the young Whetu, and the original Maori Warrior was on hand to lend his wrestling experience to the team. Their opponents were two of the strangest masked men that KPW had to offer, namely the IceWolf and El Condor. Right before the lockup, Whetu made his warrior spirit known to all with a spirited haka which impressed everyone in attendance... except their masked opponents. El Condor and Whetu stated out for their respective teams and seemed to be evenly matched until Whetu reversed a hip toss into a monkey flip. El Condor was knocked from the ring, and unceremoniously dumped back in by his own partner. Showing their teamwork, Whetu and Diamond worked on El Condor with an inverted atomic drop and dropkick, sending the high-flyer reeling! Diamond tagged in and had the masked men in trouble with a vicious corner charge and a huge fallaway slam on the increasingly battered El Condor. Diamond and Whetu kept up the pressure with a double-team that saw Diamond monkey-flip Whetu into a somersault senton on the hapless masked Mexican!
El Condor managed to make the tag to his team-mate. Simons isolated Whetu's arm, catching the young Maori Warrior with a backbreaker for a quick near fall before returning to work the arm. Whetu fought back, hitting a picture-perfect dropkick and rana which had the IceWolf on the run! Diamond was tagged back in and took the fight straight to Simons with big right hands and a big back body drop. Diamond showed why he lives up to his nickname of "Powerhouse" by hauling Simons aloft for a delayed vertical suplex, bringing his opponent crashing down for a near fall. Diamond and Whetu gained a little payback for the masked men's arm-based attack with Whetu scoring a second-rope double axe handle on Simons' arm. Obviously feeling the animal within, Simons struck back with a desperation lariat that turned Whetu inside out and earned a close two-count.
IceWolf tagged in his partner, but El Condor was caught in a "Maori drop" from Whetu and the race was on to make the tag! El Condor was first by a heartbeat, but when Diamond made it into the ring, he dished out lariats for both opponents. A double-team ace crusher from Diamond and Whetu stunned El Condor and a sitout spinebuster from Diamond slammed all the fight out of the masked Mexican. Diamond tagged in Whetu and held off the IceWolf, allowing Whetu to ascended to the top rope and hit an amazingly high top rope head butt for the pinfall win to advance his team in the tournament.
TOURNAMENT QUARTER-FINAL MATCH #2: KADE MORGAN "3G" and "THE TECHNICIAN" SHANE WHITEHEAD versus CHRIS DELOREAN AND LAZARUS VOLT (with Trinket the Clown)
The second match of the evening saw New Zealand's only third generation wrestler align with the arrogant Oceania champion, Shane Whitehead. The fans hadn't forgotten how Whitehead and Morgan senselessly assaulted Jade Diamond and Whetu at the last show in Wanganui, and weren't shy about sharing their dislike of this team! By contrast, the "Wanagnui Wild Men" Chris Delorean and Lazarus Volt entered to a chorus of cheers, Volt's friend Trinket the Clown scattering goodies to the adoring crowd.
Once the bell rang, it was all on; Morgan backed Volt into the corner and offered a surprisingly clean break. Second time was not the charm and "3G" showed why he used to be called "The Rage", beating Volt down to the canvas! A double-team attack went awry when Volt slipped out of the way and Morgan crashed into Whitehead! Delorean came in to grab a piece of the action and the "wild men" backed "the renegades" into opposite corners, raining down punches onto their opponents. Whitehead and Morgan countered by attempting to Irish whip Volt and Delorean into each other, but the flamboyant pair pulled off a "dosey-do" and cannoned into their unsuspecting foes!
Delorean took down Whitehead with a suplex, but the Oceania champion kicked out at one. Delorean and Volt pressed the attack with a double-team arm trap neckbreaker on Whitehead. Volt secured the arm of Whitehead and tried to take it out of commission, but "The Technician" belied his moniker by going to the eyes, much to the disgust of the fans. Whitehead then capitalised with a lariat, vicious backbreaker and delayed vertical suplex where he took great joy in presenting the helpless Volt to fans on all four sides of the ring before bringing the dazed ringmaster back down to earth with a bump!
Morgan was tagged in and methodically continued the beatdown. Volt rallied an trapped Morgan in the hotseat, looking to deliver a top rope belly to back suplex. Morgan elbowed his way out of that predicament, but Volt avoided the subsequent corkscrew senton, allowing Volt to make the tag. Delorean attacked strongly, but fell prey to a butterfly suplex from Morgan. "3G" kept "Mr Love Potion 69" grounded with a surfboard, but Delorean got the fans on his side to help him battle back to his feet. Morgan cut off any momentum gained with a flying headscissors, but Delorean came back on a criss-cross sequence with the "88 MPH" swinging clothesline.
Attempting to follow-up, Whitehead got involved as Delorean ran the ropes and gleefully clotheslined his opponent while remaining on the ring apron, angering the fans. Delorean then staggered into a sleeper from Morgan and it looked like the "wild men" would be out of the tournament. Delorean showed his resilience by battling out, but when both men tried to beat the other to the punch, they ended up flooring each other with clotheslines. The crowd knew that the match hung in the balance and yelled their support for Delorean to make the tag. Volt came in but Whitehead avoided the High Voltage (top rope dropkick), giving "the renegades" back the advantage. Delorean tagged in but was caught in a sitout exploder suplex from Whitehead for the pinfall win.
TOURNAMENT QUARTER-FINAL MATCH #3: "The Brute" J.E. O'ROURKE and PURPLE HAZE versus THE ROCK 'N' ROLL CONNECTION (Miles D'Rock and Jimmy van der Roll)
Fan favourites the Rock 'n' Roll Connection danced their way to the ring in all their silver-clad, slicked-back hair glory, ready to take on their opponents. Second-generation wrestler and first rate brawler J.E. O'Rourke had been scheduled to tag with the Kiwi ex-pat Tank, but as the "pocket battleship" was sadly unavailable, KPW management had found a suitable replacement in the form of the unorthodox masked man Purple Haze. O'Rourke seemed none too pleased with the ferocity of his tag team partner, but was determined to advance in the tournament even if he had "brawl for two".
Van der Roll and O'Rourke started out, the young rock 'n' roller quickly finding out why others call O'Rourke "The Brute"! Shoved into the corner and battered with chops, van der Roll countered with his speed, avoiding a cross corner charge by going "up and over". The experienced Miles D'Rock was tagged in and went toe-to-toe with O'Rourke, delivering a scoop slam and big back elbow. The silver-clad dancing duo followed up with a double-team clothesline for a near fall. van der Roll hauled O'Rourke over with a fisherman's suplex for another near fall. O'Rourke decided to let Purple Haze have a go and the masked man exchanged hammerlocks with van der Roll, ending when the younger member of the Rock 'n' Roll Connection took Purple Haze down with a drop toe-hold and kept him down with an elbow drop. However, "the Brute" used his boot when van der Roll ran the ropes, dropping the "Dancing Dutchman". O'Rourke tagged in and kept van der Roll grounded by attacking his opponent's leg. O'Rourke then unleashed "brute force" and battered van der Roll senseless. "The Brute" tried to crush the breath from van der Roll with a massive bear hug, ramming his helpless opponent into the turnbuckles to add injury to injury. A desperate van der Roll rallied to batter his way out and both men struggled to make the tag. O'Rourke made it first by a split second, but came in to face a fresh Miles D'Rock, who pounded the Haze and rocked the psychedelic one's word with a swinging side-slam. van der Roll cut off O'Rourke, enabling the Rock 'n' Roll Connection to hit a double-team powerbomb neckbreaker on Purple Haze for the pinfall victory and to advance in the tournament.
TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT QUARTER-FINAL MATCH #4: INFERNO (w/Charlie Roberts) and JONNIE JUICE (with HOLLIE) versus THE MEN IN BLACK (MAX "The Axe" DAMAGE and KPW Champion H-FLAME)
The next matched showed that the unthinkable had occurred, with the Youngbloods
- Inferno and Juice - tagging once more, albeit now battling for themselves, heedless of the rules and fans. Their ambivalent attitude towards one another indicated cracks in their alliance might be present from the start. Conversely, the Men In Black entered as a united front to the cheers of the KPW faithful. This match promised to be the one to watch, with two experienced teams vying for a chance at the coveted KPW Tag Team Championship. H-Flame and Jonnie Juice faced off at the beginning, each a long-time foe since the company's inception.
The "international superstar" showed his technical dominance by grabbing a headlock and hanging on, thwarting Juice's every attempt to slip free or counter. Juice was forced to go to the eyes to break, but H-Flame was ahead of Juice's O'Conner roll-up attempt. Juice hit an armdrag, but H-Flame somersaulted out of a monkey flip to land on his feet. The two traded pinfall attempts, the KPW champion fighting up from the canvas and back down into a backslide on Juice for a two-count.
Juice tagged in Inferno and all thoughts of a technical match were abandoned as the fiery veteran hit the champ with a Thesz press and the two brawled to the outside. Managing to make it back into the ring, H-Flame worked on Inferno's arm and tagged in Max Damage so the big man could add his input with a second-rope double axe handle. Damage lived up to his name by hitting a lariat and staying on the Inferno's arm. The veteran showed his technical acumen by reversing, but the big man countered with a fireman's carry and kept Inferno down with a big shoulder block. Juice managed to tag in and proceeded to play mind games with Damage, offering the bigger man a test of strength. Damage laughed at the notion that the smaller Juice could out-muscle him. To even things up, he dropped to one knee before reaching out to lock up with his smaller opponent... and was promptly kicked in the head by the wily Juice!
Juice cut "the Axe" down to size with a leg lariat for a two-count. Overconfident, Juice went to bodyslam the big man, but couldn't get him off the ground. Rallying, Damage hauled Juice aloft before slamming him to the canvas to the delight of the fans! Damage followed up with a "Thunder in Taradise" (leaping legdrop) for a very near fall. A Damage fallaway slam kept Juice on the ropes, with H-Flame tagged in and concentrating his attack on Juice's neck. Juice and H-Flame brawled, the KPW champ scoring with a bodyslam but missing an elbow drop, opening him up for a seated dropkick from Juice to take control. Inferno tagged in and stomped away on H-Flame, venting his hatred on his foe, much to manager Charlie Roberts' sadistic glee. Inferno hung H-Flame in the ropes, drawing in Damage to retaliate. H-Flame tagged in Damage, who battered Inferno with a huge elbow to the back and a bigger sideslam. In desperation, Inferno hit back with a DDT,
stunning the Motorua Monster. The big man channelled his anger and struggled to his feet, but was blindsided by a top rope dropkick from Juice!
Eschewing a technical attack, Juice just choked down Damage and then tried some amateur chiropracty by draping Damage over the ropes and standing on his back! H-Flame stormed the ring but was forced out by referee Daniel Martins, allowing Juice to continue the attack on Damage's back. Damage fought to his feet, but the cunning Juice raked the eyes to keep the advantage. Inferno and Juice went for a double-team clothesline on Damage, but "the Axe" powered through their attempt and knocked both men down with a double clothesline of his own! With both Inferno and Juice groggy, Damage tagged in H-Flame and slingshotted the KPW champ over the top rope so the international superstar could deliver a double clothesline of his own!
H-Flame then showed his power by press-slamming Inferno. The KPW champ looked to have the match won by hitting the H-Bomb on Juice, but Inferno recovered to make the save, then blindsided H-Flame with the Extinguisher (lifting inverted DDT). Max Damage stalked the unsuspecting Inferno as he furiously berated H-Flame, laying Inferno out with a Damage Gauge (jackhammer), but walked into a Starscream Superkick from Juice! Juice looked to have the match won for his team when he hit the Butterfly Effect on H-Flame, but Damage made the desperation save to keep their title hopes alive. Inferno and H-Flame brawled to the outside; seeing an opportunity, Juice climbed to the top rope and dived onto both men.
Damage looked like he was considering following suit. The big man went to the top rope, but seemed to think better of it and climbed back down. Suddenly, he ran the ropes and dived over the top rope and down onto his opponents with a suicide plancha! With all the competitors in a heap on the floor, referee Daniel Martins had no choice but to lay in the count. All the wrestlers struggled to their feet, but no-one made it back into the ring in time. Accordingly, the referee was forced to declare a double count-out, eliminating both teams from the tournament! The crowd howled its protest at such an inconclusive finish to such a great match, but the referee's call was final, as both teams had indeed failed to answer the ten count.
Following intermission, Blair "the Flair" announced that the KPW Title Committee had ruled that because of the double-count out The Men in Black and Inferno and Jonnie Juice in quarter-final match number four, the team of Shane Whitehead and Kade Morgan would receive a bye straight to the finals, where they would meet the winners of semi-final match number one, coming up next.
TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT SEMI-FINAL MATCH #1: "Powerhouse" JADE DIAMOND and WHETU (with Mr Juno Huia) versus THE ROCK 'N' ROLL CONNECTION (Miles D'Rock and Jimmy van der Roll)
Before the match began, both teams faced off against each other. D’Rock voiced the feelings of the Rock ‘N’ Roll Connection towards their opponents – they respected Whetu and Diamond, but what happened in the ring now was all about business and they weren’t going to hold anything back, especially with a chance a the KPW Tag Team Championship in the offing. For Whetu and Diamond, the feeling appeared to be mutual.
Jimmy van der Roll and Jade Diamond began the match. Realising that he couldn’t match power with the “Powerhouse”, van der Roll elected for a technical attack and both wrestlers traded hammerlocks. However, The “Dancing Dutchman” came unstuck when Diamond back-suplexed out of a headlock. Diamond kept on the attack with a bodyslam, tagging in Whetu so that his partner could deliver a standing moonsault!
Whetu kept the momentum going with a dropkick and a vertical suplex for a two-count. Whetu managed to counter with a spear, but van der Roll fought back with a back elbow. The veteran Miles D’Rock tagged in and hit Whetu with a big bodyslam, looking confident as he celebrated with Elvis karate poses. van der Roll tagged back in and took control of the battered Maori Warrior with a snap mare into a seated abdominal stretch, seeking to pull Whetu apart. With the fans on his side, Whetu fought back and stretched to make the tag, before being cut off by van der Roll. The Rock ‘n’ Rollers followed up with a big double-team clothesline on Whetu for a very near fall. D’Rock kept up the pressure with a side slam, just measuring his dazed opponent and picking his spot to plant him.
Quick tags from the Rock ‘n’ Rollers allowed their opponents no respite, with van der Roll taking Whetu over with a fisherman’s suplex for another close two-count. Whetu was whipped into the corner and the Rock ‘n’ Rollers followed up with a double-team swinging shoulderblock, D’Rock whipping his team-mate at the seemingly helpless Whetu. However, benefiting from his tutoring from the original Maori Warrior, Mr. Juno Huia, Whetu managed to dodge, and it was van der Roll who went crashing into the corner! Whetu and Diamond wasted no time in launching a furious counter-attack, Whetu suplexing van der Roll and Diamond following up with a big falcon arrow. Diamond shoved Miles D’Rock out of the way, allowing he and Whetu to hit their double-team ace crusher on a stunned van de Roll for the pinfall win and to advance to the finals!
SPECIAL EVENT - DIVA BALL GOWN MATCH: HOLLIE (of Team Pretty) versus SUZIE Q
This promised to be an unorthodox match right from the get-go, and it didn’t disappoint. When Suzie Q unfortunately proved to be unavailable, Hollie gloated that she would have won anyway. The self-proclaimed “Queen of Divas” demanded that referee Mark Freemantle ring the bell and declare her the winner by forfeit, because there was obviously no-one there who could beat her, surely? There were many takers from the crowd, each of them eager to knock the shine of the so-called Queen’s tiara, but one young woman bounded to ringside and seemed to be determined to take on the Queen. Realising he could do the necessary paperwork retroactively, Blair “the Flair” made an executive decision and allowed the Mystery Girl into the ring, much to Hollie’s amusement. Supremely confident she could beat this impromptu opponent at will, Hollie ordered the bell rung and the match begun!
Quickly, Hollie showed her experience and leverage advantage, shoving the Mystery Girl about at will. However, her overconfidence cost her once she stopped to pose and taunt the fans. Seizing the opportunity with both hands, the Mystery Girl pounced on Hollie from behind and removed her ball gown in one fell swoop, thereby winning the match! Hollie then had to contend with the double humiliation of losing the match and being caught out in her underwear; she furiously scurried to the back to the jeers of the crowd!
TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT FINAL: KADE MORGAN "3G" and "THE TECHNICIAN" SHANE WHITEHEAD versus "Powerhouse" JADE DIAMOND and WHETU (with Mr Juno Huia)
Morgan and Whitehead went into the finals confident of a win, given that they enjoyed a bye in the previous round, so were fresh and ready. On the other hand, their opponents had already had two matches the same evening in order to make it this far.
Morgan and Whitehead attacked their opponents from behind even before the bell rang, continuing the bad blood between the two duos than began at the last show.
Diamond and Whetu rallied quickly with stereo dropkicks to send “the renegades” running to the outside to regroup. Not allowing them a moment’s rest, Diamond showed his power by lifting his team-mate overhead and Whetu showed his fearless athletic prowess by having himself press-slammed over the top rope and down onto a shocked Morgan and Whitehead!
Back in the ring, Diamond and Whitehead battled for supremacy. "The Powerhouse" shot Whitehead to the stars with a back body drop that had the ex-amateur wrestler nearly scraping the ceiling! Whipping Whitehead to the corner Diamond followed in with a diving shoulder block. Whetu was tagged in and the team did a double leapfrog on Whitehead; Diamond dropped down, leaving Whitehead nowhere to go but straight into Whetu’s leg lariat for a two-count. Whetu singled out his opponent’s arm for punishment. Though Whitehead showed his extensive wrestling background by rolling through in an attempt to break the hold, Whetu was with him all the way. The Maori warrior then followed up with a “Maori drop”.
Diamond tagged in and the two showed their work as a cohesive unit by hitting big moves on Whitehead before he had a chance to recover, culminating in a Whetu somersault senton! Diamond kept on the pressure with a Michinoku Driver II and delivered some stinging chops. A backbreaker and tag left Whitehead wide open for Whetu to somersault in from the apron with another senton on his stunned opponent, scoring a near fall. Whetu ran the ropes but Morgan pulled down the top rope and Whetu went crashing to the floor, much to the horror of the fans. Diamond came to help his comrade, but referee Daniel Martins ushered him back to his corner. Morgan took the opportunity to get in a few cheap shots on Whetu.
Back in the ring, Whitehead was now in control and dished out the punishment with a vicious backbreaker. Morgan tagged in, cut of Whetu's attempt to tag out and beat down the Maori Warrior. A double team suplex on Whetu followed, shifting the momentum firmly to "the renegades". A rally from Whetu was cut short with another double-team on Whetu, followed up with a pair of elbow drops for a long two-count. Encouraged by the words of his technical advisor Mr Juno Huia at ringside, Whetu fired back to his feet, but was sent flying by an overhead belly-to-belly suplex from Morgan. Just stalking his opponent, “3G” then caught Whetu with a standing powerslam.
Whitehead tagged in and stretched the stunned Whetu on the ropes, allowing Morgan to attack and almost bend the Maori Warrior in half. The amateur wrestling champion then hauled Whetu over with an inverted tiger suplex, floating over for a near fall. Whitehead whipped Whetu to the ropes, but the Maori Warrior flipped out of a back body drop attempt and managed to tag Diamond as Morgan distracted the referee. A fired-up Diamond dished out punishment for the opposing team, but was forced out of the ring as the referee had not seen the tag, much to his and the crowd’s frustration.
Whitehead took the fight to Whetu with a delayed vertical suplex, making all the blood rush to Whetu’s head before brining him crashing down the the canvas for a near fall. Whitehead clotheslined Whetu while Morgan distracted the referee, Whitehead back elbow for a two-count. Morgan went for a powerbomb on Whetu, but the Maori Warrior reversed into an armdrag. Morgan fought back with an Irish whip, but Whetu countered with a flying headscissors. Pressing the attack, Whetu went for a rana on Morgan, but was caught instead with a massive powerbomb!
Whitehead tagged in and sought to weaken Whetu by clamping on a camel clutch, gleefully hauling on his opponents hair despite the referee’s protests. With the fans rallying behind him, Whetu valiantly powered out of the hold. Whitehead ended any momentum from his opponent by hitting a quebrada con hilo (tilt-a-whirl backbreaker). Deciding that if once was good then twice would be better, Whitehead went to the well again… and Whetu reversed into a stinging wraparound DDT that knocked Whitehead flat!
The fate of the tournament hung in the balance and each man struggled to make the tag for their team. Whitehead managed to tag Morgan a heartbeat before Whetu tagged Diamond, but any thoughts of matching up to the Powerhouse’s fury were quickly extinguished by a flying shoulderblock, lariat and dropkick from "the Powerhouse"! Whitehead tried a sneak attack, but suffered a sitout spinebuster for his troubles; Morgan suffered a Diamond Bomb. Whetu was tagged back in and he and Diamond hit their double-team ace crusher on Morgan. Diamond made the cover, but Whitehead pulled referee Daniel Martins out of the ring before the pinfall could be counted!
Furious, Diamond went after Whitehead and tried to throw him into the ringpost. Whitehead slipped out and shoved Diamond forwards instead; Diamond managed to stop himself from colliding with the corner post, but Morgan dropkicked the “Powerhouse” into the unforgiving steel, sending Diamond reeling! With a last-ditch attempt, Whetu went for Utu (swinging bulldog) on Morgan; Whitehead blocked the move as Whetu was coming down, but Whetu turned the move into a double headscissors! “The renegades” went for a double-team clothesline on Whetu, but the Maori Warrior countered with a double clothesline of his own.
However, in his battered state, Whetu failed to notice that Whitehead had ducked and was stalking him from behind. When Whetu turned around, he was caught unawares with a massive sitout exploder suplex! The impact from such a move left the Maori Warrior helpless as the "renegades" hoisted him aloft to deliver their double-team finisher and secure the pinfall win for the KPW Tag Team Championship!
Wellington City Councillor Rob Goulden was on hand to presented the winners with the KPW Tag Team Championship. He congratulated them, but noted they didn’t deserve the championship because of their cheating, underhanded ways, not like Jade Diamond and Whetu. A shoving match ensued between the victors and the councillor, before KPW champion H-Flame ran out to break things up. Morgan and Whitehead left the ring triumphant, but Whetu, Mr Juno Huia and Jade Diamond left the ring eager for some payback!
As always, check the KPW website regularly for updates on all your favourite wrestlers and for information on upcoming KPW live shows. Until next time, this is Blair “the Flair” saying, “See you at ringside!”
BLAIR "The Flair"
Ice Wolf & J E (the Brute) ORourke Vs PowerHouse Jade Diamond & Whetu | PowerHouse Jade Diamond & Whetu | PowerHouse Jade Diamond & Whetu |
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The Rock n Roll Connection Vs Tank & Chris Trance (Australia) | The Rock n Roll Connection | ||
Kade Morgan 3G & Shane (the technician) Whitehead Vs Chris De Lorean & Lazarus Volt (with Trinket) | Kade Morgan 3G & Shane (the technician) Whitehead | Kade Morgan 3G & Shane (the technician) Whitehead | |
The Men in Black Vs Jonnie Juice & Inferno with Manager Charlie Roberts | Double Disqualification |