The Pride's Athletes 18 & Up the Ante
COLLEGE STATION, TX - Lions Pride Sports’ first event in the Northgate District had big energy to match a big card, complete with two title matches and a gigantic addition to a powerful group.
ZANE VALERO left 18 & Up still the Lions Pride Sports Champion after a chaotic gauntlet match. MJ SANTANA had the first crack at “Gen-Z,” but was inadvertently distracted by her boyfriend, Lions Den Champion SHIMBASHI, and was rolled up to be eliminated. MIA FRIDAY returned next, but arch rival Santana wasn’t about to let Friday become the first woman to hold a title in The Pride. Another distraction, another roll-up and elimination by Valero. The final competitor was “OUTLAW” J. AUSTIN, but eventually, he too would succumb to a distraction. In the final case, it was Mia and MJ continuing to fight at ringside that took the former Lions Pride Sports Champion’s attention away from his opponent. One last roll-up, and Valero retained.
Shimbashi would also exit 18 & Up as a title holder. TRENT MERCER had earned his shot at Warpath six days earlier, but ultimately, uncaught cheating using the ropes allowed Shimbashi kept gold around “The Canadian Dragon’s” waist.
In other action at 18 & Up on the road to our fifth anniversary event next month:
When last we saw THE MOUNTAIN, he was dropping and splashing his tag partner at Warpath, DRAKE DURDEN, after their defeat of The Bad Boys of Wrestling. Mountain’s motives weren’t known, but KOOL DADDI DENZELL and RODZILLA had been in his ear about fans thinking he was a dancing hype man and not an in-ring force. Durden brought in a fellow former two-time Lions Pride Sports Champion, NOBE BRYANT, to tag with him against The Bad Boys. After a back-and-forth contest, Mountain emerged, diverting Durden’s attention from Denzell, who hit a Kool Kutter and got the pin. The Bad Boys have gone from two to three, with the 600-pounder now siding with the duo.
In a tag match involving two bitter rivalries, MATHAYUS and PRINCE LY combined forces to top their respective enemies, TKO JOE and HASTUR. The defeated fan favorites exacted some revenge after the match, each hitting power moves on their opponents.
The two competitors who came up short in the number one contender’s match at Warpath, SECURITY GUY and CHAVY CHULO, went back it at 18 & Up, with the former earning a pin fall win. A more vicious Chulo, days removed from beating down Security Guy after their three-way match, repeated the feat, delivering a fireman’s carry slam of the Guy into a ladder.