San Antonio wrestling fans witnessed the end of an era Sunday afternoon as American Championship Wrestling held a special event featuring the retirement of ACW owner Prince Fontenot.  For the last seven years, Prince’s ACW has been a fixture on the local wrestling scene and as the standing room only crowd at the Venue celebrated Prince, they were also treated to probably the best ever American Championship Wrestling show ever.

The show began as Ring Announcer Jeff Houston introduced Commissioner Debi who called Prince to the ring.  Several longtime ACW wrestlers and workers were introduced, including Johnny Rage, Texas Renegade, Eurocane and perhaps the biggest surprise, Scott E. Charms.

After the awards were given, the wrestling kicked off with the first match in the Inaugural Lone Star Classic Tournament.  The format for the tournament is 4 first round Fatal Four-Way Matches, each with one fall to a winner who advances to the finals in a Four-Way Elimination Match to name the first ever Lone Star Classic Champion.

The wrestlers in the first match were the Xtreme Bulldawg Rexx Reed, Viktor Tadlock, Schoolboy Frankie Fisher and Darin Childs.  Tadlock and Fisher were making their San Antonio debuts and local fans appreciated the efforts put forward in this match.  Rexx Reed has been the runaway choice as San Antonio Newcomer of the Year, making a huge splash on the local wrestling scene in 2006.  Darin Childs is always a dangerous competitor in any match.  As all four men battled in and out of the ring, fans cheered the hard hitting action.  In the end, while Tadlock and Fisher battled, Childs was able to pin Reed to take the victory and advance to the finals.

The second match in the first round of the Lone Star Classic involved Texas Renegade, The Graduate Kris Haitine, Ricky Rhodes and Bio-Hazard.  Haitine is a newcomer to San Antonio wrestling, while Texas Renegade has been with ACW since the very beginning.  Ricky Rhodes, the Lone Star Kid, was hoping The Lone Star Classic was his destiny.  Instead it was Bio-Hazard who controlled this match, gaining victory over Rhodes with his “Pray for Death” submission.

The third match was widely seen as the best in the preliminary round as local favorite Skitzo faced a trio of wrestlers from Georgia’s PWE; “the Obsession” Caleb Konnley, Bobb E. Hill and Kyle Matthews.  These four wrestlers split time in and out of the ring, allowing a little more freedom to demonstrate their skills.  Fans were impressed by all these newcomers as well as Skitzo who eventually gained the victory with a pin on Caleb Konnley.

The final match in the first round featured Cowboy James Claxton, Dragon X and Jacob Ladder.  Enigma Skylar Skelly was supposed to be the 4th man in the ring, however the shoulder injury he suffered last month at the ACW Road to Respect show kept him out of the match.  Instead, he called to the ring, his replacement, none other than Rachel Putski.  Jacob Ladder was shocked at the appearance as his fellow Children of Pain member had apparently aligned herself with Enigma.  Rachel shrugged this off.  Since she had recently participated in the IWA Mid-South Queen of the Deathmatch tournament, she felt qualified to compete against the boys in the ACW ring.  Claxton and Dragon X seemed to have no problem with this so the match began.  At first Ladder and Putski worked together against the others, but when both Dragon and Claxton were on the floor, Rachel attempted to roll up Ladder and steal the victory.  Ladder responded to this by slipping out of the ring and pulling several light tubes from under the ring.  Claxton and Dragon X both chose to exercise discretion and left the ring area to the Hard Core specialist.  Ladder dropped Rachel on the first light tube, but after that it was he who suffered the worst from the weapons.  The match ended when Rachel reversed a move and hit Ladder with a DDT on the tubes and covered her bloody opponent for the surprise victory.

Following an intermission, fans were treated to a fascinating match for the ACW Texas Heavyweight Championship held by Brett Thunder.  Thunder’s opponent for this match was Showtime Scott Summers.  These two men grappled for most of the match attempting to impose their will on the other.  Submission locks, chokes and holds were exchanged with neither man gaining an advantage as the crowd watched in awe at the intensity.  Eventually, the men went to a vertical attack and it was here that the action picked up.  In the end, Summers showed his power advantage and scored a pinfall victory, winning the Texas Title in the process.

The finals of the Lone Star Classic was next.  Unlike the first round matches, the finals were fought elimination style.  Darin Childs, Bio-Hazard, Skitzo and Rachel Putski came to the ring.  Most of the fans in attendance were aware that Childs and Putski are married and are partners, with Jacob Ladder, in the Children of Pain.  Apparently, Childs & Putski were in agreement to fight this match at full force, as Darin made a partnership with Bio-Hazard to start the match and Rachel suffered the most in the early portion of the match.  Rachel got in her share of offense, mostly against Childs, but eventually he wore her down and forced her to submit.  With Putski eliminated, the alliance between Bio-Hazard and Childs came to a quick end as Bio-Hazard put Childs in a submission hold, forcing him to tap out.  This left Bio-Hazard and Skitzo.  Still relatively new to the sport, Skitzo would have been considered an underdog to the massive Bio-Hazard, but Skitzo rose to the occasion and managed to pin Bio-Hazard, winning the first ever Lone Star Classic.  Bio-Hazard started to pound on Skitzo after the match, but was stopped by Ladder and Childs who came to the ring with the trophy.  Normally a trophy ceremony at a wrestling show can be expected to end with the trophy being used as a weapon on the victor, but not in this case.  The CoP had more frightening plans for Skitzo.  As a result of winning this tournament, Skitzo has been selected to face “ECW legend and true king of hardcore” Ian Rotten at the Anarchy Championship Wrestling show “Guilty by Association” on January 14th.

The second half of the dual Main Events was next.  Prince Fontenot, in his retirement match was challenging for the top title in ACW.  Heavyweight Champion One Man Mike Dell was defending his belt in a battle between the two most popular wrestlers in the promotion.  The similarity between these two wrestlers goes beyond their popularity.  Both are in tremendous physical shape and both use a Spear or football Tackle as a finisher.  The intensity and offense of these two virtually guaranteed that this match would not last long.  Sure enough, it was little more than five minutes of non-stop action before Prince Fontenot scored the victory, winning the title in his last match.

Before the celebration could begin, Scott E. Charms found his way to the ring and attacked his long-time enemy Prince.  Knowing that there was only one way to end this, Charms and Prince faced off in a final bonus match.  Charms was clearly outmatched and Prince made short work of him, finishing him off with the spear for one last time. 

After the match, the wrestlers and workers of ACW filled the ring and celebrated Prince and American Championship Wrestling.  Jacob Ladder noted that Prince and ACW were going out the way they started seven years ago, with Prince the champion.  He also made note that as one era was ending a new era was beginning.  Anarchy Championship Wrestling is set to kick off and turn wrestling on its ear. 

A preview of Anarchy Championship Wrestling is set for this Thursday, December 21, at Graham Central Station as the wrestlers of Anarchy Championship Wrestling participate at Holiday Havoc.  Eight wrestling matches are set, including a mini-Deathmatch Tournament, are part of a night featuring 40 metal bands on 4 stages.  Wrestling should begin at 7 PM.

Anarchy Championship Wrestling makes its first big show on January 14th at the Venue.  Bell time is 7 PM and the show will feature Ian Rotten vs. Skitzo.  Also scheduled to appear are AAA & Lucha VaVoom superstar Cassandro, IWA Mid-South and NWA Midwest Women’s Champion Mickie Knuckles vs. Rachel Putski.  Other matches will name the first Anarchy Championship Wrestling Tag Team Champions and Heavyweight Champion.

At least 2 other Anarchy Championship Wrestling shows are lined up for San Antonio in coming months including some of the top names in US independent wrestling.

American Championship Wrestling
The Venue – San Antonio
December 17th, 2006

Match # 1 – First Round Lone Star Classic Tournament – Fatal Four-Way Match
Rexx Reed vs. Viktor Tadlock vs. Frankie Fisher vs. Darin Childs (win and advance to finals)
Match # 2 - First Round Lone Star Classic Tournament – Fatal Four-Way Match
Texas Renegade vs. Kris Haitine vs. Ricky Rhodes vs. Bio-Hazard (win and advance to finals)
Match # 3 - First Round Lone Star Classic Tournament – Fatal Four-Way Match
Skitzo (win and advance to finals) vs. Caleb Konnley vs. Bobb E. Hill vs. Kyle Matthews
Match # 4 - First Round Lone Star Classic Tournament – Fatal Four-Way Match
Cowboy James Claxton vs. Dragon X vs. Jacob Ladder vs. Rachel Putski (win and advance to finals)
Match # 5 – ACW Texas Heavyweight Championship Match
Challenger Showtime Scott Summers (win and new champion) vs. Champion Brett Thunder
Match # 6 – Co-Main Event - Finals Lone Star Classic – Four-Way Elimination Match
            Darin Childs vs. Bio-Hazard vs. Skitzo (win) vs. Rachel Putski
Match # 7 – Co-Main Event - ACW Heavyweight Title Match
            Challenger Prince Fontenot (win and new champion) vs. Champion Mike Dell
Bonus Match # 8 – Scott E. Charms vs. Prince Fontenot (win)

Thank you to Barry from Indy Wars for the article. You can catch him at: http://saindywrestlingscene.blogspot.com/