PW Down Under Australian News Wrap-Up #3

Welcome back to another edition of PW Down Under’s Australian news wrap-up (The Three Count!), where I grapple with the large body of wrestling news around the country and beat it into a two-minute squash instead of a sixty-minute iron man, so you don’t have to! So let’s go on tour around the territories of Australia and see what is making news this week. Let’s lock up, shall we?

NSW

We commence our tour in cattle dog/cockroach country and this weekend there are two events in New South Wales starting with Pro Wrestling Australia (PWA) and their event ‘It’s Coming Home’ live from Liberty Hall in Moore Park’s Entertainment Quarter in Sydney on Saturday night. The event has proven to be extremely popular and only standing tickets remain, with reserved seating sold out but fear not if you cannot be there, you will be able to catch all of the action live on FITE+ from 8pm AEST. Much like WWE’s night of champions events, PWA have booked every title to be defended on the show, so Ricky South, Unsocial Jordan and The Velocities will need to be at their best on the night, plus the six person ladder match will secure the winner a guaranteed title match in the future, so it is safe to say this event will have big implications on the remainder of 2023 and beyond. Wrestling GO! Also have an event this weekend titled ‘Here Comes The Pain’, a clever tribute to the Smackdown video game and new gold medallist Pain Machine, who ended the enormous 1303-day reign of previous medallist Bee Boy. But there is little time for celebration, with Pain Machine scheduled to have his first title defence, standing toe to toe with ‘the Australian Hero,’ and recent Nightmare Academy graduate Lee Morrow.  Also featuring Fly Guy, Heck Yeah, Otis and plenty of Watermelon Championship shenanigans, understandably only limited seating remains for this Sunday afternoon wrestling event. Finally, up in the Hunter region, Suplex Pro Wrestling are holding the 2023 Charity Cup Invitational on Saturday August 5 at the East Cessnock Bowling Club. The event will feature several NSW wrestlers on the card, some of whom don’t normally feature on Suplex’s roster, along with a 30 person over the top rope rumble match, with the goal of raising funds to support the recovery of recently medically retired Suplex Pro Wrestling’s Benny ‘The Backrower’ (Camron Nable).

ACT

Everybody cheer for Mikey! Slam announced that the ‘Top Shelf Champ’, Mikey Broderick recently surpassed 600 days as Slam! Pro League Champion. Broderick has dispatched the likes of Mick Moretti, Rocky Menero, Slex, Caveman Ugg, Tommy Knight, Luke Watts and Crofty in an impressive resume of defences. His next assignment will be in tag team action against two of those championship opponents in Luke Watts and Crofty. In Broderick’s corner for the contest is the crafty ‘Hooligan’ Vinnie Bronson in what will be a very physical grudge match. Also on the card will be an interesting and competitive match between Lee Morrow and ‘Tuff Stuff’ Ricky South which will most certainly have implications on the power rankings. Meanwhile on August 5 at the Canberra PCYC, The Masked Wrestlers League’s MWL 3 event will be held, with tickets just $5. Expect to see a night of ICW wrestlers donning masks in tribute to the lucha libre wrestling style also seen in events such as Lucha Fantastica.

VIC

Deathmatch Downunder have begun to make announcements for the D.R.E.A.M. deathmatch tournament, with the UK’s ‘NORTH Ultraviolent Champion’ Clint Margera, Deathmatch standout ‘The Honey Badger’ Neil Diamond Cutter and Perth wrestler/Dude Where’s My Ring representative Jarrad Slate, the first three names dropped for the ultraviolent tournament. This will be the third edition of the tournament with previous winners, Callen Butcher and Joel Bateman go through a one day meat grinder where participants can expect to compete in themed deathmatches against local and international members of the deathmatch scene for the chance to be crowed the D.R.E.A.M tournament winner on Saturday September 2nd. I would also like to draw your attention to the unique interview-wrestling hybrid experience appropriately titled the ‘Near Death Experience’ on YouTube, hosted by the Prehistoric Death Cult’s Erika Reid and Syd Parker. There apt description of the show is as follows: “Filmed in a single take at Relentless School of Pro Wrestling, we get up close and personal with a litany of pro wrestlers (and maybe more) in a no holds barred conversation with the ‘Dreamtime Voodoo Witch’ Erika Reid right before our guest steps through the curtain and faces the ever-evolving psychopath, ‘The Jurassic Punk’ Syd Parker in a near death experience’.” The matches have a fifteen-minute time limit and there is a DQ card system in place for rule breaking. There have been nine episodes so far that run for approximately one hour, with the most recent episode with PCW champion WAIK. It is an interesting watch, so check it out.

NT

The team at Top End Wrestling have announced Saturday Night Fights 5 hot off the heels of number 4 this past weekend. They will be back in Yarrawonga on Saturday 26th with the main event announced and Locky Phoenix once again battling Harry Starr only this time it will be contested as a thirty-minute iron man match!

TAS

Tasmanian Championship Wrestling’s Winter Warfare is finally here, this Saturday July 29 at the Elphin Sports Centre. The TCW Championship is up for grabs as Elliot Grayson takes on Andy Rhodes, Dominic Knight defends the North Esk Championship against Damien Cage, Aaron Lynch goes into battle against JJ Storm, whilst it’s a TCW vs GPW affair when the Brisbane St Bullies wrestle Owen Steadman and Liam Lush, Allie Galvin faces Espanola and Doomslayer will enter winter warfare against Sly Silver with the number one contender ship for the North Esk title the reward for the winner. It looks to a great night of Tasmanian based wrestling. 

QLD

Pro Wrestling League have announced Bullet Club: Rogue Army’s Jack J Bonza will be at Project Revolution 4 and will take on an exciting Queensland talent, a man who simply loves to throw people in YEET Stevens. This is certainly a well received addition to the card! Meanwhile, Venom Pro Wrestling’s Overload 7 is on this Saturday night in Mermaid Waters. Featuring the 7th annual Guy Fermanian Rumble, an appearance from Zoltan, Mojo’s debut, a fatal four way where Kyla Knight will defend her championship and Strong 94 in action, fans can expect an action packed night of wrestling at the Lonestar Tavern . 

SA

On August 19th at the Brighton performing arts centre, Riot City Wrestling present Scarstruck VIII and two fantastic matches have already been announced. Mike Boomer will unlock his Key to the City and challenge Cadie Tre for the RCW Championship and we will see the final of the Strength Cup tournament when Delta takes on Punch Drunk Istria. They are both certified bangers, no doubt about it! PWSA have a show on July 29 PWSA champion Acod Haze defending against Downunder and Wam Bam Bellows battling Robby Heart in a tribute match to Col Dervany. The event will be held at  Karadinga Sports Centre with tickets from 17 dollars and a 7pm bell time. 

WA

With his career hanging in the balance, Craven ended the reign of Southern Territory Wrestling Champion Chris Target one day short of an entire year. Target is the longest reigning STW champion, surpassing the 291 day reign of the GLOAT Adam Brooks. Chris Johnson also captured the Southern Cross Championship defeating Rohan Karguis in a night that shook the foundations of the promotion. Elsewhere, EPW have announced another match for the August 12 Hell or High Water, with Hayden Zenith finding a wonderful tag team partner in specialist Alex Kingston to battle Del Cano and Robby Heart. 

And that brings us to the end of another PW Downunder Australian news wrap up. Please get out and support your local pro wrestling promotion, as you can see there is action all around the country, so get around those putting their bodies on the line for your entertainment coming to a venue near you!