"Priceless" Chad Tatum Defeated Mentallo
Won: June 30th, 2006 - Keystone Centre - Brandon, Mb
Lost: July 6th, 2006
How: Lost to Mentallo
Length: 6 days (*Shortest Reign*)
Mentallo's first PCW Championship reign lasted 147 days. His second, beginning on May 25th 2006, promised to be even longer, especially with his new attitude and willingness to do anything to succeed. But perhaps most likely due to M-Assignment, his super clique that boasted Mike Angels, Chad Tatum and Vinko, The Ukranian Sex Machine as members.
It had been a long road to the gold as former champion Rawskillz had been one of the most talented and decorated titlists in PCW history. It might have been his fighting spirit that was his eventual undoing as he was willing to defend his title any time, anywhere against any opponent.
After defeating Skillz to capture the PCW Championship, Mentallo faced perhaps his greatest challenge and won of the highest honours of his career - the Premier Cup Tournament!
On June 8th, Mentallo defeated ATM, Rawskillz and Chris Sabin to capture the Premier Cup Trophy and engrave his name next to that of Kenny Omega, the winner of the inaugural event.
He followed that up on June 29th with the first ever No Ropes Match, against Rawskillz, at the LID Nightclub. It was thought this unique match type would favour the technically advanced Skillz but Mentallo, known widely for his athletic high flying style, was up to the challenge, defeating Skillz.
But two days later, Mentallo ran head-long into a surprising challenger - "Priceless" Chad Tatum!
Tatum had been a founding member of M-Assignment and, in fact, its impetus for existing at all was born out of the belief that Tatum's brief exile in 2005 was due to unfair treatment by PCW.
When he and Angels won the PCW Tag Team Championship on June 16th 2006, it seemed the sky was the limit for the duo known as the Tag Sciences Faculty. But they only had two successful title defenses before losing them to Rawskillz & Chris Klassic on August 4th.
One week later, they lost the re-match with the added stipulation that could never team together again. It was a sad ending to one of the most promising tag teams of all time. It couldn't get any worse...or could it?
Two weeks later, Tatum put his career on the line in an effort to win back the right to team with Angels. But he lost to Rawskillz and was forced to leave PCW forever.
In September, Kenny Omega & Donny Dicaprio announced they were leaving PCW to join Mike Davidson's Action Wrestling Entertainment (AWE), a move that shocked and disappointed long-time PCW fans. Perhaps more perplexing, Angels announced that he too was joining AWE, angry about losing his tag team with Chad Tatum.
Davidson publicly denied AWE had signed Angels and it was soon revealed that Angels was so upset with Tatum's forced exile that he had promised Davidson he'd convince Mentallo to leave PCW for AWE - they were a package deal! But Mentallo refused to join AWE and Angels lost a match that would force him to do so. Instead, Angels was tied to a one year exclusive contract with PCW...and set about to initiate Plan B.
On November 24th, Angels defeated Antonio Scorpio to earn a PCW Tag Team Championship match when PCW's Deputy Commissioner Vinko helped him win! The stipulation, formulated by Vinko, allowed Angels to choose any partner, over-riding Tatum's exile clause and Tag Sciences Faculty was back together again.
On December 1st 2005, they re-gained the PCW Tag Team Championship when Mentallo turned on his own partner Scorpio, and the formation of M-Assignment was complete!
As part of M-Assignment, Tatum & Angels defended their tag title and did whatever dirty work Mentallo demanded as he pseruied the PCW Heavyweight Championship then held by Rawskillz.
But this divided focus soon caught up with them as on March 30th 2006, they lost the PCW Tag Team Championship to Law & Order (David Dixon & JP Kaos). Angels blamed Tatum, saying he had become to enamored with the fans who cheered him and too intent on providing those fans with an entertaining athletic style.
It was true that the PCW audience had come to respect Tatum and despise Angels. But the team did not split up...at least not yet. Angels expressed his confidence that they could regain the gold, but only if Tatum followed his advice and wrestled a more "ground-based style".
But the fans encouraged Tatum to disregard this advice. Listening to Angels, Tatum lost to Scorpio on May 25th but disregarding his direction, Tatum defeated Johnny Haze one week later. This minor difference in strategy did not seem like it would cause serious issues between these two long-time friends and partner.
But things changed as the stakes were raised.
At PCW's Premier Cup: Fighting Spirit, the luck of the draw pitted Tatum vs Angels in the opening round. The capacity crowd was solidly behind Tatum and boo'ed Angels vociferously. Tatum appeared game to shake hands and let the best man win, but Angels had a different strategy - lay down and let him win.
Angels explained that he was the more senior member of the tag team, with more potential to be a singles superstar. He said Tatum should concede the match to him because he had the best chance of winning, far better than Tatum who was "just a junior division wrestler."
This upset Tatum who had heard that same sentiment his entire career, that he was too small to be a top guy. A good tag team wrestler, sure, bit not a bonafide top tier singles star. Tatum rejected this notion and implored Angels to have a match in the spirit of competition.
Angels finally agreed...but as soon as Tatum turned his back, he attacked viciously. They two partners had a hell of a battle but it was Angels who was victorious, in his mind proving he had been right all along. "I told you so..." he said to Tatum. "You're just not a top guy."
But two weeks later, Tatum would have his revenge. He faced Angels for an opportunity to challenge Mentallo for the PCW Championship. As M-Assignment cohorts, it was probable that should he win, Angels would decline the match. But Tatum saw it as his chance to prove his worth and cement his own status as a legitimate top guy.
It was another excellent match and this time, with the fans behind him, Tatum pinned his former partner. Two days later, he would make history.
PCW invaded Brandon, Manitoba at the famed Keystone Centre and Tatum finally beat Mentallo for the PCW Heavyweight Championship! The first man into the ring to celebrate was his old partner and former champion Rawskillz, who strapped the belt around his waist.
It was the sweetest of moments for Tatum, winning the title in his home town, in font of friends & family and securing his name in the annals of PCW history!
Although his reign was short, it signaled the arrival of Chad Tatum as a top tier singles competitor! Six days later, the dastardly Mentallo would be on top of the wrestling world again.
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