FROM THE VAULT: Mike Draztik vs Joey Ace vs Mel Sanchez vs Kyle the Beast - ACE Overdrive 8/1/12
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
Being basically an old man now in the professional wrestling game, I sometimes like to go back and see how far performers have come from their early independent wrestling beginnings.
I think back to the post-ACE Arena days of American Championship Entertainment. As a card-carrying member of the ACE Nation, I harken back to ACE taking on another chapter, at the Wallington Knights of Columbus in Wallington, NJ, the Jose Marti Freshman Academy and other schools in Union City, and now, the Knights of Columbus in Teaneck.
Especially at this point, ACE management was looking for new, fresh talent to come into the company. I vividly remember a who’s who of competitors coming into the door, just looking for a chance to make an impact.
There was one match on my mind that, seemingly for a decade, I could never find.
Thank goodness for ACE’s YouTube channel.
I rediscovered ACE’s weekly webshow from the early 2010s - Overdrive. In one of the early episodes, I unearthed a hidden gem - a match with four men that really set the stage for the next few years in the tri-state area.
We are going FROM THE VAULT, back to 8/1/12, as Kyle the Beast faced Mel Sanchez, Joey Ace, and a certain man named Mike Draztik. You might know him now…as CRUZ MONTANA.
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First things first, this match was post-produced and hosted by the late, great Mike Morgan, Jr. For everyone to realize how special he was, look at the dedication to editing Mikey put into this. Truly one of my all-time favorite people, and is still missed to this very day.
Secondly, it looks like our fearless leader on HQ handled commentary solo. Harder had better days, but at this point, he was truly the “voice of ACE”.
Now, these four men had one goal in mind: to steal the show and get themselves a full-time roster spot in ACE.
Draztik, at this point, was really in his rookie campaign as a professional. On the flip side, Mel Sanchez was a dedicated fighter out of the Bronx. Joey Ace, accompanied by Lady Diamond Dee, was brash, braggadocious, and unafraid to fly. Ironically, he was using “the Cult of Personality” as a theme. Lastly, Kyle had just dropped over a hundred pounds, and had quickly become a beast in between the ropes. A new look, attitude, and style.
This match was very off-the-time. All four men really laid it out there. At the end of the day, Sanchez picked up the win and became a full-time ACE roster member.
But, to me, the story becomes more about what happened to all four after this match.
Kyle Winant: Kyle quickly became Kyle the Beast and started putting on bangers throughout the rest of the 2010s, most notably in the early days of Game Changer Wrestling. Also, Kyle was a major part of Project: Diverge in 2018 as Commissioner Harder’s “wild card”.
Joey Ace: “The Five Star Stud” became a major player throughout the New York independent scene, ultimately making an impact in the legendary ECWA. Ace is a four-time ECWA Heavyweight Champion and a former Tag Team Title partner with good friend Cheyenne Ortiz.
Mel Sanchez: The serious competitor never really got settled into the ACE roster fully, and hasn’t been seen in quite some time. A major “What If?” in pro wrestling.
Mike Draztik: Shortly after this match, Draztik linked up with Angel Ortiz and formed EYFBO, THE top independent tag team in the mid-2010s. They then linked up with Chris Dickinson, Jaka, and Pinkie Sanchez to form Team Pazuzu. EYFBO then translated that into a spot in TNA, which then led into AEW. After a surprising split, Santana bet on himself, went back to TNA, became TNA Champion, and is now in WWE as Cruz Montana.
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Sometimes, a FROM THE VAULT is more about the evolution of talent inside of the match. I’m happy to say I watched this one live.
It makes you get nostalgic and remember the good ol’ days. Proud of everyone in this contest.
Bankie Bruce
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