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On February 21st, the Venville Rec Centre in Maylands will
play host to the first EPW championship match of 2009 as
Davis Storm faces Richter one on one.
But to understand the complexities and issues of this match,
we first need to take a look back at the history of these
two men. Over a three part series of articles, I, THE
INSIDER, will be examining the path both of these men have
taken to get here and how this match could potentially play
out. First up, the EPW champion.
DAVIS STORM
Since day one of Explosive Pro Wrestling, Davis Storm has
been in the thick of the main event action. So it would
surprise most to know that before his victory over Bobby
Marshall at Road to Glory, Storm had only worn the EPW
championship on one occasion.
It is well known to those inside EPW, that Storm viewed his
first reign as a disappointment. As the very first EPW
champion he felt tremendous pressure to raise the profile of
the belt and set the tone for what the title would come to
mean.
“I never really felt comfortable in that role at that stage
of my career,” the champ said. “I was just starting out and
it really seemed like a case of too much too soon. It wasn’t
the pressure of being in main event matches that bothered
me. The pressure of carrying that belt got to me and I
wasn’t able to enjoy it at all.”
Over the next five years, the man that was considered the
flagship of EPW would receive only two shots at the gold. He
watched on with considerable envy as he watched others have
the kinds of title reigns that he craved.
“Jimmy, Carnage, Mikey. These guys kept setting the bar
higher and higher for the next guy. Shane seemed set to
follow in their foot steps before Bobby robbed him of the
belt,” Storm said. “I wasn’t happy not being in the title
picture but I was able to admire what these guys were doing.
Then Marshall seemed to want to undo all of their hard work
by spitting on the ideals of what the EPW title means. That
was when I knew I had to act.”
After three years in the EPW wilderness, Storm emerged in
career best form & took the gold from Marshall last August.
“As good as that night was, I told myself that the job was
only half done. It was time to make up for the mistakes of
the past and carry that belt like a true champion.”
And so far he has been true to his word. Since winning the
gold, Storm has turned his game up another notch. He has
wrestled three times since then for three victories that
have highlighted his determination and will to win. He
defied doctors orders to wrestle at RE-AWAKENING with a
broken wrist.
“It’s not about trying to be macho or stupid,” he said. “The
simple fact is, as the champion, you set the tone for what
this belt represents. If I let a broken wrist get in the way
of me defending the championship at the biggest show of the
year, then everyone’s hard work means nothing. There was no
decision to be made as far as I was concerned.”
There can be no doubt that the ‘Ironman’ is setting himself
up for a huge 2009 as he attempts to create history. But he
will first have to make his way past the former EPW
champion, Richter, on the 21st of February at AFTERSHOCK.
When I, THE INSIDER, return, we will take a look at
Richter’s rocky road to this EPW championship match.
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