A Very Good Comeback
A Very Good Professional Wrestler challenges Mr. Ooh La La on Nov. 6.
A Very Good Professional Wrestler was on the cusp of making history, one victory away from becoming the first back-to-back winner of the men’s ECWA Super 8.
Dominating Killian McMurphy in the early going of the finals this past May, the veteran grappler bounced off the ropes for what he calls a “Little Big Boot.” But when he went to kick McMurphy, his right foot got stuck in the mat and twisted. He immediately rolled outside the ring, taking refuge on the floor of The Jersey Dugout.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that I would have won,” A Very Good Professional Wrestler says. “But I heard a snap and knew there was no way I could finish the match.” McMurphy was awarded the trophy by forfeit – the first time in the 25-year history of the tournament that a match was stopped.
“What happened in the finals of the ECWA Super 8 was a very unfortunate incident,” says ECWA matchmaker Joe Zanolle. “When a Very Good Professional Wrestler went down, my first thought was his wellness and safety. We were all disappointed in the match and tournament having to end that way, but professional wrestling is a very physically demanding sport. Anything can happen at any time.”
A Very Good Professional Wrestler was carried backstage and called his wife, his ultimate tag team partner. He was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where he learned he broke his fibula, fractured his ankle in two places and tore all his ligaments. When he was finally released in the wee hours of the morning, his wife made the trek from the Lehigh Valley to pick him up and then had to drive back to Morganville, NJ, the next day to bring his car home.
Two days later, A Very Good Professional Wrestler underwent surgery ($3,000 out-of-pocket) to have a titanium plate inserted into his fibula and a rod drilled through his ankle to stabilize until the ligaments healed themselves. Although he was supposed to be immobile in the recliner for the first two weeks, his wife caught him doing pushups nine days after surgery.
It was a tough pill to swallow for A Very Good Professional Wrestler. After all, it was his first major injury after 16 years in the sport. “While I sat at the hospital for five hours, I got real angry thinking about the long road ahead of me, especially being a dad with two kids,” he says. “But I’m no quitter – we fought through it.”
The recovery timetable was five months to a year. About four months in, A Very Good Professional Wrestler was ahead of schedule. Training, running and riding his new Peloton, he was regaining his strength and stamina just in time for an invitation to compete on AEW Dark: Elevation. Whether he was ready or not, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity of a lifetime.
Although he and JT Dunn lost to Santana & Ortiz in under two minutes, just being back in the ring on such a huge platform was an accomplishment for A Very Good Professional Wrestler.
“Once I stepped inside the ropes, I had a minute to soak it all in,” he says. “Nothing in me was nervous in that moment. I saw my wife and kids out in the audience and it affirmed that this is what I was meant to do. I passed the big test of can you handle the pressure of a big stage.”
Since then, he’s competed in a handful of matches, including a “banger” against Alex Shelley. This Saturday, he’ll return to ECWA and receive another tremendous opportunity – challenging Mr. Ooh La La for the ECWA Heavyweight Championship. The last time A Very Good Professional Wrestler had a crack at the gold, he lost to Joey Ace in a last man standing match after being tied under the ring. He won’t have to worry about any such devious tactics from the legendary fan favorite.
“I have every single advantage over Mr. Ooh La La except the experience, which is rare for me,” he says. “I’m stronger, faster, more durable. I have to be considered the heavy favorite.”
Although he says a rematch with McMurphy was his first choice, he’s never going to pass up a title shot. It’s interesting that ECWA management has presented A Very Good Professional Wrestler with this opportunity, considering that McMurphy hasn’t received a shot despite being the 25th annual Super 8 winner. When asked for comment, McMurphy told The Wrestling Estate that “A Very Good Professional Wrestler is awful and I hope Ooh La La hurts him just like I did.”
Perhaps if A Very Good Professional Wrestler dethrones Mr. Ooh La La this Saturday, we could see title vs. Super 8 trophy in the not so distant future.
“A Very Good Professional Wrestler is looking for redemption,” Zanolle says. “Mr. Ooh La La is a favorite of many – his title win and run has been a celebration of his career. But we have a very credible threat to his title reign on November 6. AVGPW is a wrestling machine with something to prove. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if we have a new champion at ECWA Super Clash.”
ECWA Super Clash takes place Nov. 6 at The Jersey Dugout in Morganville, NJ.
For tickets and more information, visit ecwaprowrestling.com.
Past ECWA events, including all of the Super 8 tournaments, are available on IWTV.
You can also join the ECWA Pro Wrestling Facebook group for the latest news, match announcements, promos and more.
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