Quinn McKay Wins ECWA Super 8 Chickfight
The ECWA Women’s Championship changed hands three times.
On the eve of St. Patrick’s Day, victory was sweet for the lass with the cotton candy hair.
Quinn McKay, “five feet of concrete” from Missouri, made her ECWA debut in the first round of the ECWA Super 8 Chickfight. A relative newcomer to the wrestling scene compared to the rest of the participants in the tournament, McKay wasn’t expected to make it very far. According to a Twitter poll conducted by The Wrestling Estate, only 6% of respondents voted her to win the tournament – the lowest percentage of any participant.
But the former Roller Derby competitor instantly opened a lot of eyes at the Asbury United Methodist Church in New Castle, Delaware. Dazzling fans with her grit and agility, McKay defeated veteran Zoey Skye in the opening match. She had her work cut out for her once again in the second round, taking on another veteran – Nikki Addams. The cagey Northeast grappler was the only woman to have previously competed in the Super 8, this time replacing Leyla Hirsch due to an eye injury.
Addams had the size and experience advantage over McKay, as well as a willingness to win by any means necessary, as evidenced by her exposing the turnbuckle in a first round match with Sammi Pandora. McKay initially outwrestled Addams, overpowering the veteran with a vice-like headscissors. Addams summoned the strength to get back on her feet, jacking McKay’s jaw with a powerful right hand. The onslaught continued as Addams stomped her young foe, smashing her into the turnbuckle. Just as McKay seemingly turned the tide, Addams stopped her in mid-air with a well-timed boot to the gut. Addams followed up with a beautiful gutwrench suplex, and instead of going for a cover, locked McKay into a submission. The novice squirmed her way out of the hold, only for Addams to shift into a Crippler Crossface.
Enchanted by the Midwest sensation, the crowd urged McKay to not give up, rallying her to roll over into the ropes. Fighting back with everything she had, McKay grabbed Addams’ head and ran up the turnbuckle to deliver some Stratusfaction for the pin. The crowd cheered as the Cinderella story continued to the finals of the tournament, where McKay would finally meet someone her size, with the same amount of heart.
Gabby Ortiz has wrestled for over three years, honing her craft in Japan as well as Ring of Honor’s fledgling women’s division. After being diagnosed with scapular dyskinesis (also known as SICK Scapula) and taking time off to heal her shoulder, the Philly girl planned to rebuild her momentum by going the distance in the ECWA Super 8 Chickfight. Her first obstacle in the tournament was the only participant she had history with – Gemma Cross, who “beat the hell” out of Ortiz in their previous encounter.
Cross – rocking a “Gemma 3:16” shirt in honor of her 26th birthday – was determined to live up to her reputation, dragging Ortiz outside the ring and tossing her into the front row. The brawl spilled over to the merchandise tables, where Cross ripped up one of Ortiz’ 8x10s before bashing her head into the table. When the action returned to the ring, Cross capitalized on Ortiz’ shoulder issues by applying a modified surfboard stretch. With fighting spirit running through her veins, Ortiz refused to submit. Cross followed up with a guillotine choke, and when that didn’t work, she paid homage to the patron saint of March 16 by going for a Stone Cold Stunner. Ortiz countered into a variation of a spinning neck breaker and picked up the win.
Her opponent in the second round was Impact Wrestling superstar Scarlett Bordeaux. Easily the favorite to win the tournament, Bordeaux received a huge ovation as soon as she walked out the curtain. Seducing fans, the announcer and even the referee, the Smokeshow gave everybody their money’s worth. Of course, she delivered in the ring as well, spearing Miss Jasmine before the desperate champion could crack Bordeaux with the Women’s Title. Then she hoisted Jasmine up for an Alabama Slam, but then dropped her like a reverse piledriver. The crowd erupted as the referee counted three and Bordeaux was crowned the new ECWA Women’s Champion.
As per tradition, the title was on the line in every match the current champion competed in. Therefore, Ortiz had the biggest opportunity of her career when she met Bordeaux for the title in the second round. With two fan favorites colliding, the crowd was naturally split. Both beauties flaunted their bodies, trying to win over the ref’s affection before sweeping his leg and counting a pin in a funny bit. Afterward, Bordeaux high-fived Ortiz, then shockingly kicked her in the crotch. Play time was over – Bordeaux dominated Ortiz, even spiking her on the apron with a DDT. Ascending the turnbuckle, Bordeaux went for a crossbody, but crashed and burned. She quickly recovered, mounting Ortiz on the second rope for the standard 10 punches.
However, the Women of Honor standout pushed forward, powerbombing Bordeaux in the center of the ring. Floating over into a pinning combination, Ortiz stunned the crowd by defeating the odds’ on favorite and becoming the new ECWA Women’s Champion. As a result, she was one step closer toward achieving the biggest milestone in her young career, meeting Quinn McKay in the finals.
The crowd was split once again: children chanting for “Gabby!” and men rooting for “Quinn!” Having already competed twice that night, the women felt each other out in the early moments of the match, exchanging holds in a superb display of technical wrestling. It didn’t stay classy for long, as they took the fight into the crowd. McKay pushed Ortiz onto a chair and pounded away on the champion. Then she hurled her face first into the steel post before continuing the assault back inside the ring. McKay followed up with a suplex, but Ortiz returned the favor. They jockeyed for position, battling back and forth, cautious that one mistake could cost them everything. Ultimately, McKay snatched Ortiz in a headlock, finishing her off in the same fashion that she did to Skye and Addams – a tornado bulldog off the turnbuckle ala Trish Stratus.
Perhaps the biggest upset in ECWA Super 8 Chickfight history, McKay proved to the fans in Delaware that she was more than just a pretty face and an “overhyped blueberry.”
She’s the ECWA Women’s Champion and the future of pro wrestling.
Full results
Quarterfinals: Quinn McKay def. Zoey Skye
Quarterfinals: Nikki Adams def. Sammi Pandora
Quarterfinals: Gabby Ortiz def. Gemma Cross
Quarterfinals: Scarlett Bordeaux def. Miss Jasmine to win the ECWA Women’s Championship
ECWA Tag Team Titles: Marcus Waters & Funky White Boy def. Sons of Savagery to retain the titles
Semifinals: Quinn McKay def. Nikki Addams
Semifinals: Gabby Ortiz def. Scarlett Bordeaux to win the ECWA Women’s Championship
ECWA Heavyweight Champion Ty Awesome def. ECWA Mid-Atlantic Champion Joey Ace
Finals: Quinn McKay def. Gabby Ortiz to win the ECWA Women’s Championship
ECWA’s next event is the Super 8 Legacy Edition on April 20 at the South Philadelphia High School. Check out the full list of participants here. Ty Awesome will also defend the ECWA Heavyweight Title in a six-pack challenge against Kekoa, Joey Ace, Azrieal, Mike Law and BLK Jeez.
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