By Kirk Starratt
kstarratt@kentvilleadvertiser.ca
NovaNewsNow.com
It was a decade in the making and wrestling fans at jam-packed venues in Windsor and Digby were not disappointed.
MainStream Wrestling Entertainment (MSW) kicked-off its tenth anniversary tour in Windsor on Friday night, April 23, with a line-up of some of the top free agent grapplers on the independent pro wrestling circuit today. The main event was a casket match, the first time such a contest was ever held at the War Memorial Community Centre. The only way to win such a battle is to stuff your opponent inside the casket and slam the lid shut.
The opening bout saw the NWA Canadian Junior Heavyweight Champion “The Golden Lion” Gurv Sihra successfully defend his title against challenger “Heart Attack” Tommy Mack. Sihra scored the pin following a spectacular elbow drop from the top rope.
The “True German Champion” Josef Von Schmidt, who would later square off against the Giant Grimez in the casket match main event, didn’t waste any time getting on the bad side of the fans. During an in-ring interview with long-time ring announcer and Hants County native “Captain” Kirk, he let fly with relentless insults. He handed the German championship to Kirk to hold for him while he removed his overcoat, revealing another three title belts. He then told Kirk to stop getting his greasy handprints all over his championship, yanked the title belt back and dropped Kirk’s microphone in the centre of the ring.
“Pure and Proud” Pierre Khoury defeated Straight Jacket, an evil clown hailing from the “Dark Carnival.”
The six-time MSW Atlantic Canadian Champion “X-Ray” Kyle Kruze successfully defended his title against “The Self-Proclaimed Rookie of the Year” Cecil Nyx of Ontario.
“Turkish Sensation” Turcan Celik defeated the Bee Machine following some underhanded tactics that went unnoticed by senior referee Adam Pelley. While the in-ring official was distracted trying to secure one of the top turnbuckle pads, which Celik had loosened, the “Turkish Sensation” used a foreign object (which turned out to be a small Canadian flag) against his opponent before scoring the tainted pin.
In the main event, Schmidt tried everything in his power to overcome the seven-foot tall, 328-pound Giant Grimez and stuff him inside the casket but his efforts proved futile. At one point, it looked like victory was within reach but due to the shear size of the two-time former MSW Champion, “The German Hammer” was unable to close the casket lid. Grimez kicked out and went to work demolishing Schmidt with a big boot and a choke slam before tossing him in the casket and slamming it shut for the win.
In a rematch the following night at the Digby Arena, Schmidt was once again unable to squeeze Grimez into the casket. Schmidt claimed it was “typical Canadian propaganda” that the casket was too small for the giant. He forced Kirk to ring the bell and claimed victory while Grimez disappeared backstage.
“How could I lose? I have never lost before and it is something that I’ll never get used to. I’m a champion. I’m born to be a champion. The blood that flows through my veins and pumps through my heart is that of a champion.” - Josef Von Schmidt after losing back-to-back casket matches in Windsor and Digby
Moments later, the huge cargo door in the back of the arena flew open and a large rent-a-truck pulled into the venue. It was Grimez, who had an oversized casket on board. The large casket was placed at ringside and the match was re-started. However, Schmidt once again found himself on the short end of the stick, as the giant stuffed him in the large casket and slammed the lid shut for his second victory in as many nights.
Following the match, during an exclusive backstage interview, Schmidt said he is a superior German athlete who trained for many years and holds many championships around the world.
“How could I lose?” he said. “I have never lost before and it is something that I’ll never get used to. I’m a champion. I’m born to be a champion. The blood that flows through my veins and pumps through my heart is that of a champion.”
Schmidt said the deck was stacked against him because of the small casket and that this was a deliberate attempt to keep him from victory.
During his backstage interview, Grimez said he has never had this type of match before with such a strong, vicious opponent.
“Being that this is the tenth anniversary of MSW, I trained hard, I worked hard, and I said to myself, when I come up here, I’m not leaving in a casket,” the Boston native said. “The German had no excuse for why he lost. It was a tough battle but I was victorious.”
Grimez now has his sights firmly set on regaining the MSW Championship from The Mauler, who is scheduled to return to Atlantic Canada in May to defend his title as part of MSW’s tenth anniversary tour.
“Mauler, I’m coming for my belt. You have what belongs to me,” the giant said. “So get ready, because I am coming for you.”
To watch a video from the Windsor show and the exclusive backstage interviews from Digby, visit www.NovaNewsNow.com and look under the Hants Journal section. For more information on MSW, visit www.mainstreamwrestling.net.
-It should be noted the video that accompanies this story is of a graphic nature. All wrestlers appearing have years of highly specialized training and are performing in the spirit of entertaining fans, not in the spirit of violence or irresponsibility. Nothing shown here should be mimicked or re-enacted by anyone who is not a trained professional wrestler. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
