CWD MAGAZINE: June 2018 . ISSUE I

The California Republic Division will be the birth of the CWD Tag Team Division and the cwd management team is looking to crown the first champions in a big tag team turmoil event, dubbed as "A Night of Turmoil" when 12 teams arrive to Hollywood, California to birth the first reign of the first tag team championship division in the CWD. There has been some rumors and speculations that the California Republic championships may headline all events and major events versus the conventional idea of having a single's championship as your premier championship. Again, this is only speculation and nothing is set in stone, but a bird on the wire spoke of this briefly to me. Whatever the case, this division is going to leave a mark in the realm of professional wrestling!




When we look at Whirlwind, and the CWD, it’s hard to really see the similarities the two have in common. It’s even harder to see what would bring these two promotions together such that they would consider themselves the other’s sister promotion. But, there is one thing they do have in common - a desire to provide the best bang for a paying fan’s dollar. One need not even look far to see that at the top of both companies. Between Maki of the CWD, Team A.T.A.R.I, and Kendrick Kross, then on the Whirlwind side you’ve got Bryan Blaze and Samantha Tolson alongside Whirlwind Champion Joe Jones. Every one of these names are top caliber talents capable of selling entire shows on their name value alone. Let’s dive a little deeper though and take a look at some of the crossroads the two companies share.

It’s not every day that one company allows a top star from another company to have air time on their own show, but as we look at CWD’s Britney Anders making a crossover appearance as one such example of Whirlwind doing just that. Why, though? Let’s call a spade a spade and acknowledge the truth. Britney is loud. Britney is loud, arrogant, and doesn’t know how or even when, to shut up. There’s a lot of people who would like to show her that art, but only one man that has stepped forward, volunteering to do so for us all...Whirlwind’s own MAX Danger. The soft-spoken underground mixed martial arts legend boasts of an unprecedented record of a hundred-twenty-nine wins and zero losses, all hundred-twenty-nine of those wins being via knockout. Britney, in all of her bravado accepted such a match with MAX much to his pleasure to represent her company...or is it instead to angle for an even larger contract from Ethan Roerich, based on the assumption that she could knock out the knockout artist. Clearly, Roerich would have a bonafide cash cow on his roster if she were able to do that on MAX’ home turf no less. It’s gonna be a Day of Judgment for someone, for sure, on June 10^th when these two cross paths...my only regret, is that this isn’t contested under PRIDE Rules. Not that MAX needs an advantage though, since you’d have to be an idiot to not see how heavily favored an MMA icon is going into a money fight with someone as fresh to the business as Britney Anders. No disrespect to Britney, of course, but the numbers don’t lie…

Anyway, I got a bit off track there in thinking about this match coming up. There’s more to this cross-network relationship than just a cross-platform rivalry. Athletes of both brands, such as CWD’s own Heritage Champion Kendrick Kross have made the jump to become a dual-company star - which is an easy obligation to fulfill with Whirlwind only hosting one show per month. Both Ethan Roerich and Whirlwind lead project designer Toby Knight, have actively encouraged their athletes to co-mingle in this way. Utilize both brands as a way of further enhancing your own brand, bring notoriety everywhere you go, to include when you come back “home” as it were. It’s easy to see why Roerich and Knight would want their athletes to work together in this way, although the two bosses themselves have not worked together in a televised capacity as of this writing.

And ultimately, at the end of the day, it’s obvious both Ethan Roerich and Toby Knight want to put on only the best wrestling production they can put on. You know the old phrase, right, “two heads are better than one”? That’s the easiest way I can put their friendship into words. Day of Judgment is only the beginning. You never know who is in the area, so to speak...all we can do is expect the CWD to return the favor of inviting Whirlwind into their home for a night. This is not an “if”, but instead is a “when”. And I for one cannot wait for who decides to make that jump.

For Baumer Report, and Whirlwind Wrestling LLC, this has been Baldwin Knight.
~ Trust in Knight



Q: When did you begin wrestling?
In 2013, I trained at a promotion in Cleveland, Ohio and a few months later they gave me the chance to compete in my first match. Being from California, I found the company via a friend and they helped with moving costs and everything. It was the best decision of my life. I don’t think I would be where I am without them.

Q: When did you realize this would be your dream?
I remember going to my first independent show when I was still in middle school and seeing the wrestlers, it was life changing. I always loved wrestling but never knew anyone could become one as long as they put the work in and found a school. After that first show I knew I wanted to do this for a living.

Q: How did you find CWD?
I had the chance to go to Japan and wrestle for PRIDE FEMALE under the name Battle Angel. I toured with them for the better part of four months. Once the tour ended and I came back to the States I needed to get back into the swing of things with getting booked here. That is when I found GWD, now California Wrestling Division. Basically, Twitter and good word of mouth is what brought me here.

Q: When did you know this would be a good fit for you?
Right away. The fans are really passionate and that is what is most important to me. The Japan fans have a reputation for being some of the best, most passionate and loyal people. Being in CWD, it’s sort of the same feeling. I love it.

Q: What was your first thought when you were injured by Kendrick Kross?
“How long until I am cleared?” was really the first thing that I thought about. Kross is a dangerous guy but I don’t really blame him for what he did. He saw me as a threat and he saw me as an obstacle he couldn't overcome so he did what he had to do to get ahead. It was smart. A lot of people asked me why i didn’t come back right away when I did get cleared. I took my time. I traveled the world, got better, and won titles in other promotions. I upped my game and now I am back better than ever.

Q: When you won the Global Heritage Championship, now renamed as the California Heritage Championship, What was the first thought to come to mind?
I was happy, excited, and I knew that I earned it. I work harder than anyone else and it was rewarding to see that pay off. But, I knew I had a target on my back and people would be gunning for me

Q: Who is your biggest influence?
Cosmo Cooper, Alexis Terry, and Chris Callum.

Q: The first word that comes to mind when these names are mentioned...
Samantha Hamilton - Overrated
Britney Anders - Annoying
Equinox - Heart
Kendrick Kross - Opportunist
Melody Marshall - Dreamer

Q: Since returning you have made it known that you were looking to get back at Kendrick Kross and reclaim your championship. Do you feel the prestige was lost when Kross acquired the belt?
I believe in hard work, earning your keep, and I believe in always pushing yourself. I follow those rules and because I do I believe in myself. I believe I am the best and because the best currently isn’t holding the Championship, then yeah - it has lost some credibility.

Q: What would be your dream match in CWD?
My next match is always my dream match. But, I guess I wouldn’t mind facing Britney Anders in a 1,000 light tube flaming death match. It be nice to ruin that stupid face of hers.


We open up in a lounge area in a very big Malibu Mansion. The walls are white with picture frames of Melissa Aki’s Achievements including a picture of her holding the CWD California Pride Championship. We pan down to a fake leather armchair with Nigel Astin sitting in it.
Opposite him on the same faux leather but this time on a couch, sitting cross legged with her title over her lap is Maki. She is wearing workout ¾ length shorts, a white tank top and her hair is up in a bun. She smiles sweetly at Nigel.

Astin: Thank you Maki for having us in your home.
Maki: My Pleasure, beauts. These are the things the face of the company does. It’s kind of jointly mine I guess anyway.

She smiles again, and plays with a loose strand of hair, being the total opposite in real life to the face painted warrior she is in the ring. Sweet and attractive she can be very charming.

Maki: Fire away, Nigel.
Astin: Okay, Maki…
Maki: Melissa, please. This is informal.

Astin: Melissa, so when did you begin wrestling?
Maki: I am not sure if you know this but I went with various groups as a teenager I guess you could say. I was unruly, looking for a sense of belonging, somewhere where I could be me, you know? Andros, this family friend, ran a place called the BCWF and I was forced to train with them but I ended up enjoying it so much I decided to become a professional. It wasn’t all, you know, chocolates and roses but it did me good.

Astin: When did you realize this would be your dream?
Maki: Around this time but it was a part time thing. I had also gone to university early and studied from home and had a degree in psychology at sixteen. So I was leaning that way and thought maybe one day I would combine both but then I got scouted by a company in the states and they offered me a full time contract after my tryout. The rest is history.

Astin: How did you find CWD?
Maki: Well you may know or not that I am in various places of employment. I enjoy being semi-freelance but in the end I wanted to wrestle somewhere closer to home. I have lived in Malibu and California itself for awhile now and it is home to me and the CWD is the best in California. Plus at the time my Dogs of War brethren were here which made it easier to choose.

Astin: When did you know this would be a good fit for you?
Maki: It wasn’t really any one thing that made me realise. I walked in the back and saw the others and I saw my friend Nox and Mark Storm. We socialised and then when I went out in that Gauntlet match and pretty much owned it I thought yeah this place could be amazing but it wasn’t until I was shocked at defeated that I knew I would make this place better and be the champion everyone needed.

Astin: What was your first thought when Mark Storm departed from the company?
Maki: I was upset. He was one of the main reasons I signed to represent the Dogs of War but also it left a void for someone to fill and I knew I could be your champion and mine.

Astin: As the remaining Dog of War do you feel you have a legacy to uphold?
Maki: Yes of course but we are a collective of the best wrestlers in the world from all companies and all walks of life. Of course the DOW were so strong here and now that falls on me and I don’t think I have done too badly, eh?

She taps her title and smiles.

Astin: When you won the championship, What was the first thought to come to mind?
Maki: Yes! You see I had finally done it. I am known around the world as a fierce competitor with a never say die attitude. I have won championships and in fact I also have a hardcore title from a different company but to win the number one title in any company has been a dream of mine but to do it in my home state in front of my people was so amazing to me. I am living the dream.

Astin: Who is your biggest influence?
Maki: My Dad and my wrestling mentor Andros. There are many wrestlers out there who influence in me but they are the ones that always believe in me no matter what.

Astin: The first word that comes to mind when these names are mentioned...Mark Storm.
Maki: Brother

Astin: Samantha Hamilton.
Maki: Hell.

Astin: Britney Anders.
Maki: Pathetic.

Astin: Equinox.
Maki: Friend.

Astin: Kendrick Kross.
Maki: Moron.

Astin: Melody Marshall.
Maki: Challenge

Astin: What does the future hold for Maki and her title reign? What are your goals as champion?
Maki: The future? To defend this title with every last ounce of breath in me. To be a fighting champion and prove that women are just as tough as men and to give EVERY wrestler on the roster a shot at my title.

Astin: How do you deal with the constant pressure of being champion and the face of the promotion?
Maki: It is an honour to me. You call it pressure and I call it fun. Let them come at me and see what happens. Being the face of the company is such a pleasure to me. To go out and spend time with the fans, to see my fans and see their enjoyment of the company as a local run entity is everything to me. My aim is to be champion for a very long time and to grow alongside the company. Who wouldn’t love this face?

Astin: What does the California Pride Championship mean to you?
Maki: It’s in the name, obviously. It means to be proud to live in California and to represent the whole of California as well as CWD. You see what so many people do not understand is that I am out doing signings, meets and greets, fighting around the world but this championship grounds me and makes me realise that yes I am English but that California is everything that makes me happy.

Astin: Since winning the championship, Samantha Hamilton has had it out for you, does this bother you?
Maki: Look, Samantha Hamilton is like all these other bitches. She may claim she is different to Anders but in the end she is the same. Jealous bitches, tough little assclowns, but in the end they are not good enough to beat me and are upset that Maki is better than them. Hamilton is done as far as I am concerned. Daniela dragged her to hell, she has come back a different person and is mentally scarred. She can jog on now.

Astin: Do you feel you are going to be targeted more heavily the longer you are champion?
Maki: That is obvious. They all wanna fight me. Nox, Anders, Kross, Melody, Dickie and the host of newbies too. Have you ever seen anyone new blast through her opposition to become champion in such a short space of time since they signed? No obviously. They all want a shot at me and yes I am targeted more but to be honest I am constantly targeted due to the fact I can knock them all out whenever I want.

Astin: What would be your dream match in CWD?
Maki: Well I do not have one now Mark left and I already faced Nox. Maybe facing Kross and becoming two time champion or smashing that little cute face of Anders. To be honest I am the dream match for everyone else!