In every edition of FITE FOREVER, we look up upon the horizon of major forthcoming pro wrestling events and the top talents who will collide before our very eyes, live on FITE!
As spring transforms to summer, temperatures rise and so do the tempers in the world of professional wrestling!This week, FITE FOREVER runs down many of the competitors who will see combat this week and beyond!
Joey Janela
If there is one pro wrestler who has risen from the muck of the smallest independent wrestling events and molded himself into a legitimate franchise, it is the DIY "Bad Boy" Joey Janela. Whether it was his insane stunts and willingness to battle anyone, anywhere or his off the cuff, cocksure attitude, Janela has built a cult following. His events over WrestleMania weekend are among the most talked about. He is a self-made man full of grit and determination, but what happens when someone with that level of controversy walks into a promotion like EVOLVE, which has struck a WWE working relationship? That is the question that will be answered at EVOLVE 106, when not only does Janela bring his own path of destruction to the company, but he challenges WWN Champion Austin Theory in one of the most audacious debuts in EVOLVE history. Could Janela end up holding the promotion's top title? With his rampant disregard for the conventions of pro wrestling, what ripple effect could that have on the bridge to paradise EVOLVE has built with WWE? It's the biggest test to date for Austin Theory.
Matt Riddle
There is no disputing that Matt Riddle is seen as one of the coolest pro wrestlers in the world currently, with an incredible bond maintained with his die-hard supporters. The former UFC star has transitioned into the pro wrestling world and it is just a matter of time before he bursts into the mainstream. This weekend at EVOLVE 106, however, he faces one of his greatest tests to date as Riddle defends the EVOLVE Championship against Shane Strickland, the internationally traveled aerial assassin. For a match this massive, EVOLVE has ruled there must be a winner and a decisive one at that – ruling there will be no rope breaks to halt pinfall and submission attempts. This also creates a unique situation where the ropes, designed to protect the fighters and keep them within the boundaries of the ring are now transformed into weapons that can be used to the fighters' advantage. Riddle is well versed at battling inside a cage, but what unique dimension will this new battlefield mean for his title defense? Tune into EVOLVE 106 on FITE to discover the answers.
Austin Aries
The reigning and defending Impact Champion is on a quest to conquer every promotion and capture every Championship he can carry. That quest this weekend sends "The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived" back down under to defend the World Series Wrestling Championship, facing off with John Hennigan, a man with as many surnames as he has dangerous maneuvers. Having carried the WSW Championship since November 2017, Aries finds himself as the prey, not the hunter. Could Aries' never-ending pursuit of being the best in the world actually be his Achilles' Heel? Could he have worn himself down in his endless procession of great in-ring combat? How will jetlag effect Aries or any of the other talents competing at the WSW: International Assault Best of the Best this weekend?
Adam Page
A proud member of the Bullet Club, the young bully returns to Australia at this weekend's World Series Wrestling: International Assault to do some ghostbusting. Having been haunted by the (allegedly) deceased Joey Ryan over the course of the globally acclaimed Being the Elite YouTube series, Page heads Down Under to try and take Ryan down once and for all. With a Baltimore Street Fight and a chance at the Ring of Honor TV title in his sights, can Page upend Ryan and put him to a merciful sleep once and for all or will his career be tarnished by a D**k Flip from beyond the grave?
AR Fox
One of the most athletically gifted pro wrestlers who ever lived, AR Fox has had a tumultuous, roller coaster career made up of insanely emotional highs and devastating losses. At one point, he even stormed out of EVOLVE. This weekend at EVOLVE 107, Fox has one of the biggest challenges to date in his career, challenging EVOLVE Champion Matt Riddle. It's guaranteed to be classic ground and pound vs. aerial combat war of attrition, one where the odds may lie in Fox's favor. What shape will Riddle be in after his unique battle against Shane Strickland the night before? To what extremes will Fox push himself in order to capture the EVOLVE Championship and erase the demons of the past? To what lengths will these two seasoned combatants go? Only EVOLVE 107, on FITE, holds the answers.
Dalton Castle
Ring of Honor's Final Battle was supposed to be the beginning of a new golden era for Dalton Castle. He stood triumphant, newly won ROH World Championship in hand as confetti rained down upon him in New York City. 2018 was to be a new adventure, a new path. Instead, injuries have hampered the eclectic peacock, preventing him from performing at the rate and level that fans have come to expect from Castle. When ROH comes to Baltimore for Best in the World, Castle is tasked with not just one opponent, but two – and each of them are men that have previously defeated him. To make matters worse, Cody and Marty Scurll are sworn brothers in Bullet Club, putting the ROH World Champion, even if he was healthy, at an extreme disadvantage. Will Best in the World be where Dalton gets his groove back or will the numbers game just be too much for any fighter to overcome?
The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson)
Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson make music with their exploits in the world of professional wrestling, piep pipers to an entire generation of disenfranchised fans. Hot off their victory for the IWGP Tag Team Championships, The Bucks now turn their attention to the ROH World Tag Team belts. Mark Briscoe and Jay Briscoe, the forefathers of ROH, have been absolutely ruthless since regaining those belts, attacking everyone in their sights at will. Even the might of Bullet Club hasn't prevented the Bucks from being a target, setting up a grudge match between two of the top tag teams in the world with Championship gold and pride equally at stake. How the Bucks' patented synchronized offense fare against the Briscoes' smashmouth brutality remains to be seen….
Mike Johnson is the lead reporter for PWInsider.com and has been writing about professional wrestling since 1996. He can be found on Twitter @MikePWInsider and MikeJohnsonWrites.com .
