BANKIE'S HOT TAKE #53 - Quay vs Bush: Heart vs Soul for AXW Championship
It is now official.
Sadly, the Historic Hamburg Field House in Hamburg, PA will no longer host any live events after December 31, 2023.
This venue has held classic wrestling events as early as the 1950s with the Capitol Wrestling Corporation. Three generations of McMahon promoters (Jess, Vincent J., and Vincent K.) have called the Field House home for over four decades. The legendary Savoldi family have held countless cards there. Tod Gordon and Paul Heyman gave Hamburg a dose of extreme in the mid-1990s. Countless Pennsylvania independents have run this venue as well.
But over the past several years, the Hamburg Field House has been the base for American X Wrestling. Whether it be under Outbreak Wrestling or the rebirth of AXW in January 2023, this promotion has made this legendary building HOME.
With now two dates left set in 2023, AXW intends to make its final impact for the legacy of professional wrestling inside the Field House.
It will get no bigger than November 11, 2023.
UNITED WE SLAM 2023 will host the most important match held in the Hamburg Field House in almost thirty years.
It will be the Heart vs the Soul of American X Wrestling, as AXW champion EN Bush defends his gold against the #1 contender, “the American Hammer” Matt Quay!
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This match has been built for a full calendar year, but the rivalry between Quay and Bush is deeper than AXW.
Both men have broken into wrestling in similar paths. Bush and Quay trained at the Mest Brothers Dungeon in Blandon, PA. The two have, at the same time, found themselves performing for countless independent promotions together. They’ve teamed up and have fought one another. Before November 2022, there was always a bit of professional jealousy over who was better, but a mutual respect was always there.
Until November 12, 2022.
In the main event of UNITED WE SLAM 2022, Bush successfully retained the (then) Outbreak Wrestling Heavyweight championship against Quay, due to interference from Bush’s new ally Tommy Vecs and other shady tactics from the champion. Quay swore revenge and made his intentions known that he would not rest until he became champion.
Then came January 7, 2023.
At the first event of the rebirth of AXW, aptly named FOR THE PEOPLE, Quay and Bush were locked into a best 2-out-of-3 falls match for the now AXW championship.
Tied 1-1 going into the third fall, Quay had all the momentum. Just as he was about to drop the hammer down and become the new top dog of AXW, fate intervened in the form of “the King’s Road Slayer”.
Derek Neal pushed Bush out of the way and went to attack “the American Hammer”. Unbelievably, the referee disqualified Quay and Bush retained his championship.
After the sheer injustice, Quay went to AXW management for a rematch. However, Bush, alongside his evil cohorts Vecs and Mary Elizabeth, REFUSED, stating that Quay had his shot, lost, and now had to go to the back of the line.
Throughout the year, both men went on different paths. Bush successfully defended his championship, albeit by shady tactics, against TJ Boss, Andy Header, NXT alumnus Martin Stone, and WWE legend Scotty 2 Hotty.
Quay, after getting a small measure of revenge against Vecs in April as a part of a six-man tag, “the American Hammer” went on an excursion overseas to Germany to refocus and further dedicate himself to his craft.
Coming back to AXW in September, Quay seemed like a new man. During BATTLEFIELD X on September 16, he entered the rumble as the 20th entrant. With the winner to become the #1 contender to the AXW championship, he seemed like a man with tunnel vision.
Quay made it to the final two participants; the other being “Hybrid” Sean Carr. “The American Hammer” had a lot of positive momentum going. It seemed like destiny was on the horizon.
And EN Bush knew it.
Almost on cue, Bush, Vecs, and Mary Elizabeth hit the ringside area, trying to distract Quay. And it almost worked.
Carr took full advantage and laid out Quay. Just as “Hybrid” was about to fly off the top and flatten Quay before dumping his carcass over the top rope, TJ Boss stood at the entranceway and kept the vile crew at bay.
Carr missed his moonsault, Quay dropped the hammer down, and then clotheslined Carr over the top to be the last man standing in BATTLEFIELD X.
EN Bush looked horrified.
Matt Quay looked relieved.
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The match is locked in. One year in the making. The biggest match to be held in the Historic Hamburg Field House in almost thirty years.
The Heart of AXW vs AXW’s Soul. Can EN Bush finish out the final cards held at the Historic Hamburg Field House as AXW champion? Or will Matt Quay finally achieve his dream to become THE MAN in American X Wrestling?
I’m never the type of guy who likes to overhype, but this is a match you shouldn’t miss.
UNITED WE SLAM 2023 tickets are on sale at http://AXWTix.com.
BE THERE! #BANKONIT
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