On the Beat at Rocket Pro Wrestling's Fall Brawl

Saturday Rocket Pro Wrestling kicked off its season with Fall Brawl. It was my first RPW event, but it will not be my last.

We arrived at St. Joseph Park just as the doors opened an hour before the show started. The line of fans was a good sign. In the outer room, some of the talent, including my friends Joey Roth and Roxi Heart, greeted fans, as rock music from the main room created a lively vibe.

Announcer Schelli greeted us and immediately made us feel welcome. I saw her hug and chat with other fans, too. It felt like a big family reunion.

We caught up with a few familiar wrestlers, like Steve Michaels, and fans. I hadn't been at St. Joseph Park since attending Pro Wrestling Blitz shows many years ago, but I saw several fans from those days. After getting a few snacks from concessions (very reasonably priced, I might add), we found our seats and settled in for a night of action. By bell time, it was a packed, SRO house.

The show started promptly at 5 (a rarity at independent wrestling shows) with an in-ring segment featuring Joey, Roxi and the Fabulous Idols. A little explanation revealed they had control of RPW stemming from events from the last show. The heat they got from the fans was incredible. Like classic heels, the louder the fans howled, the more fun the Idols had.

After sorting out a few things, it was time for the matches to start. The full card recap is:

Open challenge for the Outer Limits championship
Gunner Brave retained against Shogun

Fatal Four-way
(The winner qualifies for a shot at the Rocket to the Top ladder match at Harvest Havoc)
Aaron Stone defeated The Ryan Matthews, Dustin Mack and Quinn Wittock

Triple Threat
(The winner receives the 20th entry into the Rockett Rumble later)
Steve Michaels beat Marshe Rockett and Cody James

Open challenge for the Inter-County Championship
Maximus Orion defeated Flash Harris to become the new Inter-County Champ

Chicagoland Championship
Connor Hopkins (of The Damn Coyotes) beat Rockin Rivera to become new champ

RPW Tag Team Championship
The Fabulous Idols Jonny Nigh and Damien Grey retained the titles against No Coast Brian Krazer and Joee Blues

Rocket Pro Championship
Champion Christian Rose retained against the icon Grin

Rocket Rumble
Cody James wins to become the No. 1 contender for the RPW championship.

After the match, Grin grabbed the mic and demanded a match with Marshe Rockett at Darkness Falls, RPW's next event on October 1. Rockett had just turned heel earlier in the night.

Of course, the results are only part of the picture. The night also featured the usual chicanery from the Idols. The Rumble was violent at times, but mixed in some lighter moments including announcer Steve “Captain America” Ahrendt and fan favorite Turtle. James losing the Triple Threat match, but winning the Rumble was a surprise.

Perhaps an even bigger surprise was the turn of Rockett. I have known “All Day” Marshe for years, but have never seen him as a heel. I look forward to seeing this development.

All through the night, Timmy "Too Sweet" kept things going with his energetic ring introductions and announcements. I'd be stunned if he had much of a voice on Sunday, but he looked to have as much fun as the crowd.

By the end of the night, I was exhausted from the action. The crowd was so hot and loud, you couldn't help but get swept up in the excitement. The wrestling was a great blend of mat technicians, brawlers and high-flyers.

I can't say I was surprised at how much fun the night was, because I heard so much praise prior to the night. Still, I was very impressed by everything.

In my recent interview with owner Bill Schelli, he naturally told me about the awesome big screen, the fun music, the rabid crowd and the rest. Owners and promoters are prone to hyperbole, but Bill was spot on about it all. It was a fantastic night. RPW went all out and cut no corners. As exciting as that is, even better is it was only the first show of the season for RPW.

Darkness Falls, RPW's next show, is Saturday, October 1 at 4 p.m. Again at St. Joseph Park. The already announced Grin versus Rockett match is reason enough to attend this show. I encourage everyone to get tickets early though. RPW is making its mark and you definitely want to be there.