Airing live on Amazon Prime, 22nd January 2025 – NWA:WCCW Presents: The Birthday Bash @ Utilita Arena, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England
-Pyro goes off and we are welcomed to the seventh episode of World Class Championship Wrestling by our commentary team, Ian Riccaboni & Nigel McGuinness. They say it is a birthday celebration episode and introduce the General Manager, Teddy Long.
Teddy Long promo – Teddy welcomes us to a special episode of WCCW, because it is someone’s birthday. It is my birthday (the President of the NWA). He invites me out into the ring and begins to lead the crowd to a happy birthday chant but he is told to shut up by Taz.
He storms out and he is livid. He explains that Bron Steiner isn’t here tonight for his match with CM Punk. The details for the private flight that they had arranged for him to travel to the UK were incorrect and Bron is stuck in LA. Teddy informs him that no one arranged private flights for Bron, everyone travelled here the same way.
Taz calls this a conspiracy and leaves. CM Punk comes out, as much as he’d love to accept a bye into the semi-finals, he wants to give the Newcastle crowd a match tonight and he wants a new opponent. Teddy says he won’t have just 1, he will have 2.
Both Chad Gable & Ilja Dragunov deserve another opportunity after their time-limit draw. Tonight’s main event will be Punk vs Gable vs Dragunov, the winner will face MJF in the semi-finals.
-Tyler Breeze and Dom Mysterio cross paths backstage and get into an argument. Oba Femi tells them both to calm down and save it for next week, because they will all be in a Triple Threat at Into The Fire. Femi leaves. Breeze says he has beaten him before and he can do it again. Mysterio looks visibly nervous.
MJF vs LA Knight, NWA World Title Tournament Quarter-Final
LA Knight takes the early advantage and plays up to the crowd as he works MJF over. MJF uses dirty tactics like eye pokes and biting to take control of the match. MJF targets the arm and shoulder, setting up for the Salt of the Earth armbar but he is never able to lock it in.
Knight finally fights back, he hits his signature Superplex for a near fall, as well as the Superstar Elbow. He goes for the BFT, but he gets distracted by someone shouting over at him at ringside. It is Christian Cage. He trash talks LA Knight and they get into an argument.
As Knight reenters the ring, MJF hits him with the Heat-Seeking Missile for the win after 18 minutes. Christian Cage mocks Knight, but LA still has some fight in him and he chases Christian backstage.
MJF promo – MJF says 2 down, 2 to go. There is nothing that can stop him. He will take down Jeff Cobb and he doesn’t care who he faces in the finals. He actually hopes it will be Walter since everyone thinks he is so great. MJF will make him look like a jobber.
After Danielson wears down Walter next week, he will finish the job and slay the giant. Danielson comes out and warns MJF that he should be worried, Walter might be the most dangerous opponent he will face.
He is risking his own health for this match but in honour of Pillman Jr & Sting, Danielson wants to teach a lesson. MJF promises to say goodbye to Birdie & Buddy for him (his kids). Danielson pretends to leave, then he kicks MJF and locks him in the Lebell lock until he cries.
-Knight hunts down Christian, who manages to get into his car and drive away without a scratch on him.
-Chelsea Green & Piper Niven discuss tactics for the gauntlet next week. AJ Lee walks by and Green grabs her by the arm. She tells AJ that she isn’t special. She didn’t revolutionise anything and she definitely isn’t special for being “Phil’s little play thing”. Her return will not be a happy one and Green promises to be the one to eliminate her. AJ just laughs and smiles, saying okay before skipping away.
Wade Barrett promo – Wade Barrett comes out. He would prefer to be in his lovely hometown Manchester, but Newcastle will have to do it. Barrett says he hasn’t wrestled in a long time, he hasn’t been at a wrestling show in the North of England for an even longer time. He wants both of those things to change tonight.
Barrett slowly takes off his suit to reveal ring gear. For a special one night only, he is willing to step into the ring if there is anyone back there who fancies a scrap. No one answers. Barrett tries to sweeten the deal and he is willing to make it an anything goes match.
“Let’s call it a Tyneside Tussle!” Matt Cardona comes out and says he has a history of hardcore matches. He accepts the challenge but warns Barrett that he may regret his decision to ever step back in the ring.
Wade Barrett vs Matt Cardona, Tyneside Tussle (No Holds Barred)
The match turns into a brawl immediately and it spills out of the ring. They take the fight into the crowd and brawl through up to the bar areas. They start bashing each other with glass bottles and make their way back to the ring.
They go back and forth, fighting and putting each other through intense pain. Barrett hits Wastelands on Cardona through a table. Cardona takes a kendo stick to Barrett’s back until it bleeds. Eventually, Cardona has Barrett set up for the finish.
He tries to hit a Rough Ryder threw a trash can, but Barrett reverses with his Bull Hammer elbow finisher. Barrett catches him and lifts him up for one last Wastelands through the trash can and pins to win after 16 minutes.
-Miro returns home to Bulgaria, he spends some quality time with his family he hasn’t seen before. However, he still feels empty inside. He has lost a lot in life, but he always makes it through thanks to the power of God and his faith. He feels void of faith and he does not know what to do.
Athena promo – Athena is interviewed in the ring by Samantha Irvin, Billie Starkz by her side. Athena lays out the plan that her and Starkz will clear out the other women until it is just them 2 left, then it will be who is the better woman winning, which will probably be her.
She says Starkz is a great wrestler and student, but she couldn’t defeat her. Starkz agrees, but one day she will be able to and until then she will work her best. Mercedes Mone walks out holding a briefcase, over the top entrance as usual, she is bored of this fake friendship she keeps having to watch.
She tells Starkz that Athena has nothing left to offer her, she is just keeping her down so that she has better chances of remaining on top. Mone says Starkz can change her career right now. Mone opens the briefcase and offers her $500,000 to become an associate of hers.
She will train her further and make a champion out of her. Starkz slaps Mercedes, so she clocks her with the briefcase. Athena goes for Mercedes but she gets hit with the briefcase too. Mone’s gloating doesn’t last long, here comes Jordynne Grace with a Juggernaut Driver. Mercedes escapes though and rolls away, Grace stands tall.
FTR vs The Acclaimed
The Acclaimed make their entrance and Max Caster has a rap for us; “I hate Newcastle, I’m not being funny, your football teams’ funded by blood money. Geordie’s are disgusting, y’all act rashly, you should try to be more like Mike Ashley.
Dax you’re a troll go easy on the clicks, Cash keep calm and stay away from the blicks. Your egos’ too big we can’t share the same room, you’re Demolition and we’re Legion of Doom.” The Acclaimed give FTR a good run for their money, this tag match goes longer than people expect as FTR cannot keep them down for the 3. Eventually, after 20 minutes, FTR keep Anthony Bowens down with a spiked assisted piledriver to win. FTR have 3 wins in the World Tag League, they’re on top with 6 points.
-Jordynne Grace is interviewed by Charly Caruso. She says that earlier on was just a taste of what they will see next week. Kamille walks by and wishes Grace luck, she is excited for their inevitable encounter.
CM Punk vs Chad Gable vs Ilja Dragunov, NWA World Title Tournament Quarter-Final
These 3 men struggle for control early on. Punk uses his experience to keep up with the younger, more athletic opponents. Dragunov is intense and takes the early lead. He and Gable have a mini-match with call backs to their first match together. Gable targets both men with the ankle lock throughout.
After about 14 minutes, Punk hits Dragunov with a GTS but the pin is broken up by Gable. Punk and Gable go back and forth, Punk kicking out of an Olympic slam. Gable powers back into the match and has suplexes galore for his opponents. Dragunov feeds off the pain to fire back and gets near falls from Torpedo Moscow’s and H-Bomb’s.
The finish comes when Punk hits another GTS on Dragunov, he has him beat but he is pulled out of the ring during his pin attempt. Not by Gable, but by Taz. Punk gets into an argument with Taz on the outside. Taz says Punk is to blame for Bron not being here but Punk is adamant he has no involvement. The distraction allows Gable to hit Dragunov with a deadlift German suplex, bridging into a pin and winning the match at the 18 minute mark.
-The show ends with a promotional trailer for next week’s NWA Power: Into The Fire and it runs down the card. The 11-woman gauntlet eliminator, War Machine vs Grizzled Young Veterans, Oba Femi vs Dominik Mysterio vs Tyler Breeze, Authors of Pain vs The Creed Brothers, Mercedes Mone vs Jordynne Grace, A Special Announcement from Teddy Long & Walter vs Bryan Danielson.