Cemetery Gates
Date: March 31, 2022
Location: Fair Park, Dallas Texas
Commentators: Sam Leterna, Veda Scott

This is from Glory Pro Wrestling out of St. Louis, Missouri and part of Game Changer Wrestling’s Collective as part of the Wrestlemania Weekend festivities. Every year you will see some promotions show up over the weekend for the big weekend and put on a bit of a showcase event. That is the case again, as we have another show with a pretty weird name. Let’s get to it.

As usual, I have no idea what is going on here with regards to storylines, characters etc., so if I miss anything major, I apologize in advance.

Also, this show is available for free on the company’s YouTube page if you want to see what they have.

Myron Reed vs. Shane Sabre vs. Danny Jones vs. Carlos Romo

Reed is a longstanding MLW star, Jones is now in NXT UK and this is one fall to a finish. Romo fires the crowd up to start and everyone is outside in a hurry. Reed takes down Romo and Sabre but gets suplexed by Jones. Back up and Romo leg lariats Jones and hits Sabre with a swinging suplex.

Neither Sabre nor Romo can superplex Jones so they both try at the same time. With that not working either, they launch Reed into a super hurricanrana because JONES MUST BE BROUGHT DOWN. Romo ties up Jones’ legs and dragon sleepers the other two at the same time because that’s something that would happen in a fight. With that broken up, Jones pulls all three of them into a submission each, though he’s nice enough to go one at a time.

Romo DDTs Sabre for two and Jones piledrivers Sabre onto the apron for what should be a knockout. I mean it won’t be, but it should be. Jones chokes Romo on the apron but Reed gets a running start for a super cutter to drop Romo again. Back in and Jones sleeper suplexes Reed but gets caught by Romo’s springboard cutter for a close two. Romo misses a moonsault and gets taken down by Sabre’s slingshot spear. Reed grabs Sabre with a springboard cutter into Captain Crunch (White Noise) for the pin at 8:23.

Rating: C+. The best thing here is that they kept if fast paced and didn’t have so many wrestlers in there that you lost track of what was going on. They kept things moving here and it’s a great way to start the show off. I liked what we got here and Romo stood out, while Reed had a bit of star power for a bonus. Nice opener here.

Midwest Territory Title: Tootie Lynn vs. Janai Kai

Kai is challenging and has been on AEW a few times. They fight over arm control to start until Lynn grabs a headlock takeover. Kai fights out and kicks her in the back before pounding away to take over. Arm cranking ensues but Lynn is back up with an enziguri and a middle rope crossbody connects for two. The strike off goes to Kai and she grabs something like Nightmare on Helm Street for two. Back up and they strike it out again until Lynn pulls her down by the arm and flips over with the armbar ala Tommaso Ciampa for the tap at 7:41.

Rating: C. Not bad here from two women I haven’t seen much of before. What matters is that they had something going with Kai’s striking against Lynn going for the grappling and submissions. That might not be a great or detailed story, but it’s better than nothing and more than you get on a good number of shows these days.

Jake Something vs. Max The Impaler

A big forearm drops Max to start but Something gets run over and slammed down without much trouble. Something hits something like a Thesz press (minus the press) out of the corner and a heck of a right hand gets two. Back to back suplexes set up back to back to back clotheslines, the latter of which just fire Max up (might not make sense but a lot of things in wrestling don’t).

An exchange of clotheslines doesn’t go to anyone until Max runs him over with a clothesline. There’s a spear for two more on Something but he’s back up with a hard forearm to the back of the head. A sitout powerbomb gets two on Max, who comes right back with a spinebuster for two more. Back up and a spear misses for Max, setting up a Boss Man Slam to give Something the pin at 9:34.

Rating: C+. They beat each other up rather well here and it was a nice hoss fight throughout. Something is someone who a good look and some nice power, but my goodness that is one of the most indy wrestling names you will ever see. Fix that and he might go somewhere, but it sounds like a joke that has gone on way too long. Max is a pretty good power brawler as well and could fit in somewhere one day.

Tag Team Titles: Alpha Omega vs. Fly Def vs. Technical Difficulties vs. The Hustle And The Muscle

That would be Camaro Jackson/Kenny Alfonso vs. Warren Johnson/Zack Mason vs. Moses The Deliverer/Rahim de la Suede vs. Karam/Xavier Walker (defending) and I’m going to be lost about ten seconds into this. Thankfully commentary says the same so I’m not alone. Fly Def are from Reality of Wrestling and trained by Booker T. The champs come out to Voodoo Chile and I have some Nitro flashbacks.

It’s a brawl to start as this does not seem to have tags, thereby negating the TAG part of TAG TEAM. Hustle and Muscle clear the ring to start but Technical Difficulties gets together to take Walker outside. Fly Def is back up with a big dive onto the pile but then it’s Alpha Omega getting to clean house.

That doesn’t last long either as everyone gets a quick burst in before Fly Def clears the ring again. Alpha Omega breaks that up and calls Technical Difficulties inside for the showdown. Fly Def breaks that up but Mason is sent outside, leaving Johnson to get pounded in the corner by de la Suede. Hustle and Muscle are back in though and a spinebuster to Mason retains the titles at 7:01.

Rating: C+. What do you say about something like this? It was eight wrestlers flying around and getting in whatever they could without much time to spare. This was the equivalent of a scramble match on this show and it did about as much: offer some entertaining spots and pop the crowd by never stopping. It was fun for what it was, but these matches are going to bleed together and then be forgotten pretty quickly.

We recap Allie Katch vs. Laynie Luck. Katch cheated to survive against Luck but got disqualified anyway. Luck is here for revenge plus a cleaner win.

Laynie Luck vs. Allie Katch

Submission match with No DQ, meaning no rope breaks. Luck goes for the legs to start and gets nowhere so it’s a dropkick to put Katch down instead. Back up and Katch grabs a quick backbreaker, only to get pulled into a Fujiwara armbar. That’s countered into a DDT but Luck is back with a sunset flip, which she rolls over into an STF. Katch is right out of that as well and hits a seated senton out of the corner.

They head outside with Katch not being able to hit a powerbomb but blocking another armbar. Back in and Luck grabs a sick German suplex into a guillotine choke. That’s broken up as well so Luck switches to a Regal Stretch (complete with the arm trap). Katch bites her way to freedom and takes it outside again, this time for a piledriver on the floor.

They get back inside where Luck (completely fine less than thirty seconds after a piledriver on the floor) hits an enziguri, setting up another STF. Another bite of the hand breaks that up so Luck tries a Boston crab. Katch has to get creative by grabbing the referee for the break, setting up her own Boston crab. With the rope break meaning nothing, Katch puts the Boston crab on again in the ropes to make Luck tap at 11:09.

Rating: C-. I wasn’t feeling this of this one as some of the holds were broken way too fast and a piledriver on the floor having no effect was a bit ridiculous. Katch having to cheat over and over again was a way to tie things into their backstory so at least there was a logic there. At the same time, Luck showed some promise here and there, but it just wasn’t that interesting most of the time.

Grindhouse vs. No Remorse Corps

Grindhouse is better known as the Besties In The World (Davey Vega/Matt Fitchett) and the Corps is Davey Richards/Rocky Romero, who were quite the Ring of Honor team way back when. Richards grabs a test of strength with Vega to start before twisting around into a wristlock. That’s reversed into one from Vega, which is broken up with a twist of the arm.

After the standoff, the fans demand and receive Romero, who trades wristlocks with Fitchett. Romero gets in a hurricanrana but Vega tags himself in for a cheap shot. That’s fine with Romero who starts the Forever Lariats, which are cut off by a well timed kick to the head. The double teaming is on in the corner with Fitchett grabbing an armbar and Vega stomping away.

A Grindhouse double team doesn’t work as Romero hits a standing Sliced Bread, allowing the hot tag off to Richards. Stereo rollups get two each on Grindhouse, followed by a leglock to Vega and an ankle lock to Fitchett, again because Davey Richards is apparently a genius. With that broken up, Romero is brought back in for some charges in the corner.

Richards adds a top rope knee to give Romero two but Fitchett is back up for the save. A running knee/kick combination in the corner gets two on Romero but Richards makes Vega DDT Fitchett, because that’s how wrestling works. Richards blasts Vega with a lariat and Moustache Mountain’s torture rack/top rope knee combination is enough for the pin at 12:29.

Rating: C+. Richards’ dominance aside, this was a hard hitting enough tag match with Grindhouse being overwhelmed by a better team. I’ve seen Grindhouse in their previous incarnation before and that was a lot more fun, leaving them as a not exactly unique team here. The Corps isn’t my favorite team, but they are pretty good at this style.

We recap Dan The Dad vs. Kody Lane (set to My Way by Limp Bizkit for a chuckle). Dad is a family man who likes being a good guy while Lane is messing things up. Therefore, it’s Loser Leaves The Neighborhood. That’s a unique one.

Dan The Dad vs. Kody Lane

No DQ. Dan charges in and slugs away as we hear about him not being happy with Lane leaving beer bottles on his lawn. They fight to the floor and the ladder is brought out, with Lane being sent into it for the crash. A trashcan shot gets Lane out of trouble though and they head back inside so Lane can stomp away. Dan dropkicks the knee out and goes for a Figure Four, which is kicked into the ladder in the corner. Back up and Lane kicks him in the face, setting up a backsplash for two.

Veda suggests that the two of them take a lesson from Sesame Street as Dan is sent outside, where he avoids a dropkick through the ropes. Back in and some chair shots to the back make Dan scream but he fights up and strikes away. A floatover DDT plants Lane and a hanging Downward Spiral onto an open chair gives Dan two. Land low blows his way out of a powerbomb though and a Jay Driller onto a ladder gets two more. A Lionsault hits ladder though and Dan crushes Lane’s leg in said ladder, setting up a Figure Four to make Lane tap at 10:19.

Rating: C+. I liked this more than I expected to and I could go for seeing some of the build to the match. Neither are exactly great in the ring but they had a story that made sense and built up well enough. The leg stuff was fine and Lane giving up because Dan wasn’t going to stop no matter what made sense. Nice stuff here with a unique story.

Josh Alexander vs. Warhorse

Feeling out process to start with Alexander breaking up an early headlock. It’s way too early for Alexander’s C4 Spike as he gets tossed outside for a double stomp to the back. They head back inside with Alexander hitting a rolling Death Valley Driver but Warhorse chops away in the corner. For some reason Warhorse turns his back on him though and Alexander gets in a leg dive to the mat so cranking can ensue.

Back up and they slug it out until Alexander rams him head first into the buckle. This has no effect on Warhorse for Warhorse reasons so it’s a flying forearm to drop Alexander. A flying forearm lets Warhorse go up top but Alexander rolls away before anything can launch. Warhorse takes him down by the legs though and the Sharpshooter goes on, sending Alexander straight to the ropes.

They head to the apron and slug it out with Alexander hitting a World’s Strongest Slam. Warhorse is right back up with a heck of a suicide dive, which shouldn’t be much of a surprise in his case. Back in and Alexander pulls him out of the air for an ankle lock, sending Warhorse over to the ropes. Alexander gets caught in the corner for an Alberto double stomp and a near fall. A top rope superplex drops Warhorse but he pops back up with a spinning kick to the face. Back up and Alexander hits him in the back of the head with a forearm, setting up the C4 Spike for the pin at 16:01.

Rating: B. Some of the no selling here was ridiculous but it was one of those matches where it was about giving us a cool pairing and letting Alexander continue to shine. He is one of the better stars outside of WWE and AEW at the moment and it is always cool to see him. Warhorse is a ball of energy so it is fun to see him as well, meaning this was a pretty nice pairing.

Crown Of Glory Title: Mike Outlaw vs. Brian Keith

Outlaw is defending the promotion’s top title. Feeling out process to start with Keith grabbing a headlock takeover, which is broken up for a bit of a frustrated standoff. Back up and Outlaw gets two off a rollup but gets kicked in the face to put him in trouble for the first time. Keith kicks him down again and starts stomping away in the corner as the control is on. Outlaw loses a chop off and Keith grabs a chinlock to keep him down.

Outlaw fights up and grabs a suplex for two, only to get caught in the chinlock again. That’s broken up again as well so Keith hits a fireman’s carry backbreaker for two. A tiger driver gets the same but Outlaw fights his way off the top. Outlaw, still on top, lifts Keith up (off the mat) for a swinging superplex into a release suplex for a heck of a sequence but only a near fall.

Keith gets dragon screw leg whipped and Outlaw slaps on a half crab, with Keith bailing over to the rope. They slug it out again until Outlaw grabs a Stunner, with Keith hitting a quick enziguri. Outlaw goes for the leg again but Keith powers up, only to get caught in a rollup to retain the title at 14:34.

Rating: B-. Not exactly a great match here but they did well enough and it felt like a title match. I’ve seen a bit of Keith before and he was good enough to make me think the title might be in jeopardy. I didn’t get much out of Outlaw, but he had a nice look and worked well, making him seem like someone who could be a top star in a smaller promotion like this one.

Respect is shown to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Pretty good show here, though nothing that you need to rush out to see. I’ve only heard a bit about Glory Pro before and they did well enough. It might not be a great show, but it was a fine way to spend about two hours, especially when it was free on YouTube. I could go for seeing some one of their regular shows, especially some of those Dan The Dad promos. Not too bad at all and that’s always a nice surprise.

 

 

 

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AAW Epic 2017: The 13th Anniversary Show
Date: April 8, 2017
Location: Joe’s Live, Rosemont, Illinois
Commentators: Phil Colvin, Tyler Volz

As the name might suggest, this is AAW, a pretty nice independent promotion from around Chicago. There are a lot of names you are going to recognize on here and that should make for a pretty nice card. Making it to thirteen years is impressive enough and in theory the show should work out as a result. Let’s get to it.

The commentators are in the ring to welcome us to the show and hype things up a bit.

Opening video.

Besties In The World vs. Stephen Wolf/Trey Miguel

The Besties (Davey Vega/Kyle Fitchett) come out to Savage Garden’s Truly Madly Deeply and yes they have a dance routine to it, because they’re that awesome. They start fast with Fitchett hitting a double Pele but the Besties are sent outside. Wolf dives onto Fitchett and Miguel hits Vega as the Besties are in early trouble.

We settle down to Wolf hitting a very springboardy hurricanrana to Vega and it’s off to Miguel for some dropkicks in the corner. Vega is back up with a kick to the face and it’s back to Fitchett for a suplex on Miguel. A wind up poke to the eye rocks Miguel again, even though Vega isn’t happy with Fitchett’s cheating.

The neck crank goes on for a bit, followed by Fitchett hitting a Ho Train of all things for two. Miguel manages something like a cutter and the hot tag brings in Wolf….who slips off the ropes in a springboard attempt but spears Fitchett anyway. Everything breaks down and Miguel elbows Vega in the face, setting up a top rope Meteora which needs a save from Fitchett.

Vega and Miguel wind up holding Fitchett up, allowing Wolf to come in with a springboard double stomp to the ribs. Miguel Rolls the Dice into a standing shooting star press for two on Vega, who is back up without much trouble. A powerbomb drops Wolf onto Miguel, setting up a brainbuster onto the knee/running boot from Fitchett combination for the pin at 9:28.

Rating: B-. They went with the fast paced tag match to start here and that is how a show should get going. Sometimes you need to do something fun to get the show going and that is what they did here. The Besties In The World have been a fun team every time I have seen them and this was no exception, though that might be due to the Savage Garden influence.

Trevor Lee says he isn’t dancing anymore because all it got him was a lame Tag Team Titles. Then his partner got hurt and he was stripped of the titles even though he never lost. He is the biggest star around and Chuck Taylor is still on the indies for a reason. Lee wants to be the first star in the arena because after him, there is no show. Tonight, he’s taking Taylor out.

ACH vs. Shane Strickland

If nothing else we get Ain’t Nobody for Swerve’s entrance and sweet goodness that is an awesome setup. ACH goes outside and lays on a section labeled KEEP OFF, giving us a HOLY S*** chant before the bell. To even things out, Strickland loads up ACH’s shirt but then drops it instead. ACH isn’t happy with that and sends him to the apron, where a dropkick to the leg takes him down.

The REALLY hard running kick from the apron has Strickland in a lot of trouble but he gets a boot up to stop a charge. Back in and Strickland misses a legsweep and enziguri but manages a dropkick to rock ACH again. Strickland takes him into the corner for a VERY loud chop, with ACH cringing even harder. Back up and ACH hits his own loud chop, earning him a glare from Strickland.

We get the very long wind up before ACH’s next chop….and then he points over there and hits Strickland low. Some neckbreakers give ACH two and we’re off to the Figure Four necklock. With that broken up, ACH ties up the leg, points to the crowd a bit, and then turns it into a Muta Lock. A Ted DiBiase fist drop has Swerve in more trouble, setting up an Aleister Black dragon sleeper.

Strickland fights up and hits the House Call for a breather, which has the fans waking up a bit. That sweet rolling cutter gives Swerve two (with commentary being STUNNED by the kickout). The Swerve Stomp misses though and a fireman’s carry backbreaker gives ACH two of his own. Back up and Strickland charges into a boot in the corner, setting up a middle rope Codebreaker for two.

The brainbuster is blocked so ACH chops him into the corner instead. Strickland isn’t having that and hits a running boot in the corner, setting up the Swerve Stomp for the big near fall. The JML Driver is blocked so they trade kicks to the face until another House Call sets up….something that ACH reverses into the brainbuster for the pin at 12:41.

Rating: B. This was the kind of fast paced and hard hitting match that had me wondering who was going to win by the end. The finish was a very nice curve too as I wouldn’t have bet on that kind of a fast switch from ACH. Strickland continues to be someone who should be ready to become a top star somewhere, but for some reason that hasn’t quite happened outside of the old MLW. Good stuff here though and I could go for more from them, even if ACH is a bit wacky.

Post match ACH wants a handshake but then drops the mic and walks off instead, like a true villain.

Chuck Taylor isn’t sure how this singles match thing is going to work but if Trevor Lee doesn’t want to dance, maybe he will. Or maybe not. Either way, he wraps it up with a “f*** you buddy” to Lee.

Trevor Lee vs. Chuck Taylor

We get a F*** THAT OWL chant as Lee is an Impact Wrestling star and that is not a good idea a lot of the time. They stare at each other to start…and some dance music starts. Actually hang on again though as Lee grabs a headlock instead. That stays on for a bit until Taylor rolls him into the corner and stomps away, leaving Lee looking a bit stunned.

With Lee down, Taylor goes all the way to the entrance and gets a running start before landing on apron and waving at Lee. The slow motion hilo hits Lee, who is right back up with a whip into the barricade. A belly to back drop onto the apron has Taylor in more trouble, allowing Lee to pose a bit. Back in and Lee hits a running tackle to a downed Taylor, sending him back to the floor. Some choking on the barricade sets up a rolling, uh, cover, for two back inside.

A release German suplex drops Lee though and it’s Taylor striking away at the face. Lee charges into an overhead belly to belly, sending him hard into the corner for two more. Taylor gets caught in a bridging German suplex for two more and Lee hits a Superman Punch. Lee’s suplex is countered into the Falcon Arrow for another near fall but Taylor misses a moonsault (of all things). The miss lets Lee hit the Cave In but Taylor counters the fireman’s buster into a small package for two. That’s fine with Lee, who rolls him up with tights for the pin at 9:43.

Rating: C+. Another pretty good one here, with both guys fitting in rather well. It didn’t feel quite as intense, but Lee and Taylor aren’t exactly known for being the most serious guys. They got things going near the end though and I was thinking Taylor might have pulled off the upset. It was a bit of a step down from the first two matches, but if this is the bad stuff, we’re in for a pretty awesome show.

Angelico and Jack Evans (later known as the Hybrid 2 in AEW) are ready for the Crist Brothers.

Tag Team Titles: OI4K vs. Angelico/Jack Evans

OI4K (that would be Ohio Is 4 Killers, meaning Jake and Dave Crist, with JT Davidson) are defending. Angelico and Evans seem to be debuting here, with Angelico in a Lucha Underground shirt. Jake and Angelico start things off, with Angelico taking him down for an early leg crank. Back up and Jake goes with a headlock on the much taller Angelico, making for a bit of a strange visual.

That’s reversed into something like an Indian Deathlock for some cranking/screaming (I’ll let you figure out which is which) until Jake rakes the eyes to escape. Evans, smoking a cigarette, comes in for some clapping but his dancing results in Jake jumping him from behind. Just to show off, Evans fights back and sends the champs to the floor, all while smoking.

The big dive is cut off by a kick to the head though and we hit the chinlock. Dave is right there to cut Angelico off the apron though and a fist drop gets two on Evans. Back up and Evans hits a springboard moonsault onto both Crists (albeit not at the same time), setting up a Pele so the hot tag can bring Angelico back in. Everything breaks down and Angelico kicks Dave down for two.

Evans’ assisted 450 knees gets two, with Jake making another save. A belly to back suplex/springboard double stomp gets the same, with Dave having to flip Evans onto Angelico to break up a Koji Clutch. There’s a tiger suplex for the same on Evans but Angelico makes the save this time. The Fall From The Heavens drops Jake but Davidson pushes Evans off the top. A twisting DDT and a Tombstone retains the titles at 12:25.

Rating: B-. This was a rather indy style tag match, as they started off with the usual stuff and then broke down into all four of them in there at once for a bunch of saves. That being said, it’s still a completely entertaining match and both teams are quite good. Evans is still more than a bit out there, but his flipping is always worth a look.

Post match Low Ki runs in and takes out OI4K without much trouble. Low Ki says he’s coming for Sami Callihan and tonight he’s coming for Callihan in a tag match. His usual partner, Eddie Kingston, isn’t here tonight but he has a mystery partner. Sounds fun.

Matt Riddle is ready to take out Michael Elgin tonight. He is pretty much exactly the same Riddle he would be in WWE as well.

Michael Elgin vs. Matt Riddle

Riddle tries to go with the grappling to start but Elgin spins him around. That doesn’t work either so Riddle grabs a front facelock, which is reversed into a pretty weird looking Sharpshooter. Elgin switches that over to an STF but Riddle powers out and grabs a headscissors. With that broken up, Riddle wins a slugout and snaps off a good looking German suplex. They head outside, with Elgin dropping him hard onto the apron.

Back in and Elgin BLASTS him with a chop, followed by the very delayed (32 seconds) vertical suplex for two. Riddle gets up and strikes away with shots to the face and ribs, setting up an overhead suplex. The backsplash gets two but some YES Kicks just wake Elgin up and he growls a lot. A Bro To Sleep and another German suplex gives Riddle two more.

Elgin is fine enough to cut him off with a kick to the head though and a German suplex into the corner has Riddle in trouble for a change. Riddle catches him on top so Elgin grabs a middle rope sunset flip of all things, followed by a discus lariat (that’s more like it). One heck of a top rope splash gives Elgin two but the Elgin Bomb (a bomb from Elgin) is countered.

They trade strikes to the head until Elgin hits a HARD clothesline for a double knockdown. A top rope superplex hits Riddle, who pops up to his feet, because FIGHTING SPIRIT is a really stupid concept. Elgin clothesline him down again and then does it again for two. A buckle bomb into a GTS into a tiger bomb gets two more on Riddle, setting up the buckle bomb into an Elgin Bomb for the pin at 14:50.

Rating: B. This was the hard hitting fight that you probably expected, though the FIGHTING SPIRIT stuff can get a little annoying when it happens more than once in a match. Riddle’s kickout got a little annoying but at least he lost in the end. Elgin was a heck of a power guy, though I’m not sure how often you re going to be seeing him after various issues took him out of a good chunk of the industry (as they should have).

Post match, Elgin talks about how he hasn’t been here for all of the thirteen years of AAW, but thanks the fans anyway.

Shane Strickland has lost his first two matches in AAE and doesn’t feel bad about losing to AR Fox and ACH. He’ll be back, better, stronger and faster.

JT Davidson is very happy with OI4K retaining and promises they will take on all comers. They’re ready for whoever is up next on April 22. Dave Crist talks about being a fighter and a killer, even with a pinched nerve in his back.

John Morrison vs Rey Fenix

Bit of a slip up as Morrison’s chyron says Hennigan. The fans don’t think much of Morrison, but that might be due to him not throwing his shirt to the crowd. Morrison grabs a headlock to start but Fenix flips up and they run the ropes. Said running doesn’t include much in the way of contact until Morrison is sent outside. Fenix’s dive is cut off with a kick to the head but he’s fine enough to grab a rolling cutter for two back inside.

A Crossface doesn’t last long for Fenix so Morrison takes him outside and drapes him between the ring and the apron. An ax kick brings Fenix down but hold on as Morrison dives over the barricade and steals a fan’s hat. The hat is put in Morrison’s pants and rubbed in various places before being returned to the fan….who puts it back on. That’s certainly a new one.

Back in and Morrison grabs a chinlock with a bodyscissors, which lasts as long as a chinlock would be expected to last. They head to the apron, where Fenix kicks him down and hits a top rope double stomp to the back of the head. Well it wasn’t the Destroyer I was expecting so I’ll take that as an upgrade. That’s good for two back inside but Morrison grabs a powerslam of all things. A standing shooting star press gets two on Fenix, who comes back with a great looking superkick.

The 450 misses though and Morrison grabs a Spanish Fly for two of his own, leaving them both down. They slug it out until Morrison leg lariats him down again. Back up and Morrison spits in his face and fires off a middle finger, which means he needs to hide behind the referee. That sets up the low blow and Flying Chuck, but Starship Pain doesn’t work. Fenix is back up with a Canadian Destroyer for the pin at 13:32.

Rating: B. If you’ve seen one Fenix match then you’ve seen them all, and as usual it was as exciting of a match as you are going to see on the show. This was another very entertaining match and Fenix continues to somehow be even better on his own than his great work as a tag wrestler. Good stuff here, and the kind of fast paced match you knew you were getting from Fenix. Morrison was his usual self as well, and the heel work continues ot be his strong suit.

Post match the fans throw in money, which Morrison grabs before running off, as expected. Fenix flips him off to even the score a bit.

Riddle, in a different hat than earlier, seems disappointed by his loss but he knows he can beat anyone. I think at least, as he’s kind of hard to understand.

Chuck Taylor wants Alex Daniels on April 22, which happens to be his birthday.

Sami Callihan/Abyss vs. Low Ki/???

JT Davidson handles Callihan and Abyss’ introduction. Low Ki’s partner is….Kongo Kong, a rather large jungle savage monster. It’s a brawl to start with Ki (in his Hitman (game, not Hart) gear) hitting a dropkick to send Callihan outside. Abyss cuts him off but Kong hits a big dive to take everyone down. Callihan is back up with a spitting chop to Ki as Abyss and Kong brawl next to the barricade.

Ki and Callihan fight on the stage, with Kong cutting Callihan off before he can send Ki flying. Back on the floor, Ki hits some running forearms to Callihan but does stop for a quick drink. Kong posts Abyss and takes Callihan inside as they trade off for the first time. Callihan’s shots to the face don’t work as Kong catches him with a spinning slam.

Abyss is back in with a chokeslam to Kong but Ki knocks him down as well. That leaves Ki and Callihan to slug it out until Ki misses a charge into the corner. A running kick in the corner rocks Ki but he’s right back with a shotgun dropkick. With the two of them down, Kong and Abyss slug it out, with Abyss hitting the Black Hole Slam for the pin at 9:32.

Rating: C. This was the weakest match of the night for me as it was a big brawl with no one exactly standing out. I’m not a fan of the Hitman Low Ki phase and it felt like it kept going for far longer than it should have. Abyss is still a good choice for a monster/enforcer, while Callihan does feel like a top heel. Kong as a replacement for Eddie Kingston…didn’t exactly work. Not a bad match, but it didn’t exactly make me want to see more.

Post match, Abyss and Callihan give us a display of middle finger extensions.

Michael Elgin is proud of his win and wants the World Title.

AAW Heritage Title: Penta El Zero M vs. AR Fox

Penta is defending the midcard title. This means nothing though, as Fox comes out to the Space Jam theme, making him the coolest guy named Fox in this match. They start very fast with a double knockdown and the fans are rather appreciative. Or maybe that’s over Penta’s CERO MIEDO thing. Penta knocks him to the floor but the dive is cut off by a kick to the head (popular spot tonight).

Fox gets superkicked out of the air but knocks Penta outside as well. That means the second cut off dive in a row, though Fox is fine enough to hit a hanging Codebreaker. A moonsault off the post hits Penta on the floor and it’s time for the big chop off. Fox puts him on the apron for a top rope legdrop and they head back inside. Penta pops up with a pair of Sling Blades but Fox kicks him down again.

There’s a Swanton for two on Penta, leaving Fox to do the clapping to start getting the fans more into things. A handspring is cut off with a dropkick (cool counter) from Penta for a breather. It’s time to start on the arm but Fox saves himself from a snapping. Penta gets caught on top but comes right back with a Canadian Destroyer for two.

Fox puts him on top for his springboard Spanish Fly, followed straight by the 450 for two more, giving us the stunned kickout face. They head to the apron to strike it out until Fox hits a package piledriver to knock Penta silly. Naturally that is shrugged off and Penta hits a Canadian Destroyer on the apron. The top rope double stomp retains the title at 10:13.

Rating: B. Fox is someone who is almost revered and I do get a bit more out of him when I see him in the ring. That was the case here, as Fox looked good in defeated. Granted it helps when you actually sell big moves for more than a few seconds, as Penta popping up after being dropped on his head on the apron didn’t exactly work. Solid main event, but it didn’t quite feel like the main event of a major show.

Respect is shown post match and Penta poses. A lot. As money is thrown in. Then he leaves.

The Besties In The World want their Tag Team Titles back, but apparently they have a singles match to deal with first. Davey Vega isn’t pleased and leaves.

ACH calls AAW his new wife and wants the World Title.

The Lucha Bros are very happy with their wins but Rey Fenix wants the World Title. Threats to Sami Callihan are made to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. I had a really good time with this one and it felt like a big time independent show. Granted, that’s assuming you consider a promotion that has been around for thirteen years to be independent but that’s a different story. The action was good, it was a basic all star show of wrestlers you probably came to know from their work after this, and nothing was close to bad. It didn’t have that one match that felt bigger than the rest, but what we got here was very good. Check this place out if you get the chance as I’ve seen two shows from them now and had a good time with each.

 

 

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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.

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

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