Ace Armstrong and Ken Magnum have always been at the top of 3 Count Pro Wrestling.  When the first 3 Count Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Champion was crowned in December of 2014(with no less than the Nature Boy Ric Flair in attendance) it was Ace Armstrong and Ken Magnum in the triple threat match with Eric Bradford.  Magnum chased Bradford for most 0f 2015 until Bradford was stripped of the title in September for failing to fulfill his contract.  What happened at Westside Rumble 2015 would begin a chain of events that has brought us to Locked and Loaded 2017.  First, Ken Magnum attacked Senior Official and 3 Count Vice President Tim Smith.  Then, at Country Santa Clash 3 it was revealed that Tim Smith and Ken Magnum had been in business together all along.    Just when we thought we had seen the most shocking thing we could imagine Ace revealed at Locked and Loaded 2016 that Tim Smith was his father!  After Ace and Jay Bastista defeated Ken Magnum and Brice Anthony in a tag team match that night, Ace vowed to take the thing that mattered most to his dad and that was Ken’s 3 count Heavyweight Championship.  At Total Control 2016, Ace received his first one on one shot for the title.    He was disqualified for hitting Magnum with the championship belt, but Eric Boughman offered him another title shot after he defeated Tim Smith for Total Control of the company.  Tim showed he would stop at nothing to keep the title as he put out a $10,000 bounty on his son beginning at Redemption.    Though JC Harper failed to collect that night it didn’t stop Boomer Payne from charging the ring from the crowd at Mission Possible.    Tim Smith showed his true colors that night and what started as the rubber match between Ace and Gunner turned into a tag team match between them and Ken Magnum and Brice Anthony.  For Country Santa Clash 4, Eric Boughman announced the rules would be relaxed for the Title match between Ken and Ace.  After a grueling match that went all over the Liberty High School gym Ace emerged victorious as the 3 Count Heavyweight Champion.    There was no honeymoon for Ace as his first title defense was against the New Age Enforcer James Drake at Collision Course 1 in February.  Somehow, someway Ken Magnum convinced the leadership of 3 Count to allow him to be the special guest referee for this match.  Surprisingly, Magnum called the match right down the middle as Ace successfully defended the title before Magnum attacked him after the match.  That brings us to the present.

In wrestling, the champion is usually guaranteed a rematch if and when he loses the title.  When someone remains at the top of the rankings for an extended period of time, as Ace and Ken have done, a title match must be granted.  That’s what makes this match at Locked and Loaded 2017 so important.  Both men have waived the rematch clause.  Whoever loses this match will find himself at the back of the line, so to speak, having to fight their way from the bottom if they ever hope to earn another shot at the 3 Count Heavyweight Title.  We could be witnessing these 2 men battling for the 3 Count Heavyweight Title for the final time.  Whatever happens on March 25th, the careers of Ken Magnum and Ace Armstrong will never be the same and 3 Count Pro Wrestling will find itself in unchartered territory.