It appears that in the aftermath of Goldrush 4, the landscape in Explosive Pro Wrestling has changed indelibly. In the absence of Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste and Bobby Marshall, EPW management challenged the ‘Next Generation’ to step up to the plate. They didn’t just step up. They smashed it out of the park.

ALEX KINGSTON
Most people predicted that the ‘Innovator of Radness’ would be destroyed by Tyler Jacobs without much of a fight. But Kingston proved once and for all that he is not just a tag team wrestler. Without his mentor, Shane Haste, by his side, Alex took it to ‘Shotgun’, refusing to take a backwards step. Although he didn’t win, Kingston showed that he can swim with the sharks in the singles division in Explosive Pro Wrestling.

SEBASTIAN SANDER
After years of hearing about ‘unfulfilled promise’, the captain of Team All Star led his group to the ultimate team prize. The EPW tag team titles. While it did seem that Chris Vice and Jonathon Wimbledon had underestimated their opponents, the All Stars looked fantastic and had little trouble dealing with a team that had been champions since the middle of last year. Sander is on a roll and I think both Tyler Jacobs and Davis Storm would be thanking their lucky stars that Sander must now focus on the tag team division.

AZ VEGARA
The #1 contender came to Goldrush and did what he does best. Win when noone expects him to. He managed to overcome the best young talent and the greatest EPW champion of all time to walk away with a shot at the gold at MIDDAY MAYHEM. Not only did AZ win the shot at Davis Storm, he fired the first shot by taking down the champion at the end of the show. There was no mistaking that AZ was playing mindgames when he held the gold up high while placing his foot across the chest of the fallen champion. He will be hoping that scene will be repeated at the end of April 10th.

MARCIUS PITT
There can be no doubting what great championship qualities Davis Storm possesses. At Goldrush, he did what all great champions do. He walked away with the gold. But the real winner was Marcius Pitt. In his first shot at the gold, the ‘Golden Greek’ showed no nerves, no fear and he refused to take a backwards step. He pummeled the champion all over the Vasto Club and if this bout had gone to a judge’s decision, Pitt would be wearing the EPW championship today. He manhandled the champion at times who had no answer to the aggression and power of the larger challenger. Pitt was fuming after the match that he let such a huge opportunity slip away but he will be gunning for another shot at the ‘Ironman’ in the near future. He believes he is a ‘champion in waiting’ and based on his performance at Goldrush, it will be hard to stop this freight train.

The ‘Next Generation’ at Explosive Pro Wrestling have arrived. But one thing we have learned about the Old School names at EPW is that they do not lay down without a fight. This year just got extremely interesting..