Return of the Champ

The big night had finally arrived. For 74 year old Tom McClane this was the opportunity that he long waited for but never knew it would ever present itself. In the past Tom was an accomplished amateur wrestler and an accomplished combat fighter. The old Cowboy from Oklahoma had starred in High School and College as best in the state and best in the country. He was a key part to Oklahoma winning the 1974 NCAA Championship in Wrestling and never was there a battle he could turn down.

After College, Tom struggled in the world. The oil rig made for some tough days and by night Tom made ends meet at a bouncer. By 1976 his life was lost in this new world where his amateur wrestling career meant nothing. He knew he was a fighter at heart but there wasn't a scene for amateur wrestlers at the time. Then one day Tom took himself a road trip down from Oklahoma across Texas into New Mexico. He didn't know where he was going just that he needed to go somewhere.

It was down in El Paso that he discovered the one thing that truly changed his life forever. That night he had stopped at a bar and inside the bar was a special event going on. As Tom sat down he saw a 16x16 ring set up in a large open area.

Tom asked the Bartender, "Hey, what's going on?".

"There's a big fighting event tonight. No charge as long as you pay your cover charge coming in. You should check it out, these fights get crazy." said the Bartender.

Tom stayed and watched. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Different men fighting in the ring with victory only coming after a referee's discretion or submission of the loser of the fight. The style wasn't amateur wrestling as it incorporated elements of street fighting into it. Some fighters were pure brawlers and others were great grapplers. It was at the end of the night where Tom saw an opportunity.

"Does any one man dare step up to the ring to face the Great Guantanamo?" asked a man on the microphone.

No one responded, except for Tom. Perhaps it was because he was 7 beers deep into the night or perhaps he was just wanting to see something, Tom stood up and accepted the challenge.

Guantanamo was a larger man. He stood 6'5 and 300 pounds. He wore a black mask that covered his identity but he had piercing eyes that could intimidate anyone. Guantanamo stood in a black tank top and black leather pants. Tom didn't have his singlet on him that he had long carried from his College days but it didn't matter because a fight was a fight.

Guantanamo tried to get a jump on Tom but Tom ducked underneath and came back up with a take down before laying in some fists to Guantanamo's face. Guantanamo tried to counter and get on top but Tom got him in a head scissors before choking Guantanamo out and winning the match by KO. After the fight Tom was approached by the same ring announcer that introduced the match.

"Hey kid, great work out there tonight. What's your name?" asked the announcer.

"Tom McLane." Tom said.

"Say Tommy, how would you like to do this on the regular?" asked the announcer.

"Well I'm not from around here." said Tom.

"That don't matter baby, I'd like to take you on the road." said the announcer.

"On the road?" asked Tom,.

"Yeah we do a local circuit here across West Texas but we also have affiliates of ours across the country and work with the North Texas/Oklahoma group." said the announcer.

"I'm from Oklahoma." said Tom.

"Well I'll get you connected with Billy Wallace out that way. I think you're good enough to go National though." said the announcer.

"National?" asked Tom.

"Yep, I can see you being the champion." said the announcer.

"You think so?" asked Tom.

"I know so." stated the announcer.

Over the next few years Tom McLane became the most dominant fighter in the region. He traveled all over too. From Dallas to Houston to New Orleans and within 2 years started going outside the area. Tom was undefeated after 3 years and became a known name in the Combat Wrestling world. His big moment would come on Labor Day Weekend in 1980 when he received a Title Shot against the World Champion Alexander Hawthorne III.

Hawthorne had been champion for nearly 10 years at that point. He first won in 1971 at the age of 29 years old. An amateur wrestler himself at Ithaca College, Hawthorne came from a long line of athletic and actual success. His Grandfather was a rich industrialist having rubbed elbows with Carnegie, Rockefeller and many of his rich contemporaries along the way.

His Father carried on that legacy and the families fortunes finding success as an Amateur Wrestler and Polo player. Alexander III was the next in line to carry that legacy and that he did but Alexander wasn't a saint outside the ring. He had been kicked off the Wrestling team at Ithaca for deliberately injuring a teammate during a scuffle at practice. Hawthorne hated losing and saw it as a embarrassment. The incident got Hawthorne expelled from Ithaca but it caught the attention of Louis Mackey, a New York based promoter of Combat Wrestling who gave the young Hawthorne an opportunity at 20 years old and Hawthorne made the most of it.

His ultimate achievement came in 1971 when at 29 years old he became the youngest World Champion in Combat Wrestling's history when he took down Anthony Riggs by KO. He never looked back from there. By 1980 he was nationally known by media outlets and fans who followed the sport and had heard about the Cowboy from Oklahoma that was making a name for himself. There was never a challenge Hawthorne could back down from and this was no exception.

He knew beating McLane could solidify his legacy. The last big fish before Hawthorne could retire. But the night belonged to McLane as he was able to counter a take down into a choke out and Hawthorne passed out. At 28 years old McLane became the youngest World Champion in the history of the sport and broke the record Hawthorne held. Hawthorne cried foul after the fight and issued a challenge in a rematch.

The rematch was intense but this time the match ended in a draw while Hawthorne held McLane in a submission and the city curfew shut down the match. The third time was the real battle and Hawthorne trained endlessly for it. However, it would be his final match as he suffered a heart attack during it and was unable to finish. The result was Alexander Hawthorne III was sent to retirement at the age of 39, his heart broken from being unable to beat Tom McLane. More heartbroken was Hawthorne's son Alexander IV or "Alex" as he simply preferred to be called.

The 10 year old Hawthorne watched his Father's career ended before his eyes. He watched his strong, invincible Father break down in the ring and nearly lose his life after. The moment became motivation for the young Hawthorne as he spent the next 15 years training himself to be the best fighter in the ring. Over that same amount of time McLane stayed World Champion with nobody being able to beat him. In 1993 fresh out of College, Alex Hawthorne, the 23 year old Son of Alexander Hawthorne III began his Combat career.

It all seemed easy and natural for young Alex as there wasn't a fight he would lose and for the first 3 years Alex sat undefeated. This garnered him enough acclaim to issue a challenge to McLane, who at this point at 44 years old had held the belt for 16 years and was undefeated for 20. At this stage McLane was aging but he was doing his best to combat it. Prior to the match McLane was asked to take a physical and that so he did. At this point it was normal for that to be the case before matches as Combat Wrestling in its growth from a series of small regional promotions to one large national promotion with its own minor league territory was under constant scrutiny and pressure from state governments in regards to their operations.

McLane took the test and took the ring. Coming in McLane knew his right shoulder and knees were not up to par but he did not expect Alex to take advantage of it as he used leg sweeps and shoulder holds to weaken McLane. Late in the fight McLane had been in an arm bar but fought his way back up. Face to face McLane was about to turn it around when a knee by Hawthorne illegally struck McLane in the groin. To McLane's shock there was no call by the official instead as he keeled over in pain Hawthorne got him in a front face lock before sweeping his leg and holding him in a choke hold.

McLane tried to fight back but as he was using what little strength he had left, the official called for the bell and awarded the match to Hawthorne. McLane didn't react initially out of the pain in his knees and groin but he was caught off guard hearing the decision and tried to argue with the official after who wasted no time leaving the ring. McLane followed him to the back where he was informed that during his physical he failed a steroid test. McLane was stunned to hear this news and even more stunned when his appeal was denied. McLane had never used steroids but it didn't matter, the promoter's words meant more.

He never got his rematch. Instead McLane was forced to retire with no warning while Alexander Hawthorne III would take over Combat Wrestling as the Head Promoter and new financial backer just a few months later. Alex Hawthorne would hold the belt for the next 6 year before retiring as the undefeated World Champion at age 33. Shortly after his retirement, Combat Wrestling declined in popularity as main stream exposes on it and political pressure caused it to be shut down, that is until over a decade later.

In that time since the Internet had become all the craze and people were looking to create content. Patrick Scott had been a competitor previously in the old Combat Wrestling. For two years he meddled around and won some fights and lost some fights. He was a true nobody though in the grand picture when it all shut down in 2003 but the 23 year old Scott was intrigued by it. Over the next 10 years Scott began a small backyard promotion called Extreme Combat Wrestling and while in the beginning it was just a bunch of locals, Scott made connections to license off the product to other people and in different places across the country just like it did in the old carnival days, Combat Wrestling was taking hold.

The internet allowed it to prosper as well as Facebook and YouTube were used as outlets to broadcast the matches and connect people to it. Rising out of that was Jason Jaxx, who had signed onto Extreme Combat Wrestling in the first year Patrick Scott owned and operated it and rose up as one of the premiere faces of it all. By the late-2010s Extreme Combat Wrestling was getting exposure in the mainstream and Jason Jaxx had become a household name. Tom McLane had not watched any of it. His exile from the industry left him bitter and hurt.

In the year leading up to this night McLane had only started hearing about Extreme Combat Wrestling. He didn't read social media and he only kept an antenna at his house in Norman, Oklahoma. More often than not McLane spent his days doing yard work, cleaning his home and having a beer or two at the end of the day. He kept up with his alma mater regularly attending athletic events but just as an unknown. He wasn't concerned with his past fame, only the things he had to do at home and the game that night he was attending.

It was in early-2025 that Jason Jaxx who had been a regional champion since 2007 and became a National Champion when it expanded in 2012 and World Champion in 2016 when International competition began, was asked about Tom McLane. Jaxx admitted he didn't much about McLane but said he would entertain a match with him knowing McLane was the only person who had a longer run at the top than him. However, before any sort of match could happen, Jason Jaxx was defeated for the first time ever. On July 18, 2025, Jason Jaxx, the first and only World Champion up to that point suffered his first defeat in nearly 20 years when a new Hawthorne emerged in Alexandra Hawthorne or "Alexis Hawthorne" as she was called.

The defeat was stunning as the experienced Jaxx failed to defeat the 23 year old Hawthorne on her 23rd birthday. Alexis like her Father and Grandfather was an amateur wrestler herself but the lack of opportunities made her a part of Extreme Combat Wrestling at only 19 years old. Initially she competed only with women but then turned her attention her men. 1 by 1 just as they fell for her Father, they fell for her and that in turned earned her a title match with Jason Jaxx. Jaxx had been a heavy favorite coming in and was expected to win.

However to the shock of many in the audience, Jaxx struggled and was defeated via submission by her. Alexis Hawthorne was now World Champion but the name Tom McLane did not go away. When asked about her families legacy, Tom McLane's name came up. Hawthorne said that while what McLane did was impressive, he was a cheater who abused steroids and drugs and that allowed him to have the success he did. Tom wouldn't have known about any of this if he wasn't sitting at the bar he frequented in Norman where on TV the press conference was being shown.

McLane was confused as to why this girl was talking about him. His confusion was amplified when a group of reporters started showing up at his home. When asked about her comments all McLane could do was downplay her comments but being the honest smart ass he was McLane made mention that Hawthorne inherited many of her father and grandfather's traits including their ability to be better talkers than fighters. McLane's comments did not go unheard either.

Alexis addressed his comments prior to her next fight saying that Tom McLane was nothing but a bitter old man sad that her Father ended his career and helped expose his cheating. Alexis then further stated that McLane is lucky to be retired because he wouldn't be able to hang with her in the ring. McLane was a little thrown off by these comments. When he had wrestled before there was never a crossover between men and women. Men fought the Men and the Women fought the Women. McLane never thought about fighting a girl but the back and forth drama was jogging his mind.

Then one day he got another knock on the door and there was Patrick Scott, the Promoter of Extreme Combat Wrestling. Scott made an offer to McLane. For 1 million dollars he would return to the ring one final time to face off with Alexis Hawthorne. The fight was timely as it was to be 30 years since Alex defeated McLane in the ring and ended his title run and coincided with the start of Alexis' 24th birthday. While Tom had his concerns, pending a doctor's physical he accepted the match.

Tom's friends and family were concerned though. After all McLane was 74 years old and while he still had the fight in him, they were afraid that such a match could end his life if he weren't careful. But to Tom McLane he viewed it as one last stampede for the old Cowboy. The assigned official for the match would be Jason Jaxx, who had retired after losing to Alexis the year prior. Jaxx had long thought he was going to be in this match himself, but now he was only a mere referee.

Sitting down tying his shoes, Alexander III and Scott entered the room with Scott immediately handing Jaxx a 100 dollar bill.

"What is this?" asked Jaxx.

"Your deposit payment." said Scott.

"A deposit?" said Jaxx.

"Yes it is dependent on you calling this match the right way tonight." said Alexander III, now 84 years old walking with a cane but keeping short white hair.

"I understand." said Jaxx.

"Remember, she wins regardless of how you get there." said Alexander III.

"I think its pretty pathetic that we are rigging fights now." said Jaxx.

"You wouldn't be Jason Jaxx if not for myself and my family holding up Combat Wrestling over the years" said Alexander III.

"Yeah, well I liked Jason Jackson a lot better." said Jaxx.

"Just do what you're told man." said Scott.

"I've been doing that since you met me Pat." said Jaxx.

"Then you know what to do friend." said Scott.

Meanwhile in another dressing room sat Tom. He had on his old maroon red robe with his maroon red wrestling tights with white trim underneath. Even though Tom was a pudgy 240 pounds at 6'0 he could still fit in his tights, albeit not the way he use to.

"You're up McLane." said an attendant at the door as McLane prepared to head down to the ring.

"Introducing first, the challenger..." said the ring announcer as "La Grange" by ZZ Top played over the loud speakers. "From Norman, Oklahoma by way of Tulsa, weighing in at 6'0 and 240 pounds he is Tom McLane!"

McLane walked down the aisle in front of thousands of fans. He had been in front of almost 25,000 at his peak but this crowd of well over 50,000 was the most he ever fought in front of. As he walked down to the ring Tom was amazed at the lighting, the ring set up and just the event as a whole. It wasn't the Combat Wrestling he knew but a whole different world than the one he grew up in. He walked in the ring standing in the furthest corner away posing for the fans.

"And his opponent....from Greenwich, Connecticut, standing at 5'10 and weighing at 180 pounds she is the Extreme Combat Wrestling World Champion, Alexis Hawthorne!"

Hawthorne began her walk out to the ring to Dua Lipa's "Levitating" sporting a hot pink and white pair of one piece tights that ran down her legs to her ankles with pink and white shoes and a pink Mardi Gras mask and cape. Hawthorne received a massive ovation as her rise to success had made her a star in the mainstream and to many fans. When the two removed their entry attire, it revealed a tale of two people. Hawthorne was young, beautiful and fit enough that she had muscle tone on her body and a 6 pack of abs. Her long flowing blonde hair and green eyes allowed her to have an armor of beauty against her opponents.

McLane on the other hand was pudgy with more flab than muscle and his bald head left no hair standing. It was a going to be a battle of ages, a battle of sexes and a battle of philosophy. McLane learned this early when he locked up with her and she immediately clipped his left knee hooking it with her right resulting in a take-down. Alexis took hold immediately taking him down face first and applying a front face lock in her right arm while hooking his bad right shoulder on the ground. She took advantage and climbed onto his back where she held him face down and applied her knee and elbows to his bad back.

The pain was like something McLane had never experienced before. He had fought two Hawthorne's prior but this one played by a looser rule book. She wasn't afraid to get dirty and be blatant about it. With each knee and each elbow and punch to the back of McLane's head, McLane's old instincts to fight back kicked in. Alexis tried applying a rear choke hold to McLane but McLane still doing calisthenics in his free time was able to pull his knees up and on all fours rose up with Alexis hanging off his back.

The younger Hawthorne was stunned as he rose to his feet and rammed her full speed into the turnbuckle behind them. This caused Alexis to lose her grip and broke McLane free from her grasp. They both hit the ground and slowly McLane got up but quicker got up Alexis as she charged over to him and tackled him onto the ground. Alexis then climbed on top of him riding his face with her crotch. For McLane this was a different kind of fight, one where there was no boundaries.

This was exemplified when Alexis turned around and dropped her plump ass onto his face. Sitting up Alexis now had an advantage and she decided to make the most of it. The first thing she did was rip a fart onto Tom's face.

"BRRRRRRAAAAAAAPPPPP." went Alexis' ass as she satisfyingly sat there smiling with glee as she tormented McLane with her juicy ass.

"BRRRRRRRRPPPPPPPP." her ass shouted again as Tom could barely breath underneath.