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| IMPACT World Champion Sami Callihan (Image Source: SEScoops.com) |
Many
professional wrestling fans and sports enthusiasts in the Philippines were not
aware that the professional wrestling boom literally entered a whole new level
of resurgence and redemption in 2019, and I think it is obvious why it is so
since they are still catching up on what is happening in the big leagues that offer
a huge dose of sports entertainment which makes me feel sad for them who don't
experience true professional wrestling. Anyway, many moments and events have transpired
throughout the year which led to the birth of a new alternative to the big leagues
and the newfound impact of several promotions.
With
that in mind, the neighbor of good news and fresh stories has compiled some of
what defined the professional wrestling boom in the previous year. Since 2020
has arrived, consider this as my own introduction to the true nature of professional
wrestling that is far more entertaining and thrilling than what you used to
enjoy.
The Emergence Of The Elite
Cody
Rhodes, son of the late "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, along with
Matt and Nick Johnson also known as The Young Bucks and several other pro wrestling
stars have formed a new promotion in the early part of 2019 which literally
aims to compete against the big leagues and give fans around the world what they
deserve - thrilling, no B.S. professional wrestling action. With the guidance and
management of American businessman extraordinaire Tony Khan, All Elite
Wrestling (AEW) was born.
Since
its inception into the pro wrestling boom, AEW has created many memorable, monumental
and interesting moments and events that have captured the hearts and minds of
millions and opened the doors to some of the finest names that you've seen or
never heard of. These include AEW's first PPV event and arguably its best so
far Double Or Nothing, the launch of its flagship weekly television program Dynamite
which marked the return of professional wrestling to TNT in American television
after 17 years, a prominent female
Japanese star as the promotion's first women's world champion, and so much more
that are too many to share.
AEW
is considered by many to have the best tag team division in the sport today as numerous
tandems have made their mark such as SoCal Uncensored (SCU), Lucha Brothers,
The Young Bucks, Santana and Ortiz, Jurassic Express and many more. Its roster
of female athletes is as interesting as the tag teams with names like Riho, Nyla
Rose, Awesome Kong, Dr. Britt Baker, Allie and several more others (some from
Japan) making their own impactful moments in the ring. Let's not forget AEW's first
world champion Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, Kenny Omega, MJF (Maxwell Jacob Friedman),
Sammy Guevara, and others making their own scene after joining the elite.
I tell
you right now that either you want to search for a new episode of AEW Dynamite
on the web and watch AEW Dark on YouTube is the best way to indulge if you are utterly
disappointed at what is going on around your favorites from the big leagues.
IMPACT's Return To Prominence
IMPACT
Wrestling, formerly known as Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling, has been on a
road towards resurgence and return to prominence since the Canadian-based Anthem
Sports and Entertainment took over the company that was once on the verge of
being left out of the professional wrestling scene due to financial problems
and internal turmoils and it seems that 2019 marked the culmination of that
road as IMPACT continues to deliver its own brand of professional wrestling
action while making its own impactful moments that captured the interest of the
industry anew all throughout the year.
Its
renewed partnership with Twitch allowing new episodes to be streamed on the
same day and time of its US telecast and the launch of the newly-rebranded IMPACT
Plus subscription-based online streaming service made IMPACT Wrestling more
accessible everywhere around the world apart from its new international
broadcast deals which include IMPACT airing on e.tv in Sub-Saharan Africa and TAP
EDGE in the Philippines. It has even tapped several independent wrestling
promotions to stage exclusive events that can be enjoyed on IMPACT Plus and
Twitch including Reality of Wrestling, Border City Wrestling, Destiny World Wrestling,
House of Glory, Rockstar Pro Wrestling and even Ohio Valley Wrestling which renewed
its trust with IMPACT as the brand's developmental territory.
Throughout
2019, the Anthem era led by president Ed Nordholm and executive vice-presidents
Don Callis and Scott D'Amore has provided IMPACT and pro wrestling fans some of
the best stories and most intriguingly exciting moments in recent memory
delivered by the brand's highly-talented and diverse roster of veteran stars
and fresh faces that keep viewers and enthusiasts glued every week. But for me,
perhaps what stood out among the rest is the feud between IMPACT World Champion
and Ohio Versus Everything (OvE) patriarch Sami Callihan and third-generation
female diamond Tessa Blanchard which would hopefully be culminated in the world
title main event at Hard To Kill on January 13th (Manila time), IMPACT's first
major PPV event of 2020. Their epic battles and encounters have changed many
people's perception about intergender wrestling and broke barriers when they
saw these matches as what professional wrestling is all about. We'll see in a
few weeks what will happen in the Sami-Tessa saga.
Major League Wrestling's Own
Redemption Story
In
the past before the end of the decade, no professional wrestling fan around the
world knew that there was Major League Wrestling. Several years later,
thousands are now starting to get glued at every episode of FUSION, MLW's
flagship weekly program, being uploaded on YouTube and awed by the epic
spectacle brought by its own roster of talent and a fusion of many different
styles of wrestling showcased in each show.
Those
who now know about Major League Wrestling and FUSION should thank Court Bauer,
the man who made it all possible for the good of the sport and the benefit of
its fans. Every episode of MLW FUSION since April 2017 was not only a spectacle
of world-class professional wrestling action, but also a gritty showcase of interesting
stories and moments that makes the show and the brand more exciting. These include
the long-running feud between The Dynasty and The Hart Foundation, "Filthy"
Tom Lawlor's superb reign as MLW World Heavyweight Champion, the emergence and
eventual dominance of CONTRA Unit and Injustice, and most recently the
long-awaited return of the Opera Cup.
Saturday
Night SuperFight, MLW's premiere major PPV event, not only introduced the brand
to a wider audience but also marked the culmination of its transition period
and the beginning of a new era. The future for MLW is going better and brighter
and I'm sure that the wrestling community will surely appreciate its own mark
and stand in the professional wrestling boom in the foreseeable future. My only
resolution this year is that MLW FUSION will make its way to Philippine
television, more particularly on free TV.
Back To The Old Grind With A
New Twist To The Fray
Eating
lunch and getting some good rest in a family reunion on New Year's Day made me
want to include one more story that professional wrestling fans in the
Philippines would surely love, especially those who are still into old school.
But if you want to know more about what I mean for yourself, just go to
YouTube, search for NWA Powerr and watch from all available episodes to
indulge.
NWA
Powerr is the new flagship weekly program produced by the National Wrestling
Alliance (NWA) which is now managed by Smashing Pumpkins frontman and former
IMPACT Wrestling president William "Billy" Corgan. The weekly
60-minute showcase is considered to be a love letter to old-school studio wrestling
which was once introduced in Jim Crockett Promotions' World Championship Wrestling
back in the late 80s and features some of the finest professional wrestling
stars that are enjoying and getting used to the said style including Nick
Aldis, James Storm, Eli Drake, Allysin Kay and more.
The
only downside is that you can only watch NWA Powerr online on YouTube and FITE
whether you are anticipating a new episode or catching up on what you have
missed from the first season before NWA's first major PPV event in years Into
The Fire. Nevertheless, NWA Powerr will give you reasons to enjoy what your parents
and grandparents do every night on their television screens. Let's just say that
NWA Powerr is the bastard lovechild of World Championship Wrestling and Pinoy
Wrestling on RJTV with a modern new generation twist.
Whether
Filipino professional wrestling fans are still enjoying the action in the big
leagues or don't seem to care about the others within the sport, it is without
question that the resurgence of the professional wrestling boom in 2019 is one
to be left out in our shores and those who will notice it are sure to enjoy the
epic twists and turns of true world-class action-packed in-ring entertainment.
Imagine if All Elite Wrestling Dynamite would be airing on ABS-CBN one day and
every big league fan will be intrigued to make the shift to the alternative. I
just hope that this becomes real in the foreseeable future.
