Are you ready to Rumble?!
Tonight will see the Prairie Wrestling Alliance host their first Edmonton event of the decade, PWA New Year’s Resolution. As is tradition, the event is scheduled to be headlined by the promotion’s annual Resolution Rumble, an over-the-top battle royal in which the winner wins the opportunity to challenge for the PWA Heavyweight Championship in the main event of the promotion’s annual anniversary show.
However, the Rumble isn’t the only matchup that should have Albertan wrestling fans eager for tonight’s festivities. New Year’s Resolution is also set to see four of the countries top wrestlers face off in tag team action, as the Western Lions (Michael Richard Blais/Brandon Van Danielson) square off against Bobby Sharp and the PWA Heavyweight Champion, Michael Allen Richard Clark. It’s a match that has the potential to be the province’s match of the year, and I say with no exaggeration whatsoever. The four represent the apex of the Canadian wrestling scene, with the accolades between the quartet almost too numerous to list.
Zoë Sager will also be in action tonight, defending her PWA Women’s Championship against the debuting Gigi Rey. Though little is known about Rey, Sager remains one of the best in the business, and there’s little doubt she’ll be looking to impress again tonight.
Elsewhere on the card, a pair of matches with direct Rumble implications will take place this evening. Firstly, Andy Anderson and Sheik Shabaz will renew their bad blood of the past year in singles competition. However, the loser of the match will be removed from the Rumble, instantly ending the championship aspirations of perhaps two of the promotion’s top stars.
Finally, a five-way match between Colton Kelly, Aiden Adams, Davey O’Doyle, Jack Pride and “The Thickness” Reid Matthews will take place to determine the final entrant into the Resolution Rumble. While any of the men involved can already be considered favourites to win the rumble match, whoever is able to earn the right to be the final entrant will receive a huge advantage in what’s already bound to be a car crash in the best possible sense of the word.
Tonight’s show takes place at the Northgate Lions Centre in Edmonton, with a bell time of 7:30pm.
Announced Match Card:
- Andy Anderson vs. Sheik Shabaz (Loser is out of the Rumble)
- Colton Kelly vs. Aiden Adams vs. “The Thickness” Reid Matthews vs. Davey O’ Doyle vs. Jack Pride (Winner enters the Resolution Rumble last)
- PWA Women’s Championship Match: Zoë Sager vs. GiGi Rey
- The Western Lions (Michael Richard Blais/Brandon Van Danielson vs. Bodybreak (Michael Allen Richard Clark/Bobby Sharp)
- Resolution Rumble: Colton Kelly, The Titan, Jack Pride, Maxton Flexwell, “The Thickness” Reid Matthews, “Spaceman” Beri Grayson, Michael Richard Blais, Mo Jabari, Aiden Adams, Davey O’Doyle, Andriy, Nightmare #2, Nightmare #5, Brandon Van Danielson, Bobby Sharp, Taryn from Accounting, “The Irish Virus” Cory Chambers, Kylie Morgan,
News & Notes:
Records (2020):
Michael Allen Richard Clark (1-0 singles)
Zoë Sager (1-0 singles)
Davey O’Doyle (1-0 singles)
“The Thickness” Reid Matthews (1-0 singles)
Jack Pride (1-0 singles)
Colton Kelly (1-0 tag team)
Mo Jabari (1-0 tag team)
Kylie Morgan (0-1 singles)
Brandon Van Danielson (0-1 singles)
Michael Richard Blais (0-1 singles)
Sheik Shabaz (0-1 singles)
Aiden Adams (0-1 singles)
“Spaceman” Beri Grayson (0-1 tag team)
The Titan (0-1 tag team)
Gigi Rey (0-0)
Fun Facts:
- Saturday’s matchup marks the first time Bodybreak has teamed together since October 5th, 2019
- Gigi Rey, “The Irish Virus” Cory Chambers, Taryn from Accounting and Andriy will be making their PWA debuts.
Spencer’s Three-Count
- I keep mentioning it, but the Western Lions/Bodybreak matchup is worth the price of admission alone. Maybe I’m biased after our recent interview with Michael Allen Richard Clark himself, but there’s simply no arguing that all four men involved in this match are some of the best independent wrestlers in the world.
- The PWA has always had a reputation for bringing in and developing some of Alberta’s top female stars - look no further than names like Gisele Shaw, Rachel Ellering and Tenille Dashwood. I have a feeling that Gigi Rey will be no different. Though she’s faced with no easy task in taking on Zoë Sager,
- My personal pick for the Resolution Rumble? Colton Kelly. Not only is he one of the most dangerous professional wrestlers in the province today, but with fellow Millennial Rebel Mo Jabari involved in the Rumble as well, Kelly’s one of the few wrestlers in the evening’s main event to come with an insurance policy behind him. Besides, who doesn’t want to see him face off one-on-one with Michael Allen Richard Clark? Maybe it’s biased, but there’s my vote.
How to Watch:
Tickets:
Tickets for the PWA New Year’s Resolution Rumble event can be purchased in advance through Variant Edition Comics & Graphic Novels at 10132 151 Street in Edmonton. Advance tickets are also available through any of the PWA’s social media channels or contacting promoter Kurt Sorochan directly.
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