This past weekend saw one of the biggest matches of the year as it was “Title vs. Title in Green Ridge, Missouri at Harley Race’s World League Wrestling. Italian Wrestling Association (IWA) Champion Jack Gamble took on the MWR Missouri Champion Karim Brigante on a frigid November evening in a match that lived up to expectations.
On one side, you had the MWR Missouri Champion Brigante. He has wrestled around the world with a desire to be the best in the sport. That respect for the sport brought him to the United States to train with the eight-time World Champion Harley Race. During his time with Race he has made multiple trips to the United States to work with WLW and promotions around the country. In 2017, he reached the mountaintop at WLW by defeating Leland Race and “Superstar” Steve Fender for the title. He has also participated in four of the annual camps that have involved WWE, NOAH, ROH and others. Brigante’s pop-up elbow-smash to the face of his opponent is beautiful. In March, at WLW Night of Champions 3, Brigante captured the MWR Title by defeating the former PWI Rookie of the Year and two-time MWR MO Champion Ace Hawkins.
The other side of the ring was Jack Gamble. Midwest fans know him better as one half of the tag team High Level Enterprise with partner Jon Webb. They are former three-time WLW Tag Team and two-time Dynamo Pro Tag Team Champions that were honored with the MWR Tag Team of the Year in 2015. The hometown fan favorite also wisely graduated under the watchful eye of Race while participating in the WLW/NOAH/ROH camps during his early career. His talent earned him an invite to train at the Pro Wrestling NOAH Dojo in Japan two different years.
Gamble showed his heart and dedication when he was able to return from a horrific car accident that threaten his career in 2013. Though it is true that he has found huge success in tag team action in 2018 Gamble has set his sights on singles gold. In the past calendar year prior to this weekend he had challenged for the MWR MO belt on two different occasions, the first against Hawkins at WLW and the last time at Dynamo Pro against Brigante, just coming up short each time. In September, Gamble defeated former 2-time MWR MO Champion Brandon Espinosa in a match that proved that he was much more than a tag team specialist then picked up a DQ win against the WLW and IWA Champion Webb in October. His biggest single win to date came on November 3rd when he captured the IWA belt from Webb in a three-way that also included Brigante who was also wanting to recapture the IWA title a belt he held earlier this year before losing it to Webb. Gamble’s superkick into a spin-out powerbomb is a deadly combination that is delivered with quick speed and precision.
Brigante with a victory already against Gamble in singles competition and 8 title defenses of the MWR title entered the bout with what many would believe may have had the edge. Gamble’s confidence though seemed to have been at an all-time high as the two had a classic battle with the fans clearly on Gambles side throughout the match. In the final moments of the match it looked as if Brigante was going to lock a submission leg lock but Gamble quickly pushed Brigante away and like lighting hit his patented superkick into the spin-out powerbomb to retain his IWA Championship and become the sixth man to hold the MWR Missouri Championship.
Jack Gamble celebrated via Twitter at @JackGambleHLE
The KING of Italy!
The King of Missouri!
I am now the @IWAItaly1 heavyweight champion and the MWR Missouri Heavyweight champion!!!
