 |
| The Smash Bros. want YOU to help fight cancer Photo Credit: Devin Chen |
The weekend's here, yes the weekend's here. Time for brews, barbecues, and in my case, fantasy football drafts has come upon us. Most importantly though, the time for wrestling is nigh! NIGH! While SummerSlam is nominally the biggest event of the weekend, it is far from the most important or the only one. Whether you're heading up to the Canadian capital to help raise money to fight cancer or you're just heading down to the local VFW for some good, clean, fun rasslin' action is irrelevant. Wrestling is happening, hooray! I'm going to be highlighting a bunch of shows, but as always, more wrestling events are happening this weekend than I can recount succinctly. If you don't find a show here, check out Pro Wrestling Events to see where pro graps is happening in your area.
FRIDAY
The most important show this weekend happens tonight in Ottawa, ON. Fighting Back, an organization dedicated to raising money for cancer research through professional wrestling, is holding its second annual supershow to help tell the world that #CancerStinks and that we want to eliminate it once and for all. If you can make it to the Knights of Columbus in Ottawa by 6:30PM local time after purchasing VIP tickets at Vertigo Records, also in Ottawa, you can participate in a meet 'n greet with the wrestlers on the show. If you just want to get general admission tickets, the doors will open for you at 7:30PM. All the proceeds, that's 100 percent, will be going to the Canadian Cancer Society in memory of Phrank Morin, the Canadian indie wrestler who lost his battle with cancer and is the inspiration for this entire movement.
The show's main event will pit the Super Smash Bros. against veritable dream opponents, Paul London and Brian Kendrick. If you want to talk about giving donors premium bang for their charitable buck, man, you can't get any more bang unless the Young Bucks showed up and started superkicking everyone. Even then, that claim would be questionable. In addition to that dynamite main event, Addy Starr will tangle with Pinkie Sanchez for the Interspecies Wrestling Undisputed King of Crazy Championship. Capital City Championship Combat Champion "Speedball" Mike Bailey will welcome a challenge from across Lake Erie when "M-Dogg 20" Matt Cross stands across the ring from him. Sixteen wrestlers will participate in a uniquely complex Fighting Back Invitational tournament to crown this year's FBI Champion. Gregory Iron, Jodi D'Milo, Sexxxy Eddy, Buxx Belmar, and Sebastian Suave are only a handful of participants in this tournament. But best of all? You're going to get to attend a night of fucking tremendous wrestling for one of the noblest cause that will embiggen the quality in so many people's lives. Even if you can't attend, please consider donating. Cancer sucks. Let's end that shit.
Moving down into America, North Cackalacky in particular, Premiere Wrestling Xperience will invade the Tremont Music Hall in Charlotte, NC. The show starts at 8PM local time, and it features a loaded slate that includes Cedric Alexander taking on Johnny Gargano in a "dream match." If all you know Alexander from is tag matches in Ring of Honor, well, yeah, you already know he's good. However, the man is a fucking rock star in the South, especially North Carolina. Gargano coming down into his home turf is a big deal. Also on the show, Andrew Everett will take on Rich Swann in what I think is a lock to steal that show, Mia Yim teams up with Amanda Rodriguez to battle Ivelisse Velez and Amber O'Neal, and Shane Strickland clashes with Trevor Lee.
NWA Houston will present Shakedown at the VFW Post 8905 in Cypress, TX tonight at 7:30PM local. Appearing on this show will be Ricky Starks, Scot Summers, James Claxton, Barbi Hayden, and "One Man" Mike Dell.
Squared Circle Wrestling (2CW) will be a part of the Woodsmen Field Days in Boonville, NY both tonight and tomorrow. Today, they'll be putting on an array of 40 minute shows at 1PM, 3PM, and 5PM local time, as we speak right now at the time of posting, that first show is out of the question. If you read this in time, you can hit up the 3PM show which will feature Colin Delaney, Zaqary Springate III, and Jay Freddie. The 5PM show is the main event, as "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan will take on maniacal interloper Bin Hamin, while 2CW Champion Isys Ephex defends against Kevin Graham.
SATURDAY
2CW's second day at the Woodsmen Field Days on Saturday includes 40 minute shows at 1PM and 4PM local time again. The main event, Take 'Em to the Woodshed, will take place at 8PM local time. The main attraction match here pits TNA superstar Mickie James against Jessicka Havok. Last year, James invaded upstate New York to take on Rachel Summerlyn. This year, she gets Summerlyn's bromantic best friend Havok in what should be a take-no-prisoners affair. Also on the show, Ephex will put his 2CW Championship, should he survive the title defense against Graham tonight, against Springate, and "Slyck" Wagner Brown battles Cheech Hernandez. Also appearing will be Colin Delaney.
Ring of Honor will settle into the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City at 7:30PM local time for Manhattan Mayhem V. The main event pits the American Wolves defending the Tag Team Championships against the former Champions, reDRagon (Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly). While that match is the main event, the main attraction may very well be another tag team match. In my estimation, the best tag team in America today is the Young Bucks. They will be going up against a team whom some say is the best in the world, Forever Hooligans, Rocky Romero and Alex Koslov. That tag contest could end up being on a lot of Match of the Year lists come December. There will be three quarterfinal matches in the ROH World Championship tournament, and in another marquee tag match, Cedric Alexander and Caprice Coleman go up against ACH and TaDarius Thomas in a scramble rules match.
PWX's second show of the weekend takes place in Concord, NC. They will be taping for their television show, and the event starts at 8PM local time at Cabarrus Arena. No matches have been announced, but the slate of talent is impressive to say the least: Mia Yim, Caleb Konley, "Manscout" Jake Manning, Corey Hollis, Rich Swann, Chip Day, Amber O'Neal, and American Tiger (aka Steve Corino's son Colby).
About an hour-and-a-half north on I-85, CWF Mid-Atlantic will be presenting the finals to their Weaver Cup live on Internet pay-per-view at 7:30PM Eastern Daylight Time. If you want to be there live, head on over to the Mid-Atlantic Sportatorium in Gibsonville, NC. The semifinals and the finals will take place at this show. The first semi pits bitter rivals Andrew Everett and Trevor Lee against each other. Lee is the one who stole Everett's mask when he was still Chiva Kid. The other semifinal will see Lee Valiant clash with Chet Sterling. The winners of those two matches will meet in the finals. Also on the show will be Arik Royal, Ric Converse, and Mecha Mercenary.
Time to head down to Georgia, first to Rossville, GA at the Empire Arena for Empire Pro Wrestling at 8:05PM local time. After the Devil's Rejects finally ended the Illuminati at Crazy from the Heat, the focus now turns to who the next challenger to Tank's Empire Championship will be. Empire officials have set up a single elimination tournament to begin at the show this week, featuring Shaun Tempers, Ace Rockwell, and Johnny Viper among others.
Deep Southern Championship Wrestling hunkers down in their namesake arena in Blue Ridge, GA, for a 8PM local bell time. Women's action headlines the show as Devyn Nicole battles Tiffany Roxx. Also on the show will be Cyrus the Destroyer.
Down at the Main Event in Porterdale, GA, Platinum Championship Wrestling will ring the bell at 6PM local time. Fred Yehi is letting his lead in the best of seven series against "Dynomite Soul" Eric Walker slip through his fingers. With Walker gaining two straight wins, Yehi has declared match 6 will be a no-disqualification match. Also on the show will be Bobby Moore.
SUNDAY
Sunday's action is headlined by Anarchy Championship Wrestling settling back in at the Mohawk in Austin, TX for Distrust, Dismay, and Anti-Social Behavior. Doors will open at 5:15PM local time, and the main event is a doozy. Preternaturally gifted technical whiz Davey Vega will look wrest the World Hardcore Championship from the clinically insane but breathtakingly acrobatic Matthew Palmer, a match that could end up being the best in any promotion this Sunday. Also on the show, Evan Gelistico has an open challenge for his Anarchy Championship, Ricky Starks battles Gary Jay, Jack Jameson goes for the Anarchy Televised Championship against Angel Blue, and Jojo Bravo will look to punch his ticket to the Lone Star Classic against Barrett Brown. Also appearing on the show will be Scot Summers, Su Yung, Barbi Hayden, and Bolt Brady.
Wrestling Is Heart will be hopping on the Wrestling Is TOURNAMENTS! bandwagon with La Copa Idolo at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds in Lafayette, IN, doors opening at 1:30PM local. The four first round matches are as follows: Heidi Lovelace vs. Tripp Cassidy, Mat Russo vs. Christian Rose, Green Ant vs. Mark Angelosetti, and Buck Boulder vs. Joe Pittman. They've lined up a solid slate indeed. Also on the show, the Estonian Thunder Frog does battle with Chuck Taylor, and there will be a huge four-way tag match to round things out.
SMASH Wrestling presents their Super Showdown at 4:30PM local time at the e-Zone in Etobicoke, ON. The main event features Paul London and Brian Kendrick remaining in Canada to face off against the Overdogs, Josh Alexander and Sebastian Suave. Matt Cross will take on Gregory Iron. Also on the show will be Player Uno, Johnny Gargano, LuFisto, Tyson Dux, and former WWE referee Jimmy Korderas.
Finally, down in Warner-Robins, GA, Rampage Pro Wrestling will bring you live, Southern-fried action from Johnny G's Fun Center at 3PM local time. In the main event, Luke Gallows teams with Drew Adler to challenge the Blacklist of Kory Chavis and Murder-ONE for the Rampage Pro Wrestling Tag Team Championships. Also on the show, Francisco Ciatso will look to take the Television Championship from Mike Cruz.
Remember, the above isn't the only action happening this weekend. Take a leap of faith and check out a local show you may not have frequented before. Who knows, maybe it'll become your new favorite thing in the world. The art of wrestling needs your help to remain vibrant and healthy. And hey, even if you don't go to a wrestling show this weekend, at least donate to Fighting Back and help stamp out cancer for good. I lost a grandmother to cancer, and I'd be utterly shocked if there was a single person who wasn't touched by that awful disease in any way. Let's help ease the pain! Donate!
FRIDAY
The most important show this weekend happens tonight in Ottawa, ON. Fighting Back, an organization dedicated to raising money for cancer research through professional wrestling, is holding its second annual supershow to help tell the world that #CancerStinks and that we want to eliminate it once and for all. If you can make it to the Knights of Columbus in Ottawa by 6:30PM local time after purchasing VIP tickets at Vertigo Records, also in Ottawa, you can participate in a meet 'n greet with the wrestlers on the show. If you just want to get general admission tickets, the doors will open for you at 7:30PM. All the proceeds, that's 100 percent, will be going to the Canadian Cancer Society in memory of Phrank Morin, the Canadian indie wrestler who lost his battle with cancer and is the inspiration for this entire movement.
The show's main event will pit the Super Smash Bros. against veritable dream opponents, Paul London and Brian Kendrick. If you want to talk about giving donors premium bang for their charitable buck, man, you can't get any more bang unless the Young Bucks showed up and started superkicking everyone. Even then, that claim would be questionable. In addition to that dynamite main event, Addy Starr will tangle with Pinkie Sanchez for the Interspecies Wrestling Undisputed King of Crazy Championship. Capital City Championship Combat Champion "Speedball" Mike Bailey will welcome a challenge from across Lake Erie when "M-Dogg 20" Matt Cross stands across the ring from him. Sixteen wrestlers will participate in a uniquely complex Fighting Back Invitational tournament to crown this year's FBI Champion. Gregory Iron, Jodi D'Milo, Sexxxy Eddy, Buxx Belmar, and Sebastian Suave are only a handful of participants in this tournament. But best of all? You're going to get to attend a night of fucking tremendous wrestling for one of the noblest cause that will embiggen the quality in so many people's lives. Even if you can't attend, please consider donating. Cancer sucks. Let's end that shit.
Moving down into America, North Cackalacky in particular, Premiere Wrestling Xperience will invade the Tremont Music Hall in Charlotte, NC. The show starts at 8PM local time, and it features a loaded slate that includes Cedric Alexander taking on Johnny Gargano in a "dream match." If all you know Alexander from is tag matches in Ring of Honor, well, yeah, you already know he's good. However, the man is a fucking rock star in the South, especially North Carolina. Gargano coming down into his home turf is a big deal. Also on the show, Andrew Everett will take on Rich Swann in what I think is a lock to steal that show, Mia Yim teams up with Amanda Rodriguez to battle Ivelisse Velez and Amber O'Neal, and Shane Strickland clashes with Trevor Lee.
NWA Houston will present Shakedown at the VFW Post 8905 in Cypress, TX tonight at 7:30PM local. Appearing on this show will be Ricky Starks, Scot Summers, James Claxton, Barbi Hayden, and "One Man" Mike Dell.
Squared Circle Wrestling (2CW) will be a part of the Woodsmen Field Days in Boonville, NY both tonight and tomorrow. Today, they'll be putting on an array of 40 minute shows at 1PM, 3PM, and 5PM local time, as we speak right now at the time of posting, that first show is out of the question. If you read this in time, you can hit up the 3PM show which will feature Colin Delaney, Zaqary Springate III, and Jay Freddie. The 5PM show is the main event, as "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan will take on maniacal interloper Bin Hamin, while 2CW Champion Isys Ephex defends against Kevin Graham.
SATURDAY
2CW's second day at the Woodsmen Field Days on Saturday includes 40 minute shows at 1PM and 4PM local time again. The main event, Take 'Em to the Woodshed, will take place at 8PM local time. The main attraction match here pits TNA superstar Mickie James against Jessicka Havok. Last year, James invaded upstate New York to take on Rachel Summerlyn. This year, she gets Summerlyn's bromantic best friend Havok in what should be a take-no-prisoners affair. Also on the show, Ephex will put his 2CW Championship, should he survive the title defense against Graham tonight, against Springate, and "Slyck" Wagner Brown battles Cheech Hernandez. Also appearing will be Colin Delaney.
Ring of Honor will settle into the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City at 7:30PM local time for Manhattan Mayhem V. The main event pits the American Wolves defending the Tag Team Championships against the former Champions, reDRagon (Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly). While that match is the main event, the main attraction may very well be another tag team match. In my estimation, the best tag team in America today is the Young Bucks. They will be going up against a team whom some say is the best in the world, Forever Hooligans, Rocky Romero and Alex Koslov. That tag contest could end up being on a lot of Match of the Year lists come December. There will be three quarterfinal matches in the ROH World Championship tournament, and in another marquee tag match, Cedric Alexander and Caprice Coleman go up against ACH and TaDarius Thomas in a scramble rules match.
PWX's second show of the weekend takes place in Concord, NC. They will be taping for their television show, and the event starts at 8PM local time at Cabarrus Arena. No matches have been announced, but the slate of talent is impressive to say the least: Mia Yim, Caleb Konley, "Manscout" Jake Manning, Corey Hollis, Rich Swann, Chip Day, Amber O'Neal, and American Tiger (aka Steve Corino's son Colby).
About an hour-and-a-half north on I-85, CWF Mid-Atlantic will be presenting the finals to their Weaver Cup live on Internet pay-per-view at 7:30PM Eastern Daylight Time. If you want to be there live, head on over to the Mid-Atlantic Sportatorium in Gibsonville, NC. The semifinals and the finals will take place at this show. The first semi pits bitter rivals Andrew Everett and Trevor Lee against each other. Lee is the one who stole Everett's mask when he was still Chiva Kid. The other semifinal will see Lee Valiant clash with Chet Sterling. The winners of those two matches will meet in the finals. Also on the show will be Arik Royal, Ric Converse, and Mecha Mercenary.
Time to head down to Georgia, first to Rossville, GA at the Empire Arena for Empire Pro Wrestling at 8:05PM local time. After the Devil's Rejects finally ended the Illuminati at Crazy from the Heat, the focus now turns to who the next challenger to Tank's Empire Championship will be. Empire officials have set up a single elimination tournament to begin at the show this week, featuring Shaun Tempers, Ace Rockwell, and Johnny Viper among others.
Deep Southern Championship Wrestling hunkers down in their namesake arena in Blue Ridge, GA, for a 8PM local bell time. Women's action headlines the show as Devyn Nicole battles Tiffany Roxx. Also on the show will be Cyrus the Destroyer.
Down at the Main Event in Porterdale, GA, Platinum Championship Wrestling will ring the bell at 6PM local time. Fred Yehi is letting his lead in the best of seven series against "Dynomite Soul" Eric Walker slip through his fingers. With Walker gaining two straight wins, Yehi has declared match 6 will be a no-disqualification match. Also on the show will be Bobby Moore.
SUNDAY
Sunday's action is headlined by Anarchy Championship Wrestling settling back in at the Mohawk in Austin, TX for Distrust, Dismay, and Anti-Social Behavior. Doors will open at 5:15PM local time, and the main event is a doozy. Preternaturally gifted technical whiz Davey Vega will look wrest the World Hardcore Championship from the clinically insane but breathtakingly acrobatic Matthew Palmer, a match that could end up being the best in any promotion this Sunday. Also on the show, Evan Gelistico has an open challenge for his Anarchy Championship, Ricky Starks battles Gary Jay, Jack Jameson goes for the Anarchy Televised Championship against Angel Blue, and Jojo Bravo will look to punch his ticket to the Lone Star Classic against Barrett Brown. Also appearing on the show will be Scot Summers, Su Yung, Barbi Hayden, and Bolt Brady.
Wrestling Is Heart will be hopping on the Wrestling Is TOURNAMENTS! bandwagon with La Copa Idolo at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds in Lafayette, IN, doors opening at 1:30PM local. The four first round matches are as follows: Heidi Lovelace vs. Tripp Cassidy, Mat Russo vs. Christian Rose, Green Ant vs. Mark Angelosetti, and Buck Boulder vs. Joe Pittman. They've lined up a solid slate indeed. Also on the show, the Estonian Thunder Frog does battle with Chuck Taylor, and there will be a huge four-way tag match to round things out.
SMASH Wrestling presents their Super Showdown at 4:30PM local time at the e-Zone in Etobicoke, ON. The main event features Paul London and Brian Kendrick remaining in Canada to face off against the Overdogs, Josh Alexander and Sebastian Suave. Matt Cross will take on Gregory Iron. Also on the show will be Player Uno, Johnny Gargano, LuFisto, Tyson Dux, and former WWE referee Jimmy Korderas.
Finally, down in Warner-Robins, GA, Rampage Pro Wrestling will bring you live, Southern-fried action from Johnny G's Fun Center at 3PM local time. In the main event, Luke Gallows teams with Drew Adler to challenge the Blacklist of Kory Chavis and Murder-ONE for the Rampage Pro Wrestling Tag Team Championships. Also on the show, Francisco Ciatso will look to take the Television Championship from Mike Cruz.
Remember, the above isn't the only action happening this weekend. Take a leap of faith and check out a local show you may not have frequented before. Who knows, maybe it'll become your new favorite thing in the world. The art of wrestling needs your help to remain vibrant and healthy. And hey, even if you don't go to a wrestling show this weekend, at least donate to Fighting Back and help stamp out cancer for good. I lost a grandmother to cancer, and I'd be utterly shocked if there was a single person who wasn't touched by that awful disease in any way. Let's help ease the pain! Donate!