On July 26th and 27th DEFY is putting on a doubleheader with its Super 8XGP! These events have a tendency to be epic in scope and the way the card is shaping up there is little doubt this coming weekend is going to be one for the history books at DEFY!
We have eight opponents vying for the DEFY Championship belt. Artemis Spencer, Christopher Daniels, Matt Cross, Cody Chhun, Schaff, Judas Icarus, Mike Santiago, and Douglas James are the eight contenders. On night one each one of these will be paired with an opponent. Only four will emerge and advance to the second night, where it will be whittled down to two opponents who will then compete for the championship title. This is going to have everyone sitting at the edge of their seats.
Between these tournament matches, we are going to be treated to some of the best wrestling there is to see. They are bringing in Warbeast, Joey Janela, Tama Tonga and Super Crazy, who will go up against some of the best wrestlers we have on the local scene!
You’re not going to want to miss this one and if you don’t already have your tickets good luck, they are disappearing fast!
Championship Tournament Matches
Douglas James vs. Artemis Spencer
In recent months Douglas James has been breaking out here on the West Coast. He’s been killing it at such places as PCW Ultra, AAA, Bar Wrestling and numerous other promotions. This isn’t his first time at DEFY. He was at Washington Hall a couple of years ago and successfully defended his PCW Light Heavyweight title from Randy Myers. This time he’s returned to throw his hat in the ring for the DEFY Championship belt.
In round one Douglas James will be facing off against current titleholder, Artemis Spencer. Atrie won the belt late last year against long-reigning champion Shane Strickland. Since winning his title Artemis has defended his title along the West Coast and recently returned from a tour of England where he worked for Progress. He’s a hot commodity right now and his mettle will truly be put to the test. Soon we will see if Artemis Spencer has what it takes to emerge from this tournament still the DEFY champion. This will do doubt be the greatest challenge he has faced since winning the belt.
Matt Cross vs. Judas Icarus
Matt Cross is no stranger to the audience at DEFY. He last made an appearance in November where he faced off against the Persian Prodigy, King Khash. While he didn’t win that match, he has been a DEFY favorite from the very first show in the promotion’s history. Matt is a worthy contender for the belt, and he will no doubt prove why he’s there.
Facing the wrestling veteran is one of the newer talents at DEFY, Judas Icarus. This young man has made a strong impression on the DEFYance. He made a strong impression at the Ten Man Tournament earlier this year and came in second place. He and Eli Surge have tagged together but at this event, Judas is going to show us what he is capable of as he takes on one of the best wrestlers working the independent scene today.
Schaff vs. Christopher Daniels
Perhaps one of DEFY’s most beloved regulars, Schaff has entered the tournament. There is little doubt he is going to have a strong loyal following of fans who will be rooting for this young man to take the championship belt… and why not? He is a spectacular talent and the DEFYance has seen him take on some of the best people in the business. We don’t see Schaff taken down very often and it seems like there is a very good chance he could walk out of this with a new fashion accessory.
The folks behind DEFY SUPER 8XGP aren’t going to make it easy for the Badest Mother F***er in professional wrestling. Initially they were going to bring in Brian Cage to take Schaff on. Unfortunately, Brian is out due to an injury, and the person they are bringing in to replace him is no less a threat. Christopher Daniels and member of Southern Cal Uncensored will be entering the tournament! This veteran and stellar performer is going to give Schaff a run for his money. There is little doubt this is going to be one of the most highly anticipated matches of the tournament.
Mike Santiago vs. Cody Chhun
The other half of the Amerikan Gunz, Mike Santiago is making a play for the DEFY Championship belt! This gentleman has been working with DEFY from the beginning and he is more than a capable singles competitor. If you’ve been paying attention to his social media he’s been training and hitting the gym hard. He’s not coming to play; he’s coming to win!
Facing Mike Santiago is none other than “Classic” Cody Chhun! Cody is undoubtedly one of the favorites at Washington Hall. He’s had some big matches lately against the likes of Robbie Eagles. He is one of the ten talents to watch this year and he will show you why this coming weekend.
Non-Tournament Matches Announced Thus Far
Super Crazy and Guillermo Rosas vs. La Raza (Leon Negra & Sonico)
We have been supremely lucky to have Super Crazy at DEFY before. We are even more lucky to have this incredibly talented luminary back. He isn’t just back he’s partnering with one of our local favorites Guillermo Rosas. While they are not in the tournament for the DEFY championship belt, they are no doubt going to try and win over the audience.
This isn’t going to be easy, however. Despite the love the DEFYance has for Super Crazy and Mr. Rosas, there are going up against two competitors who are also fan favorites. Leon Negra and Sonico have been popular regulars for a while now. There is little doubt this match is going to split loyalties and invoke some interesting responses from the audience.
Joey Janela vs. Tama Tonga
Making his long-awaited return is the Bad Boy himself, Joey Janela! We have some superfans in the audience… you know who you are… I might be looking at you, John! Joey is one of the greats working the independent scene today. It’s unlikely anyone sitting in the audience doesn’t know who this guy is and we’re all looking forward to his bad-boy antics in the ring.
Facing off against Joey will be Tama Tonga. This seasoned veteran has been around the block, most notably at NJPW where he was a founding member of the Bullet Club. This guy is an incredible performer and you put two people like this in the ring together you know you’re going to see the magic happen. There is a fairly good chance this match will steal the show.
Tama Tonga vs. Ethan HD
The match with Joey Janela is not going to be Tama Tonga’s only match in this two-day tournament. He will be in another match this time with one of our local wrestlers who needs little in the way of introductions. I do not believe I am being overly generous when I say Ethan HD is one of the best professional wrestlers working on the west coast today. When he steps into the ring with Tama Tonga he is going to show him and the rest of the audience he’s a world-class talent and you better start paying attention.
Warbeast vs. Los Parks
Still, the reigning DEFY Tag Team Champions Warbeast, Jacob Fatu and Joseph Samael will be making their return to Washington Hall. These two men made quite the statement that last time they were here and defended the belt from former champions the Amerikan Gunz. These men are brutal and incorporate pyrotechnics amount their varied moves. Wherever they go you can count on being impressed.
Facing the Champions is Los Parks! This father-son team of LA Park and Hijo de LA Park are some of the greatest lucha talents to come out of Mexico! They have most recently been working at MLW, however, the senior member of the team has a long and distinguished career including a stint at WCW. They are now a part of Salina de la Renta’s stable, Promociones Dorado. With these guys in the ring with Warbeast the question on everyone’s thoughts? Will Washington Hall will still be standing when this match is over at DEFY SUPER 8XGP ?
Randy Myers & Danika Della Rouge vs. Travis Williams & Sloan
Are we seeing the continuation of one of the biggest grudges we’ve seen at DEFY SUPER 8XGP ? A couple of months ago Danika Della Rouge was in a match with Cat Powers. Towards the end of this match, a young woman named Sloan entered the auditorium smoking an e-cigarette posturing around the ring. She intervened brutalizing Danika before she even had a chance to recover from her match. Thus began the grudge. In Portland, these two wrestlers faced off and Sloan emerged the victor… There seems to be unfinished business here.
It appears that both Danika and Sloan called in a friend for this one. Joining Danika Della Rouge is the Ravenous One himself, Randy Myers! He is a crowd favorite and an excellent choice to join Ms. Della Rouge. On the other side, we have The Golden Boy, Travis Williams. Even though he lost his match with Rosas the last time he made an appearance at Washington Hall, Travis has proven himself to be a formidable and fast competitor. It will be very fun to see the chemistry of these teams unfold!
What We Might See
As you can see there the tournament Matches and DEFY SUPER 8XGP has some great matchups for us. However, what is listed above is only the tip of the iceberg. This article has covered what has been announced thus far. Pay close attention to the media as there could be new match announcements leading up to the event on Friday, July 26th. Also, DEFY likes to surprise their fans with unannounced matches.
What else could we see? We can only speculate. There are a number of regulars at DEFY who haven’t had an announced match thus far. While we may not see all of them, some of the people that may make an appearance include:
The Fantastic Dork Carl Randers and his former tag partner Big Jack have always been favorites of the DEFYance. King Khash has recently returned from his tour of Japan, he also won the last Ten Man Tournament, don’t be surprised if he doesn’t insinuate himself into belt contention at some point. Jordan Oasis is another possibility having made his debut at Washington Hall at the Ten Man Tournament last January. Unfortunately, we are unlikely to see Eli Surge as he is out due to an injury. Get well Eli, we’re looking forward to you coming back with a vengeance!
DEFY Super 8XGP is a 21 and older event. Alcohol and Food is served by Lunchbox Laboratory. Be prepared to show identification and have any bags or purses checked upon entering the venue. VIP ticket holders are granted entrance at approximately 7:00 p.m. and General Admissions generally begins around 7:30 p.m.
DEFY is a hate-free zone. Please leave all gender, racial and sexual orientation slurs at the door, they are not welcome here.
