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31 Days of Wrestling (12/5/16): Main Maxx Vs. Crystal, PWR Renaissance 2016


This bout took place during this year's PWR Renaissance. Suffice to say, this one had ALL the feelings.

This a story that cannot be told without its history.

When Crystal first demanded a match against Peter Versoza (way back during the iAcademy days of PWR), a lot of us were skeptics towards her jumping into a match with someone of Versoza's status. It was after all, her debut. We wondered as to what kind of booking was done that someone would make the jump from ring announcer duties to battling straight in the main card. It just didn't seem to make sense.

All doubts were put aside, however, once Crystal finally took to the ring. Despite having lost the match, she showed a level of ferocity that made many forget that she was a debuting wrestler. She earned her spot in the roster in the eyes of many that night. That was where she belonged.

Main Maxx, on the other hand, was steamrolling through the division, having won the PHX championship off of Bombay Suarez during PWR Live: Road to Wrevolution X. He is a dominant force, breaking the mold of big guys with his quick, athletic moves matched with his devastating power. A member of The Royal Flush he may be, his opponents could not help but begrudgingly respect his skills in the ring. The Silent Rage as he may be, his actions proved to be the voice through which he told the PWR roster that he was their undeniable PHX champion.

Fast forward to PWR Live: The Shawdown.

The event after Wrevolution X always seemed like the start of a brand new season. New faces, new story arcs, and new rivalries seemed to take root right then.

For Crystal, it was supposed to be the start of the PWR women's division, but the sudden departure of her original opponent, Scarlett, left her without a match. Contract in hand, she vowed to never stop fighting to prove her worth in each and every match. Little did she know she's in for quite a test.


For Main Maxx, it was time to start establishing his reign. Despite the dwindling numbers of The Royal Flush, he was still dominant as ever. Along with his stablemates, they Crystal's speech in an attempt to recruit her. They had just recently lost two of their members, and were eager to fill in the void. Crystal proved to be a worthy candidate, but she chose to stand on her own instead, drawing the ire of the Flush who laid waste to everyone else in the ring. Maxx took the open contract, signed his name, and fulfilled Crystal's wish for a true test of her mettle.

We already knew that Crystal was a great competitor. But BAH GAWD, we did not expect to witness such an awesome match of that caliber.

Crystal came in hard at the start of the fight, ready to showcase her fiery fighting spirit. She delivered a resounding slap to the face of her opponent, which echoed in the hall.

She had to establish ground early on, because with a guy like Main Maxx, it only takes one opening for the tides to change. And change they did, as Maxx mercilessly assaulted Crystal with his plethora of moves. Suplexes, his signature side kick, and pretty much everything else you could think of, he threw at her. He gave her no quarter.

And yet, you could see that despite all of these, Crystal always found another way out. She always managed to beat the count. She always fought on. Even when everyone thought she was down for good, she mustered enough energy to survive. And then, she started gaining momentum again. She would be able to lock in her Black Widow hold. She even hit her finisher, the Solemate, and we screamed our hearts out in that new Bayanihan Center venue. We thought, right then and there, that we would crown a new PHX champion. She was thiiiiiiiiis close to it.

But no, Main Maxx would once again show the PWR faithful why he was the rightful champ. He would prove to be too much for Crystal, and yet, you could see a change coming. Something long speculated, now brought to light. He started to respect his opponent. Not that he felt pity, but a sincere, actual admiration for the fighting spirit of his the person across the ring from him. Crystal earned it with how she pushed Main Maxx to the brink, both of them digging as deep as they could to deliver one more blow, one more slam, one more kick out. It was a goddamn sight to behold.

In the end, Main Maxx retained his belt. But Crystal walked away with something only a select few could brag about. She won the champion's respect. Main Maxx would also show to us that deep inside his rough and tough interior lies the heart of a true competitor. A heart that is capable of showing us that it recognizes talent when it encounters it. A heart that has feelings.

With that being said, both wrestlers were showered with the much deserved applause of the crowd. They've shown to us what happens when fighting spirit meets fighting prowess. The ending could have gone either way, and that makes both of them, Crystal and Main Maxx, winners in the eyes of their fans. It was a match truly deserving of its Inihaw na Bacon ng Sonsi rating. It was actually the immediate choice of many of the Smark Henry staff as the first recipient of the rating. It showed to us that David and Goliath situations are bound to happen in the PWR ring, but size truly does not matter when these two are involved.

Hats off to you, Crystal and Main Maxx.




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