At NCW WrestleFest VII NCW Heavyweight Champion Buddy Romano was prepared to challenge Tim Kilgore in his final match, the same night as his daughter’s birthday. After scaring Kilgore’s daughter to tears, Romano and KIlgore combated in a personal war, leading to the entire NCW locker room helping Kilgore get a fair match.

Kicking off the NCW 2012 Season, Commissioner Dean “The Beast” Livsley announced a 22 man tournament, with the winner taking the vacated NCW Heavyweight Championship following Tim Kilgore’s retirement.