Happy anniversary for Brian Cage at Warrior Wrestling 6

By Mike Pankow

September 12, 2019

Brian Cage proved over Labor Day Weekend why he continues to be one of the hottest names in pro wrestling outside WWE and AEW.

The current IMPACT Wrestling World Champion celebrated one year as Warrior Wrestling Champion with a strong victory over Michael Elgin in the main event of Warrior Wrestling 6 at Marian Catholic High School in South suburban Chicago Heights on Sept. 1.

Brian Cage, left, successfully defended his Warrior Wresting Championship against Michael Elgin at Warrior Wrestling 6 on Sunday, Sept. 1. (Photo by Mike Pankow)

In a brawl filled with power moves, agility and some hardcore implements like garbage cans, tables and chairs, Cage pulled out the victory after hitting his signature Drill Claw, scoring the three count in a rematch of their standout match at July’s Slammiversary in Dallas. For a few moments, it seemed as Elgin, the “Unbreakable” one, was going to take the championship.

Cage won Warrior Wrestling’s championship at Warrior Wrestling 2 on the same weekend as All In by surviving an eight-man War of Attrition match over Fenix, Penta El 0M, Sammy Guevara, Rey Mysterio, Austin Aries, Jeff Cobb and Rich Swann.

Cage claimed the IMPACT Wrestling World Championship by defeating Johnny Impact at Rebellion in last April and could be in line to defend that championship at Bound For Glory at the Odeum in Villa Park on Oct. 20.

Warrior 6 was another strong buffet of action assembled by Marian Catholic principal Steve Tortorello. There were several Lucha Libre legends from Mexico, plus notable competitors such as Aries, Lance Archer, Tom Lawlor, Killer Kross, and Alex Shelley on top of appearances by WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley and former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir.

Foley accepted Frank the Clown’s Hardcore Challenge in a humbled the local superfan and aspiring wrestling star in an exhibition. Frank, a Chicago native who has been dating Foley’s daughter for over five years and has been featured on WWE Network’s “Holy Foley” reality series, brought out three of his friends dressed up as the “Three Faces of Foley” (Mankind, Cactus Jack and Dude Love).

Foley came to the ring and Frank berated the legend for several minutes. While dressed in a spandex outfit with Noelle’s face all over it, Frank dropped the line, “This is isn’t the first time your daughter has been all over me,” drawing gasps from the crowd.

WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley has Frank the Clown in a compromising position. (Photo by Mike Pankow)

Foley responded with a dose of Mr. Socko, jamming his sock puppet down the throat of Frank. Foley grabbed salad tongs used them on Frank’s testicles, then pulled out his trusty barbed wire bat and proceeded to straddle the bat between Frank’s legs and dropped his leg on the bat and Frank’s crotch.

Then Foley grabbed a gas container and dumped its contents on Frank. With the crowd chanting, “Light him up, Foley, light him up,” the legend grabbed a lighter and threaten to set the clown on fire. After intervention by Warrior Wrestling security, Frank’s posse returned to the ring to drag their friend to safety.

In one of the other featured matches on the show, the Lucha Bros. (Fenix and Penta El 0M), fresh off their insane “Escalera de la Muerte” ladder match victory over the Young Bucks at AEW’s All Out the night before, defeated Tessa Blanchard and Daga.

Blanchard, the reigning Warrior Wrestling Women’s Champion, who has routinely wrestled men over the last few months, took the fight right to both Lucha Bros. Eventually, Penta pinned Blanchard after a Lucha Bros. double-team move.

There were several Mexican wrestlers from CMLL, including those in the opening match, which featured Sobreano Jr. defeating Templario in a competitive affair. After that match, Chicago’s Gringo Loco came down to the ring and attacked the Mexican stars. Sam Adonis then entered the arena and stopped Loco for a moment before joining in on the attack, setting up the next match.

Loco and Adonis defeated Brian Pillman Jr. and Wardlow in a tag team match when Adonis pinned Pillman following a chairshot from Loco with the official distracted. After the bout, Wardlow took a bow for the crowd as it was revealed that he signed with AEW after a vignette aired during the All Out preshow.

The Lucha Bros. (Penta El 0M and Fenix) walked out of Warrior Wrestling 6 with a tag-team victory over Daga and Tessa Blanchard. (Photo by Mike Pankow)

In a three-way match between CMLL legends, Caristico (fka Mistico and the original Sin Cara in WWE) defeated Ultimo Guerrero and Atlantis when Caristico got Guerrero to submit to a spinning armbar. After the match, the trio give each other respect until Loco and Adonis storm the ring for another attack. The luchadors turned the table when Sobreano and Templario come back to drive away the nefarious duo. Adonis scurried away while Loco took the majority of the beating.

Then in one of the most intriguing matches of the night, Kross, formerly of IMPACT Wrestling, defeated fellow Las Vegas native Lawlor in a hard-hitting match with grappling aplenty. Kross won when he countered a triangle into a powerbomb for the pin. They bow to each other with respect for the fight.

The next bout was veteran Archer defeating up-and-comer Alex Zayne. After Zayne was introduced, Archer marched his way down to ringside and took out four separate Warrior Wrestling security members stationed around the ring, last giving a forearm shiver to 6-foot-7 Freelance Wrestling Academy student Darius Latrell.

Archer, who wrestled for IMPACT (as Dallas and Lance Hoyt) and WWE/ECW (as Vance Archer) over a decade ago, recently enjoyed a resurgence in New Japan’s G1 Climax Tournament this summer. He displayed his power throughout the contest as Zayne tried to counter with his quickness and agility. Archer finished off Zayne with the EBD Claw for the pin.

Next up was veteran Aries against former Motor City Machine Guns member Shelley. Aries was accompanied by Mir, who apparently is training to become a pro wrestler. Shelley is returning to the business after a hiatus. Aries, the former IMPACT World Champion, got the submission victory with the Last Chancery. Aries and Shelley gave each other props after the match.

In the semifinal match of the evening, Dragon Lee defeated Andrew Everett, who was doing his “Andrew the Giant” gimmick. Everett performed some of his high-flying maneuvers and hit a chokeslam on Lee before falling.

Warrior Wrestling likely will hold Warrior Wrestling 7 early next year, but Tortorello said the company will work in conjunction with IMPACT on Friday, Oct. 18 for a show in South Bend, Ind., the weekend of Bound For Glory. Warrior Wrestling (along with Zelo Pro) will also be part of the “All Glory” show at 115 Bourbon Street on Oct. 19.

For a gallery of over 100 photos from Warrior Wrestling 6, plus many others from other events Windy City Slam has covered, go to: https://www.windycityslam.com/photos.