Border City Wrestling (BCW) in Windsor, Ontario is one of Canada’s longest running indie promotions. Founded in 1993 by current IMPACT Wrestling VP Scott D’Amore, late Canadian indie veteran “The Canadian Destroyer” Doug Chevalier and Chuck Fader, BCW has been a breeding ground for many of today’s top stars, in the WWE, IMPACT and beyond, through their world-renowned training facility, Can-Am Wrestling School, that has produced the likes of Bobby Roode, KUSHIDA, Rosemary, Moose, Motor City Machine Guns, and Rhyno. Since D’Amore rejoined IMPACT Wrestling during the Anthem takeover, BCW has also provided a partner for IMPACT in their live Twitch specials, hosting the Windsor IMPACT Tapings, as well as One Night Only specials on the Global Wrestling Network (GWN) App – which this event is a part of. Combining stars from BCW’s past and present alongside some IMPACT regulars, BCW threw a 25th Anniversary bash last month and it airs this Friday on GWN. Here’s a non-spoiler preview of this Friday’s card.
Eli Drake & KC Spinelli vs. Stone Rockwell & Scarlett Bordeaux
The mouth that roars on IMPACT Wrestling, Eli Drake, takes on one of IMPACT’s most unique characters and BCW veteran in Stone Rockwell. While Rockwell’s IMPACT appearances have been limited to episodes of Xplosion and several Twitch/ONO specials, he also hosts IRL Adventures with Stone Rockwell on IMPACT’s Twitch Channel. The pair are heading in with mixed tag team action, as Eli Drake teams up with IMPACT Knockout (and Canadian indie veteran) KC Spinelli, while Rockwell is teaming up with IMPACT’s resident Smoke Show, Scarlett Bordeaux.
The Doug Chevalier Memorial Gauntlet
Doug Chevalier, known as The Canadian Destroyer (and the inspiration for Petey Williams’ move’s name), was a wrestler from 1983 until his shocking death of a heart attack in 2000. Since then, BCW has honored one of their founders and early head trainers (Chevalier trained WWE Superstar and former ECW World Champion Rhyno) with an annual Doug Chevalier Memorial Gauntlet. This year’s event features some names from BCW’s history, like Brad Martin (competed in All Japan), Conrad Kennedy III (also known as Krimson in another character), “Amazing” N8 Mattson, and Matrox, alongside some newer stars like Sheldon Jean and Kurt Hendrik, as well as some US indie stars, in Zachary Wentz and Trey Miguel of The Rascalz stable.
Keira Hogan vs. Gisele Shaw
Kiera Hogan has emerged from strong outings in indies like Shine Wrestling to become one of the most popular Knockouts on IMPACT the past year, currently working alongside Allie in her story to avenge Rosemary and conquer Su Yung. She’s taking a break to take on a new Canadian indie star in Gisele Shaw, a trainee of Lance Storm, who has been working her way to some big things in 2018 – including joining the cast of Women of Wrestling (WOW) just before tapings began for the new season.
Halal Beefcake (Joe Coleman & Idris Abraham) vs. RJ City & David Arquette
The unlikely duo of Canadian indie star RJ City and former WCW World Heavyweight Champion David Arquette has been one of the great stories of 2018. Arquette has completely redeemed his 2000 run with WCW – which made him the scorn of the wrestling world – by legitimately training to become a wrestler and working the indies this year, including stops with Championship Wrestling From Hollywood and Northeast Wrestling. Along the way, a feud with RJ City resulted in a match and then a union, and the two continue to work the indies (although an injury to Arquette has temporarily shelved them). On Friday, they face the tandem Halal Beefcake featuring Michigan indie star Joe Coleman and Canadian indie star Idris Abraham – Coleman has appeared for Ring of Honor in the past, while Abraham was part of the IMPACT X-Division in 2017. The duo is also veterans of BCW as well as Toronto’s Smash Wrestling.
OvE (Sami Callihan, Dave & Jake Crist) vs. Can-Am Wrestling (Petey Williams, Chris Sabin & Tyson Dux)
It what could be the Match of the Night, the OvE trio of Sami Callihan and the Crist Brothers will continue their affection for proving they are the best trios unit in the world of wrestling today by challenging a rather talented trio of graduates (who also became teachers) of BCW’s Can-Am Wrestling School. The trio features former X-Division Champion Petey Williams, ex-Motor City Machine Gun Chris Sabin (who’s currently tagging in NJPW with fellow Can-Am grad KUSHIDA in Time Machine) and WWE Cruiserweight Classic competitor Tyson Dux (who was also a recent guest trainer at the WWE Performance Center). This will be a high flying and hard hitting affair, that may just steal the show.
BCW Champions Showcase: The Syndicate (Jon Bolen, Johnny Swinger & Scott D’Amore) vs. Tommy Dreamer, D’Lo Brown & Highlander Robbie
For decades, Scott D’Amore has led The Syndicate, an evil faction determined to take over BCW. Over the years, it has included many men who would go on to become BCW Can-Am Champion, including former ECW Superstar Johnny Swinger, “War Child” Jon Bolen and D’Amore himself. The three are pairing up to face three more former BCW Champions, former WWE Superstar and 4x WWF European Champion D’Lo Brown, former ECW World Champion Tommy Dreamer, and former WWE Superstar Robbie McAllister of The Highlanders.
BCW Can-Am Tag Team Championship Ladder Match: Jake Something & Phil Atlas (c) vs. Brent Banks & Aiden Prince
Perhaps BCW’s most engaging story of the past year has been the situation regarding their Can-Am Tag Team titles. Originally held by BCW veterans Brent Banks and Phil Atlas, a bitter turn from Atlas following their loss to then-IMPACT Tag Team Champions OvE (Jake & Dave Crist) last year at the BCW Excellence event (that was also an IMPACT One Night Only) put their title reign in question. While the Can-Am Tag Team Champions didn’t lose their titles in the Champions vs Champions match, the loss hit Atlas badly, who attacked Banks for the loss. At this spring’s IMPACT/BCW ONO March Breakdown, the two were allowed to pick new teammates and fight to become the undisputed BCW Tag Team Champions. Atlas picked Jake Something, former Crown of Glory Champion in Glory Pro, who is also working for All American Wrestling (AAW), as his partner, while Banks went with an emerging young star from BCW’s Can-Am school in Aiden Prince, who’s been working with BCW, Smash Wrestling and others. That night Atlas & Something won the battle and the titles, but on Friday, Banks and Prince will go for it one more time, this time in a ladder match. Brent Banks also comes in hot after a huge UK debut last week, that saw him face El Phantasmo on the Defiant Wrestling PPV, Refuse to Lose. These four will be looking to tear the house down and quite probably will.
Street Fight: Moose vs. Eddie Edwards
The ongoing feud between former friends Moose and Eddie Edwards gets ultra-physical once again, with a Street Fight. The two faced each other last week on IMPACT Wrestling, with Moose picking up the win following a near 20-minute battle.
BCW Can-Am Heavyweight Championship: Kongo Kong (c) vs. Johnny Impact vs. Cody Deaner vs. Matt Sydal
IMPACT’s resident monster, Kongo Kong, hasn’t been seen on IMPACT Wrestling since his big loss to Brian Cage this past September, but he’s been the BCW Can-Am Champion for over 550 days heading into this Fatal Four Way. He faces the man he defeated for the title, former IMPACT/TNA star Cody Deaner, as well as IMPACT World Heavyweight Champion Johnny Impact and former X-Division Champion Matt Sydal.
