Illinois’ top indie, All American Wrestling (AAW) returns for a big weekend, as they present EPIC, their 15th Anniversary event, at 115 Bourbon Street in Merrionette Park, just under an hour south of Chicago. Another huge card from AAW, featuring some of the top US indie talents alongside some international stars and emerging talent. Also scheduled to appear but not announced for a match yet include Kimber Lee, Dezmond Xavier, Ace Romero and PACO.
“The Samoan Werewolf” Jacob Fatu (w/ Armando Estrada) vs. Larry D
“The Samoan Werewolf” Jacob Fatu is best known these days as one half of the tag team Warbeast, the tag team warlords of the West Coast that hold tag titles with California’s PCW ULTRA and Seattle’s DEFY Wrestling. Alongside his Warbeast partner Josef Samael, Fatu is also part of Simon Gotch‘s CONTRA stable in Major League Wrestling (MLW). But the physically imposing member of the legendary Anoa’i family, and son of former WWE Superstar Tama (aka The Tonga Kid). He’s going into singles battle on Friday night, and he’s bringing a manager, in the form of former WWE Superstar Armando Estrada, who has his own ties to the Anoa’i family – during his WWE run from 2006 to 2007, he was the manager for Fatu’s uncle, Umaga. Estrada is guiding Fatu against a longtime indie veteran in 17-year pro Larry D. Larry began his wrestling career in 2002 and is a longtime veteran of IWA Mid South, where he’s the reigning 2x IWA Mid South Heavyweight Champion, and Ohio’s Northern Wrestling Federation (NWF).
Shazza McKenzie vs. Kris Statlander
Australian indie legend Shazza McKenzie is no stranger to Illinois, as she’s been a regular with Chicago’s SHIMMER since 2012, where she’s a former Heart of SHIMMER Champion for 281-days. A veteran of Melbourne City Wrestling (MCW) and Pro Wrestling Australia (PWA Black Label), where she’s the reigning 2x PWA Women’s Champion, McKenzie will be looking to teach youngster Kris Statlander a valuable lesson in wrestling. Statlander has emerged as one of the hottest prospects out of 2018 and one to watch in 2019. A regular with Beyond Wrestling, Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), and many more, she’s the reigning Women Superstars Uncensored (WSU) Spirit Champion, and just made her WWE debut this past Tuesday on SmackDown Live, where she paired with Karissa Rivera against WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions The IIconics (Billie Kay & Peyton Royce).
Sammy Guevara vs. Darby Allin
All Elite Wrestling (AEW)‘s cocky young high flyer Sammy Guevara returns to AAW in the most athletic competition of the card and one sure to generate a lot of GIF worthy moments. The former AAA World Cruiserweight Champion will be facing EVOLVE Superstar Darby Allin, a demented daredevil who will sacrfice life and limb for a victory in the ring.
Bourbon Street Fight: Jessicka Havok & The Besties In The World (Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett) vs. WRSTLING (Eddie Kingston, Jake Something & Curt Stallion)
It’s a Bourbon Streetfight inside 115 Bourbon Street, as Death Machine Jessicka Havok teams up with former 2x AAW Tag Team Champions The Besties in the World, who are absolutely exploding globally right now (they also hold the Fight Club: PRO Tag Team titles from England and the Glory Pro United Glory Tag Team titles). They face off against three members of the stable WRSTLING, who have been ruling AAW the past year with an iron fist. Eddie Kingston leads the charge, with the two latest recruits in former Glory Pro Crown of Glory Champion Jake Something and current Crown of Glory Champion Curt Stallion, at his side.
AAW Heritage Championship: DJZ (c) vs. MJF
With word out that former 2x IMPACT X-Division Champion DJ Z was heading to NXT soon, the reigning 2x AAW Heritage Champion will be out to make sure he holds onto his indie titles as long as he can. The talented high flyer will be facing one of the most despised characters in pro wrestling, AEW and MLW star MJF.
. @IAmDJZ made his AAW debut on 2/21/09 against @lastrealmanROH
This Friday he defends the Heritage Championship against @The_MJF at @BourbonSt115
Get your tickets now at https://t.co/9glYmjydOU#AAWEPIC pic.twitter.com/2KBoqmocoZ— AAW Wrestling (@AAWPro) April 9, 2019
David Starr vs. Adam Brooks
David Starr, the leader of WRSTLING, goes at it in singles competition, as he faces off against another Aussie indie superstar in Adam Brooks. Starr, who recently won the IPW World Heavyweight Championship and is also the reigning RevPro Undisputed British Cruiserweight Champion in the UK, will be facing the Aussie star for the first time in their career, despite both spending time in the UK indies. Brooks is a former PWA Black Label Heavyweight Champion and 4x MCW Intercommonwealth Champion, who made his splash into the US indies back in 2017 with Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG).
AAW Tag Team Championship: LAX (Ortiz & Santana) vs. The Lucha Brothers (Pentagon Jr. & Fenix)
It’s a war that has spilled out from the confines of IMPACT Wrestling, starting in Beyond Wrestling in 2017, through Bar Wrestling, IMPACT, House of Glory (HOG), PWG and Wrestling Revolver, and it continues to rage in AAW, following the Young Bucks interference that cost the Lucha Brothers the AAW Tag Team titles to their rivals LAX. The two are well acquainted with each other as one of the wrestling feuds of the past six months and after Friday night, we may still not have a definite ending to this storied blood feud.
This Friday night at @BourbonSt115!!!
EPIC: The 15th Anniversary Event
@SantanaLAX @Ortiz5150 defend the AAW Tag Team Championships against @PENTAELZEROM @ReyFenixMx
Get your tickets now at https://t.co/9glYmjydOU#AAWEPIC pic.twitter.com/Wfwbc6QleX— AAW Wrestling (@AAWPro) April 7, 2019
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