This Saturday in Waterloo, Iowa, the race to crown the first ever Absolute Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Champion begins. Coming from the minds of Jason Prentice, Grant Hatton, and Brandon Eubanks, APW held its debut show in May.
Read about the creation of Absolute Pro Wrestling here
It was an exciting night that established a high bar for the quality of pro wrestling that will take place at future APW shows.
After their first show, promoter Jason Prentice felt it vitally important to keep delivering that high standard of wrestling and set the course to crowning their inaugural champion.
“It’s crucial to do this tournament and see who truly deserves to be in the title match because we want to see who in our area is the absolute best of the best,” Prentice said. “We could have crowned a champion night one and rode the wave; instead, we wanted to test four of the best and see who passes and eventually climbs the mountain and obtains the APW Championship.”
The four competitors chosen for the tournament to crown the first APW Champion are Ethan Everheart, AJ Smooth, Matty Star, and Devin Carter.
Saturday is the opportunity for the hometown Waterloo boy to earn his first Heavyweight Championship opportunity.
“This opportunity means more than I can put into words,” Everheart said. “It means that I belong in the conversation with some of the best. To get a win Saturday night means I’m one step away from that championship. A championship that means everything to me.”
AJ Smooth is standing in Everheart’s way of achieving that dream Saturday night. Much like Matty Star, Smooth has been a staple of Iowa independent wrestling for years.
He’s won championships everywhere he’s wrestled, and earlier this year, Smooth won a four-person tournament to become the very first Madhouse Wrestling Champion. Saturday is the next opportunity for Smooth to add even more credentials to his resume.
“Being hand-picked for a possible title opportunity means that someone in the office knows and respects what I can do. They want legitimacy added to their brand,” Smooth said. “A win Saturday means I’m on the way to another accolade to my collection. I don’t need the title, but I want it to secure my legacy.”
On the other side of the bracket, when it comes to Matty Star and Devin Carter, things are a bit more personal. These two have known each other for a long time.
Carter hasn’t wrestled much over the past few years, something Star, who is one of the busiest wrestlers in Iowa, feels is because Carter has gone soft.
Saturday is Carter’s chance to prove otherwise. Something Prentice is excited to see, especially against a guy like Matty Star. Who, during the first Absolute Pro show, got into a verbal altercation with Prentice.
“Matty is a prick, he’s a bully, and I don’t like him,” Prentice said. “But he is one of the best in the Midwest and was added because of his talents alone. Truly an asshole, but you have to separate business and personal stuff to give our promotion the best we can.”
“I feel that if anyone can teach Matty Star a lesson, it’s Devin Carter,” Prentice said. “He knows Matty so well, and those in management took note of this, and when he’s held gold, he’s been a great champion. We all recognize, though, that this could be it for Carter if he loses this weekend. A lot to win, not much to lose for Devin Carter.”
While the APW championship path towards “Gold Rush” (November 5th) takes shape, the rest of card Saturday night is full of debuts, first-time matchups, and grudge matches.
Let’s take a look.
Absolute Pro Wrestling
Tag Team Action
Da Boys (Bryce Jordyn & The Shank) vs. Aaron Von Baron & Rex Kenway
At the debut APW show, Da Boys won a show-stealing tag match over Original Violence. The two teams set a standard of excellence for what tag team wrestling in APW will be like.
A team that noticed this stellar performance was the Cowboys From Hell, Aaron Von Baron, and Justin Decent. This match was made, an up-and-coming team ready to take on the world, facing off with a rough and tumble veteran team hell-bent on destruction.
That ambition and possibly looking to gain an edge on their opponents led Justin Decent to attack Bryce Jordyn. The viciousness of the attack has led to two issues heading into Saturday night.
First, Decent has been removed from the match and barred from attending the show. Something that Decent expressed much displeasure about earlier this week on The Two Count – Comedy Meets Wrestling Podcast.
Watch the podcast below:
This has led to Von Baron bringing in Rex Kenway, a man he trusts, as a replacement. Secondly, Bryce Jordyn’s status for Saturday is still up in the air.
It will be interesting to see if Jordyn will be medically cleared to compete. But, one things is for sure, the APW tag team division will be even more intriguing after Saturday night.
Absolute Pro Wrestling
Singles Match
Gable Galileo vs Danny Dollar
So far in Absolute Pro Wrestling, Gable Galileo is 1-0. At the debut show, in what some may consider an upset, Galileo, despite a distinct size disadvantage, defeated Bam Bam Bundy.
With his BFF Max Chill by his side, Galileo used his wits and a little help from Chill, to pick up the win. This Saturday, another large challenge looms in the form of Danny Dollar.
A bona fide powerhouse, Dollar is coming to Waterloo with one thing on his mind, tossing Gable Galileo from pillar to post. Dollar, having scouted Gable, wanted this match. Brute strength versus cunning and tenacity in this one.
Absolute Pro Wrestling
Singles Match
Ricky Bronson vs Lars Metzger
The monster that is Lars Metzger makes his APW debut Saturday night. Leaving a trail of bodies in his wake no matter what promotion he visits, Metzger wants to leave an impression when he comes to Waterloo.
Standing across the ring from him Saturday night is Ricky Bronson, a wild man unafraid when things get a little chaotic.
At APW’s first show, Bronson picked up a win over Max Chill wants that momentum to continue. With these two squaring off, business will pick up quickly.
Absolute Pro Wrestling
Women’s Match
Kelsey Magnolia vs Sage Hale
This one is a triple debut for Absolute Pro Wrestling. Kelsey Magnolia and Sage Hale are the first women to compete at Absolute Pro Wrestling. Hale enters Saturday having plied her trade over the past two years across Iowa and Nebraska.
Kelsey Magnolia, who’s been competing for little over a year, has made stops in several midwest states as well. It’s a big opportunity for both women to set the tone for what women’s wrestling in APW will be about.
Absolute Pro Wrestling
First Time Ever
Adam Love vs The Wanderer
Talk about your clash of styles and personalities. Adam Love, Iowa’s resident rock star wrestler, brings is high octane offense to Waterloo. No better way for him to begin his run in APW than with a big victory.
However, that victory will not come easy because he’s facing The Wanderer. A man of mystery hell bent on tearing apart anyone unlucky enough to step in the ring with him.
The Wanderer enters the match undefeated in APW, having earned a victory over The Death Dealer. Despite their differences, one thing they do have in common is, neither wants to leave Waterloo with a loss.
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Bell time is 7 p.m. this Saturday in Waterloo as Absolute Pro begins the road to Gold Rush.
