CWF Mayhem

APRIL 24, 1999

Greetings from under the black Resistol hat as we prepare to usher in a new era.

The Mayhem brand of the Charlottesville Wrestling Federation debuts tomorrow night in a very unique forum—pay-per-view. This old Oklahoma boy was raised on the formula that you used TV shows to build interest for your major live events. The CWF has thrown that format on its ear by using a live pay-per-view event as the jumping off point for the rivalries and storylines that will shape Mayhem in the future.

There is no word yet on who Mark Cuban will appoint to replace Curt Hennig, who was sent to Adrenaline by Roddy Piper in the final pick of the draft in a shocking move. Rumors are flying around the roster.

I’ve played enough poker to know you don’t show your hand, but I will say this. I spoke with Mr. Cuban personally, and he only dropped the following hint: the replacement has a link to Piper’s past history.

The new Commissioner is already busy, handing out a handful of anonymous executive orders.

One of them involved Shelton Benjamin. For those of you who didn’t catch Smoky Mountain Wrestling—and if you didn’t, you’re missing out on some great old school action—Shelton Benjamin has been assigned to SMW after being drafted by Mayhem. Shelton’s still very young and should benefit greatly from working in that environment with its unique combination of top newcomers and savvy veterans.

The other involved a re-branding of the championships on Mayhem. Effective immediately, Sabu’s Heavyweight Title will be known as the North American Heavyweight Title. Test and Hakushi’s tag belts will be known as the North American Tag Team Championship.

Here’s the announced card for tomorrow night’s pay-per-view event, and my thoughts on each of those matches.

* North American Heavyweight Title-Sabu vs. Lash LeRoux. I certainly wouldn’t have picked the Ragin’ Cajun to get the title shot at Sabu, but that was Curt Hennig’s call and thus far the new Commissioner has chosen to uphold that match. This is the opportunity of a lifetime for Lash, and while he’s the underdog, I’m sure we’ll see his A game.

* Above & Beyond Tournament. Kurt Angle faces Dean Malenko in the lone semifinal, with the winner meeting Rob Van Dam later in the night. The semifinal should be a mat classic, with the Man of 1,000 Holds taking on the only Olympic gold medalist in the history of pro wrestling. The winner will earn a future shot at the North American Title.

* Rob Van Dam vs. Mystery Opponent. RVD was scheduled to face Jerry Lynn in the semifinals, but Lynn was drafted to Adrenaline. This match was scheduled to make sure RVD didn’t have an unfair advantage by being fresh for the finals. The semifinal match between Angle and Malenko and this contest will be the first two matches of the night, to ensure the winners have plenty of rest time before the finals.

* North American Tag Titles-Test & Hakushi vs. Hostile Takeover vs. D’Lo Brown & partner of his choice. An ECW-style three way dance; Test and Hakushi have to outlast both pairs of challengers to keep their titles. Adams and Clarke are as rough and tough as they get. D’Lo earned his way into a title shot after never getting the rematch granted to a former champion because Mark Henry got injured. Now that Henry is healthy again and got drafted to Mayhem, might we see a reunion of the first tag champs in CWF history?

* Intercontinental Title Gauntlet Match. Hennig forced Chris Jericho to vacate the Intercontinental Title on condition of his trade to Adrenaline. A Gauntlet Match has been scheduled to determine the new champion. Six wrestlers will compete in a series of singles matches, with the order of entry determined via random draw. The man left standing at the end is the new champ. We potentially could see the same guy win five different matches and take home the belt!

* Cruiserweight Title Match—Six Man Mayhem: Christopher Daniels vs. Chris Candido vs. Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. X-Pac vs. Super Calo. Michael Modest gave up the Cruiserweight Title because he disagreed with the way the division was being promoted. In a way, that decision sparked the entire draft process. Now, a new Cruiserweight champ will be crowned. Daniels has yet to be pinned in CWF competition. Candido is a former Horseman. Guerrero won a Cruiserweight Battle Royal on Night 1 of the draft. Rey Mysterio Jr. has won all kinds of titles and might be the most sensational high flyer today. X-Pac heads back to his roots in cruiserweight action. Super Calo’s been hired as a non-roster competitor on Mayhem, but he’s an accomplished competitor in Mexico and might steal the title and a full-time roster spot. No tags are needed in this match. Exiting the ring allows a new man to enter, and the first pinfall wins the title. The action will be nonstop in this one!

All in all it sounds like a fabulous night in Seattle. This Oklahoma boy is looking forward to calling the action along with Paul Heyman and helping Mayhem get off to the best start possible.

We hope to see you all join us on pay-per-view tomorrow night!