Missouri Wrestling Revival

The story between Matt Cage and Cecil Cerveza is stuff of legend within the Central Illinois wrestling scene. Cecil, the hungry, young and talented buck looking to make a name for himself. Cage, the ruthless, vicious individual who burst on to the scene and took any opportunity he could at the expense of anyone and everyone. These two men have been heated rivals for quite some time; They are very familiar with each other.

“It’s been no secret that I’ve always had a deep hatred for Cecil, but I do respect him,” Cage stated. “When I moved to Illinois, Cecil was the first wrestler I saw in action who caught my eye. I went to the Peggy Cooper Invitational 2008 and saw Cecil have one of the best matches of the year with Adam Evans that night”

That very match that Cage referred to sent Cecil’s career to new heights that night. The tournament, which many claim is the biggest tournament in Central Illinois, was won that night by Cecil Cerveza.

“Cecil came in that night, and tore things up. His match with Adam Evans was excellent. Ultimately, if I recall, he defeated Eric Ruffington in the finals to win the whole PCI tournament. And I knew that night that when I signed my GAW contract that he posed a threat to me,” Cage barked.

“He was young, hungry and talented. He had all the traits that I had at the time and I knew that I had some legitimate competition”.

At the time, Cecil was the reigning and defending GAW Central States Champion. A belt that he held with pride. As Central States Champion, many claimed that Cecil was the greatest champion since the title’s inception. Cage knew this.

“Of course! I knew he was good. He didn’t have the belt for a reason. Seeing him with that title, knowing and witnessing his talents, I knew that I had to defeat him for the belt,” Cage explained. “He had something I wanted. It was my goal to take it from him.”

Team Cage (Matt Cage, The Hooligans & Big Joel) vs. Team Cerveza (Cecil Cerveza, Josh Powers, Andy Roberts & Temple Rain)
United We Stand
July 19, 2008

At “GAW United We Stand” in July 2008, Cage was booked in a Survivor Series inspired Eight Man Tag Team Match; Team Cage, harboring Cage himself, Devin & Mason Cutter and Cage’s then “bouncer”, Joel against Team Cerveza – a team which was doomed from the start.

“Unfortunately, my quest for the Central States Title was to be postponed. You see, on that night, Cecil had issues with his teammates – Andy Roberts and Temple Rain. I remember pinning Josh Powers during that match, eliminating him, and looking up to see the uncomfort in Cecil and Temple’s eyes. Roberts had already turned on Cecil at the beginning of the match. I knew that I was going to have to make a statement,” Cage claimed.

“They came out there, already with the same idea in mind. Make a statement, make an impact and receive a title shot.”

And Cage was right.

Andy Roberts and Temple Rain were successful in their attempt to make an impact, as later on that night, they were placed in an impromptu title match, and Cecil was upset by Temple Rain.

“I was livid,” Cage said through gritted teeth. “That piece of crap came in there, stole MY title shot, my hard work. Hell, I was the one who won the freakin’ match. But the only thing that will be remembered is that they got the title shot and that Temple won.”

Cage’s goal of defeating Cecil for the Central States Title was gone, and Cage was upset. And rightfully so. He knew that he had to surpass Cecil, and his plans of doing so by pinning Cecil himself were thwarted.

“It was a trying time for me. I had to regroup. I knew that I was going to have to invest some of my money into my career. I paid for the backing of JC Michaels, the owner of GAW. He placed me into a WarGames Match with every title on the line. And even though everyone called me crazy for not attempting to win the Heavweight Title, I knew what I had to do to cement myself. I had to pin Temple for the Central States Title. And I did.”

Cage pinned Rain for the title in the Cage and finally got the belt that he had been chasing throughout 2008. Though he didn’t defeat Cecil for it, he righted a wrong. Temple had thwarted his plans, so Cage thwarted Temple’s. A month later, Cage found out that he’d be defending his title in January 2009 against former WWE and TNA superstar, Zach Gowen.

“Wrestling Gowen was a blast. But beyond that, it was something I needed. I have all the respect in the world for Gowen. He defeated cancer and made it to the WWE on one leg,” Cage expressed. “But far be it from me to allow him to come into my turf and expect to take my title from me. I was building a legacy. And he became a part of it.”

Cage went on to defeat Gowen, and then proceeded a trail of destruction the likes that Cecil had never seen as Central States Champion. Between Andy Roberts, Ryan Phoenix and Markus Crane, Cage had quite the title run. But finally, he got exactly what he wanted. The man he had been chasing.

Cecil Cerveza.

Matt Cage vs. Cecil Cerveza
Peggy Cooper Invitational
March 21, 2009

“There was a little controversy, you see. I got stripped of the Central States Title and wound up having to compete in the 2009 Peggy Cooper Invitational. To regain my title, I had to win the tournament. And low and behold, in the first round I find myself across the ring from the man who won it the previous year.”

The match was a back and forth affair that had the Maroa, IL crowd on their feet. Cecil came close to defeating Cage many times. But a little tug of the tights during a school boy wound up bring Cage to the next round and ultimately, Cage won the tournament and the Central States Title once again.

“I did exactly what I wanted and at that point, I felt that I had nothing left to prove. I KNOW Cecil. He tried to get me with Roll The Dice (Cecil’s finishing move), but I had him scouted. He went for it, I rolled him up. I know how to get out of anything he can do. He doesn’t understand,” Cage explained, “that I became OBSESSED with erasing him from this area. I needed it. To me, he was the only legitimate threat to me. But he was a persistent little bastard”.

Matt Cage vs. Cecil Cerveza
Against All Odds
April 18, 2009

One month later, Cage found himself across the ring from Cecil once again. This time, the Central States Title was on the line. It was one of the most anticipated matches in GAW history. Many felt that Cecil had Cage’s number. But Cage had acquired the services of Anderson Rhodes, and came in to the match with a new piece of the puzzle. This new revelation threw Cecil off, and Cage wound up defeating Cecil yet again, this time doing a tremendous amount of damage to Cecil’s shoulder and arm. The damage done to his arm caused Cecil to take a short sabbatical from GAW.

“Yeah, I was a bit ruthless during that match. But I knew that I needed to do whatever it took to remain Central States Champion and I had to bring it hard. I hired Rhodes because he was available. He wasn’t necessary, but he helped at the time and brought me more money and good competition as my agent. But the thing that mattered the most was the fire I had in my eyes that night. I had a vicious streak inside of me, but it truly had never been tapped into until I stepped into the ring with Cecil.”

He may have been right. From there, Cage defended his title against all comers before being upset by Kenny O’Brien in June.

But he didn’t need to fret.

“I never step into an venue unless I have a plan A, B and C.,” he explained. “I knew that if I ever lost that Central States Title that I would have to step it up. So I did. I competed for the Heavyweight Title, a title that Cecil never held – and never will, for that matter. My legacy was written at this point and Cecil never even crossed my mind.”

But then Cecil came back. He saw that Cage had won the GAW Heavyweight Title and cringed as he saw the celebration when Cage also won the Heritage Wrestling Coalition Title from his friend, Angelo Santelli. Further proving a point, Cage took out Santelli and broke his shoulder and elbow following their match. Cecil was in attendance that night, and saw that Cage was happy. He saw that Cage had two prestigious pieces of gold. He saw that Cage truly had surpassed him as a wrestler.

Having let go of any need to take on Cage again, Cecil and Cage hadn’t stepped in the ring together since that warm spring evening in April of 2009. But he began to boil. Cerveza began to sweat. He began to yell. He was the one who people were citing as “the future of Central Illinois wrestling”. He was the one.

Until Matt Cage.

He sat back and watched as Cage’s stock rose and rose. He remained silent as Cage began to make more and more money and certainly looked on as Cage’s talent took him to promotions he only dreamed of being a part of.

Cage laughed, “He had and has every right to be jealous”.

All these emotions simmered inside of Cecil for months. During this time, Cage successfully defended his Heavyweight Title against former champions like Jaxson Pride, Truk Thompson and Jonathan Napier. He defended his title against great wrestlers from promotions all around the country such as Matt “Krotch” Mayday, Bill The Butcher and the returning Temple Rain. He even successfully put the title on the line against legends like Ian Rotten and Dingo, who at the time was reigning as IWA-MS World Champion; one of the most prestigious titles of all time.

“I knew deep down,” Cage said, “that at this point, I had cemented my legacy and far surpassed Cecil. I wasn’t only the greatest GAW Heavyweight Champion of all time, I was the greatest wrestler that the Central Illinois fans, promoters and wrestlers had ever seen.”

It’s hard to argue Cage’s statement.

But questions began to arise in October. Cecil was rumored to be wrestling Cage for the Heritage Wrestling Coalition Title, a travelling championship, on Cecil’s home turf of New Breed Wrestling Alliance. But the fans were screwed out of the match, as Cage demanded to wrestle a less deserving competitor.

“Jimmy Karryt can go to hell. Yeah, he does a bunch of flips. What the hell else does he have? He’s got an attitude the likes of my ex-girlfriends, he’s pale, he’s got greasy long hair and the piece of **** got a FLUKE victory over me. It was a FLUKE! Don’t think it was anything else but the obvious,” yelled the angry Cage. “If I ever step in the ring with Jimmy Karryt, he’s getting his ass handed to him. I will teach him respect and will prove to him that he was lucky.”

Obviously a touchy subject.

Karryt was Cecil’s friend and Cage knew this. He lost the Heritage Title, but he still remained GAW Champion. He entered the month of November with the belt, but soon found out that an old familiar face was coming to visit. At “A Fight for Mya” in Decatur, IL, Cecil Cerveza found his way back into title contention and he and Cage had one of the greatest GAW Heavyweight Title matches of all time. It was a stiff, brutal, back and forth encounter that saw Cecil show a side of him he had never seen. There truly was a deep hatred between these two men as they tried to break each other’s jaws with their vicious forearm strikes.

But all this and more could not lead Cage to victory. He proved once again that he had Cecil scouted all to well. Cecil attempted a moonsault off of the top rope, but Cage rolled out of the way. Cecil landed on Cage’s title belt which had found it’s way into the ring, and Cage rolled him up for the victory.

Matt Cage vs. Cecil Cerveza
A Fight For Mya
November 15, 2009

“Screw all those people who said I needed to use the tights to beat Cecil that night. I think by that point I had already proven that I had him where I wanted him at all times.”

Just one week later, however, Cage was set to defend his coveted belt in an Escape Only, Steel Cage Match against “Tru Talent” Jonathan Scott. But an attack by one of Tru Talent’s old rivals left him prone on the ground, apparently concussed after he was given a Pedigree on the floor of the Lincoln College gym.

“I laughed, honestly. Did you SEE that Pedigree? My grandmother could deliver a better Pedigree than Dumpster Doug, or whatever the hell his name is,” Cage laughed. “But the bigger story wasn’t Dumpster Doug’s laughable finishing maneuver. The bigger story was Cecil coming out, sticking his big head in business it didn’t belong in.”

As Cage attempted to walk out of the Steel Cage, Cecil stepped up and realized he had an opportunity. One that possibly wouldn’t come again. He realized that this was probably his last shot at Matt Cage. So he challenged Cage to a match, right there on the spot. Neither man was prepared, but they knew each other too well. And when Cage accepted, the violence began. And it was a bloody affair. Without a doubt the best Cage Match in GAW history, these two men beat each other from pillar to post. Both men were busted open during the combat, proving that they would go through great lengths to win the match. Ultimately, Cage wound up delivering an incredible and impressive top rope Hole in One (Death Valley Driver) to Cecil. This took a lot of energy out of Cage, and almost broke Cecil’s neck. And as Cage crawled for the door to escape with his championship clutched in his arms, Cecil was overcome. He heard voices. He heard his wife, calling for him to prove he was the better man. He heard his children, begging their daddy to “do it for them”. He heard his fans, chanting his name. He heard Cage, yelling that he could never defeat him. He heard himself, claiming that he was better than Cage and could defeat him.

He rose from the canvas and began climbing the Steel Cage. His ascent was dramatic. He had no strength, no energy left. But he found his way up and over the top. The crowd waited with baited breath as both men escaped the cage. But when both men hit the floor, what should have been a glorious moment for Cecil turned into a tragic moment, full of controversy. Though many claim that Cecil hit the floor first, others stand ground stating that Cage hit first. The decision would no doubt be controversial, but Co-Owner JC Michaels ruled, along with the referees, that the match would go down as a no contest since it could not be determined who indeed hit the floor first.
Matt Cage vs. Cecil Cerveza
Lincoln Lockdown
November 22, 2009

Cecil felt that he was out of “last chances”. And he was. But something strange happened. Cage stepped up and demanded one last match. Cecil didn’t have to ask.

“I realized something. Cecil wants that belt more than I do. I have nothing left to prove. I have defeated everyone, literally, while reigning as champion. I contemplated vacating the title, if only to move on to something new. My pay isn’t going to rise and I have grown tired of defending my title against unworthy contenders, just because I’ve defeated all of the “TOP” contenders,” Cage stated.

“I’m giving Cecil one last shot to prove to me that he wants it. If he wants it as bad as I think, he’ll defeat me for the title. But if he can’t come out on top with all of the cards on the table and everything on the line, then he is nothing more than a choke artist like everyone else in GAW. When I came to Central Illinois, I wasn’t threatened by Jaxson Pride or Connor Riley. I wasn’t concerned with Gavin Alexander. I wasn’t worried about anyone. The only man who I knew was truly better than anyone else in this territory, was and is, Cecil Cerveza. But we won’t find out for sure if he’s as good as me or better than me until February 22nd,” Cage said through a devious smile.

“On that day, one man will wake up with the title next to him and a smile on his face. The other will wake up, a failure and disappointed at what his career has become. And trust me, it should only take one guess that the latter will be Cecil Cerveza.”

It’s just a few short weeks away. It’s the Series Finale – Matt Cage vs. Cecil Cerveza, The Last Chapter. If Cecil can defeat Cage, the current champion has opted to never challenge Cecil for the belt as long as he’s champion. But if Cage defeats Cecil (once again) Cecil can never again challenge for the belt. Either way, it will without a doubt be the greatest GAW Championship match of all time.

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