Preview: AAW Pro – The Art of War (2/23/19)

AAW Pro returns with Art Of War to the Logan Square Auditorium in Chicago on Saturday, February 23rd. Fresh off a rocking show in Austin, Texas, they are stacked to the gills with great wrestling action for The Art of War. If you wanted to catch this event in person, it is sold out. However, it will be available digitally and on good ol’ fashioned DVD and Blu-Ray after. While there are just a handful of matches announced ahead of the show, they are good ones. Also scheduled to appear are Kimber Lee, Jessicka Havok, Fred Yehi and the Besties in the World.

Sammy Guevara vs. Darby Allin

Up first for The Art of War is some fine, fast-paced action. Guevara, a Texas native, is the former AAA World Cruiserweight Champion. He’s also appeared for MLW, DDT and Inspire Pro. The last we saw of him in AAW was at Dia De Los Luchadores, losing against Rey Fenix. What Sammy lacks in size, he makes up for in speed and ego. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone more self-assured than Sammy Guevara. You can’t argue with results though, he’s talented. His opponent is also talented, Darby Allin. Darby is one of the hottest stars in wrestling currently. Best known for his work in EVOLVE, Darby is a journeyman wrestler, working his way across the country. His latest appearance for AAW was in a victory at the Windy City Classic. With two smaller, talented wrestlers, the match should be downright incredible.

Jimmy Jacobs vs. Mance Warner

After a war with Jessicka Havok at the last AAW show, it’s a nice change of pace for Jimmy to mix it up with someone new. Unfortunately, it’s not much better for the Zombie Princess. He’ll be getting into the squared circle with the Southern Psychopath, Mance Warner. This match is also a rematch of sorts; they first faced off at IWA Mid-South’s March Madness event in 2018. Both wrestlers have very similar resumes, including time spent in IWA Mid-South, CZW, AIW and of course AAW Pro. They’re also both as crazy as the day is long, so just about anything can happen. There’s only one way to find out what, and that’s by checking out The Art of War.

The Rascalz vs. Paco, Rich Swann & Ace Romero

Next on tap we have some six-man tag team action. The full trio known as The Rascalz will be taking the hodgepodge team of Paco, Ace Romero, and Rich Swann. Although it should be noted that Paco and Ace Romero teamed together as part of a four-man team that was victorious. The Rascalz though, are continuing to dominate the tag team scene. Whether it be a duo of any combination or the full team, they make people take notice. Paco, Romero, and Swann are all talented of their own measure. It will be a question of how their talents combine and gel together in a match. The answer will be given on Saturday, February 23rd at The Art of War.

AAW Heritage Championship Match
DJZ (c) vs. Jody Fleisch

The AAW Heritage Champion, DJZ, will make his third defense of the title in his second reign. The real-life EDM DJ will light up his way to the ring with his now-iconic ring entrance gear. He will defend against Jody Fleisch from across the pond. Jody has competed for major promotions such as PROGRESS Wrestling, Revolution Pro Wrestling, and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. These two have also faced off in the past, trading victories. Now they will have a rubber match, this time with DJZ’s Heritage Championship on the line. Both are pretty evenly matched in size and style. Fleisch does have the advantage when it comes to experience, having over twenty years under his belt. DJZ will have to pull some rabbits out of his hat in order to retain his title against the wily English veteran.  

AAW Women’s Championship Match
Kylie Rae (c) vs. Su Yung

Call her Kylie four belts! AAW Women’s Champion Kylie Rae is also the current Zelo Pro Women’s Champion, Freelance and Capital Wrestling Alliance Champion. This will be Kylie’s third defense of the title and perhaps the toughest. She already bested Kimber Lee twice, once for the title and once in a rematch. Kylie is “smiley but deadly”, meaning don’t let her bubbly demeanor fool you, she knows what she’s doing. Just three years into her career, Kylie was trained by WWE Hall of Famer Booker T. The Undead Bride Su Yung is a former IMPACT Wrestling Knockout’s Champion. She’s also the current Queens of Combat Champion and her reign has lasted over 800 days. In addition to being talented as all get out, Su knows how to play mind games better than anyone. If Kylie hopes to walk out of The Art of War with her title, she’ll have to avoid that pitfall.

AAW Tag Team Championship Match
Lucha Brothers (Rey Fenix & Penta El 0M, c) vs. Fiyah Fox (AR Fox & Myron Reed) vs. LAX (Santana & Ortiz)

What can you say about these three teams that hasn’t already been said? These three teams have been the heart and soul of the AAW tag team scene. They’ve already faced each other, many times, in regular tag team matches. And each time, they’ve blown everyone away with their performances. Now with all three teams in one match, with the AAW Tag Team Championships on the line, it’s sure to be a barn burner. The Lucha Brothers defeated Fox and Reed at Lucha City Limits in a good but scary match. Good because of the action and scary because Fenix sustained an injury. Lucky for him, it wasn’t that severe. LAX and the Lucha Brothers have been waging war in other promotions for a long time, including trading championships. Surely, they would love nothing more than to best the real-life brothers here at The Art of War. Reed and Fox may be seen as the underdogs due to their lack of size compared to the other competitors. However, if they proved anything in their reign, as well as in their individual careers, they are innovative and tenacious. No one team has a real discernable advantage over the other, it will be whoever finds the correct combination of luck and opportunity.

All of this tremendous action and more will go down at AAW’s The Art of War. AAW Pro has been redefining wrestling since 2005. This show is no different, showcasing the brightest, hottest and best talent wrestling has to offer. The show itself may be sold out, but there will be a chance in the not too distant future to watch it in your own home. AAW will also be returning on March 16th with another incredible event. We’ll see you then!

Originally written by Brandi Wagner

My name is Brandi, I'm 30 years young and have been a wrestling fan since the tender age of 2. My love of writing grew from school and I soon found ways to merge my two loves. Aside from writing and the pro graps, I love to do crafts and read. I was born and raised in Alaska, which is also where I currently make my home. Hit me up, I love to chat!