Pedal to the metal, pivoting from lane to lane, hairpin turns as the wheel spins, World Series Wrestling will return to FITE, taking Australia and the world by storm as The Great Southern Land known as Australia once again becomes the center of the professional wrestling galaxy.
Once upon a time, in a land down under, Australia was a regular haunt for some of professional wrestling's most in-demand superstars. From Bruno Sammartino to Dusty Rhodes to Harley Race to Gary Hart to Killer Kowalski to Bruiser Brody, the sport's most acclaimed international stars toured every major city Down Under, battling for the IWA World Championship for promoter Jim Barnett's World Championship Wrestling, which aired several times a week on The Nine Network.
Like the rest of the wrestling world, time couldn't stand still forever and the wrestling territories of yore gave way to international juggernauts like WWE, setting the stage for a new generation of stars to rise from all corners of Australia. These incredibly talented performers have become the standard bearer for greatness in professional wrestling Down Under. Some have opted to travel the world. Others have remained on the Continent, content to prove their mettle - and this week, FITE and World Series Wrestling go FULL THROTTLE with a series of massive live events that return the spotlight of professional wrestling once more to Lucky Country.
The World Series Wrestling Full Throttle Tour commences Friday October 6th and Saturday October 7th in Melbourne, hits Adelaide on Sunday October 8th, charges into Perth on Tuesday October 10th, invades Brisbaine on Wednesday October 12th and the triumphantly marches into Sydney for its last stand on October 13th - six massive events all streaming live from Australia to your FITE devices, all of which you can witness live as they happen with the WSW Full Throttle Bundle.
One of the aforementioned Australian superstars who has toured the world to international acclaim is Cassie Lee, who will not only be returning home but will be competing in her first singles bout after years of forming one of the most IIconic women's tag teams of all time in The IInspiration with Jessie McKay.
Lee will be competing all along the Full Throttle tour but on October 7th in Melbourne, she takes to the ring against Jessica Troy, who has taken the likes of Jordynne Grace and Steph DeLander to the limit in the past. Lee returns the homecoming hero but to Troy, Lee represents someone to defeat to raise her own international profile in this very special encounter.
While Cassie Lee is no stranger to controversy over the course of her career, if there are any WSW talents who revel in the maelstrom of madness, it's the reigning World Series Wrestling Champion Matt Cardona and his cohort in chaos WSW Women's Champion Steph DeLander. The diabolical duo return to Australia seeking to pillage and plunder en route to victory.
While their championship defenses have yet to be announced as of this writing, the WSW event in Perth on October 10th will see them assemble against Cassie Lee and her husband "The Perfect 10" Shawn Spears in a very unique tag team showdown with two very boisterous, fiery Australian combatants in the center, ready to prove their greatness. Should Spears and Lee emerge victorious, one would think they'd have earned championship opportunities later in the tour!
The tour premiere on October 6th in Melbourne features some very unique attractions, including a true hybrid battle of different in-ring philosophies. Former Impact Wrestling X-Division and Tag Team Champion Ace Austin has proven himself to be a true versatile master of aerial assault.
Brian Cage has evolved into a genuinely indestructible in-ring monster, a living, breathing rendition of Marvel's Juggernaut. These two will clash, revealing the answer to the eternal "What If" question of what happens when two distinctly unique and talented fighters face off, revealing which style will emerge superior.
Impact Wrestling's Eric Young will also be in battle across the Full Throttle Tour and on the opening night, he'll be tasked with taking on Ring of Honor alumnus Slex. Having just won the MCW Bar Room Brawl this past summer, Slex has a ton of momentum and is seeking to use his bruising nature to take down Young and make international headlines, propelling himself back into the global spotlight.
WSW Australian Champion TJP will be in action across the Full Throttle tour as well. He'll step into the ring in Adelaide on October 8th, defending his championship against New Japan Pro Wrestling's Kosei Fujita. The 21-year old upstart has already gained the admiration of fans across the world for his gutsy in-ring physicality, gaining prominence as a member of TMDK. If Fujita can exit Australia with a championship win, he'll accelerate his expected stardom at ludicrous speed.
However, he'll have to contend with one of the most versatile in-ring chessmasters in the world in TJP, someone who has his opponents' moves scouted well ahead of when they execute them. This could be a crowning moment for Fujita or a humbling, learnt lesson. Time will tell.
Should TJP make it past Fujita and retain his championship, he'll enter into a three-way bout against the internationally renowned karate-infused combatant known as Speedball Mike Bailey and Brisbaine's favorite son Bobby Bishop at the WSW Full Throttle tour finale on October 12th in Bishop's hometown.
For Bishop, who in the last year has competed at GCW and NWA events, this bout may represent the biggest opportunity of his life, a chance to defeat two of the most skilled and acclaimed combat sports superstars in one fell swoop. Can the Retro Kid outlast these internationally traveled stars? FITE fans will learn immediately as the WSW tour's twists and turns are revealed.
Beyond these matches and competitors, also competing across the tour are Frankie Kazarian, Chris Bey, Erick Redbeard, Jack Bonza, The Velocities and more to be revealed.
World Series Wrestling will charge across the entirety of Australia at Full Throttle and the only place to catch every strike, every kick, every dive, every victory and submission is right here, live on FITE by ordering the Full Throttle Bundle!
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.
