Prince Darko flew from a ladder all the way to the concrete floor some 15 feet, crashing through the timekeeper's table and laying motionless.
Stone Zellor, fan-favorite, one of the most successful wrestlers of 2007, wasn't concerned about his rival's condition. All that filled his mind, his eyes, his thoughts... was gold.
The Ladder Match at "Aces High" capped off a bitter feud. Yet although the fans wanted nothing more than to see the "Dynamite" Zellor regain the Heritage title from Prince Darko, not one wanted to see it go down at the expense of one man's career and health. Sure, Darko recovered from his fall (and promptly made the fans hate him more than they did before!), but nobody wants to see a wrestler taken out on a stretcher, motionless.
All Stone Zellor could do was celebrate the return of Heritage Championship GOLD around his waist. What at first seemed like a surreal moment can now be seen for what it truly was. The first clear sign of Stone Zellor's lust for gold. A lust that would be satisfied at all costs.
Before Prince Darko defeated Stone for the Heritage title in September, Stone had gone a remarkable 13 matches undefeated, eleven wins and two draws including the hour-long broadway Match of the Year against Ravager for the World Title. Yet it seems that the loss triggered something in Stone Zellor. Faced with the lack of gold around his waist, Stone became obsessed with regaining it. He was bereft without it. He could not stop thinking about. He had to have it back. At the time, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But then Stone danced while his rival was taken to the hospital.
Since that time Stone Zellor has grown increasingly paranoid; and this once great wrestler has resorted to every cheap tactic in the book to retain the Heritage title. To date, Stone Zellor has not a single WIN in a Heritage title defense; yet he remains the champion after three defenses. A man who was able to take Ravager to the absolute limit, wrestling over a course of an hour... doesn't seem able to win a match. Yet he remains the Heritage Champion. The loss of his precious title changed Stone Zellor, and now he will go to great lengths to prevent separation from his gold.
Stone lost by count-out to Stein, seemingly injuring his leg and being unable to enter the ring in time. Clearly, Stone tired of trying to put away the enigmatic Stein and feigned the leg injury. He lost the match, but retained due to count-out. In his next defense, Stone dismissed any pretenses. Faced with a surging Dez Carter, Zellor took the Heritage title into his hands where it became not just his obsession, but a weapon which caused a disqualification. Dez Carter won the match, but again... Stone Zellor retained the title.
Just last week, Stone Zellor came the closest yet to losing the Heritage title. The hot young rookie Trent Daniels had delivered his patented Systems Crash maneuever. There was no kicking out. But it was Stone's manager & confidant, Lady Sparks, pulling her man out of the ring. The referee had no choice but to institute a count-out. Before Trent Daniels could do anything to change it, the referee had counted Stone out. And once again, Stone lost the match... but walked out the champion.
Yet Stone does not NEED to resort to such tactics. After all, he is the man who "gots skillz." He proved it time and again in 2007. So why has he taken this path? Perhaps his defeat to Prince Darko, which was the result of dirty tactics, showed Stone that all the "skillz" in the world can succumb to exploitian and opportunity. Or perhaps Stone's lust for gold has clouded his mind with panic and paranoia, effectively handicapping his pure ability. It is not as though Stone is unfamiliar with cheapshots; as one half of the Midnight Cowboys, they ended D-X thanks to such cheap tactics. But the actions of the Midnight Cowboys at the beginning of 2007 are markedly different from those Stone is using now. Those actions had the characteristics of planning, and a calm cool control of self. The current Stone Zellor seems out of control, flailing wildly at any method of retaining his title. Stone Zellor seems to have gone mad.
Stone Zellor's actions do not just disgrace the legacy of the Heritage title dating back to champions such as Ravager, "LDK" Lloyd Rees, Evan Cartwright, Patrick Kidd and Static. They are a disgrace to the ideals of New Alberta Pro Wrestling as a whole. During most of 2007, fans knew they could turn to NAPW and see professional wrestling free largely free of the controversial and frustrating finishes they see in other wrestling. Matches ended cleanly. Ravager's entire epic World Title reign was predicated on the man simply being the best WRESTLER in the company. Even Donovan Astros beat Ravager with his own skills, not weapons or dirty tactics. Stone, however, has made a mockery of the building blocks of NAPW. The best man is not walking out of the building as champion. The fans are growing more angry with Stone every show, but also frustrated with the promotion itself. Stone's title reign is a black mark hanging over the whole of New Alberta Pro. It threatens to destroy the tremendous grass-roots fan support NAPW enjoys and has cultivated. The fans want to see a decisive winner. This is Pro Wrestling. The fans know things are not always black and white and sometimes, a clear winner is not defined. But Stone Zellor has pushed them past their limits, and rightfully so.
Stein. Dez Carter. Trent Daniels. Who is next in line to challenge for the Heritage championship? Can that man finally beat Stone and win the belt all in one? Or will Stone continue to retain the belt by hook or by crook? These questions can only be answered in time. But it can only be called a great disappointment, that Stone Zellor has allowed himself to be overcome by the lust for gold; a lust which has possessed him and stripped him of the qualities that led him to the Heritage title in the first place all those months ago.
LINK: At ONE NIGHT ONLY, Stone Zellor & Lady Sparks team up to face Dez Carter & Asuka Katsuragi in NAPW's first-ever mixed tag match!
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