Gimmick matches are always a great stimulus for independent wrestling shows. With most organizations only having the budget for one show a month, the eclectic selections of matches is often as a strong a draw for fans as is any guest wrestler appearing from one of the national promotions.
Old School Championship Wrestling, a promotion based out of the Charleston area, has never shied away from an assortment of gimmick matches, with “weapon’s matches,” “career-ending matches,” and the ever popular cage match being mainstays on their cards.
This Sunday, August 28, that trend continues with the Lord of the Ring battle royal taking place at the Hanahan Recreation Gym. Six OSCW champions and one wild card competitor will be vying for the bragging rights of being the “champion of champions” in the Lowcountry. Competing wrestlers include Calie Casanova, John Malus, the German nationalist Hans, Nick Kismit, Deandre Jackson, Solitude, and Asylum. Within this group, a couple of revolving story lines hover above the action.
Solitude, the classic American hero archetype, will be continuing his feud with Hans while Casanova and Malus revive their hardcore feud which prevailed through their 2011 campaigns. The prize for the winner of this melee is the coveted Lord of the Ring, well, ring. A championship ring that signifies the achievement of the last man standing, and more importantly, an undisputed status of dominance in the OSCW ranks.
Solitude, the classic American hero archetype, will be continuing his feud with Hans while Casanova and Malus revive their hardcore feud which prevailed through their 2011 campaigns. The prize for the winner of this melee is the coveted Lord of the Ring, well, ring. A championship ring that signifies the achievement of the last man standing, and more importantly, an undisputed status of dominance in the OSCW ranks.
Battle royals have been a part of world culture dating back to ancient Rome when the when the battle would end with one victor among his deceased opponents. (I can only imagine the Jim Ross commentating for that.) In the modern circuit of professional wrestling, the WWE’s Royal Rumble is probably the most famous battle royal, with now it’s 30 plus competitors vying for main even status at the upcoming Wrestlemania by attempting to throw each other over the top rope.
Solitude, OSCW Universal Champion
WCW had two interesting battle royals to speak of. One being Battle Bowl (at least during it’s inaugural show) where twenty wrestlers would compete in two rings joined together. The object being eliminate the other wrestlers to the second ring, and then ultimately to the ringside floor. WCW went to another level with World War 3, it’s annual answer to the Royal Rumble. The unique concept of World War 3 would be to divide sixty wrestlers into three rings and conduct three simultaneous battle royals until a certain number of competitors would remain and then have them compete in one final battle royal to the finish.
The Lord of the Ring battle royal will be coinciding with the appearance of TNA superstar Gunner as he takes on Jesse Windham as part of OSCW’s main event. Bell time is six o’clock and tickets are priced at $10 for adults and $5 for children twelve and under.
