Central States #11 Page #2

From there, Kevin Wall gets into the ring to interview Art Crews, the Central States TV Champion. It takes a minute for Sheik Abdullah to get MEB out of the ring and on his way to the dressing room. Sheik Abdullah is trying to calm MEB down and get him out of the ring.

Kevin: As MEB begins to make his way back to the dressing room, we will now visit with the new Television Champion, we are talking about the Topeka, Kansas native, Art Crews, and there it is, The TV Title Trophy, and Art I know this is something that you have worked for a long, long time.

Art: I’ll tell you what Kevin, everybody out here. This trophy may not look like much, but believe me, that’s three long hard years that I’ve had to work hard, hard to get. And I’ll tell you what, I’m very proud of this. I won this in Wichita in a big tournament, there’s a lot of competition right here in this area, there’s a lot of things going on. What’s going on here?
MEB and Sheik Abdullah The Great make their way back to the ring and Sheik Abdullah gets the microphone.

Sheik: What are you talking about, “TV Champion,” Art Crews, who have you beaten? This man...

Kevin: Sheik Abdullah, you do not belong here...

Sheik: This man just beat up a 400 pound man in less than 3 minutes. Who have you ever beaten Art Crews?

Kevin: Sheik Abdullah, please, this is not your... wait a minute, this is not...

Art: Will you hold my trophy please?

Sheik: You call yourself a champion, what do you mean champion.

Art: Will you hold my trophy for just a minute, would you please? Let me say something to you.

Sheik: What do you want to say to me?

Art: Let me say something to you. You rudely came out and interrupted my interview time, this is my interview. It’s my time.

MEB attacks Art Crews from behind with the chain and he hits Art Crews with punches and the chain. In the excitement, Sheik Abdullah takes the Television Title Trophy from Kevin Wall. MEB wraps the chain around the neck of Art Crews and he’s choking Art as Sheik Abdullah says.

Sheik: We are now the new TV Champions. Right here. MEB the new TV Champion, managed by Sheik Abdullah The Great.
MEB throws Art Crews over the top rope and then MEB and Sheik Abdullah make a quick exit as Ted Oates comes out to save Art Crews. Ted Oates goes out of the ring by Art Crews and grabs a steel chair. The chain ended up outside the ring by Art Crews but MEB was able to retrieve it before Ted Oates could hit MEB with the chair.

Kevin: Things getting out of hand here at ringside. MEB over 400 pounds, and now, MEB simply out of control. Will someone please get him out of the building? Please? MEB accompanied by his manager, Sheik Abdullah the Great. We will come back with more on All-Star Wrestling, when things come to order.

Later in the show, Kevin Wall says that he talked to some fans at ringside and they say that Sheik Abdullah stole the trophy while MEB was beating up Art Crews. Abdullah has locked himself in the dressing room and presumably he’s got the Central States TV Title Trophy belonging to Art Crews.
  At the end of the show, Kevin Wall gets another chance to interview Art Crews.   

Art: Kevin, I just want to tell everybody out here, I came out here and they stole my trophy I’m gonna go ahead and finish what I had to say before I was rudely interrupted out here earlier. I want to tell everybody, it was a tough tournament for me to win that championship. I’m the new Television Champion, and I’m telling you what, if Abdullah or anybody else on that other side, wants to come out here and take my trophy the way they did, I don’t think that’s not much of a man at all, do you think, Kevin?   

Kevin: I would agree with you. That is certainly a very cowardly way, when your back is turned, in fact, he took it out of my hands, and I have been unable to retrieve the trophy, the TV Title Trophy, from him. At least the fans at ringside said it was Sheik Abdullah The Great who actually took the trophy, but we have been unable to corner Sheik Abdullah The Great.   

Art: Everybody’s gonna come to a big surprise because I’ve got something in store that everyone better be ready for, they better be ready Kevin, that’s all I have to say. I’ve worked long and hard to get where I’ve got today, and it’s not gonna take one stab in the back like what happened today that’s gonna end me.  

Kevin: But, the amazing thing is that Sheik Abdullah The Great who now has lost a champion, he does not have any other champions, he has to steal a trophy in a manner like that, it truly is despicable.   

Art: With the competition the way it is in this area right now, it’s hard telling what’s gonna happen.   

I can’t remember how Art Crews got the TV Title Trophy back from MEB, so I sent MEB an e-mail on April 17th, 2001. MEB still wrestles, but nowadays, he is known as “The Beastmaster” Rick Link. Rick e-mailed me back on April 20th, and this is what he had to say: “The best I can remember is that Art Crews won the title back at a spot show I believe it was in Sedalia, Missouri.”   That explains why I can't remember it since it was a spot show and wasn't shown on television. MEB won the TV title later in 1984 and then Art Crews was able to regain it. Rick Link has a list of titles that he won on his website, and he says that he beat Art Crews for the Television Title in 1984.     

NEXT MONTH: 

The REAL Nature Boy, Roger “Nature Boy” Kirby.

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