LadySports ::: Columbia TN, April 1, 2006...

When James K. Polk was elected as the nation’s 11th President in 1844, he went to the White House with the intent of accomplishing several key aims: annexing Texas, acquiring California from Mexico, settling the Oregon boundary dispute with Canada, and seeing quality women’s professional wrestling come to his hometown of Columbia, Tennessee (okay, we’re not entirely sure about that last one, but it’s possible!).

And now, more than a century and a half later, the PGWA has teamed up with the Columbia Wrestling Alliance to bring Mr. Polk’s dream to fulfillment!

In conjunction with Columbia’s annual “Mule Days” celebration (which literally brings TWO OR THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND people to the town for the weekend!), the PGWA brought in five women, with CWA’s own Susan Morton rounding out the roster to a full half-dozen. The day started out with a parade through town, with the ladies riding on a float made to look like a ring…and the cheers they enjoyed from the crowds made it plain that Tennesseans love wrestlers (particularly the beautiful kind).

And this wasn’t just any match they were working, but was in fact perhaps the biggest, grandest event in the CWA’s long history, marking a homecoming reunion of many of the organization’s biggest stars of the past! The arena at Grand Slam USA was packed with wild and rowdy fans who were ready for a great night of action…and who weren’t about to happily accept anything less than great!

And make no mistake about it…this WAS a great night of wrestling! The first bell rang at 7:00 PM, and the final bell tolled and Midnight, and no one left! And not only did the fans remain the entire evening, but they cheered and screamed the entire time; indeed, the noise level from the crowd actually shot up a whole bunch of decibels for the final match of the night!

The first women’s match of the evening features Maria Montana, decked out in a rebel flag singlet and her signature black hat and leather chaps, facing Zip, Florida’s teenaged sensation. They lock up, then complaints of rulebreaking follow…mostly because Maria seems to have forgotten her copy of the rulebook tonight. In spite of her opponent’s illegal tactics, Zip comes on strong with a drop toehold into a headlock on the mat, which she hangs onto for a bit before going to a hammerlock. Zip gets a cartwheel splash for the two count, then she puts Maria's head between her knees and pulls back on her legs, folding her up; this marks the debut of her brand new hold, the Zip Lock! With great effort, Maria finally manages to escape, but Zip stomps, then snapmares her. Fired up by the cheers, Zip starts playing to the crowd…opening the door for Maria to attack. The cowgirl pulls Zip's arms while standing on her hair, bites her fingers, chokes her in the ropes, then hairtosses her across the ring. Maria softens up Zip enough to go for a Boston crab, but Zip rolls her over. Maria argues with the crowd and Zip boots her. Maria beats on Zip some more, reapplying the crab. Maria sits on Zip's back and Zip taps out in 10 minutes.

Next, Scarlett Rose looks to avenge her defeat from the night before at the hands of Camron Star. Young Scarlett is greatly appreciated by the fans, while Camron, unhappy with all of the attention her nemesis is getting, rants and raves to the ref. Apparently, Camron has issues with the hygiene of the ref and the fans, and she lets them know it. The match begins and the two wrestlers work each other's arms to start, then go to a test of strength, where Scarlett does the walk-the-top-rope move (ala Undertaker). A second test ends with Camron popping Scarlett upside the head. Camron gets a two with a suplex, then pulls hair and kicks Scarlett's leg out from under her. Camron grapevines the leg, bending it sideways, and Scarlett screams in pain. Camron with a rear chinlock, but Scarlett starts to break free with the crowd getting behind her. Camron suplexes with a bridge and gets two, then she pulls Scarlett over to the ringpost and bends her backwards around it! Out on the floor, Camron hits a backbreaker, and rolls Scarlett back in. Camron hits a diamond cutter for two, then into a camel clutch. Scarlett gets out and grabs Camron's leg into a toehold, but Camron gets to the ropes for the break. Camron tries a toehold of her own, but Scarlett makes the ropes as well. Camron goes for the leg once again, but Scarlett kicks her away, then hits an enziguri which knocks Camron silly. Scarlett covers for the pin in 11 minutes.

Scarlett grabs one of her customized t-shirts from the display table and puts it on the woozy Camron. When she comes to and realizes what she’s now wearing, Camron has to be restrained…although she did let fly with a wad of saliva and nailed Scarlett square in the face at ringside. The animosity between these two continues unabated, and probably won’t be over until one (or both) of them is in a wheelchair!

The main event for the evening features Chicagoan Josie versus hometown heroine Susan Morton. Josie had won a championship belt just days before which is acknowledged by both the CWA and the USWO as the Ladies Championship, and which is recognized by the PGWA as a sanctioned title, and this would be her first title defense. Displaying apparent good sportswomanship, Josie wants to shake hands at the start of the match. Susan is reluctant at first, but finally accepts the offered hand…and is rewarded with a hammerlock from her devious adversary. Susan manages to reverse it, and Josie breaks it, but Susan grabs a tight headlock. Both women trained in ‘Old School’ style, they exchange various armholds for a while in order to wear each other down. Susan then with a shoulderblock, hiptoss, armdrag, and a frustrated Josie calls timeout and rolls out of the ring to address those fans who are saying ugly things to her, employing a few choice words. Susan comes out and chases Josie back into the ring, but Josie is ready with the boots, stomping Susan as she comes back in. Josie sits on Susan's back and pulls her hair. Josie slings Susan in the corner, chops her a few times and gloats, getting her full strut on and making it plain she intends to walk out of the ring with ten pounds of leather and gold firmly wrapped around her waist. Given a momentary respite from the pounding, Susan recovers and grabs Josie, throws her in the corner, and returns the favor, the sound of her stinging chops echoing in the arena. Josie manages to turn the tide, and uses forearms and a hairtoss to get a cover for a close two count. Josie applies a recliner, then lets go and puts her boots to Morton with some hard stomps. Josie tries a suplex, but Susan small packages her for two. Both wrestlers seem to be on the verge of exhaustion, but if anything, they pick up their pace and battle even harder. Susan backslides Josie for two, but the Champ starts choking Susan and goes for a surfboard. It looks bad for Morton, and Josie seems confident she’s about to wrap this up. But urged on by the howling crowd of fans squarely behind her, Susan gets back up to her feet, hits three clotheslines on the shocked Josie, then bulldogs her for the pin and the title in 12 minutes.

Several of the male wrestlers from the back come out to give Susan a victory ride on the shoulders as the crowd goes wild. Josie, meanwhile, lays stunned on the mat, not quite sure what just happened.

Saturday the 1st of April proved to be a perfect meeting of outstanding wrestling with excited and devoted fans. Add to that the ladies of the PGWA, and you’ve got one great night of action!

We think President Polk would be proud.

More stories and MORE PICS in the days to come!