VCW: The Very Best of 1999

Well, though it's a little hard to believe, VCW has been up and going for over a year, from the very first real episode of VCW Monday Night Wrestling on January 4, 1999. During that time, there have been a lot of great matches, a lot of captivating storylines, and admittedly, a few things that we all could have lived without. In 1999, we saw Gabriel Black dominate the main events of VCW, we saw Richard Tobian's rise to the top of VCW, and his fall from grace on his way out of VCW, and we saw many other wrestlers step up to a new level, while others proved unable to compete and sank to the bottom. But overall, it's been a very exciting year in VCW, and the quality of the overall product has risen noticably over the course of that year. So, with a wish that all of our coming years can bring as much growth and entertainment as this one, here is a look back at some of the best matches and most historically significant events of VCW.

VCW: The humble beginnings

Normally, looking back on the history of VCW, we'd begin by taking a look at the very first match to be a part of VCW Monday Night Wrestling, the weekly program that has been the heart and soul of VCW's being. But since the first-ever match to take place on VCW Monday Night Wrestling was a twenty-minute snorefest between Rob Solomon and the Super Giant Ninja (I told you the quality of the product improved drastically over the past year), why not take a look at the first main event match of VCW Monday Night Wrestling?

From VCW Monday Night Wrestling 01/04/99 (VCW 1):

Falcon defeated Lance Errington by disqualification in 0:34:20.
Rating: *** 1/2
(Falcon retained the VCW World Title.)
Click here to see highlights.

This match was a rematch from the finals of the VCW World Title Tournament, in which Falcon defeated Lance Errington to become the first-ever VCW World Champion. After thirty-four hard-fought minutes, the match had a rather anti-climactic end when Lady Erica Whitmore entered the ring and nailed Falcon with a chair. Though the outcome of the match proved to be insignificant and inconclusive; however, as the first defense of the VCW World Title and the first main event of VCW Monday Night Wrestling, this match is significant in and of itself. But what do the actual participants have to say about this match?

L. Errington: Well, wrestling Falcon is never easy. But, like a lot of matches tended to do in those days, this one ran over the time limit, and we were in there a long time. I mean, I wanted to be VCW World Champion as much as anybody, but it was kind of a relief when Erica stepped in and nailed him with that chair, even though it got me disqualified. I thanked her for it afterwards.

Falcon: Man, that was a long time ago. Before Liberation X or anything. Back then, nobody knew what the hell was going on, and it seemed perfectly natural to be in there for thirty minutes. I really wanted to just go ahead and pin him for my first title defense, make it look nice and official, like I was a strong champion, but he just wouldn't go down. I'm not complaining about the way it turned out, because I was about ready to pass out myself. I was almost glad when she stepped in with the chair, because the sooner she got in there and nailed me with it, the sooner I could get out of there, take something for the headache, and just lie down.

These days, a match seldom goes over thirty minutes. Even the Violence Channel got tired of giving the VCW shows an extra hour or two extension every week, which often drew terrible ratings anyway, because to be honest nobody wanted to see over four hours of wrestling. It just goes to show, things are a lot better today than they were a year ago.

Breaking the gender barrier

One of the original stars of VCW was also one of the first women to wrestle in a men's division full-time on a large scale, Melissa DelArmeggio. In many ways, the road had been previously explored by Chyna in the World Wrestling Federation, but Melissa plunged headlong into a full-time career as a VCW wrestler. She often wrestled men much bigger and more talented than herself... and she didn't do so well. In fact, she lost quite a bit. Especially at first.

But after adapting her fighting style somewhat, she became more successful. Though she still tended to take quite a beating against men who usually outweighed her by eighty to one hundred pounds or more, she started winning matches. In the months after Wrestlewar, she became more successful, joining Falcon's newly-formed Liberation X and wrestling several competitive matches against members of the Inquisition. She even paved the way for other women to try wrestling in VCW, including Jessica Judd and Virginia, both of whom started their active VCW careers in the wake of Melissa's success. Finally, she achieved the greatest success of her career at the pay-per-view event Random Casualties, where she scored a huge upset victory over former Inquisition member David Wright Hubbard.

From Random Casualties '99:

Hardcore Cage Match:
Melissa DelArmeggio defeated David Wright Hubbard in 0:24:36.
Rating: *** 1/4
Click here to see the match.

Somehow, giving up six inches in height and over a hundred pounds of weight, Melissa was able to defeat David Wright Hubbard, who is still recognized today as one of the toughest, most dangerous wrestlers in VCW. After numerous post-match attacks and sadistic beatings at the hands of David Wright Hubbard, Melissa didn't seem to stand a chance; yet against all odds she defeated him in a bloody, violent Hardcore Cage Match in what is still today the biggest win of her career. Both David Wright Hubbard and Melissa would agree that this match has an important place in VCW history:

D.W. Hubbard: I'll admit any time that I'm a bully, and when I see someone doing something stupid, I'm gonna beat the hell out of them for it. And the way I saw it, Melissa was being a damn idiot, getting in here and trying to wrestle men. I mean, sure, you've got Rey Mysterio Jr. and Spike Dudley, who're about her size, and Chyna, who's a woman, and you've got Devaccio Pola and Troy Black who are under two hundred pounds, and they're all doing pretty good... but you have to look at her, she just didn't have a clue what the hell she was doing in there and it showed. So I figured she didn't belong in VCW, she was making things hard on me and Gabriel in the Inquisition, and this was the match where I'd run her out of VCW for good. And I tried. I put glass in her back, I got blood squirting out of her like a firehose, I electrocuted her, and she just wouldn't stay down. She gets right back up and does the same stuff to me. Here this little girl is giving me every bit as good of an ass-kicking as I'm giving her, and I don't get it. Finally, she takes me straight into the cage when the electricity's turned on, and that's it. Next thing I remember, I'm sitting up in a pool of my own blood, glass sticking out of my back, and they're calling her the winner. And after that I figured I'd let her stay around in VCW for a while after all.

M. DelArmeggio: One thing I found out really quick was that if you're in the ring with someone who's that much bigger than you, and you don't know how to wrestle that well, there are just two chances you have. You can either try to catch them in a quick small package or a crucifix or something, or you can pick up a weapon and smash them over the head with it, because that's the only way you'll hurt them. And one of the things about Troy that makes him so successful is that he just keeps getting up, no matter how much abuse he's taking, and somehow he always comes back. And I think that's why I won this match, because I stopped caring about how much I was getting hurt, and I just refused to stay down. I just looked across the ring at this big redneck that had been trying to take me out of VCW for the past few months, I realized what it would take to keep him down, and I just gave it everything I had. Maybe if he hadn't been so overconfident he wouldn't have lost to me. I don't know. But I didn't even realize how bad it was until I got a call from my parents: "We don't ever want to see you doing that again," they said. Then I watched the tape, and I thought, "What am I, completely nuts? What was I thinking?" But all the same, I wouldn't say for sure that I wouldn't do it all over again. It was definitely an experience.

Unfortunately, after this, her career took a sharp downturn. After losing a ladder match to decide the fate of her VCW contract to her brother, Neytron DelArmeggio, Melissa was forced back into a partnership with her crooked former manager, Stormy Weathers. Though she became one-half of the VCW World Tag Team Champions with Haigeikobai, she was obviously never happy under the management of Stormy Weathers, and left VCW shortly after Blood and Thunder '99 for a career in acting and womens' professional tennis. But assuming that the issues of her VCW contract with Stormy Weathers can be worked out, Melissa is welcome back in VCW at any time, and a return to VCW is entirely possible.

Ahead of their time?

The Technicians were originally formed as a team to face the Inquisition's secondary players at Gang Wars '99, with stipulations in that match that would keep the main event interference-free. Since then, Owen Addison usurped control of the Technicians and drove Jacob Idol out, then received a serious, long-term injury at the hands of Gabriel Black shortly later, taking their numbers down to two active members. Despite a current lack of manpower, the Technicians have succeeded, to a degree, in making their presence felt in VCW. But despite what many people may remember, Gang Wars '99 wasn't the first time the Technicians teamed up to do battle with the Inquisition. Shortly before The Big Fight '99, in a match that was admittedly overshadowed by the first meeting of Troy Black and Falcon in that night's main event, Paul Canyon, Owen Addison, Tim Bell, and Jacob Idol teamed up to face the team of David Wright Hubbard, Gabriel Black, and the Manhunters.

From VCW Monday Night Wrestling 03/08/99 (VCW 10):

The Inquisition (David Wright Hubbard, Gabriel Black, Manhunter #1 and Manhunter #2) defeated The Ontario Color Show, Jacob Idol and Tim Bell when G. Black pinned T. Bell with the Destiny Hammer in 0:31:19.
Rating: ** 3/4

While the first match the Technicians wrestled together didn't quite turn out as they would have liked, they still wrestled a competitive match against the Inquisition in a time when very few people were capable of doing so. This loss was not a sign of things to come; the Technicians went on to defeat half of the Inquisition at Gang Wars '99, and have since been a persistent threat to the continued dominance of Gabriel Black and the Inquisition. But could any of the future Technicians have forseen their bright future as a unit?

O. Addison: Well, of course I knew that the Ontario Color Show was destined for success, because I'm a member. I've always said I'm the best wrestler in VCW, and we're the best tag team in VCW, and I still think so today. Back then, we were still on our second reign as VCW World Tag Team Champions. But Jacob Idol had his own problems with Marylin Silvera, and Tim Bell was feuding with the Golden Society. And I think you can sort of look at where we went after that match, knowing what we know now, and see how it figures. We went on to hold the titles until we got screwed out of them by the Inquisition, Tim Bell won the Television Title not long after, and Jacob Idol went off on this stupid thing where he was Marylin Silvera's boyfriend or something. And that reflects accurately on us today. Me, Paul, and Tim are still near the top of VCW today, and Jacob Idol still can't cut the mustard. I mean, I respect him for stepping up bringing us together, but he dropped the ball every time he got it, and the fact is that we're better off without him.

T. Bell: I don't even really remember that match all that well. It was just one of those one-time things, I didn't have anything better to do, because my big enemy at the time, Dean Sanders, just won himself a sixty-day suspension earlier that night. So it was just one of those things, you know. Hey, I'm here, I'm at the arena, give me a match, then I'll go pick up my check. I mean, yeah, we held out pretty well, and there were a couple times I thought we might upset them, but it was really just part of a day in the life for me. No emotional strings attached or anything. I guess it's wierd, I'm the one who lost that match for our team, and everyone else went downhill, while I won the VCW Television Title. You don't think about things like that as they happen, but it's strange to look back on it when you see where we are now.

J. Idol: No... I didn't see that the Technicians were a success then, and I don't see that they're a success now. I'm sure they'd tell you differently, but I don't think we made that good of a unit. Sure, Gang Wars was Gang Wars, we beat the Golden Society a few times too, but we never really got anything done, and they haven't gotten anything done since. Actions speak louder than intentions, and I just don't see anything getting done. So I guess that really, this was kind of a omen of things to come. We couldn't get the job done then, and the Technicians can't get the job done now.

P. Canyon: I didn't see it. At the time, we were just the VCW World Tag Team Champions, they were just two random guys from the midcard, we were all just stuck together as another batch of victims for the Inquisition. I guess we put up a good fight, I guess that kind of shows that we had it in us, but I didn't see it at the time.

Despite a devestating injury to their leader, Owen Addison, the remaining Technicians are still active in big matches and feuds against the Inquisition and anyone else who stands in their way. Despite their starting loss as a unit in this match, the Technicians have evolved and continued to achieve success on some level since their official formation. Given their talent and their ability to function effectively as a team in many different combinations, it wouldn't be a bit surprising to see the careers of the Technicians really take off in the future, especially when their leader, Owen Addison, is able to return to active competition.

Why do we call it VIOLENT Championship Wrestling?

There have been a lot of brutal, bloody matches in VCW. David Wright Hubbard's Hardcore Cage Match with Melissa DelArmeggio comes instantly to mind, as does his Barbed Wire Death Match with Terry Funk. Chris Champlain is another one of the most violent and bloodthirsty men in VCW, as shown by his Hardcore Cage Matches with Johnny Smiles and Devaccio Pola, and countless attacks with deadly weapons. But the most bloody, brutal, hideous match in VCW history was also one of the greatest matches for quality wrestling action, and one of the most memorable matches in relation to its effect on the future career of one of its participants.

When Bass Rogers squashed Devaccio Pola in under a minute in a match that took place on May 3, 1999, nobody thought much of it. Given the size and power of Bass Rogers, it wasn't a bit surprising that Devaccio Pola was defeated that night. It was surprising, however, when Devaccio Pola got up after the match and challenged Bass Rogers to a Taped Fist Match next week. It was even more surprising when Devaccio Pola stormed out of the backstage area to Black Sabbath's "Iron Man", ranting and raving almost incoherently, and got in the ring with Bass Rogers for a regular brawl. But even more surprising than that was the fact that Devaccio Pola won that brawl.

After that match, both men had an obvious motive for another meeting. Devaccio Pola wanted to prove that his victory over Bass Rogers in a brawl wasn't a fluke. Bass Rogers wanted to prove that it was. But nobody, except for Devaccio Pola, could have envisioned how it would turn out. Devaccio Pola, in his newly warped, twisted mind, concocted the most bloody, sickening match in VCW history, a match so bloody that it had never been done before, and has never been done since in VCW. He envisioned the House of Pain Razor Wire Cage Match, a vision which came to pass at Disaster Area '99.

From Disaster Area '99:

House of Pain Match:
Devaccio Pola defeated Bass Rogers in a House of Pain Match by pinfall after the Guillotine Kick in 0:10:12.
Rating: *****
Click here to see the match.

The stipulations of this match are brutal. This wasn't the same match that WCW has since dubbed a House of Pain Match... this was much more horrid. A cage was built out of razor wire, and filled with rusty knives, coils of barbed wire, thumbtacks, and other sharp instruments, while each competitor wore tape on one fist, which served both as a means to more easily handle the barbed wire they used to destroy each other and as a means to add impact to their punches. The resulting battle was hellacious. Blood poured from both men's bodies like water from a sieve. Yet, despite astounding blood loss and taking a beating worse than any he had taken before, Devaccio Pola was also able to reach into his arsenal of high-flying and technical wrestling moves, and somehow make this match simultaneously the bloodiest match VCW has ever seen, and one of the greatest wrestling matches VCW has ever seen as well. Both men gave it everything they had, but Devaccio Pola came out victorious, picking up a win that served as his springboard to a six-month reign as VCW Television Champion that would start the following night.

Looking in on the events of the House of Pain Match, it was obvious to even the most casual observer that it was truly a bloody, violent, horrific match. And despite the memory of the events of May 23 being overshadowed with the tragic death of Owen Hart on the same night, the House of Pain Match still exists in the minds of many VCW fans as the definitive example of the violence and carnage that can stem from VCW. Moreso than every other match at Disaster Area '99 combined, it made that pay-per-view a memorable one.

To watch the match and see the blood and carnage is one thing... but two men were unfortunate enough to experience it. It's safe to say that few if any VCW fans will forget the House of Pain Match... but two men who are certain to remember it for the rest of their lives are the two men who suffered in it, Bass Rogers and Devaccio Pola.

D. Pola: To me, this was the match that made my career. Before this, I was another pretty-boy high-flyer, the kind of guy who goes on out and gets his ass kicked every night. People liked to wrestle me because it made them look good to see me flying halfway across the ring every time I took a punch. But then I started thinking about what people like Sid Vicious and Bass Rogers are doing, and I figured it's worth a shot, it's the last thing anybody will ever expect... and this is the match where I made it work. I just completely let myself go psycho. It's like I turned off my brain on purpose and let my instincts take over. I didn't stop to think, "Gee, I shouldn't put this razor wire around his throat, what if I tap an artery and kill him." I just didn't let myself think about anything but putting that big bastard on the ground and winning. And when I won, it was great, I found out just what I can do if I take the right approach, if I let myself go crazy. Of course, then I found out about Owen, and it was like I hadn't even won a match or anything, because it didn't even matter after I heard about him. But now that I can look back on it with a clear head... this made me the psychotic, dangerous menace to VCW that I am today.

B. Rogers: When I killed this kid in forty seconds, I thought it was just business as usual. I sure didn't think he'd be back for more. I couldn't even hardly believe it, but he came back next week with tape around his fists, and when I got cocky and let myself relax in that match, he knocked my ass out. So like hell I'm gonna let him get away with that, I was glad to get this match on the pay-per-view, because now he was gonna get squished. But I just wasn't ready for it. It seemed like he was trying to kill me in there. I wanted to lean over to him and tell him, "Hey, kid, this is a wrestling match, you don't need to get put away for murder one or anything," but he was too busy beating my ass for that. I lost so much blood that night, I wasn't even thinking. People told me about Owen Hart later that night and I just stared at them; I didn't even understand or nothing. They gave me stitches and I just stared at the wall. I don't think I woke up for another day or two after that match. I never was in anything like it. It was total hell.

Out of all the brutal, violent matches in VCW, this one is by far the most well-known and the worst. It wasn't merely a display of blood and violence, it was a match that defined VCW as truly violent, and it redefined Devaccio Pola's entire career. Will there be another match with this much violence and carnage? With the future looking bright for VCW, it looks like we'll have plenty of time to see just what depraved depths some of VCW's wrestlers are capable of. At the same time, it's hard to imagine any match ever equalling this one for sheer brutality.

The Golden Society: The Rise and Fall of an Empire

In the first year of VCW, many people have come and gone, and many alliances have been made and broken. And the dominant alliance in VCW was certainly the Inquisition. But apart from the Inquisition was a smaller, more technically focused team, featuring junior-heavyweight star Dean Sanders, the promising but somewhat mentally deranged young high-flyer and brawler, Chris Champlain, and led by well-rounded brawler and technician, Lance Errington. In addition to their core group was Lady Erica Whitmore (who later proved to be the core of the Golden Society that, when removed, caused it to crumble) and her goonish, unintelligent, untalented butler, Tuxedo. They later added self-proclaimed master wrestler Neytron DelArmeggio to the team, strengthening it further.

In contrast to the crude, brawling, strength-in-numbers approach taken by the Inquisition, the Golden Society was more of an elite unit. While the Inquisition, apart from Gabriel Black and Moy Lazzario, consisted mostly of power wrestlers, the Golden Society consisted of technicians and high-flyers, who won via talent and ability, not size. And when they faced members of the Technicians in three-on-three competition at Blood and Thunder '99, they arguably outperformed the legendary first meeting of Richard Tobian and Gabriel Black.

From Blood and Thunder '99:

The Technicians (Owen Addison, Paul Canyon and Tim Bell) defeated The Golden Society (Chris Champlain, Dean Sanders and Lance Errington) when O. Addison pinned D. Sanders with the Tombstone in 0:20:37.
Rating: *****

Though they lost the match, in defeat they delivered a legendary performance against the Technicians that etched their names into the minds of many wrestling fans. It wasn't long after this match that the careers of Lance Errington, then Chris Champlain rose to higher levels than ever before. As for Dean Sanders, he was taken out with a rotator cuff injury before he could have his chance at a higher level of competition... but when he returns, can he be far behind?

Unfortunately, the Golden Society didn't achieve as much success in VCW as they could have hoped for... all of them (except for the useless Tuxedo) eventually claimed championship gold at some point, but despite attempts by Lance Errington and Neytron DelArmeggio, they were unable to win the World Title away from Gabriel Black. When Lady Erica Whitmore left Lance Errington for Gabriel Black after Deck the Halls '99, Dean Sanders blamed it on Lance Errington's shortcomings, and the Golden Society disbanded. For this reason, the main event of Deck the Halls '99 is often looked upon as the night that the Golden Society died.

From Deck the Halls '99:

Gabriel Black pinned Lance Errington after outside interference in 0:23:40.
Rating: **** 1/4
(Gabriel Black retained the VCW World Title.)
Click here to see highlights.

This match, in which Lady Erica Whitmore turned her back on the Golden Society, brought forth a disagreement between Lance Errington and Dean Sanders that came to a head at Wrestlewar II, and the Golden Society was no more. But where are the former members now, and what are their thoughts?

D. Sanders: I think that the Golden Society was a team that Neytron and I carried. I'm an old-style wrestler... I like to pick a body part and rip and tear at it until something gives. Chris Champlain... he's still too inexperienced. He doesn't wrestle a thinking man's match, he thinks that bringing out weapons and throwing himself hither and yonder off of the turnbuckles will win his matches. Judging by his lack of success against a more technically sound wrestler like Gabriel Black at the Big Fight this year, I think that it's obvious that his strategy leaves much to be desired. And Lance... Lance is always trying to learn how to swim by jumping in the river with no lifeguard on duty. He was a liability, and he was basically responsible for all of us wasting a good six months feuding with Johnny Smiles. When I come back, maybe I wouldn't mind teaming with Neytron again, but I'm not sorry to be rid of Lance and Chris.

L.E. Whitmore: It was fun while it lasted. But I didn't care for playing around with Johnny Smiles... the Golden Society should have been near the top or at the top all the time. That's why I'm gone. I see no reason that I should settle for less than the best. And at Deck the Halls, I found out who was truly the best, and haven't looked back.

N. DelArmeggio: The Golden Society never did anything for me. Everything I've achieved in VCW so far, I had to earn myself. I had those other idiots hanging around my neck, dragging me down, because I wasn't in there with wrestlers of my own caliber. I achieved the Television Title in spite of the Golden Society, not because of it... I did all the work there myself. And look at me without them... VCW Softcore Champion. I didn't need them then, and I don't need them now... the Hammer of the Gods could take the Golden Society in a team against team match easily, any day.

C. Champlain: Golden Society? Hmmm... well, it's kind of interesting to see what people do now that they don't have to pretend to like me at parties and debutante balls. I really think that I learned a lot from the Golden Society, and it made me a better wrestler. I held the tag team titles early in the year, too... you know, I also used to like that cereal Golden Grahams, that had those little graham cracker things that tasted like honey, and I think there was this bear that used to save kids by beating up snakes in the commercials. Now that I think about it, that doesn't have much to do with the Golden Society, though.

L. Errington: I'm glad to be out of that miserable situation. Erica wants to leave me; that's fine, I think she's finding out by the day what kind of a mistake she made with Gabriel. I'm my own man now, I fight all of my battles for Lance Errington and only for Lance Errington, and I think I've moved on and left some of that stuff in my past behind. I mean, when you kill a couple months in a feud with Marty Jannetty, it's bad. There were a lot of good times; I can't say I didn't enjoy having Erica and all the money, and Chris was pretty crazy and always did a good job of breaking the tension in those high society occasions... but that's in the past, and I can't have it back now. I'm not sure if I'd want it back now.

The Golden Society is a thing of the past, but Lance Errington, Lady Erica Whitmore, Chris Champlain, and Neytron DelArmeggio continue to exist as strong forces in VCW. When Dean Sanders returns from his injury, it's a good bet that he will also make his presence felt on the scene at VCW. In the end, the Golden Society was not meant to succeed, but it wouldn't be a good idea to bet against the success of any of its former members.

Survival of the Fittest

In VCW, Survival of the Fittest is more than just a law of nature; it's a pay-per-view, featuring a tournament to determine who will face the VCW World Champion at Wrestlewar. At the time of the Survival of the Fittest Tournament in 1999, VCW World Champion Gabriel Black had not yet faced some of the toughest competition in VCW, instead facing opponents from the middle echelons of VCW like Richard Tobian and Johnny Smiles. But with the Survival of the Fittest Tournament, one knew it had to come down to the one man in VCW who, at the time, was truly best fit to challenge for the VCW World Title. Qualified challengers such as Lance Errington, David Wright Hubbard, Troy Black, and Falcon now had a chance to earn a clear-cut path to the title shot they deserved with a victory in this tournament.

At the pay-per-view, the final four men, arguably the four top wrestlers in VCW at that time, faced each other in the semi-final rounds of the tournament. In a rematch from their meeting at Blood and Thunder, Troy Black soundly defeated bitter adversary Neytron DelArmeggio, while Falcon rekindled and conquered an old feud with Lance Errington stemming from the earliest days of VCW, when the two men fought over the VCW World Title. Troy Black and Falcon, the two greatest opponents of the Inquisition and VCW World Champion Gabriel Black, were advancing to the final round. Either one could be a worthy challenger at Wrestlewar, but only one would win that honor.

From Survival of the Fittest '99:

[Survival of the Fittest -Final Round]:
Troy Black pinned Falcon with the Black Dagger in 0:25:05.
Rating: **** 3/4

Troy Black emerged victorious, and would go on from this match to meet his brother Gabriel in singles competition for the first time at Wrestlewar II. Tragically, Troy suffered a severe neck injury in that match just as it appeared that Gabriel Black was going to suffer his first true defeat and lose the VCW World Title. After the displays of talent, ability, and determination we have seen from both Troy Black and Falcon, however, it's a good bet that there will be plenty of title shots in the future for both of them. But what could they have been feeling during the course of the match?

Falcon: You know, I don't like Troy Black, I never have, but sometimes we always end up on the same side. I don't know how that happens, but it does. I don't like him backstage, I don't like him in the ring, I just don't like the guy. We've got kind of a Hart and Michaels thing going on, I guess. When we had that strap match, I think everyone saw that we weren't working at our usual level, and we both got really frustrated with each other, and basically whipped the hell out of each other with the strap. He got the better of that one, and I was a little pissed off, and I just really wanted to beat him so damn bad at Survival of the Fittest. But anyway, here I had a chance to beat him up, get the title shot, beat Gabriel up, get the title, and be back on top a year after I lost the title. And it's just not meant to be, and I basically got my ass kicked. And I think that's what started me towards the Inquisition. I mean, fuck it, I knew Troy was going to be the one in the spotlight until Wrestlewar, he was the top draw going into Wrestlewar, and here I was, heading for midcard city with Tobian or someone. So, really, what do I do? I change sides and kick his ass, that's what. Basically, this is the match that made Falcon decide to be a bad guy.

T. Black: By this time, I'd been wanting a shot at my brother for some time now. He made it really clear early on that he had it in for me, he didn't appreciate me following him to VCW, and when he got the VCW World Title, I didn't expect to get a shot anytime soon. I didn't need any extra motivation to rip Falcon to shreds, but this was it. We both tore into each other that night, and it turned out I won. I would be VCW World Champion right now if I hadn't knocked myself out and had my neck jammed in the Destiny Driver on the concrete, and this would have been the match that made it possible.

Survival of the Fittest proved to be an excellent idea as a method of weeding out the best possible challenger for the VCW World Title at Wrestlewar, and it also featured many great matches in the process. It's a sure bet that there will be another tournament like this one to decide who will challenge for the title when Wrestlewar III comes around.

Gabriel Black: VCW's dominant champion

Falcon was the first-ever VCW World Champion, defeating Lance Errington in the finals of a tournament held in December of 1998. However, he held that title only a little over a month before losing it to Gabriel Black in the first-ever VCW pay-per-view event, Wrestlewar. Considering Falcon's disqualification victory over Gabriel Black in the tournament, it seemed possible that this was a fluke... but it became clear that it wasn't when Gabriel Black soundly defeated Falcon in a ladder match at the Big Fight.

Gabriel Black went on to defend the title successfully many times against a variety of challengers on VCW Monday Night Wrestling, and popular VCW wrestler Johnny Smiles at Disaster Area '99. Whether it was a singles title defense or a tag team match pitting Gabriel and members of the Inquisition against their enemies, nine times out of ten the result was the same: Gabriel Black pinned his opponent cleanly with the Destiny Hammer. For the early part of 1999, Gabriel Black was invincible.

Despite hardships early in his career and a mediocre won-loss record, the somewhat inexperienced Richard Tobian emerged as Gabriel Black's first real challenge. Having won the Big Fight earlier in the year, Richard Tobian was on a collision course headed for Gabriel Black, and despite being outsmarted and beaten by the Inquisition many times, he would not be deterred. Gabriel Black passed the biggest test yet of his VCW title reign with flying colors, overcoming Richard Tobian and having his hand raised by special referee Chris Jericho at Blood and Thunder '99, the biggest pay-per-view event in VCW since Wrestlewar.

From Blood and Thunder '99:

No-Time-Limit-Match where the title can change hands via DQ or countout with Special Referee Chris Jericho:
Gabriel Black defeated Richard Tobian via pinfall in 0:26:32.
Rating: *****
(Gabriel Black retained the VCW World Title.)
Click here to see highlights.

Despite Richard Tobian's claims of controversy, it was clear that he had been outsmarted. Rather than pounding Richard Tobian into unconsciousness with a strong offense and the Destiny Hammer, Gabriel Black had used Richard Tobian's lack of experience and blind enthusiasm against him by raising his shoulder in the German suplex, causing Richard Tobian to pin himself. Gabriel Black would go on to face even greater challenges in 1999, in David Wright Hubbard and Troy Black, while Richard Tobian... well, his case is best simply forgotten.

Having parted VCW on bad terms, Richard Tobian was not available for comment. But what does VCW's World Champion think of this match, which cemented his position as a truly great champion?

G. Black: Richard Tobian is highly overrated. He has plenty of technical crispness in the ring, he transitions well, he knows the moves... but he honestly doesn't know what he's doing. That doesn't matter when he's in the ring with a Bass Rogers or a Torturer, because they lack the subtlety and skill to expose his weaknesses. But when you pit Richard Tobian against an eight-year veteran, against the son of one of the greatest wrestlers ever to live... you saw what happened. I'm stronger than Richard Tobian and I'm a better high-flyer than Richard Tobian, so that really only left him the option of going to the mat. He found out the hard way that I'm a better mat wrestler than him as well.

But as far as the entire year as a whole is concerned... 1999 was a very good year for me. Most champions these days hold their title for a matter of months... really, I think that the fact that I held a World Championship for an entire year in the modern era of wrestling puts me at a level above other wrestlers out there, and as far as I can see, the sky is the limit. I may hold this title for longer than anyone could have ever dreamed.

As of this time, Gabriel Black is still VCW World Champion. Will the year 2000 hold as much success for him as 1999 did? So far, he hasn't shown the dominance that he once had. But the year is still young, and Gabriel is still the VCW World Champion... so it's highly possible that 2000 could see Gabriel Black remain on top of VCW. On the other hand, there are still many other wrestlers, all enemies of the Inquisition, who are dedicated to making certain that things don't turn out that way.

Looking ahead

So far, 2000 has been quite a year for VCW. But taking a look back at 1999, we can see that it will be a hard year to top. As the chapters in VCW history continue to turn, it's sometimes amazing to look back and see what's behind. Sometimes, it feels as if Falcon won the VCW World Title in a tournament yesterday... other times, it appears that VCW has always existed. All that we can say for certain as time marches on is that VCW will continue to make an effort to provide unique entertainment to all of its fans. Can the year 2000 surpass the year 1999, which we have just seen in-depth? Perhaps, and perhaps not, but all of the writers, wrestlers, officials, and people who work to make VCW what it is are committed to making it happen. As time goes on, it is our sincerest wish that the quality of VCW programming becomes greater and greater.

Writer: Jesse Day
Editors: Jesse Day and Justin Diaz
Director: Jesse Day
Funding by: Jesse Day
Graphics Designer: Jesse Day
Caterer: Jesse Day
Production Manager: Jesse Day
Special Thanks to: Jesse Day, Justin Diaz, and all VCW fans