What a time it is to be a fan of IWF Wrestling! We have just come off a fantastic night of wrestling with Tournament of Champions XVI! It was a wild night in Nutley that saw some major developments. Let’s take a quick look at some of the highlights of the evening…
Eloy Fiesta was a busy man as he not only wrestled in the Tournament of Champions but also competed in an arm-wrestling contest. Eloy, who looked sharp in his return to the ring, would succumb to a devastating belly to belly suplex by Outlaw Shane O’ Brien in Round 1. Never one to stay down, Eloy would be victorious in the arm-wrestling contest against IWF Women’s Champion Father David. Eloy then took out The Organist Roy Harter, who protested the decision, with a devasting Back Stabber.
IWF American Champion First-Class Justin Adams defended his championship against former NXT Superstar Bull Dempsey. The Big Bull took the champ to the limit, but the champ had an ace up his sleeve in the form of a foreign object which was curtains for the big man. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of the rivalry between these two as Bull is out for revenge!
Dark Oracle Sage made his return to the IWF by defeating the high-flying Ean Bush. The contrast in styles made for an excellent matchup. Sage would get the win and advance in the tournament.
Master of Chaos Kevin Knight and Fifth Element Roman Zachary had an incredible first round contest that saw each man dominate portions of this one. Roman Zachary would gain the victory in this one, but it would not be the last time we saw Mr. Zachary on this night.
Southside Slugger Tony Graves took on WWE Hall of Famer Tito Santana in another first round match. Graves, who looked impressive in this match, gained a countout victory over the former Intercontinental Champion, with an assist from Roman Zachary. Roman is looking to avenge his loss from IWF Loud and Proud this past April. Is Roman Zachary in the head of Tito Santana? How will the legend respond?
Dark Dragon Kareem West and newcomer Juan Hernandez had an incredible matchup in Round 1. The rookie Hernandez gave the IWF Hall of Famer West all he could handle and nearly defeated him, but the experience of the Dark Dragon proved that West was indeed best on this night.
IWF Heavyweight Champion Heartless Hellraiser Dracko would defend his championship in a Triple Threat Match against two newcomers, Markous, M.D. and VanRondall Seabron. Dracko would make short work of his opponents with devastating clotheslines, suplex's, and spears.
The winners of the first round matches then competed in an 8-man gauntlet match to determine the Tournament of Champions winner. This match saw a lot of twist and turns including tag team partners Roman Zachary and Shane O’Brien facing off against each other. Mr. Mike Winner was beside himself at ringside.
Eventually, the gauntlet match came down to Kareem West and his heated rival Dracko. With an assist from Roman Zachary, Shane O’Brien, and Mr. Mike Winner, Dracko would reign supreme and win the Tournament of Champions. Was this a one-night alliance or is there something more sinister happening with these men? Only time will tell. I can guarantee that Kareem West will not take this lying down.
With all the excitement that was Tournament of Champions XVI, IWF continues to roll in on October 11, 2019 from the Wayne PAL with IWF Firepower. Some matches have already been announced including…
Dark Dragon Kareem West and WWE Hall of Famer Tito Santana teaming up to take on Fifth Element Roman Zachary and IWF Champion Heartless Hellraiser Dracko!
WWE Hall of Famer Mr. USA Tony Atlas takes on Southside Slugger Tony Graves.
Former WWE NXT Star Bull James Dempsey and Outlaw Shane O'Brien challenge IWF American Champion First Class Justin Adams in a Triple Threat Match.
Master of Chaos Kevin Knight battles Juan Hernandez.
More matches to be announced in the coming days. I’ll be back with another blog to preview this upcoming event next week but until then, don’t forget to go to campiwf.com to see how you can be a part of IWF Firepower!