This story starts long before his debut in VPW. Johnny Collins started training in a program along with several other future VPW stars, including Steve Somerset and Coach Mammone.
Collins had a passion for wrestling, but he also had a passion for talking. With a microphone in hand, Collins would find a way to compensate for some of his other shortcomings like his height, which in some wrestling circles being short is not a good thing.
Once he started wrestling in front of fans, Collins would team up with Mammone as a tag team, touring up and down the coast and bonding together.
When Coach Mammone first joined VPW, he was thrown into the spotlight and the fans loved him. People would come to see Mammone fight, which was a contrast to how they perceived Collins.
Sure, he won gold in VPW before Mammone, but Collins was overlooked and overshadowed because of his teaming with Bryce Donovan. After they parted ways, Collins teamed up with the Even Stevens to form Pretty Likeable. Again, despite his ring abilities, he was known for who he teamed with than what he did in the ring.
Collins used the pandemic and the downtime it brought as a soap box to talk about how he was there for VPW and ask where the Victory Pro Wrestling champion was. How the fans deserved better than Coach Mammone.
In August, Collins stole a victory, this time from VSK, to become the winner of the 2021 Gold Rush Rumble. In his first contest against Coach Mammone for the championship, he stole the match again to becoming the new Victory Pro Wrestling champion…
…until senior official Steven Dumeng noticed Collins had a chain and used that to cheat to win the match. He immediately reversed his decision and as a result, nullified Collins’ claim to being the Victory Pro Wrestling champion,
A three-year ride to prominence short circuited because Collins cheated… and got caught. He was recognized as champion. The fans acknowledged him as champion. But in one moment, that was all taken away.
“There is absolutely a conspiracy against me,” said Collins after the match. “Someone in this company doesn’t want to see me succeed and that’s okay. I’ve been proving people wrong my entire life. I beat coach MAMMONE once and I promise all of my people that I will do it again.”
When asked if he was surprised of Collins’ actions, Mammone said, “No it doesn’t surprise me at all. Collins will win at all costs and backstabbing a good friend and former tag team partner is nothing new to him.
“Johnny Collins will do whatever it takes to get this Victory Pro Wrestling Championship. But none of that will matter, because in wrestling, and in life, cheaters never prosper. On November 13th I will successfully defend my title by beating Collins.”
It’s Coach Mammone against Johnny Collins for the top prize in Victory Pro Wrestling at Disorderly Conduct in St. James.
What will happen when Victory Pro Wrestling returns to action on November 13th?
VICTORY PRO WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP
Champion Coach Mammone vs Challenger Johnny Collins
VPW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
Champions The Absolute Brand w/ Silk E Smooth vs The Even Stevens
VPW NEW YORK STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
After a hellacious Falls Count Anywhere title defense, what’s next for champion Eric James?
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