By Trapper Tom, Editor, KSWA Digest
Shawn Blanchard defeated “The Apostle” Joshua Kavod for the
Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (KSWA) Heavyweight Championship last Saturday
night before the best crowd ever assembled at Gino Brothers in Sharpsburg.
The win, “The Enforcer’s” seventh as the KSWA champion, came
in a unique fashion. “King” Del Douglas handed Blanchard a foreign object,
believed to be brass knuckles, and he hit Kavod with a stiff right hand. One,
two, three.
Accompanying Douglas was another member of the Dynasty, Kris
Kash. One-half of the KSWA tag team champions, Kash was the man Blanchard
pinned on January 20, 2007, which cost La Lucha the most prized championship in
the Commonwealth.
Then—as well as two subsequent times as KSWA Heavyweight
Champion—Blanchard never gave La Lucha a one-on-one rematch.
Eighteen years have passed since that fateful winter night. January
20, 2007, was the first night for Battle Bowl. It was a year before the
formation of the KSWA Hall of Fame, the most vaunted and recognized ceremony of
its type in independent wrestling.
 |
| La Lucha, famously on the cover of the Pittsburgh City Paper, the first and most prominent Pittsburgh independent professional wrestler to hold that distinction. |
At the KSWA Arena on 51st Street in the Lawrenceville neighborhood within the city of Pittsburgh. At the time, the Championship Committee was naming events. This one was “KSWA Revenge.” A post-FanFest crowd watched The Blood Beast defeat "The Drunken Luchador" Joey Quervo and the Latin Assassin defeated Zero.
In a handicap match, Biker Al and "The King" Del
Douglas defeated "Dr. Devastation" Lou Martin.
The reigning KSWA tag team champions, The International
Thugs defeated Shane Starr and "The Snakeman" Deven Michaels to
retain the K.S.W.A. Tag Team Titles. "Mr. 8x10" Michael Cruz defeated
Justin Sane.
In a throwback of sorts, Anthony Alexander defeated Ali
Kaida to retain The Golden Triangle Title. In addition, Alexander won the 1st
ever “Megastar Melee Battle Royal”, a precursor to “Battle Bowl” to be the Number
One contender for the KSWA Heavyweight Title. (His win would overshadow any chance
for La Lucha to earn his “Revenge”).
Shawn Blanchard versus La Lucha was the feud of 2006. On December
6, 2006, KSWA realized that it had an incredible experience with FanFest. KSWA
Owner Bobby O was the special guest referee. The Latin Assassin was in La Lucha’s
corner and Frank Durso was advising Shawn Blanchard. Durso’s services were
stunted as he was placed in a strait jacket. When La Lucha defeated Blanchard,
the roof was blown off the former Moose Lodge.
Some 49 days later, "The Enforcer" Shawn Blanchard
defeated La Lucha and Kris Kash (who was added as a third competitor in a move
that has never been explained) to become the new KSWA Heavyweight Champion.
Kash would go on to win the KSWA Championship in a FanFest
match that included Blanchard; however, the has never been championship justice
for La Lucha.
In 2020, La Lucha was formally inducted into the KSWA Hall of
Fame in the COVID year that didn’t afford a ceremony. Semi-retired from
wrestling who has invested wisely in a conglomerate of taco restaurants, La
Lucha has always been a celebrity in Mexico, hence the nickname “The Mayor of
Mexico City.”
But he has not had that one-on-one opportunity with Blanchard.
Might the KSWA Championship Committee recognize one of the most heinous
oversights in its history?
Blanchard is scheduled to travel to Johnstown on Saturday
and defend the KSWA gold at 814 Wrestling’s annual “Thundercade” festival of
matches. He will defend against “The Face of Pittsburgh” Lou Martin.
If Blanchard gets by Martin, perhaps the Krazies should
write to the KSWA Championship Committee and force their hand at Lawrenceville’s
Independence Day celebration. Nothing says America, the KSWA and Pittsburgh
professional wrestling like Shawn Blanchard defending the richest prize in the
Commonwealth, a gold trophy for the ages, against “The Mayor of Mexico City,”
La Lucha.
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