December 29, 2011

Welcome readers to The Ringside Report. 2011 is ending and what a year it was. The HWA reached heights the company has never seen before over the past 12 months, which begs the question: What does 2012 have in store for the HWA? That's what I'll be looking at in this edition of your favorite column and mine, The Ringside Report. So let me pull out my crystal ball and lets get down to business.

My first prediction isn't much of a stretch - actually its probably already on everyone's mind. Jake & Dave Crist hold the only two singles championships in the HWA. The HWA Tag Team Titles are currently held by American Wrestling Warriors, a team closely associated with & compared to the Brothers Crist. A winners take all tag match between The Irish Airborne & American Wrestling Warriors is a no brainer and it would sell a lot of tickets in my humble opinion. Something tells me we'll see this match in the early months of 2012.

HWA Heavyweight Champion Jake Crist and Dustin Rayz. Photo Credit: Rich Morgan

The HWA Heavyweight Title division is as stacked as its ever been. Jake Crist just won the title and he already has former champions Jesse Emerson, BJ Whitmer and Gerome Phillips hot on his trail. That doesn't include a long list of guys who have never been HWA Heavyweight Champion but are dying for the chance. I see Jake defending against those 3 former champs early in 2012 but by summer, new challengers will be emerging. I'm going out on a limb and saying that when 2012 is over, Ron Mathis will be the man with the HWA Heavyweight Title around his waist. Yeah, I know Mathis just lost the most high profile match of his career. However if you think for one second that Mathis isn't entering the new year a more focused, determined and dangerous man, you've got another thing coming.

The Luchacore division is going to be a lot of fun to watch this year as well. Dave Crist just recaptured the title at HWA World War 3, putting an end to his feud with Ron Mathis. With Mathis out of the hunt for the Luchacore gold, you've got a lot of guys looking to be the next top challenger. Remi Wilkins is a going to get his chance. He's earned it, plain and simple. I see Sid Fabulous being a threat in the division again. Guys like Nick Cutler, Jerry Andrews, Tim Lutz and Juice Jennings are all hungry for their chance as well. One wild card to watch out for his Lord Matthew Taylor. I don't see an ugly split in the Noble Bloods future but I do see both Matt & Chad trying their hand in singles competition in the upcoming year. Anyone who saw The Irish Airborne vs. The Noble Bloods feud from over a year ago knows that Dave Crist vs Matt Taylor is a MONEY match. They respect each other but when the bell sounds, those two men are warriors in the ring. Don't be shocked to see Lord Matthew Taylor wearing the Luchacore Championship around his waist in 2012.

The tag team division is an interesting spot in the HWA right now. With the American Wrestling Warriors unseating long time kingpins The Heat Seekers & The Noble Bloods to become the new champs, the tag ranks feel new and exciting. The old guard now has new blood to deal with. How will The Heat Seekers rebound? Like I said before, I foresee the Noble Bloods not teaming as frequently in 2012. That helps give room for duos like DNA, Jerry Andrews & Sid, Jon Murray & Clark Konnor and more. I can easily picture new duos being formed & other new teams trying to make a name for themselves in the HWA in 2012. How will the American Wrestling Warriors deal with the pressure of being champs? That remains to be seen but I do have a good feeling about them. I'm not saying they'll last all of 2012 as the champs, but I am saying that they will end the year as champs. Take that one to the bank kids.

Other random predictions for 2012: Jon Murray will get offered many lucrative endorsement deals, making him the busiest man in wrestling in 2012. His face will be seen in commercials, on the sides of buses, all over the internet and maybe even on cereal boxes. Oh and he'll host his own pod cast too by year's end.

Nick Cutler's going to start 2012 off rocky, just like he ended 2011. Cutler's been in a bad place mentally since Remi Wilkins crushed his confidence. Cutler's going to need help getting back on the right track - help from a seasoned manager. I see Hollywood Bobby Olsen taking Cutler under his wing and helping Cutler turn that corner, putting him right back in title contention.

Bake Sale Bob is going to get arrested for being creepy and will be replaced as the ring announcer by a midget. Midgets rule! ...Ryan Campbell's Twitter addiction will force him into a rehab center, followed by several months of living in a recovery house. #JustSayNoRC... Danny O'Brien will grow a really creepy mustache and start sitting front row at shows, begging for ANY job in the company. He'll still be doing this in 2013, if the world hasn't ended.

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone reading for supporting the HWA, the web site and this column in 2011. Its been a great year for the company and we hope to keep growing and improving in the next year. Keep checking in with the site for all the updates and news. Also be sure to vote for the end of the 2011 HWA Year End Awards, as voting does end soon. Thank you again, have a happy and safe New Years and I'll see you at ringside!