7 APR 08: LOSER LEAVES TOWN?

While you may have focused on playoff hockey or college basketball over the weekend, a new sports rivalry began in the Columbus area. It's likely to have a good bit of name-calling, and perhaps even some fisticuffs. But before you get the wrong idea - no, there will NOT be a new Little League baseball program in our area....

The IWN had its Columbus premiere Friday night near Cooper Creek Park - as in the Independent Wrestling Network. A check online indicates this organization also had matches in late March in Fort Valley. I guess this means Fort Valley is to Columbus what New Haven, Connecticut is to Broadway.

The IWN brought in a famous professional wrestling name of the past for its Columbus premiere: Buff Bagwell. For those of you who don't follow sports very much - I don't think he's related to Houston baseball legend Jeff Bagwell.

Before heading to the IWN premiere, Buff Bagwell made a special appearance at Bill Heard Chevrolet. You'll accept our 60-month interest payment plan, or else....

But Buff Bagwell apparently left Columbus embarrassed. A pro wrestling blog reports he lost a three-way battle for the IWN championship title to "Mr. Hughes." Mister WHOSE?! I'm not sure they're even that formal with names at Aflac.

(That sort of absurd wrestling name reminds me of a tag team in Kansas City many years ago. They called themselves "The Hippies" - but one insisted on being called MISTER Mickey Doyle. A hippie called Mister?! Did anyone in San Francisco ever demand this?)

An estimated 400 people attended the opening night of IWN wrestling on Burnham Boulevard. By comparison, the Cottonmouths playoff game at the Civic Center had an attendance of 2,072 -- and who knows how many of those fans were disappointed, because no fights broke out at all. [True!]

What makes IWN's premiere so interesting is that there's already another pro wrestling company in metro Columbus. We told you two years ago about Great Championship Wrestling moving its matches into a former skating rink in Phenix City [26 Sep 06]. I haven't heard much about it since the move - so this organization may be down to Pretty Good Wrestling.

A check of the GCW web site Sunday night found it has NOT been updated in months - and is still promoting a card held during last November's "God Bless Fort Benning" weekend. An event with fake blood must have attracted plenty of visitors from SOA Watch.

IWN is holding its matches in the former "GCW Sports Arena" on Burnham Boulevard. And that wrestling blog indicates there's already a dispute over where GCW star A.J. Steele can compete. He had a draw with IWN Friday night - so the newcomers may be Steele stealers.

The bottom-line question in all this should be obvious: Is the Columbus area big enough for two pro wrestling troupes? After all, this city barely supports one minor league baseball team - with 893 fans attending the Catfish doubleheader Sunday. But then again, Columbus does have about eight Little League programs....

I'm saving the big prediction of the day for something much more vital, but I suspect one of two things will happen here. Either GCW and IWN will merge, or their wrestlers will challenge each other to an all-out brawl somewhere. It might be in the parking lot. It might be at the supermarket. And these wrestlers are big enough that it could happen at Buffet City.

E-MAIL UPDATE: Several readers still want to talk about real bloodshed, from the Doctors Hospital shootings. One wants to set the official record straight....

The Facts:

Charles Johnston was not a Retired MCSD Teacher.

He Spent 2 years in the Navy.

He brought three guns, "in case something happened".

He went to the hospital prior in the day in order to locate Peter(son).

He rode around in his car for an hour before returning to the hospital.

He backed his car into the parking lot, and casually entered into the hospital. Mr. Johnston the proceeded to the 5th floor Critical Care Unit where he casually spoke with a few nurses before zeroing in on Peter Wright, (who did not take care of his mother). Johnson then followed Wright around until he saw an opportunity to fire. Johnston shot Wright point blank in the chest, and Wright went down. Wright the attempted to crawl away when witnesses saw Johnston again fire at Wright, hitting him in the back. Johnston then attempted to leave using the elevator. Witnesses then say that Les Harris followed Johnston to the elevators in an attempt to stop him. Johnston shot Harris in the chest, then proceeded down stairs to leave the building. Once outside, Johnston casually walked to his car followed by hospital personnel. Johnston attempted to enter his vehicle to leave, when James Baker (totally oblivious to the situation) pulled into the parking spot next to him. Johnston turned around, and fired on round at Baker's head as Baker attempted to exit his vehicle.

Baker's wife was not in the truck with him. Baker was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Johnston then casually got into his car, placing two semi automatic pistols on the seat next to him, and attempted to drive away. He is stopped by Deputy Marshal Davenport, who attempts to place Johnston in custody. Johnston gets out of the car and fires at Davenport, who takes cover behind the patrol vehicle. Johnston then reenters his car and attempts to drive around Davenport, when he is stopped by Det. Dahnke, who orders Johnston out of the car, while Ofc's Goodrich and Anderson take up positions and attempt to apprehend Johnston. Johnston the fires at Ofc's Anderson and Goodrich, when Det. Dahnke shoots thru the windshield, striking Johnston in the arm.

The news messed a lot of the facts up. Peter Wright did not take care of Johnston's mother.

Johnston admitted to killing Wright, and shot the others who he thought were attempting to stop him.

Johnston intended to die that day.

Johnston also had plenty of opportunities to shoot white females, black females, and black nurses. He pointed the gun at several and told them to leave him alone.

Johnston acted calm, cool, and collected thru the whole ordeal.

Just the facts.

And so this blog doesn't get sued - Charles Johnston "allegedly" did all these things.

From this detailed message, this e-mailer may have reviewed the official police records on the case. But I suspect the news reporters simply were passing along what the police told them on the scene. At first it was thought Charles Johnston's mother died on the morning of the attack. We're now told that happened four years earlier - so at some point, "oh-four" and "morning" sounded too much alike.

Our next e-mail is concerned about what happened after the hospital attack:

Do you think the citizen's of Columbus would be happy that the city paid $25,000 for a machine used to treat his injuries while he is incarcerated? Not to mention the cost's daily to run it for the attachments that must be replaced each day!

Charles Johnston is a Columbus resident - and judging from the first e-mail, he may be as unhappy about this as anyone.

Some people think doctors should have let Charles Johnston die, after he was taken to the Medical Center's emergency room. But if that occurred, we might not have all the details mentioned above. The doctors would have violated their oath of NOT doing harm. And some of them might have been compared to a famous doctor, who's now running for Congress - Jack Kevorkian.

BIG PREDICTION: It happened in '88, and I say it will happen in '08 - my alma mater Kansas will beat Memphis tonight, and win the NCAA men's basketball championship. I hope you'll forgive me if I become a bit Self-centered after dark. As in Jayhawk coach Bill Self....

BURKARD'S BEST BETS: Gas for $3.15 a gallon at Raceway, I-185 and Victory Drive.... FREE concert by the U.S. Army jazz band at the RiverCenter.... and mall traffic to increase, with Muscogee County Schools on spring break....

COMING TUESDAY: Uhhhh - what do you think? The local news is going to have to be huge, to top this one....

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BURKARD BULK MAIL INDEX: 604 (- 26, 4.1%, record low)

TRUDGE REPORT, DAY 36: Racquetball workout, 84 minutes. Total: 121.8 miles run, 14.5 walked

The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author -- not necessarily those of anyone else in Columbus living or dead, and perhaps not even you.

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