Fight Club Pro are in an interesting situation.
It’s almost of a ‘life after wartime’ effect as we are in the wake of Martin Zaki winning the struggle against Schadenfreude, and the group admitting defeat by walking away from the promotion. Subsequently, they lost the tag team titles to Moustache Mountain and Mark Davis had to drop the Fight Club Pro Title due to injury.
So, as we head into Fight Club Pro’s annual singles tournament it means the stakes are bigger more than ever. With no champion, the gold will be decided in this eight-person tournament. Who will be the person to lead Fight Club Pro into the future? Let’s find out.
(There’s only three matches announced so a lot of this will be speculation, but I will add in new matches as and when they get announced)
Travis Banks & Omari vs The Moonlight Express (Mike Bailey & MAO)
Before we head to the tournament matches themselves, let’s take a look at some non-tournament action as we see two of Fight Club Pro’s finest take on one of Japan’s brightest tag teams. Travis Banks is the standard-bearer in British wrestling, especially in Fight Club Pro. The former Fight Club Pro champion teams up with the 2017 Infinity tournament winner Omari, who both come off a big win at Project Mayhem when they alongside Jordan Devlin defeated The Rascalz.
Mike Bailey has been on an extended tour of Europe and has not teamed up with his usual tag team partner MAO since August. But these two are a formidable team, winning the KO-D Tag Team Championships in DDT and the STRONGEST-K Tag Team Titles in KAIENTAI DOJO.
I’ve said this before, but I’ve never seen Mike Bailey have a bad match. The number of bad matches I’ve seen Travis Banks and Omari have I can count on one hand. MAO comes with a lofty reputation from Japan. Don’t be shocked if this doesn’t absolutely slap.
Meiko Satomura vs Millie McKenzie
What can you say about Meiko Satomura that hasn’t already been said? The woman is a bona fide legend, a god hanging around us mere mortals. The current PROGRESS Women’s Champion, a former Fight Club Pro champion and countless championships around the globe. She is one of the best women’s wrestlers on the planet.
Across the ring from her is Millie McKenzie. For my money, one of the most consistant performers in wrestling today. Not even in her twenties at this point, but she has seen it all and done it all. Wrestled on several continents for all the big promotions, multiple titles to her name and several high profile matches. Returning from Japan after losing her Sendai Girls tag team championships, she will look to bounce back against someone who many consider a mentor to young Millie.
Expect suplexes. Expect stiff strikes. Expect an absolute banger of a match.
Infinity Tournament First Round: Jordan Devlin vs Cara Noir
Oh wow. Fight Club Pro are not messing around are they?
Two of the in-form talents this year facing off in the first round? I’ll have that. Jordan Devlin has had a career year, not only coming out of the shadow of his mentor Finn Balor but making himself his own entity with killer match after killer match. Not only in NXT UK but match of the year candidates in PROGRESS and OTT. Best Spanish Fly in the game, do not @ me.
Cara Noir has finally stopped being the best-kept secret in wrestling and now everyone is rightly shouting his name from the rooftops. Marquee matches in Riptide against PAC and once again, in PROGRESS against Pete Dunne, alongside a damn impressive showing in this year’s Natural Progression Series. He is coming off a great match against Mike Bailey at Project Mayhem and would be many people’s dark horse (or swan) to win it all.
If everything goes to plan in this, we could have a match of the year on our hands.
Infinity Tournament First Round: Eddie Kingston vs Dan Moloney
If you’re a fan of people repeatedly punching eachother in the face, then you will like this.
Let’s get this out of the way first. I ADORE EDDIE KINGSTON. One of professional wrestling’s biggest mistakes (booking wise, not getting into that mire) is that Eddie Kingston isn’t a megastar. He is instant money. Just add a microphone and watch him talk people into the arena. Not only that, he is a tremendous strong style brawler. Former CZW World Heavyweight and Chikara Grand Champion is extending his stay in the industry and I for one am grateful as thanks to the NWA, the world is seeing his talents weekly once again.
Dan Moloney has been a buzzsaw in Fight Club Pro, running through everyone he has been put in front of. Arguably, many thought he would be the one to wrestle away the gold from Mark Davis. Alas, we are here and Moloney has a tough first round match against the crafty veteran. I am very excited by this contest, it could be an all out war.
Infinity Tournament First Round Open Scramble
Well here is the wildest of all wildcards for this tournament. A scramble at the first hurdle throws out all sorts of possibilites, especially considering there is no limit to the amount of people that can be in it.
If I’m honest with you all, Orange Cassidy is the prime reason I am going so I do hope he is the tournament and wins the whole thing baybeeeeee. Seriously though, it is going to be the first time seeing him live and I am incredibly excited.
Also, you got the likes of Chuck Mambo, Joe Nelson who massively impressed over Project Mayhem weekend as well as Clint Margera, Charli Evans, Chris Ridgeway and even many others that are in the country that haven’t been announced (Killer Cross, Scotty Davis, More Than Hype Woke Queens all appearing at OTT that weekend and would be awesome additions to the fray).
I love a tournament, I love a title tournament and I love a tournament where the full brackets haven’t been revealed. I’ve recently fallen in love with Fight Club Pro and based off what is going down this Friday, that love will go to infinity and beyond.
If you liked this article, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to follow all of our content that goes out daily.
You can find the author of this article on Twitter @MattyID. Thanks for reading!