By: B.P. Burke
The Roman philosopher Cicero once said, “life is nothing without friendship.”
(Why yes, I did start an article about professional wrestling by quoting Roman philosophy. Is that strange?)
Regardless, that Cicero quote embodies what we’ve seen from Primal Fear from the very first time we saw the trio from the Pine Barrens of New Jersey step foot in a PPW ring. All of their mottos and creeds - “all fight, no flight,” and such, have been bolstered by the bond between the three members of the group, not to mention the steady guidance of their manager, Delilah. It’s nigh-unthinkable to think of a scenario where Adrien Soriano, Matthew Omen, and Gabriel Hodder would not have one another’s back.
So when Adrien Soriano climbed to the very top of PPW’s mountain, it was no surprise that Omen, Hodder, and Delilah were the three right there celebrating his triumph. While former champion The Mecca had to be physically restrained from attacking general manager Mr. Ruda backstage post-match - be sure to follow PPW Entertainment on social media for that exclusive! - Primal Fear stood tall.
Or at least one of them did.
In a battle that seemed to have capped their rivalry, Team B1G bested Hodder and Omen in a brutal brawl that must have made what would otherwise be a monumental night for the group a bit bittersweet. When approached backstage after PPW X, Hodder was still euphoric over the success of his stablemate and dismissed thoughts about the shortcomings of the rest of the group, declaring, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
(Yes, that’s TWO Rome references in a professional wrestling article. I’m on a roll!)
And the next step in the building process has become clear. With a win in what promises to be an exciting, competitive battle between Hodder and Omen, South Philly’s Finest, and the rivals-turned-teammates pairing of Brando Lee and Chris Slade, Primal Fear advances in the Trios Tournament, and one has to wonder if their plan is to have Soriano pull double duty and vie for the trios titles while simultaneously defending the heavyweight title.
And that dream scenario, which may prove to be a nightmare for Soriano, hinges on two things that are FAR from guarantees: Hodder and Omen winning their match, and Soriano retaining his title against The Mecca.
The rage coursing through Mecca’s body as he stormed through the locker room trying to locate Mr. Ruda so he could remove his head from the rest of his body did not go away in the past few weeks. It has festered, grown, and it will be directed solely at Adrien Soriano at PPW Lives.
Such is life at the top. Adrien Soriano has learned that the head that wears the crown is heavy indeed.