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'TKO' loses twice, but stays focused

Squamish wrestler goes 0 for 2 in Sea to Sky matches

Unfortunately for Squamish's Cody "TKO" Smith, there was no home advantage in the pair of All Star Wrestling (ASW) matches he fought on Friday (Sept. 30) and Saturday (Oct. 1).

Smith had two title opportunities but came up on the losing end of both contests, falling in a tag-team bout in Squamish on Friday and a singles match for the ASW cruiserweight title on Saturday.

Despite the two losses, Smith said he was pleased with how the weekend went.

"I thought overall the shows were good," he said. "We were down a bit for attendance at both shows but the people that were there were real wrestling fans. It was nice to see a lot of kids out there too and they were all pretty vocal."

Smith, along with his tag-team partner Mr. India, were awarded the ASW tag-team titles but the decision was reversed after an officiating error, much to the dismay of the crowd.

"I guess I pinned the wrong guy," Smith said, noting that he didn't know that he pinned the illegal man in the ring. "I was stoked that we won the titles but then we got them taken away."

The night's opening bout saw Raven Lake defeat Sammie "Bambi" Hall in five minutes, 32 seconds. Despite the loss, Smith said Hall impressed him.

"She did really well," he said. "They had one of the best matches they've ever had in Pemberton too. She's really good at getting the crowd behind her."

The second match saw Lumberjack Bubba defeat Travis Sparx by disqualification at 8:53, followed by the ASW cruiserweight title match, which saw The Great Kasaki retain his title with a win over Matt Xstatic. The best-of-three-falls bout saw Kasaki take the first fall at 7:30, with Xstatic bouncing back to even the match at 12:57. Kasaki won the third and deciding fall after a splash from the top at 17:17 to keep the gold.

Despite the loss, Xstatic raved about the fan support he received in Squamish.

"I think the show was a great success," he told The Chief. "The fans loved it and I think they enjoyed seeing some new faces. I hope next time we're in Squamish that we will get the same support we did on Friday."

A brief intermission followed the title match, with fans getting the opportunity to take photos with their favourite ASW stars. After the intermission, Toga Boy defeated Bruiser Joe at 13:55 and the main event saw "Gorgeous" Michelle Starr and Disco Fury retain their titles over Smith and Mr. India at 21:33.

The action travelled north to Pemberton on Saturday but the result was the same for Smith. He challenged Kasaki for the cruiserweight title but again fell victim to shenanigans.

"He kept attacking my leg the entire match until the end of the match, I couldn't even lift him up to give him a TKO," he said. "The match ended with me putting him in a stalling suplex and my leg just gave out. Then he landed on me, put his legs on the rope and beat me."

It should be a big rest of the month for Smith and ASW, as the organization is promoting a SuperShow to take place in Cloverdale on Oct. 21. Smith will compete in the main event, which will see him team with Mr. India and former WWE star D.H. Smith (no relation) taking on Starr, Disco Fury and Sparx. Smith said he's looking forward to teaming with the former WWE tag-team champion and second-generation superstar.

"He literally just got released from the WWE and we grabbed him," Smith said. "I'm honoured to be on the same team with him. It's like wrestling in the big time; you get to see how these guys act and train. I'm looking forward just to step into the same ring with the guy."

For more information on ASW, visit www.aswcanada.com.

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