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FIVE YEARS OF LIVING EXTREME

On February 18, 1999, "Total Elimination" Eli Flair took a hit that put him on the shelf. Now, while this is no great happening; after all, he's taken MANY hits over the course of the past five years, this one, for the second time in three years, led to the most feared action in the life of an athlete. Surgery.

His legacy of earning the nickname "King of EXTREME" started with his first IntraContinental Title reign in the CSWA, with a Barbed Wire Ladder Match against "Gentleman" Jim Williams, who had been portraying Hornet as the AntiChrist. If Williams could see him now...

But, I digress. Flair won the match in typical Flair fashion that we've all come to know and love, with a lot of blood and a good deal of pain dished out to his opponent. That was, at least for me, the most exciting thing about Eli Flair. While Hornet and GUNS and Alexander Karelin and Steven Flair and Mike Randalls and Mark Windham, and the list could go on forever, were fighting among themselves for the UNIFIED and EN World Titles, Eli Flair was out there, at nearly EVERY event, giving the fans what they wanted to see.

When they wanted to see him and his team take on the Rosenthal Family in DEATH GAMES, did it in typical Flair style, and out fought them to be the sole survivor.

When he proved all his critics wrong, and in the span of THREE DAYS at the Thanksgiving Weekend Spectacular '95, pinned TWO former Unified Champions, in Steven Flair and Mike Randalls, he did it in typical Flair style and simply out fought them.

When he proved, every event, nearly every night, that he was for real, and retired the IC belt after more then eight months of NOT ONE contender man enough to take it from him, he did it in typical Flair fashion, and beat ATTAXX in a BASEBRAWL match, the likes of which have seldom been seen since.

There were few constants in his career; the death of his wife and chronic knee problems spurred him to constantly change his look, and pushed him to keep reinventing himself to stay ahead of the status quo. He was considered 'Extreme' a good two years before it was considered "cool" to do so, and when the CSWA seemed to catch up to his style, he changed things up once again, finding new and interesting uses for Barbed Wire that most 'extreme' wrestlers would be afraid to go near.

Perhaps, the most talked about event in his career was at BATTLE OF THE BELTS XIV: Holy Smokes! as he went EXTREME to the point that fewer then a dozen men in HISTORY have ever gone, and that's against Mike Randalls in a WHEEL of DEATH match. He, along with Mr. Self-Destruct and the eight-foot tall Goliath, took it to Randalls and his partners, Craig Miles and JT Collins of FULL FORCE, until Alicia herself was strapped to the wheel.

Things looked to continue for Eli, until he went up against "King of the Slackers" Troy Windham for the Presidential Title. He took a severe beating in that match, both at the hands of Troy Windham, but The Frat, as well, which included Eli's former tag team partner, Bandit. Just like that, Eli disappeared.

It would be over a year before Eli was heard from again. A lot of people thought that the KING of EXTREME had finally been dethroned by the KING of the SLACKERS. I can speak for more then just myself when I say, thank God we were wrong.

But Eli took some hard shots since his return, fueled by the man that seemed to be able to match him, EXTREME for EXTREME... in "Good God" Kevin Powers. He kept one step ahead of Eli for months, holding onto that United States title, until ELVIS LIVES XI.

Eli won the US belt, but his knee was further aggrivated, and then again on multiple occasions by Hornet and his now FORMER manager, Poison Ivy. As of now we have no new information on Eli's condition, except for that he went under the knife on March 6, and the surgery lasted more then five hours.

Say what you will about Eli... He's a punk from the streets, he's been involved in fights with just about everyone... He's been fined more then anyone in the CSWA, even Mike Randalls, and he's got few friends in the business. But when he hobbled out of the arena in Lincoln after losing his title to Nemesis, there was an eerie silence throughout the building. For those few brief moments, before he exited the arena with Mark Vizzack, it seemed like everyone was waiting for something to come from Eli, that never came.

Eli Flair is convalescing in a hospital now. We don't know which hospital, and we don't know where. But Flair, who entered the CSWA in 1995 with a forged wrestling liscence, who overcame more then one setback on his way to being the LONGEST reigning CSWA Intracontinental Champion ever, has been uncharacteristically silent throughout this entire ordeal. He has not contacted CS Enterprises, he has not contacted the CSWA, he has barely threatened revenge, toward ANYBODY. Will he have something to say? And to who? Nemesis? Hornet? Poison Ivy? We don't know. We know he wants to come back to action, and you can bet, we'll be hearing from Eli Flair very soon.

UPDATED 4/23/99

Updated 4/23/99

I'm Rudy Seitzer, and welcome to CSWA Grapevine, where we track down the rumors running rampant here in the world of wrestling.  As always, I have to start with a standard disclaimer:  we cannot verify any of the rumors reported here.  Some may be true, some may be outright false...but they've all been passed to me by various sources.  So don't come crying to Rudy...got it?


With the debacle that was the title match at SHOWTIME in San Antonio, CSWA Co-Commissioner Chad Meritt has been attempting to find one of the other wrestlers to serve as a special guest referee for the Main Event at BATTLE OF THE BELTS XVI where Hornet and Poison Ivy will take on Sunshine and Mark Vizzack. Considering the likelihood of getting sandwiched in between the Hornet/Vizzack war, the Windham family feud, and the UnHoly/PLR war yet AGAIN, he has, not surprisingly, gotten no volunteers.

Speaking of the Windhams, word on the street has it that CSWA officials have started an all out search for former CSWA World Champion Troy Windham, who hasn't been seen in a wrestling ring anywhere since last year.

Post-op reports on the condition of Eli Flair suggest that he may be looking at another three weeks or so confined to a bed, then a good two months on crutches. He was injured at the hands of Kevin Powers several weeks ago, and those injuries were exacerbated by Hornet and Nemesis, who took his United States title.

CSWA Co-Commisioner Merritt would not comment on a possibly Main Event for the upcoming ANNIVERSARY 99, though word has it, he has been trying to persuade GUNS to resign, using a title shot against Hornet as bait.

ULTRATOUR! The annual ULTRATITLE Tournament was the chief topic of discussion at the latest CS Enterprises shareholder's meeting. With the 1997 woes of the CSWA, it has been three years since "Golden Boy" Paul Pierce beat 127 others to claim victory, as well as the UNIFIED Title. No information is available as of yet over participating wrestling promotions, or possible #1 seeds.

Hornet gave up the goods on SHOWTIME announcing that he had had major experimental surgery in order to put his back in good shape.   He did so after remembering the surgery doctors did on GUNS' right knee that allowed him to return to the ring after Mike Randalls put a wooden stake through his ACL.   Hornet also mentioned that his idea for the use of a branding iron came from his travails with Jim Williams in 1996.  What's next....is Hornet going to drug somebody senseless like Mike Randalls did to him in 1995?  All I know is...it looks like Hornet is reliving the past by being on the giving end, rather than the receiving.   That's too bad for men like Mark Vizzack.

That's it for now, Fans... I'll keep you posted.