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While I’ve never wrestled Shane
Haste or Jimmy Payne, as head referee for almost three years, I
did get to watch some of their most important matches from right
in the middle of the ring.
We’ve all seen, and know, what Shane Haste is capable of. The
only thing previously holding him back was his attitude, with
that rectified, pardon the pun, the sky is the limit.
However, I think people sometimes forget that Jimmy Payne has
been one of the most dominant champions EPW has ever seen. At
Evolution 2006, Payne took the title from Havok, one of
Australia’s best talents, in a chaotic main event. Let’s look at
his defence of the title since then.
- He defeated CJL in a Street Fight at Hell or Highwater ‘06 for
the EPW title after having a crutch shattered over his ankle.
- At High Stakes Jimmy, Storm and Dooley defeated Azazal,
Richter and FN Carnage allowing Jimmy to retain his title.
- At Re-Awakening V, Payne held off Bobby Marshall for nearly 30
minutes before finally putting him away and retaining his title
in EPW’s match of the year!
- Date with Destiny, Payne defended the title against Devlin
Reeves in another hard hitting No DQ match which left both
competitors and the ring covered in blood.
- At Evolution 2007, one year after winning the title, Payne
defended the title again against Bobby Marshall, this time in an
unforgettable ladder match. I shouldn’t need to remind anyone
how incredible Payne’s performance was.
- Then at Hell or High Water ’07, Shane came closer to taking
the title from Jimmy Payne than anyone had come previously. Only
the continual interference from Davis Storm stopped Shane from
becoming the new EPW champion.
The main question in this match is obvious; who will the cage
advantage? On the one hand the cage could limit some of Haste’s
high flying offence or it could provide opportunities he’s never
before had. On the other hand Payne has Haste in the middle of
the ring with nowhere to run. But if things turn pear shaped for
Jimmy, Nate Dooley and a jealous Bobby Marshall won’t be able to
interfere in this match either.
That leaves only one other question to be answered. We know
Jimmy can stand up in big matches when it counts, but can Haste
do the same? We’ll find out on the 25th of August when Shane
Haste and Jimmy Payne compete in one of the biggest matches in
EPW history for the EPW title.
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