The American Gladiator J-Rod took full control early in Thursday night’s main event at OVW Rise. She had Shaloncé Royal, the Queen of OVW, on her heels, fighting for her life. When the Queen went down with what looked like a devastating ankle injury, the match appeared to be over.
Wincing in pain, Royal sought sanctuary in a corner. The referee ordered J-Rod to give her space while the ringside medic worked to take Royal’s boot off. Assistance was called from the back. Royal draped her arms over two men as she began to hobble toward the back.
J-Rod moved in, finally convinced the situation was serious. Then Royal, the savvy ring general, struck. Realizing the referee never called for the bell, Shaloncé seized the champion and threw her face first into the ring post. She rolled J-Rod onto the mat and pinned her, becoming a three time OVW Women’s Champion before hopping on her bad ankle around the ring in celebration.
I see you, OVW fans. Especially you Shaloncé haters. Hate the game, not the queen. She won. And show some class, will ya? I mean, celebrating the return of Dayami in Shaloncé’s moment of triumph? Not cool!
It’s been months since I darkened the doors of Hotpoint Davis Arena, and not by design. I’ve missed the action, and I’ve missed a lot of story. But something told me I needed to be there Thursday, and I am glad I witnessed Shaloncé’s crowning moment.
As usual, there’s plenty I could talk about. Since I spent my last column on OVW’s new Women’s division, I thought it might be fitting to turn the spotlight on the men. It’s a new era at OVW on both sides of the locker room, and there are some outstanding stars to watch at Rise.
Let’s start with the Icon.
Despite a turbulent history in the business, Icon Lee seems to have settled in at OVW. He’s listening and learning. He was the Rush champion until last night – until Brendan Balling took the title back from him.
But the Icon seems to have settled in at OVW. He’s listening and learning. He was the Rush champion until last night – until Brendan Balling took the title back from him.
I have to say, the championship belt looked good on him. And there are more fans than ever actually cheering for Icon Lee than I’ve ever seen. In a time when most indie wrestlers are more about moves than charisma, Icon Lee stands out: from the ramp, to the ring, to the chair he stands on as the fans leave, pushing his signed 8″ x 10″s on anyone who passes by.
I’ve always enjoyed Icon Lee. And I’m glad to see he’s gained a following.
Meto is another stand out. For many fans the draw is the question, the possibility that OVW’s own Bulgarian powerhouse might be a very close relation to another stand out Bulgarian wrestler.
Does it matter? Meto has the look and the skills to stand on his own. In a matter of months he’s risen to become OVW’s Media Champion. He’s competing with the best OVW has to offer. And I doubt OVW is a long-term stop for him because he can make some good money in a bigger company.
I’d love to see the same thing happen for Stephen Steele. And I’m not alone. The fans adore OVW”s home-grown sex symbol, one of the most fearless and entertaining personalities in the company. He’s always been a trim, voluptuous 169 pounds, but somehow, he seems to be in better shape than ever. And he’s always the favorite, no matter who’s across the ring.
You could make a case that some other talents are more popular than Stephen Steele, but there’s no mistaking who the fans hate most. When I started covering oVW on the regular, Tony Evans was “the new kid,” trying to get “Hush!” over week after week and demanding “fat boy” Eric Cornish put him in the ring. He’s not struggling now. This is his yard now. He’s the big bad. He’s the one fans pay good money every week, hoping to see him get his ass kicked.
Kal Herro now stands somewhere in between Stephen Steele and Tony Evans, and that’s a very good thing. No longer the solid, mid-card “Fanny Pack Kid” adored by all, Kal splits the crowd every time, especially when facing off against a solid talent like last night’s opponent Colby Carter.
Kal’s program with Jamin Olivencia changed him, gave him an edge and a darkness he needed to rise to the next level. He’s not yet The Guy at OVW, but when he gets there, no one will be able to deny he earned it. Kal’s star is rising fast, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him getting looks from the national companies soon.
There’s one other wrestler in the men’s locker room who deserves mention in that category alongside Kal and Meto, and that’s Colby Carter. To me Carter looks like what would happen if you created a genetic hybrid of Ricochet and Chris Meloni: a wrestling machine with the most intense facial expressions you’ll ever see in the ring.
Carter shocked the fans getting a win over Kal last night. But in his brief time in Louisville, he’s more than proved he belongs at the top of the card.
There’s one more “person” worth mentioning from last night, and that’s the crowd.
I’ll be honest: I haven’t seen attendance this low since the summer before Wrestlers debuted on Netflix. It’s summer. It’s hot outside. But Joe Cooley didn’t have to do the cheerleading with the small crowd he normally does with a bigger one.
When a security guard/ trainee had to sweep a mess of the mat, they cheered for him: “Sweep! Sweep! Sweep!” The anti-Kal crowd serenaded him with a variation on John Cena’s theme: “Kal Herro suuuuucks!” When senior referee Daniel Spencer came to the ring, they booed him, just because… well, it’s fun to bust his chops.
And they were very excited to see a serious-looking man in tactical gear escort Dayami into the arena, remove the handcuffs from her wrists, and set her loose on the Queen.
Shame on all of you for that! Have you no respect??
OVW runs every Thursday at Hotpoint Davis Arena in Louisville. General admission remains cheap at $10.60 if you purchase online.