This recap was originally written by SEScoops’ staff writer Dominic DeAngelo on MLW.com. 

If you thought the war was over – think again as War Chamber 2 commences down in St. Petersburg on Saturday night. Who began to get things on a roll but Cesar Duran as he unveils his newest acquisition, Virus. He’s looking to continue to keep Salina de la Renta off her game as she has Star Jr. ready for him to face.

MATCH 1
Virus (with Cesar Duran) vs. Star Jr. (presented Salina de la Renta)

The lucha style was in full effect on this match, but this battle was hard-hitting as Virus and Star Jr. slugged it out. Star floored Virus with a really hard shot, but Virus got some impact back with an extremely impressive avalanche bomb from all the way up top. That could have been curtains for Star Jr.

However, Star Jr secured the victory via submission with a modified leg and arm stretch. Virus had no choice and the ref called for the bell!

WINNER: Star Jr.

We cut to see World Titan Federation who expressed their enthusiasm in facing Alex Kane and Mr. Thomas. Davey Boy Smith Jr and Tom Lawlor have words for their opponents, but can they deliver?

Outside of the arena, there’s Matthew Justice and Bill Alfonso, daddy! The two make a perfect pair and Justice warns CONTRA Unit that he’s ready to continue their war.

MATCH 2
Brett Ryan Gosselin (with MSL) vs. Budd Heavy

It’s been awhile since we’ve seen Budd Heavy, but BRG doesn’t wait for any pomp and circumstance for the hometown Heavy as he immediately goes on the attack. BRG hits a massive lariat before hitting a spinning fisherman’s for the 1-2-3.

WINNER: Brett Ryan Gosselin

Post-fight, Gosselin makes clear he’s ready to make an impact in MLW and then takes a couple more shots on Heavy before he and MSL leave.

Salina de la Renta is elated as she’s with her mother and they’re making plans to celebrate about the big victory by Star Jr. tonight.

MATCH 3
MLW World Tag Team Championships
Alex Kane & Mr. Thomas vs. Word Titan Federation (Tom Lawlor & Davey Boy Smith Jr.) (with MSL)

AJ Francis joins commentary as Alex Kane aims early to take the champs to Suplex Island, but it wasn’t Lawlor nor DBS getting suplexed. Kane uses Mr. Thomas to toss into Tom!

WTF does slow the pace and isolate Alex Kane as DBS traps Kane in a modified Indian Deathlock. Mr. Thomas was figuratively and literally a big factor change in the fight as once he got tagged in he became an unstoppable force.

Unfortunately, Francis became a vocal distraction for Kane and the former World Champ took his eye off the prize. MSL slides in a tag belt to Tom and as Mr. Thomas hoists Lawlor up for a powerbomb gets smacked with the gold. Lawlor falls on top of Thomas for the pinfall W.

WINNERS and STILL MLW World Tag Team Champions: Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Tom Lawlor

Post-fight, we see WTF backstage relishing in their win as MSL shows that he happens to hold the new version of the MLW World Heavyweight Title. In comes Satoshi Kojima and Okumura. Kojima lets DBS know in Japanese that they’re coming for those titles in Chicago!

MATCH 4
Sofia Castillo vs. Zayda

The first part of this fight started out with Sofia and Zayda feeling one another out and attempting to wear one another down with fundamentals. However, Zayda underestimated Sofia who catches her in the corner then hits a beauty of a stunner on the ring apron.

Zayda attempts to reset and almost hits her “I’m Prettier” finisher, but Sofia breaks free. Zayda does end up catching her with the move and it’s good for the victory.

WINNER: Zayda

We see AKIRA, Raven, Jake Crist and Jimmy Lloyd. Raven makes it known that he created The Calling and tonight in War Chamber, he’s going to put an end to it. “Quoth the Raven, nevermore.”

MATCH 5
Timothy Thatcher vs. Matt Riddle

Arguably the most anticipated match of the evening – this rematch delivered. Thatcher and Riddle put on a chess match of hard hitting technique. Both men put their strength to the test and in turn, challenged one another’s endurance. Thatcher rocked Riddle hard with three straight European uppercuts and Riddle fired back with some unique submission attempts to take Thatcher off his game.

Riddle ends up rocking Thatcher enough by hitting his “Brostone” piledriver for the 1-2-3.

WINNER: Matt Riddle

Post fight, Riddle drops a bombshell that he does indeed plan to hold that MLW World Heavyweight Gold and he plans to punch his ticket by entering this year’s Battle Riot!

While Riddle is on cloud nine, the tone has changed for WTF. CONTRA has decided to set their sights on the Superstars as they one-by-one take out Richard Holliday, Davey Boy Smith Jr and Tom Lawlor!

MATCH 6
MLW World Heavyweight Championship
Bad Dude Tito (presented by Salina de la Renta) vs. Satoshi Kojima (c)

Bad Dude has pulled a page out of Minoru Suzuki’s book as he really brings it to Kojima and it’s clear Tito wants that World Title. Kojima is still fighting through injury, but the champ does look unphased by his ailments.

Tito not only has the size but the speed to get Kojima off his game, giving him very little window to get any offense in. However Kojima threads the needle by catching Bad Dude with a sudden Lariato and gets the 1-2-3!

WINNER and STILL MLW World Heavyweight Champion: Satoshi Kojima

MAIN EVENT
War Chamber II Match
Death Fighters vs. The Calling

Jake Crist is the first entrant into War Chamber which means The Death Fighters has the man advantage for starters! His opponent is someone he’s very familiar with in Sami Callihan. Before the bell rings, the two make it physically clear there’s no love loss between one another. Trash can lids really hammered that point home.

Callihan and Crist find one another outside of the Chamber and it doesn’t take long for Crist to don the crimson mask. The third man out is Akira, but The Calling get a jump on him and he’s down and out. This allows Rickey Shane Page to enter and rub salt in the wound to his former tag partner.

Crist does his best to weather the storm that is Sami and RSP and avoids a trash can lid shot. Thankfully, it’s enough for Jimmy Lloyd to enter to even the odds and he does just that with a steel chair.

Out next is Cannonball as the real estate for the two rings lessens with his presence. A bloody AKIRA finally comes to and gets involved but The Calling thwarts his efforts in a big way. They lay him out on a table and allows Cannonball to come crashing down on him from the top of the cage!

However Tampa Bay explodes when out comes Raven! He lays The Calling out with some stiff kendo stick shots and then pulls a page out of his arsenal by nailing a tandem drop toe hold onto a steel chair to Cannonball!

AKIRA gets to exact some really devastating punishment to the final entrance, Dr. Cornwallace as he throws a cinder block at a trash can, ramming the steel into the big man’s groin! The final fight finally commences but the violence amps up as thumbtacks get introduced. Both Cannonball and Jimmy Lloyd feel the effects of that. Lloyd also crashes through a door bridged across the two rings and Crist ultimately takes everyone out with a huge dive from up top.

The focus then gets on RSP and AKIRA. RSP has the death fighter sandwiched between a table and a door. RSP climbs the ropes and leaps
off to senton on top of AKIRA, but the latter moves and takes advantage! AKIRA nails a Raven Effect DDT and then uses a kendo stick to lock in a crossface on RSP! However, Jimmy Lloyd levels him up with barbed wire and RSP has no choice but to tap!

WINNERS: The Death Fighters

Post-fight, AKIRA gets on the mic and thanks everyone in the arena and at home. He says to believe in Major League Wrestling and trust the AKIRA way. Raven then gets on the mic and tells the fans that AKIRA is the future of pro wrestling!

We cut to see Salina de la Renta walking with her mother as Cesar Duran watches them, swinging the very key that’s at stake for Azteca Lucha in Chicago!

West Coast Pro Wrestling held its live event, West Coast Best Coast, on March 4 at the United Irish Cultural Center in San Francisco, California.

The event had West Coast Pro Champion Titus Alexander defend his title against Nick Wayne in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match. Alexander and Wayne went to a time-limit draw the last time they wrestled against each other. Another match on the card had “Speedball” Mike Bailey taking on Timothy Thatcher. WWE Hall of Famer Lita attended to help crown the new West Coast Pro Women’s Champion as Masha Slamovich faced Sandra Moone.

For fans that want to watch West Coast Pro Wrestling: West Coast Best Coast, you can subscribe to IWTV for $9.99.

Lita (@AmyDumas) presents the first champion, @mashaslamovich, with the @WCProOfficial women's title pic.twitter.com/4s4t8RL4oJ

— CJ Fogler ? (@cjzero) March 5, 2023

West Coast Pro Wrestling: West Coast Best Coast Results

1. Bret The Threat def. Jiah Jewell
2. Alpha Zo, Juicy Finau & AJ Gray def. Los Suavecitos & Adrian Quest
3. Masha Slamovich def. Sandra Moone – West Coast Pro Women’s Championship Match
4. Aramis, Rey Horus & Viento def. Latigo, Toxin & Black Taurus
5. West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson & Royce Issac) def. Miracle Generation (Dustin Waller & Kylon King)
6. Vinnie Massaro def. Rickey Shane Page- No DQ Match
7. “Speedball” Mike Bailey def. Timothy Thatcher
8. Bryan Keith and Starboy Charlie def. Kevin Blackwood and Alan Angels
9. (C) Titus Alexander def. Nick Wayne in a Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match for the West Coast Pro Championship

A former WWE NXT Superstar will be making their presence felt on next week’s AEW Dynamite, as part of the feud between Bryan Danielson and MJF.

Danielson is currently working towards a match with the reigning AEW World Champion but must remain undefeated until February 8 to do so.

If Danielson does reach that date without taking a loss, the AEW World Championship match between the pair will be a sixty-minute Iron Man match at AEW Revolution 2023.

AEW Debut

During this week’s Dynamite, Danielson continued his winning ways, defeating Brian Cage, who attacked the American Dragon after the match.

MJF would join Cage in the ring, but Konosuke Takeshita would arrive to make the save.

Later on, MJF appeared in a video promo where he stated Danielson’s next opponent will systematically eliminate him.

That opponent turned out to be Timothy Thatcher, who will face Danielson next week on AEW Dynamite.

@The_MJF has chosen @bryandanielson's next challenger: #TimothyThatcher!

Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS right now! pic.twitter.com/MbRdtSsYsg

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) January 26, 2023

Timothy Thatcher

Before coming to WWE in 2020, Thatcher proved his toughness on the independent scene, working for promotions like wXw and Evolve.

The former Evolve Champion would be assigned to NXT in 2020, replacing Pete Dunne as Matt Riddle’s tag partner, when the Bruiserweight was unable to travel due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Not long after his debut, Thatcher walked out on Riddle, turning heel, and would defeat the Original Bro in WWE’s first Fight Pit match.

After transitioning into a teaching role at the WWE PC, Thatcher would be released on January 5, 2022, and make his debut for Pro Wrestling Noah that June.

AEW Dynamite Results (1/25/23): Jay Briscoe Tribute, Darby Allin vs. Buddy Matthews

WWE’s YouTube channel has uploaded the latest NXT injury report.

According to NXT General Manager William Regal, Timothy Thatcher is injured. The undisclosed injury took place while he was training for the Pit Fight against Tommaso Ciampa that was scheduled for tonight’s New Year’s Evil event.

“With proper rehab, Mr. Thatcher should be back to action soon,” said Regal. “But due to the brutal nature of tonight’s match, our team could not clear him in good conscience.”

Regal finished by saying that as soon as Timothy Thatcher heals, he and Tommasso Ciampa will sort out their differences in the fight pit.

We wish Timothy Thatcher a speedy recovery and will provide an update if details surrounding the injury are made public.

You can watch the Timothy Thatcher NXT injury report below:

WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio Bully Ray recently discussed the NXT Great American Bash show on USA Network. One of the standout bouts on the card was between Timothy Thatcher and Oney Lorcan, which Bully Ray had huge praise for.

“I’m watching Timothy Thatcher and Oney Lorcan. I’m like, ‘man, this is really good'” Bully Ray began on the show. “This is what it was meant to be back in the day; a spirited contest, a fight, aggression, everything looks tight and snug and everything means something.”

Bully Ray on Lorcan vs Thatcher

Bully Ray continued, saying “they blew me away with something that they did last night that nobody else does. They made something so small and normally thrown away in wrestling matches, and they made it mean something. It was something so small that normally we take for granted in wrestling matches, and we don’t even care about anymore because they really don’t mean anything.”

Ray would then elaborate on the point, saying “it’s chops. When they were chopping each other? They weren’t chopping each other just to make a sound. Or even just for a crowd to go ‘woo,’ or for one guy to chop somebody, and then just wait five minutes to chop them again. It was like they would chop each other to open each other up to go for a move.”

Bully Ray would finish by praising the match even further, saying “they [Lorcan and Thatcher] used something so basic as a chop to make psychological sense of their offence. I love that.”

Did you enjoy the match? Let us know in the comments

Also Check Out:

• SummerSlam To Be Held At WWE Performance Center (Report)
• Sarah Logan Announces She Is Pregnant
• Rey Mysterio Working As Free Agent After Expiry Of WWE Contract
• Sheamus Reveals AEW Star Who Helped Him Get Ahead in WWE
• Big E On #SpeakingOut Allegations: “I Wasn’t Surprised”

All signs were pointing towards the same and now WWE has officially announced the signing of both Killer Kross and Timothy Thatcher.

The company announced the news on the latest episode of WWE Backstage and they later confirmed the same on their official website as well.

Though they have announced that the new recruits will be reporting to the performance centre so it’s not known which brand Kross and Thatcher will be joining and when.

BREAKING NEWS:
Per @ryansatin on #WWEBackstage, @WWE has signed two of the hottest free agents in sports entertainment, Timothy Thatcher and @realKILLERkross! pic.twitter.com/BPqSs2n5CW

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) February 5, 2020

Killer Kross who wrestled for promotions such as Lucha Underground and AAA in Mexico joined Impact Wrestling in 2018 and rose to stardom pretty quickly, before being released by the company in December last year.

On the other hand, Thatcher is known for his work with Evolve where he holds the record of being the longest-reigning Evolve Champion at 596 days.

He has also wrestled for other notable indie promotions such as Major League Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and Combat Zone Wrestling since his debut in 2005.

It’s worth mentioning here that recent reports had suggested that the former Impact star Killer Kross could be on ‘fast track’ once he signs with WWE.

While the exact meaning of this is unknown, it’s believed that he can receive a big push in NXT or be sent to the main roster directly.

Former EVOLVE Champion Timothy Thatcher has reportedly signed with WWE. According to reports from both Squared Circle Sirens and PW Insider, the 36-year-old has been at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando this week.

Thatcher last wrestled in December in a victory over Kassius Ohno on a Progress show from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, UK. Prior to that, Thatcher had also been wrestling with Major League Wrestling. Thatcher most recently advanced to the semi-finals of MLW’s Opera Cup tournament.

Thatcher also dropped matches to WALTER and Arturo Ruas on EVOLVE shows back in December.

Timothy Thatcher Signs With WWE

Thatcher won the EVOLVE Championship at EVOLVE 45 on July 10th, 2015. He wouldn’t lose the title for 596 days and successfully defended the title 22 times during his reign. Thatcher dropped the title to Zack Sabre Jr. at EVOLVE 79 on February 25th, 2017.

Thatcher’s 596 days as EVOLVE Champion is both the longest single reign in the title’s lineage and also the most combined days anyone has spent with the title as nobody has ever won the title more than once. Zack Sabre Jr’s 404-day title reign is good for second place in this category.

• MLW Fusion Results & 5 Takeaways (1/11/20)

Major League Wrestling presented a new episode of Fusion on BeIN Sports and YouTube this weekend. The show was headlined by the second Opera Cup semi-final match between Timothy Thatcher and Brian Pillman Jr. and also featured a tag title match between the Von Erichs and the newly named “Filthy Squad.”

MLW Fusion 1/11/20 Quick Results:

1. MLW World Tag Team Championships
   The Von Erichs (c) defeated the Filthy Squad
2. Opera Cup Semi-Final #2
   Brian Pillman Jr. defeated Timothy Thatcher

The full episode can be viewed in the player below:

The Von Erichs defeated The Filthy Squad

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1216661164421152768

Tom Lawlor has said he’s putting “Team Filthy” back together and this week we found out that Ken Doane and Mikey Mondo will now be going by the name “the Filthy Squad.” They were pitted up against the Von Erichs in a tag team title match this week.

The Squad targetted Marshall Von Erich’s injured knee throughout the match. After Marshall managed to tag out, however, the Von Erichs went on offense. They would finish the Squad off with an Iron Claw assisted slam (the Iron Slam) to retain.

After the match, the Von Erichs were attacked by the newest member of Team Filthy, Rip Von Erich. The imposter Von Erich lost to Tom Lawlor on last week’s episode.

Injustice Attacked Brian Pillman Jr.

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1216381821652361216

As Fusion was kicking off this week, Alicia Atout attempted to get an interview with Brian Pillman Jr. As she was doing so, however, Pillman was attacked by the members of Injustice. Pillman had previously gotten into a backstage disagreement with Kotta Brazil last week.

At this point, it is unclear if Pillman will be available for the night’s main event against Timothy Thatcher.

Gino Medina Joins The Dynasty

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1216506392531501056

Not since Randy Savage arrived in WWF in the mid-80s have managers fought over the services of a wrestler to this degree. Since Gino Medina’s arrival in MLW was announced, Konnan and Selina de la Renta have been seen in the back trying to negotiate with him.

This week, Konnan came out and recalled being in the Gringos Locos stable with Medina’s father, El Sanguinario. Selina de la Renta also came out who had some words about Konnan. Finally, the Dynasty came out and MJF touted how he has 2 big-time wrestling contracts and everyone in the Dynasty are top guys as reasons why Medina should join their faction.

When it came time for him to make his decision, Medina shook Konnan’s hand only to boot him in the stomach directly after. Selina de la Renta would scatter from the ring as the Dynasty put the boots to Konnan. Medina has joined the Dynasty.

Brian Pillman Jr. Advances To The Opera Cup Finals

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1216557982651052032

Pillman went into this match with an injured shoulder courtesy of the earlier attack by the members of Injustice. An injured body part is just what Timothy Thatcher loves to focus on in a match.

It looked like the match was all but over when Thatcher had Pillman trapped in an armbar but the youngster countered the submission into a pinning combination and scored the surprise 3-count. With the win, Pillman advances to the finals of the tournament next week.

Next Week

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1216593267288092672

MLW has two big matches set up for next week’s episode of Fusion. The Opera Cup finals take place next week with two members of the Hart Foundation squaring off, Brian Pillman Jr. vs Davey Boy Smith Jr.

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1216532866039001102

Also next week, Savio Vega will take on Gino Medina after taking offense to the Dynasty’s attack on Konnan this week.

• Opera Cup Finals
  Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs Brian Pillman Jr.
• Gino Medina vs Savio Vega

Timothy Thatcher is on his way to Major League Wrestling. MLW confirmed today the former EVOLVE champion will be the card when they present MLW: Never Say Never 19 on July 25th. The event will be held inside New York’s Melrose Ballroom.

“Journeying around the world and winning championships in the United Kingdom, Germany and North America, Timothy Thatcher is one of the most feared and respected scientific grapplers in the sport,” an MLW press release reads.

MLW confirmed that Thatcher’s match on the card has been signed but they have yet to reveal who his opponent will be.

https://twitter.com/mlw/status/1142069901361852417?s=21

Timothy Thatcher To MLW

Thatcher is perhaps best known as the longest-reigning EVOLVE champion in the history of the promotion. He won the title from Drew Galloway on July 10th, 2015 and would carry it for 596 days. Thatcher defended the title successfully 22x before dropping it to Zack Sabre Jr. on February 25th, 2017.

“With a reputation for believing he is superior to all in wrestling, Thatcher proudly represents the “die matte ist heilig” Ringkampf ideology.  This globe traveling grappler is notorious for smashing opponents with a pulverizing European style; adding a crippling dimension to his fight game,” MLW’s press release continues.

MLW Upcoming Schedule

MLW’s next event will be Kings of the Colosseum on July 6th from Chicago’s Cicero Stadium. Scheduled matches for that event are as follows:

• MLW World Championship: Tom Lawlor (c) vs Jacob Fatu (Contra Unit)
• Ross & Marshall Von Erich vs Josef Samael & Simon Gotch (Unsanctioned)
• LA Park & El Hijo de LA Park vs Dr. Wagner Jr & El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr.

Following the July 6th event, MLW will present Never Say Never 19 from the Melrose Ballroom in New York. The promotion will then head to Dallas on September 7th for “War Chamber.”

• Tony Schiavone Returns to MLW at Never Say Never (7/25 from NYC)

German based promotion wXw recently announced that British Strong Style will be appearing at their 18th Anniversary show. WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate and Trent Seven will be joining the 18th Anniversary show on December 22nd in Oberhausen.

This follows the news that NXT Superstar Axel Dieter Jr would be returning for the special Anniversary show. Dieter Jr left wXw back in April of 2017. The German Superstar made his way to NXT but as of yet has not been heavily featured on the WWE Network programme. Dieter Jr finally made his NXT debut in August of this year in a losing effort against Keith Lee.

As well as his time in wXw, Dieter Jr had an impressive run for the UK’s PROGRESS promotion. Bouts against The London Riots, The South Pacific Power Trip (TK Cooper and Travis Banks) and The Hunter Brothers alongside WALTER gained him a strong following. Dieter Jr also faced British Strong Style (Pete Dunne, Trent Seven and Tyler Bate) alongside Timothy Thatcher and WALTER.

Now wXw has confirmed British Strong Style’s opponents for the event. Recent WWE signee WALTER, Axel Dieter Jr and Timothy Thatcher of Ringkampf will be taking on the NXT UK Superstars. This is one of the biggest bouts in European wrestling right now, it will be a war and a spectacle not to miss.

https://twitter.com/wXwGermany/status/1066391022169726977

The 16 Carat Gold weekender is arguably one of the biggest in Independent wrestling and this year’s iteration certainly delivered on the lofty expectations of the wXw fans.

The three day event featured some of the best that the European, US and Japan scenes have to offer and here are the results over the three days:

Day 1 – March 10th

Cody Rhodes b. Da Mack

Marius Al-Ani b. JT Dunn

Timothy Thatcher b. Koji Kanemoto

Ilja Dragunov b. Robert Dreissker

Matt Riddle b. Donovan Dijak

Bad Bones b. Paul London

Mike Bailey b. ACH

WALTER b. David Starr

https://twitter.com/wXwGermany/status/841363240403779586

Day 2 – March 11th

Non Tournament Bout – Jeff Cobb b. Donovan Dijak

Matt Riddle b. Mike Bailey

Ilja Dragunov b. Timothy Thatcher

WALTER b. Marius Al-Ani

Bad Bones b. Cody Rhodes

wXw Shotgun Championship Match – David Starr (c) b. Absolute Andy, ACH & Paul London to retain the wXw Shotgun Championship

Non Tournament Bout – Robert Dreissker b. JT Dunn

wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship Match – Jurn Simmons b. Axel Dieter Jr. (c) to become the new wXw Unified World Wrestling Champion

https://twitter.com/wXwGermany/status/841325551642169345

Day 3 – March 12th

Ilja Dragunov b.. Bad Bones to advance to the finals

WALTER b. Matt Riddle to advance to the finals

Non Tournament Match – Bobby Gunnz b. Koji Kanemoto

wXw Tag Team Championship Gauntlet Match – A4 b. Paul London & Da Mack, Avalanche/Julian Nero and Ringkampf to retain their titles

wXw Shotgun Championship Match – Emil Sitoci def. David Starr, Jurn Simmons and Cody Rhodes to become the new wXw Shotgun Champion

Alpha Kevin b. Marius Van Beethoven in a No Ropes Match

Non Tournament Match – Mike Bailey & ACH b. Donovan Dijak & JT Dunn (w/ Cody Rhodes)

Ilja Dragunov b. WALTER to win the 2017 wXw 16 Carat Gold Tournament

https://twitter.com/wXwGermany/status/841015668514381830

Streaming service FloSlam has been acquiring the rights to broadcast multiple independent events across the globe since the company’s inception last year. FloSlam have now announced that the prestigious wXw 16 Carat Gold tournament will be the latest high profile event to shown on the service. Here is the official announcement from FloSlam:

The biggest event of the year in wXw is the 16 Carat Gold tournament. This year, fans will be able to watch all the action on FloSlam just one week after the event goes down in Germany. The annual tournament features many of the biggest names in the independent wrestling world competing over three days.

Your FloSlam subscription gets you access to all three streams, as well as replays of the events. Signing up gets you access to the events plus every other live event on our calendar AND our ever-expanding library of past pro wrestling cards.

The first round matchups include:

• Bad Bones vs. Paul London
• Da Mack vs. Cody Rhodes
• David Starr vs. Walter
• Donovan Dijak vs. Matt Riddle
• Ilja Dragunov vs. Robert Dreissker
• JT Dunn vs. Marius Al-Ani
• Koji Kanemoto vs. Timothy Thatcher
• Mike Bailey vs. ACH

On night two, Axel Dieter Jr. will putt the wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship on the line against Jurn Simmons while night three will feature Alpha Kevin vs. Marius Van Beethoven in a No Ropes Match.

Discussion: Are you a FloSlam subscriber? Will you be watching wXw on the service when it airs? Let us know.

https://twitter.com/FloSlam/status/837810533223055360

https://twitter.com/FloSlam/status/838485695299731466

The annual wXw 16 Carat Gold Tournament has become one of the most prestigious events in today’s Independent wrestling scene and some of the biggest perfumers in the industry have won the 16 man competition. Former winners include Chris Hero, El Generico, Tommy End, Zack Sabre Jr and Sami Callihan.

This year’s iteration begins on March 10th in Oberhausen, Germany. The full event will be available to view in full on wXw’s on demand: www.wxw-wrestling.com/pages/media/wxwnow.php

https://twitter.com/wXwGermany/status/835414183130902529

When it was announced that Chris Hero had re-signed with WWE and would be returning to NXT it created a chasm across the Independent wrestling scene, both in the United States and Europe.

After his original departure from WWE back in 2013, Hero toured the world performing for numerous promotions big and small and establishing himself as quite possibly the best independent wrestler on the planet. What is truly astonishing is the quality and variety of matches that Chris Hero had in 2016; from his bouts in UK based Revolution Pro against Tomohiro Ishii and Katsuyori Shibata, his show stealing PROGRESS bouts against Mark Andrews and Marty Scurll, his PWG tag bout alongside Tommy End against Fenix & Pentagon Jr through to his EVOLVE matches with Dick Togo, Timothy Thatcher, Zack Sabre Jr……and Matt Riddle.

One of Hero’s biggest draws was that he seemed just as happy performing in front of thousands of fans as he did in front of a smaller crowd, eager to help as many promotions as possible gain traction and build their fan base.

Before I started writing this I saw a tweet from a very small UK based promotion stating that Matt Riddle would be performing for them in April against Josh Bodom, himself an up and coming star on the UK scene. Counter this with Riddle’s other matches so far in 2017 in the UK for the likes of Rev Pro and PROGRESS and you can see why I drew the comparison to Hero, he appears to be working for independents big and small.

Now, Riddle has only been wrestling for around 3 years and while he is not quite at the caliber of a Chris Hero just yet, he certainly has all of the tools to get there. Ever since his departure from UFC Riddle has taken to Pro Wrestling at an astonishing rate, earning him comparisons to the likes of Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar. His natural charisma and ability to read is what established him as a star in EVOLVE.

Riddle’s temperament seems to be the same as Hero’s, he wants to work for as many companies as possible, get as much experience as he can and build his brand globally. As I mentioned before the hole that Chris Hero left in the Independent scene was substantial. Indie companies desperately need a performer that can come in and elevate both your company and the stars on your roster  Matt Riddle looks set to be the man to fill those boots with his willingness to work in diverse matches against a litany of different opponents.

Who’s your Hero? It’s Matt Riddle….bro

Look at this Tyler Bate just photo bombed me! This means war bro! #ireland #dublin #kingofbros #bro #photobombed #ottwrestling @Tyler_Bate pic.twitter.com/1lxDdHE3xq

— Matthew Riddle (@SuperKingofBros) February 4, 2017

 

 

 

There’s yet another development regarding WWE’s relationship with WWN Live & EVOLVE Wrestling.

[To catch up on everything, check out David Bixenspan’s latest article about WWE/EVOLVE, including an official statement from WWN about where things stand with the two promotions.]

The WWE website is running a feature looking at 5 EVOLVE wrestlers who could be the next breakout stars in NXT. Gabe Sapolsky is quoted in the article, noting that EVOLVE is a chance to see “the next wave of Superstars and be able to follow them from the start.” He mentions Daniel Bryan, Dean Ambrose, Kalisto, Solomon Crowe and Apollo Crews as current NXT and WWE talents who cut their teeth under the WWN banner.

The 5 EVOLVE wrestlers WWE is encouraging people to keep an eye on are:

• Timothy Thatcher
• Johnny Gargano
• “Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams
• Anthony Nese
• Zack Sabre, Jr.

Visit WWE.com to read the full feature.

EVOLVE comes to Queens, N.Y. this Saturday and Long Island, N.Y. this Sunday. Both shows will feature a special autograph signing and appearance from NXT Superstar Sami Zayn. For more information on the shows, including tickets, visit DGUSA.tv.