Issue date: 10/6/08 Section: Entertainment

Hundreds of people stood in attendance in Joliet last weekend to watch, what is considered by wrestling fans, to be one of the most prestigious wrestling events in the country.

The Independent Wrestling Association: Mid South presented the 2008 Ted Petty Invitational, a 24-man tournament in memory of the late Ted Petty who, throughout his career, wrestled under the name "Flyboy" Rocco Rock. Petty was known by wrestler to be able to use many different styles of wrestling.

The TPI has been going on since 2000, when it then called the Sweet Science 16. Past champions include BJ Whitmer, Chris Hero, Ace Steel, Mike Quackenbush, TNA wrestler A.J. Styles and Matt Sydal, who now competes in the WWE as Evan Bourne.

An invitation to participate in the TPI is considered by many a career accomplishment as only 24 wrestlers partake in the annual tournament.

"[Wrestlers] feel it is an honor to be invited to the TPI," said IWA MS owner Ian Rotten.

Participants in this year's TPI included established and up-and-coming wrestlers including; Chuck Taylor, Claudio Castagnoli, Eddie Kingston, Chris Hero, Jimmy Jacobs, Ace Steel, Dave Taylor, Too Cold Scorpio, Sara Del Ray, Drake Younger, Sami Callihan, and Egotistico Fantastico .

The match between Dave Taylor and Claudio Castagnoli might be considered one of the best wrestling matches to take place this year. Talyor, who is a former WWE superstar, and Castagnoli went hold for hold with neither man gaining an advantage in the early portion of the match.

At the right moment, Castagnoli was able to hook Taylor in a backslide to score a pin. After the match, the 50-year-old Taylor was heard joking with fans about himself, telling them to, "go on the internet and tell wrestling fans this bastard can still go."

Casual wrestling fans would be surprised to see a female wrestler competing with men, but fans of Del Ray weren't surprised to see the female wrestler achieve success in a tournament involving men as she has proven many times
that she can hold her own against men.

Del Ray has been called the best female wrestler in the United States by fans and wrestlers alike. Trained by the "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson, Del Ray set her sights on winning the 2008 TPI.

Del Ray defeated stiff competition in the earlier rounds when she battled Trik Davis and Cassandro to advance to a semi-finals match against Castagnoli.

During the semi-final match it appeared as if Del Ray was going to make it to the finals when she was countered Castagnoli finishing move, the "Ricola Bomb", and reversed it into a cross arm bar, as the crowd chanted for Castagnoli to tap out. Castagnli was able to get out of the move and would eventually hit the "Ricola Bomb" to advance to the finals.

Some people were surprised with the success of Callihan. He is relatively new to IWA MS and has only been wrestling in that he has only been wrestling for two and a half years. Despite his lack of experience Callihan started to develop a cult following with the fans. In the rounds leading to the finals, Callihan defeated former TPI champion and Chris Hero, "The King of Diamonds" Eddie Kingston and performer 2 Cold Scorpio, a former ECW, WCW and WWE.

Callihan's matches stood out due the amount of stiff shots taken in the match. Chris Hero and Eddie Kingston have been known for stiff moves in the ring. Callihan's match with Kingston was especially stiff as both men refused to hold anything back in the ring. His match with 2 Cold Scorpio would end up being just as brutal, but Callihan was able to overcome the odds and advance to the finals.

In a non-tournament match, Jason Hades put the IWA Light Heavyweight title on the line in an I Quit/Steel Cage match against Jayson Quick. In the match, the only way to achieve victory was to make the other opponent utter the words "I quit." The match could be considered the most violent match in TPI history, as both men fought tooth and nail to achieve victory. Throughout the match, the use of a chair and a screwdriver came into play, causing both men to have their skin busted open during the match. After Hades's repeated beating, Quick had no other choice but to say "I quit."

The final match of the tournament pitted Claudio Castagnoli, Sami Callihan, and Drake Younger against each other in a triple-threat elimination match to determine the 2008 TPI Champion. During the match, Castagnoli took out Callihan when he swung Callihan into rows of chairs being used by the audience. A few moves later and Callihan was out of the tournament.

When it came down to Younger and Castagnoli, the crowd was strongly behind Younger. Younger was able to overcome the odds and hit the Vertebreaker to become the 2008 TPI champion.

Younger, as well as fellow wrestlers, broke out into tears as fans got on their feet in celebration. Fans started to chant "you deserve it" as a sign of respect for the hard work that Younger has done in his career.

"[This moment] hasn't hit me yet and it probably won't until next year," Drake explained. "[This trophy] means I'm more than just a hardcore wrestler."

In the dressing room, the other wrestlers started applauding as Drake arrived backstage.

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