Heat: The Space Age of Pro Wrestling

Prison Pro Wrestling is set to present their annual supercard, the Super Max Challenge Cup, and Bodyslam Magazine is here to break things down, starting with the number one ranked team in the Qualifying Round, Prison Asteroid 17E. The rosters for each prison were finalized over the weekend, so today we’ll be examining the fearsome foursome put together by 17E.

Rod Black
6′ 1″, 233 lbs
Rod Black’s inclusion on the squad provides Team 17E with a well-rounded wrestler who can offset any bad stylistic match-ups that the other prisons could try to throw their way. Black isn’t the strongest guy around, or the fastest, but he’s explosive and versatile enough to hang with just about anybody in PPW. Note that we said “hang with”, not “beat”. While Black is an undoubtedly worthy addition to the team, he’s going to be in for a rough night if he has to take on top flight competition like Johnny Law or El Gangster II.

Los Gordinflones Negros – Uno & Dos
6′ 3″, 295 lbs (590 lbs combined)
Given the team-based nature of the Super Max Challenge format, the inclusion of the PPW Tag Team Champions isn’t particularly shocking. Even if the format didn’t heavily emphasize tag team wrestling, Uno and Dos are both capable grapplers on their own, employing a hybrid style that mixes big-man power wrestling with lucha libre aerial tactics. It also doesn’t hurt that they’re nearly identical and not above using that fact to their advantage in the ring. LGN’s tag team chemistry is unmatched by any pairing we’ve seen in the prison ranks in years, and it’s hard to imagine them being beaten by any of the potential combinations they could face in the Super Max Challenge.

Vinny LaGrazo
5′ 11″, 202 lbs
Vinny LaGrazo is a nasty piece of business who supplies Team 17E with an entirely different look, stylistically. LaGrazo is a shooter who will look for a weakness and exploit it ruthlessly. He loves to bend his opponents into unnatural, pretzel-esque shapes, a trait which is evidenced by his signature Sickle Hold. While capable of dominating performances, LaGrazo also has his drawbacks. Vinny’s temper has cost him matches after causing him to stray from his methodical gameplan, and his volatility has caused problems for allies believed by LaGrazo to be underperforming. Rage issues and all, LaGrazo is still one of the best wrestlers involved in the Super Max Challenge Cup and should prove to be a key piece of Team 17E’s gameplan for bringing the Cup home.