G2: Golden Gate Tournament April/May 2019

News broke early this morning that Rampage Hunter has suffered a knee injury and will not be able to participate in this year's Golden Gate Tournament. A former world champion, Rampage tied with John Logan for the most wins in the inaugural tournament last year and was expected to be among the favorites again this year. The injury is rumored to be a torn MCL, and while he is expected to avoid surgery, the recovery time frame is still expected to be a few months.

The Second Annual G2 tournament is expected to be a huge event this year, with a crowded field from both inside, and outside Warrior Pro Wrestling. An official announcement from the company around entrants as well as a schedule is expected not later than tomorrow.

Warrior Pro Wrestling is proud to announce the official lineup and dates for the 2019 Golden Gate Tournament. Last year Warrior Pro held the inaugural event to crown its first World Heavyweight champion. This year, the field has been expanded and includes some of the best wrestlers in the world today, from some of the best promotions in the world today. From the hardcore world of AAW and Evergreen Wrestling, to the lucha stylings of Lucha POWER and Santana Family Wrestling, to across the pond with European Wrestling Union. We even have a rep from a promotion in our own backyard, i.W.e, who claims headquarters in San Francisco.

The Golden Gate Tournament will be running weekly, with Block A running Thursdays, Block B on Friday. All shows will be taped and available on those days, with full matches, recaps, and even some guest appearances. The winner of Block A will face the winner of Block B at the Finals Show in late May (date TBA).

The winner will receive a title shot at the Anniversary show in June against the champion Doc Wyatt. Should Doc win, he will be able to choose an opponent from the field to face off against.

The G2 kicks off THIS THURSDAY and FRIDAY.
Match-ups:

Block A:
Markus Winter vs John Logan
Dirk van Orange vs Kevin Royce
Salvador Sosa vs Roy Carter

Block B:
Lobo Muerte vs Doc Wyatt
Vic Baron vs Johnny Throwback
Brick vs Yoshi Tayaki

Week 1 Block A Results

The show opens with Tank McDaniel, owner of Warrior Pro walking out to the ring and grabbing a mic…





Markus Winter vs John Logan


Recap:
Markus Winter came out aggressive to start, but the rookie seemed to be suffering from the nerves of his first tournament match, and his opponent was a tough draw. Sporting a new haircut and looking fresh and determined, John Logan took care of business and finished off Winter with a pop up bomb.

Winner: Logan
Rating ***




Dirk van Orange vs Kevin Royce


Recap:
The Duke of Holland got more than he bargained for in this one. Kevin Royce went straight for the chairs early and often, eventually busting Dirk wide open. Dirk never seemed to get into any sort of rhythm, off balance from the hardcore attack. Eventually a chokeslam into an Iron Claw was enough to seal the victory for the deathmatch veteran.

Winner: Kevin Royce
Rating: ***




Salvador Sosa vs Roy Carter


Recap:
This one became a battle of technical strikes early on, with Roy Carter’s MMA background being brought to the forefront. While the match started out even, with both men standing their ground, as the match wore on Carter started to overwhelm Sosa with strikes, and a Game Over piledriver sealed the victory.

Winner: Roy Carter
Rating: ***

Week One was filled with upsets in both blocks, setting the stage for week 2- will we see separation from the pack, or bounce back weeks from the losers? This week also see’s some first-time matchups with some of the biggest names in Warrior Pro, which has the potential to spark new rivalries.

Week Two action kicks off with A Block on Thursday, and B Block on Friday. Check back for full results.


Match Previews:

BLOCK A

Kevin Royce vs Salvador Sosa
What Kevin Royce did last week was something no other wrestlers has been able to do for almost 300 days- beat Dirk van Oranje. The veteran now looks to build some momentum against the reeling leader of the Rudo Army. Sosa meanwhile will look to bounce back from a tough loss to pull even and stay in the hunt of the block lead.

Roy Carter vs Markus Winter
It wasn’t that long ago that Roy Carter was terrorizing Warrior Pro’s Young Gun trainees. Now Markus Winter will have a chance to get a measure of revenge by upsetting the red-hot shooter. Meanwhile Roy Carter will look to build off his upset and continue to make a name as a legit threat to John Logan for the top spot in the block.

John Logan vs Dirk van Oranje
Maybe the most anticipated match of Week 2. How will Dirk respond to his first loss in almost a year? Can John Logan continue his tournament dominance, dating back to last years event? Expect fireworks as both men will be fighting not only for the tournament, but as representatives for their respective Bay Area promotions…


BLOCK B

Johnny Throwback vs Brick
Our only match of the second week that will pit two undefeated wrestlers against each other. Johnny Throwback is going to have to lift with the knees if he’s going to try and toss around the 400 pound 7 footer. Brick looks extra motivated to show Doc Wyatt that he isn’t the most dangerous Jackson Hole Outlaw in the B Block. The winner may very well have the inside track to winning the block.

Yoshi Tayaki vs Lobo Muerte
Lobo Muerte’s win over Doc Wyatt gave Doc his first non-title match defeat in Warrior Pro. His impressive performance gets rewarded with a match against the always dangerous Yoshi Tayaki. Expect weapons and blood in this one, as Lobo attempts to continue his cinderella run atop the block.

Doc Wyatt vs Vic Baron
B block closes out with a bit of a family feud. The Baron’s and Wyatt’s have never seen eye to eye, but somehow this is the first time these two wrestlers will face off in their respective careers. Going into this tournament, both men were favored to be fighting for the block, but both risk starting in an 0-2 hole. This has all kinds of potential to be match of the night, expect someone to reluctantly submit before all is said and done…



Despite not being able to compete, Rampage was on a local radio show promoting the tournament when Dirk van Oranje came up…

The show opens with highlights from last nights matches, including Rampage’s interference with Dirk van Oranje and the attack after the match…


Johnny Throwback vs Brick


Recap:
Hard hitting right from the start, Johnny Throwback worked hard the entire match trying to get the big man to the ground and keep him there. But Brick had other plans, tossing the Englishman around both inside and outside the ring. Brick would hit a Grenade on the outside, then roll Throwback into the ring for a Brick Wall chokeslam to finish off the match and pick up the victory.

Winner: Brick
Rating: ***




Yoshi Tayaki vs Lobo Muerte


Recap:
Fast action from the get go, with Lobo going right at the deathmatch expert, while Tayaki looked to muck up the pace of the match with weapons and dirty tactics. Lobo Muerte mostly avoided that strategy and kept Yoshi off balance. But the AAW vet proved hard to kill, shrugging off 3 Lone Wolf dives and was looking to build a comeback before a surprise rollup shockingly ended the match for Lobo.

Winner: Lobo Muerte
Rating: ***




Doc Wyatt vs Vic Baron


Recap:
This was an all-out war, and the best match of the tournament to date. Both men threw the book at each other, with numerous near falls and submission attempts. It seemed inevitable that the match would end either via the Killa Crossface or the Figure 4. Eventually, in the center of the ring, Doc was able to lock in the Figure 4 and force Vic to tap, putting Baron in a deep 0-2 hole.

Winner: Doc Wyatt
Rating: *****

After the match, Vic rolls out of the ring and is slowly making his way to the back when Doc grabs a mic…

We’re a little under halfway through the tournament, and the block leaders are starting to take shape. This will be a pivotal round of matches where a win could cement block leaders, and a loss could eliminate you from contention. With so much on the line, this week has the potential to produce a few MotY candidates.

Week Three action kicks off with A Block on Thursday, and B Block on Friday. Check back for full results.


Match Previews:

BLOCK A

Roy Carter vs Kevin Royce
Both men have been impressive so far, and a win would give either the inside track to the block lead. This match may come down to who can dictate the style of the fight. Roy Carter will have the obvious edge if this becomes a technical match, while Royce will likely come out on top if the fight turns into a bloody brawl.


Salvador Sosa vs John Logan
Circle this one folks, cause this could be the match of the week. John Logan has looked like his usual dominate self, and his renewed focus should be worrisome for everyone in this block. But Salvador Sosa isn’t just anyone. The Santana Family Wrestling star has proven to be incredibly hard to keep down, and his deadly senton equally hard to get up from. This one is a toss-up, and will likely shape how the final block plays out.

Markus Winter vs Dirk van Oranje
Two men that desperately need a win to keep any chances at finishing atop the block alive. Markus Winter has looked extremely impressive in his first two matches, and an upset win seems inevitable at some point in this tournament. But will this be the week? Dirk hasn’t seen this much losing in a long time, though the circumstances of those loses can be very much contested, given how much the injured Rampage Hunter assisted in the one last week. A win for the Dutchman could be the start of a momentum shift needed for a late push to the top.

BLOCK A

Yoshi Tayaki vs Johnny Throwback
Johnny Throwback will be looking to shake off a rough loss to Brick last week and come back strong against an opponent that will be out for blood- literally. Yoshi Tayaki may not have a win in the tournament, but that hasn’t stopped him from brutalizing his opponents in each of his first two matches. Look for this to be another brutal match that may come down to whether or not Throwback can survive the onslaught.

Brick vs Doc Wyatt
This match has layers. Brick and Doc have met one other time, in last years tournament, and it ended in a suspect draw after both men brawled outside the ring and never seemed interested in coming back. Coincidentally, that “draw” allowed Doc to win the block via a tie-breaker scenario, and it was a few weeks later that Brick and Doc aligned themselves. This time seems different, as Brick has been quick to point out that while Doc has conquered Warrior Pro, the big man stands as one of the remaining men Doc has not beaten. Will this be the night? Or will Brick be the one that eliminates the reigning champion from the tournament?

Lobo Muerte vs Vic Baron
Lobo Muerte has been having a coming out party, with early wins against Doc Wyatt and Yoshi Tayaki, but this week will be another very tough test. Vic Baron must win to avoid getting eliminated from the block without a win for the second straight year. Will the Lucha POWER sensation take control of the block, or will “The Technician” begin his comeback in earnest?


A couple of promo’s were posted on WPW.com…

John Logan:


Doc Wyatt:

Before the matches get started, suspended head trainer Austin Baron walks down to the ring and grabs a mic…



Austin drops the mic and walks to the back




Roy Carter vs Kevin Royce


Recap:
Royce looked dominate from the start, shrugging off most of Carter’s offense and blooding the Jackson Hole Outlaw. Roy rallied late and an armbar looked like it might end it, but Royce found the ropes- and then finished off the match with the Super Bomb.

Winner: Kevin Royce
Rating: ****





Salvador Sosa vs John Logan


Recap:
This may end up as match of the tournament. Tons of back and forth from the beginning, with each man trying pull away. The ending turned out to be a classic, as Logan hit a Logans Run DDT in the middle of the ring for a kickout. Then Sosa hit a Swanton Bomb onto a chair for a kickout. Logan came back to hit a falling lariat for a kickout. Logan followed it up with a big man senton into another lariat that was countered- but Logan would hit the standing neckbreaker then connect with a falling lariat for the pin fall.

Winner: John Logan
Rating: *****





Markus Winter vs Dirk van Oranje


Recap:
Another week, and another almost win for Markus Winter. But you cant say he didnt give it everything he had. He was the aggressor the whole match, bloodying Dirk early, and in a wild sequence hitting finisher after finisher trying to end the match. But nothing he could do could quite put the Dutchman away. A pare of leaping cutters later, and Dirk barely eeks out his first win of the tournament.

Winner: Dirk van Oranje
Rating: ****