WOOD RIVER—Winning a championship in any sport can be difficult. Retaining it or winning the crown back after losing it can be just as hard. When it does happen, the victory is most satisfying indeed.
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That's exactly what happened Saturday evening at The Douglas Club in Wood River, as Mike Outlaw pinned DIrdEY Jake Dirden after nearly an action-packed 30 minutes to regain the Dynamo Pro Wrestling heavyweight title. It's Outlaw's second DPW crown, and he knew it was a tough fight.
“It was the fight of my life, of course,” Outlaw said in an interview shortly after the bout. “Getting the title back is just as hard as retaining it.”
And defeating the three time title holder in Dirden, who's style and look reminds many of the late King Kong Brody, wasn't lost on Outlaw.
Yes sir, I hear it a lot,” he said when asked about Dirden. “It was intimidating the first time I was in the ring with him, but now, I was ready for him, fortunately for me.”
Outlaw's own ring style certainly helped him during the match. At one point, Dirden threw Outlaw into a row of metal folding chairs located in the spectators area, then later on was hit with a chair that was brought inside the ring. The match referee was knocked out twice during the contest as well, but Outlaw persevered and eventually recorded the pinfall at 29:08.
Outlaw described his style as “a little bit of flash, mixed with hard hitting and a never say die attitude.”
His athletic background isn't what you might think, however.
“I never played organized sports in high school or college.” Outlaw said. “I always played outside with my friends as a kid. I was always interested in wrestling and it just came natural to me.”
And during his new reign as DPW champion, Outlaw plans on defending his belt on a regular basis against any and all comers, no matter who they might be and regardless of background.
“I plan on being a fighting champion,” he said. “Anyone who thinks he's man enough to step into the ring with me —s tep on up!” Outlaw said with a smile.
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