Chicago wrestling delivers during Labor Day weekend
By Mike Pankow
September 5, 2018
Everybody is touting the success and the excitement of All In and Starrcast from Labor Day weekend and deservedly so, but other promotions running in the Chicago area had banner weekends as well.
The All-Star lineup at Warrior Wrestling 2 at Marian Catholic High School in South suburban Chicago Heights delivered a great show with Brian Cage winning the eight-man War of Attrition match to become Warrior Wrestling’s first champion.
Cage, who also holds the IMPACT Wrestling X Division Championship, outlasted the field by defeating Fenix in the final stage of the War of the Attrition main event. The jacked 6-foot, 270-pound Cage hit the Drill Claw on Fenix to finish it off.
The eight-man match began with a 4-on-4 tag match with the teams randomly drawn. The quartet of Cage, Fenix, Pentagon Jr. and Sammy Guevara defeated Rey Mysterio, Austin Aries, Jeff Cobb and Rich Swann in the first stage when Guevara pinned Swann. Since Guevara gained the fall in the first stage, he was able pick his partner for stage two. Guevara picked Pentagon as his partner for the 2-on-2 match, but Cage and Fenix won when Fenix pinned Pentagon after a series of superkicks and a Canadian Destroyer. That set up Cage and Fenix in the 1-on-1 finale.
In the women’s match, contested for the Black Label Pro Women’s Championship, Jordynne Grace retained the title when IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts Champion Tessa Blanchard was disqualified after she struck shoved and struck the referee. The two then had to be pulled apart by referees afterward.
In a quirky tag team match, David Arquette and RJ City defeated James Ellsworth and Frank the Clown when Arquette, the former WCW Champion, hit a diamond cutter on Ellsworth.
The eight-match card and fan fest drew just under 1,000 fans and raised $12,300 for scholarships for students at Marian Catholic.
Promoter and school principal Steve Tortorello said there would be a Warrior Wrestling 3 show in the future on a date to be determined.
"We are thrilled with the success of Warrior Wrestling 2 and grateful for all of those who withstood the heat to enjoy the matches,” Tortorello said in a statement. “Thank you, and we will see you at Warrior Wrestling 3!"
Warrior Wrestling 2 match results
1. DJZ defeated Pat Monix
2. Mia Yim and Santana Garrett defeated Chelsea Green and Britt Baker
3. Darby Allin defeated Jay Bradley
4. David Arquette and RJ City defeated James Ellsworth and Frank the Clown
5. Jordynne Grace defeated Tessa Blanchard by disqualification to retain the Black Label Pro championship
6. Isaias Velazquez, Matt Knicks, and Gringo Loco defeated Bryce Benjamin, The Ego Robert Anthony, and Craven in a lucha rules tag team match.
7. Sam Adonis defeated Colt Cabana by holding the rope to pin him.
8. Brian Cage won the War of Attrition Match to be crowned the first-ever Warrior Wrestling Champion, last eliminating Fenix in a match which also featured Pentagon Jr., Sammy Guevara, Rey Mysterio, Austin Aries, Jeff Cobb and Rich Swann.
AAW also makes big splash: There was plenty of news coming out of Chicago-based AAW Pro after back-to-back shows at Logan Square Auditorium on Thursday and Friday.
Arguably the best promotion in the Chicago area that runs regular shows, AAW had two major title changes over the weekend.
Brody King, the athletic 6-foot-5, 285-pound native of Los Angeles, continued his ascent by winning the AAW Heavyweight Championship over ACH on Friday night. King had a great month, also winning a hard-hitting and entertaining four-way match over Trent Seven, Elliot Sexton and Matt Riddle at PROGRESS Wrestling’s Chicago show on Aug. 11.
On Thursday night, Eddie Kingston and David Starr defeated The Besties in the World (Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett) for AAW Tag Team Championships.
AAW also has an event this Saturday night in La Salle, Ill., the former hotbed for DREAMWAVE Wrestling. Matches include ACH vs. Kingston and Jimmy Jacobs vs. Jake Crist of OVE in a street fight.
The promotion also announced numerous competitors for the Jim Lynam Memorial Tournament, which takes place Sept. 28-29 at Logan Square Auditorium. They are DJZ, Trey Miguel, Shane Strickland, Myron Reed, Trevor Lee, Sammy Guevara, Rich Swann, Sami Callihan, Moose, ACH and Ace Romero.
Seeds of HBK return: WWE sure planted seeds of a possible Shawn Michaels return to the ring during Monday Night Raw.
Michaels was in the ring during the live TV show in Columbus, Ohio, to talk about the upcoming Triple-H vs. Undertaker coming up at WWE Super Show-Down in Melbourne, Australia, early next month.
The familiar gong and ominous music began to play and fog began to billow out as the Undertaker emerged and entered the ring.
Michaels told Undertaker he has remained retired to respect the stipulation from his WrestleMania 26 loss in 2010. Undertaker questioned Michaels about whether it was out of respect or fear of facing him again.
Hmmm? Could we see one more go-round between the Heartbreak Kid and the Deadman at WrestleMania 35 at MetLife Stadium? Only time will tell.
Brian Cage won the eight-man War of Attrition match to become Warrior Wrestling's first champion during Warrior Wrestling 2 on Sunday, Sept. 2 at Marian Catholic High School. (Photo courtesy of Warrior Wrestling)
Brody King, pictured at PROGRESS Wrestling on Aug. 11, won the AAW Pro Heavyweight Championship from ACH on Friday, Aug. 31. (Photo by Mike Pankow)
