Since its inception in 2000, the CWF has
prided itself on producing quality performances featuring
top-notch athleticism and exciting storytelling. Our aim is
to draw fans into a world that serves as an escape from
reality for a few hours on some Friday or Saturday night.
But every now and then, that
very same reality can smack the wrestling world right in the
face and send it reeling. On Sunday, July 15, 2007, it
smacked our CWF family right in the face, with the news of
the untimely passing of one of the biggest names in CWF
history, Devil Bhudakahn.
DEVIL BHUDAKAHN: THE MAN
While the CWF family lost one
hell of a wrestler in Devil Bhudakahn, I think we lost one
hell of a person as well. I know that a number of CWF
superstars have various internet outlets through which to
air their thoughts about Devil, so I’ll use this platform to
present my own memories of Devil Bhudakhan.
When I think of Devil
Bhudakahn, and when I continue to think of Devil well into
the future, the one word I’ll forever associate with him is
“respect”. Devil had a respect for the business that is
professional wrestling that was unmatched by anybody. At
the end of the day, the “business” comes down to making sure
that every fan that spends their money and their time with
us each and every show gets the most value out of that money
and time.
There are a million things
that fans can do with either their money or their time, but
I find it an honor that each individual fan chooses to spend
BOTH with us in the seven years we’ve been in operation, and
I know that Devil, who’s been there all seven years, found
that an honor as well. Devil worked very hard to ensure
that each and every match in which he competed was something
the fans would remember, not only when the night was over,
but in the days and weeks thereafter, all the way until the
next CWF show, when he got to do it all over again.
Devil made it a point to
scout each opponent, in terms of his strengths and
weaknesses, in hopes of making the match as competitive and
hard-fought as possible, so the fans would go home
satisfied, regardless of whether Devil won or lost. THAT,
in my eye, is respect for the business. His creative mind
worked overtime night after night, coming up with new moves
and new styles that would take his craft to a whole new
level. It was a sense of pride that many of the CWF
superstars carry with them, to be sure, but Devil had it in
spades.
(And I am not alone in
associating Devil with “respect”. When word made its way
around about Devil’s passing, one specific quote I remember
somebody telling me was that “I didn’t know him very well,
but I had enormous respect for him”. That was just one
quote, but one that many who didn’t have the chance to
really get to know him would echo loud and clear.)
And his respect for the CWF
product showed up in the Keystone division, a class of CWF
competition that he was especially proud of. Even if he
wasn’t involved in a Keystone match on a particular card, he
would always be standing by our backstage monitor watching
whoever was out there, cheering not necessarily for one guy
to beat another, but for a “five-star” match. He wanted
those guys to demonstrate that THAT level of competition was
a real shining light for the CWF.
The phrase “locker room
leader” gets thrown around a lot in wrestling circles as a
line-item in a superstar’s reputation, from the biggest
wrestling groups to the smallest. Without going into great
detail of the “behind the scenes” aspect of the CWF, I’ll
say that Devil most definitely qualified as a locker room
leader during his tenure. He would often be the first
person sought out by a rookie who may be feeling a bit
nervous about his first CWF contest. Devil would often take
to the young wrestler and set him straight on the ways to
get ahead in the CWF (and he would know).
To use an example to that
end, I can count a number of times where a wrestler or a
performer, usually a rookie or a “newbie”, would be
backstage, kinda lost in the shuffle a bit as the more
established superstars are getting ready for their
individual matches. It’s kind of a tough situation for the
nascent performer, as “Job 1” for any CWF superstar is to
get ready for his or her match by doing his or her part to
entertain the fans, and the slightest distraction would
throw them off course. Still, Devil would often be the one
who takes a step out of his way to meet with the hopeful CWF
superstar, then pull me aside and ask me if I can help them
get established in the CWF. I always thought that a bold
thing to do, and there were times that it just wasn’t
possible to get that performer on, but Devil always made the
effort, even though that process cost him some of the time
that the other CWF superstars had to prepare for their
matches.
(I’ll always remember those
aforementioned anecdotes fondly, because one of those
“newbies” was me, back when I first started in the CWF in
2003. I had spent a few years working for some of the other
local organizations, but when I joined the CWF, Devil was
one of the first ones to “show me the ropes” and introduce
me to many of the CWF superstars at the time.)
As I noted in the “wrestler”
portion of this piece, what would have been his next match
could very well have been his crowning achievement in the
CWF. He was scheduled to face Zubov for the CWF heavyweight
title at “No Limits” on July 28. I’m not in a position to
play favorites in the CWF, and though Zubov and I don’t see
eye to eye all that often, I have enormous respect for what
Zubov has done in the CWF ring, namely his record-setting
title run.
But I talked with Devil
extensively in the weeks and months after his monumental
night at “Mass InSINity”, where he won three matches in the
Zubov Invitational Tournament to get the chance to face him
at “No Limits”. He sounded as focused as I’ve ever heard a
CWF competitor sound when it came to this shot. He saw this
as a crowning achievement for his long career in the CWF,
and he was ready. He knew what Zubov was capable of, both
in and out of the ring, especially with his “backup” in
terms of guys like Scott Fowler and Kato, but Devil thought
he could overcome all of that to reach his goal. Sadly,
we’ll never see how that would have turned out.
-I’ll miss Devil Bhudakahn
greatly. But I know that his competitive spirit will live
on with each CWF superstar who steps into a CWF ring from
here on in. And that is a fitting a tribute as you can get!
Rest in Peace, Devil!
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