This Friday World Wide Wrestling League return to Elgin for their W3L Wrestling Showdown season premiere. Two matches have been announced but I’ll get back to that.

The last time W3L were at the Bishopmill Hall in Elgin it was a bit of a disaster. Whether it was an absolute cavalcade of problems getting to the venue with a ring, or the matches not being up to par like years previous but it was an off night for the promotion.

Their return this year was at Elgin Town Hall and it was a summer spectacular in name and in what we were treated to with Doug Williams making his way up north for a fantastic match with the now W3L Heavyweight Champion Taylor Bryden.

I’m sure the team at W3L will be looking to make up for last December by providing an epic season premiere for their weekly W3L Wrestling Showdown show on YouTube.

W3L Breakout Championship – Craig Stephens (c) vs Meyhem Brooks

Craig Stephens defends his W3L Breakout Championship against hometown boy Meyhem Brooks. Both wrestlers really found their footing recently with their last individual outings up here being great performances. Stephens has had a stranglehold over the Breakout Championship for over a year now and has went on to win the Wrestling Showdown and Tag Team Championships since then in his quest for all the belts. Brooks comes in on home turf, and had a dominating performance against The Tormentor last time out to get the momentum and confidence up.

This won’t be a pretty match, both will be fighting tooth and nail to get their hands on the W3L Breakout Championship. Brooks has an MMA background and will be out to grab the legs of the taller Stephens, while Stephens will no doubt have a bunch of short cuts in mind to even the odds.

Winning a title is a great achievement at any stage of your wrestling career, but if Brooks can pick up the title in his hometown then Elgin’s various establishments might have to prepare for an after party!

W3L Heavyweight Championship – Taylor Bryden (c) vs Gaia Hox

After Summer Spectacular, Taylor Bryden went on to defeat Lou King Sharp at Wrestlution to finally win the W3L Heavyweight Championship. He steps into the ring against a relative unknown here in Gaia Hox. Hox recently made his Scottish debut for Copenhagen Championship Wrestling down in Lochwinnoch, a very confusing sentence without context.

After a quick search on the YouTube it’s quick to see why Hox has come highly recommended from the likes of former W3L Heavyweight Champion Lou King Sharp. The Taiwanese wrestler is very quick, super agile, maybe even to the point of arrogance.

Bringing his high risk style to Elgin could reap high rewards but Bryden has been around for a long time and has fought all shapes and sizes, he won’t be looking to let go the W3L Heavyweight Championship so early in his reign.

Announced just after this preview was published, the tournament begins to crown a new W3L Wrestling Showdown Champion. Seven men have been confirmed for the tournament which will begin in Elgin. The line up includes two former Wrestling Showdown Champions in Craig Stephens and Saqib Ali, plus former Heavyweight Champion Lou King Sharp.

Two really interesting matches on the table, plus the beginning of the Wrestling Showdown Championship Tournament we’re in for a fun Friday night of wrasslin’ at the Bishopmill Hall.

Tickets are available at w3lwrestling.com and locally at Sound & Vision on South Street in Elgin.