Extreme Point of View - Issue #5
Column by: Dirk Extreme on 08/11/2004
Reflections of the past has been the talk going on in RCW since Injection 2. Reflections of past indiscretions, past triumphs, and past mistakes. A revealing look in the mirror tells me that a lot of the problems that are happening now in Revolutionary Championship Wrestling are of my own doing. But then a deeper look reveals to me that I only did what had to be done. To make everyone understand, you must be willing to open your minds up to what I’m about to tell you. The truth about the SWF. The truth about Andy Runyon. I will give you reasons why you should not support what is now happening with the SWF and why you should turn your backs on a company (SWF) that turned it’s back on you many times in the not so distant past.

Saturday July 31, 2004: I remember telling Tank to do the right thing for Excalibur and then everything went black. After awakening in the ring amidst debris of tacks, tables, barbwire, and glass….I notice that there are three individuals hovering around me. I hear the crowd chanting something and finally the fog clears in my brain when I realize what they are yelling. “SWF, SWF, SWF”. I’m hearing it over and over again. I then notice that the three in the ring: Andy Runyon, Trik Nasty, and my former friend and Excalibur teammate, Tank Runyon are all wearing SWF t-shirts. Watching the tape confirms to me what I was sure I did that night. I cried. I shed tears in front of 200 people not for myself but for them. Right then and there I knew that the plague known as SWF was air-born and all I could do was count down the days until the end of not only RCW but all wrestling in Southern Ohio. After returning to the locker room, I assessed the damage. Many turned their backs on me, blaming me for the outburst in question. Others were clearly disturbed and wanting to take action. The most disturbing reaction that I witnessed was from a few. A few actually looked happy. Proof that the plague is spreading.

Sunday August 1, 2004: I try reaching “The Phoenix” to no avail. I contemplate revealing his identity just to get his attention. I leave messages with his answering service telling him if I don’t hear back from him by Monday at 4pm that I will do just that. Let’s just say that if I am to do this it will harm his other contractual obligations if they new of his involvement, not to mention kill RCW in the process. An early death might be better than the alternative.

Monday August 2, 2004: I am awakened at 5:45am by the phone ringing. Caller ID confirms that it is The Phoenix. I can tell he is about to tear into me so I cut him off with the details of what went down at Injection 2. After a long pause on the phone, he said he would fly down for a special meeting with myself and The Board of Directors Tuesday evening. A step in the right direction.

Tuesday August 3, 2004: We actually hold the meeting inside St. Mary’s Catholic Church where they are currently going under renovations. In the chapel filled with religious items mixed with broken carnage due to the ongoing alterations to the church the meeting place seemed very symbolic to the cause at hand. I have never seen the owner of RCW so enraged. Enraged that he trusted certain people concerning the hiring of Andy Runyon. Furious at the fact that these same people gave Runyon a “creative control” clause in his contract. Giving him the right to do what he wants with his character. Even worse there was never a “no-compete” clause implemented. Therefore Runyon could start the SWF and never be in violation of his contract. After reviewing documents, going over scenarios, and contemplating schemes until early Wednesday morning we came on to something. Something that may be a blessing from the great Lord above. Our plan is to do nothing and wait. What we are waiting for I will not disclose. I will say that it will be worth the wait to see the look on Runyon’s face as it all blows up in front of him.

Sunday August 8, 2004: Days have went by since the meeting. The Phoenix, The Board, and myself have put a plan of survival into motion that will assure us a place in Southern Ohio wrestling history while erasing the SWF once and for all. The point system for Commissionership has been dropped and will be addressed at Corruption on 9/11/04. Chris Smith and The Mastermind’s presence is demanded. Now that I’ve dealt with the future, it’s time to deal with the past.

1998 Otway, OH: After much reluctance to join the only wrestling federation in the area, I gave in. You see after completing my training in 1995 at Al Snow’s “Bodyslammer’s Wrestling Gym” in Lima, Ohio, there wasn’t much work out there at that time. A few gigs with Bobby Blaze’s fed in Ashland, KY and the GWF in Lima was all that was out there. I had heard about this promotion in my own hometown and asked my mentor about it. The local organization was not accepted by the wrestling community that I was in as an acceptable wrestling establishment….. so I stayed clear. Stayed clear until the others dried up and there was no where else to turn for work. I started coming to trainings where I met guys like Randy Allen, Tank, Chavez, Thunder, Major Massacre and many others. Some accepted me while others resented me. Resented the guy who got trained by the “Big Boys”, not by some backyarder in a hick town. The resentment didn’t bother me until I started noticing little things here and there. They would schedule trainings while I was there. Then, once I left they would change the scheduling days. So I would show up (over an hour drive at the time) to an empty locked up building. I would then run into Andy somewhere around town and he would apologize and tell me of our new training time. Needless to say it would all happen in that exact order again and again before I became disgusted with the SWF and Runyon for that matter.

2000-2002 Lucasville, OH: Sometimes we do not learn from our mistakes. If you love wrestling, once you have the bug, you’ll do anything to get back in. I started talking to Chris Smith because we both worked at WNXT (when it was cool and known as THE X) at the time. He told me when trainings were so I started showing up at the Cherokee Hall and was pleased to find a new group of hungry wrestlers and characters such as Maxx Power, Mastermind, Trik Nasty, and others. Some of the old guys were still there like Randy Allen and Tank, but the leader of this group still bothered me. It seemed to me, and others, that Andy had animosity toward me. What for I cannot say for sure. Maybe he seen in me the same thing he seen in himself. A leader. A threat to his very being. If that were his instincts then I guess he was right. My first night back at SWF was on “Security Detail”. That’s fine because I know what it’s like to pay your dues and earn your spot on a card. That night The Hamblins, owners of rival fed PCW, were I attendance. I remembered Jim and Keith from my first stint in SWF and was courteous to them. That night Chris Smith about killed himself doing a hurricarrana from the top rope onto one member of The Lords of the Dance. The Hamblins and company left in disgust and took me aside and told me I should think twice about getting involved with the SWF. I took their warning seriously and watched things around me more closely. Let me say now though that PCW was not the way to go either and I knew that. Nothing but name calling back and forth and lies came out of both camps and made me quickly realize one was no better than the other. The SWF was doing extremely hardcore stuff that I was trained to despise. Despise because it was what was wrong with the wrestling business. Ending careers early, desensitizing fans, not telling a story in the ring, etc., were the reasons I had learned to hate this style. I vowed to stick to my guns and do what I thought was right for fans and wrestlers alike not to mention myself.

A few shows later Trik Nasty landed head first into Randy Allen from atop a ladder. Others were getting injured as well. Damn Fine was having back problems, Tank was having problems with concussions, Randy had been beaten without mercy with a chair until some of us nearly broke kayfabe by stopping the situation. But we didn’t. We weren’t even sure what was show anymore and what was real. Andy and I started clashing even more. I seen that the promoting was seriously lacking. No one was listening to my ideas. I really felt as I could help but everyone ignored me. Attendance was stooping lower and lower. The product was loosing legs and fast. Instead of stepping in and being the leader, Andy handed everything off to Trik. Not a good idea as nobody on the roster except for a few respected that decision. We seen it as a sign that the ship was sinking and Andy didn’t want the blame. A friend candidly told me I should start my own fed. I blew the idea off but then I started thinking. If I thought I could do a better job then I should put my money where my mouth is. I started hitting the idea around at the SWF shows to those that I thought I could trust. Everyone that I spoke to seemed for it but this is the wrestling business and everyone looks out for no one but themselves. Word got back to Andy and Trik and I think that is why I was singled out that fateful night in West Union.

I don’t think anyone knew how serious I was about starting another federation. I had contacts through my trainers. I found interested parties, a financial backer now known as The Phoenix, bought a ring, and many SWF wrestlers jumped ship. That alone should tell you the state that SWF was in. When talent jumps ship to a company that hasn’t even started yet. SWF had not only done wrestlers dirty but the fans as well. Storylines and angles revolving around the same people while the rest were left with nothing. Having the fans pay to see the same old crap every show. Having wrestlers trying to cripple themselves to earn their spot in Andy’s eyes. RCW was created and SWF was history almost immediately.

I wanted to say this to educate you RCW fans that know nothing of the SWF history. There is so much more that I don’t even know. Do not turn your backs on RCW. We have been a company that has tried to give you what you want from the beginning. Do not judge the company by my actions. I have only tried to protect this company and it’s fans from the disease. My methods may seem outlandish at times but my heart is in the right place. Let the chants of “RCW” be heard around the region on 9/11. I reviewed the tape….there may have been 100 SWF fans cheering in the crowd but there was another 100 with a look of disgust. Fans and wrestlers alike, FIGHT FOR YOUR FED! I know I will.