REGGIE PARKS AND ED CHUMAN IN HAWAII FOR A UNIQUE "BLESSING OF THE BELTS" CEREMONY!
Ed Chuman and Reggie Parks with Lopaka, the first HCW Kamehameha Heritiage Heavyweight Champion
For photos of the belts before plating, CLICK HERE
6-5-03: For NEW photos of the belt after dual plating, CLICK HERE
6-16-03: For NEW photos of the completed Heavyweight belt, CLICK HERE
6-16-03: For NEW photos of the completed Tag Team belt, CLICK HERE
Pictured above is the new Hawaii Championship Wrestling Hawaiian Heritage Kamehameha Title Heavyweight Championship Belt after it was designed and crafted by Reggie Parks and Richard Mann and before being sent to Dave Millican for plating and color. This belt, along with two Hawaii Tag Team Title belts (pictured below), were taken to Hawaii by Reggie Parks and Ed Chuman for a very special event.
According to the HCW promoters: "It is mandatory that all HCW wrestlers being billed as "Hawaiians" attend the blessing of our first set of belts, The Hawaiian Heritage Kamehameha Title Belt series. We will be the only federation in Hawaii with such a privilege to have the opportunity to follow "tradition" and get to offer acknowledgment as well as to thank and honor "the ancestors" who made this all possible for us here in our beautiful home called Hawaii! As Lopaka explained on TV many times, "wrestling" in Hawaii started out as one of the top "sports of the royalties "! It is important for HCW to follow Hawaiian tradition and pay some respect where it is due, especially since we now have a responsibility here by possessing what we are naming after... the great King,... Kamehameha."
"Many federations have come and gone, but we are determined to keep HCW "grounded" with good "mana" and follow the goodness that the Hawaiian culture has taught us about staying in touch with our "spirit". The bottom line is: We will prove to the world that pro wrestling does have "substance", and we do "care" about the people as well as the place we live, here in Hawaii. We did not start HCW to "take"... but to "give" back...something that is intangible from the heart, our "spirit of aloha". This is just our first step to prove HCW's sincerest "aloha" by thanking and acknowledging King Kamehameha through the sacred blessing of our beautiful belts by the real "Royal Order Of Kamehameha" themselves.
" "Helping preside over the ceremony will be Don "The Original Rock" Muraco, Lopaka, Ahuna, Kaimana, and Kaniela. All other members of HCW are also welcome to witness the blessing! It is set for June 21st.""Our special guests include: Ed Chuman, Reggie Parks (belt makers and master craftsman), Masahiro Chono, Teruo Kawana (New Japan Pro Wrestling), and Bill Apter. Bill is famous for his articles in WOW, POW, PWI and more and will cover our story in his new magazine "Total Wrestling."
"I can't express how honored and excited both Mr. Parks and I are to be invited to this very special event and to provide these title belts to HCW." said Ed Chuman. "We're looking forward to seeing the great names of Hawaiian wrestling, Mr. Apter and the honored guests from New Japan. This is certainly a one-of-a-kind event and we're extremely grateful that HCW has selected us to provide these belts!"
WRESTLERS TO BATTLE FOR NEW HAWAI`I HEAVYWEIGHT BELT (Press Release from HCW) 6/15/03
Legendary Don "The Rock" Muraco will receive
lifetime achievement award at O`ahu match
A Hawai`i professional wrestling promotion is making plans for the premiere tournament for
its new Kamehameha Heritage heavyweight title championship.
The event will take place June 28, 2003, at the E Club on Kaneohe Marine Corps Base on the
island of O`ahu. Part of HCW's Saturday Night Slam series, this match is being sponsored
by radio station KPOI/FM 97.5 and Wrestling
Hawaii Live! on Oceanic/Time Warner television.
An elaborate custom-crafted title belt, bearing images of Kamehameha I and the Hawai`i
state seal and motto, will be awarded to the event's victorious wrestler by wrestling
legend Don "The Rock" Muraco, commissioner and co-founder of Hawai`i
Championship Wrestling (HCW). The belt is one of a trio custom-designed by master
craftsman Reggie Parks, who has created title belts for many of the country's top
professional wrestling federations. The
tournament's victor will win the right to wear the belt for the very first time.
As a highlight of the event, Muraco will be presented with a lifetime achievement award by
Total Wrestling magazine, one of the sport's most respected publications. Senior Editor
Bill Apter, a well-known historian, journalist, and photographer of the "squared
circle", will present the first Total Wrestling Legend award to Muraco on behalf of
the magazine.
A two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion and 11-year veteran of the World Wrestling
Federation (now WWE), Muraco earned immortality through his grueling cage match with Jimmy
"Superfly" Snuka at Madison Square Garden, and with WWF Heavyweight Champion
Hulk Hogan in 1985.
After his retirement from professional wrestling, Muraco returned to his native O`ahu and
co-founded HCW with Honolulu television producer Linda Bade.
For more information on Hawai`i Championship Wrestling, please call 808/841-2621 or visit http://www.808hcw.com.
FIRST HCW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS CROWNED
One week later, HCW held a tournament to crown the first Kekaulike Heritage Hawaii Tag Team Champions. The matches were held over the July 4th holiday weekend at (appropriately!) the Kaneohe US Marine Corps Base (SEMPER FI!) in a three round tournament. The tournament results are as follows:
Hawaiian Blood (Kaniela and Kaimana), who were ranked #1 in HCW, recieved a first round bye.
First Round -
The Nightmarchers (Ahuna and HCW Champion Lopaka) defeated Team Oki (Super Jet Akuma and Dragon Wada.
Vicious Circle (Ultimate Fighter Caruso and Kenjiro Katahira) defeated The American Rottweilers (The Rottweiler and "Real American Hero" Don Lee).
The Sole Train (Big Daddy Frank and Super Fly Ete) defeated "Enormous Pumptitude" (Mr. Spa Fitness and Judo Pump)
Second Round -
The Nightmarchers defeated Vicious Circle
Hawaiian Blood defeated Sole Train
Finals -
Hawaiian Blood defeates The Nightmarchers - However, Lopaka and Ahuna had split after the previous match and Ahuna took on Akua as his partner.
On July 26, 2003 at Hawaii Adventures Water Park, HCW will take on the forces of New Japan Pro Wrestling in Battle Hawaii 2003. Yugi Nagata, Mashairo Chono, Tiger Mask IV and Jushin "Thunder" Liger have all been signed for this big card.