Tech Crew

**Tech Crew** was a professional wrestling tag team containing members Erik The Sword and TJ Walker. They're known best for their tenure in LIW Wrestling, where they held the LIW Tag Team Championship twice. The team is also known for their tenure working in WATW (Wrestling Around the World) in 2014 and again from 2018-2021. In WATW, they were two time WATW Tag Team Champions.

## Professional Wrestling Career

### Wrestling Around the World

#### First Tenure (2014)

Erik the Sword debuted as a full time wrestler for WATW in early 2014. He soon won the WATW Solid Steel Championship, but was soon challenged by The Best Ever. To combat the numbers advantage of The Best Ever's stable Superstar, Erik brought in a young prospect from LIW in TJ Walker. The two would form the team **Tech Crew** and together, they defeated The Best Ever and Starsmile to win the WATW Tag Team Championships. The two teams would feud through the summer into the autumn. At WATW Livin' With the Ladders 2014. The Best Ever defeated Erik the Sword in a ladder match to win the Solid Steel Championship. Erik was signed on a short term deal which expired the night of Livin' with the Ladders and, as such, made commitments to wrestle in Japan in the following weeks. WATW was under the impression he would stay to drop the Tag Championship, but he refused to cancel his other bookings. TJ Walker would defend the championships by himself on Mayhem the following week, losing them back to The Best Ever and Starsmile. This would mark the end of the team in WATW, as Erik would not return to the promotion until January of 2016.

#### Second Tenure (2018-2021)

Erik the Sword remained undefeated by pinfall or submission after returning in January 2016 up until the main event of WATW Slam Fest 2017, where he lost to perennial rival The Best Ever. Erik would also lose a few months later to former stablemate Jesus Christ Jr. After losing a rematch with The Best Ever in August, he was barred from challenging for the WATW Title for the next 365 days. Erik would become dejected, refusing to wrestle on TV and moping around the arena. Despite making enemies of everyone on the roster during his reign as World Champion, he was still approached by former partner TJ Walker, who offered comfort. Erik rejected the friendship from TJ Walker initially. When it was announced that a tournament would take place to crown new Tag Champions, Walker insisted that they enter the tournament. Erik was hesitant, but was eventually goaded into entering the tournament. Their first two matches were layered with Erik being distrustful of TJ and unconfident. However, the two would make it through three tournament matches and qualify for the finals.

At Fight 4 Gold 2018, the two fought D/L to a No Contest after interference from The Disciples (who were defeated by Tech Crew the previous round). This would lead to a triangle tag match at WATW Slam Fest 2018, where The Disciples won the Championships. Tech Crew would eventually defeat them to win the titles for a second time, but lost them back only a few months later. They would spend the remainder of 2019 and 2020 contending for the Tag titles at various points. At various points, the team would go on brief hiatus if Erik was in a singles championship program or a singles feud.

After Erik lost his match with World Champion CJ Smith at Fight 4 Gold 2021, TJ Walker complained that Erik's focus was not on the team. This dissention led to an ultimatum where they agreed to split up permanently if they could not defeat Tag Champions Baker Island Assassins at WATW Slamfest 2021. They would lose the match at Slamfest and split up as a team officially. Over the following weeks, TJ Walker began insinuating in interviews that he was finally stepping out of Erik's shadow, which led to Erik believing that he had ulterior motives for splitting the team. It was decided that they would have a best of five series to decide which member of the team was the best. Walker would win the first match by countout, but lost the following two matches by pinfall. Walker was able to secure a rollup win in the fourth match, leading to the final match at WATW August Agony 2022. At the event, Erik won the match by pinfall, meaning that he won the series. The two shook hands post match.

In the months following months, the two men focused their attention on the two singles championships in the company (Erik on the World title and TJ on the Solid Steel Title). While Erik was unsuccessful in his quest to win the World Title, losing his eventual title match with Andre Daniels, TJ was able to win the Solid Steel title from The Prodigy. TJ would go on an undefeated streak through the spring into the summer, gaining upset wins over the likes of CJ Smith, Justin Shield, and Johnny Anderson. Leading into WATW Slamfest 2022, Erik began setting his sights on the Solid Steel title. He claimed in interviews that he was seeking to reclaim his passion by winning the workhorse title, but TJ suspected that Erik was envious of TJ and his greater success following the split of their team. At Slamfest, TJ would defeat Erik definitively by pinfall for the first time, winning after hitting the Shelf Slam off the top rope. Mirroring the finish of their August Agony match 10 months earlier, they shook hands and Erik raised TJ's hand. This would be the last time the two interacted in-ring in WATW.

## Championships & Accomplishments

* **LIW Wrestling**
	+ LIW Tag Team Championship (4 times)
* WATW (Wrestling Around the World)
	+ WATW Tag Team Championship (2 times)
	+ WATW Solid Steel Championship (1 time, Erik The Sword)