Storm of controversy: Mateo Valentine wins AHW Championship
CODY JAMES MAKES HIS MARK IN INFLUENCING TITLE CHANGE IN TORRENTIAL RAIN
By Mike Pankow
Sept. 2, 2022
In a driving rainstorm, Mateo Valentine realized the dream of winning a top-level championship by dethroning Gunner Wixx for the All Heel Wrestling World Championship in the de-facto main event of the AHW/Wicked F’n Wrestling crossover event on Sunday, Aug. 28, in Lake Geneva, Wis.
In a torrential storm, Mateo Valentine pins Gunner Wixx to win the All Heel Wrestling Championship as Cody James watches on Sunday, Aug. 28 in Lake Geneva, Wis. (Photo by Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
But unfortunately for the flamboyant competitor, it came with, perhaps, some unwanted help as Northland Pro Champion and AHW Midwestern Champion Cody James along with Northland Pro owner Nate Pepple had a major influence on the outcome. With referee Devin Anderson briefly incapacitated and Valentine groggy on the mat, James and Pepple stormed the ringside area. James attacked Wixx and slammed “The One-Man Riot Squad” with his finishing move, then James rolled Valentine on top of Wixx. Anderson was able to rise and make the 3-count in favor of Valentine.
James and Pepple came into the ring to celebrate with Valentine, who looked puzzled as he held the AHW Championship belt. James gave Valentine a Northland Pro T-shirt as he and Pepple left the ringside area, perhaps trying to influence Valentine in joining their Northland clique in owning two of the top championships in AHW.
The Valentine-Wixx match began in a light rain before about halfway through the bout the skies opened as a thunderstorm pushed began to pelt a hard rain onto the grounds outside Foley’s Bar and Grill. Shortly after the storm intensified, the figurative storm of Northland Pro took over the match, leaving plenty of unanswered questions heading toward AHW’s next show on Nov. 20 in North Chicago. Will AHW make a statement of its own at future Northland Pro show? This could be an interesting interplay between the two companies.
The storm was so bad that management halted the show before the scheduled main-event retirement match of Pitstain against “The Mouth of the Midwest” JP was to begin. After a brief discussion, with the continuing storm and the wind taking down the AHW entrance set, that match was postponed until Nov. 20 at AHW 5.
James and Pepple not only influenced the AHW Championship match, but also the AHW Midwestern Championship match as well.
Eric Schultz controls Cody James in a headlock during their AHW Midwestern Championship match, but James ended up retaining the title. (Photo by Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
James had defeated “Ice Pick” Vic Capri to win the AHW Midwestern title at a Northland Pro show in July. AHW management said that Northland shouldn’t have been allowed to sanction that match. At a Northland show in early August, following a crazy tag team main event with James and Marshe Rockett against Eric Schultz and Mario Pardua, AHW brass came out of the crowd and took back the Midwestern Championship belt and said that James was only “interim” champion and had to face AHW’s new legal counsel in Schultz.
James came out with his Northland Pro Championship and Pepple at his side. Schultz was determined to wrest the AHW Midwestern title away from James in a put the belt back into the hands of AHW management. Schultz showed an indomitable fighting spirit, but with referee Jerry Gummo distracted by James, Pepple clocked Schultz with Schultz’s own briefcase. James hit his finisher on Schultz and got the 3-count to the irritation of AHW Commissioner The Heathen and AHW owner King Torch.
In the day’s semi-main event, AHW Hybrid Champion Percy Drews pulled out the victory over Wicked F’n Wrestling World Champion Mo Foley to take both belts. Originally slated to be a three-way match with veteran Mikey Wild, the match was changed to a 1-on-1 affair as the rain was starting to fall. After some violence in the ring, the action spilled to the outside.
It was a crazy, deathmatch-type brawl where Foley channeled his namesake, WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley, and jumped off the top of a camper parked several feet from the ring and dove through Drews, who was laid across a wooden door straddled between two chairs. In the process, Foley apparently dislocated his shoulder, giving Drews some time to recover. The competitors fought their way back to the ring, where Drews drove Foley through a door from the top rope and got the pin. Both men were a bloody mess with Mo Foley leaving the ring with several thumbtacks stuck on his head.
Leslie La Muñeca clotheslines Kenzi James during the AHW Women’s Championship Fatal Four-Way Match. (Photo by Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
Leslie La Muñeca, a 17-year-old prodigy, became the new AHW Women’s Champion by winning a Fatal Four-Way match over incumbent champion Rayvin Raddix, Kenzi James and Selene Grey, who was subbing for AEW and Chicago Style Wrestling star Skye Blue, who was originally booked for the match. After Raddix retained over James and La Muñeca in a three-way elimination match at AHW 3 back in May, AHW brass made Raddix’s next defense in a four-way. After the four wrestlers took turns fighting each other in an action-packed affair, La Muñeca got the pin on Grey in a bit of a surprise to win the title.
James was down, but not out, because later in the show, she made an impact of her own. CSW stalwart Jax Johnson was slated to face Perfection to determine the new AHW Change of Fortune Champion, which was vacated when AHW management stripped “Vape God” Fletch Malone of the title because of his actions during a match with Valentine back at AHW 3.
Just when Johnson and Perfection were ready to square off, James’ music hit and she took the mic and announced her intentions of wanting a shot the Change of Fortune title. The Heathen granted James’ wish, adding her to the match, making it a triple threat. After James was quickly double-teamed by Johnson and Perfection, the two male competitors went toe-to-toe. After some back-and-forth action, James rose from the ashes and got the shocking pin on Johnson to win the purple belt.
As James celebrated, a fan wearing a luchador mask ran into the ring and attacked James from behind. After laying out James, the fan unmasked, revealing himself to be Malone, who grabbed his beloved Persephone (his name for the purple Change of Fortune belt). As Malone walked away with the title, he turned around to flip AHW brass and everyone else in attendance.
In the opening match with the sun still blazing and the storms still a couple of hours away, Greezy D defeated Trog the Caveman to retain the WF’Nw Scrub Championship. Trog is your traditional caveman, complete with Fred Flintstone-like attire and a “dinosaur” bone. With Gummo distracted for a fleeting moment, Greezy D used the Scrub title belt to nail Trog and get the 3-count.
Armando Alvarez looks to curb stomp CJ Cole, but Cole was able to sidestep the maneuver and get the victory in their No. 1 contender’s match for the AHW Midwestern Championship. (Photo by Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
In an extremely fun match, “The Apex Athlete” CJ Cole defeated “Big Steppa” Armando Alvarez to earn the No. 1 contendership to Cody James’ AHW Midwestern Championship. This match was easily the most athletic of the afternoon as both men utilized their quickness and high-flying maneuvers. After avoiding a curb stomp, Cole countered into his finish and got the 3-count on Alvarez.
In an intense tag team match, Ghetto Gear Solid (Killa Kaz Carter & Ruff Ryder Rashaan) defeated Pauly Thomaselli and Jay Kross to win the AHW Tag Team Championship. Kross took the place of Thomaselli’s partner Hardcore Craig to help defend the titles for The Haters, but perhaps the switch in personnel gave the edge to Ghetto Gear Solid. All four men brawled inside and outside the ring as they took full advantage of WF’nW’s no-disqualification rule.
Ghetto Gear Solid finished off the match when Carter handed Rashaan the can of Twisted Tea and Rashaan nailed Kross in the face, leading to the decisive pinfall.
It was a crazy afternoon, especially with the stormy weather late in the show, but a good time was had by all in attendance.
For a photo gallery of 250 photos from the event: https://bit.ly/3KMoKrt.
Listen to Ep. 134 of Windy City Slam Podcast, with special guest Mo Lightning and an audio recap of AHW/WF’nW: https://bit.ly/3CF9ryU.
Catch Windy City Slam editor Mike Pankow talking local and national pro wrestling every week with Chicago-area wrestling guests on Windy City Slam Podcast, part of the Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network. Episodes drop early Tuesday morning wherever you download podcasts or at https://windycityslam.podbean.com/.
We are looking for guests to appear on future episodes of the Windy City Slam Podcast! Please contact Mike at mikepankow@windycityslam.com, message him on Facebook or DM him on Twitter.
