Indie Wrestling: Ray Rowe Wins Firestorm Title at War Games

Cleveland wrestling took a huge step forward on July 10 as Firestorm Pro Wrestling presented War Games.

The 18-month history of the promotion was built to one match, as “Big League” John McChesney put his title on the line in an Eight-Man Cage Match against a team chosen by Firestorm's owner JC, with ownership of the company on the line as well as the title.

Before the match, McChesney said that as the new Firestorm owner, he would raise ticket prices, burn down the Phantasy Theatre, and move Big League Pro Wrestling to Quicken Loans Arena, the home of elite athletes like LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, and himself.

JC played his hand by announcing that he had sold 45 percent of the company to his friend Waylon, lead singer of Mushroomhead, as an insurance policy.

That way, if his team somehow lost, a man who shared his vision for Firestorm would still be around as a minority owner.

Team Big League consisted of J-Rocc, Shane Taylor, Bill Collier, and McChesney. Fighting for Firestorm were Patrick Hayes, The Aftermath, Starless, and Ray Rowe.

At the end of the match, McChesney was ready to put Rowe through a table but decided instead to rub it in by grabbing Rowe’s fiancée Samantha, who had been thrown into the cage, and kissing her on the lips.

The enraged Rowe knocked McChesney into the cage and suplexed the 350-pound Taylor through a table for the winning pin.

War Games was one of the three best shows I’ve announced in my 15-year career, in the mix with IWC Super Indy I and the ROH All-Star Extravaganza, both in 2002.

Firestorm’s booking is solid, and the wrestlers give absolutely everything they have.

The next Firestorm show is on Aug. 21. Check them out on the Web for details as they are updated.