Brave New World – Marek Brave’s EPIC Return to SCWPro. Two hours before showtime last Saturday, April 23, Marek Brave met with the wrestlers of SCWPro. There was an extra pep in his step as he spoke to them about the importance of the show at hand.
This was night two of SCWPro Epic, their biggest show of the year. Night one, featuring former WWE Tag Team Champion Scotty 2 Hotty, was a roaring success. Now they were ready to duplicate that success with another stacked card.
A card featuring every SCWPro Championship being defended, it was going to be a show that steered the course for SCWPro’s future. But, for Marek Brave this night wasn’t just important on a promotional level, no this night was of utmost importance to him personally.
After five years away from in ring competition, Marek Brave was ready for his Iowa City Street Fight with current SCWPro Iowa Champion, JT Energy.
Brave New World – Marek Brave’s EPIC Return to SCWPro
Back in 2017, Brave wrestled in what he thought would be his final singles match, losing the SCWPro Championship to Connor Braxton. Two years later he competed in a six-man tag team match, but his neck injury limited the amount of action he could be part of.
Even though he was limited on how much he could participate, it was a moment Brave was able to soak in. The fans gave him a standing ovation as the reality that this could be his final match began to set in.
His prognosis of possibly never competing again wouldn’t keep him from being part of professional wrestling.
Brave began focusing his time behind the scenes of SCWPro. The continued development of the promotion along with running the Black and Brave Wrestling Academy kept Brave connected to the business.
But like many wrestlers before him, that desire to compete once again never faded away.
“I don’t know if there was ever going to be a “right time” to come out of retirement. I was actually pretty positive that I would never come out of retirement,” Brave said. “But, as anyone who has ever stepped foot in a wrestling ring in front of a live audience will tell you, the itch is always there. Sometimes you just can’t resist scratching it.”
The decision to return to in-ring competition was not an easy one. For Brave, the complications during the spinal fusion surgery made this comeback an uphill battle. Years of rehab and physical therapy pushed Brave to the point where he could consider stepping back in the ring.
“It took me a very long time and a whole lot of rehab, physical therapy, etc., before I felt somewhat normal again,” Brave said. “I’ll never be as healthy as I was pre-injury, but I’m learning to live with my restrictions much better than I did immediately after my surgery.”
Scratching that itch to step back inside the ring wasn’t the only reason for Marek Brave’s return. Both of his sons having the opportunity to watch him wrestle was also a driving force in his return.
His oldest son saw him wrestle once before, but at the time, Brave was one of SCWPro’s most despised heels. The fans booing his dad and not being able to receive a hug during the show, was a little too much for the youngster to understand.
Brave decided it best that he stay away from wrestling shows until he was older. Knowing his return would garner a hero’s welcome, Brave was more than excited to have his sons sitting ring side, ready to cheer him on.
“Both of my boys are massive wrestling fans, so for them to be ringside, watching their father compete for essentially the first time… that’s an experience that will live on in their memories long after my time on this Earth has ended,” Brave said.
With the decision made to return to the ring, it was now time to decide who his opponent would be.
In a 2020 interview with WrestlingHeadlines.com Brave spoke about the possibility of an eventual return to action. He talked about needing the right storyline and being able to safely structure an opportunity for his comeback.
Brave’s first and only choice for his comeback match was JT Energy. With Energy, the dynamic story was there. Energy was trained by Marek Brave at the Black and Brave Academy. Then his initial run in SCWPro was by Brave’s side.
Brave, known as the “Fashionista” at the time, led JT Energy and the Frontman Jah C in a nefarious trio known as “Stylin and Defilin”. At one time the group held the SCWPro Heavyweight and Tag Team Championships.
After Brave’s retirement, Energy and Jah C both carved their own successful paths on the independent wrestling scene. In Brave’s absence, Energy found much success, winning the SCWPro tag titles, QC Cup and Iowa Championship.
His ascent through the ranks and history with Brave, was the perfect combination for this epic return.
“JT is a very talented performer and I have had the pleasure of sharing a ring with him many times. However, we were always on the same side since he and Jah-C were my henchmen years ago,” Brave said.
“I wanted to see what kind of magic we could create if we were on opposite sides of the story. He has a knack for getting under people’s skin, so I knew that he would be the perfect foil for my return. He was my first and only choice for this match, to be quite honest.”
The build-up to their Iowa City Street Fight was fascinating. Multiple verbal altercations eventually escalated to Energy attacking Brave at SCWPro Hawkamania XXII: I Don’t Wanna Be in Love.
Energy left his mentor lying in the ring after a scissor kick to the back of his surgically repaired neck. It was at SCWPro’s next event at Wildwood Saloon where Brave returned the favor.
Following Energy and Augustus Draven’s tag team title loss, brave assaulted Energy. That night Brave declared he would be returning to fight JT Energy in an Iowa City Street Fight at EPIC Night 2. The match intrigue grew even more at Epic Night 1.
That night, Brave announced he’d be returning to fight JT Energy as the “Fashionista.”
Brave New World – Marek Brave’s EPIC Return to SCWPro
SCWPro Epic Night 2 started with a fatal four-way match followed by two singles matches. Then it was time for Marek Brave’s return. JT Energy made his way to the ring first, riling up the fans like only he can. When Brave’s music hit, the SCWPro fans erupted.
This was the moment they had been anticipating for months. The reaction and overall scope of the moment was something Brave made sure to absorb.
“When my music hit and I walked down the steps of Wildwood, it honestly felt like riding a bike. It was time to put on my proverbial performer’s hat and give the people what they paid for,” Brave said.
“I took a few moments to soak it in during my entrance, and then again multiple times throughout the match, and I’m glad that I was able to do that. Too often you get caught up in the performance and you forget to “stop and smell the roses.” Leading up to the match, I reminded myself time and time again that I may not get a chance to do this again if things didn’t go right, so slowing down and letting the moment soak in was something that I made sure to do as often as I could.”
The two bitter rivals proceeded to beat the hell out of each, utilizing an assortment of weapons to inflict damage. Kendo sticks, chairs, crutches, ladders, and even a staple gun were used.
Read in more detail about their match here:
Brave’s performance was akin to Shawn Michaels return from retirement at SummerSlam 2002. Both men came back from career-threatening injuries. Each threw caution to the wind and delivered a show-stealing performance.
Brave New World – Marek Brave’s EPIC Return to SCWPro
Highlighting this performance was Brave’s leap from the top turnbuckle to the floor onto JT Energy and Augustus Draven. In the end, the third member of “Stylin and Defilin” Frontman Jah C played a part in Brave’s eventual victory.
Zip tied to the ring ropes, Brave found himself at the mercy of Energy and Draven. That’s when Jah C entered the building and at first it looked like he was going to shockingly join up with his former partner.
But, he instead leveled Draven with a chair before hitting Energy with a thunderous superkick, much to the delight of the SCWPro fans. One Marek Brave super kick later and SCWPro had a new Iowa Champion.
“Having Jah-C be a part of this match was an absolute no-brainer decision. He is so closely tied to my story, and obviously he and JT have a deep history as well. With JT having Augustus Draven by his side, I knew that I would need some backup myself.”
The return was complete and Marek Brave found himself in the middle of the ring, SCWPro Championship on his shoulder, soaking in the cheers of the fans. He was soon joined by his two boys for a moment that will forever live in SCWPro lore.
“To share the ring with my boys after my victory was easily the best moment of my 19-year career. I’ll cherish that memory for as long as I live.”
