Never before has Explosive Professional Wrestling seen a
Champion like Mikey.
That's not to say that Mikey is better than the other previous
EPW Champions, but he taken this belt to a new level. It's a
title that signifies the champion of Western Australia and is
defended all over the country - something that has never
happened to the highest prize in Perth wrestling before.
The first interstate defence of the
EPW title came on Explosive Pro Wrestling's tour to Adelaide and
the man was Jayson Cooper. Previously known for his high-risk
high-flying arsenal, Cooper had in the weeks leading up to the
match, been stacking on the kilos and looked in great shape as
he challenged for gold. Both men are permanent fixtures on the
NWA Australia roster and a parochial
crowd had jam packed the Dom Polski Civic Centre to try and help
Cooper get to the title. In an amazing match that included
Cooper's flipping piledriver and a Mikey sunset driver, the
Champion outlasted the home town favourite to keep the gold.
After pinning Cooper, Mikey hugged the gold to his chest and
danced his way to the entrance way, inciting the hatred of the
South Australian fans in attendance, many of whom were under the
age of 8 and swore like truck drivers in traffic. Mikey had
escaped, albeit closely, with a victory to become the very first
EPW Champion to successfully defend the coveted prize outside of
the state.
He's regarded by many as one of
the future stars of Australian wrestling, that is, if he isn't
there already. He is an absolute titan from Sydney's Ultimate
Wrestling Alliance, standing at 6'2" and weighing well over 100
kilos. His name is Kasey Jackson and he was the very first East
Coast wrestler to challenge for the EPW title. His entrance
music may be deceiving - "I touch myself" by the Divinyls and
with a tight, cut-up flywire singlet, wrestling fans who've
never witnessed Kasey wrestle may think he's better suited to
the Sydney mardi-gras than Sydney wrestling. That is until you
see him gorilla-press a 90 kilo EPW Champion over his head with
great ease. Mikey was hurting from his recent successful defence
in Adelaide and surely had to be worried about not knowing alot
about the massive challenger. Showing the endurance, strength
and speed he is renowned for, the Sydney crowd was shocked to
see the giant at the mercy of the young man from West. Using the
offence that garnered him the title of Champion, a swift
Mikey-chop to the throat had Jackson staggered, looking as if he
was choking on something. A fightback was imminent from the big
man and after some interference from ringside manager Mark
Williamson, Mikey DDT'ed the challenger onto a briefcase and
kept the gold around his waist, much to the dismay of a rabid
Sydney crowd.
After a whirlwind tour over
east, it was no secret to wrestlers both home and abroad that
Mikey meant business. He had demonstrated the true fighting
qualities of Champion and was ready to cement himself at the top
of the Explosive Pro Wrestling pyramid. At the request of EPW
Board member 'Gentleman' Jack Burbank, Mikey was forced to
defend the EPW title against all three members of the Brat Pack
in a Fatal 4-Way match at Survival of the Fittest. The biggest
problem for the Brat Pack wasn't the Rising star standing across
the ring from them, but themselves as they self-destructed in
front of a jam-packed Showgrounds pavilion. Mikey had outlasted
former EPW Champion FN Carnage, Devlin Reeves and Jamie Jurah to
record an incredible victory.
His second defence of the EPW
title on home soil came in the form of a 6'4" monster in
Richter. The big man had earned the title shot after defeating
NWA Australia star Spike Steele in a semi-final and then
quenching the fire of the Red Dragon Psychofett in the final of
Re-Awakening's invitational tournament. In a match where both
men spent their wrestling arsenal, Mikey taking chokeslams and
burning lariats and Richter on the end of a devastating
Mikeykick and Sunset bomb, it was the Champion who proved he had
what it takes to garner the victory after a simple roll up
proved the difference. Mikey showed an incredible resilience to
withstand Richter's onslaught and showed once again why he was
the Explosive Pro Wrestling Champion. In a tremendous display of
respect and proving he is the fightingest champion EPW's ever
heard, Mikey allowed Richter to have a return title shot at any
time he wishes.
EPW's Flame or Fortune was the
night Psychofett proved to an entire locker room full of
wrestlers and an entire Pavilion full of fans that he was a Main
event star in this promotion. But Flame or Fortune was the night
Mikey proved to the same wrestlers and fans that the
self-proclaimed 'Rising Star' had risen to heights never
imagined. The Champion held off the challenge of the Red Dragon,
who had all the momentum on his side coming into the main event.
Again, both men unleashed their entire arsenal of devastating
moves at one another; Mikey missing the Shooting Star Press and
Psychofett amazing all in attendance with a twisting corkscrew
senton that just missed it's mark. In the end, much like the
main event of Re-Awakening 2004, a superkick to the jaw allowed
Mikey to grasp victory in another incredible main event match.
Since the Mikeykick had FN
Carnage's shoulders pinned at Re-Awakening, Mikey has worn the
title of Champion in this federation. He also now wears the
respect and admiration of his peers as one of the top wrestlers
in the entire country. Taking on all-comers and defending the
gold in three different states, Mikey has turned the Explosive
Pro Wrestling title into a nationally coveted belt,
and with South Australia's Jag and Havok gracing us with their
presence at Evolution, Mikey will need the experience of every
successful defence he has endured to overcome these two
wrestling phenoms. Although superstars in Australia wrestling,
Jag and Havok, not to forget former champion Jimmy Payne join a
long list of wrestlers trying to the climb the mountain to EPW
title glory.. .but Mikey stands proudly atop that Everest and
one can only imagine he's thinking about a Shooting Star Press
to the masses below.
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