Mission 006 – The Mission? Bidding Farewell to Dragonfly
It’s bittersweet that we have come to this point, but as the old adage goes: “all good things must come to an end.”
I’m truly sorry about my absence as of late, for my schedule has been largely consumed with trying to gather information of the goings-on within Cash Mouse Entertainment whilst the Triad fights with itself. I also want to apologize to the fans and staff of BWM Inc. and Murrey Entertainment for not analyzing the great stuff we have seen from them thus far, but I don’t want them to fret. I will get back on the ball with an incoming 7th Mission (preceded by a “Mission in Waiting”). I can’t wait to tell you all what I have been thinking regarding the competition, but that’s not why we are here.
The reason we are here today is because tomorrow marks the end of the greatest wrestling career in history; that of Dragonfly.
When Dragonfly debuted in Jeff Murrey’s initial incarnation of the Undisputed Wrestling Alliance in late-2002 as the Third Era began, Murrey informed the world that this newcomer – then 19 years old – was the younger cousin of wrestling legend Krusader Batman. Murrey told the world that he felt confident in this young man’s bright future, and by the end of the night, the world was introduced to the awesome skills of Dragonfly.
At that time, Murrey had no idea that this young man would soon steal the spotlight of the era. He knew he would be good, but it’s not clear whether he knew that he would be that good, that fast! Within 3 months of the era’s kick-off, Dragonfly led the pack in becoming one of Mickey’s first picks in the UWA Draft (which itself inspired the WOW Drafts starting 6 years later) and ended the year on the highest possible note when he became the inaugural UWA Heavyweight Champion!
Not only did Dragonfly become the Champion, he upset the man who everyone expected to win the title first – Rhyno -, far overshadowed Murrey’s UWA World Champion, and absolutely shattered the previous record for being the longest reigning company champion for Mmouse Enterprises. He was off to an incredible start, and he never really looked back.
While it is tempting to chronicle every major accomplishment of Dragonfly’s career, I want this to be of reasonable length, instead of an accidental e-book. There would be so much to highlight, from his storied rivalries with Rhyno, Krusader, Sunfire, and Metalhead, to sweeping numerous award shows. From dominating UWA in both of its incarnations to carrying over that incredible streak during his two year stint in HCW.
Over the course of Dragonfly’s nine world title reigns, he made it a point to leave his mark on this business in a way that only Master Splinter could compare. As the father of modern professional wrestling said in the backstage during the 2023 installment of Starrcade: Dragonfly has far surpassed all of the expectations he had when he introduced him to the world over 22 years ago.
And who can seriously disagree? During the Sixth Era, many in Mmouse Enterprises took it upon themselves to start calling the man the “GOAT”. Splinter was the only man who could reasonably protest that label, and do you know how he responded? By awarding Dragonfly the original Undisputed Title at Starrcade 2024! A dream match that we will never see, unfortunately (as their only encounter was during the Massacre Six Main Event of the Inaugural “From Dusk Til Dawn”), it means something very special that Splinter – the man who made wrestling what it is today – passed the torch to the iconic Dragonfly.
As we all know, Dragonfly announced his retirement as of tomorrow night, and told the world that he would choose his opponent for that occasion. As an extra-added bonus, Dragonfly was also bestowed the privilege – via the Triad – to choose his preferred stipulation for that match. He was set to make these announcements at The Shockwave, but then Matt Cardona inserted himself into the conversation by force.
For some of you who may not recall, Cardona was drafted to PWI in June 2023, and quickly asserted himself as the next guy to take the business by storm. During his rounds through the backstage, Cardona and the then-Undisputed Champion, Dragonfly, met and previewed what could have been the story of the year. Cardona oozed confidence not unlike how Dragonfly has for more than 2 decades, and assured the GOAT that Matt would be the one to dethrone him!
No, that didn’t exactly happen, thanks to Matt getting tied up with Randy Orton as well as Ted Dibiase Junior sneaking into the title picture, but Matt clearly hasn’t let go of his original dream of ending Dragonfly’s time atop the industry. So, his bitterness about being denied that moment seems to have driven him to attack Dragonfly and give the outgoing legend no alternative but to make Cardona his final opponent tomorrow night!
We do not yet know the stipulation to be chosen by Dragonfly – as that will be revealed tomorrow night -, but what we do know is that Dragonfly is hell-bent on getting his vengeance and leaving this storied career the same way he came in: on fire!
There will be three other matches to watch tomorrow at “Premier Aggression: Dragonfly’s Farewell”, including a showdown between the Ladies Man and Ricky Starks, Angelina Love and Ronda Rousey battling it out, and the long-awaited rematch between Jesse Hash and CM Punk, but there’s no question as to what the main attraction will be.
Regardless of what happens elsewhere in the business tomorrow (and I plan to get to that by night’s end), to me the undeniable biggest story of the night will be the fact that we close the book on the greatest wrestling career of all time!
Until our next Quest, this has been Johnny with yet another mission!
World Of Wrestling: Murrey Universe 