Happy Holidays from the Animated Wrestling League

Merry Christmas Wrestling fans!

From everyone here at the Animated Wrestling League, we wish you a very happy holiday wherever you are and however you celebrate.  May the season be filled with warmth and joy…and may all acts of gratuitous violence you witness be confined to the squared circle and not the dinner table.  See you in the new year for the AWL New Year’s Tournament.

Start Your Brackets

I’m back and I have the first-round matches for the New Year’s Tournament.  These matches were decided by random lottery, with the exception of the wild card debut, which always takes the 16^th slot in the final match of the first round.

The rules of the tournament are as follows.  All matches are one-on-one.  All partners, mangers, cornermen, etc. are barred from ringside for the duration of the tournament.  Winners can advance by pinfall, submission, ring out, or disqualification.  In the event of a double ring out, double disqualification, or time limit draw, BOTH wrestlers are eliminated from the tournament.  All first round matches will have a 10 minute time limit, second round 15, semifinals 20, and the final will have a 30 minute time limit just like an AWL Grand Championship Match.

Without further ado, the first-round matches:

1. Ganba vs. Tiger Mask II

                An appropriate start.  The man who has been a symbol of what the AWL is all about since Season 0 versus the man who spearheaded the campaign that saved the AWL from GWM.  Even better it should be a great match.

2. Matt Classic Jr. vs. Chiba Akagi

                Two young studs with excellent technical acumen more fitting of wrestlers with twice their experience.  The biggest question mark here is Matt Classic Jr.  This will be his first match back from injury, so ring rust is an obvious and legitimate concern.

3. Azteckaizer NEO vs. Lee Masters

                The first big mismatch this year.  A partly supernatural powerhouse versus a technical wizard.  Which will win out?  Youth and power, or experience and technique?

4. Estralla Dorada vs. Okada

                This, children, is what we call an unlucky draw.  The Gold Star of Lucha Libre is simply out matched here.  The only hope Dorada has is if Okada makes a mistake due to being fatigued or injured between now and then.  NOTE: The New Year’s Tournament is taped on January 1^st, three days before Wrestle Kingdom 12.  No matter what happens on that show, Okada will still be the IWGP Heavyweight Champion at the tournament.

5. Sammy Nix vs. Project Tetsu 2.0

                Much to my surprise, this is Project Tetsu’s first time competing in the tournament.  As strong and skilled as the Suplex Master is, he’s a serious underdog in this match.  But it wouldn’t be the first time Project Tetsu has fallen at the hands of an obvious underdog.  Sammy Nix, on the other hand, has the extra motivation of being the defending NYT winner and the desire to become the first wrestler ever to win back to back tournaments.  Still, he has a steep hill to climb.

6. Erupcion Solar vs. Hassan

                An intriguing match.  Both these men have somewhat similar styles.  Their entire game plan revolves around wearing their opponents down before hitting a signature move to finish them off.  In Hassan’s case, the Paradigm Shift.  In Solar’s case, the Supernova.  The obvious diffences include style, American vs. Lucha Libre, and experience, the youngest member of the roster vs. a Season 0 Original.  Frankly, I think this one’s a tossup. 

7. Wyvern vs. Big Jerry

                A classic David vs. Goliath situation.  Wyvern is a high-flying cruiserweight and Big Jerry lives up to his nickname by being a superheavyweight and currently the heaviest man on the roster.  The key here may be the lack of backup.  While Wyvern typically travels with Shin Jidai, he has plenty of experience wrestling on his own.  Big Jerry, on the other hand, has had relatively few singles matches and this may be his first match without his boss and tag team partner, Frederick Victor in his corner.

8. Ma-Ji-Ku vs. X

                Not much I can say about this one, is there?  Ma-Ji-Ku is simply one of the best wrestlers ever to set foot in an AWL Ring.  But he’s getting on in years and has be contemplating retirement for a couple of years now.  In a way, the fact that GWM wouldn’t touch “a Mexican midget” (their words, not mine) outside of a single appearance in the Fukumen World Tournament was probably a good thing for him as he’s had months to heal some nagging injuries.  This will either be his best tournament performance in years…or his last.

There you have it wrestling fans, the stage is set for the 2018 New Year’s Tournament.  I’ll see you on January 7^th as we start the new year and the new season off with a bang with the return of the Animated Wrestling League!

New Year's Tournament Participants Announced!

Greetings Wrestling Fans (man oh man does it feel good to call you that again), your commentator and head reporter Ryusensei back at the helm and without any GWM corporate jackasses telling me what to write!

The New Year’s Tournament is less than three weeks away and it’s time to announce the participants in order of win-loss records.  The actual first round matches will be determined by random lottery and announced in a few days.  For now, here are the competitors:

Ganba

Hassan

Tiger Mask II

Sammy Nix

Project Tetsu

Wyvern

Chiba Akagi

Azteckaizer Neo

Okada

Lee Masters

Erupticon Solar

Big Jerry

Estralla Dorada

Matt Classic Jr.

Ma-Ji-Ku

X

These 15 men have the best win loss records in the AWL.  The only exception is HAKAISHA! who actually has the best win loss record at +44 (a career record of 71-27) but is inigible for the tournament this year on account of already being AWL Grand Champion.  As per AWL custom, the final slot in the tournament will be filled by a wrestler making their AWL Debut.  A lot of impressive names on this list.  3 former tournament winners including last year’s winner Sammy Nix, one of only two two-time winners Ganba, and the man who won the tournament from that 16^th wild card slot Wyvern.

Additionally, Matt Classic Jr., who suffered a nasty concussion in the dying days of GWM has been medically cleared by AWL Head Medical Official, Dr. Marcus Feelgood.

We also have 5 former AWL Grand Champions in this bracket this year including the longest reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion in history (Okada), the man with the most reigns as top champion in AWL history (Ganba), and the youngest ever Grand Champion (Wyvern).

We also have a handful of wrestlers making their first appearance in the tournament: Big Jerry, Project Tetsu, and Tiger Mask II*.

That’s about all the analysis I have for you today.  We’ll know more once the first round matches are announced.

Until then, I’m Ryusensei and this is the Animated Wrestling League!

On your marks...

I have waited a long time to say this.  Good evening ladies and gentlemen.  I am the AWL…Commissioner.

We…are…BACK!  The Animated Wrestling League is REBORN!!!  At the turning of the new year, we shall rise from the ashes for the biggest event in our calendar and the start of AWL Season 12: The New Year’s Tournament.  16 professional wrestlers will compete in a one-night single elimination tournament with the sole survivor receiving a prize more precious that any amount of money…an automatic title match at the AWL Grand Championship currently held by The Japanese Destroyer.

Furthermore, we are restarting the AWL Best 4 system of determining the top contenders to the AWL Grand Championship.  The winner of the New Year’s Tournament will be the number one contender, his fellow finalist will be number two, and the losers of the semifinals will become numbers three and four based on who has the best win loss record.

More information regarding the tournament will be announced within the next few days.  However, before we can continue into the future, we must discuss the past.  First, all win loss records and tag team division points are reinstated and shall be carried over from Season 11.  Before Season 12 properly begins at AWL 221, there will be an AWL By the Numbers post to clarify such matters.

Second, the Animated Wrestling League is offering an open invitation for all AWL Wrestlers who signed with Global Wrestling Monopoly to return to the Animated Wrestling League without prejudice.  Already Ganba, Luke James, all three members of Shin Jidai, and The Augments have taken us up on the offer.  The offer is still open to anyone who qualifies.  The lone exception is American Beetle.  He lost the Batsumania Match at AWL 220 and is not welcome to return.

Third, speaking of the Augments, I hereby STRIP Project Tetsu of the AWL Anarchy Championship and officially once again retire the title.  Season 12 will be about the restoration of order to the Animated Wrestling League.  The last thing I need is anarchy.

Forth, I have received requests for bookings from some former Global Wrestling Monopoly so called Superstars.  Their requests will be considered on a case by case basis.  Already I have signed Tiger the Dark to an AWL Contract and happily welcome him to the roster.

Fifth, I am still deciding what to do with the now defunct Global Wrestling Monopoly championship belts that we acquired following Final Wars.  More information on that as it becomes available.

Finally, allow me to announce the official Supercard schedule for 2018:

January: New Year’s Tournament 2018.

February: National Pro Wrestling Day 2018? (Chikara has not announced the event for this year.)

March: ???? (Well, I have to keep some secrets. BWAHAHAHAHAH!)

May: Golden War 2018.

August: Obon-nanza 2018.

October: Clash of Styles Tournament.

That is all.  I wish all of you a very happy holiday and ask you to please look forward to the 12^th Season of the Animated Wrestling League.

THIS!  I have COMMISSIONED!!!!!!!!  BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

--XOXO AWL Commissioner

GWM vs AWL FINAL WARS

Team AWL Update!

Unfortunately, due to injuries suffered during events shown on last weekend’s WrestleMAX, both Tiger the Dark and Azteckaizer NEO are OUT of Final Wars.  Team AWL Captain Tiger Mask II has provided this updated list:

Tiger Mask II, Hakaisha, Ganba, Ma-Ji-Ku, Hassan, Kid Canada, Wyvern.

“The Japanese Megastar” Ganba is replacing Tiger the Dark and Wyvern is replacing his Shin Jidai partner Azteckaizer NEO.

But the biggest news is that we also now know the final two members of the team:

“Peacemaker” Luke James!

Both Ganba and James were released from their GWM contracts after attacking John Hero last week.  Tiger Mask II as only too happy to snap both of them up for the team.  Luke James was the final AWL Grand Champion before the company was forced to shut down.  He will undoubtedly be looking for some measure of revenge at Final Wars.

And now the big one:

RAINMAKER Okada Kazuchika!

That’s right!  While best known as the longest reigning IWGP Champion of all time, the Rainmaker is also a former AWL Grand Champion, one of only two men ever to hold IWGP and AWL gold at the same time (the other being AJ Styles), and the winner of the AWL’s first ever Ultimate Summit Tournament.  He defeated Tiger the Great III in The Third’s first ever televised loss.

With the team chock full of current and former champions, including two men who have beaten Tiger the Great III, this Final War is by no means a foregone conclusion.