Second Title Match set for AWL 267!

                I love the fact that I can still be surprised by professional wrestling.  Over the last couple of shows, The Spirit Dragon Shynron has racked up two victories over the British Openweight Champion Frederick Victro.  However, since the British Openweight Championship ISN’T an AWL belt, I didn’t expect anything to come from this other than a mildly interesting historical footnote.  But somehow the AWL Commissioner has reached an agreement with British wrestling authorities to sanction a match in the Animated Wrestling League.

Frederick Victor (C) vs. Shynron

British Openweight Championship Match

World of Sport Rules

Scheduled for up to 10 rounds

                This will be the first time the belt will be defended outside of the United Kingdom.  Of course, it will be 2 falls, 2 submissions, or a knockout to decide the winner.

Grand Championship Match Confirmed!

                Last weekend on AWL 266, the fallen hero Ganba Hisshi Dark threw down the gauntlet and challenged Kid Canada for the AWL Grand Championship.  Well, I’m pleased to announce that the AWL Commissioner has made the match official for next weekend:

AWL 277:

MAIN EVENT

Kid Canada (C) vs. Ganba Hisshi Dark (#1)

AWL Grand Championship Match

2^nd Title Defense

                As much as I hate to admit it, Ganba has been all but unstoppable since embracing the darkside.  Can the innate power of Canadianism counter the forces of Hell itself?  We’ll find out in a professional wrestling ring…as it should be!

AWL 266: AWL vs. Dorei Corps Atomicos War

Full Card for AWL 266

                Sorry for the slow news week this week ladies and gentlemen.  The AWL Commissioner has announced the full card for this weekend’s AWL 265 event.  Here presented with contextual comments.

AWL 266:

MAIN EVENT

Dorei Corps vs. T49P & Purosentai Resurangers

Atomicos Match

                Good vs. evil in an 8-man tag team match.  The Purosentai Resurangers have be locking horns with the Forces of Jigoku  all season.  But this time they have the AWL Grand Champion and a Grand Slam Champion at their side.  Which two members of the P.S.R.R. will join Team 49^th Parallel?  You’ll have to tune in to find out.

The Augments (0) vs. Purosentai Resuranger (1)

Points in Play

                It will be a busy night for the wrestling superheroes.  Not only with Dr. Jigoku’s zombie slaves be in the main event, his towering cybernetic terrors will be in tag team action with a point towards title contention on the line.

The Modern-Day Warriors (1) vs. Betty Bubbles & Miss AWL (0)

Points in Play

                Last week in her debut match, Betty Bubbles made a HUGE locker room faux pax when she used Athena Jane’s official finishing move, The Fall of the Gods, without permission.  As a result, the Modern-Day Warriors have requested and been granted this match to teach Ms. Bubbles a lesson in wrestling manners.  Of course, a point towards challenging for the AWL Joshi Tag Team Titles is up for grabs as well.

Shynron vs. Frederic Victor

Phantom Rope Match

                A couple of weeks ago, Frederic Victor questioned The Spirit Dragon’s wrestling cred and challenged him to a World of Sports Rules Match.  A match that Shynron won handily in two straight falls.

                This week the tables are turned as Shynron has challenged Frederic Victor to a match designed to be advantageous to the high fliers on the roster.  Turnabout is fair play…something Frederic Victor isn’t exactly known for.

                A Phantom Rope Match is one where the ropes do not matter.  There are no rope breaks, no count outs, and falls count anywhere.  In short, there is no distinction between the inside and outside of the ring so Shynron (and Victor too hypothetically) will be free to climb and jump from anything they choose!

Ganba Hisshi Dark vs. A (with W & L)

                OK, I’m not above admitting when I don’t know anything.  I have no idea why this match is happening.  In the end, I guess it doesn’t matter as the #1 Contender to the AWL Grand Championship (and 2019 New Year’s Tournament Champion) will be in the ring with a rookie who has had fewer matches than Ganba has had YEARS in wrestling.

                No bets will be taken regarding the winner of this match.  Though, if you’re stupid enough to bet on pro wrestling in the first place…

Danger 13 (0) vs. The Flying Yukis (0)

Points in Play

                Many teams are looking to become the first challengers to the Tiger Brothers.  Will the odd couple tag team or the luckiest jobbers in history take their first step on that journey?  Find out this weekend at AWL 266!

AWL 265: Points on the Board

Full Card for AWL 265 PLUS TITLE MATCH!

                Breaking news!  The AWL Commissioner has added a title match to tomorrow’s card.  With that, the full line up is set:

AWL 265: Points on the Board

MAIN EVENT

Puro Sentai Resurangers (0) vs. The Modern Day Warriors (0)

Points in Play

Tiger & Bunny (1) vs. Yin & Yang (0)

Points in Play

Ladies of Lucha (0) vs. The Augments (0)

Points in Play

Monster Union: Unholy Alliance (0) vs. Betty Bubbles & Miss AWL

Points in Play

Double Debut Match

Erupcion Solar (C) vs. W-01

AWL Intercontinental Championship Match

2^nd Title Defense

                For those of you who didn’t watch the Contractual Obligation Rumble, W-01 eliminated the Intercontinental Champion from that match, thereby earning this title shot.

AWL 265 will be Ladies Night!

                Early this morning, the AWL Commissioner announced that AWL 265 will focus on the Joshi Tag Team Division with FOUR tag team matches featuring Joshi wrestlers both new and old.  We have been told to expect at least two debuts this weekend.

                As of this writing, only Tiger and Bunny have any points on the board and they only have one.  Since the rule for the women are the same as for the men, you need 3 points to challenge the Queens of Wrestling for the AWL Joshi Tag Team Titles.  This weekend will take us a giant step closer to finding those first challengers.

                We expect the exact match ups to be announced later this week.

New Champions and NEW TIGERS!

                Last weekend at National Pro Wrestling Day, the Tiger Brothers finally earned their stripes when they became the AWL World’s Tag Team Champions by defeating The New Classics in an incredible tag team match.  What next for the new champions?  I asked Tiger Mask II on the plane ride back to Japan for some clarification on what happens next.  At least, I tried:

                Last weekend at National Pro Wrestling Day, the Tiger Brothers finally earned their stripes when they became the AWL World’s Tag Team Champions by defeating The New Classics in an incredible tag team match.  What next for the new champions?  I asked Tiger Mask II on the plane ride back to Japan for some clarification on what happens next.  At least, I tried:

Tiger Mask II:

                I’m sorry Ryu, but I can’t talk about it.  All I can say is that there are ceremonies to conduct and traditions to be observed.  But you can tell the fans that they won’t be seeing the Tiger Brothers for a while.  But they will be more than ready when it comes time to defend their championships.

                So, the new AWL World’s Tag Team Champions are on hiatus from the AWL until the next tag team earns three points.  That makes it as good a time as any to take a look at the standings:

3 Points:

None.

2 Points:

T49P, Tiger Mask II & Okada, Nippon Yokatta (Yamada Jiro & “Liger”).

1 Point:

Puro Sentai Resurangers, Nippon Yokatta (Yamada Jiro & Hasaiki), Nippon Yokatta (“Liger” & Hifumi Ryuji), Dorei Corps (DB-02 & H-03), The Golden School of the Tiger Style (Inactive due to Shin Tiger Jr. being champion).

AWL Supercard: National Pro Wrestling Day 2019

Words from the main event

                In this final post before National Pro Wrestling Day, we take a look at the main event which has the potential to be the best scientific wrestling match we’ve seen in the Animated Wrestling League for quite some time.  Here now the challenger and champion.

Matt Classic Sr. (Transcribed from a hand written letter delivered to AWL HQ):

                Kid, you’re good.  One of the best I’ve ever seen.  If the AWL had had a 6-man tag division back in the day, I’d have recruited you for The Technicos in a heartbeat.  If either Sammy or Lee had been injured, you’d be the first I’d call to fill in.  You’re a great wrestler and a worthy champion.  But now, you’re in my way.

                This match isn’t about you, or me, or even the AWL Grand Championship.  It’s all about who’s behind me.  Ganba Hisshi Dark has the next title shot.  I intend to make sure that if he wants the AWL Grand Championship, he’s going to have to go through ME to get it!  He ended my boy’s AWL Career and I intend to make sure I end his.  But that coward is too scared to fight me again.  He thinks that just because he got lucky last time, things are settled between us.  No SIR!

                Kid, the only way I can do what I need to do is take that title from you this weekend at National Pro Wrestling Day.  Nothing personal, just business.

Kid Canada:

                I’m sorry, nothing personal?  Nothing personal!  Matt, it’s never anything BUT personal with you.  Ganba hurt your son.  You want to hurt him back.  I get it.  If it were my kid, I’d do the same, eh?  OK, but you’re going to have to find another way to get your hands on Ganba because you’re not taking my title to get it, eh?

                Sorry, but I’ve worked too long and too hard to become a minor character in someone else’s story.  So, let’s have a great match.  A match worthy of National Pro Wrestling Day.  But in the end, I write my own story and it doesn’t end here, eh?

Joshi Promos

                3 titles will be defended at National Pro Wrestling Day from the Wrestle Factory.  Among them, the AWL Joshi Championship will be defended for the first time this season.  We got some words from the champion and challenger for the big red belt.

Joya (Translated from the original Spanish by the AWL Translation Team):

                Mistress of 1000 holds.  Undefeated.  Double Champion.  These names and titles each tell me something about you Akira Merune.  Mistress of 1000 holds?  You focus too much on grappling and submission wrestling.  Undefeated?  You don’t know how to handle defeat, it scares you.  Double Champion?  Your attention is divided.

                National Pro Wrestling Day is about celebrating our sport.  What makes wrestling great to me is the fact that it has never been about one thing.  It’s not just technical skill, strength and power, high flying, or hardcore garbage.  Any wrestler who only focuses on one of these areas is doomed to lose eventually.

                That’s where I come in.  So many people around the world think that Lucha Libre is just high flying acrobatics.  That couldn’t be further from the truth.  This weekend at the Wrestle Factory, I will show you MY lucha and I will walk out as the NEW AWL Joshi Champion!

Akira Merune (Translated from the original Japanese by the AWL Translation Team):

                I’ve beaten he best this division has to offer.  You think I’m a one trick pony?  Seriously?  Yes, I prefer to tap my opponents out, but if you think all I have are submissions, you are sorely mistaken.  At National Pro Wrestling Day, you’re going back to wrestling school and class will be in session.

                National Pro Wrestling Day will be a home coming for me.  I started my wrestling training at the Wrestle Factory before transferring to the AWL Dojo to be closer to my family.  There is no WAY I’m losing either of my titles in the Wrestle Factory.  Joya, your time is up!  Just give up!!

New match added to NPWD and words from Champions and Challengers.

                The AWL Commissioner has announced a non-title match to be added to the AWL’s contribution to National Pro Wrestling Day:

Resu Black vs. Project Tetsu

                These two titans clashed at the Contractual Obligation Rumble.  The Commissioner wants to see if the newest member of the Puro Sentai Resurangers can stand up to the biggest monster in Dr. Jigoku’s arsenal.  Last weekend, Resu Red knocked the Iron Project out cold in the middle of the ring.  At the Wrestle Factory, can Resu Black follow in his leader’s footsteps?

                We’ll find out this weekend.  But first I met up with the champions and challengers in NPWD’s world’s tag team title match to get their thoughts on what’s going to go down in the USA:

The New Classics:

Sammy Nix:  OK, I’m man enuff to know when I’m beat.  Solar, you took everythin’ I had and you kept gettin’ up.  Then ya hit me wit dat damn Supernova out of thin fricken air and I was down for the count.  You impressed me kid.  If ya eva need a couple a guys to team with in one of those trios matches they love over in Mexico, Lee Masters an’ I are just a text away.

Lee Masters:  That’s right, but now we need to get down to business and that means defending OUR World Tag Team Titles.  Tigers, you got spunk.  We like spunk.  Beating your trainers in a fair fight was impressive.  I don’t think either of us have ever beaten Matt in a one on one match and I’m not sure we could.  So good for you…but the fun stops here.  It doesn’t matter how much you want to earn your stripes (whatever that means), but you aren’t doing it over us.  If you need these belts to graduate, you’re going to have to wait a LONG time.

Tiger Brothers (Translated from the original Japanese by the AWL Translation Team):

Shin Tiger Jr.:  This is going to be a big challenge.  The biggest of our careers.  Yeah, I know we said that last week…and it was true.  This week, in America, it’s going to be true again.  We know what we’re up against.  The most decorated tag team in AWL history…

Black Tiger JUSTICE:  …Hang on a second brother.  Yeah, they’re good and they’ve won the titles 6 times.  But that means they’ve LOST the titles 5 times.  Someone is going to make it 6.  Why not us?  Seriously, why not us?  We’re younger, faster, more agile, and we’re no slouch in the strength department.  But most importantly, we’ve had the best training anywhere in the wrestling world.  And we’ve got three points and we’ve earned each and every one of them!  We have all the tools we need to become the next AWL World Tag Team Champions!

                With all that said, it’s all to play for at AWL Supercard: National Pro Wrestling Day 2019!

3 Title Matches for the AWL's National Pro Wrestling Day contribution.

                As the AWL Roster prepare to make their way to the United States and the Wrestle Factory to do our bit for National Pro Wrestling Day, let’s take a look at the three championship matches that will take place in Pennsylvania:

MAIN EVENT:

Kid Canada (C) vs. Matt Classic Sr. (#1)

AWL Grand Championship Match

1^st Title Defense

Akira Merune (C) vs. Joya (#1)

AWL Joshi Championship Match

6^th Title Defense

The New Classics (C) vs. The Tiger Brothers (3)

AWL World Tag Team Title Match

4^th Title Defense

What is National Pro Wrestling Day?

                I’m glad you asked!  National Pro Wrestling Day is the day we celebrate the positive power of professional wrestling.  Founded by Chikara several years ago, each year the wrestling world selects a charity and holds a very special show where all proceeds go to that year’s charity.

                This year’s charity is the Arch Street Center in Lancaster PA, USA.  A year round facility dedicated to treating and assisting adults with serious mental illnesses by providing social, moral, and material support including recreational and hygiene facilities and nutritious meals.  They currently serve over 16,500 meals annually and they need your help to maintain and expand their reach.

                Their donation page is currently off line, hopefully in preparation for a massive increase of donations thanks to National Pro Wrestling Day.  We will update both this blog and the YouTube channel with donation links as soon as that information becomes available.

Promos before AWL 264

                This weekend looks to be significant as we make our way proudly to National Pro Wrestling Day 2019.  Before the first bell rings, let’s here from some of the key players in this week’s card:

Erupcion Solar (Translated from the original Spanish):  Sammy Nix is one of the best technical wrestlers in the AWL…ever.  In fact, all he needs in my intercontinental title and he’ll be a grand slam champion.  But I’ve got a goal as well.  We all know that “tag team guys” rarely get singles title shots in most wrestling promotions. This intercontinental title gives me the chance to do exactly what Kid Canada was talking about a couple weeks ago: Write my own story!

Sammy Nix:  Yo, I got nothin against this Solar guy.  He and his gold buddy were a heckofa tag team.  Now his partna’s down wit’ an injury so he’s makin a go a things himself.  Respect man, mad respect.  But you’re gonna havta find anotha route to tha Grand Championship ‘cause the road less traveled, is mine ta conquer!

Unusually, we end this post with a message from someone who’s not involved in this weekend’s title match, but is intimately involved in the title picture nonetheless:

Resu Red (Translated from the original Japanese):  I am no coward.  I will not hide this Golden Opportunity and attack the champion from behind like an assassin.  The Purosentai Resurangers are here in the AWL to fight the forces of evil and that is what this Golden Opportunity will be used for.  Kid Canada, you have nothing to fear from me or my teammates.  I give you my word that I will not cash in against you.

                However, if any of Dr. Jigoku’s monsters get their hands on the AWL Grand Championship again, then they will find that the Animated Wrestling League is protected!

Full Card for AWL 264

MAIN EVENT:

Erupcion Solar (C) vs. Sammy Nix

AWL Intercontinental Championship Match

1^st Title Defense

Kid Canada vs. Michael Dunne

Non-Title Match

H-03 (#1) vs. Matt Classic Sr. (#3)

Rank on the Line

Winner challenges for the AWL Grand Championship at NPWD

Resu Red vs. Project Tetsu 2.0

Jackie M. vs. Joya vs. Athena Jane vs. Resu Pink

Reshuffle Match

Winner challenges for the AWL Joshi Championship at NPWD

Frederic Victor vs. Shynron

World of Sport Rules

Tiger Brothers (2) vs. Tiger Mask W (2)

Points in Play

Winner challenges for the AWL World’s Tag Team Titles at NPWD

Ultimate Tag Team Test

                Two weeks ago, Shin Tiger Jr. and Black Tiger Justice earned their second point by defeating the Flying Yukis.  This week they will go for their third point, a title match, and the chance to finally earn their stripes.  But there’s always a catch, isn’t there?

Tiger Bros. (2) vs. Tiger Mask W (2)

Points in Play

                That’s right, it’s students vs. teachers with a shot at the AWL World’s Tag Team Titles on the line!  The last time these two teams faced each other was during the Tiger’s Training Series last season.  AWL 247 if you want to go back and watch the match for yourself.  At that time, the elder tigers were victorious.  But this is nearly a full season later and it’s time to see how much the cubs have grown.