The CSWA Top 10
by Marion "Stern" Shamrock

1. Adam-X (CSWA Heavyweight Champion) -- Adam-X claims he didn't want this spot. He claims he wanted to help his protege Alex Constantine achieve this goal of being No. 1 in the CSWA. Adam-X was supposed to be in the shadows while Alex was in the spotlight. That kind of makes you wonder: Were is Alex Constantine on this list? We found out where he was when Adam-X was busy winning the CSWA Heavyweight Championship from Johnny Storm on May 26 at the Bismarck Civic Center in North Dakota -- he was seated among the fans, not helping his Authority stablemates fend off the Darkness. Despite all the questions surrounding Alex, a belly to back powerbomb (Screw Driver) earned Adam-X the promotion's top title and No. 1 ranking.

2. Chris Wright (CSWA Great Plains Champion) -- Jennifer is looking good... and so is the CSWA Great Plains Champion Chris Wright. The wrestler, formerly known as "The Thrill", has been educating his opponents inside the squared circle. "The Professor" and his 3/4 facelock springboard inverted DDT (Class Dismissed) just might be a lesson learned the hard way for anyone who steps between the ropes to face this star on the rise. His May 26 Wildfire! showing against Taranis proved that Wright can go heads up with the Darkness... and even have a few (hooded) surprises in store for those who might need to be taken to school in the near future.

3. Taranis -- The wrestler formerly known as "The Dude" might be best served by another moniker -- "The Threa"t.The Lord of the Ring poses the greatest threat to the CSWA's top two title holders. Despite his May 26 Wildfire! loss to Wright, Taranis still proved he could go toe-to-toe with the CSWA Great Plains Champion. There's no doubt that there are more title shots in his future. His June 6 non-title Wildfire! match against CSWA Heavyweight Champion Adam-X in the Dakota Dome could solidify Taranis as a top contender in the weeks to come. And with the Darkness behind him, a title reign may not be too long coming.

4. Lennox Mullroix (CSWA TV Champion) -- He has renamed the CSWA TV Title the Legacy World Title� But who are we foolin'? This is Lennox Mullroix we're talking about. Should we have expected any less from this charismatic athlete? His association with the Authority is one of the few things that has helped the group maintain some of its momentum in spite of recent events that had everyone believing they were finished. On the same night Adam-X claimed the promotion's top prize (May 26), "The Legacy" Maxed Out with a split-legged moonsault on his heated rival Loki to win the CSWA TV Title in the 3-way bout that included Seamus Finnegan.

5. Ripper Longshanks -- "The Loose Cannon" sent former Coalition World Champion Mace packing... very unceremoniously. Ripper turned what was supposed to be a farewell match for a short but memorable career into an obscene, chair-swinging, blood-letting, sadistic encounter. Mace's fans wanted a warm and fuzzy adieu for the Bronx Buster, but Ripper doesn't believe in warm or fuzzy. Mace should have known that when he signed the contract. Based on the fact that Ripper had the Deep End (powerbomb/Boston crab submission), on the former champ, but opted to release the hold to add insult to injury, makes him a legitimate contender for any title.

6. Napalm -- He's 6-foot-8, 325 pounds... the self-professed hitter for the Authority. If you want to take a shot at Adam-X, you�ll likely have to go through this man to earn it. And that's no easy task. He recently scored a controversial victory in a first blood match against Jeremiah Blackwell. Leading up to that encounter, and following it, Nathan Sullivan has been rediscovering his alter ego -- "The Lord of Chaos". This can't be good for anyone who faces this monster.

7. Jeff Kushner -- This is a man torn between his loyalty to the Authority, feelings that he owes Robert Marshall for helping exonerate him in a non-wrestling-related legal issue, and his long-time friendships with Seamus Finnegan and Robert Lancaster II. And even with all the controversy swirling around him, Jeff has managed to stay on top of his game despite taking the Taipei Death Match to a new level against Python at the CSWA pay per view, End of Days.

8. Loki -- Despite losing the CSWA TV Title to Lennox Mullroix, Loki is still arguably one of the hottest wrestlers in the promotion. Keep in mind, he took a nasty shot from Seamus Finnegan�s shillelagh in that 3-way match on Wildfire! that cost him his title. With Ripper Longshanks and the Darkness watching his back more closely, another title reign might not be too far off for the neurotic Norseman. That spells bad news for Adam-X, Chris Wright and Lennox Mullroix.

9. Seamus Finnegan -- Even with his demanding schedule as on half of the Coalition World Tag Team Champions, the Irish Lucifer managed to earn No. 1 contender status for the CSWA TV Title. He was unable to win the title, but he was not involved in the decision that saw the title change hands. That leaves the door open for Finnegan to demand a shot at Lennox Mullroix. But he seems more determined to solidify the Whiskey Devils as the greatest tag team of all time.

10. Python -- This guy is absolutely electric and on the verge of being one of the hottest wrestlers in the CSWA. With Robert Marshall buying the rights to the former Mid-South Wrestling Association Gravity Title, Python would seem to immediately be a top contender for that championship. His showing against Jeff Kushner in their CSWA End of Days pay per view match did nothing less than prove that Python is the future of this promotion.

The CSWA Top 5 Tag Teams
by Marion "Stern" Shamrock

1. The Whiskey Devils -- Seamus Finnegan & Robert Lancaster II (Coalition World Tag Team Champions) -- They�re on a mission to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are one of the greatest tag teams of all time. Or maybe they're mission is to prove they are the greatest. In any case, who's gonna stop them from reaching that plateau? In their quest for respect, Finnegan and Lancaster are calling out anyone in the CAL to provide a valid challenge to their reign. But, specifically, they're looking for a tag team encounter with Nighthawk and Adam-X (The Fury) to solidify their position among the great assemblages in the history of the sport. On a side note: this puts one Jeff Kushner in somewhat of pickle.

2. The Authority -- Alex Constantine & Napalm (CSWA Tag Team Champions) -- Just as the Authority, as a stable, seemed to be on the verge of imploding, Adam-X won the CSWA's top prize. Nonetheless, Mace announced his retirement and Jeff Kushner seemed to have lost all sense of self-direction. Counter that with Lennox Mullroix winning the CSWA TV Title and all should be well for the Authority... right? Maybe as a stable, but as a tag team, that's another story. Napalm remains in a heated feud with Jeremiah Blackwell. And Alex doesn't seem to be on the same page as the rest of his stablemates. If valid contenders step up during this time of strife for the Authority, those belts could easily change hands.

3. The Darkness -- Ripper Longshanks & Jeremiah Blackwell -- The Authority is dominating a majority of the CSWA gold. But any combination of members from the Darkness could pose a serious threat to any of those title reigns on any given night. That case rings particularly true with the CSWA Tag Team Titles because of the apparent distractions surrounding the Authority's individual members. The Darkness is likely just biding its time before it makes a move on the Authority. Or perhaps Blackwell has been setting Napalm up for that very reason.

4. The Fury -- Adam-X & Nighthawk -- The scary thing about the Fury is that regardless of the climate of tag team wrestling, they remain relevant. They're always serious contenders for the CSWA Tag Team Titles. They�re the team against whom the Coalition Tag Team Champs want to prove themselves. The question now is whether or not they'll be able to remain relevant with Adam-X defending his CSWA Heavyweight Championship. And, concurrently, what will Nighthawk do in respect to the immediate future of this team?

5. Jeff Kushner & Python -- They nearly killed each other in their End of Days Crystal Dreams Match. Nonetheless, they have proven themselves to be a formidable team. If they decide to further their tag team efforts, they could make quite a name for themselves. Unfortunately, all the controversy swirling around Jeff might put the brakes on before this team even gets up to speed. And that's really too bad because this is a team the fans would love to see a lot more of in the weeks to come. Python and Kushner always give their all, and they�re respected for that.