Beat the Ex!

UCW and its boss BodySlam may have launched Axel to underground wrestling stardom, but right now Axel is all jammed about the way he was treated on UCW's latest release [166] and is beseeching his legions of fans to let their irate voices be heard through UCW's fanmail address. (And, by the way, and beside the point, even pissed off up to his eyebrows, Axel can't lose that cute porpoise grin of his.)

Axel's panties have not been twisted in such a tight knot since Santos sheared his shaggy locks in a hair-vs-hair match back in June. You'll have to watch the match to get the full dope. This was supposed to be James the Never Give Up Kid's long-awaited title defense against Black Dragon. But Dragon's supermodel girlfriend had to be rushed to the hospital--acute split ends or something of the sort--and so the challenger is running late this evening. 

BodySlam promises James a fill-in, since cameras are ready to roll, and James thinks he's going to be tossed some jobber or wet-behind-the-ears rookie he can mop the floor with, but then out trots Axel, the previous UCW champion! This is big news since these two highly skilled and fiercely competitive technicians haven't faced off since James wrested the belt away from the hands of a foul-tempered Axel in release #137. Now Axel is here to fill in for Black Dragon, and he aims to take the opportunity to prove, once and for all, that he's the only real champion UCW has ever had.

You can expect the usual UCW mayhem--fast and furious action, cheap shots, holds that make you scratch your head and go "Can a body really bend like that?" James is determined to cut the ex-champ down to size, shutting up the speculation that's spred among some fans that Axel is the only UCW talent with the charisma and fight skills of a true champion. Things get pretty harsh between the two men, once friends, tag partners, and mutual admirers of the other's talent--but the battle, which goes nonstop for more than 30 minutes, is a sheer joy to watch.

There's a clear and decisive victory, which may come as a shock to some fans, given the impromtu setup, but there are shady undercurrents at work that rise to the surface at the end of the match--and, in the end, it looks like Axel might indeed have a legitimate beef about his handling here. You have to decide for yourself, of course, but, afterwards, don't forget to email BodySlam your two cents.