On the Beat at the Chicagoland Championship Wrestling Debut

Last Saturday, Chicagoland Championship Wrestling had its much anticipated debut event. The evening exceeded the expectations.

I first heard of CCW many months ago and reached out to owner John Bullard for an introduction interview. After talking to him on and off camera, I was really interested in what CCW was planning. I told him I wanted to cover the CCW and he graciously welcomed me and my efforts.

After a delay because of the pandemic, Bullard rescheduled the show, making it even bigger and better. I caught up with Bullard a week before the show for an update interview.

I also interviewed Steve Ahrendt and Joey Roth, who were the broadcasters for the show. As two interesting veterans of the Chicago wrestling scene, they made for a great combo.

I was excited about the concept of CCW. It was described as a “new-old” wrestling company. In a crowded field of wrestling organizations, it looked to stand out quickly from the rest. I also excited about seeing a wrestling show, my first since the pandemic hit and about seeing many friends I have known on the wrestling scene. Thanks to the hospitality of Bullard, I was able to arrive early and talk to the talent on the card.

When I arrived, one of the first people I saw was “The Urban Sensation” C Red, who was part of the night's card. C Red is a long time figure on the Chicago area wrestling scene/ He's one of the most entertaining and talented people I know. He's also one of the best people I know. It was a great way to start the night.

Next I saw “The Big Loubowski” Lou Tufano, the Senior Referee. At the risk of repetition, much like C Red, Tufano is a class act all the way.

I also saw PL Myers, of the legendary Chicago Connection. I wasn't surprised to see him, as PL and the Connection had been making some noise on social media. Later in the night, he would surprise the crowd and the CCW management.

One after another, I saw friendly and familiar faces. It was so good to be out and seeing folks with whom I have had so many great times. This is what I really missed about not having wrestling shows. Of course, I like the in-ring action, but for me, it was and is always about sharing the night with my friends.

As far as the wrestling card itself, here are the results:

Steve
Yoya defeated Myles Mercer
Braven Fett defeated Jackson P Larkin
EWOK defeated K defeated Zeke Kickem
YGW defeated Axel Rico/Jake Tyler
Sin City Playboys w/Beau defeated Thieves of Greatness
Tribunal (Paragon/Jace Thorn) defeated No Coast
Rockstar Johnny Nigh defeated Gunnar Brave
Chris Logan defeated Marshe Rockett and Garrisaon Creed in a threeway to become the first ever CCW Champ

On a side note, I had predicted Rockett winning the title, but obviously I wasn't correct in that prediction. On the other hand, as you could hear in the interview, both Roth and Ahrendt also missed with their prediction for the match.

Also of note, the Chicago Connection, led by PL Myers, introduced Jon Hudson. It was unclear what the Chicago Connections future plans are, but it is pretty obvious, they will be back at CCW.

The night had an old school feel to it. I kept expecting the Four Horsemen to come out, but maybe the Chicago Connection would be a close modern equivalent. It also had a fresh vibe because of the many talented grapplers.

Over the next few days, I talked to several folks to get their views. The response was overwhelmingly positive.

C Red stated, “Everyone showed up and showed out! I feel like we put on a great product.” A veteran of hundreds of wrestling events, C Red was about as pumped as I have ever seen him.

Ahrendt agreed saying, “The entire night was spectacular from John Bullard paying tribute to his deceased co-founder to Shogun Chris Logan winning the title in dramatic fashion. It’s a night we will always remember, it’s the night CCW came to town and raised the bar of expectation in this industry.”

Roth, who was accompanied as usual by Roxi Heart, agreed with his broadcast partner, "What an amazing debut show for CCW on Amazon Prime. And how lucky for you all to hear my beautiful voice! The future is here, and it's CCW."

Tufano brought the fans into his reaction. “Awesome and Amazing. The Fan atmosphere was amazing loud and excited from start to finish. The Fans where really into this show I look forward to April 2021.”

Prior to the show, I had the pleasure of meeting Bullard and it was good timing, because once fans started arriving, he was busy greeting and thanking everyone. Talk about a "hands on" approach and a personal touch. It was all sincere, too. Bullard is genuinely grateful for everyone in his personal and professional life. That type of attention is not forgotten.

CCW's next event has already been announced. On Saturday, April 17, Chicagoland Championship Wrestling presents Saturday Night Grapple Masters tv taping. The Shogun Chris Logan defending against The Fro-Gun D Ray 3000. Tickets are on sale and are selling quickly.

Once again, CCW will be at the American Legion #451 in Michigan City Indiana. Once again, I will be there. With six months before the show, I will have plenty of time to interview Bullard, Ahrendt and Roth again, along with some of the talent on the card. I will bring my coverage here as usual.