TWE Chattanooga is celebrating their 7th anniversary as a company this week. And, the celebration is set to roll on, as the franchise is running a show this Saturday, 8/8/20, LIVE from TWE Arena in Red Bank. As if the occasion wasn’t already special enough, they happen to be putting on quite the contest between O’Shay Edwards and Graham Bell – two guys that anyone familiar with the independent wrestling scene in Tennessee is all too familiar with. I was able to catch up with both guys to gather their thoughts heading into Saturday’s showdown.
For Edwards, he’s made an impact with the Tennessee fans at Nashville’s Southern Underground Pro, where, on any given Sunday, you’d hear the crowd at The Basement East singing his name. They don’t call him ‘The Big Bad Kaiju’ for nothin’ – he earned a reputation for telling it like it is and standing toe to toe with the biggest and baddest the promotion had to offer. His work has even earned him opportunities at SUP’s Bonestorm Championship, one of the most prestigious titles in the Southeast.
He hasn’t been in Tennessee since December, when he appeared on Crux Wrestling‘s GCW vs. Crux show. But, when you’re talking about Chattanooga, TWE’s home turf, it’s his first time back since he made a tremendous run at the finals of the 2019 Scenic City Invitational last August, defeating JD Drake and Matt Tremont in the process. In his mind, there’s unfinished business in the Scenic City.
“I left alot of meat on the bone and this weekend I plan on cleaning my plate.” -O’Shay Edwards
Unfortunately for Graham Bell, he just may be the outlet for over a year’s worth of pent up frustration. Edwards is returning to Chattanooga in a foul mood. This one goes beyond the traditional confines of pro wrestling, and though the winner’s purse doesn’t hurt matters, it sure sounds like Edwards is looking for a fight.
“Me and Graham know each other well, we’ve crossed pathes more than once. But I stand by what I said, I hope he’s bringing more than a bazooka because I’m bring an Army. An Army of 1. An Army of a single pissed off, unhinged, and rather aggressive Kaiju.” -O’Shay Edwards
For Bell, this is a mission like any other, and despite what the wrestling world might be saying about his chances against Edwards, he’s prepared for the challenge. You don’t become an operative of Black Diamond Industries for nothing. It takes years of training and field operations to achieve the status Bell has within that organization.
And, he’s certainly no stranger to the big stage in the Volunteer State, either. He’s taken on the likes of Brett Ison and Warhorse in Resolute Wrestling, and he’s even earned a spot of his own at SUP, battling Manders, and even teaming with Warhorse to take on the SUP Tag Team Champions, Violence Is Forever. The fans think of his trademark bazooka, but the man is tougher than a two-dollar steak, and if you’ve watched him over the past year, you’ve seen a wrestler who has honed his striking ability to become one of the best pure strikers in the region.
When this match was announced, he tweeted “when they’re big, you make ’em small.” I asked him about his experience against big men in the past and and what specific challenges Edwards will bring to TWE on Saturday night.
“That was straight out of the Black Diamond Industries field manual. Every operative is trained to handle enemy combatants of any size in any situation. I excel at this.
Historically speaking, I’m the bane of the big man in pro wrestling. They’re all brawn. Never had to think their way out of fight. So it’s easy to form a strategy and execute it with very little problems. On top of that, they never expect me to hit like I do. But then again, who could expect someone to hit like I do? Haha! So, they stroll up all big and bad like they’re 20 year old Mike Tyson, then next thing they know, this guy half their size is rocking their shit. They never even saw it coming.
O’Shay is bigger and stronger than just about anyone else. But all that really means is I have to be a little more patient than usual. He may not go down as quick as all the rest, but he will go down.” -Graham Bell
There’s certainly no shortage of confidence from either man. There’s been a bit of a back and forth on Twitter between the two, and while it’s remained civil so far, tensions figure to boil over the closer we get to the opening bell. There’s a dynamic between catharsis for Edwards and Bell’s dedication to his mission that makes me think this is going to be one of those matches that comes down to “who wants it more,” and that might surprise some people.
There’s no doubt that this match exhibits a contrast in size, but the style of these two combatants aren’t so far apart. Given the burning desire to win that each of these men possess, this figures to be a highly interesting bout. And, I dare say, this match has the star power to have potential TWE Championship ramifications.
I asked Bell what he would say to the people who might be underrating his chances of beating Edwards. His reply was simple:
“Keep doing that.” -Graham Bell
For more on this weekend’s show (masks are required, and social distancing will be in place), follow TWE on Twitter: @TWE_Chattanooga. Check out the Checks and Championships archives for our interviews with Graham Bell and O’Shay Edwards. Follow on Twitter: @AllDamnDayOShay and @MercWithAMane.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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