The All-American Dream Lives On: The Story of the Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup

The Story of Jeff Peterson and Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup Tournament

A little over a 11 and a half years ago, the 16 year old nephew of longtime ECWA promoter Jim Kettner set out to live his dream of being a professional wrestler.  The only thing Kettner’s nephew ever wanted to do from the time he was a toddler was be a professional wrestler.

In much the same way that Shawn Michaels had a boyhood dream that WWE used to turn Michaels into a superstar on the WrestleMania stage, Kettner’s nephew had a boyhood dream of his own.

Kettner, seeing the undeniable passion practically bubbling through his young nephew’s skin, gave him a chance to live his boyhood dream despite the fact that he hadn’t even graduated high school yet.

On March 21, 1998, Jim Kettner’s nephew, “The All American” Jeff Peterson, realized his dream of being a professional wrestler and made his in ring debut, all before he even turned 18.

Less than one year after his debut, Peterson was given a huge honor for someone of his minimal experience; he was invited to wrestle in the 1999 edition of his Uncle’s ECWA Super 8 tournament, the most prestigious of all American annual independent wrestling tournaments.

Those who might have thought that nepotism was at play and that Peterson didn’t deserve the opportunity given to him were soundly proven wrong.

In the opening round of the tournament, Peterson produced what is considered to be one of the greatest matches in the history of the Super 8 tournament working opposite of “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels, a wrestler that has gone on to have a great deal of success working in Ring of Honor and TNA.

Peterson also shared the stage in that tournament with two other brothers who were realizing their own dreams.  Perhaps you’ve heard of them: Matt and Jeff Hardy.

Peterson was invited to compete in the tournament once again the following year, and again he delivered.  Peterson was again eliminated in the first round by a young Floridian standout named Jet Jaguar. In defeat, Jeff left yet another lasting impression, working with Jaguar to produce another match rated amongst the best in the history of the tournament.

Peterson was proof positive that you don’t have to win to get over in professional wrestling.   The most important thing for Peterson, at the end of the night, was giving the fans their money’s worth by providing them an entertaining product that removed them from the rigors and hassles of their every day lives.

Peterson exemplified the sort of respect, attitude and passion you have to have to make it in the pro wrestling business.  Professional wrestling isn’t for everyone, but it sure as hell was for Jeff Peterson.

Peterson was riding atop a magnificent wave after the 2000 Super 8 tournament.  Peterson was living his dream and it seemed as though the world was still in front of him and that the sky was the limit.

Peterson was being booked by promotions across the country, including Kettner’s ECWA in Delaware, IPW Hardcore, and NWA Florida in Florida, and California.  Peterson was already a two time IPW Cruiserweight champion who had battles with the likes of Jet Jaguar and CHIKARA founder Mike Quackenbush that are still fondly remembered by fans to this very day.

It seemed that Jeff Peterson, all 5 feet, 9 inches and 145 pounds of him, had a shot at making it in a business that hasn’t always been full of opportunities for men of small physical stature.

Unfortunately, life had other plans for Peterson.

On April 14, 2000, only slightly more than a month after he impressed so many in the Super 8 tournament, Jeff Peterson was diagnosed with leukemia.

Peterson didn’t take the news lying down and fought the disease with the same perseverance that allowed him to live his dream of becoming a professional wrestler.  Peterson would spend nearly two years going in and out of the hospital as he received cancer treatments.  Peterson’s goals through it all?  Beating cancer and returning to the ring to continue living his dream of being a professional wrestler.

On April 6, 2002, after a two year struggle with cancer, Jeff Peterson accomplished what he set out to do and returned to the ring cancer free.  On that night, he wrestled and defeated a man by the name of Ruffhouse Rivera for his Uncle’s ECWA promotion.  It was a return to normalcy for Peterson, who was back doing what he loved to do.

Sadly, only a handful of weeks after his return bout, the cancer returned and Peterson resumed his fight against the disease once more.  Peterson would manage to appear for the ECWA fans once more via the video screen at a live ECWA event, but Peterson would never again step into the ring to perform.

On November 29, 2002, Jeff Peterson passed away in the Moffitt Cancer in Tampa, Florida at the age of 21.

Peterson’s death was a shock for the tightly knit professional wrestling brotherhood.  After only working in the business actively for two years, Peterson had managed to become a highly beloved and respected figure on the independent wrestling scene.

Kettner’s ECWA paid tribute to Peterson at the 2003 Super 8 tournament, but Ron Niemi and Joe Price of NWA Florida, Peterson’s primary wrestling home, wanted to do something more to pay tribute to the kid who had given them so much in his brief stay in life.

“After Jeff passed, it really hit everyone here very hard,” said NWA Florida ring announcer and commentator Lenny Thomas in an interview with SLAM! Sports back in 2005.  “He was such a good kid, and he had done so much for everyone in this company, we felt we had to do something to let others know how amazing he was, both as a wrestler and more importantly as a young man.”

“We feel it’s our duty, honor, and privilege to put this tournament on,” Thomas continued. “Jeff wrestled all over the country, but IPW and now NWA Florida was and is always going to be his home. I was at the Super 8 in 2003 right after he passed away and they did an amazing tribute to Jeff at those shows, but here the shows are the tribute to Jeff, and we wouldn’t want anyone else to have that honor.”

Niemi and Price, working also with representatives of Peterson’s other home promotion, IPW, decided that the best way to honor Peterson’s memory was to create an annual memorial tournament similar in format to ECWA’s Super 8 tournament.  Peterson’s stellar work in the 1998 and 1999 Super 8 tournaments put him on the map in the pro wrestling business, so the feeling was that an annual tournament that gave young up and coming talent from around the independent scene an opportunity to shine would be a perfect way of paying tribute to their fallen brother.

Thus, the Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup tournament was born.

The first Peterson Cup tournament took place on May 16-17, 2003 at the Florida Wrestleplex in St. Petersburg, Florida, just on the other side of Tampa Bay from the Moffitt Center where Peterson received his cancer treatments.  The show’s profits were donated to the American Cancer Society as well as cancer research.  The show featured such stars as C.M. Punk, Tony Mamaluke, and indy wrestling cult hero, Reckless Youth.  Also appearing at the event were the likes of Danny Doring, Molly Holy, and even Randy “Macho Man” Savage.

Since the first annual event six years ago, the Peterson Cup has showcased talent like Petey Williams, Teddy Hart, Roderick Strong, Chris Hero, Jack Evans, Alex Shelley, Colt Cabana, Zack Gowen, Matt Sydal (aka Evan Bourne), Sonjay Dutt, Chris Sabin, Delirious, Jimmy Rave, James Gibson (aka Jamie Noble),  El Generico, Davey Richards, T.J. Wilson (aka Tyson Kidd), Milano Collection A.T., Billy Kidman, Christopher Daniels, Erick Stevens, Matt Cross, Larry Sweeney, Kenny King, and Jigsaw.

The tournament has raised tens of thousands of dollars for various causes ranging from the American Cancer Society to the All Children’s Hospital in Tampa, Florida.  The first tournament raised several thousand dollars in Jeff Peterson’s name for the American Cancer Society, establishing a standard for a tournament that is about more than story lines, cutting edge angles, controversial gimmicks, affiliations, winners, losers and the bells and whistles of “sports entertainment.”

The Peterson Cup is all about the pro wrestling brotherhood paying tribute to the memory of a man who loved and respected professional wrestling and those who worked in the business.  It’s about lending a helping hand to those who are less fortunate and raising money for a good cause.

The 2009 JPC Tournament

This year’s tournament, which will be held on November 20-21 with night one of the tournament being held at the Brooksville National Guard Armory, in Brooksville, Florida, and night two being held at the Crystal River National Guard Armory in Crystal River, Florida.  All profits from the event will be donated to the All Children’s Hospital in Tampa, Florida.  This year’s tournament will feature a unique twist that will freshen up the traditional 16-man format.

Four of the top independent promotions in the country (Full Impact Pro from Florida, Combat Zone Wrestling from Philadelphia, Hybrid Wrestling in Ohio, and AAW Pro Wrestling out of Chicago) will each bring a team of four of their very best to represent them in a showcasing of 16 of the finest talents in professional wrestling today, all while paying tribute to the memory of Jeff Peterson by delivering two night of high caliber wrestling.

The mastermind behind the idea of bringing together four of the top promotions in the country for one tournament?  None other than Full Impact Pro owner and founder Sal Hamaoui.

“The concept of putting the four groups together, that was my idea,” said Hamaoui in a recent interview with The Wrestling Daily.  “We’re working with Dragon Gate USA (in a working agreement) along with AAW and Hybrid, and that’s where the idea comes from.”

“We wanted to do something unique. There are a lot of tournaments going on, like the Ted Petty Invitational.  It’s a huge annual tournament even though IWA Mid South is out of business and they canceled this year’s tournament.  Guerrilla does the Battle of Los Angeles which coincidentally is running the same two days as the Peterson Cup.  Then there’s the Super 8, which is the grandfather of all indy tournaments, and we do the Eddie Graham Memorial Battle of the Belts, which is an annual tournament here in Florida, so we kind of wanted to add a new twist to it and try to build up a little excitement for the Jeff Peterson Cup.”

Hamaoui took over running the Peterson Memorial Cup Tournament last year after being involved with the DVD production of the tournament in 2005 and 2006.  Hamaoui was not involved in 2007, but his reasons for not being involved in that particular tournament have a lot to do with why he has stepped up to take over running the tournament.

“I lost my wife and my son back in 2007,” related Hamaoui.  “It took a lot to get through that and I’m still dealing with it.  November 21 in Crystal River is her birthday.  I have my own personal reasons for doing this.  It’s all about giving back and trying to make a negative into a positive.”

When asked to verbalize the meaning of the Jeff Peterson Cup to fans, wrestlers, and those who work in the business, Hamaoui managed to capture the spirit of the event and Jeff Peterson perfectly.

“This is kind of what defines us.  You don’t do this at this level for the money, because the money is not there.  You don’t wrestle and put your body on the line and sacrifice and train at this level because you’re making six figures. It’s not happening. You’re hoping one day to be at that level where the monetary reward is going to be there.

“I’ve seen guys start at this level, guys like C.M. Punk and Antonio Banks, who is wrestling now as M.V.P., get to that level, as well Matt Sydal, who is Evan Bourne.  They’ve all started at this level.  They all sacrificed, they all bled, they all sweated.  They did what they needed to do and now they’re reaping the benefits.

“Everyone at this level does it basically because of the love of professional wrestling and there is a brotherhood.  There is a bond between those who work in this business.”

“Jeff Peterson was very respected and loved and a lot of my friends and people I’ve had business relationships with in FIP and a couple of the other groups that I’m involved in new Jeff very very closely,” continued Hamaoui.  “It means a lot to them.  We raised $4,000 last year (for this little child) and he beat cancer.  He’s cancer free now and that’s the greatest feeling.  His mom was a single mother, and to find out your child has cancer, knowing that chances are he’s not going to make it (is heartbreaking).  70 percent of the kids with his specific type of cancer don’t make it.  They need all the help they can get.  If we can get together for a couple of days and put on incredible show and raise some money for a good cause then it makes it all worth while.”

The Promtions and Talent

Combat Zone Wrestling

Once the idea was developed amongst FIP, AAW, and Hybrid, a fourth promotion was needed to fill out the tournament field.  Enter Combat Zone Wrestling.

“I personally think it’s huge,” said CZW owner D.J. Hyde when asked what being apart of Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup meant for his promotion.  “It shows much respect and how well received we are in the wrestling industry.”

“It’s an amazing opportunity for CZW to show what our wrestlers can do.  The Peterson Cup gets a tremendous amount of press and notoriety within the wrestling community, the Internet, the wrestling mags, the sheets and all of that stuff, which is really good.  For us to actually be a part of that with three other companies, pretty much it’s a huge, huge, huge thing for us.  I really can’t explain how honored we are as a company to be a part.”

Combat Zone Wrestling, a promotion known mostly for its violent product, has a product that also features various styles of flat out wrestling.  The promotion will be sending four of its most talented and well rounded performers to the tournament.  Representing CZW will be their current reigning champion Drake Younger, Jon Moxley, Egotistico Fantastico, and Scotty Vortekz.

“Scotty (Vortekz) is one of the most underrated junior heavyweights around,” says Hyde when asked about Vortekz.  “He can tear the house down with anybody.  If you look up Scotty’s past history, he’s been in a lot of tournaments; he’s been in CZW’s Best of the Best, he’s done Tournament of Death in CZW, he’s been in the Teddy Petty invitational, and he’s done a lot of tournaments down in the Midwest. He’s very underused and underutilized by a lot of promotions.”

“You’re going to see a fire out of Scotty.  He loves this business, he does it for a living.  There’s nothing else that he wants more than (being a professional wrestler) and being in the Peterson Cup is major, major deal to him.”

Jon Moxley is no stranger to the limelight;  he’s wrestled for WWE on RAW and Smackdown in addition to wrestling for TNA.  Moxley has been in the ring with the likes of the Big Show, Nigel McGuinness (now known in TNA as Desmond Wolfe), and John Morrison.  Moxley has also spent time wrestling in Puerto Rico, which is notorious for having some of the most violent, cutthroat wrestling fans in the world, and that is an understatement.

For Moxley, the Peterson Cup is an opportunity to really put his name on a lot of larger promotions’ radars.

“Moxley is a Midwest guy originally from Ohio,” says Hyde.  “He was originally trained by Les Thatcher.  Moxley is just waiting to be broken out, he’s a superstar in the waiting.  He’s big, he’s physical, he’s versatile, he can do anything.  He’s a wild card, his personality is little, um, how do you say, off the wall.”

What does Hyde mean when he says Moxley’s personality is “off the wall?”  Load up one of Moxley’s promos on Youtube, and you’ll easily see why Hyde comes to that conclusion.  Moxley cuts on of the best promos in the business right now, not to mention he can just flat out wrestle when given the opportunity.  Moxley is certainly one to watch in this tournament.

Another one to watch is Egotistico Fantastico, a former WWE developmental talent who trained with Harley Race, Sonny Rogers, and John Burke.  Fantastico portrays a Mexican Luchador, similar to the gimmick of El Generico in Ring of Honor, only Fantastico is much more talkative, and is actually quite good at talking.  Fantastico is good athlete that is also billed as having a weight of 3, 333 lbs and he allegedly hails from Mexico City, Philly.  That alone should give you an idea of what to expect from Egotistico Fantastico.

Fantastico, the former long time reigning CZW Junior Heavyweight Champion, is also no stranger tournaments, having won CZW’s Best of the Best tournament, one of the top annual Junior Heavyweight tournament in independent wrestling, back on June 13 of this year.

“He’s also competed in pretty much all of the major tournaments across the United States at this point,” says Hyde.  “He’s been wrestling for a very short time, but he’s a very unique individual in that he can do pretty much just about anything.  He’s a tournament specialist.  I think that the Jeff Peterson Cup tournament is something he will fully take advantage of.  Ego can tear the house down at any given point.  He’s a very unique guy, he’s in shape and he does it all (in the ring).”

The “ace” of Combat Zone Wrestling in this tournament is Drake Younger, who will be facing Davey Richards in what should be one hell of a first round match up.  Younger might predominantly be known for his hardcore wrestling, but Younger is rapidly developing a reputation of being a vastly versatile performer capable of high level technical wrestling.

Earlier this year, Younger traveled to Germany to participate in Westside Xtreme Wrestling’s 16 Carat Gold Tournament in Germany, a tournament that annually draws the finest professional wrestling talent from around the world.  The 16 Carat has seen participation in recent years from the likes of Bryan Danielson, Davey Richards, GHC Heavyweight Champion Go Shiozaki, Nigel McGuinness, Doug Williams, El Generico, Evan Bourne, Chris Hero, Claudio Castagnoli, Tyler Black, Zack Sabre Jr, Martin Stone, Chris Sabin, and Erick Stevens.

Younger put on a hell of a performance in this year’s tournament before finally losing to TWD 50 member Shingo Takagi in the finals in a match described by many as excellent.

Hyde knows from first hand experience that Younger is an incredibly versatile performer.

“If you want to see anything of how Drake can wrestle, a classic example would be Combat Zone Wrestling’s last show.  Drake and B-Boy tore the house down at our Severed Ties show.  (Younger) has more heart and more passion for this business than anyone I’ve ever met, including myself, which for me to say that is more of a compliment than anything.  I pretty much eat, breathe, and sleep wrestling. (Younger is) on my phone usually every other day.  I mean, he’s calling me from Germany (running ideas by me).  I would not be surprised to see him win the whole thing.”

AAW Pro Wrestling

AAW is a promotion that, as its website claims, is all about “redefining” professional wrestling.  For AAW it “isn’t about pin falls or count outs; just professional wrestling.”

“AAW is based out of Chicago, IL” says AAW representative Mike Petkovich.  “We run monthly events in Berwyn, IL and Davenport, IA. AAW is known for its tag team wrestling, top notch production, solid booking, and unpredictable events.”

AAW Pro Wrestling’s team of four is composed of high caliber talent.  Arik Cannon, Johnny Gargano, Shane Hollister, and Silas Young are slated to represent AAW in the JPC.

“Silas Young is AAW’s blue chipper,” says Petkovich.  “He’s a natural athlete and solid all-around wrestler. He hasn’t been able to win the “big one” in AAW but he is definitely using this tournament to prove to everyone that he can win the “big one” and bring a win home for AAW.”

Young, yet another former WWE developmental talent in this tournament, might be best known for his work in Ring of Honor, where he has performed mainly as enhancement talent.  Young has been in the ring with some of the very best, including the likes of Davey Richards, Nigel McGuinness, Austin Aries, The Miz, Claudio Castagnoli, Kenny Omega, and Tyler Black.

Young knows what it takes to work at a high level and should get an opportunity to really prove that.  This tournament will be a huge opportunity for Young to show what he can do to people who may not have had the chance to see what Young is truly capable of.

Another youngster looking to make an impact in this tournament on behalf of AAW is Shane Hollister.

“Hollister comes out of the same camp as Tyler Black (both men were trained by Danny Daniels),” says Petkovich. “He’s young, aggressive, and looking to thrust himself into the national spotlight.”

Hollister, considered by many fans of the Midwest independent scene to be one of the Midwest top young up and comers, has worked in Ring of Honor and is a former NWA Iowa Champion and AAW Tag Team Champion.  Hollister also competed in Chikara’s seventh Young Lions Cup tournament, losing to fellow Midwest indy regular Trik Davis in the first round.

Hollister is a diminutive (5 feet, 8 inches tall, 175 lbs) but athletic talent that utilizes an array of unique and exciting moves that make him capable of having a good match with any of the wrestlers in this year’s JPC tournament.  Hollister has added a few wrestling holds to his repertoire over the past or so, and continues to improve each and every time out.  If Hollister continues to get quicker, tighter, and more crisp, he strikes me as the sort that could work well in Dragon Gate USA.

Johnny Gargano is one name you should definitely keep an eye on in this tournament.  Gargano, who has worked for Ring of Honor and TNA, has recently worked two exclusive fray matches for Dragon Gate USA, the most recent of which he actually won, defeating several others (Flip Kendrick, Arik Cannon, Louis Lyndon) in the 2009 JPC field.

“Johnny Gargano is new to the AAW roster but has impressed everyone,” says Petkovich.  “He’s flashy, arrogant, and one hell of a wrestler.”

In addition to being booked by a highly respected match maker to win at a Dragon USA event, Gargano also scored a huge victory over Bryan Danielson at an Absolute Intense Wrestling event on September 17 before Danielson officially joined World Wrestling Entertainment.  Gargano appears primed to roll into the JPC tournament and build on the momentum he has generated for himself of late.

Gargano can flat out work and has great charisma to boot.  Gargano is also one of the more fluid workers in this tournament.  Like Hollister, Gargano is capable of having a great match with anyone in this field.  It wouldn’t surprise me in the least bit to see him to make a run to the finals in the tournament.

Arik Cannon is a veteran of AAW, Chikara and the defunct IWA:Mid South and Wrestling Society X promotions.  “The Anarchist” has wrestled all around the world, including for Dragon Gate where he was a former member of the defunct Muscle Outlaw’z faction, a group that included Naruki Doi, Masato Yoshino, Genki Horiguchi, GAMMA, YAMATO, and Naoki Tanisaki at one time or the other.  Cannon was also founding member of the Kings of Wrestling along with Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli, a faction that made a mark in both Chikara and Ring of Honor.

Cannon’s list of accolades includes winning Chikara’s fourth Young Lion’s Cup in 2006, and Chikara’s Tag World Grand Prix in 2005 with Claudio Castagnoli.  Cannon is the reigning AAW Heritage Champion and has been so since September of 2008, making him the longest reigning Heritage Champion in AAW history, according to Petkovich.

Cannon, like others in this tournament, is no stranger to a tournament, and has even worked a JPC in the past (2006).

Cannon, who originally trained at the MPW Training Camp in Minnesota, has also spent time training under Chris Hero, whose influence in Cannon’s style is quite evident.  Cannon can be described as a mat technician that blends elements of Puro and Lucha Libre together with a series of strikes into one virtually seamless style.  Yeah, I’d say Hero has definitely been teaching him, and that can only be a good thing.

Hybrid Wrestling

Perhaps the least known promotion in this tournament is Hybrid Wrestling, a young upstart group out of Ohio that began operating in 2006.  Given the talent they are sending to this event, the independent wrestling community is about to find out who Hybrid Wrestling is in a big way.

Hybrid stands out amongst other more traditional Midwest pro wrestling promotions.  The promotions filled with great athletes who are willing to push the limits and work a flashy style revolving around high impact, high flying, and solid wrestling.

Hybrid also isn’t afraid to innovate: Hybrid once promoted a unique 4-way ladder match in which wrestlers were assigned specific ladders that they had to use to capture the belt hanging about the ring that was on the line.  The twist adding something to the match and made it that match better.

Representing Hybrid Wrestling in the JPC this year will be Dave Cole, Flip Kendrick, Louis Lyndon, and Marion Fontaine.

Flip Kendrick, a native of Michigan, is an acrobatic performer with a background in gymnastics who is also versed in martial arts tricking and Lucha Libre.  For those who aren’t familiar with the term, martial arts tricking refers to the combination martial arts, gymnastics, break dancing, and other physical activities to create what trickstutorials.com calls an “aesthetic blend of flips, kicks, and twists.”  Taekwondo kicks, Wushu maneuvers, and Capoeira can be counted amongst the martial arts that influence tricking.  No wonder he’s called Flip.

Kendrick, in addition to working for Hybrid, also works for Jersey All Pro Wrestling (where he is a former Light Heavyweight champion) and recently worked a fray match for Dragon Gate USA.

Kendrick will certainly wow the crowd with flashy and insane dives to the floor and other sequences that blend Lucha with martial arts tricking.  Give Kendrick (who has only been in the business for three years) the right opponent, someone who can work fast enough to keep up with Kendrick’s trickery, and the fans will blow the roof off the joint.

Louis Lyndon, another native of Michigan, has only been in the wrestling business for two years, but has already been a part of a highly talked about 4-way ladder match (between Lyndon, Dave Cole, Christian Faith, and Marion Fontaine), and has worked for Dragon Gate USA.  Not a bad way to start your career.

Lyndon is a Kung Fu inspired wrestler who blends Lucha style moves with…well…Kung Fu.  Lyndon also wears a headband to the ring that makes you think he’s been watching one too many Kung Fu movies.

Lyndon is a worker that is capable of exciting any crowd he wrestles in front of.  His inexperience shows at times, as it would with anyone who’s only been wrestling for two years, but the kid is willing to lay it all on the line and take sick bump to make his opponent look good.  His performance in the aforementioned ladder match was a memorable one, but Lyndon is looking to add another memorable performance to his resume in the 2009 JPC.

Lyndon also displays a flare for innovation.  The rules for the 4-way match involving Lyndon required that each man only use the ladder assigned to them before the match to get the Hybrid Championship belt down from the cable hanging above the ring.  During the match, Lyndon’s ladder snapped in half after he was tiger bombed through it by Dave Cole.  Later in the match, when Lyndon had an opportunity to capture the belt, Lyndon had no ladder to use so he took someone else’s ladder and placed his mangled ladder over the much healthier ladder.  It’s a little thing, but it’s something that hasn’t been done by either of the big two in the States.

“The Megastar” Marion Fontaine, who also was part of the aforementioned ladder match involving Lyndon, is much like “Big Poppa Pump” Scott Steiner in that both men have their freaks.  Only difference is that Fontaine’s freaks are a rather eclectic mix of social outcasts (though upon thinking about it, that could still refer to Steiner’s freaks.)

Fontaine, who is nicknamed the “friend to the friendless,” can count a fantastically insane and dangerous woman, an African savage, a crazy fat Samoan, and a love deprived loner amongst the freaks he’s chosen to befriend and escort him to the ring.  As friend to the friendless, one can only expect the list of freaks to grow larger and freakier.

Fontaine is not going to wow you physically, as he’s generously listed as being 170 lbs while standing just over six feet tall.  He might be 170 pounds if he’s standing on a scale with 3 bowling balls.

Fontaine is just clean fun.

That brings up to the Hybrid Champion himself, “The New Deal” Dave Cole.

Cole is a versatile performer who displays a great deal of upside, so much so that he’s a dark horse candidate to make a deep run in this JPC.

Cole is a mat technician who, according to his Myspace, has spent time training with Christopher Daniels and Mike Quackenbush.  Cole even recently defended his Hybrid Championship against Christopher Daniels, a match that Dragon Gate USA includes as a free addition to their “Independent Tour De Force, Volume 1” DVD that they give to fans who attend their live events.

Cole is also explosive in his execution of moves and has no problem taking a risk when it is time to do so in a match.  Cole also throws a lethal and picture pefect tiger bomb that even the Japanese would be proud of.  Cole can do just about anything in the ring, which is why he’s the Hybrid Champion and could very well be walking out of Florida with the Peterson Cup trophy in tote.

Full Impact Pro

Full Impact Pro, founded in 2003 by Sal Hamaoui, is based in Florida and prides itself on being a professional wrestling company that presents world class level professional wrestling to their fans.

When asked to describe to fans what FIP is all about, the humble Hamaoui managed to capture the essence of all the promotions involved in the JPC.

“The other three promotions (Hybrid, AAW, CZW) are phenomenal promotions and we’re happy to be working with them and they’ve been nothing but professional dealing with them and getting this set up,” said Hamaoui.

“You know, this is independent wrestling.  We pride ourselves as being a professional wrestling company, and we’ve done it like a professional wrestling company and we try to be professional in everything we do from the presentation of our shows, the live presentations, to the production of the DVD’s to the promotion of the shows, our websites, etc.  We try to be as professional as possible, and that’s how we try to represent FIP, as a top independent wrestling promotion and the other three promotions involved (AAW, CZW, Hybrid) strive to be a professional as possible also.”

I think independent wrestling has gotten a bad rap because the level that it is and there are a lot of people that aren’t properly trained, a lot of promoters that don’t deliver on what they promise and don’t treat the workers with respect and the fans with respect and we try to obviously do that, and definitely we try to go out there and have the best show we’ve ever had.”

The “home promotion” at the JPC, as one might expect, is bringing a stacked team to the tournament, including two who can be considered amongst the very best in the world.

Topping the list of talent representing Full Impact Pro is the reigning FIP World champion Davey Richards.  Richards is a fantastic talent whose work is tight, intense, crisp, and physical.  Richards, to put it succinctly, is a flat out beast that has wrestled all over the world and is quickly becoming one of the best wrestlers in the world, hands down.

“What do you say about Davey Richards that hasn’t already been said? The guy is just phenomenal,” says Hamaoui.  “This is a guy who, I think, is the best independent wrestler in the world. He’s been offered WWE developmental contracts twice and turned them both down. He does this for the love of the sport. He does this because it’s what he wants to do. He’s very intense and very motivated, and away from the ring is a super nice guy and has an incredible attitude. He goes in there and gives it 110% every time out whether he’s in front of 1,000 people or 100 people, or even 10,000 people, he’s going to give it 110%. You’re going to get nothing but that from Davey Richards every time out.”

Richards not making a deep run in this tournament would be a complete shocker.

T.J. Perkins is another world class talent representing Full Impact Pro in the JPC.  Perkins’s chain wrestling ability is off the charts awesome.  Perkins also knows how to make the guy he’s in the ring with look like a million dollars.  Perkins’s match with Bryan Danielson in last year’s Battle of Los Angeles tournament is a perfect example of everything Perkins is capable of.

“I’ve worked with Perkins when he was doing the Puma gimmick,” Hamaoui says.  “Incredible talent and he’s just gotten so much better.  That was back in 2005 when I first started working with him and he recently moved to the Tampa area, and he’s just a phenomenal wrestler, what can you say about him?  I’ve never seen anyone do better chain wrestling.  He’s in incredible shape, his moves are so fluid, he’s a guy that could definitely be picked up by TNA Wrestling or WWE.  He’s done a bunch of dark matches with WWE, a bunch of enhancement matches, he’s just an incredible talent and he’s got it all.  He just needs the opportunity and he’ll definitely deliver on every level.”

The JPC could very well be that opportunity.

Brad Attitude, the reigning Florida Heritage champion and another former WWE developmental talent in the JPC, was the runner up last year and will be motivated to better his performance from last year.

“Just an incredible attitude and incredible human being and a great work ethic,” says Hamaoui of Attitude.  “He goes in there and is very humble and appreciative of every opportunity he gets and he always delivers.  He’s just an incredible talent.”

Attitude has an arsenal of unique moves, including a springboard senton splash he delivers by springing off the top rope with his knees, a fact made even more remarkable by the fact that Attitude is 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 232 lbs.

Chris Jones is a talented young up and comer from Miami that Hamaoui is quite high on.

“He’s got a world of upside potential.  He’s a really bright kid,” says Hamaoui.

Hamaoui believes that if Jones continues to work hard, he can overcome the obstacles facing talent from the state of Florida.

“Here on the Florida scene, when a lot of people think of independent wrestling, like the hotbeds, Florida doesn’t really come to mind with regard to a whole array of groups that run down here and draw. It’s hard to draw down here in Florida, it really is.  When you think of the hot beds, you think of the Philadelphia wrestling scene and the northeast wrestling scene, and you start to think about the Midwest, and Guerrilla in California.”

“For a lot of these younger guys in Florida to take it to the next level, they really need to be in there with talent that will push them to that next level.  It doesn’t do these younger guys a lot of good just working the same people on the same shows every weekend, and that’s how you get better, that’s how Roderick Strong got better.  I remember when Roderick would drive himself up (to Philadelphia) and sleep in his car and work weekend shots in Philadelphia just to get on the radar.  He got in with Combat Zone Wrestling and got his foot in the door with Jersey All Pro and then got his foot in the door with Ring of Honor and the rest is history, he’s one of the top wrestlers in the world at this point.”

“ It’s kind of what you have to do and working with Chris, myself and Gabe Sapolsky, my booker at the time in FIP, we saw a lot of upside potential in him and gave him the opportunity and he won the Florida Heritage Title and one of our top faces in the company.”

Jones recently faired well working for Dragon Gate USA and has a chance to really make a mark in this tournament.

What To Look For

Here is a list of the first round match ups in the JPC tournament.

Left Bracket

Davey Richards (FIP) vs. Drake Younger (CZW)

Scotty Vortekz (CZW) vs. Egotistico Fantastico (CZW)

Arik Cannon (AAW) vs. T.J. Perkins (FIP)

Shane Hollister (AAW) vs. Flip Kendrick (Hybrid)

Right Bracket

Dave Cole (Hybrid) vs. SilasYoung (AAW)

Brad Attitude (FIP) vs. Jon Moxley (CZW)

Johnny Gargano (AAW) vs. Chris Jones (FIP)

Louis Lyndon (Hybrid) vs. Marion Fontaine (Hybrid)

The match between Davey Richards and Drake Younger has the potential to be the best match in the first round.  The tough draw for either man could be an indication that the winner of this match will be going a long way the way tournament.

Vortekz and Fantastico should be familiar with one another and should put on an entertaining first round bout.

Cannon and Perkins is a toss up.  The match should be a damn good one and is another candidate for best match of the 1^st round.  I would say that Perkins stands a good chance of winning this one, since he’s representing the hometown promotion.  If Perkins manages to win his 1^st round match, he stands a good chance of making the semis where he could potentially face Davey Richards in a match that will every opportunity in the world to tear the house down.

Dave Cole could do some damage in this tournament.  Silas Young is likely the more known out of the two.  Expect a solid match from these two.

The match between Attitude and Moxley will likely involve some solid mic work.  This match intrigues me.  The first round pairings for this tournament are just outstanding.  That should result in some good matches that will build heat for the remainder of the tournament.

Gargano and Jones could also put on one hell of a match as well.  I expect Gargano to do some damage based on his recent success in Dragon Gate USA and his victory over Bryan Danielson.

I expect the Lyndon and Fontaine bout to be the comic relief of the first round.

Final Thought

If you’re within driving range of the Tampa area, I implore you to check out this event.

The circumstances that bring about this event are unfortunate, but the passion that Jeff Peterson felt for the professional wrestling will live on for two nights this weekend in Brooksville and Crystal River.  The tournament perfectly captures what Jeff Peterson was all about and the fact that profits go to great cause make this tournament, in my mind, the best annual tournament going in independent wrestling today.

It’s difficult to find just the right words to capture the spirit of Jeff Peterson and what he brought to the business, but the best way to make sure his spirit lives on is to attend the shows and buy the DVD’s.

From jpc2009.com:

Friday, November 20, 2009
Brooksville National Guard Armory
16386 Springhill Drive – Brooksville, FL 34604
Doors Open 7:30 PM – Bell Time 8:00 PM
Buy Tickets Online

Featuring the First Round matches of the tournament.

Tag Team Rumble
The top tag teams compete in an over the top rope battle royal.

Pro Wrestling RIOT Pre-show
Starts at 6:45 for all VIP and Front Row ticket holders.

Saturday, November 21, 2009
Crystal River National Guard Armory
8551 W. Venable St., Crystal River, FL
Doors Open 7:30 PM – Bell Time 8:00 PM
Buy Tickets Online

Featuring the Quarter Final, Semi Final and Final matches of the tournament.

Bullrope Match
Wrestling Legend “Outlaw” Ron Bass vs. Superstar Sean Davis

Dragon Gate USA FRAY!
The 8 Men eliminated from the first round of the tournament which will be taped as bonus for the Dragon Gate USA Open The Freedom Gate DVD release.

Pro Wrestling RIOT Pre-show
Starts at 6:45 for all VIP and Front Row ticket holders.

Two Night VIP Package (Limited Availability) – $50
Includes: Ringside Admission, Two Night VIP Meet & Greet

Two Night General Admission
Adults $25 and Kids 13 and under $15

Single Night Ringside $20

Single Night General Admission:
Adults $15 and Kids 13 and under $10

For more information on the 2009 Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup tournament, including ticket information, check out the tournament’s official website at http://www.jpc2009.com/.

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