He eventually tried out for some California Independent Federations, and made it in, and worked the Indy circuit for years. Then, while gaining more respect over seas for his hardcore wrestling ability, than he was gaining in the US, he hooked on to a popular Japanese promotion. He stayed with the Japan promotion for a couple years until he was offered a slot in the Hardcore Wrestling League. Wanting to wrestle in the US, Xander accepted, and bid farwell to Japan for a while.

   Joining the ranks of the HWL was made a little easier by a wrestler by the name of Sunfire, and already established wrestler. Xander was brought in to help Sunfire out in his on going feud with Psychopath. This feud was drawn out over three continents, until a dispute with the higher ups, which led to Psychopath quitting.

   At a PPV named Brawl in Berlin, Xander tasted gold for the first time. When, in a Six-Man, Three Ladder, Triple Title Hell in a Cell match, he climbed up, grabbed the Intercontinental title, and left the cage. His career really took off then. After a couple more months, he started a feud, that lasts to this day, with the Supreme Lord of Death. This was a hate filled, death warranting feud that almost cost Xander his life. One of the first matches, with SLOD as the World Champion, they fought it out in Graceland, Elvis' mansion. It went on for a while, but, after a piledriver onto the toilet by Xander, it didn't take too much else. He hit a Death Valley Driver, called the "Lost Highway" at that time, through the King's dinner table, and got the 3 to win the World title for the first time.

   In late January 1998, Xander and SLOD had one of their last matches, due to SLOD's disappearance. It was held in an abandoned building. Note, before this match, which was the main event for said PPV, all the talent had an all out, every title on the line match in Folton County Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, where Xander was DVD'ed into unconsciousness by a man known as IDK. Then, Xander was drug to the building, where SLOD hit a few moves, then eventually locked the door, and imploded the building down onto Xander. He was out for a couple months, and has a slight limp to this day because of a broken ankle he received that night.

   The only wrestler Xander has kept in contact over the numerous years was the man known as Tru. They have invaded many federations, and feuded in just as many. When there are people who come and go in ones career, there are very few people a wrestler can really call "friend" and rely upon. But after the recent backstabbing by Malcolm King a.k.a Xavier Citizen a.k.a The One Xander has found himself in a rough spot trying to decide who he can trust, and who he has to keep an ever watchful eye on.

   Xander has kept himself busy over the last couple years feuding all over the world with the likes of Esquire, Akira "Kamikaze" Takahashi, Ken Jansen, Tyrant, Shitek, L2J, Chris Osbourne, and Daniel Somers. Achieving both a Canadian title, and Hardcore title in the last year, Xander started moving up to take over the top spot in EDW, until it's untimly closing in late April of 2002.