Prestige Wrestling’s second annual Cascadia Wrestling Cup took place the weekend of August 23rd and 24th, 2024 from the Kliever Armory in Portland, Oregon. The show can be seen for free on Prestige’s YouTube channel.

Eight competitors remain in the tournament, which will complete here on night two, meaning the winner will need to win three matches in one night to win the Cup.

My prediction of Jaiden is still alive, so I’m already doing better with this bracket than my annual NCAA tournament entry.

The announcers are Jordan Castle and Cody Von Whistler.

 
Opening Contest: Quarterfinal Match – Zaye Perez vs. Travis Williams 

Some technical wrestling to start, where Williams gets the advantage as you’d expect. Perez comes back with a slingshot senton for a one count. Headscissor takedown and a credenza by Perez and Williams rolls out to the floor flustered. Zaye follows with a tope suicida to the outside. Hurrcanrana is blocked and turned into a single leg crab from Williams.

Travis goes to work on the left knee of Zaye with several dragonscrew legwhips. Williams tries for a Cattle Mutilation but Perez escapes it and gets a quick backslide for two. Travis goes right back to work with forearms and tries a missile dropkick but gets caught with a superkick on the way down. Perez goes up and connects with a missile dropkick of his own for two. They fight over a backslide where Williams gets the upper hand going after the left knee again. Mouse trap pin gets the win again for Travis Williams to move on.  **½ 

Match Two: Quarterfinal Match – Sebastian Wolfe vs. Jaiden 

Wolfe attacks during Jaiden’s superhero pose entrance before the bell even rings. The match starts proper with Wolfe still in control getting an axe kick. Release suplex times two and a cover gets two on Jaiden. Wolfe charges but gets caught with an enzuigiri. Jaiden charges right into a powerslam from Wolfe however. Corner charge from Wolfe misses, but he manages to rebound and get a DVD on Jaiden for two. Bearhug follows, and then some repeated kneestrkes. A butterfly powerbomb from Wolfe gets two. This has literally been all Wolfe so far.

Release suplex again, but Jaiden reverses out and gets a pair of Superman punches and a Code Red for two. To the top they go where Jaiden tries a sunset flip bomb but can’t get it. He does however get some superkicks to the turnbuckle and hits the Plus Ultra Driver for the win.  **¼. Nice comeback win for Jaiden after fighting most of the match from underneath. 

Match Three: Quarterfinal Match – Ethan HD vs. Matt Brannigan 

Want to take a moment to recognize Brannigan’s hilariously appropriate entrance music. We get some early mat wrestling which actually winds up surprisingly equal. They exchange some pretty heavy chops and Ethan gets a single leg lariat, then follows up with a neck vice. Basement shoulderblock by Ethan gets only one. Drive-by kick from HD and a snap suplex but he can’t keep Brannigan down.

Matt fires up with some rights but gets caught with a back elbow for two, but again Matt fires up with a series of strikes and splash in the corner. Straightjacket bomb gets two for Matt. He tries for a chokeslam, but Ethan blocks and clotheslines Matt to the outside. Ethan HD follows with a tope suicida. They brawl on the outside with Brannigan actually getting a sliced bread on the floor using a truck for leverage.

Back in, double footstomp and superkick by Brannigan, then a jackhammer gets two. They go up top where Brannigan eventually gets an avalanche chokeslam. Slow to get the cover however and it only gets two. Ethan HD recovers and locks in a figure-four. They break out, which allows Ethan HD to get a disaster kick for two. Corner dropkick and a DVD gets a close two. Ethan goes right for the figure-four again, but Brannigan counters with a small package for the win!  ** The dream is alive for Matt Brannigan. 

Match Four: Quarterfinal Match – Judas Icarus vs. Amira 

Icarus with an aggressive start and tosses Amira to the outside. Amira gets the upper hand out there and comes back in with a sunset flip for two. Icarus back with an elbow and kick to the back. Anklelock follows, but Amira kicks her way out. Amira-go-round hits and a Stinger splash. Cannonball in the corner gets two. Crossbody is caught by Icarus and he drops her on the top turnbuckle.

Judas gets some strikes and a stretch hold. Uranage and a senton gets two. Dragon Sleeper applied but Amira quickly escapes and hits a release German suplex. Dropkick gets another two. 619 by Amira and she goes to the top. Top rope crossbody gets a close two. Icarus manages to toss Amira into the middle rope and get a running kick. Amira kicks away and goes up, but Icarus cuts her legs off and drops her. Inverted suplex gets another close two this time for Icarus.

Dragon Sleeper is on again, but Amira quickly punches out. F5 from Amira (!), and World’s Strongest Slam is countered with a rollup for two. Basement forearm and some vicious forearms to the back of the neck gets the win by ref stoppage for Icarus.  *** They didn’t slow down and had the crowd with them the whole time. Post-match, Icarus continues the beatdown but Jaiden makes the save. 

Match Five: B.A.D.D Magic vs. Midnight Heat 

Nathan Cross and Christopher Prince make up B.A.D.D. Magic and are from the Carolinas. Pearl and Prince start the match. Takedown by Pearl and a hammerlock. Prince counters that with a snap mare and sends Pearl into Gibson’s boot. Suplex and a tag to Cross, who enters with an elbow for two. Gibson tags in and misses a charge. Magic hit a wheelbarrow splash and senton for two. Double dropkick sends the Heat to the outside to collect themselves.

Back in, Cross gets a rollup for two, but gets shoved right into a Pearl right hand giving Gibson the upper hand. Snap suplex from Pearl who is now the legal man. Cross gets a side suplex but Gibson comes in with a cheap shot before the Magic can tag. Cross tries a sunset flip, but Pearl gets the tag before the ref can count.

Backbreaker from Pearl gets a two count. Cross manages a shoulderblock to send Pearl outside, but Pearl drags Prince to the floor before the tag can be made. Cross manages an enzuigiri on Gibson and makes the hot tag to Prince. Prince tosses the Heat into each other and gets two on Gibson. Crossbody is caught however and the Heat guillotine Prince on the top rope. Cross gets the tag and the Magic get a rocket launcher for two. Gibson drops Prince on the top rope with a gourdbuster, and the Heat get the Hot Seat for the win.  ***  Bold prediction: The Heat vs FTR is going to be really good. 

Match Six: Semifinal Match – Jaiden vs. Judas Icarus 

Icarus is still hurting from his first match of the night, but still starts quickly with some strikes on Jaiden. Jaiden manages to trip him up and get a kneestrike for two. Sliced bread lands for two. Jaiden gets caught and Icarus gets a gutbuster for two. Icarus chops him down and a kneelift gets two.

Running boot to the chest gets two. Jaiden gets a back elbow and a Code Red for two to turn the tide. They head to the top but neither man can land anything. Icarus manages to drop Jaiden on the top buckle and knees him to the floor. Sitout powerbomb from Icarus gets two. They do a double-goozle spot and Jaiden gets the better of that with a chokeslam. Springboard senton from Jaiden gets two.

Jaiden goes up and avoids Icarus’ attempt to knock him off, landing a strike to the floor. Superhero Splash back in only gets two. Pele kick and Superman punch connect, and a cradle gets two. Big boot from Jaiden and the Plus Ultra Driver gives him the win and a spot in the finals.  ***¼  Another match where they worked at a great pace the entire way through. 

Match Seven: Semifinal Match – Matt Brannigan vs. Travis Williams 

Brannigan tackles Williams right away and they slug it out as the bell rings. To the floor for some brawling. Branning makes like he’s going to do a dive but his knee gives out on him, giving Williams the opportunity to immediately attack it. Matt tries to fight back with some chops, but gets dragonscrewed pretty quickly, letting Williams continue to work on the left leg. Gator roll into a vertical suplex for two.

Williams dives off the middle rope right into a powerbomb from Brannigan. Matt holds on but gets locked into a triangle choke. Brannigan manages to power out of that and hit a Matt-tista Bomb for two. Matt gets a chokeslam for two. O’Connor Roll is reversed into a Dragon Sleeper from Williams. Brannigan slips out and gets a lariat, but Williams gets the Professional Lariat.

Matt quickly fires off Jackhammer out of nowhere for two. Brannigan climbs and goes for a senton bomb but Williams moves out of the way. Travis applies an Octopus hold and transitions that into a mouse trap pin for the victory to move to the finals.  **½  Obviously a much more serious version of Matt Brannigan in this one, and it led to a very solid match. 

Match Eight: Team Guillermo (Guillermo Rosas, Drake Kwon, Kris Brady, Casey Ferreira) vs. Team Cody (Cody Chhun, Drexl, Elliot Tyler, Evan Rivers) 

Ferreira and Tyler begin for their respective teams. Tyler grabs an armbar but Casey reverses out. Ferreira with a hurricanrana and tags in Kwon. Tyler tags in Rosas (after Rivers refused a tag). Chhun also tags in as we get the C4 face off. They battle to a draw in rock/paper/scissors, and then we get a dance off between Brady and Drexl.

Drexl gets his trademark papercuts spot, after which Rivers decides to tag in. Belly to belly on Brady, then a delayed vertical suplex for two. Rivers flips off his own teammates which gives Brady time to flight back and get a whisper in the wind. And now no one will tag Rivers and he’s stuck with a fired up Guillermo Rosas. Powerslam connects, and Team Rosas takes turns clotheslining Rivers in the corner.

Chhun tags in to turn things around and jabs away on Ferreria. Casey gets a falcon arrow however for two. Kwon comes in next to dismantle Chhun and aggressively tags Rosas but Chhun tags in Drexl before C4 can go at it. Drexl with a big boot but gets DDT’d for two. Kwon charges in to bust up Team Chhun. Ferreira with an asai moonsault to the flooron most of Team Chhun. Inside, Rivers gets a moonsault on Brady. Drexl and Rivers have had enough of each other and duke it out, which allows Rosas to come in and get the Guillermo Driver on Drexl for the win.  **¼ 

Main Event: Finals Match – Travis Williams vs. Jaiden 

For the Cascadia Wrestling Cup. They start with some mat wrestling and Travis locks in a bow and arrow. Jaiden escapes and gets an Octopus hold. Williams quickly reverses that to a hammerlock and then to an anklelock. He tries for cattle mutilation but Jaiden makes the ropes before it can be applied. Williams rolls to the floor to get some advice from Judas Icarus at ringside.

Inside Jaden trips up Travis, and again Travis immediately transitions to a leg hold. Back on their feet, Jaiden gets a vertical suplex. Out to the floor they go where Williams is able to gain control and dropkick Jaiden through some chairs. Back inside Williams gets a dragonscrew legwhip.

Travis goes to work on the left knee now and puts on a figure-four. Rope break ends that. Side suplex from Williams gets two. Williams attacks the left arm of Jaiden now as he continues to pick him apart. Triangle choke applied, then a LaBell Lock but another rope break. Corner forearms are next, then a missile dropkick. Jaiden pops right up from that and gets a shining wizard and both are down. Tope suicida to the outside. Catapult to the base of the ring from Jaiden.

Williams is busted open as they head back in the ring. Jaiden works on the left arm of Williams now. They duke it out where Jaiden is the aggressor. Twist of Fate from Jaiden gets two. Irish whip from Jaiden, but Williams bounces back with the Professional Lariat for two. Travis goes for cattle mutilation again and can’t get it, so lands a tiger suplex for two. Now cattle mutilation is on, and Jaiden manages to make the ropes.

To the top rope where Williams gets a Pepsi Plunge for only two. To the top again where Jaiden gets a Spanish Fly for two. Unprettier driver from Jaiden for two. Sliced bread gets two. DDT by Jaiden and he goes up looking for the Superhero Splash and hits it. Jaiden puts a submission hold on, and Icarus teases throwing in the towel on the outside but pulls out the referee instead.

Jaiden fights off Icarus, which allows Williams to grab a tag title belt and clock Jaiden in the face for a two count. Jaiden gets a Code Red out of nowhere for two. Plus Ultra Driver, but Jaiden is slow to cover because of the banged up knee. Icarus comes in again and just straight kicks the referee before he can count. Double belt shot from Sinner & Saint and now C4 runs out to even the odds.

Jaiden is able to recover, as is the referee. He goes for the Plus Ultra Driver again, but Williams reverses for a mouse trap pin that only gets two. Jaiden (also now bleeding) gets the Plus Ultra Driver for a close two count. He grabs a title belt but can’t bring himself to use it. Jaiden uses his mask to choke Williams, but they collide into the referee and Travis gets a low blow. Williams chokes Jaiden with his own mask and puts in cattle mutilation one final time for the win and the Cup.

I liked the pacing of this match a lot, as they went over 30 minutes, starting slow with mat-based moves and then built up to the big spots. The only thing I did not like was the interference, most blatantly Icarus kicking the referee with no repercussions. All that said, a suitably epic conclusion to the tournament with a deserving winner.  ****

Final Thoughts:  A solid night of action to wrap up the second annual Cascadia Wrestling Cup tournament for Prestige. Seeing Travis Williams and Jaiden wrestling 3 times in one night to battle over the Cup was a great way to end things, as they both very much earned that spot.   

Upcoming Prestige Shows: 

Roseland 9 – 9/29/24