Axel Rico’s quest for CSW Championship remains unfulfilled
JOEY AVALON RETAINS WITH SURPRISE HELP FROM BxB ARMY
By Mike Pankow
Sept. 28, 2022
The time was right for Axel Rico to finally walk away with the Chicago Style Wrestling Championship. The sold-out American Legion in Franklin Park was teeming with anticipation and excitement.
Many fans were wearing Axel Rico shirts and a group of ringside supporters had sign saying, “If Axel loses, we riot.”
Chicago Style Wrestling Champion Joey “Jet” Avalon jabs Axerl Rico in the midsection with a chair during their main event match at “Falling Down." (Photo by Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
Rico took all the punishment that Joey “Jet” Avalon had dished out. The charismatic, young star seemed just seconds away from winning the championship at CSW’s “Falling Down” on Friday, Sept. 16.
After seemingly winning the title at August’s event, CSW General Manager Steve Ahrendt made the unfortunate decision to reverse the referee’s decision after Avalon’s shovel was influential in the decision.
September’s rematch was a no disqualification, so the playing field should’ve been even with each man able to use every dirty trick at his disposal.
The match started when Rico flew through the ropes to attack Avalon and the fight sprawling into the crowd and even into the parking lot briefly.
Rico took chair shots, shovel shots and kicked out before a 3-count every time against Avalon, who had several inches and probably at least 50 pounds on his challenger. After the brutal beating, Rico somehow found momentum to be on his side, then the house lights went out.
When the lights reemerged, BxB Army surrounded both Rico and Avalon. After a fleeting moment, Shane Hollister, Solomon Tupu, Jay Marston and Shain Boucher attacked Rico like vultures fighting for the last scraps of meat. Meanwhile, a stunned Avalon stood still in the ring as the BxB Army attack took place.
After BxB Army was done with Rico, they pointed at their fallen prey, allowing Avalon to move in for the kill. Avalon nailed what was probably an unnecessary cradle piledriver and scored the 3-count with referee Kevin Woods distraught as he made the final count. Avalon extended his title reign to 10 months as he and his girlfriend, Sierra, had a low-key celebration following the carnage of the previous 30 minutes.
Rico was helped to the back as Ahrendt came out and sat despondent on the ring apron after announcing next month’s CSW show.
“Falling Down” was a fun show and a rousing success. The semi-main event was a clinic between two great veterans as CSW Metra Division Champion Steve Boz defeated NWA star Aron Stevens (known as Damien Sandow in WWE).
CSW Metra Division Champion Steve Boz looks to take down Aron Stevens with a head scissors. (Photo by Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
Boz, a three-decade veteran whose roots go back to Windy City Wrestling, looked like he was still in his 20s. Meanwhile, Stevens hit all his Sandow staples, like the kneedrop, Rotation of Illumination and the Cubito Aequet (Elbow of Disdain).
Before the match, Stevens came out and took the microphone and cemented his status for the match as a heel by running down the crowd and Boz.
Stevens attempted to wear down Boz throughout the match by working on his legs. He managed to lock in a Figure Four leglock for a bit. When Stevens went back to the well in trying another Figure Four, Boz hooked in a small package and got the pin.
After the match, Jax Johnson attacked a celebrating Boz from behind and whipped him with the Metra Division belt. Stevens returned from backstage with a broom and chased Johnson away. Then Stevens embraced Boz as a sign of respect.
Heather Reckless continued her reign as CSW Women’s Champion by escaping a crazy Fatal 4-Way match which also included former champion Skye Blue, Sierra and Shelly the Bombshell.
Skye Blue was targeted by her three opponents right at the outset and was taken out briefly. Skye eventually fought her way back into the match.
Cypher, Reckless’ pet monster, came out to interfere in the match, catching Skye Blue as she attempted a cross-body block off the top rope and tossing her onto Mario Pardua and Attorney Eric Schultz, who were ringside supporting Shelly.
The commotion helped Reckless roll up Shelly and gain a 3-count to retain the title. Reckless left the ring victorious with Cypher, leaving Skye Blue all alone to be attacked by Shelly, Pardua and Schultz with each hitting a finisher on Skye to leave her laying.
Before BxB Army made an impact on the main event, they won a Survivor Series-style gauntlet elimination match against the foursome of the CSW Tag Team Champion Dope Kings (Filth King Brubaker and CJ Esparza) and Da Soul Tocuhaz (Marshe Rockett and Acid Jaz).
As Solomon Tupu distracts referee Dev Anderson, Shane Hollister delivers a low kick to Marshe Rockett (Photo by Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
The match started out as a 1-on-1 affair with the remaining members of the teams on the outside serving as lumberjacks. CJ Esparza pinned Marston in first phase of the match to eliminate “The Huntsman.” The odds evened quickly as Boucher pinned Esparza.
The veteran Acid Jaz came in like a house afire and eventually took out Boucher, giving Team CSW a brief advantage again. Tupu came in and bulldozed Jaz, hitting a pounce and an Uranage to subdue the veteran and send him the proverbial showers.
Brubaker came in, but Tupu took control for a while. Tupu floored Brubaker with a vicious headbutt, but when the Samoan tried to put away The Filth King with a splash off the top rope, he missed. Brubaker took advantage and floored Tupu to gain a pinfall. Tupu’s elimination left Hollister alone against Brubaker with Rockett on the outside. After some intense strikes and kicks between the two men, Hollister got the best of Brubaker.
Rockett entered the ring for the final phase of the match with Hollister, a former AAW Pro Champion. Hollister had the advantage for a little bit, but Rockett rallied and appeared to be on the way to winning the match for his team before the other members of the BxB Army stormed the ring.
Rockett briefly held his own, including hitting an M-80 out of nowhere on Boucher, who was attempting an attack from the top rope. The chaos distracted referee Dev Anderson, giving Hollister the opportunity to low-blow Rockett and gaining the victory for BxB Army.
Those final four matches were amazing, but the first part of the card delivered as well.
TJ Steel defeated Ryan Matthews in an “I’m Ugly” match, which basically is an “I Quit” match. The match featured weapons of all sorts and a brawl that made a stop in the men’s room. Steel got the victory on the “Beautiful One” by getting Matthews to shriek “I’m ugly” as he held a power sander up to his face.
In a strange bedfellows six-man tag, the team of Cody James, Moondog Murray and Cypher defeated the threesome of Team Babushka (Pardua and Schultz) and Joey Mayberry. Late in the match, Reckless came down to ringside and commanded Cypher to leave as James and Murray were left to fight to 2-on-3. Somehow, James and Murray defied the odds as James hit a Dominator on Pardua and Murray swooped in for the pin.
“Career Killa” Chris Miller picked up a victory over Mateo Valentine. Valentine, who was stylin’ in his new Chicago-inspired gear, appeared to be on the verge of executing a bridge suplex, but Miller cut off “The Fat, Fem Asian Sensation” and drove Valentine to the ground with a thunderous sit-out powerbomb for the victory.
In tag team action, Marco Anthony and Sean Mulligan defeated Alpha Zeta Zeta (Hans Carden and Austin Adams) in AZZ’s first main-show match at CSW. Carden and Adams declared if Anthony and Mulligan couldn’t beat them, then they’d have to join AZZ. Anthony and Mulligan took care of business and celebrated with some cold ones mid-ring.
A photo of Ricky Dunlap (aka Ricky the Janitor) is displayed in the ring during a tribute to the late wrestler. (Photo by Mike Pankow/Windy City Slam)
In the opening match, Johnson defeated Adam Stallion, who was celebrating his birthday, via submission. Johnson has his sights set on Boz and his Metra Division Championship and this victory further stamps his legitimacy.
In the pre-show, Nikki Nix, seen in places like Southland Championship Wrestling and Rockford Damage, defeated Haven Harris in a women’s match. Doom Montgomery emerged victorious in the Futures Battle Royal, last eliminating AJ Flyer.
Before the main show began, CSW paid tribute to the late Ricky Dunlap (aka Ricky the Janitor) and many of CSW’s top stars and close friends of Ricky surrounded the ring during a 10-bell salute and a moment of silence.
CSW returns to Franklin Park on Friday night, Oct. 21, with WWE Alumnus Eugene (Nick Dinsmore) as the special guest.
For a gallery of 350 photos from the event: https://bit.ly/3BIMuIX.
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.
