Durden Retains, But Alexander Steals the Belt
BRYAN, TX - A disqualification in the Lions Pride Sports Championship match at Warpath meant DRAKE DURDEN retained the title, but that didn’t mean he left with the belt.
JAY ALEXANDER certainly took the fight to the champ, working to eliminate the vertical base of the seven-footer. But in typical fashion, Durden showed his resiliency and power in fighting back. At the end of the hard-fought, physical encounter, “The Purveyor of Punishment” removed a turnbuckle pad, which the referee worked to reattach. Thinking he had turned the official’s attention away from the competitors, Alexander then grabbed the title and bashed Durden’s head with it. However, the referee saw the strike, calling for the end of the match. Nonetheless, Alexander kept his vow to leave with the title, exiting The Lions Den with the belt.
It wasn’t the last the crowd would see of Jay, though. As play-by-play announcer STEVE FULLHART was providing an update on the night’s action and the October 16 event, Alexander returned and demanded he be declared the champion. Fullhart refused, and “The Purveyor” threatened to assault the promotion’s match voice. Just when it appeared he would be let go, Fullhart was swept up into a full nelson. Thankfully for Steve, Durden and other members of the locker room made their way to the ring and sent Alexander scurrying. The champion, still without his belt, challenged Alexander to a no disqualification match October 16 at The Lions Den, vowing to ensure Jay didn’t walk out that night, especially with the title.
The other four contests at Warpath were quarterfinal matches as we move toward crowning the first Lions Den Champion.
CHAVY CHULO kicked off the quartet of matches with a victory over KOOL DADDI DENZELL. It was a chaotic scene on the outside with CADE CARSON seconding his Trifecta associate Chulo, and LIEUTENANT DAN and BIG BAD SAMSON out with Denzell. The mess on the outside aside, Denzell missed a splash, leading to Chulo planting him with a running bulldog and advancing.
Later, Carson would take on SHIMBASHI in an evenly matched, athletic encounter. Cade demanded Chulo help him by giving him a chair, but Chavy resisted because the official had a clear view of the exchange. As both men struggled over the chair, Carson was accidentally hit with it, but Shimbashi wasn’t able to get a three-count from it. Ultimately, Carson got “The Canadian Dragon” into a pinning predicament, using the ropes outside the referee’s view to assist his pinfall. The two Trifecta members will meet in the semifinals, and after the match, Carson told Chulo he needed to do “the right thing” on October 16.
A tug of war between “OUTLAW” J. AUSTIN and THE MOUNTAIN was the ultimate decider in their quarterfinal match. The hard-hitting contest ended with a struggle over Austin’s trademark cowbell and the referee getting knocked down. “Outlaw” then knocked out Mountain with the cowbell and got a three-count, advancing in the tournament.
His semifinal opponent will be MATHAYUS, but the advancement didn’t come easy against ZANE VALERO. Despite his winless record, “Gen-Z’s” skill ascension continued as he took the fight to “The Headline.” A Next Gen stunner from Zane earned him the nearest of near falls. Ultimately, a spear from Mathayus led to a victory and advanced him to an October 16 match-up with Austin.