Tag: west coast pro wrestling

Xia Li’s first post-WWE match announced

Posted on by Josh Nason

The first official date for former WWE wrestler Xia Li’s in-ring return has been announced as she will compete in this year’s West Coast Pro Queen of Indies show.

The event is set for Saturday, August 17th in San Francisco, California. Other women that have been announced to this point include Amazona, Keyra, Maya World, and the Great Sakuya, daughter of The Great Muta.

Now going by Xia Lee, the 35-year-old will see action for the first time since an April 2024 loss on WWE Main Event. She was released that some month along with others like Jinder Mahal, Xyon Quinn, Veer and Sanga.

Last month, Kitsune Women’s Wrestling announced she would be part of an upcoming show but has yet to provide the actual date of that show.

Li had been in the WWE system since January 2017 after a tryout in Shanghai, China, and made her in-ring debut in July of that same year in the Mae Young Classic. She spent several years in NXT before getting the call-up to the main roster in the summer of 2021 after being drafted to SmackDown.

While she competed for a title, she never held gold in either WWE or NXT.

Chris Hero makes in-ring return at West Coast Pro Whiplash

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Chris Hero made his return to pro wrestling at West Coast Pro.

At WCP’s Whiplash event on Friday, Hero wrestled for the first time in over three years, wrestling Timothy Thatcher in the main event. He won the match via submission after applying a Fujiwara armbar.

After the match, Hero’s fiance Rachael Ellering came to the ring and the two hugged. Hero said that after defeating Thatcher, he felt like it was a great way to end his story, and can’t think of a better way to end his story than in West Coast Pro Wrestling. He then proceeded to take off his wrestling boots. He then said he was kidding, as he wanted people to see ‘West Coast’ labeling on his boots.

He then said as a matchmaker, he was going to make a match. He called out Kevin Blackwood, calling him an “a**hole”. He challenged Blackwood and Titus Alexander to a tag team match at WCP’s next event on December 3, with Hero’s tag team partner being NJPW star KENTA.

Hero has largely remained behind the scenes in pro wrestling since being released by WWE in 2020 as part of cuts due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chris Hero to make in-ring return for West Coast Pro

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Chris Hero is returning to the ring.

During Saturday night’s West Coast Pro Wrestling event, Hero made the save after Timothy Thatcher continued to attack JT Thorne after their match. Thatcher initially left the ring, but then attacked Hero from behind. Hero recovered and told Thatcher that if he wanted to take advantage of someone, he’d give him something to take advantage of. He asked Thatcher what he’d be doing November 17, which is the date of West Coast Pro’s Whiplash event. He told Thatcher he wasn’t going to get matchmaker Chris Hero, he was going to get the knockout artist.

Since being released by WWE in 2020, Hero has worked behind the scenes in pro wrestling and hasn’t wrestled. His last match was back in March of 2020, participating in a battle royal in NXT UK. It was reported back in July that Hero had been hired by AEW as a producer.

In the main event of Saturday’s West Coast Pro show, Starboy Charlie defeated Titus Alexander to win the West Coast Pro title. Kenta Kobashi also appeared on the show.

Chris Hero named matchmaker for West Coast Pro Wrestling

Posted on by Ian Carey

Chris Hero has a new role in wrestling. 

The 43-year-old was at a West Coast Pro Wrestling event on Saturday night from the United Irish Cultural Center in San Francisco and announced he was the promotion’s new matchmaker. 

Hero has not wrestled since a set of NXT UK tapings from West Midlands, England on March 6 & 7, 2020. He was one of many names released from WWE the following month. 

During his in-ring career from 1998-2020, Hero won the PWG World title, IWA Mid-South Heavyweight title, EVOLVE Championship, wXw World Championship, and the CZW Championship. His Kings of Wrestling tag team with Claudio Castagnoli won titles in ROH, Chikara, CZW and was voted Tag Team of the Year in the 2010 Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards. 

West Coast Pro has been running events in California since 2018. Titus Alexander is the promotion’s current champion. Past champions include Alex Hammerstone, AJ Gray, and Jacob Fatu. Masha Slamovich defeated Sandra Moore last night in the finals of a tournament to determine the company’s inaugural women’s champion. 

West Coast Pro shows are available to stream on IndependentWrestling.TV.

Minoru Suzuki set for indie match against Daniel Garcia

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Minoru Suzuki’s trip to the United States this fall will include a match against Daniel Garcia.

West Coast Pro Wrestling has announced that Suzuki vs. Garcia will take place at their “No Leaf Clover” event on Friday, October 8. The show is being held at The State Room in South San Francisco, California and will air live on IndependentWrestling.TV.

No Leaf Clover is West Coast Pro Wrestling’s third anniversary show.

Garcia was in the main event of last Friday’s Rampage at the United Center in Chicago, losing to Jon Moxley.

It was also announced over the weekend that Suzuki is coming to PWX for their show at Cabarrus Arena in Concord, North Carolina on Saturday, October 2. The show is titled “All Hail the King.” Suzuki will face Anthony Henry (formerly known as Asher Hale in WWE).

Suzuki will be in the U.S. for NJPW’s television tapings at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas on Saturday, September 25 and Sunday, September 26. The tapings are for NJPW Strong. Suzuki has also been announced for four Game Changer Wrestling shows, with two taking place in September and two taking place in October.