The World X Cup

[D-Dogg]

Once again TNA will play host to the World X Cup with Teams made up from four wrestlers from four different countries. The countires who will take part are U.S, U.K, Japan and Mexico and it is also quite possible that Team Canada will be added. The rumoured teams at the moment are at follows:


Team U.S
Jay Lethal, Chris Sabin, ? and ?


Team U.K
Doug Williams, Nigel McGuinness, Jonny Storm and Jody Fleisch


Team Japan
Jushin Liger, Black Tiger, Gedo and Minoru Tanaka


Team Mexico
Mistico, Ultimo Guerrero, Ultimo Dragon, Rey Bucanero


Team Canada
Petey Williams, Bobby Roode, Eric Young and A1

To me that sounds like four very good teams. I'm not exactly sure how the World X Cup works but even so it sounds interesting, i look forward to seeing Williams working in TNA. No date has been announced for the event although i expect it to be sometime after TNA goes Primetime so tey can showcase their International connections to the new fans they will hope to bring in.

This thread will be the official thread for the World X Cup so all updates will be posted in here and feel free to discuss the Event as it promises to be an interesting compitition there's no doubt about that. Also anyone who knows what the World X Cup actually consists of it would help if you could enlighten me and all the members of WP. So what are your thoughts on this years World X Cup and the talent announced for it?

[D-Dogg]

There's an update on the teams for the World X Cup, a few changes has been made and the Mexico Team has been announced.

Credit to TNAWrestlingNews.com


The following are the planned World X Cup teams:

Team UK - Doug Williams, Nigel McGuiness, Jody Fleisch, Jonny Storm

Team Japan - Jushin Liger, Black Tiger, Gedo, Minoru Tanaka

Team Mexico - Mistico, Ultimo Guerrero, Ultimo Dragon, Rey Bucanero

[12]

Ultimo Dragon is Japanese isn't he?

They should've stuck with Puma.

[Peoples King]

Team Canada looks kind of dodgy in the way that you wouldnt exactly associate Roode and A1 in the X Cup bracket. Im none too familuar with it myself but I always got the impression it was X Division orientated. Team UK is a little so-so. Im not a big fan Fleisch from what I have seen of him. Everytime I see him I just think spot monkey. Doug Williams is an outstanding compeditor though and I'd be interested in seeing him working with Petey Williams, Liger and Sabin. Should be good, it does promote TNA as a real alternative to the WWE. Personally I'd have wished them to make some effort to try and get Lance Storm to sign on just for Team Canada and the X Cup.

[D-Dogg]

Well Bill Banks of TNA recently wrote an article looking at the World X Cup and how it originated, here it is:

Credit to TNAWrestling.com


A LOOK AHEAD TO THE WORLD X CUP TOURNAMENT
The story behind the huge international event coming to TNA Wrestling
By Bill Banks

In recent weeks, fans who have tuned into iMPACT!” have been hearing about the upcoming World X Cup tournament, an international invitational last held in 2004 in TNA Wrestling. For new fans of TNA who never witnessed the 2004 event, many may wonder just what all of the buzz is about. Longtime fans that had the opportunity to see the World X Cup still talk about the tremendous international action featured over those months.

In January 2004, TNA management decided to give TNA’s high-flying and daredevil X Division some international flavor. TNA was built on the action of the X style, but there were so many X class athletes battling all around the world that TNA invited them to the United States as part of an international tournament to compete against each other.

The first event was held on February 11, 2004 on Pay-Per-View, the first of three “America’s X Cup” tournaments held prior to the World X Cup that summer. That night, Team NWA (represented by Chris Sabin, Sonjay Dutt, Elix Skipper and Jerry Lynn) took on Team Mexico from the AAA promotion consisting of Juventud Guerrera, Hector Garza, Mr. Aguila and Abismo Negro.

The tournament featured singles bouts, tag team bouts and a final team-on-team bout to determine the winners of the America’s X Cup. Like all the subsequent X Cup tournaments, standings were based on points awarded for wins.

In the first America’s X Cup, Team Mexico came out strong and dominated throughout, winning the final point standings to become the first champions of the America’s X Cup. Team NWA needed to regroup and refocus their efforts, but based on the overwhelming success of the first event TNA management invited Team Mexico to return the following month to defend the cup.

On March 10, 2004, on Pay-Per-View, the second America’s X Cup tournament was held, this time featuring Team Mexico defending against Team Canada, consisting of Petey Williams, Johnny Devine, Teddy Hart and Jack Evans. Again, Team Mexico dominated the event – remaining the reigning X Cup champions. The loss angered Team Canada coach Scott D’Amore so much that he vowed to reform an even stronger Team Canada with the additions of Bobby Roode and Eric Young, giving way to the current Team Canada we know today.

The third America’s X Cup tournament was held on April 7, 2004 on Pay-Per-View with Team Mexico defending against Team United Kingdom, consisting of England’s Dean Allmark, Robbie Dynamite, Frankie Sloan and James Mason. Even though Juventud Guerrera was replaced by Hector Garza as captain (with AAA’s Heavy Metal joining the team), Team Mexico continued their domination of the America’s X Cup, claiming their third event. By this point, there was no stopping Team Mexico.

Two months later, TNA Wrestling announced the first-ever World X Cup, the evolution of the America’s X Cup events. This time, four international teams would take part – Team Mexico as the defending champions, with Team NWA (Lynn, Skipper, Sabin and new member The Fallen Angel), Team Canada (Williams, Roode, Young and Devine) and Team Japan (Mitsu Hirai, Taichi Ishikari, Hirai Nobukazu and Misawa)

The one-night international spectacular was held on May 26, 2004 on Pay-Per-View. The tournament matches and format were changed up from the previous America’s X Cup events, as a Gauntlet Match was added along with an Ultimate X Match for the finals. Once again, points were awarded for wins to determine standings, which would prove important as Mexico, Canada and the NWA teams were all neck-and-neck heading into the final Ultimate X showdown.

After losing the first America’s X Cup event, Team NWA captain Jerry Lynn vowed to bring the World X Cup home to TNA. In the final Ultimate X Match, Lynn made the smart decision of picking Ultimate X veteran Chris Sabin to compete in the bout against Mexico’s Hector Garza and Canada’s Petey Williams. The decision paid off big time for Lynn, as Sabin won the bout and gave Team NWA the win in the World X Cup and ending Team Mexico’s dominance.

It’s been two years since the World X Cup dominated headlines in TNA Wrestling. Still, fans have continued to email us and post messages on our website asking for a return of the international event. Last month, TNA management decided to grant their wishes – announcing the return of the World X Cup.

Although the exact date of the World X Cup international tournament has yet to be officially announced, expect news of the decision here on the website in the coming weeks as we understand officials are nearing completion of their planning. Rumors have it new teams from Mexico, Japan and the UK will be taking part along with the recently completed Team USA consisting of Chris Sabin, Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal.

For more news on the upcoming World X Cup tournament, tune into “iMPACT!” every week as Team USA will be in action as they prepare for the event.

Quite an interesting and informative read, i think this year's team for the UK is a bit for formiddable then the original Team UK. As far as Jody goes PK he is one of the best highflyers in the U.K at the moment along with Jonny Storm but it is because of this great high flying ability that, that is what most people think of them for when in actual fact both men were trained by Hammerlock which is the best wrestling school in the UK and is a very traditional school where spotfest's and such are not acceptable so believe me when i say both men are not just spot monkey's.

As far as Ultimo Dragon goes yes he is Japanese so i'm not sure how he can be representing them unless he is currently wrestling fulltime in Mexico then it would make sense as even though he was born in Japan he may be a Mexican citizen which would qualify him for Team Mexico much like Sonjay Dutt qualifies for Team USA even though he was born in India.

[mumbles]

Having "Worthless" Chris Sabin represent the United States in foriegn affairs is distateful. They should just have him wave around the flag or something.

[Peoples King]

D-Dogg it doesnt matter where he is trained because any match I have seen Fleicsh in he doesnt show off any real wrestling ability. He leaps around the place like a fuckin Slovakian acrobat. If all his matches are spotfests then that makes Jody a spot monkey. Johnny Storm............. Yeah Storm is good but he is a little on the over-rated side. Sometimes he looks top quality but other times his movement just seems sort of sloppy. Is he still sporting the shaved head? Should have stayed with the long locks, better look for him.

[Epitaph]

I fucking hate Fleisch.

Back in the day when I was fan boy, I used to like his matches. However when the coin finally fucking dropped, I realised he was having the same matches time and time again. He’s had the same match with Storm time and time again.

Best Highfliers in the UK? Go away, Next you’ll be telling me Spud looks believable Wrestling heavyweights.

Storm isn’t too bad though. Seen him live twice. Last month I saw him wrestle Joe Legend in an awesome match.