A BATTLE FOR THE AGES

A Look at One of Indy Wrestling’s Greatest Feuds

By Gordo, the wizard of id

I’ve often said that Pro Wrestling is neither real nor fake… it is magic. It has the ability to lift viewers to a place where everyday cares and worries are forgotten; a place where fans can escape the realities of their lives and enter a world of drama and excitement. A world where larger than life characters perform against a backdrop of violence and conflict and spectators thrill to the storylines and spectacle. Perhaps the longest running continual theme in pro wrestling is the battle between good and evil; the bad guy against the hero. This timeless struggle is often the structure upon which pro wrestling’s greatest action-filled story is built; the feud. Wrestling feuds can become the stuff of legend, spilling over promotional boundaries and spanning years as the protagonists deliver chapter after chapter of a story seemingly without end. Fans thrill to the action, drama, intensity and excitement of warriors clashing again and again; many times for original reasons long forgotten, buried under the weight of so many contests. For them, and their fans, it is enough that there is still their opponent in front of them and a ring in which to write one more chapter.

Sadly, these epic wars are no longer fought in the national spotlight of mainstream wrestling attention. In these new modern days of monthly PPVs and immediate gratitude television broadcasts, the time honored tradition of the long running feud has been discarded by feds like the WWE and TNA. In those feds, the magic has been lost; replaced by the need to meet television time requirements and to provide an audience weaned on such offerings, the hollow empty pops of “Sports Entertainment.” But in Indy wrestling… great feuds still remain. It is in Indy rings that the true magic of pro wrestling remains. Indy wrestling, where dedicated passionate performers continue to provide the action that true fans recognize and relish as real pro wrestling at its finest. Indeed, some of the greatest wrestlers in the world today are found, not in the spotlight of the nationally broadcast “Big Two,” but rather the small Indy rings of regional promotions across North America. And it is in those halls, bars, high schools and rec-centers that some of wrestling’s greatest feuds rage on, largely unnoticed by mainstream coverage. Those fans lucky enough to witness these epic wars know that they are seeing something special, something that touches them in a way that all the pyrotechnical explosions of a PPV never can… something magic.

Fans in Central Canada are witnessing just such a feud right now. A war between two of the world’s finest wrestlers that has raged for years, spilling across Provincial boundaries and countless promotions as the two combatants struggle to gain dominance and glory. A war that has now settled in Southern Ontario’s Pure Wrestling Alliance, and this time, there is one of Canadian wrestling’s greatest prizes at stake; the PWA Women’s Elite Championship; a title currently held by one of this feuds protagonists and desired by the other. Years of intensity, conflict and mutual respect have now coalesced into a single-minded struggle that shows no signs of stopping and fans are the winners every time these two warriors step in the ring to add another chapter to their epic story. Here then, are these glorious, talented performers who are providing Canadian fans the true magic of Indy wrestling: Misty Haven and 21^st Century Fox.

21^st Century Fox is the reigning PWA Women’s Elite Champion. She is no stranger to championship gold having held the IWA American Women’s title and the OSPW Women’s belt in the past. This versatile grappler mixes a ground based striking attack with suicide dives, tilt-a-whirl headscissors and DDTs to overwhelm opponents. Cocky, talented and “crazy like a fox” she has defeated some of the top women grapplers in the world. Her sit out rock bottom finisher, the 21^st Century Drop, is a feared and effective weapon. Fox won the PWA Women’s Elite title in January of this year in a match against Cherry Bomb, which only added fuel to the fire that burns between her and Haven for it was Misty who was supposed to be in that match.

Misty Haven, trained by Dave Dalton and later Wayne Cryderman, spent her early career in the brutal ring wars of Quebec’s CWA and AWA as well as countless forays through Ontario Indies. Equally adept at mat wrestling and brawling, she is a feared and respected competitor.

These women have fought each other in Quebec and throughout Ontario and although they have each won individual matches, neither can claim long term dominance over the other. Ask them why their feud started and they are hard pressed to answer; it no longer matters anyway. Each time they meet in the ring is more intense than the last and their desire to win is eclipsed only by the respect they hold for each other.

Misty: “I remember how excited I was after our very first match together. I had finally found someone that could wrestle and had just as much intensity as I did in the ring. She has to be the toughest opponent I have encountered.”

Fox: “She is an awesome competitor who loves the business and knows her stuff. She brings something new to the table each time she comes out and raises her game level too. She's great, tough and intense.”

Countless singles matches, tags and mixed tags have settled nothing; just furthered their resolve to continue. Neither will back down and both have switched the traditional face and heel roles as necessary to gain an edge. With each match the intensity of their feud grew and fans began to realize they were seeing something special and for many, their matches alone were reason enough to drive hours to see a show.

In October of 2005, they both entered the PWA Women’s Elite 8 tournament. Fittingly, they faced each other in the finals and it was Misty who walked out with the trophy. Thus the match to determine the first ever PWA Women’s Elite Champion was to be Haven versus Fox. Unfortunately, Misty was unable to make the show and could only watch from afar as Fox defeated Cherry Bomb and laid claim to what she felt was hers. Haven was confident though, that she would get her shot at the strap since she was the Women’s Elite 8 winner but there would be a major obstacle in her quest.

Enter Cheerleader Melissa… This international superstar joined PWA and in a match of the year candidate, defeated Fox for the strap in Niagara Falls. When Misty’s chance at the title came in March it was in a 3-way match with Fox and reigning champion Melissa. This grueling contest ended with Fox regaining her title and Haven once again denied. They continued to battle in other Ontario promotions but it was PWA and the top prize in Canadian Women’s wrestling that remained their focus. Misty demanded PWA officials give her the title match she had been denied so long. Fox responded: “Misty can try all she wants but she'll never get MY title away from me. I'm the first champion and the only champion that matters, so come get it Misty, if you dare.”

On April 30^th in Brantford Ontario they clashed one on one for the first time in a PWA ring since October of last year. The match was brutal, intense and in true wrestling feud fashion, it resolved nothing. Haven tasted the title belt but only because Fox clobbered her in the head with it to get herself disqualified. As if that and the post match beatdown she took at the hands of Fox wasn’t indignity enough, Haven also suffered a stomach muscle injury during the match. And… she doesn’t get her chance at revenge at the next Brantford show because Fox is slated to compete against Jacqui Jones in a Bikini Contest. Fox has discovered that holding the title and dangling it tauntingly as bait is just as effective as a blistering forearm shot in showing dominance to her long time foe. Once again forced to the sidelines, Misty seethes: “She is a complete bitch who cannot bring on a fair game to beat me. We’ll just have to see what the future holds for her… I’ll get my hands on her soon enough and give her a taste of her own medicine!”

And that future may come on June 18^th when PWA hosts the first Pure Women’s Show, an all woman card that both Fox and Haven have been signed to appear at. As Champion, Fox is almost certain to defend her title at that show but her opponent has yet to be formally named by PWA management. No doubt fans, and certainly Misty Haven, hope that it will be her. It doesn’t really matter because even if Misty wins the title it will be but one victory in a war that shows no sign of ending any time soon. Fox knows that she must hold the PWA Women’s Elite title for an extended reign to demonstrate that she truly is the dominant warrior and even if she avoids giving Misty the chance at the title there is no place she can go that Misty won’t follow. Nor can Misty deny that Fox will always be the obstacle that stands between her and dominance of the Central Canadian women’s scene. They will meet again, and again, and again… this feud burns too hot to be extinguished any time soon and for fans lucky enough to witness these two fighting it out in Indy rings across Ontario there is much joy in knowing that this special magic will continue to enthrall and entertain them for months and years to come. 21^st Century Fox versus Misty Haven… truly, a battle for the ages.

Photo credit: Mrs Id

Contact the wizard of id: zapflash@sympatico.ca