Time Capsule
Date: April 10, 2021
Location: 81Bay Brewing Company, Tampa, Florida

This is Beyond Wrestling out of Massachusetts and somehow I’ve never looked at them before. At the same time, this is the last of the Wrestlemania XXXVII weekend shows that I had meant to do but never got around to. I have no idea what to expect from this but since it’s Wrestlemania weekend, guests tars are likely. Let’s get to it.

The ring announcer welcomes us to the show and seems to be our host.

Independent Wrestling TV Title #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Dave Cole vs. Facade

It’s a one night tournament with a fatal four way final and Facade has Dani Mo with him. He also comes out to Ninja Rap from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Secret of the Ooze, making him the most amazing thing ever. Cole is billed as the Psychedelic Warrior, which doesn’t exactly suit his look. They shake hands to start….and it seems this show has no commentary. Facade gets driven into the corner for a clean break before starting in on Cade’s arm.

That’s reversed into another armbar but Facade takes him down and flips over him to show off a bit. A springboard spinning kick to the face takes Cole down again and we need a quick breather in the ropes. Facade has to go to the ropes to get out of an armbar as it’s almost strange to watch a show with such little sound. A double springboard is loaded up but Facade has to bail out, allowing Cole to kick him off the apron and into the chairs (where less than five fans can be seen, though there are more on the other side).

Back in and a hanging DDT plants Facade for two before it’s back to cranking on his arms. Cole stays on the arms and takes him down for two, with the kickout causing some frustration. The delay lets Facade fight up but Cole kicks him in the face for his efforts. A Gargano Escape stays on the arm but sends Facade to the ropes almost immediately.

Back up and Cole knocks him off the apron and onto the bar, with Facade jumping back in to knock Cole down. Facade is fine enough to walk the ropes and hit a flip dive before throwing Cole back inside. Another flip dive is broken up by Cole throwing….a coat at Facade, allowing him to kick Facade low. A tiger driver flipped into a Side Effect gets two on Facade and the Gargano Escape makes him tap at 8:35.

Rating: C. I’ve seen Facade before and he didn’t get to do a lot of his cool flips and dives here. Then again, that kind of style isn’t really going to stand out on a weekend that is designed to focus on that style. Cole wasn’t exactly interesting either, but you could see who was good and who was bad, so they did manage to tell a simple enough story.

Independent Wrestling TV Title #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Gary Jay vs. Herzog

I don’t think I’ve seen Herzog before, but he has a big fur pelt over him and he is hunched over with a walking stick. Well it’s certainly unique, and at least his entrance shows a few more fans so it isn’t as depressing as it seemed. On the other hand, Jay, who I have seen before, continues to look like he weighs about 145lbs soaking wet. Herzog throws off his pelt at the bell and charges at Jay in the corner to start fast. Jay is thrown down, leaving us with a good look at Herzog’s painted/crazy looking eyes. Back up and Jay sends him outside for a suicide dive, sending Herzog staggering into the steps.

A high crossbody gives Jay two back inside but Herzog runs him over and babbles a lot. Jay is back up with a discus forearm and a Death Valley Driver into the corner to leave both of them down for a bit. Back up and Jay hits some loud chops in the corner before a few hard forearms to the face get two. Herzog is sent outside, where he catches a dive from Jay and counters it with a chokeslam onto the apron.

That’s good for two back inside, so Herzog gets in a shouting match with a fan who tells him to speak English. Jay catches him on top with some chops but gets brought back down with a super chokeslam for another near fall, thanks to a foot on the rope. Back up and Herzog misses a charge into the corner so Jay can hit some more chops. A running dropkick to the back of the head finishes Herzog at 6:36.

Rating: C. This one stood out more than the opener due to the hard hitting shots and Herzog being more memorable, but it was still just kind of there. They didn’t have much time and it was more about Jay surviving what Herzog through at him and hitting him hard. Not a bad match at all, but it came and went, which tends to happen at shows like this one.

Post match Jay leaves and Herzog argues with a fan with a big afro.

Independent Wrestling TV Title #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Dan Barry vs. Eric Corvis

Corvis mocks Barrry’s flowered shirt before the match, but Barry says it’s the only gimmick he has ever made money with so be nice. Actually Corvis wants him to be Detective Dan Barry again, so Barry asks if he wants the old gear. Barry disrobes to reveal his Detective gear, which has Corvis very confused. After Barry seems to tell a fan that they need to sit down, we’re ready to go with Barry spinning out of a wristlock and grabbing a headlock.

That’s reversed back into the wristlock as they’re staying technical early on. Barry pulls him to the mat to crank on both arms so Corvis reaches for the ropes. That’s enough for Barry to let go before the rope is grabbed and switch into….kind of a cross between a LeBell Lock and a Koji Clutch (that’s a new one). Corvis slips out and grabs a headlock, which is also reversed into something like a dragon sleeper.

That’s broken up as well and this time Barry is sent into the post, with Corvis bending his back around the steel. Back in and a bow and arrow hold makes it even worse as the fans are getting much more into the trash talking this time around. Barry slips out and puts on a Muta Lock but Corvis is out pretty fast. Hold on though as Barry has to tell a swearing fan that it’s a family show, leaving Corvis to counter a superplex into a DDT onto the turnbuckle.

Barry is fine enough to catch him on top with an enziguri, only to get caught in the ropes so Corvis can bend the back on the turnbuckle. A DDT gets Barry out of trouble and a big flip dive to the floor takes Corvis down again. Back in and Barry slips out of something and hits a scoop brainbuster for the pin at 10:43.

Rating: C+. They had some nice technical stuff here and I can always go with a wrestler telling fans to not swear, but this was another match that didn’t leave much of an impression. I’m rarely a fan of one night tournaments as they rarely have stories to them and you get a lot of matches like this one. They might be good, but there is no backstory to them and it can be a little difficult to get invested.

Barry chats with more fans on the way out and Corvis asks for a beer for losing.

Before the next match, the ring announcer asks the fans to avoid the hate speech and be respectful.

Independent Wrestling TV Title #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Anthony Stone vs. Jefferson Saint

I don’t remember seeing either of these two before and Stone seems to be an MMA guy while Saint is in an old school wrestling robe. Hold on though as Saint interrupts the intros and handles his own introduction, saying he is the original Beyond. He says he is here to claim his spot…and gets rolled up for the pin in five seconds. Sounds like a “we’re running long” deal and fair enough.

Saint looks completely crushed by the loss and very slowly walks to the back, with the ring announcer awkwardly staring at him.

Island Kings vs. The Jollyville F***-Its

That would be Jaka/Sean Maluta (former NXT star) vs. Russ Myers/T-Money. Jaka and Myers get things going and go to the mat in a rather aggressive manner with Jaka holding a headlock. Back up and a running shoulder puts Myers down but his running shoulder puts Jaka down as well. It’s off to Maluta, who kicks Myers in the head to set up Jaka’s swinging side slam.

Some hard shots in the corner set up a slam to put Myers down again and a middle rope/rolling headbutt combination makes it even worse. Jaka’s headbutt sets up some hard chops from Maluta and he kicks Myers down for two. Myers finally jawbreaks his way to freedom though and it’s off to the much bigger T-Money (as we have a Battledome crossover) to start cleaning house.

A legdrop gets two on Maluta and it’s off to a fireman’s carry, with Myers coming in to punch Maluta in the head (that’s a creative one). T-Money runs him over again for two more but Maluta cuts off a charge with a superkick. A middle rope Codebreaker and the hot tag brings Jaka back in to clean house.

Everything breaks down with Jaka chopping away at T-Money in the corner, setting up some running kicks to the face. T-Money fights hits way out of the corner and plants Maluta, setting up a twisting Coffin Drop to give Myers two with Jaka making the save. Everything breaks down and T-Money superplexes Jaka and Myers is knocked down as well. That leaves Maluta to hit a frog splash onto both of them for the pin on T-Money at 10:04.

Rating: B-. This was a good one, with both teams hitting the other rather hard to make for an entertaining match. It wasn’t exactly a classic but sometimes you need someone to go out there and beat on each other for a little while. If nothing else, it was nice to get away from the tournament stuff that has dominated the show so far. That kind of thing that makes a match stand out and that was the case again here.

Lamont Williams vs. Darius Carter

Two more new guys and Carter comes to the ring holding a mask to his face. Actually hold on as Williams is billed as FORMERLY KNOWN AS Lamont Williams, and now known as Lou Gotti. Ok then.

Lou Gotti vs. Darius Carter

Feeling out process to start with Gotti working on the leg and not being able to get very far. Carter switches over to the arm but gets reversed into the hammerlock as this is very technical to start. Seemingly fed up, Gotti takes him down and starts hammering away as things slow a bit.

Carter gets sent outside but manages to snap Gotti’s throat across the top to take over. Back in and a knee drop gets two, with Carter not being happy at the count. Gotti is sat on the top but slaps his way out of a superplex attempt, setting up a powerbomb onto the knee. Back up and Carter kicks the knee out, only to have Gotti catch him with something like Made In Japan onto the knee.

Another backbreaker give Gotti another two and a top rope leg lariat gets the same. Carter shoves the leg out and hits an enziguri for two, giving us the bug eyed kickout face. They forearm it out again until Gotti suplexes him into the corner. Back up and Carter grabs a cobra clutch faceplant for the pin at 10:24.

Rating: B. Best match of the night here so far, just for the energy they both had. It felt like a match where both of them were trying to beat the other and the question was which one was going to stay down first. Good match and the best thing on the show so far, albeit not by much here.

Post match Gotti gets a PLEASE COME BACK chant.

Sugar Dunkerton vs. Allysin Kay

You might remember Dunkerton as Pineapple Pete in AEW. Dunkerton drops to his knees in the middle of the ring and slowly pounds the mat before working on Kay’s arm. That’s broken up but Dunkerton is right back to said arm cranking. The test of strength lets Dunkerton take her down by the wrist for a change before going to a standing chinlock.

Since that isn’t enough, Dunkerton grabs her by the wrist and dances a bit. An annoyed Kay gets dropped and now it’s a judo through to bring Dunkerton down for a change. A hammerlock has Dunkerton in trouble before Kay starts striking at the ribs. Back up and Dunkerton hits her in the face (the fans don’t like that one) so Kay knocks him down and grabs a keylock.

That’s broken up and Dunkerton grabs a sunset flip but Kay sits up, meaning it’s time to slap it out. Dunkerton gets creative with a bearhug but then switches to driving a fist into the ribs. Kay gets suplexed over so they go back to the mat grappling with Dunkerton grabbing a kneebar. The rope is reached for the break and they’re both down for a breather. Kay kicks him down and starts striking away to keep Dunkerton in trouble. Back up and Dunkerton hits a running uppercut before kicking her in the face. That’s too far for Kay, who pulls him down into another keylock for the tap at 10:12.

Rating: C. I wasn’t feeling this one as it fell into the same trap that so many intergender matches do: there were times where it felt like Dunkerton was going at half force to not overwhelm Kay and it made things feel weird. That isn’t a knock on either of them, as you can only go so far with something like this, but it often becomes a problem. The wrestling was perfectly fine, but it felt like they were going extra safe rather than trying to win.

Post match they get a pinkie handshake (it’s a Kay thing).

Faith In Nothing vs. The Besties In The World

That would be Rickey Shane Page/Vincent Nothing vs. Davey Vega/Mat Fitchett, the latter of whom come out to Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden for their usual awesome entrance. Fitchett and Nothing (I think) start things off with Fitchett going after the arm. Nothing rolls to the mat and kicks his way to freedom, meaning it’s another standoff. This time it’s Fitchett taking him to the mat by the leg so a rope has to be grabbed for the break.

Back up and Fitchett grabs a headlock to take Nothing over and start in on the arm. Vega comes in to help with a backsplash for two but a running shooting star hits raised knees. It’s off to Page to slowly pound away on Vega and something like a double backbreaker gives Nothing two. Vega flips out of a suplex attempt though and it’s back to Fitchett…who gets kicked in the face by Page. A big toss sends Fitchett flying and we hit the armbar to keep him down.

There’s a backsplash and one heck of a toss suplex as Fitchett is rocked again. There’s a big double toss, leaving Fitchett looking shocked in pain, for two more before Nothing grabs something like an STF. Fitchett finally slips through the slips and an enziguri allows the hot tag to Vega to clean house. Everything breaks down and it’s Fitchett getting knocked down in the corner for a series of running kicks to the face and a rather near fall. Vega comes back in to kick Nothing down for two but Fitchett gets sent outside. That leaves Vega to get caught in a sitout powerbomb/neckbreaker combination to give Nothing the pin at 13:29.

Rating: C+. This was the longest match of the night but only felt a bit longer than usual. The match was power vs. speed and the worst thing to be said about it is we don’t get more Savage Garden. Vega and Fitchett are a good team and work well together, making this a rather nice addition to the show.

Independent Wrestling TV Title #1 Contenders Tournament Finals: Dan Barry vs. Dave Cole vs. Anthony Stone vs. Gary Jay

Elimination rules and everyone stares at each other to start until Barry and Jay both get suplexed down. That leaves Stone and Cole to lock up, which even survives a monkey flip. What looks like a running Codebreaker is blocked by Cole but he gets kicked out to the floor. Barry comes back in to take down Stone and then gets to face Jay. The slugout is on with Jay getting the better of things until Stone is back in to hit some running boots in the corner.

Cole breaks that up and hits a bulldog/clothesline combination. Cole’s suplex gets two on Stone but Jay pulls Cole outside for a loud chop. Stone gets chopped as well and a suplex gives Jay two back inside. Barry blocks Cole’s sunset flip and twists his neck around before doing the same to Stone’s leg.

An Indian Deathlock/northern lights suplex gives Barry two on Cole and a near submission but everyone stays alive. Barry is left alone in the ring so he hits the big running flip dive (and sticks the landing), leaving him as the only one standing. Back in and Barry hits a brainbuster to eliminate Stone at 6:36. Cole comes in to Gargano Escape Barry for the tap at 6:50, leaving us with Cole vs. Jay for the title shot.

Jay comes back in, only to get Blue Thunder Bombed for two. A tornado Downward Spiral gets two on Cade but he’s back with the tiger driver flipped into the Side Effect. Jay rolls outside and gets beaten up but manages a quick hanging DDT on the way back in for his own two. Back up and Cade jumps over him and grabs a rollup with tights for the pin and the title shot at 9:41.

Rating: C+. It’s another match where it felt like they were building things up but then just went home in a hurry. It wasn’t bad, but Cade just rolled Jay up for a win out of nowhere and that isn’t exactly interesting. They didn’t have time to build much up and it made for a main event that kind of happened without much staying power. Cade isn’t exactly interesting, but that could apply to anyone here really.

Cade poses to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a pretty weird show in that the action was fine and nothing was remotely bad, but nothing stuck with me whatsoever. Above all else, the tournament stuff isn’t very engaging, as you have a bunch of people who are fighting for a future title shot, which we don’t even get to see here.

In short, it was a show with quality wrestling that didn’t really make me want to see anything these people or promotion are doing in the future. Maybe their regular stuff is better, but this was the definition of just kind of there. Also, what was the point of the name? Time Capsule is a cool name and they did nothing with it. Just a kind of uneventful show and that’s not the best thing.

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Ring of Honor
Date: January 19, 2022

We’re still on the road to April and that means it’s time for another Best Of show. These things have mainly been the Best Of the last year and it would be nice to see something different showcased. That being said, we are just over two months away from the relaunch so you might not want to go too deep into the vault. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Quinn McKay…is not here this week, as we will be looking at the women’s division. Uh, great.

We get a video on the women’s division and what it means to everyone involved.

Maria Kanellis-Bennett is ready to interview various women in the Women’s Title tournament. She has done a little bit of everything and now she is part of the Board of Directors. After the Coronavirus pandemic hit, she wanted to build something new and that is what she is doing here.

Some of the women in the tournament are very happy that they were given their Ticket To Gold, meaning their entrance to the tournament. Being in the tournament has helped a lot of them with their confidence as they move forward. They all want to show what they can do and have been waiting for their chance.

Sumie Sakai talks about having the first women’s match in Ring of Honor history and she has stuck around since.

Mandy Leon isn’t happy with Maria leaving the company and then coming back. Now the Allure isn’t going to let her skate by.

Angelina Love doesn’t think there should be a tournament but she’ll win the title.

Danhausen previews the tournament and wants Trish Adora to win.

Maria talks about the different styles of wrestlers in the tournament.

Some of the entrants talk about how wrestling has helped their confidence and to prove themselves. The tournament has even gotten Rok-C to mend her relationship with her mother. Trish Adora wants to win the title for her mother, who has cancer.

We look at the TV taping with the announcement of the tournament and the reveal of the Women’s Title. Chelsea Green debuted as well, though she was injured and couldn’t participate.

Green talks about rising above the haters and trolls while also wanting to provide for her family. And maybe to prove all of those trolls wrong. Green: “Is that bad?”

We look at the first batch of tournament matches. It’s still weird to see these in front of an empty building.

Willow wants to change the perception of women’s wrestling and then lost in the first round.

Chelsea Green wants to face everyone in the tournament.

We look at the rest of the first round, including Quinn McKay beating Mandy Leon in a huge upset.

Maria talks about what a great win that was for McKay, as she got to prove herself.

Mike Bennett talks about how impressed he is with Maria making all of this work.

We look at the second round of the tournament.

Amy Rose has managed a lot of champions and wants to manage Max the Impaler. Then Max got disqualified against Angelina Love.

Allysin Kay is a former NWA Women’s Champion and wants to be the Ring of Honor Women’s Champion. Then Trish Adora beat her in an upset.

The semifinals saw Miranda Alize beat Trish Adora and Rok-C beat Angelina Love. Maria was proud of everyone because it is all about the team.

Then it was time for the finals, with both Alize’s and Rok-C’s families around. We get picks from various wrestlers, who seem to be split.

Rok-C won the title and she was proud.

Overall Rating: C+. I’m not sure what to say about this, as it was really a documentary instead of a regular wrestling show. I know the women’s division has not been the most popular thing (including from me) but it is clear that they are putting in a lot of effort and trying to make it into something worthwhile. That is great to see and you can tell that the work is there. This was a cool change of pace and I can go for that instead of another Greatest Hits show for a change.

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Ring of Honor
Date: November 24, 2021
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re rapidly approaching Final Battle and the final battles of note from the promotion. That doesn’t exactly make things feel that important around here and I’m not sure what that is going to mean going forward. At least the action should be good and that’s about all we can ask for around here. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.Opening sequence.

Quinn McKay gives us the welcome and the rundown.

Brian Johnson vs. John Walters

Pure Rules. Johnson runs his mouth about how awesome he is and how he you spell Pure M-E-C-C-A. They go with the grappling to start until Walters nips out of a headscissors to send us to a break. Back with Johnson hitting a shoulder to the ribs in the corner but getting armdragged into an armbar. It works so well that Walters does it again, with Johnson not being able to monkey flip his way to freedom.

Johnson tries to escape but gets pulled back over the top by the barred arm. Walters gets caught on top though and a hanging cutter brings him back down for two. Some knees to the back set up a quickly broken cobra clutch but Johnson kicks him in the head to cut off a comeback. We take another break and come back again with Johnson dropping a fist, which counts as the first closed fist. Johnson doesn’t seem to mind but Walters is back up with a middle rope legdrop on the arm.

Something like an abdominal stretch on the mat forces Johnson to use his first rope break and they trade rollups for two each. Walters grabs a Sharpshooter, meaning that’s the second rope break from Johnson. Another Sharpshooter attempt burns the last rope break but Johnson gets in a shot to the eye. Johnson kicks out Walters’ knee, sending him face first into Johnson’s knee (that’s a new one), setting up Trust The Process to finish Walters at 11:30.

Rating: C+. The knee thing at the end was more than enough to make this work and I was surprised by how they got to the finish. Other than that, this was a nice back and forth match with Johnson being so annoying with the trash talking that you want to see him lose at the end. Beating Walters still feels like a big enough deal so good choice for an opener here.

Post match Johnson makes the still out of it Walters shake his hand.

Mandy Leon vs. Trish Adora vs. Allysin Kay

The winner moves on to a #1 contenders match for the Women’s Title shot at Final Battle. Angelina Love and Marti Belle are here with Leon and Kay respectively. Leon bails to the floor to start so the other two trade wristlocks inside. Kay’s headlock takes her to the mat but it’s broken up in a hurry. Neither can get a takeover until Adora hits a belly to back for two.

Now Leon comes back in and sends Adora into Kay as we take a break. Back with Leon getting caught in a double submission, which is broken up so Kay and Adora can slug it out. Kay takes Adora up top for a superplex but Leon turns it into a Tower of Doom for the big crash. That means a pair of near falls each so Leon throws Adora outside. Astral Projection is enough to finish Kay at 6:58.

Rating: C-. Leon winning wasn’t exactly a surprise as it was the structure of two women doing their thing while Leon was there too, followed by the win. The women’s division still has a long way to go and while there is talent here, there is only so much that you can get out of a match like this. You could have gone with any of these three, but Leon was kind of telegraphed here.

Dalton Castle is ready to bring pizzazz to the TV Title. He also compares himself to Picasso and Jackson Pollock.

TV Title: Dalton Castle vs. Dragon Lee

Castle, with the Baby Chickens, is challenging and Lee’s entrance is cut out for some reason. They go with the grappling to start as neither can get very far on the mat. It’s way too early for the Bang A Rang so Lee sends him outside, leaving Lee to hit the Tranquilo pose. Castle is sent back first into the barricade so Lee is back in with a Falcon Arrow for two. Back up and Castle takes him outside for a whip over the barricade for a crash. They come back in with Castle grabbing a waistlock as we take a break.

We come back with Castle kicking Lee in the face and standing on his chest. Lee fights that off in a hurry and hits the running corner dropkick. Castle blasts him with a clothesline for two of his own and they’re on the floor again. Lee sends him over the barricade and loads up the dive but has to dive onto the Chickens instead.

Back in and a clothesline gets two on Lee instead but here are Shane Taylor Promotions and La Faccion Ingobernable to brawl. The Bang A Rang is countered into a cradle for two on Castle and Lee hits the running knee. Cue Dak Draper though and a cheap shot sets up the Bang A Rang to give Castle the pin and the title at 11:34.

Rating: C+. Now that was an actual surprise and that is the kind of thing that can often be good. What mattered here was they made me care about the ending as Castle’s comeback trail is an interesting story and now he has some gold to validate a lot of what he has been saying. The fact that it came via cheating makes it even better for him and now we get to move forward to…well not much actually but at least Castle won here.

Video on EC3 vs. Jay Lethal, which is up next week.

Overall Rating: B-. I really do like this show most of the time but there is only so much reason to care when Final Battle is wrapping up almost everything of note in less than a month. This is a great case of enjoying it while it lasts and having almost no pressure, which is not a bad situation to have. Now just keep up some good TV on the way to the end and we should be in for some rather fun times.

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Ring of Honor
Date: October 6, 2021
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

I’m not sure what to expect from this show these days and that can be rather interesting. It’s never clear what you’re going to get and thankfully Ring of Honor knows how to give you the best out of everything they offer. If that can be the case again this week, we should be in for another fun show. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Violence Unlimited issues an open challenge for tonight. Danhausen comes in, realizes he’s in the wrong place, and leaves.

We get a preview, minus Quinn McKay.

Taylor Rust/Alex Zayne vs. Briscoes

Rust and Zayne talk about being ready to step up against the Briscoes as Zayne is on his way to the World Title. The Briscoes tell them to bring it and be made famous. Rust and Mark start things off with the latter not being able to get very far off of a leg dive attempt. A headlock takeover works better for Mark but Zayne is right back up with a modified abdominal stretch.

That’s broken up and Mark unloads with some chops into the corner. Jay unloads for a bit as well but it’s already back to Mark for two off a suplex. Jay’s front facelock keeps Rust in trouble but he fights up and gets over to Zayne for the tag. Everything breaks down and they head outside, with Jay sending Zayne hard into the barricade to put him in trouble for a change. Rust gets kicked in the face as well and they head back inside, where Zayne gets belly to belly suplexed for two. Jay adds a running kick to the face but Zayne flips out of a belly to back suplex.

The hot tag brings in Rust to clean house and a Rings of Saturn with the legs has Mark in more trouble. That’s broken up and everything breaks down again. Rust is knocked outside with the Briscoes following him, allowing Zayne to springboard moonsault onto both of them. Back in and a running flip super hurricanrana gets two on Mark but Rust has to escape the Jay Driller. Jay isn’t having that though and hits the Jay Driller, setting up the Froggy Bow to finish Mark at 10:54.

Rating: B-. They hit each other hard and Zayne/Rust did well in a match they had next to no chance to winning. Sometimes that is the kind of match you need to see on a show and it is always nice to see the Briscoes. Rather nice TV match here and Zayne is already a far bigger deal here than he ever was in WWE.

Danhausen recruits PCO, Sledge and Demonic Flamita to face Violence Unlimited.

Here is Rok-C for her first interview as Women’s Champion (and having her stand next to Brian Zane isn’t the best idea as he towers over her). She sounds rather nervous as she talks about how hard she has worked to get here. Now that she has proven she isn’t a cliché, she is ready to face anyone. The C in Rok-C used to stand for Confident but now it stands for Champion.

Cue the Allure to say this is their house and the C stands for…something they can’t say on TV. Cue Miranda Alize, Trish Adora, Willow and Allysin Kay, followed by Maria Kanellis Bennett. The boss makes a pair of triple threats with the winners meeting for the Final Battle Women’s Title shot. It was nice to not have everyone talk here, as the ending didn’t really require them to say anything.

During the break, Alize jumped Rok-C like a good villain should.

Violence Unlimited vs. Danhausen/Sledge/PCO/Demonic Flamita

Violence Unlimited doesn’t like PCO being involved. Homicide and Danhausen start things off with Danhausen’s waistlock confusing Homicide a bit. A cutter into a t-bone suplex rocks Homicide and he has to go to the ropes to escape an STF. Tony Deppen and Flamita come in with the latter hitting a hard shoulder. They trade some very fast covers before it’s a double nip up for a standoff.

Deppen’s basement dropkick gets two and it’s Dickinson coming in for an elbow to the mask. Flamita kicks his way out of trouble and brings Sledge in to suplex Dickinson in a nice power display. Dickinson is back with a middle rope dropkick to put Sledge in trouble and the chopping is on in the corner. A DDT gives Dickinson two and Homicide adds a knee to the back.

Sledge’s clothesline gives him a breather and he kicks Homicide into the corner, allowing the hot tag to PCO. That means a chop off with King, who gets powerbombed for two. King is right back up with a piledriver…and PCO malfunctions, causing him to go in the wrong corner and take King’s tag. PCO starts beating up his own partners and the PCOsault…kind of hits Sledge? The miss seems to wake PCO up and it’s Danhausen coming in to clean house. It’s time for the parade of secondary finishers, with PCO back to normal. Another PCOsault is broken up and King Ganso Bombs Sledge for the pin at 15:05.

Rating: C+. Fun enough here, though the PCO thing might make your head hurt a bit. That being said, this was never meant to be anything serious (matches involving Danhausen rarely are) so it’s hard to be that critical about something not making sense. Good enough main event for a show like this and the right team won.

Overall Rating: B-. Some nice action, a story for the new Women’s Champion and Danhausen make this an entertaining week. Ring of Honor never reinvents the wheel, but they do their thing well enough that it works out well most of the time. I liked the show and didn’t have anything that got on my nerves, so we’ll call this a nice show.

Thomas Hall has been a wrestling fan for over thirty years and has seen over 60,000 wrestling matches. He has also been a wrestling reviewer since 2009 with over 6,000 full shows covered. You can find his work at kbwrestlingreviews.com, or check out his- Amazon author page with 30 wrestling books.

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IMG Credit: All Elite Wrestling

It’s that time again. AEW has not been around all that long but they are already getting some traditional shows together. That is the case again with the second annual Full Gear, which hopefully ends their streak of completely watchable and even good pay per views that were completely beneath their usual shows. That’s kind of a good problem to have and hopefully everything is at their normal level this time around. Let’s get to it.

Pre-Show: NWA Women’s Title: Serena Deeb(c) vs. Allysin Kay

My head shakes every time I see the NWA on a big time wrestling show as it never stops amazing me. The NWA got a lot of miles out of that rather short Powerrr run but here they are again. Deeb has been a great addition to the AEW women’s division and the NWA name still has the slightest value. It’s not like this is taking up some big spot so hopefully we get a solid match as a bonus.

I’ll take Deeb to retain here as there is no reason to believe that she is going to lose. Deeb has recently signed to AEW and the NWA would be insane to cut off any kind of mainstream connection they have like AEW. It’s going to be a good match as the two of them are both rather talented in the ring and can probably put on a heck of a match if they are given the chance.

Orange Cassidy vs. John Silver

I don’t watch Being The Elite but everything I’ve heard about it says that Silver has started stealing the show as of late. He has been showing some of that on AEW as well and it is nice to see him getting a spot like this. It isn’t like anything is going to change in a significant way because he is getting this spot, and Cassidy still has a lot of status around here so it should work.

Of course Cassidy wins here because he is the star of the two, even though he has fell down a few good steps since the feud with Chris Jericho ended. This is likely to be the comedy match of the night and that’s a fine spot for them after one of the bigger matches. It has some potential and Silver is coming off like a star, so maybe we could be in for something good here.

Women’s Title: Hikaru Shida(c) vs. Nyla Rose

Is it just me or does Rose get half of the title shots in this promotion? Anyway, this is the same thing that we have seen more than once now, with the great striker Shida defending against the monster. It worked well enough once so hopefully they can make it work again. Shida feels like she has cooled WAY off in recent weeks though and I had mostly forgotten about her more than once.

I know I’ve said something like this before but I can’t imagine Rose loses here. Why in the world would you have her lose all over again, especially with Vickie Guerrero as a good mouthpiece for her? Shida is hardly an exciting champion these days and Rose (or eventually Britt Baker) taking the title from her should be the ultimate goal. For now though, Rose leaves as champion.

Matt Hardy vs. Sammy Guevara

It’s time for another cinematic match with the Elite Deletion match. I know that Hardy is the originator of this kind of match but I can’t really bring myself to get decided about the thing again. The feud has not exactly been the strongest in company history and other than seeing some of Hardy’s calculated insanity, I’m not sure how much appeal this has.

I’ll take Guevara to win here as there is just no reason to have Hardy win. Hardy is an established star and has been foe about fifteen years now. The match should be complete shenanigans and insanity, but at the end of the day, Guevara can be a force for a long time to come. I don’t think this is going to be the match that puts him on the stage for good, but at least a win over Hardy could mean at least a little something.

TNT Title: Cody(c) vs. Darby Allin

Now we’re getting somewhere as we have a history between the two of them and a shiny title for someone to take with them. Cody is back to the blond hair to make it feel like a member of his Elite and that is working out well enough for everyone. They even hyped up the match a bit this week to give it some heat and that is a good thing. Now though we get to see if Allin can hang here on the big show, which is hard to screw.

This is a tough one actually but I can’t imagine Cody dropping the title for a second time just a few weeks after getting it back. At the same time though, I don’t want or need to see Allin taking another loss after coming up short in most of his big matches. The good thing here is the fact that they have managed to do a really solid job with making Allin feel like a star and he’ll get there one day. It just isn’t today, but it is going to make for an interesting chance.

Tag Team Titles: FTR(c) vs. Young Bucks

This is the next dream match and in this case, that might actually be an accurate description for a change. These are two very successful and popular teams, though this time we have a twist with the Bucks doing the old “if we don’t win we can’t challenge again” deal. Normally that would seal the deal in a title match like this but that does not seem to be the case with AEW (so far at least).

I’m going to take….dang….yeah I’ll go with the Bucks here, even with Matt’s knee not being entirely healed up yet. This is a match that has been hyped up for a very long now and I’m curious to see which way they can take it. FTR could feel like transitional champions, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have a great match on the way there. Just cool it with some of the Bucks’ flips they’re likely to have a better match (with a few flips of course).

Chris Jericho vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman

In a way, I kind of wish they weren’t having this match. Friedman is an amazing talker and a great character, but he is a lot better in those areas than he is in the ring. That isn’t to say he can’t have a great match as he and Jungle Boy were awesome at All Out, but I’m not entirely sold here. Part of the appeal of this has been the teasing of a fight and I don’t know if I really need to see them actually go at it.

That being said, there is no reason whatsoever for Jericho to win here, as Friedman joining the team is the obvious next step. The question though is which way do you go to get there. I’m not sure if you have someone turn on Jericho yet or wait for later, but you can almost write in the idea of the Inner Circle (or at least part of it) turning on him. I don’t think they need to do it yet, but they do need to have Friedman win here, which he will.

Kenny Omega vs. Hangman Page

If there wasn’t a World Title match left, this would be headlining the show. It has received a lot more hype than the World Title match and the story is a good bit more detailed. The Page interview on this week’s Dynamite made me a lot more interested in what he was doing than I was before, so hopefully they can live up to the hype while also continuing to mess with Page’s psyche.

Of course I’ll go with Omega, as I just can’t imagine them going with anything but Omega as the next World Title challenger. It is pretty clear that he is going to get the big breakout star push and I’m curious to see how well that works in front of an American audience. There is no need to have Page go over here, meaning he takes another hit and slips further away how he was originally presented (as he should be).

AEW World Title: Jon Moxley(c) vs. Eddie Kingston

Then there’s this, which doesn’t exactly feel like a top of the card main event match. The I Quit stipulation helps out a lot though as these two having a heck of a fight is the best thing they can do. Moxley can brawl and Kingston can fight, which doesn’t leave much in the area of technical expertise. They are going to have to do something special to make one of them quit and believe they can pull it off somehow.

Moxley retains here as there is almost no way to imagine Kingston as a World Champion in a major promotion. His promos have been straight fire as of late though and AEW would be insane to not try and do something with him. Assuming Omega wins, there id no reason to have him go after anyone but Moxley needs to retain the title, which is exactly what he will do.

Overall Thoughts

All Out was not the best show in the world but AEW has long since shown that they can do some very entertaining pay per views. The card is absolutely stacked and it was feeling bigger and bigger with each match I looked at here. This has a lot of potential and if everything delivers, we could be in a full time classic. I’m looking forward to this one and that means they’re doing something right.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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IMG Credit: National Wrestling Alliance

Hard Times
Date: January 24, 2020
Location: GPB Studios, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Joe Galli, Stu Bennett

This is another show that I’ve been trying to get to over and over but since things are a little wacky at the moment, it’s as good of a time as any It’s another NWA pay per view and this time around we’re focusing on the TV Title, with a tournament to crown a new champion. Let’s get to it.

Opening video, as sung by Billy Corgan, because it helps to have a famous musician as your owner.

We run down the card.

All tournament matches outside of the final have a 6:05 time limit.

TV Title Tournament First Round: Trevor Murdoch vs. Question Mark

It’s still strange seeing entrances with music in this promotion. Murdoch grabs an armdrag into a dropkick to start, only to have Mark get up for a middle rope kick to the chest. They fight to the floor where Murdoch clotheslines the post by mistake, meaning it’s a ram into the corner to stay on the arm. A backdrop sets up a suplex for two but Murdoch gets a boot up in the corner. The top rope bulldog hits Question Mark, but he’s up before Murdoch can even cover. Another top rope bulldog gives Murdoch the pin at 3:11.

Rating: C-. These matches are going to be on a bit of an adjusted scale as you can only do so much in such a short amount of time. The result surprised me here as I would have bet on Mark making a pretty deep run in this thing. That being said, he’s so popular with the fans that maybe they didn’t want to risk him taking away from someone else later on. Fine enough match, but the time limit is going to hurt things all night.

TV Title Tournament First Round: Zicky Dice vs. Dan Maff

Maff is a big guy from ROH making his NWA debut. Dice on the other hand is, uh, 80s. Like, way 80s. After licking the title belt, Dice gets shouldered hard into the corner. A running chop in the corner misses though and Dice grabs a running bulldog for two. Snake Rattle and Roll is broken up and Maff nails a half and half suplex to send Dice sprawling. Dice gets speared out of the air and it’s a Cannonball into a backsplash for the pin at 3:05.

Rating: D+. This was another short and to the point match as Dice did his shtick but got crushed by the monster Maff. What we got here was decent enough but you don’t want someone like Maff out there burning through his energy if he is going to be doing a few matches. Nothing terrible here and Dice is growing on me a bit, which kind of scares me.

TV Title Tournament First Round: Ricky Starks vs. Matt Cross

Cross is another high flier from Ring of Honor. The much bigger Starks (Cross is probably a good five to six inches shorter) runs him over with a shoulder so Cross backflips into Ricochet’s pose to avoid another. A kick to the face puts Starks on the floor so Cross knocks him down again, only to get caught in a reverse helicopter bomb for two. Starks hits a running dropkick to the back for two more but the Buster Keaton is broken up. Cross hits a quick double stomp to the chest but the shooting star misses. The Stroke (Angel’s Wings) sends Starks to the next round at 3:50.

Rating: B-. Easily the best thing on the show so far (as far as you can be twenty four minutes in that is) with Starks being someone they want to push (fair enough) and Cross being a heck of a high flier. These guys started fast and didn’t really stop for the four minutes so well done on offering a change of pace.

Here’s Tim Storm, scheduled for another first round match, for a chat. This is his NWA family and he’s upset that Mr. Anderson isn’t here for some reason. That’s fine with Storm though, because now he needs two wins instead of three.

Here are the updated brackets:

Tim Storm

Ricky Starks

Dan Maff

Trevor Murdoch

Commentary tells us that Anderson is not medically cleared to compete. Better than no explanation.

Bennett has some breaking news (Bennett: “I think that could become a catchphrase.”): the next pay per view, airing at some point in April, will be in a bigger venue than the GPB Studios and will feature the Crockett Cup.

Tag Team Titles: Rock N Roll Express vs. Wild Cards vs. Eli Drake/James Storm

The Express is defending after taking the titles from the Wild Cards (with May Valentine and Kamille) and Drake and Storm are a new team. Drake, Morton and Latimer start things off with Ricky being knocked against the ropes, leaving Drake to neckbreaker Latimer. A double elbow drops Latimer so Ricky and Drake can slug it out as everything breaks down early on.

We settle down to Latimer knocking Storm into Gibson and stomping Storm down in the corner. Kamille gets in some choking from the floor to keep Gibson down as Latimer gets two off a powerslam. The chinlock goes on but Storm powers up, sending him over for the tag to Drake. Not that the referee sees it though, meaning the beating continues. A double clothesline puts Storm and Latimer down so it’s off to Isaacs, who gets slammed onto his partner.

Gibson is back in as Drake gets the hot tag so the pace can pick up. The other hot tag brings in Morton as well as everything breaks down. Morton’s Canadian Destroyer hits Latimer and Gibson cuts off an interfering Kamille. Isaacs breaks up another Destroyer to Drake, allowing him to hit the Gravy Train to pin Morton for the titles at 8:09.

Rating: C. The match was a little messy but that is what you have to expect in something like this. At least they had some good action and got the titles onto the better long term options as champions. The Express was great in their day and they’re still good here, but you also want to get on to something new at some point. The Wild Cards are as generic of a heel team as you can get so this is as good of a move as you can get.

Post match the new champs are glad about winning and think about team names. All you need to calm them right now is champs.

We recap the Women’s Title match, with Allysin Kay defending against Thunder Rosa. Kay wants to face Melina but has to get through Rosa to get there. She already had to beat Marti Belle to get to the match to get to Melina, in case we didn’t have enough hoops yet.

Women’s Title: Allysin Kay vs. Thunder Rosa

Kay is defending. They slug it out right at the bell and Kay grabs a northern lights suplex for an early two. Kay slugs her down in the corner to set up the chinlock, followed by a hard clothesline for two more. That’s enough for Rosa to need a breather on the floor but she comes back in with a running dropkick for two. Rosa unloads in the corner and chokes with the boot a bit, setting up a snap suplex for two more.

This time it’s Kay needing a breather so Rosa baseball slides her down. Rosa starts cranking the arm around the rope and it’s a legdrop to the arm into a Crossface. Kay rolls out into a guillotine but Rosa goes right back to the arm to put her down again. Something close to the Disarm-Her makes Kay’s arm even worse but she fights up and swings with the good arm.

A snap German suplex out of the corner gives Rosa two so Kay bails again. This time Rosa tries a Cannonball but Kay catches her in the air (geez) and hits an apron bomb for her own two. The fans are split here and they get even more into it as Rosa counters a powerbomb into a sunset flip. Code Red gives Rosa two more as Kay looks like she’s trying to hold on here. Rosa grabs something like a Black Widow but Kay spins out into a Tombstone for two with the desperation kicking in.

A quick missile dropkick plants Kay again but she muscles Rosa up into the AK 47 for two more. They slug it out until Rosa pulls her into a guillotine choke. Kay powers out in a hurry and takes her up top, earning herself a sunset bomb back down. Back up and Kay hits a high kick but misses a charge into the post. A double armbar has Kay in even more trouble but she powers out again, only to get caught in the Thunder Driver to give Rosa the pin and the title at 18:06.

Rating: A-. DANG this was awesome and came totally out of left field, which is why I love watching this stuff so much. I don’t remember the last time I saw two people go out there and leave it all in the ring like this but they beat the heck out of each other for almost twenty minutes. They even had a great story of Kay wanting to fight Melina and looking past Rosa, who gave it everything she had and beat the fire out of Kay, who was trying to hold on for most of the match. I loved this and it’s worth checking out if you have the time.

Post match Melina and Marti come in for the celebration.

We look at Nick Aldis invading a Ring of Honor event in Atlanta to set up tonight’s match with Flip Gordon.

Here’s Marty Scurll for a chat. Scurll gets straight to the point: he wants a World Title shot against Nick Aldis. He finds it interesting that Aldis vs. Gordon is non-title when Aldis talks about being strictly business. Isn’t a title match box office and more business? Cue Aldis to say he can’t believe this audacity but he’ll put the title on the line tonight, with one condition. If Aldis retains tonight, he gets to call all the shots with Aldis and Scurll’s business, and Scurll is out of the building for the title match. Scurll agrees and security comes to escort him out. Kind of an unnecessary segment but it was short.

TV Title Tournament Semifinals: Dan Maff vs. Trevor Murdoch

They chop it out to start until Maff spears him in half. Scratching and biting keep Murdoch in trouble and it’s a knee to the back for two. Maff misses a charge into the corner though and Murdoch hits the top rope bulldog for the fluke pin at 3:28.

Rating: D+. That was a little weird with the fast pin and almost nothing from Murdoch until the ending. I can get why you might want to go with someone from your own roster rather than the outsider though and it’s not like it matters if neither of them is winning. Not a terrible match as the time helped them, but it wasn’t all that great.

TV Title Tournament Semifinals: Ricky Starks vs. Tim Storm

Storm powers him into the corner to start but Starks flips out of a hiptoss attempt. A spinebuster gives Storm two but a running dropkick puts him down. Storm sends him back first into a knee and the Perfect Storm connects. The momentum lets Starks roll away though and he’s right back with a Pancake (Neutralizer without the arm between the legs) for his own two. Starks can’t grab a tornado DDT but he can grab a crucifix for the fast pin at 4:53.

Rating: C. Not too bad here with Starks overcoming the odds of not only beating a former World Champion but also having to wrestle twice instead of once. Starks is the kind of guy who was going to be a big deal from the second you saw him around here and him winning the title in the end wouldn’t shock me. Storm is a made man as a former World Champion so it’s not like a quick loss here hurts him.

Video on Aron Stevens’ ka-rah-tay training and issues with Ricky Starks.

National Title: Aron Stevens vs. Scott Steiner

Stevens is defending and has Question Mark with him. After the martial arts display befuddles Steiner a bit, Steiner works on the arm to make Stevens scream. Right hands in the corner have Stevens in trouble and a toss has him out on the floor. Back in and Steiner elbows him in the face a few times, followed by an overhead suplex.

They head outside with Steiner sending him into various things, including the TV Title. Back in and the overhead belly to belly almost drops Stevens on his head. The spinning belly to belly works a bit better but Steiner charges into raised boots in the corner to give Stevens two (the feet on the ropes helped). Steiner knocks him down again and grabs the Recliner, drawing in Mark for the DQ at 5:53.

Rating: D+. That would be your “they’re doing this match?” of the night as Stevens vs. Steiner is more of a curiosity than anything else. Steiner is brought in as a draw for the sake of his insanity and there is nothing wrong with that for him. He’s the biggest name on the show and might draw in some attention so throw him into something like this and have a little fun. Not a good match mind you, but fun.

Post match Stevens bails while Steiner beats on Mark.

NWA World Title: Nick Aldis vs. Flip Gordon

Aldis is defending. The circling doesn’t last long as Gordon takes him into the corner for some forearms. It works so well that Gordon does it again and even knocks the champ to the floor. They’re on the floor in a hurry where they can’t put the other through a table. Instead they head back inside for a hammerlock to keep Aldis in trouble on the mat. A headlock has Aldis in more trouble but he knocks a springboard out of the air.

It’s time for a breather on the floor but Gordon is right there with a running flip dive to take the champ out again. Back in and Gordon slaps on a cross armbreaker until Aldis powers his way out with a powerbomb. A fall away slam stays on Gordon’s back and a super fall away slam does the same, but a super version. We hit the chinlock for a bit, followed by Aldis muscling him up for a suplex. The required Figure Four goes on (makes sense against a high flier) but Gordon is fine enough to escape in a hurry.

A nip up into a spinning kick to the head sets up a middle rope moonsault for two more. Aldis crotches him on top though and a Tombstone sets up a top rope elbow for another near fall. Gordon is back up with a Crossface though, sending Aldis over to the rope. The King’s Lynn Cloverleaf is blocked and the Star Spangled Stunner gets a close two. Back up and Gordon tries a spinning victory roll but Aldis drops down into a rollup and grabs the tights to retain at 15:10.

Rating: B. It was a rather good match with Gordon being a case where you could believe he could have pulled off the big upset. Aldis was his usual entertaining self here and the cheating to retain when Gordon was taking it to too high of a level. Solid match here with both guys looking at a top level.

TV Title: Trevor Murdoch vs. Ricky Starks

For the vacant title and Murdoch has bad ribs coming in. They stare each other down to start as Galli lists off some of the famous champions. Murdoch kicks him down and hits the forearms to the back, only to get hit with a hard jumping shoulder. A test of strength goes to Murdoch and he snaps off a Russian legsweep. They head outside with Starks hitting a 619 on the apron and striking away where he can.

Murdoch gets in a whip to the steps though for nine so it’s time to slap Starks down in the corner. That wakes Starks up but he gets backdropped over the top for another big crash. Another count is beaten so Murdoch BLASTS him with a clothesline for two. We hit the chinlock but Murdoch lets go and hammers away in the corner. A powerbomb out of the corner gives Starks two but he’s back up with the Stroke for the pin and the title at 9:23.

Rating: C. This was fine but you can only do so much with people who are on their third match each. The extra time helped a little bit and Starks fighting from behind again was a good enough story. Murdoch was fine here but his time has come and gone. Go with Starks here, as that’s what makes the most sense in the long run.

Starks gets the title and we’re out in a hurry.

Overall Rating: C+. The tournament was hit and miss for the most part but at least they got the right winner. Then there’s the awesome Women’s Title match to give the show something special and overall, you have a pretty nice show. These pay per views still aren’t required viewing, but for a relatively cheap price and less than three hours, there are far worse things you could be watching.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: World Wrestling Network

Mercury Rising 2019
Date: April 5, 2019
Location: La Boom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Lenny Leonard, Ron Niemi

So about a year ago, I decided to try and do twenty Wrestlemania weekend shows. As usual, it takes me a little while but I’m trying to knock out the last four of them (to make it twenty one total) before this year’s Wrestlemania starts. This is the WWN Supershow and I have no idea what to expect on this one. Let’s get to it.

As usual, I have no idea what is going on storyline wise so if I miss a detail or eighteen, I apologize in advance.

The commentators (I think) are in the ring to welcome us to the show and run down the card.

FIP World Title: Absolute Andy vs. Anthony Henry

Henry is defending and Andy is from WXW in Germany. Andy backs him into the corner to start so Henry does the same, complete with a few pats to the jaw. They battle over wrist control and we’re off to a quick clean break. Back up and Henry’s shoulder block attempt is a mistake as he bounces off of the much bigger Andy. A big boot to the face drops Henry and Andy’s shoulder works a bit better. Henry sends him outside but the suicide dive is cut off with a drop onto the barricade.

Back in and Andy hits a heck of a running backbreaker, followed by the chinlock. The announcers talk about the former FIP World Champions who have gone on to success elsewhere but Henry cuts them off with some kicks to the leg and head. More kicks put Andy on the floor and that means a running kick from the apron. Andy’s apron powerbomb is escaped as Henry stomps on his chest, meaning the second suicide dive can work a bit better.

Back in again and Henry grabs the ankle lock to stay on the leg, and because every modern show requires one wrestler who uses an ankle lock. Andy gets out and puts Henry on top, only to miss a super hurricanrana. A spinebuster works a bit better for two but Andy misses a top rope splash. The ankle lock is broken up again so Henry tornado DDTs him for two more. Andy is back up but his TKO is countered into a Crossface. Since that doesn’t make a ton of sense, it’s back to the ankle lock to make Andy tap at 13:57.

Rating: B-. This felt like a well enough done indy match with the dives, kicks and holds. As usual though, there was no major story of note and that brings things down a bit. There was no reason to boo or cheer either wrestler here and it kept me from getting that far into it. It was a good enough match though and the leg work tied into the finish, so it gets enough points to be an acceptable opener.

Cyrus Satin vs. Barrett Brown vs. Anthony Greene vs. Colby Corino vs. John Silver vs. Harlem Bravado

Elimination rules with the winner getting a title shot. Silver is now in AEW….and hang on as here’s Shotzi Blackheart. She thinks there should be a woman in the match but Satin doesn’t seem to agree. That starts a fight with Shotzi hitting a jumping DDT, the bell ringing, and Shotzi getting the first elimination at 3 seconds. Colby throws Blackheart outside and it’s quickly Greene and Bravado making each other miss a bunch. Corino comes back in to take Bravado’s place and sends Greene outside in a hurry.

Silver takes his place and starts launching the smaller Corino all over the place with some nice power. It’s quickly off to Barrett vs. Blackheart with Shotzi hitting a good looking springboard hurricanrana. Shotzi goes up top for a backsplash onto everyone but Barrett, who hits his own running flip dive onto everyone else. Back in and Silver slugs it out with Barrett, who gets kicked up against the ropes and in the corner for a bonus.

A modified Backstabber gets two on Barrett, who is right back with a sideways pumphandle powerbomb for the same. Corino comes back in for a half nelson suplex for two on Blackheart but Barrett knees Corino in the face. Greene gets Barrett and Corino in a double fireman’s carry…..so Silver German suplexes the entire pile in a pretty crazy power display (Corino is small but that’s three people at once. Who does that?). A TKO plants Shotzi and it’s Silver running all over the place to take everyone down. Corino staggers to his feet though and rolls Silver up with trunks for the elimination at 7:48.

Barrett clotheslines Corino but Shotzi comes in and demands Barrett fight her. He can’t do anything so Shotzi slaps him in the face and sends him into the corner for a 619. The top rope backsplash gets rid of Barrett at 9:19 to get us down to four. Bravado and Corino get back in to double team Blackheart, including a backbreaker into an elbow drop for one. Greene comes back in for the save and sends Corino outside, only to get the same treatment from Bravado.

A springboard Code Red plants Bravado and it’s a Texas Cloverleaf to Corino. That’s broken up as well and Bravado hits Straight Cash Homey (Angel’s Wings) for the pin on Blackheart at 12:48. Greene sends Bravado to the floor and chops away at Corino in the corner. Corino’s small package with trunks gets two but Greene is right back with a Dudley Dog style Unprettier (that’s a new one) to get rid of Corino at 14:12.

That leaves Greene vs. Bravado with the latter jumping Greene from behind and hammering away. A lot of trash talk lets Greene get in a few shots to the jaw but another running Unprettier is countered. The Tower of McGuinness gives Bravado two, followed by a leg trap suplex for the same. Greene is right back up with the running Unprettier for the pin at 17:36 (it’s as sudden as it sounds).

Rating: C+. The action was decent and I liked that running Unprettier from Greene. It still isn’t my favorite style of match though as it’s a bunch of mini matches in a row with little in the way of flow or storytelling. That being said, the point of this show is a big showcase and that’s what we got here with a variety of wrestlers getting a little time.

Post match Greene signs his contract for a nice moment.

Shine Title/Tokyo Princess of Princesses Title: Allysin Kay vs. Miyu Yamashita

Kay is the Shine Champion, Yamashita is the Princess Champion and this is title for title. Hold on though as here’s Mercedes Martinez to accuse Kay of ducking her. Last month, Kay claimed to miss a flight but next month, Kay can’t run away any longer. Mercedes leaves and it’s a feeling out process to start with Kay taking her to the mat. Yamashita gets into the corner and we get a well received clean break. A leglock has Kay bailing into the ropes and it’s time for more mat grappling.

Back up and they strike it out until Kay pulls her into a rear naked choke. Yamashita reverses that into a leglock and some kicks to the leg keep Kay in trouble. Her leg is fine enough to hit a heck of a chop though and it’s time to forearm it out until Kay grabs a Samoan drop. The crossarm choke has Yamashita in trouble but Yamashita is back up with more kicks to the leg. They both crank on the leg at the same time, with Kay kicking her in the face to get the better of things.

The chinlock goes on as we hear a long and rather impressive list of people Kay has fought. Back up and an exchange of kicks to the head gives us a double knockdown as they keep trading shots. Yamashita’s running clothesline gets two but Kay is back with another kick to the head. A sunset driver gives Kay her own two and the kickout doesn’t sit well with her. An AA gives Yamashita her own two and a bridging German suplex is good for the same. They’re both down again so Yamashita grabs something between an Anaconda Vice and a cobra clutch for the win via stoppage at 13:26.

Rating: B. Match of the night so far as they beat each other up for a good while until Yamashita, who was billed as a striker, won by changing gears. I always love it when someone switches their game like that to win in a bit of a surprise and the ending likely gives Kay a setup for a rematch. Good stuff here.

Post match Kay freaks out because she never gave up or passed out (fair point). Kay charges at her but gets taken to the floor, leaving Yamashita to tell Kay to come to Japan. That’s what Kay would do and she would win the title back in about a month.

Austin Theory/Brandi Lauren vs. Darby Allin/Priscilla Kelly

This one would be a lot different a few months later and Theory is the Evolve Champion here. It’s a brawl to start, which makes sense as this was billed as a grudge match. Allin suicide dives Theory into the barricade and Kelly hits a Bronco Buster on Lauren. That leaves Allin to hit a Code Red for two on Theory and Lauren gets tied in the ropes for a running dropkick to the back. Theory gets back in with a dropkick to Allin and the fans are not pleased with the knockdown. A gutwrench toss sends Allin flying and a belly to belly gets two.

As Kelly seems to have fallen into a hole somewhere, Lauren chokes in the corner, setting Theory up to chop Allin down. Kelly gets kicked off the apron but Darby starts striking away, only to get hit low by Lauren. Allin is knocked down again so here’s Kelly with a double missile dropkick to drop both of them. A Cannonball off the apron takes Theory down and Allin adds a flipping Stunner. The STO gives Kelly two and she kicks Theory off the apron. Allin nails a suicide dive but Lauren is back up with a middle rope flip neckbreaker for the pin at 8:36.

Rating: C+. This felt like it had the longest story so far and that made it feel different. You can see the star power in Allin and the natural tools in Theory so it was an easy match to watch. Kelly and Lauren were fine as well and the whole thing worked out well, even in a match that was shorter than anything else so far.

Post match the beatdown stays on until Josh Briggs runs out for the save. Allin tells Briggs to go win the Evolve Title.

Unwanted vs. Team WXW

That would be Eddie Kingston/Joe Gacy/Shane Strickland with Colby Corino (and some snappy music) vs. Alexander James/Jum Simmons/Marius Al-Ani. We get the Big Match Intros (including Kingston and Gacy, the Evolve Tag Team Champions) and we’re ready to go. It’s a brawl to start with three brawls breaking out at ringside, including Kingston poking Simmons in the eye.

An armdrag and a dropkick have Gacy down but Strickland clears the ring. James comes in and pulls Strickland off the ropes though, setting up a gutwrench suplex. We settle down to Al-Ani cranking on Kingston’s arm and a step up elbow onto the back drops Kingston again. Colby offers a distraction though and Strickland comes in for a running dropkick to Al-Ani’s’ knee. That means Gacy can come in for two off a suplex and it’s Strickland stomping away in the corner.

Some finger bending keeps Al-Ani in trouble and Kingston bites Al-Ani’s face to make it even worse. Gacy’s forearm gets two but Al-Ani is back with a dragon whip and a DDT. That’s enough for the hot tag to Simmons so clotheslines can abound. Simmons throws Strickland at Gacy and Kingston, followed by a trio of double chokeslams to all of the Unwanted. A running dropkick gets two on Kingston as everything breaks down.

Strickland knocks Al-Ani down for two more but a parade of clotheslines puts everyone down. Kingston gets sent into Gacy and a spinning back elbow takes him down again. James grabs a complicated armbar on Gacy but the referee breaks it up because Gacy isn’t legal (well done). The Swerve Stomp off the apron takes Simmons down and Strickland snaps Al-Ani’s arm. The JML Driver finishes Al-Ani at 13:16.

Rating: B-. I can see the appeal of the Unwanted as they work well together and have the gimmick of being rejected by everyone else (or so it seems). The match was the kind of six man tag you would expect on this kind of a show and I had a good time with it. Sometimes you can have a match with no story and make it work, which is what they did here.

WWN Title: JD Drake vs. Kazsada Higuchi

Drake, a country boy, is defending and the WWN Title is the governing body’s title, as opposed to the Evolve Title which is the promotion’s title (it would be retired in about three months in favor of the Evolve Title, as it should have been). Higuchi, from DDT in Japan, slaps the hand away before a lockup goes nowhere. Drake gets the better of a running shoulder block off and it’s time to head outside.

That means a chop exchange, with both of them standing still for the chops. In a smart move, Drake finally goes with a clothesline and a splash gets two back inside. The second chop off goes a lot faster and Drake gets the better of it again but can’t hit a suplex. Instead Higuchi hits his own suplex but Drake is back with a Shining Wizard for two. That means another exchange of chops and this one gets some time, going on for about a minute until Higuchi knocks him into the corner for two off a running charge.

Back up and they trade standing clotheslines until Drake gets the better of things, setting up the Drill Bit (spinning suplex) for two. Higuchi headbutts him into a doctor bomb for his own two but Drake counters the second with a hurricanrana. Three straight stunners put Higuchi down and a Cannonball in the corner crushes him. A moonsault retains the title at 12:00.

Rating: B-. They beat the heck out of each other here and while I’m not wild on having the match stop for an exchange of chops, it worked out well enough here. This was a hoss fight and the two of them were hitting each other rather hard. Drake is someone who probably wouldn’t work in most places but he works for this crowd and that’s all that matters here.

Post match, respect is shown and Higuchi leaves. Cue the Unwanted to go after Drake and snap his arm, with no one making the save.

Team DDT vs. AR Fox/The Skulk

That would be Daisuke Sasaki/Soma Takao/Tetsuya Endo (who seems to be the DDT Champion) from DDT and Adrian Alanis/Leon Ruff for the Skulk. The other five or six members of the Skulk do their dancing in the ring before the match and one covers another for a pin. With that out of the way, we’re ready with the Big Match Intros. Fox and Endo lock up to start and they trade some early one counts. A double nip up gives us a standoff and it’s off to Ruff vs. Sasaki in a hurry.

This gets a little more physical with Sasaki allowing him to forearm away, followed by a multiple springboard hurricanrana. Alanis, the biggest man in the match by far, comes in for a swinging Rock Bottom backbreaker and a running basement kick to the chest gets two. Sasaki wants a time out and even his partners try to get the same thing until Endo trips Fox in a smart move. Takao comes in to stomp away at Fox in the corner but he’s back up with a double cutter.

Ruff gets the tag and hits some running forearms on Takao, setting up a standing moonsault for two. Everything breaks down and they all wind up on the floor, with Fox missing a dive off the stage onto the apron. Ruff gets sent ribs first into the barricade and we settle back down to Ruff failing to get over for the tag. A pumphandle backbreaker gives Sasaki two and Takao stomps away at the ribs. Ruff grabs a quick cover for two, earning himself a bunch of right hands to the face.

The chinlock is broken up before it even goes on and it’s time to slug it out. Ruff fights up and gets the tag off to Alanis, who beats up all three of them in a hurry. Alanis gets pulled into a Crossface from Sasaki and it’s a reverse Rings of Saturn to Fox and a Figure Four to Ruff. Alanis powers up and makes a double save, followed by a sitout powerbomb for two on Sasaki. A Swanton gets the same with Endo making a VERY last second save.

Sasaki hits a Codebreaker to Alanis and holds him in place for a top rope double stomp from Takao for two. Sasaki can’t torture rack Alanis and it’s time for the exchange of kicks to the head. Fox and Ruff hit stereo suicide dives three times in a row, with the barricade going down every time. Alanis wants in on this but takes out his partners by mistake, leaving Endo to hit a corkscrew Lionsault onto everyone.

Back in and Endo hits a spinning rack bomb for two on Alanis, followed by a middle rope AA onto the top rope (better than the apron that I was expecting). Endo is right back up but springboards into a sitout powerbomb from Alanis by mistake. All of DDT gets back in for a double X-Factor/reverse powerbomb combination on Alanis. With Ruff and Fox getting knocked to the floor, it’s a shooting star press to give Endo the pin at 24:22.

Rating: B. This was a fun match and that’s how you should end a match like this. Fox and the Skulk are a good mixture of power/speed/athleticism vs. a trio who wrestle similar styles, giving us a good match between the six of them. I haven’t seen much (if anything) from DDT before so it was cool to see them having this good performance. Solid stuff here and a good way to close the show.

Post match Fox thanks everyone who put this together, including the staff, his opponents and his WWN family. Most importantly of all though, he thanks the fans for supporting him for ten years. A lot of dancing ends the show.

Overall Rating: B+. Rather strong show here with a little bit of everything up and down the card. They hit some high points and nothing was bad on the entire card, which is one of those requirements to have an awesome show. I’ve only seen a bit of this group and while there are some things I don’t care for that much, what works does work rather well and they have enough unique talent to make me like what I saw. Good show here and I’d watch more from WWN.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: National Wrestling Alliance

Powerrr
Date: February 4, 2020
Location: GPB Studios, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Joe Galli, Stu Bennett

This show continues to be tricky to call as it tends to focus on the talking, which is a weird way to go in modern wrestling. That’s what makes it work more than anything else and I could go for more of it. The show is a lot of fun more often than not and we are coming up on the Crockett Cup, which needs to finalize its main event. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

James Storm and Eli Drake think we should watch Powerrr.

New opening sequence, now with a Pantera song (I’m Broken) instead of Into The Fire. That’s a downgrade, but they have updated the name graphics so it’s not all negative.

Here’s Tim Storm for a chat. The fans shout that they love him and he calls them his family. He’s ready for Thom Latimer next week because he wants to prove himself against the best. There have been rumors about Storm retiring from wrestling and there is nothing to them because he wants to be here with his family. He can handle Strictly Business and will never raise his hand against Kamille because Mama Storm taught him better.

Cue Latimer and Kamille with Latimer not thinking much of Storm. Hold on though as we have a surprise: MAMA STORM IS HERE! AND SHE NEEDS A SHAVE SO I DON’T THINK THAT’S HER! Tim isn’t impressed as “Mama” rambles about taking Tim to see Frank Gotch. Storm doesn’t know if he’s angry or laughing but “Mama” says he should go back to school so he can learn to win a match.

If the NWA accomplishes nothing else, they have turned Tim Storm from “the old guy who is NWA Champion because the NWA is a joke” into a grizzled veteran that you can sympathize with in a great way. That’s remarkable and worthy of a lot of praise because I don’t know who else could pull it off.

We look back at Thunder Rosa winning the Women’s Title at Hard Times. The rematch is tonight.

Matt Cross vs. Caleb Konley

Ricky Starks is on commentary. They go straight to the mat to start and that’s good for a standoff. Cross headscissors him into the corner and hits a running forearm as the fans go with the LET’S GO CROSS chants. Konley pulls him off the ropes and hits a running kick to the face for two, setting up the bow and arrow hold. That’s broken up in a hurry and Cross hits some running clotheslines for two of his own so Konley small packages him for the same. Konley’s low superkick sets up a tornado DDT for the same but Cross bounces off the rope for a cutter. The shooting star finishes Konley at 5:52.

Rating: C. This felt like any indy match you could imagine and that’s a fine way to go. They did some good stuff with Cross getting to show off a bit but I’m going to forget that I saw this in about thirty seconds. Neither made that much of an impression but you can always use people who can have a completely competent match, which is what you had here.

Post match, respect is shown.

We look at Nick Aldis setting the terms for Marty Scurll to get another shot at the NWA World Title.

Aldis is wondering why he hasn’t gotten a response yet. Maybe the wolf on the hill is hungrier because the food is right in front of him. His patience is wearing thin so respond, maybe even with a counteroffer. He wants a response by Free Enterprise on Sunday.

Video on Eddie Kingston, the Pope and the Dawsons.

Here are Pope and the Dawsons for a chat. Pope doesn’t need to offer an explanation but this doesn’t speak badly on Kingston. It speaks badly on Homicide, but don’t speak badly on the cashier who is bringing change to the NWA. Cue Kingston, who had to be told not to bring a wrench or screwdriver out here to deal with Pope. Homicide is the reason he didn’t kill himself and that’s real. He got a phone call from some young high fliers who needed a chance to prove themselves, so here are the Bouncers from ROH (Beer City Bruiser/Brawler Milonas, the smaller of whom is about 350lbs). A match is teased but nothing happens.

We look back at Trevor Murdoch yelling at Aron Stevens and announcing their National Title match this week.

Mae Valentine gives us a vlog about how everyone is loving her around here and how hard everything is for her. But her outfits have been awesome! She isn’t wild on Royce Isaacs being so jealous but he won a match while she made a new friend so everything is ok. The airheaded voice was kind of funny.

National Title: Trevor Murdoch vs. Aron Stevens

Stevens is defending and has the Question Mark with him. The fans are behind Murdoch in a bit of a surprise. They go with back to back headlock takeovers into headscissor counters until Stevens bails into the corner. Murdoch slams him down a few times but a showdown with the Question Mark….means it’s an ejection. Stevens uses the distraction to send Murdoch into the apron a few times and Stevens wants to know how much time is left in the ten minute time limit.

Back in and Stevens drops a knee before hitting a running hip attack to the back of the next. A hard clothesline gets two more and Stevens throws him outside again. Stevens demands a count but only gets about a six before Murdoch is back in. Commentary is right there to point out that Stevens is letting Murdoch recover and it isn’t as smart as he thinks. That’s some good insight and you don’t get enough of that these days. The chinlock works a bit better and a thumb to the eye lets Stevens put Murdoch on the floor again.

Back in and a suplex puts Murdoch down again so some knee drops can get two. With less than two minutes to go, Stevens throws him outside again but this time Murdoch lands on his feet and comes back inside to hammer away. A full nelson slam gets two on Stevens with less than a minute to go but Stevens pokes him in the eye with thirty seconds left. Stevens jawbreaks his way out of a sleeper as time expires at 10:00.

Rating: C+. The storytelling was strong with this one and that’s not something you can ever get enough of in wrestling. Stevens is a great cowardly champion as he’s going with a twist on a classic trope. Murdoch is someone who is getting a lot of mileage out of a simple gimmick and that’s always nice to see.

Post match Murdoch hits a top rope bulldog and counts his own pin.

Zicky Dice challenges us to subscribe to the NWA YouTube channel. If they get another 100,000 subscribers, he’ll do whatever the fans want.

Sean Mooney is thankful for the warm welcome he has received and recaps the Aldis/Scurll summit from last week.

Mooney also recaps the Lucky 7 Rule, which now has a graphic showing how many title defenses Ricky Starks has completed.

Ricky Starks is ready to keep the title for a long time.

One more thing: Melina wants to be #1 contender after tonight’s rematch. I can go for a quick control center deal like this.

James Storm/Eli Drake vs. Jocephus/Mims

Non-title. The fans are glad to have Jocephus back, even as Storm works on his arm. Drake comes in to stay on his arm but an elbow knocks him down. Mims comes in and is quickly run over with a clothesline so it’s back to Storm. That goes badly for Mims as well with Storm chopping him down and Drake hitting a powerslam. Drake fireman’s carries Mims into a Backstabber from Storm for the pin at 3:13.

Rating: D+. Perfectly nice little squash here and there is nothing wrong with that for the new champs. Let them go in there and beat people up so the fans know that they’re good at what they do. The action wasn’t the point here, but rather Storm and Drake looking dominant, which is exactly what we got.

Clips of Thunder Rosa vs. Allysin Kay for the Women’s Title at Hard Times, which looks like a heck of a fight.

Women’s Title: Allysin Kay vs. Thunder Rosa

Rosa is defending and Melina is sitting at commentary without putting a headset on. They trade waistlocks to start before fighting over front facelocks instead. Rosa gets the better of it with a quickly broken Crossface and that means an early standoff. Kay snapmares her down and hits a kick to the back but Rosa snaps the arm over the ropes to take over. The arm is wrapped around the middle rope for a bonus (now we just need the bottom for the complete set) but Rosa switches gears by slugging away in the corner.

The Fujiwara armbar stays on the arm until Kay gets a foot on the rope for the nearly desperate save. Back up and they trade running forearms, followed by the wild slugout in the middle. An exchange of big boots gives us a double knockdown. It’s Rosa up first for a running corner dropkick but cue Marti Belle for a distraction.

Tasha Steelz and Ashley Vox come out to stare her away and Rosa grabs a rollup for two. Kay is back with a swinging neckbreaker and a Jackhammer for two but the arm is still hurt. The AK47 doesn’t work and Rosa gets in a Stunner for her own two. A Gory Bomb gives Rosa two more and a Death Valley Driver is good for the same as Kay can’t believe she kicked out. Rosa is right back up with a bridging rollup for the pin to retain at 9:25.

Rating: C+. The brawling sequence in the middle was rather good and these two have chemistry. The best thing about it though is that the NWA is understanding that Rosa needs to be turned face because she is the most popular woman in the division at the moment. There’s no need to keep her heel for a story that isn’t that big in the first place and capitalizing on something they have is a good idea, plus an encouraging sign.

Post match Rosa leaves as Bell and Melina look at her.

Roll credits.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a different kind of show and that’s a good thing in this case. It’s not that the other kind of show is bad but much more about the fact that this show worked in a different way. What we got here was entertaining and advanced the stories, which is a unique way to go for them. It worked in a way you don’t see from this show and I liked that for a change.

Results

Matt Cross b. Caleb Konley – Shooting star press

Trevor Murdoch vs. Aron Stevens went to a time limit draw

James Storm/Eli Drake b. Mims/Jocephus – Fireman’s carry into a Backstabber to Mims

Thunder Rosa b. Allysin Kay – Rollup

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Fite.TV

Somehow the NWA is back with another pay per view and it looks pretty good. I only say somehow because I still can’t fathom that this company is alive in 2020, with the fact that they have been entertaining going another step beyond. This time it’s about the TV Title, with a tournament to crown a new champion. There’s some other stuff too of course so let’s get to it.

TV Title Tournament First Round: Tim Storm vs. Ken Anderson

This is going to be a tricky show to preview because there are a lot of matches where we won’t find out the participants until later in the show. We’ll start here though and it’s an interesting one to pick first, as it really could go either way. Anderson barely qualified for the tournament, only getting in via a gauntlet match. Storm has been treated as a major focal point over the last few weeks though, meaning this could go either way.

I’ll go with Anderson winning here though, likely due to Strictly Business interfering to cost Storm the match. That’s the story that makes sense, though it wouldn’t shock me to see it happen later in the tournament. Or not at all as Storm winning the title would be a nice feel good story as Storm has been turned into quite the fan favorite. It’s nice to start off with a match which could go either way and hopefully that continues.

TV Title Tournament First Round: Zicky Dice vs. Dan Maff

This is another one where it depends on how you see the other first round match going. Maff is one of the people over from Ring of Honor and quite the monster, which Dice is someone they seem interested in push. It helps that Maff is also a huge guy and rather tough, which would seem to be a near guaranteed win over Dice.

That’s why I’m taking Dice, who is someone with a good attitude and character that makes you want to see more of him. The NWA seems interested in pushing him and it wouldn’t make a lot of sense to have him lose here. Ring of Honor will be back later on in the night, but for nice it should be Dice moving forward.

TV Title Tournament First Round: Ricky Starks vs. Matt Cross

Now we might have the first easy choice. Cross is the outsider getting his chance in the tournament and Starks is the one who seems to have been pushed rather well throughout the show’s entire run so far. I’m not sure what to expect from the match from a quality standpoint but it isn’t hard to guess where this is going.

Starks wins here, as it might be his entire tournament to win. Cross has shown the abilities to have a good match against anyone so hopefully he can give Starks a nice rub. Starks has shown himself to be rather talented so far and hopefully that continues as he could go quite far in this thing. I mean, there are only three matches for the winner so it isn’t hard to go far but you know what I’m getting at.

TV Title Tournament First Round: Question Mark vs. Trevor Murdoch

Every now and then a wrestler catches on to something that is so goofy that you can’t help but get behind it. That’s the case with Question Mark, who has turned into a cult favorite in the NWA despite being quite the goofy heel. Murdoch on the other hand is as classic of a gimmick as you can get with the grizzled cowboy trying to show he can still fight.

Ignoring the gimmicks though, this is pretty clearly Mark’s to lose. Murdoch has been little more than a jobber to the stars so having Mark lose makes no sense. If nothing else, having Mark around with more of the karate stuff would make all the sense in the world. He’s just great with that whole gimmick and I’m curious to see how far it can go. For now though, it goes on to the second round.

Women’s Title: Allysin Kay(c) vs. Thunder Rosa

This is a weird situation as Kay is the long running champion but she isn’t the most popular star in the division or even the biggest name. That being said, she’s incredibly talented and feels like a big star, though I’m not sure how long she is going to hold the title. Melina and Thunder Rosa come off as the most important people in the entire division and that isn’t a good sign for Kay’s future.

I think I’ll play it safe here and go with Rosa as the next champ. This is a case where it would be fine to go either way, but Rosa has been turned into the most popular member of the division. I know Melina is still lurking, but they could make something out of Rosa and that would start with a title win here. I’m not convinced in the slightest, but I’ll take Rosa to win the title.

Tag Team Titles: Rock N Roll Express(c) vs. Wild Cards vs. James Storm/Eli Drake

The Express got their big moment a few months ago on Powerrr and I’m not sure how much longer they can hold the things. It’s hard to believe that a pair of guys who could be the fathers of a lot of the wrestlers are the best tag team in the world, but that presents the other problem: who else is there to take the titles from them? It’s not like the division, if there is one, is all that deep.

I’ll take the Wild Cards to get the titles back though, which is about all you can go with here. They’re in a big story at the moment with Strictly Business and it would be a good idea to give the team some more gold. I could see Storm and Drake winning as well, but at some point you need to get the titles off of the Express and this seems to be a perfect place to do just that.

TV Title Tournament Semifinals: Ken Anderson vs. Ricky Starks

This is more of the right kind of match for Starks. Cross is a name, but Anderson is a former World Champion and someone who can give Starks a real rub. At the same time, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility that Anderson could move on and win the whole thing, which makes for a more interesting match here. You really could go either way and that’s a nice feeling.

That being said, Starks makes more sense here as the NWA needs stars and reheating the same Anderson that we’ve seen for years now doesn’t seem like the best solution. Just let Starks go forward and make the finals as Anderson is someone who can lose and not really be hurt by it. Starks moves on and Anderson goes to talk about something else.

TV Title Tournament Semifinals: Zicky Dice vs. Question Mark

It’s always weird to have a heel vs. heel match but it’s also weird to have a heel get some of the biggest reactions on the show. Dice is someone who could go somewhere but he hasn’t shown me much more than potential yet. On the other hand, Mark is someone who is riding an awesome wave of popularity so I’m not sure how long it is going to last. Both of those have positives but one makes more sense.

I’ll take Mark here, as Starks vs. Dice isn’t that thrilling of a final. Mark has been one of the most entertaining things about Powerrr so far and giving him the spot in the finals will get a much bigger reaction. Dice is going to be fine and can find something else to do, but for now it’s Mark moving forward, just to hear more about hie ka-ra-te skills from Stevens.

National Title: Aron Stevens(c) vs. Scott Steiner

Speaking of Stevens, here’s what might be the most amazing match of the Powerrr era as it could be anywhere from entertaining to one of the biggest disasters in recent memory. Hopefully it’s more towards the former and given how Stevens has been going as of late, I’d lean in that direction.

I’m going with Stevens to retain here, likely by DQ when Steiner goes nuts. They’ve done a nice job of keep Stevens as the cowardly champion who talks a big game, which is something that is always going to work. Just let Steiner be insane for a little while and have Stevens be entertaining and everything should be fine. Or it could be great. Or a nightmare. Either way, we could be in for something special here.

TV Title: Ricky Starks vs. Question Mark

So now we get down to what matters and I really could see it going either way. Like I’ve said before, it’s interesting to see where this goes because there are different realistic options. Mark is someone who is already over but I don’t know how far his run can go from here. A lot of that energy is likely to be gone with a single loss, but the same thing would be true of Starks at this point.

Give me Starks to win the title though, as Mark is over enough without it while Starks is someone without much of a gimmick or any credibility. The TV Title would help that a lot and he can defend it for a few weeks to come. Mark and Stevens are going to be fine doing their shtick while Starks needs something a bit more traditional. They’ll both be fine, but Starks wins here.

Nick Aldis vs. Flip Gordon

I doubt this goes on last but I can’t help putting the World Champion in the final spot. This is part of the NWA vs. Ring of Honor story and that could go well for both sides. The NWA is still finding its footing and Ring of Honor is trying to find a way to stop things from somehow getting worse. Maybe this partnership can help, but it has to start somewhere.

I’m actually going with Gordon on this one, probably in the form of Marty Scurll interfering to cost Aldis the match. Aldis vs. Scurll is where it’s at in the near future and they need something to help advance that. I could go for Scurll winning the title, but if Gordon wins here, he’ll be getting the shot. Aldis winning doesn’t leave as many doors open though, so go with Gordon winning.

Overall Thoughts

I’m not usually big on a one night tournament but the NWA is still brand new at this being around thing and need to do something to get some attention. There are enough names in the field to make it interesting and there is a good chance I’ve gotten most of these predictions wrong. There are a lot of good choices though and that’s a nice situation to have, much like having this show around in general.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author- page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: National Wrestling Alliance

Powerrr
Date: January 21, 2020
Location: GPB Studios, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Stu Bennett, Joe Galli

It’s the season finale, meaning the last show before Saturday’s Hard Times event. I’m not sure what that is going to mean, but apparently this week’s show is going to be an extended hour and a half edition. Hopefully they use the extra time in a good way, and around here I think they actually will. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

The opening recap sets up Nick Aldis vs. Ricky Morton for the World Title tonight.

Into The Fire.

Here’s Robert Gibson for a chat. He’s so happy to have helped his friend and partner get a World Title shot. Now go get it.

Tasha Steelz vs. Thunder Rosa

Steelz grabs a headlock to start but gets snapmared down and kicked in the back of the head. Rosa kicks her in the corner and chokes a bit with the boot, setting up a quick dragon sleeper. A hangman’s neckbreaker keeps Steelz in trouble but she gets a boot up in the corner. Steelz gets dropkicked out of the air though and a sitout Emerald Flosion finishes for Rosa at 2:52. This was just a step above a squash.

Post match Rosa says if you want to know what Melina’s problem is with her, ask Melina.

Nick Aldis is coming to see Marty Scurll in Baltimore and wants the NWA to come out in force. The tickets are free too.

Here are Royce Isaacs and Mae Valentine for a chat. Royce talks about Strictly Business being on fire but it’s pointed out that he is on a personal losing streak. That doesn’t sit well with Royce, who says his stock is going up. Galli lists off all of Royce’s losses and points out that the losses started when Valentine debuted. That’s not cool with Valentine and we’re done.

Let Austin Idol teach you how to get heat!

TV Title Tournament Qualifier: Thom Latimer vs. Trevor Murdoch

Latimer stomps away to start in a hurry to put Murdoch on the floor early on. Murdoch gets sent face first into the apron and a rake to the back makes it even worse. Back in and Latimer hits a powerbomb for two but a missed charge in the corner lets Murdoch grab a rollup (with trunks) for the pin at 2:31. That was his only offense for the match.

We recap Melina vs. Allysin Kay. Melina is a star but Kay is the defending Women’s Champion so it’s classic vs. modern.

Melina and Kay are at the interview desk with Melina wanting to make amends. Kay isn’t convinced and tells her to spit it out so Melina tells her to f****** listen. Melina has an idea for a match and Kay is ready to go. Hold on though as it isn’t against Melina, because Kay has to face Thunder Rosa at the pay per view. For now though, it’s a No DQ match with Kay facing….someone.

Allysin Kay vs. Marti Belle

Non-title and No DQ. It’s a brawl to start with Marti hammering away in the corner but getting knocked outside in a hurry. They slug it out on the floor until Marti flapjacks her onto the steps. Kay can’t get a chair as Belle kicks her away and puts on something like a camel clutch with Kay’s neck through the chair. That’s broken up and Belle’s knee hits the chair so Kay can slug away and take the fight into the crowd. Back in and Kay hits the AK47 onto the chair for the pin at 4:48.

Rating: C-. It was short but intense with Kay getting to showcase herself a bit more than usual. It’s almost weird that the Women’s Champion gets so little exposure but a showdown with Melina is the best thing for everyone involved. Odds are Melina wins the title, as they could have someone take it from her for a big rub. Either way, not a bad match here, with Belle getting to shine a bit.

Video on Nick Aldis vs. Ricky Morton. It’s so weird to say that in 2020. Or ever for that matter.

Buy the VHS guide to spiritual….something.

Here are the Pope and Eddie Kingston for a chat. Pope isn’t to blame for last week’s loss because he’ll help you if he can. People have been asking what his endgame is but he is still looking for his Super Powers and his Horsemen, and then you’ll see where this is going. Kingston says last week’s match shouldn’t have happened but Pope pushed them a bit too hard. They needed their victory last week but they learn instead of lose.

Kyle Davis replaces Galli on commentary. Was this taped out of order or something?

Here’s Aron Stevens for a ka-ra-tae demonstration, brought to you by the Mongrobian Ka-Ra-Tae Association. He brings out the Question Mark, but insists that he is NOT a mark! First, we face Mongrobia and bow, followed by Mark demonstrating a few chops. Now it’s some strikes to a masked man, followed by an explanation of how to disarm a man with a gun (or a finger gun).

But what if someone is carrying, say, a spatula? As I long for a squeegee joke, Mark demonstrates how to steal mace and use it on your attacker. Now we see two attackers taken out at once, which is why Mongrobia doesn’t need a nuclear program. Mark is ready to break some Mongrobian oak, but Stevens wants to do it himself so he can earn his fourth degree black belt.

Stevens needs to breathe a bit….but one of the masked men hits him with the board and unmasks as…..Ricky Starks for a good payoff. Speaking of payoffs, if you want to know Mongrobian secrets like these, it’s just 99.99 a month to learn why Mongrobia has been a free nation for thousands of years. This was rather entertaining as these two continue to be some of the most entertaining people in the NWA.

Buy Tony Falk’s tire irons! And have a waffle while you’re at it!

Gauntlet Match

The winner is the final entrant in the TV Title tournament. This is basically an eight man Royal Rumble and you can be eliminated by pinfall, submission or being thrown over the top. CW Anderson is in at #1 and Caleb Konley is in at #2. Feeling out process to start with neither being able to get anywhere until Konley takes him down by the arm. That’s broken up and we’re at another standoff.

Jocephus is in at #3 and is eliminated in about six seconds. Anderson clotheslines Konley for two but gets caught in a sitout ProtoBomb into a half crab. Colt Cabana is in at #4 as the intervals are all over the place. Cabana beats both of them up in a hurry, including a reverse Rings of Saturn to Konley. Anderson breaks that up and stomps on Cabana as Dave Dawson is in at #5. Splashes abound and it’s turning into more of a regular battle royal. Everyone is knocked down and it’s Aron Stevens at #6.

Stevens gets in, looks around, goes to the floor and crawls underneath the ring, Cue Zicky Dice to say he’s undefeated everyone around here and won’t be wrestling here because he’s already qualified. With that out of the way, Sal Rinauro is in at #7 to clean some house until Dawson dropkicks him for two. Everyone gangs up on Dawson though and Konley’s moonsault gets rid of him to clear the ring a bit. Ken Anderson is in at #8, giving us a final field of CW Anderson, Konley, Cabana, Stevens (under the ring), Rinauro and Ken Anderson.

Ken gets to clean house, including the Mic Check to eliminate Rinauro. Cabana and Ken get together to take over, which means it’s another Mic Check to get rid of Konley. CW hits Ken with a spinebuster but it’s the Superman Pin to finish CW off. Cabana and Ken are ready to go at it but cue the Question Mark as Stevens gets back in. Mark Mongrobian Spikes Stevens by mistake though and Stevens is paralyzed, allowing Cabana and Ken to throw him out. A handshake lets Ken roll Cabana up for the win at 12:35.

Rating: C. This worked well enough, mainly due to the battle royal setup instead of just a regular gauntlet. Ken getting the win is a good way to go as he’s one of the bigger stars around here. I could go for he and Cabana having a feud as neither exactly has anything better to do. If nothing else, you can probably bet on Cabana costing Ken his tournament match and that’s fine.

Post match Ken shakes Cabana’s hand….but hits him low and grabs another Mic Check. That’s not it though as Cabana gets posted for the knockout.

Hard Times video.

Eli Drake and James Storm are here to see Ricky Morton win the World Title. Storm is a tag team wrestler because of Morton and tonight Morton is like Dale Earnhardt. We even get a prayer for Morton to win the World Title tonight. Drake is fired up too and this helped things a bit.

It’s time for the Hard Times Control Center.

The final two spots in the TV Title tournament will be Matt Cross and Ring of Honor’s Dan Maff.

Maff wanted to be on the list of great NWA TV Champions.

Flip Gordon is ready for Nick Aldis at Hard Times because Marty Scurll has made him a new man.

New stipulation on the main event: if Morton wins, he is defending at Hard Times. If Aldis wins, the Rock N Roll Express have to defend in a triple threat match against the Wild Cards and Eli Drake/James Storm.

One more thing: Aron Stevens defends the National Title against Scott Steiner. I think I need to see that one.

NWA World Title: Nick Aldis vs. Ricky Morton

Aldis is defending and Billy Corgan is on commentary to make it special. Robert Gibson and Strictly Business are all at ringside for a bonus. Hold on though as Corgan tells Bennett something. Bennett says everyone has to leave ringside so it can be one on one. Aldis bails to the floor to start and it’s over a minute before they lock up for the first time. That goes nowhere so they circle each other a bit and lock up again, giving us another standoff.

Morton works on a headlock and manages to get Aldis on the mat for a change. Back up and a chop sends Aldis into the corner so it’s time for Aldis to start hammering away. Aldis goes for the arm so Morton elbows him in the face as they’re keeping it in first (or maybe second) gear so far. Some right hands in the corner send Aldis to the floor again but he rakes the eyes to get a breather.

Morton gets posted and a hard whip sends him into the corner for a bonus. A headbutt puts Morton down but he punches Aldis out of the air. That just earns him another rake to the eyes but Morton slams him off the top (he did face Flair before). A hurricanrana sets up a Figure Four on Aldis but a rope is grabbed. Morton tries a small package so Aldis reverses into one of his own and grabs the tights for the pin at 11:00.

Rating: C+. I didn’t come into this exactly thrilled with the concept but by the end, I wanted to see Morton win the title. Maybe it would be just a nostalgia act, but that can be a lot of fun at times. Of course it wasn’t going to happen and wouldn’t have been a great idea, but they got me on board and that’s more than I would have expected.

We get a graphic from Villain Enterprises saying Hard Times are coming for Aldis.

We look at the Hard Times lineup one more time to end the show.

Roll Credits.

Overall Rating: C+. The point of this show was to make me want to see Hard Times more than I did coming in and that’s what they did. The show is looking pretty nice on paper and that’s more than I would have bet on coming in. Somehow the NWA is having an intriguing run as of late and I’m curious to see where it wins up. Just have a good Hard Times and we should be fine.

Results

Thunder Rosa b. Tasha Steelz – Sitout Emerald Flosion

Trevor Murdoch b. Thom Latimer – Rollup with trunks

Allysin Kay b. Marti Belle – AK47 onto a chair

Ken Anderson won a gauntlet match last eliminating Colt Cabana

Nick Aldis b. Ricky Morton – Small package with tights

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also -available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author- page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6