A live professional wrestling event

KCXW has started hosting smaller shows between their four major events each year, uploading them to Patreon as part of a new digital series called Checkpoint. For example, the presumed schedule would be as such:

• Jan – KCXW Destiny
• Feb – KCXW Checkpoint special
• April – KCXW Unleashed
• Late May? – presumed KCXW Checkpoint special
• July – KCXW Xtreme Freedom
• Late August? presumed KCXW Checkpoint special
• October – KCXW Excellence
• Late November? – KCXW Checkpoint special

This is all speculation on my part, so don’t hold this as any sort of schedule or calendar on their part.

Initially, these shows were filmed similarly to KCXW Showcase, an older YouTube series focused on giving trainees an opportunity to develop their skills in front of a small crowd. The first two episodes, Checkpoint: Genesis and Checkpoint: Xtreme Fate, followed this format. However, for this third installment, KCXW made a change – opening the event to a larger audience, allowing the public to experience live wrestling inside the hallowed halls of the Xtreme Wrestling Center in Raytown, Missouri. I, for one, love this idea for several reasons. Not only do I enjoy watching the next generation of local wrestling stars grow and improve over time, but the early afternoon scheduling also made it perfect for bringing my son along while still making it home in time for dinner.

In this review, I’ll be breaking down every match from the show, as always, discussing what went down and the potential fallout leading into KCXW’s huge April event. Winter Blast had the potential to shake things up in a big way, so stay tuned for all the twists and turns. Beyond the matches, the show also featured some major promos that set the stage for future battles. Tobias Storm addressed the crowd following his nightmarish fireball attack, Shooter Shylynn called out the so-called “KCXW Women’s Champion” Lady Pride, and Talon Graves spoke about his high-stakes main event for the KCXW Kansas City Championship at Unleashed.

For More about KCXW, check out their Facebook Page HERE, Their YouTube HERE. KCXW is also on Cagematch, HERE. If you are a fan, make sure to drop likes, and reviews, or join their social media pages!

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The Card:

Kansas City Xtreme Wrestling – Checkpoint Winter Blast

Feb 16, 2025 – The Xtreme Wrestling Center – Raytown, MO

Taping for a future Patreon Special

• Singles Match – “The Diamond” Marco Hendrixxx defeated “The Raging Bull” El Toro by pinfall
• Singles Match – “The New Age Enigma” Sykawtic Defeated Trey Lind by pinfall
• Singles Match – Rad Rico Estevez defeated Caden by pinfall
• Metro Championship Match – “Big Brudda” Clay Huna defeated “The Iron Pitbull” Kenny Kingston by DQ
• Triple Threat Match – “The King of Xtreme” David Cattin (w/ Lady Pride and “The Chain Wrestler” Jude Vice) defeated Charlie Graham (w/ “All Slay” Angel Shay) and Old Glory (w/ “The Natural” Atlas Armstrong) by pinfall 
• Singles Match – “The Polish Powerhouse” Gerard Jaworski defeated “Wrestling’s Finest” Blaire Dior by pinfall
• Tag Team Match  – Talon Graves and “Hard Luck” Hal Rogers defeated “The Aztec Demon from the year 3000” El Diablo and Tobias Storm by pinfall

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DISCLAIMER:

I make it a point to cover most, if not all, of the matches and provide reports on what happened, along with any significance they may have to ongoing feuds. You might think some of my opinions are dumb, or the way I review things is dumb, and that’s OK! Diversity in preferences is what makes wrestling so great. I strive to maintain a positive outlook because there’s already enough negativity in the wrestling community (in my view), and we can all contribute to making it better. However, it doesn’t mean I won’t offer opinions or criticisms when warranted. Let’s cut the B.S. and, as the old saying goes, “Just enjoy Wrestling!”

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My Thoughts:

The show kicked off with a solid opening bout between “The Raging Bull” El Toro and “The Diamond” Marco Hendrixxx. While both men are still relatively early in their wrestling journeys, Hendrixxx holds a slight experience advantage over El Toro, who has quickly become one of KCXW’s fastest-rising lucha stars. In time, he could even surpass his mentor, El Diablo, as one of the top high-flyers in the region. From the outset, Hendrixxx made it clear he wasn’t impressed with the love and admiration the masked El Toro was receiving from the crowd. Determined to prove he was more deserving, Hendrixxx focused on keeping El Toro grounded, cutting off his access to the turnbuckles to prevent him from unleashing the high-flying offense he’s known for. Instead, he trapped El Toro in the corner, tying him up in the ropes and delivering a relentless onslaught.

However, Hendrixxx made a crucial misstep when he attempted a big boot, only to find himself straddled over the ropes, an opening El Toro capitalized on to shift the momentum in his favor. Finally breaking free, El Toro delivered some turnbuckle retribution of his own, leading to a seemingly flawless second-rope splash. But just as it looked like he had the match in hand, Hendrixxx caught him mid-air and countered with a brutal slam into the mat.

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Next up was a matchup between Trey Lind and “The New Age Enigma” Sykawtic, who made his entrance to an onslaught of ear-melting static, likely a mind game to throw his opponent off balance. Often referred to as “Captain Chaos,” Sykawtic certainly lives up to the name. Early on, Trey Lind seemed confident, openly mocking Sykawtic’s one good arm and assuming an easy victory. The problem? If anything, Sykawtic’s lack of an arm somehow makes him even more unpredictable. His unorthodox offense thrives on catching opponents off guard, and despite Trey’s clear size advantage, Sykawtic hung in there, peppering Lind with a barrage of sharp kicks. Each time Trey retaliated with massive turnbuckle chops and crushing clotheslines, Sykawtic found a way to get back up – again and again.

Frustration started to creep in for Lind, who resorted to a familiar tactic: unraveling his wrist tape, a trick he’s used before to choke opponents with the dangling strands. At this point, the match was his to lose, but every time Sykawtic rose to his feet, it chipped away at Lind’s composure. Eventually, his growing frustration became his undoing. Seizing the moment, Sykawtic unleashed a rapid-fire flurry of kicks, followed by his signature flying inverted leg drop bulldog and a Sliced Bread finisher. With Lind knocked out cold, Sykawtic secured a quick pinfall victory. For Trey Lind, a major win in KCXW remains elusive. If he wants to turn things around, he’ll need to drop the shortcuts and step into his next match with a sharper focus and a better attitude.

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Another rather ill-mannered competitor was XWC’s Caden, who stormed to the ring with a scowl, immediately jawing at the fans. He was the complete opposite of his opponent, “Rad” Rico Estevez, who strutted in clutching his “too hip and too fresh” boombox, jamming out as he made his way to the ring. True to his persona, Rad Rico danced his way through the match, even incorporating his rhythm into his offense – nailing an early breakdance elbow drop.

Caden, on the other hand, had no time for flash. He bulldozed through the match, opting for brute force over finesse. He choked Estevez on the ropes, landed big slams, and took every shortcut he could, from eye pokes to pushing the rules as far as possible. Rad Rico fed off the energy of the crowd, rallying back with an electrifying burst of offense. With momentum fully on his side, he sealed the deal with a “Worm” ripcord flatliner, securing the victory in style.

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This match-up showcased two vastly different trajectories coming out of KCXW Destiny. On one side, you had “The Iron Pitbull” Kenny Kingston, who entered this show seething after his championship loss to Tobias Storm. On the other, “The Big Brudda” Clay Huna came in riding high after his victory over El Diablo – though many would argue that win was tainted, given that “Hard Luck” Hal Rogers blindsided El Diablo, allowing Huna to capitalize.

The biggest challenge here was Kingston’s sheer size advantage. Weighing in at a staggering 340+ pounds, easily double Huna’s weight, he made full use of his power, pummeling Huna with brutal clubbing blows and tying him up in the ropes whenever possible. Huna managed a second wind at one point, firing off a flurry of strikes, including corner hip attacks and a jawbreaker. But just as quickly as his offense started, Kingston shut it down. He shoved Huna to the mat, choking him out and ignoring the referee’s count, Which quickly earned him a disqualification.

Kingston was furious that he lost, and overcome with rage, he dragged a table into the ring and splashed Huna through it, ignoring the referee’s calls to stop. The bell rang furiously in an attempt to contain the chaos, but the damage was done. If The Iron Pitbull was trying to make a statement, he absolutely did, leaving the crowd in stunned silence as he stormed backstage.

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Next up was a rather unconventional match as “The King of Xtreme” David Cattin, flanked by his Xtremist stablemates Lady Pride and “The Chainwrestler” Jude Vice, took on Old Glory, accompanied by “The Natural” Atlas Armstrong, and Charlie Graham, accompanied by “All Slay” Angel Shay, in a triple-threat showdown. Despite the presence of four additional people outside the ring, the referee explicitly stated that this was not a lumberjack match – any outside interference would result in an immediate disqualification. Of course, that’s easier said than done when dealing with The Xtremists, who always seem to find a way to bend (or outright break) the rules when things aren’t going their way.

For a good portion of the match, Charlie Graham and Old Glory essentially functioned as a tag team, working together to keep Cattin at bay. However, once they managed to toss Cattin out of the ring, their temporary alliance quickly dissolved, and they turned their attention to each other. That was all Cattin needed for a big comeback as, like a snake, he slithered back into the ring and capitalized on the opening. Old Glory tried to fight back, but all it took was a bit of subterfuge to end the match. Like clockwork, Jude Vice eventually dropped his chain in the ring and caused an obnoxious scene to distract the referee. That brief moment of chaos allowed Cattin to take full advantage, laying out Graham and stealing the win. Classic Xtremist tactics at play once again.

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When we last saw “The Polish Powerhouse” Gerard Jaworski, he utterly decimated El Toro at Destiny, proving that his return from injury was anything but a setback. This time, he squared off against “Wrestling’s Finest” Blaire Dior, who has seemed directionless ever since the collapse of The Main Attractions as a headlining stable in KCXW. Unfortunately for Dior, that trend continued here.

While Jaworski may not have unleashed the same overwhelming intensity as in his last outing, he still dominated the match. Dior managed to get some offense in, but it only took a capture suplex and a gnarly Polish double axe handle to put him down for good. The crowd still seems unsure how to react to this new, bloodthirsty side of Jaworski—some aren’t sure whether to cheer for his ruthless dominance or be wary of the way he’s stacking opponents like lumber at every show.

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Finally, it was time for the main event – a showdown shaped by the fallout of two major injustices from Destiny. On one side, El Diablo sought vengeance for the loss of his KC Metro Championship, a loss tainted by the interference of “Hard Luck” Hal Rogers. On the other, a battered and scarred Tobias Storm, the reigning Kansas City Champion, was out for retribution following the grisly fireball attack he suffered at the hands of Talon Graves to close out Destiny. Our villains didn’t even wait for the bell to lay into Storm and Diablo, and it was from there that the tide of the match was largely one of defense for both men. While El Diablo and Storm seemed to be on the same page, El Diablo, ever the valiant warrior, took it upon himself to shoulder the brunt of the match, seemingly trying to protect the injured Storm. However, this noble effort came at a steep cost, as he endured a brutal beatdown for much of the first half of the bout.

I can’t say the same about the team of Rogers and Talon, however, as neither man seemed eager to tag the other in. Instead, they spent much of the match barking orders and bickering, clearly struggling to function as a cohesive unit. Eventually, Storm managed to tag in and clean house, shifting the momentum in his team’s favor. But just as things were looking up, he got distracted by the brawl between Rogers and Diablo outside the ring – giving Talon the perfect opening to land a devastating low blow. If Talon is willing to resort to these kinds of tactics to cement his vision for a new era of Kansas City wrestling, I shudder to think what he has planned for next month at Unleashed.

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Conclusion:

Despite some technical issues with the show’s PA system, this was a great way to spend the afternoon and a very affordable way to experience some solid professional wrestling action. The show had all the trappings of a “normal show” including concessions and merch, and one could see a great mix of familiar long-term KCXW fans and some new faces in attendance. As long as it’s on a day I am available, I plan to attend these when I can, and see how much they grow!

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Next Up:

Please head on over to their website and buy your tickets NOW!

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