Q&A Meghan Philp
July 15, 2015
Golden Meadow readying for skate park
July 15, 2015
One of the most heated feuds on the local independent wrestling circuit will come to a head this weekend in Houma.
The battle will be decided inside the confines of a 12-foot high steel cage.
Elite Championship Wrestling will hold its next show on Sunday at 5 p.m., at the East Park Recreation Center on 107 Robert St.
The show will be headlined by a steel cage match, which will pit crowd-favorite Xtian Blake against Andy Dalton – a battle that should keep wrestling fans on the edges of their seats throughout the duration of the three-hour show.
Reserved tickets for the event cost $12. Seats sold at the door go for $15. They can be purchased by visiting elitechampionshipwrestling.com or calling (985)-262-9789.
“A cage match is a huge spectacle in the world of professional wrestling and it’s not often that this match happens,” Elite Championship Wrestling promoter David Pitre Jr. said. “And it’s even rarer on the independent wrestling level. We are extremely excited to bring this match to Houma for the second time in our history, as well as a card that is loaded with other huge matchups.”
This year’s cage match will feature two competitors who have very little love lost for one another.
The feud between Dalton and Blake has been ongoing for months with the sneaky, conniving Dalton often using illegal tactics to get the upper hand over the fan-favorite Blake.
In recent shows, Dalton has attacked Blake from behind several times, often ducking out of face-to-face confrontations with his foe.
The cage match will seek to bring finality to the feud, while also serving as an opportunity for Blake to seek revenge.
“(Dalton) and (Blake) have been in a brewing rivalry for almost a year now,” Pitre said. “Dalton has ducked and run from Blake multiple times and it seems fitting that this rivalry will conclude in a structure that leaves nowhere to run or hide. Xtian Blake is definitely looking to get his revenge for the hell that Andy Dalton has put him through, while Dalton is looking to stop the momentum of Blake, who is a young, up-and-comer.”
Dalton said the match will be a piece of cake.
In an “in-character” interview with The Times last Tuesday afternoon, the main event competitor said he will defeat Blake because of his experience and also because of his ability to push the envelope and bend the rules.
Dalton fought in one steel cage match in his career, losing to John Saxon last year.
“All that comes to my mind as I prepare for this match is that it’s time to get dirtier than ever and fight,” the always-witty Dalton said. “If you want to see two grown men fight, this is the show.”
But perhaps the beauty of this weekend’s show is that the cage match is just one bout in a card filled with main event-caliber affairs.
An NWA-Elite Heavyweight Championship match will pit champion Vordell Walker against Anthony – a battle that will matchup two of the best heavyweights in the Southeast against one another in a showdown.
Another matchup of local interest will be a tag team flag match that will pit Team Roll Tide against Stan Sweet Tan and Mustang Mike (Team LSU). Team Roll Tide has drawn the ire of local fans in the past several months, with their non-stop chatter about Alabama and Crimson Tide athletics being better than anything in the state of Louisiana.
Sweet Tan and Mustang Mike will seek to put an end to that in this one, which will settle a feud that has been ongoing for several months. It came to a heat at a show this past month when Team Roll Tide burned an LSU flag in the middle of the ring.
“Team Roll Tide consists of competitors Frankie Thomas and Ryan Oshun, and it includes their valet Ms. Brittany Lynn and their cousin TJ,” Pitre said. “They are from Alabama and they represent that proudly. But this is LSU territory, so our fans aren’t too embracing of their antics. Burning the flag was extremely disrespectful, and we will settle things in a flag match. Both team’s flags will be hung high above the ring and the first team to get theirs will win the match.”
In addition to those three matches, local favorites like Purple Haze, Saxon and several others are scheduled to appear this weekend.
It’s all part of Elite Championship Wrestling’s efforts to bring as good of a product as possible to the people of Houma.
Pitre said when the organization started four years ago, it aimed to bring “the absolute highest quality of wrestling with the best talent possible” to our area.
Shows like this one will do just that, Pitre said – just another example of how Elite is taking things to the next level on the local professional wrestling circuit.
He thanked Elite’s fans for making it all possible, touting that they are the folks who allow the organization to keep high-quality in-ring action possible.
“When you attend our event, it’s almost an underground feel where our fans sweat and bleed for their favorites, while despising the villains,” Pitre said. “They are truly some of the most passionate people I’ve ever seen. We appreciate all of the support they have given us on this wild ride.”
