Joey Janela’s Spring Break 2
Date: April 6, 2018
Location: Pontchartrain Convention & Civic Center, Kenner, Louisiana
Attendance: 1,500
Commentators: Denver Colorado, Emil J

I’ve done parts of this series before so I figured I might as well knock off the rest of them. This show features a match that I’ve always wanted to see as it started one of the strangest comeback stories in wrestling history. Other than that, we’re in for a total mess and that is absolutely by design. Let’s get to it.

The opening video is designed after what looks to be a 16 bit video game, with Joey Janela and Glacier going after Marty Jannetty on the streets….where Jannetty lights Dink on fire to clear the stage. The second stage features Janela and Jannetty shooting at a Barber Shop (which can shoot back). With the shop destroyed, Shawn Michaels pops out of a DeLorean and superkicks Jannetty. That was different.

James Ellsworth is in a toy store and talks about working in WWE before coming here in his return to the independent scene. Tonight he’s ready to fight Matt Riddle, who doesn’t think much of Ellsworth.

Nick Gage music video. Is this just a really long pre-show?

David Starr talks about what wrestling has done for him and tonight, he’s ready for Mike Quackenbush. This is a really long pre-show isn’t it?

Quackenbush is in, and says so to Starr’s face.

Video on the Great Sasuke vs. Joey Janela, the show’s main event.

There’s going to be a Clusterf*** Battle Royal.

We start the series of videos from the beginning again as I guess we’ve got some time to kill before the show starts.

After 24 minutes of the videos looping, we’re ready to go, meaning we get to hear the commentators getting ready for the show and going over the match order.

The opening video is modeled after the WWF Attitude Era intro.

We open with a video on Joey Janela, which is basically a recreation of The Wrestler.

Teddy Hart vs. KTB vs. Tony Deppen vs. Eli Everfly vs. Gringo Loco vs. DJZ

One fall to a finish and DJZ would go on to become Joqauin Wilde in WWE. It’s a brawl to start (duh) with Everfly being sent outside. Deppen clears the ring but gets anklescissored down by Loco. Everfly is back in to snap off a headscissors before he and Loco come to a standoff. Hold on though as DJZ is back with his air horn but gets cleared out again. Hart walks on KTB’s back before pulling him into a sunset flip for two.

A torture rack backbreaker sends Deppen outside and a Project Ciampa hits Everfly. With a helping hand from the referee, Hart moonsaults onto a bunch of people on the floor. KTB dives onto everyone (Hart doesn’t go down) and Everfly hits a dive of his own. Back in and a springboard tornado DDT plants KTB and a super hurricanrana gives Everfly two on Loco. KTB comes off the top to dive onto everyone but Hart, who DDTs KTB down.

A Lionsault misses for KTB and Loco hits a springboard cutter to bring him down again. DJZ is back up and sunset bombs Loco into a moonsault onto KTB before hitting them both with a rolling DDT. Everfly hurricanranas Hart to the floor and takes Deppen up top for a…..super flipping Jay Driller (commentary: “He can’t do that!”) and the pin at 11:06.

Rating: B-. I’m not big on scrambles like this one, but there is something to be said about doing this kind of acrobatics and flips all over the place. It was certainly a fun match and the right way to fire up the crowd to start the show. Everfly’s finisher was completely nutty, making it perfect for a show like this one. Very fun stuff here and believe it or not, the fans loved it.

James Ellsworth vs. Matt Riddle

Ellsworth’s intergender title isn’t on the line (and I’m assuming Riddle’s unidentified title isn’t either). Ellsworth chop blocks him from behind before the bell but Riddle snaps off a gutwrench suplex to drop him as well. Fans: “WHERE’S YOUR CHIN?” Riddle hits a running forearm in the corner and the backsplash makes it worse. Riddle’s running knee just misses….because Ellsworth doesn’t have a chin. A superkick gives Ellsworth one but another is countered into the Bromission to give Riddle the win at 3:38.

Rating: C. Well yeah, what were you expecting? This was always going to be total destruction and it shouldn’t have been anything else. Ellsworth was always a joke and that’s how he was treated here, with Riddle, the indy prodigy, running through him. The missed knee was funny and then Riddle finished him off, as he should have done. That’s oddly logical from a show like this but I’ll take it.

Ellsworth flips off the crowd on the way out in a nice touch.

The ring announcer is ready to introduce the next match and….Virgil interrupts? He calls someone out (the audio isn’t exactly clear), gets no one, and leaves.

PCO vs. Walter

PCO isn’t the monster just yet. Before the match, Walter offers a chance to walk out but PCO gives him a crotch chop and we’re ready to go. They circle each other to start and PCO takes him into the corner for some taps to the chest. Walter works on the arm and gets kicked away without much trouble. PCO knocks him outside and loads up the dive, only to get run over with a shoulder.

The chop off ensues until Walter grabs a slam and sits on his chest. Some choking on the ropes keeps PCO down but he chops his way out of trouble. A kick to the head and short DDT put Walter down and it’s time to head outside. PCO loads up the first table but takes too long and gets dropped down onto the apron. Walter blocks a powerbomb off the apron and sends PCO hard into the steps, but the big chop only hits post.

As he’s a bit off, PCO goes up top and moonsaults down onto Walter and the referee for the big triple knockdown. Granted there was almost no length to the dive so it’s a wonder that he hit the two of them as well as he did. Walter is up first and powerbombs PCO through the table before doing it again (sans table) inside.

The second referee comes in for the two count so PCO gets booted in the face. The chops just wake PCO up though and he opens his own shirt so Walter can chop him again. PCO wins a chop off and the fans are actually on their feet as Walter looks scared. A discus forearm puts Walter on the floor for a suicide dive and a running flip dive takes him down again.

Back in and a super hurricanrana gives PCO two but Walter flips him over with a release German suplex. PCO is right back with a Regal Roll into a split legged moonsault for two (and another standing ovation). Back up and PCO hits a top rope Swanton to finally put Walter away at 18:29.

Rating: B+. Oh yeah this was rather awesome as it was all about two big guys beating each other up and hitting each other really hard. Walter was already a big deal but this would be a nice boost to his career. At the same time, it kicked off one of the most improbably career resurgences as PCO would turn this into an incredible second act to his career. It’s easy to see why too, as this was just hard hitting pain for the sake of beating on each other, with those chops making my skin crawl.

Post match they trade another chop each and shake hands before Walter leaves.

GCW World Title: Penta El Zero M vs. Nick Gage

Gage is defending and swears a lot before the bell. We get a CERO MIEDO vs. MDK chant off until Gage knocks him outside. The dive is cut off with a chair to the head and Penta chairs him again for a bonus. Penta’s chop hits the post though (with commentary pointing out that it’s two matches in a row) but is fine enough to grab some doors. Gage hiptosses him through a door in the corner and grabs a Falcon Arrow for two.

The boot scrape is cut off though and Penta Death Valley Drivers him through another door. A piece of the door over the head rocks Gage again and Penta puts some pieces onto Gage onto a table. The backsplash off the barricade doesn’t put Gage through said table in a nasty crash. Back in and Penta bridges a door over some chairs and Pentagon Drivers him through the door for two. Penta sets up another similar structure but gets powerbombed off the ropes through it instead. The chokebreaker retains Gage’s title at 9:27.

Rating: D+. This felt like a match where the idea was “Gage vs. this guy” and they didn’t have any more thought put into it. Gage didn’t do much of anything here and then retained in the end after Penta had done so much. That didn’t make for an interesting or even fun match from the usual freak show standards, so this was kind of a wreck.

Respect is shown post match. Penta leaves and Gage yells at the fans, who don’t seem to like him. Then he high fives a bunch of fans on the way out so he’s quite an odd duck.

Mike Quackenbush vs. David Starr

Starr does his long introduction and commentary (featuring Walter for this match) will not shut up, saying no one cares what Starr has to say. They fight over arm control to start until Starr gets two off a Thesz press. Back up and they shake hands before Mike climbs the rope and armdrags him into a leglock which he rolls over for what appeared to be a Crossface attempt, sending Starr to the rope.

Mike stomps on the foot and sweeps the leg, setting up some double knees to the ribs. The abdominal stretch goes on and even Walter is impressed by the series of twists it took for Mike to get it on. With that broken up, Starr Death Valley Drivers him into the corner twice in a row, followed by a springboard clothesline to the floor. Starr doesn’t want the countout so he throws Mike back in and gets tossed off the top for his efforts.

A Swanton gives Mike two but his hurricanrana is countered into a powerbomb for two. Starr kicks him in the head for two, which has Walter wanting Mike to win because Starr is “acting like a d***.” A nice tornado DDT sends Starr outside but the big dive is cut off, with Starr driving him into the apron. Back in and Mike grabs a double arm crank but Starr slips out and blasts him with a clothesline for the pin at 11:37.

Rating: B-. This was the technical match of the night so far, with Starr being just enough of a villain to make it a little uneven. What mattered here was getting in something different on the show and they made it work. These two worked well together and you could hear Walter being impressed on commentary so there had to be something to this one.

Commentary: “Walter is it fair to say that the better man won?” Walter: “No.” Starr grabs the mic and puts Mike over before saying how glad he was for being on this show.

Clusterf*** Battle Royal

This is a Royal Rumble with pinfalls, submissions and over the top eliminations, though the entrance intervals are going to be shaky at best. We see some people in the back trying to check into the match, including MJF in a blonde wig disguise. Jimmy Lloyd is in at #1 and Session Moth Martina (she likes beer) is in at #2. Martina dances a lot and gets kissed for her efforts as Orange Cassidy (still just an indy guy and not a phenomenon yet) is in at #3.

Cassidy takes so long to come in that Wheeler Yuta (looking about 17 years old) comes in at #4 and Curt Stallion comes in at #5 for the grapple off. Yuta rolls him up for two and it’s Facade in at #6 to strike away at Stallion. Facade sends him outside and adds a rope walk moonsault onto everyone outside (as no one has been eliminated yet). Back in and a running kick to the head pins Stallion for our first elimination. Swoggle is in at #7 and snaps off some German suplexes.

With Swoggle cleaning house, Grado is in at #8 and he seems immune to German suplexes. Apparently Grado is quite intoxicated and Kikutaro is in at #9 and crotches himself while trying Old School. As some other wrestlers come back in….the Invisible Man is in at #10. House is cleaned and Kikutaro is tossed before Swoggle taps to a Fujiwara armbar. Joe Gacy is in at #11 and slugs it out with Yuta, including the handspring cutter. Bryan Idol is in at #12 and gets to clean some house before Chris Dickinson, in a mask, smoking a cigarette, and coming out to Real American, knocks out Facade.

Gacy is tossed and Yuta is Razor’s Edged out onto the pile (some are still in, some aren’t) at ringside. Dickinson hits Hulk Hogan’s finishing sequence to get rid of Grado and is left alone (I think). Dan Severn is in at #13 and they go with the grappling (after issues at yesterday’s Bloodsport). Alabama Doink (sure) is in at #14 and gets tossed by Severn, who is eliminated by Dickinson. Rickey Shane Page is in at #15 and beats up Dickinson….as well as the still in Lloyd.

With that not working, Marcus Crane comes in at #16 and gets beaten up by Dickinson. Aeroboy (a masked luchador with another masked man apparently named Crazy Boy….who looks like Excalibur) is in at #17 and starts cleaning house, with a Swanton into a double pin getting rid of Dickinson. Rory Gulak (or Drew, according to the rather drunk commentary team) is in at #18 and doesn’t like the idea of the match (with the sign to prove it). Nate Webb is in at #19 and walks through the crowd as Rory beats people up inside.

Everyone gets out of the ring as the fans sing Webb’s song. After taking over the camera, Webb gets inside and plants Gulak with something like a spinning Big Ending for the elimination. Ethan Page is in at #20 so Gulak kicks him in the head. That earns Webb a trip into the corner and it’s MJF (no wig) in at #21.

The masked men go after Page and MJF, with the villains tossing out the luchadors. With them gone, MJF Codebreakers Page into a rollup for the elimination. Martina (hey she’s still in this) comes back in and puts a condom on her face for a Mandible Claw on Page. She also wraps her legs around MJF’s hand for the female version of Joey Ryan’s penis suplex. Then Page rolls her up for the elimination. Cassidy finally gets in for the lazy strikes (the fans approve) and a double chokeslam pus the villains down.

That lets Cassidy go up….and fall off the top so MJF and Page can pin him at the same time. The Invisible Man beats both of them up until Lloyd gives him a piledriver…..which is illegal in Louisiana so Lloyd is eliminated. Page and MJF double team Webb for a double two count so they beat up referee Bryce Remsburg. That results in a beating from Remsburg, who gets sent outside.

Mikey Whipwreck is in at #22 (oh yeah this is a battle royal) and beats the villains up until MJF elbows him in the face. The Whippersnapper (Stunner) sends Page into a spinning faceplant from Webb for the pin and we’re down to….however many are still in this thing. MJF shoves Mikey off the ropes and hits a splash for the pin. A poke to the eye stuns Webb and MJF throws him out….but the Invisible Man rolls MJF up for the win at 39:38.

Rating: D. This right here? It was dumb. I get the idea of having a bunch of people involved and all that jazz but my goodness did this not hold my interest. I’m sure the live crowd (plus a lot of alcohol) really enjoyed it but it was a bunch of indy stars coming in, doing a little something and then moving on. It’s also one of those battle royals where it is virtually impossible to keep track of who is in there and who isn’t as people will stand outside for such long stretches. These things can be fun, but this didn’t have any big surprises or cool moments, leaving it as something that just kept going.

Joey Janela vs. Great Sasuke

Penelope Ford, in a Mardi Gras mask, is here with Janela. Sasuke comes to the ring with what looks like holy water to bless fans. A quick takedown doesn’t get either of them very far so they go to a grappling sequence with Janela twisting the fingers around. Sasuke nips up though and sits in the middle of the ring, which has Janela worried. Back up and Sasuke…apparently hypnotizes Janela and then spins his hand around, causing Janela to flip himself over.

Sasuke puts him in a chair at ringside and loads up a ladder, only to be whipped into it instead. Back up and Sasuke sends him flying off the top and onto the table for a nasty crash. Sasuke brings it back inside and puts Janela on the ladder for a missed Swanton, leaving Sasuke’s heck caught in said ladder. Janela grabs an inflatable alligator to crush Sasuke before loading up six chairs back to back.

With Janela going up top, Sasuke powerbombs him down onto the chairs in one of those STOP DOING THAT bumps. Sasuke hits him in the head with a door and then whips him through another in the corner. They slug it out on the apron and there’s a Death Valley Driver to plant Sasuke (Janela: “F*** YOU JIM CORNETTE!”). With Sasuke in a chair at ringside, Janela misses a top rope flip dive, only hitting the chair instead.

Janela is laid on a table and a big running flip dive drives him through it, which draws in Ford. A dance distracts Sasuke and Janela grabs a figure four. Sasuke gets to the rope, which rightly has commentary asking “IN THIS MATCH?” Janela misses a moonsault and gets laid over another table at ringside, allowing Sasuke to try and put a trashcan over himself and climb up.

This proves rather difficult (as you might have guessed) so he just throws it at Janela instead, setting up a Swanton onto Janela onto the table for the huge crash. Back in and Janela gets two (as Sasuke is mostly dead) but can’t believe the kickout. A Michinoku Driver onto the side of the ladder gives Janela two more, followed by a top rope double stomp onto a chair onto Sasuke for the pin at 25:16.

Rating: D+. To say this just kept going would be an understatement. It turned into little more than a hardcore brawl and that isn’t the most thrilling thing to see. Sasuke did a bunch of flips, but it didn’t exactly feel like a special match. Chop this in half and have some more wrestling and it’s much better, but it didn’t work for the most part, mainly due to the length and feeling like an indy street fight.

Post match Janela puts Sasuke over huge and thanks the fans, talking about how he can’t believe all this happened. Sasuke gets in a quick thank you of his own and they do a quick karaoke version of It’s My Life by Bon Jovi (sure) to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. This is a show where it depends on your viewing location. Watching this live in person would have been a blast, though watching it back at home just doesn’t work so well. The Quackenbush vs. Starr and PCO vs. Walter matches are both good (the latter being very good) but the rest of the show is mostly skippable. These shows would get better, but it took some time to get the formula of “fun indy show” down. For now, it isn’t quite working yet, but it could have been a lot worse. Just kind of a not great show that went on too long.

 

 

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WCPW Pro Wrestling World Cup Finals
Date: August 26, 2017
Location: Sport Central, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England
Commentators: Dave Bradshaw, James R. Kennedy

So back in 2017, What Culture Pro Wrestling (later Defiant Wrestling) set up a massive tournament with wrestlers from around the world taking part. As you can guess, this is the big final, with both the semifinals and finals taking place. This was a cool concept and I didn’t get to see any of it but here’s the big ending. Lets get to it.

Opening sequence.

Semifinals: Kushida (Japan) vs. Joseph Conners (England)

We do get a show of respect to start and they go to the grappling, as commentary talks about Conners being allowed to compete despite working for WWE. The exchange goes to Kushida who grabs a front facelock, sending Conners to the corner for the breather. A test of strength goes nowhere so Conners grabs a headlock takeover, only to have to duck a kick to the head.

More grappling goes to Kushida, who pretty easily gets the better of things before sending Conners outside. Back in and Conners manages a quick powerslam to take over, setting up a clothesline for two. A backbreaker drops Kushida again and Conners bends the back around the post. Kushida is fine enough for a hiptoss into the basement dropkick for two but the Hoverboard Lock sends Conners straight to the rope.

A slingshot DDT sends Kushida to the floor for a heck of a suicide dive. Back in and we hit the pinfall reversal exchange until Conners hits a clothesline to leave them both down. Kushida grabs the standing Kimura, which is reversed into a suplex for the break. Conners goes up but dives into a dropkick, meaning it’s time to slug it out from their knees.

Another Kimura attempt is countered into Don’t Look Down (lifting Downward Spiral) to give Conners two. Back up and Kushida’s handspring kick to the face catches Conners on top, where he gets pulled down into the Hoverboard Lock to give Kushida the win at 17:53.

Rating: B. Kushida was rolling here and it was a heck of a battle until one of them managed to get the win. Conners being in WWE was quite the death knell for his chances to win here, but at least he had a heck of a match in defeat, as I haven’t seen much good from him before. Heck of a match here and Kushida gets a pretty great win on the way to the finals.

We look at how Ricochet and Will Ospreay made the semifinals.

Semifinals: Ricochet (USA) vs. Will Ospreay (England)

Ospreay tries to jump start things but has to avoids the early Benadryller. They trade the flips and headscissors without much contact being made, meaning it’s time to take off the jackets. The slugout is on before both of them miss a bunch of strikes. Ricochet spins him into a sitout powerbomb for two before sending Ospreay outside for a suicide dive.

That’s not enough as Ricochet brainbusters him on the stage and heads back inside. Ospreay charges back to the ring….and gets taken down by a suicide dive for a cool counter. A springboard 450 gives Ricochet two back inside and a heck of a clothesline takes Ospreay down again. There’s a dropkick for an arrogant one and Ricochet hits a 619, only to have Ospreay come back with a handspring kick to the head. A poisonrana drops Ricochet again but a Rainmaker is ducked, allowing Ricochet to blast him with a discus lariat.

Ricochet Codebreakers him out of the corner for two but Ospreay grabs a running flipping DDT for his own near fall. Some rolling German suplexes drop Ospreay, who is able to avoid the Benadryller. A reverse inverted sitout DDT gives Ricochet another near fall but Ospreay counters what looks to be a Rock Bottom into a cradle for the pin at 16:43.

Rating: B. This was all about the flying around and moving as fast as they could, but it was a little weird to see Ricochet playing a bit of the heel here. There was no way the Ricochet was going to be cheered in this spot against Ospreay in England and the result was only so much in doubt, but at least they had a good match on the way there. These two have a history together and it was no surprise to see them do it this well again.

Mike Bailey vs. Penta El Zero M

I can’t escape Bailey these days. We get CERO MIEDO vs. Bailey’s weird bow until Penta hits him in the face to take over. Back up and Bailey flips over him, setting up about 50 (not an exaggeration) kicks to the chest. Penta is fine enough to hit a powerbomb onto the apron to take over as they fight around the floor. They head back inside with Penta kicking the knee out but Bailey kicks him into the corner for some running shots.

A spinning moonsault gives Bailey two and he sends Penta out to the apron. The German suplex on the apron is broken up by the manages to drop Penta anyway. Bailey misses the moonsault knees though and has to fight out of a Fear Factor. With Penta out on the floor, Bailey hits a corkscrew moonsault but walks into some superkicks back inside. The middle rope Code Read is blocked though, allowing Bailey to hit some moonsault knees.

There’s the big kick to Penta for two and Bailey hits his bouncing kicks. A quick Penta Driver gives Penta two as the fans are rather pleased. They roll out to the apron where a Canadian Destroyer leaves Bailey falling out to the floor. Back in and Bailey blocks a super Canadian Destroyer, setting up the super hurricanrana. Not that it matters as Penta hits the Fear Factor for the pin at 14:51.

Rating: B-. Bailey continues to be little more than a moves guy for the most part as his matches kind of run together. This is about the same as you always get from him, as he wrecks his knees and keeps popping up, but there was no way Penta was losing another big match around this time. He was on fire due to Lucha Underground and he was going to roll here, as should be the case.

Rampage vs. El Ligero

This is for Ligero’s Magnificent Seven briefcase, which seems to be the equivalent of Money In The Bank. Ligero fires off kicks to the leg to no avail as the much bigger Rampage (better known as Rampage Brown) shoulders him outside to start and the beating is on fast. Ligero slips out of a powerbomb attempt though and Rampage offers a free shot, which Ligero uses on a crossbody attempt for some reason.

The fall away slam leaves Ligero outside for a chase, which results in a ram into the barricade to keep Rampage in control. Back in and Rampage runs him over a few times but Ligero manages a few shots to the face. Ligero grabs the briefcase so the referee takes it away, allowing Ligero to get in a low blow and small package for the pin at 5:11.

Rating: C-. This one didn’t work as it was a squash until the lame ending. Ligero can do some nice things in the ring and Rampage is a solid power guy, but they didn’t have a chance to do anything here. Ligero didn’t do anything until the very end and it was little more than a cheap win. After an hour of good stuff, this was a bad misstep and didn’t work.

And now, General Manager Adam Blampied is here to praise some wrestlers and announce the first match for Refuse To Lose: War Machine defending the Tag Team Titles against the Young Bucks.

Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Alex Gracie

For the #1 contendership to the Internet Title. Sabre goes after the arm to start (shocking I know) but gets headlock takeovered. They go to the mat with neither being able to get very far so that’s a standoff. The shoving is on until Sabre kicks him in the elbow to take over. Gracie goes simple and hits him in the face before grabbing a slam for two.

A side slam gets the same and Gracie is already getting frustrated. Sabre charges into a boot in the corner, setting up Gracie’s middle rope leg lariat for two. Back up and Sabre kicks him into the corner and starts right back on the arm, sending Gracie to the ropes. Some penalty kicks rock Gracie again but he manages to pull Sabre into a guillotine.

You don’t do that to Sabre, who easily reverses into a leg crank, meaning Gracie needs the rope again. With Gracie still still in a lot of trouble, the Octopus is quickly broken up so Sabre reverses into a choke, followed by a dragon sleeper with a bodyscissors for the submission at 15:10.

Rating: B-. Sabre is nothing short of an artist in the ring and that was what he was getting to showcase here. There is almost nothing he can’t do when it comes to tying someone up and hurting them, with Gracie being the next victim. You will always see some kind of wrestler/grappler on a roster and Sabre might be the best one going today.

We recap Joe Hendry vs. Jack Swagger for Hendry’s WCPW World Title. Hendry seems to have turned heel and taken the title, meaning it was time for him to face some top competition. Swagger will have to do.

WCPW World Title: Joe Hendry vs. Jack Swagger

Swagger is challenging and shoves him hard into the corner to start. The threat of an ankle lock sends Hendry bailing to the ropes so Swagger….stops to pose on the ropes? Swagger tries for the ankle again, sending Hendry right back to the ropes. They head outside where Hendry whips him into the barricade to take over, setting up some whips into the corner back inside.

An elbow and suplex give Hendry two and we hit the chinlock. Swagger powers up and hits a bunch of running corner clotheslines but Hendry hits some regular clotheslines of his own. You don’t do that to Swagger, who takes him down again and grabs another ankle lock. That’s reversed into Hendry’s ankle lock, which is reversed into Swagger’s ankle lock, which is reversed into Hendry’s ankle lock, which is reversed into stereo ankle locks.

With that broken up, Hendry grabs a fall away slam (his odd choice of a finisher) for two, leaving Swagger to ankle lock him again. Hendry reaches the rope and locks both ankles at once (while sitting on the back to make it more like a Boston crab) to finally retain Hendry’s title at 13:28.

Rating: C+. Swagger felt like a bigger star than usual here, but there is only so much that you can get out of trying to make Swagger feel like someone important. He is a bigger star than the WCPW roster, but that hardly means he is some kind of major star. The ankle lock stuff got tiring fast, though at least the ending was a bit different and Hendry got his win.

Pro Wrestling World Cup: Kushida (Japan) vs. Will Ospreay (England)

We get the Big Match Intros and Ospreay, still favoring his neck, is the big crowd favorite. Ospreay knocks him straight to the floor for the twisting dive and they head back inside. That’s fine with Kushida, who sends Ospreay outside for a change and hits his own big dive. Back in and Kushida starts in on the arm, as he is known to do, including something like a LeBell Lock.

The Daniel Bryan Danielson tributes continue with Cattle Mutilation but Ospreay slips out, earning himself another kick to the arm. Kushida uses his legs to crank back on the arm but Ospreay is back up with a boot to the face. A running basement dropkick in the corner sends Kushida outside but Ospreay charges into a Downward Spiral into the barricade (ouch). Ospreay manages to send him into the crowd and there’s the HUGE dive off the top to take him out again.

Back in and Ospreay’s running flipping DDT looks to set up a 450 but Kushida rolls away. A DDT sets up the Hoverboard Lock, which is quickly broken as well, allowing Ospreay to hit a standing Spanish Fly. Kushida pulls him into a cross armbreaker and then a triangle choke for two arm drops. The fans get WAY into Ospreay’s survival and even more so into him sending Kushida into the corner.

The referee is bumped as well so here is Bea Priestley (Ospreay’s girlfriend) to hand Ospreay one of Kushida’s titles. Ospreay doesn’t want it that way so Kushida pulls him into the Hoverboard Lock. The rope saves Ospreay again and the fans are WAY into the save. Back up and Ospreay fires off Kawada Kicks before they slug it out. A hard clothesline drops Kushida and Ospreay stomps away.

Kushida is back up with a bunch of stomps of his own and the Hoverboard Lock goes on again. Ospreay fights up with a Stundog Millionaire and the Cheeky Nandos Kick connects. They fight up top with Ospreay hitting a springboard Oscutter for two so he loads up another. That’s too far for Kushida, who reverses into Back To The Future (kind of a brainbuster small package) for the pin at 18:07.

Rating: B+. This felt like a major showdown for a major prize and outside of Priestly trying to get involved, the whole thing was clean. It is kind of nice to see something like that after expecting all kinds of interference and cheating. The fans were behind Ospreay here, though they seemed fine with Kushida winning the whole thing. Very good match and worthy of a big tournament final.

Kushida shows respect to Ospreay and is awarded the cup to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. While I have no desire to watch the full six months worth of tournament matches, I can go for a show that runs about two and a half hours with three tournament matches plus some other stuff. This was a rather good show and that isn’t a surprise after the other WCPW/Defiant (what it would turn into) Wrestling stuff I’ve seen. This was much more of a straight wrestling show and they did their thing rather well. Check this out if you’re looking for a little less mainstream taste.

 

 

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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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Dynamite
Date: March 17, 2021
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Excalibur, Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone

It’s time for the next special show as we have a St. Patrick’s Day special. This time around we have the fallout from last week’s big angle with the Inner Circle being laid out by MJF and his new group. Other than that, we have a major showdown with Thunder Rosa and Britt Baker. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

MJF and company arrived at the airport earlier today.

Penta El Zero M vs. Cody Rhodes

During the intros, Penta (through a translator) promises to send Cody onto an early paternity leave. Penta jumps Cody during the entrances and we starts on the floor. Some kicks to the face and leg have Cody in more trouble and they head inside. Cody screams at Penta for chopping him and hits a release gordbuster. The Sling Blade gives Penta two and a Backstabber is good for the same.

Penta starts going after Cody’s bad arm but he’s fine enough to send Penta out to the apron. That means the Disaster Kick out to the floor, setting up the suicide dive. Back in and Cero Miedo is broken up with a superkick into a Canadian Destroyer into the Cody Cutter for two. Cross Rhodes gets two, as does a Vertebreaker, because modern professional wrestling is ridiculous. Cody wraps the leg around the post to set up the Figure Four but Penta makes the rope. Another Figure Four attempt is countered into the arm snap but Cody grabs a sunset flip for the pin at 10:09.

Rating: C+. Yeah I know they did a lot of cool stuff but they completely lost me with the ridiculous amount of kickouts. Sure a lot of people do it these days and it’s still ridiculous. Cody hit two finishers, a Vertebreaker and his submission with Penta surviving everything until a rollup got the pin. There is no need to do that much in a ten minute opening match and it was turning into a near joke.

Post match the Nightmare Family comes out to chase Penta off. QT Marshall gets out late and the Nightmare Family (all six members in the ring to chase off one Penta) is annoyed at him for being late.

The Young Bucks are ready to face Rey Fenix and Pac when Don Callis comes in. He’s heard that their dad wasn’t feeling good so Callis got him a shirt (“Do Not Slap Leg When Kicking”. SEE??? BECAUSE IT WAS A WWE THING AND THAT MEANS IT’S FUNNY TO REFERENCE IT BECAUSE IT MUST BE STUPID!!!). Anyway, Callis wanted to see the Bucks that he saw in Japan but there is nothing elite about them here. As for Kenny Omega, he is now the wrestling god and Omega doesn’t recognize the Bucks because they are just another team with fancy tights. Do they see the same Bucks they saw in Japan? Yay Japan. Again.

Jade Cargill vs. Dani Jordyn

Cargil doesn’t waste time in hitting a jumping knee and we hit the posing. A release German suplex sends Jordyn flying and Jade nips up, setting up Jaded (Glam Slam) for the pin at 1:17. That’s exactly how Cargill should be presented: total dominance with her doing the things she can make look good. Don’t have her trying to run before she can crawl.

Post match Cargill gets in Red Velvet’s face but is held back.

We look back at the big beatdown to end last week’s show.

Here are MJF and company for a chat. Tully Blanchard talks about how great it is to be in the middle of the ring with this bunch of guys. Last week they were in the ring with the Inner Circle and you saw them destroyed. So doesn’t that make this new group the most dominant group? That makes them the pinnacle (that sounds like a name) of professional wrestling. Thirty four years ago, Tully started his career with the best team in wrestling and now he’s ending it with them too.

MJF says now he is Judas and talks about how hard it was to take a backseat to Jericho for six months. Every time Jericho talked, he had to fall back as Jericho’s hairline. MJF sang and danced for Jericho and pretended to like his comedy BS, but it worked as planned. He was plucking Jericho feather by feather and then it was the coup de grace: he convinced everyone that he wanted to take over the Inner Circle. From day one, the plan was to kill the Inner Circle from the inside because he wanted to build something even better.

Tully was right when he called this group the Pinnacle and MJF talks about every member of the team. Then there is MJF himself, because he is the most talked about star in wrestling at 24 year old. He has 25 years plus left in the tank and that must make a lot of people want to put their fist through the screen. The GOAT spot is reserved for him and the Pinnacle is ready to be the backbone of AEW for years to come. And yes, he is better than us and we know it. Good promo here, with MJF selling it to perfection as you would expect.

Jurassic Express/Bear Country vs. Matt Hardy/Butcher and the Blade/Private Party

During the entrances, Hardy talks about how his team loves to make money and how he is building an empire. Matt wants to face Stunt to start but Marko makes him charge into the corner. That lets Jungle Boy comes in with a missile dropkick and everything breaks down in a hurry. The good guys clear the ring and Bear Country LAUNCHES Marko over the top (and he barely got his head down in time) for the huge crash.

Boulder throws Marq Quen but accidentally hits Boy by mistake, allowing Hardy to hit the Side Effect for two. We take a break and come back with Luchasaurus cleaning house with a bunch of kicks. The standing moonsault press gets two on Kassidy and it’s off to Bronson for a suplex.

Luchasaurus does not like Bronson coming in but Marko tags himself in as well as the good guys break down. A brawl breaks out on the floor and Kassidy kicks Marko in the face. Matt cuts off Marko’s comeback attempt and there’s Gin and Juice. That lets Matt tag himself in and hit the Twist of Fate for the pin on Stunt at 8:43.

Rating: C-. The tension between the Express and Bear Country could lead to a decent mini feud, but I’m not sure how much more they can milk out of Hardy. The Big Money Matt character is slightly better than Broken Matt but it’s still Matt Hardy as the focal point in 2021. That is only going to get them so far and it is getting more and more obvious every time he is in the ring.

Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston say they don’t like the Good Brothers, and it isn’t just because Moxley wasted his money on Talk N Shop A Mania. Moxley thinks Karl Anderson has googly eyes like something you see kids making with construction paper. Kingston says this isn’t Tokyo or the Impact Zone because this is their home. The Good Brothers are cowards who die a thousand deaths. Moxley and Kingston are soldiers who will only die once. See you out there. I’m not wild on their matches, but these are two of the best talkers on wrestling right now and they’re a highlight every week.

Christian talks about people who are considered workhorses in this business. He is the kind of guy who makes other wrestlers look better but he isn’t a workhorse. That’s because he is THE workhorse but he only wants one spot. That spot is currently held by the AEW World Champion, who he got to meet last week. Omega is on borrowed time as World Champion and they’ll see each other down the road. He is here to cement his legacy and out work everyone. More good talking here, with Christian not sounding like he did in WWE, which is a welcome result.

Eddie Kingston/Jon Moxley vs. Good Brothers

The Brothers jump Kingston during his entrance but here is Moxley, with his shoulder taped from the barbed wire match, to start the fight. Moxley is sent shoulder first into the barricade and the Magic Killer drops him on the floor. The bell rings and it’s Kingston getting hammered down in the corner. More shots to the face give Gallows two as Moxley is still down on the floor.

Kingston gets in some chops but Gallows kicks Moxley off the apron as we take a break. Back with Kingston hitting a middle rope shoulder to drop Gallows and suplexing Anderson. That’s enough for the hot tag off to Moxley, who hits a running dropkick to send Anderson into the corner.

The running clothesline sets up a piledriver for two and there’s a suicide dive onto Gallows. Back in and Anderson scores with the spinebuster on Moxley, followed by the belly to back suplex/neckbreaker combination to plant Kingston. Gallows and Moxley brawl out to the floor, leaving Moxley to small package Anderson for the pin at 9:53.

Rating: C+. I liked this one as they told a good story with Moxley being down for the most part to leave this as a handicap match. The Good Brothers are fine as the enforcers for Omega and that’s all they need to be. This was mainly a one sided match until things picked up in the end, which is the story they were telling. Good enough match here.

Post match the beatdown takes out Moxley and here is Kenny Omega, dancing to the ring (that was great) and Kingston gets a Magic Killer. Kingston gets his ankle Pillmanized and the chair is wrapped around Moxley’s neck. Cue the Young Bucks to make the save but Omega gets in Matt’s face. Omega keeps wanting the Too Sweet, even with the Bucks looking ready to fight. Moxley gets the chair to clear the ring and Omega talks about his shoe. Omega was a bit loopy here and it worked….kind of? The dancing certainly did.

Tony Schiavone brings out Sting for his weekly chat but brings out Darby Allin as well for a change. Allin talks about winning the TNT Title and is here to defending it every week. He wants to pay tribute to the best TNT Champion of all time and will defend the title against any member of the Dark Order. Cue Lance Archer and Jake Roberts to interrupt. Archer wants to know why Sting is always getting the TV time and calls Allin the most indyrific wrestler around here. Roberts tells Allin to go put his hot dog bun back on because he is just a weenie.

Archer and Roberts leave so here is Team Taz, with Brian Cage speaking for himself this week. Cage talks about how great the street fight was and says he respects Sting. With or without the bat, Ricky Starks is wrong: Sting is still the Icon. Cage leaves as the rest of the team yells at him.

Video on Scorpio Sky, who was always the nice guy because no one wanted him to be the star. Now, everything has changed.

Rey Fenix vs. Angelico

Angelico takes him down to the mat to start but Fenix flips out of a wristlock. An armdrag takes Angelico down and we reset a bit. Angelico grabs the arm and starts hammering away on the tape on Fenix’s back. We take a break and come back with Fenix making the comeback and hitting the rolling cutter for two. A fireman’s carry is broken up and Fenix gets sent into the corner. An exchange of kicks to the head sets up Fenix’s crucifix bomb. The Black Fire Driver finishes Angelico at 7:31.

Rating: C+. These guys beat each other up for a few minutes and that was all it needed to be. I’m not sure why this wouldn’t be Fenix and Pac beating up the Hybrid 2 but the less Jack Evans around, the better things can be. Fenix continues to be as entertaining as it gets and I’m looking forward to the Tag Team Title match.

Miro is working out but stops to say he is sick of hearing about Chuck Taylor and Orange Cassidy. Kip Sabian comes in to say he isn’t done with them and wants the rematch. He also isn’t happy with Miro for bumping into Penelope Ford but Miro says the worst thing you can do is have your wife at ringside (right). Miro leaves and Fenix accepts the rematch on behalf of the team.

John Silver accepts the TNT Title challenge for next week.

The Pinnacle takes over the Inner Circle’s dressing room.

Thunder Rosa vs. Britt Baker

Lights out, meaning anything goes and Rebel is here with Baker. Speaking of Rebel, she hits Rosa from behind with a crutch before the bell and Baker takes it to the stage. The Air Raid Crash on the ramp gets two, as apparently this is falls count anywhere. Baker misses a chair shot against the barricade as we see Hikaru Shida watching from the back. Rosa is back up and throws a chair at Baker’s face and another shot to the back. Baker is sent over the barricade with Rosa following but missing a charge into a chair.

They’re back at ringside with Rebel helping Baker set up a table. A bunch of chairs are thrown inside and Rosa is busted open. We take a break and come back with Baker superplexing her onto the pile of chairs, which leaves her down as well. A delayed cover gets two and Rebel slides in a ladder. Rosa sends Baker face first into the ladder for two and there are the running knees in the corner.

The ladder is put on Baker’s face and a running dropkick crushes Baker in the corner. That busts her open too as commentary can’t believe how this is going. Baker is bleeding hard but manages to send her into the ladder. Rosa is down and Baker goes up….but gets Death Valley Drivered off the top and into the ladder for the huge crash. That’s good for two as well and somehow Baker is back up with a DDT onto the chair. The stomp onto a chair gets the same but Baker, who is covered in blood, smiles.

Rebel slips in the glove….and a bag of tacks as well. Rosa is back up and tries a powerbomb onto the tacks, only to have Rebel offer a distraction. That’s fine with Rosa, who knocks her off the apron and through the table, followed by the powerbomb onto the tacks for two. Baker pulls her down into the Lockjaw but Rosa rolls it into the tacks for the break in a painfully smart move. A hard low superkick rocks Rosa again and they head to the apron with Rosa pulling her off the top. That means a Fire Thunder Driver through the table to finally end Baker at 16:37.

Rating: A. This was everything you could have wanted from the match and more, but above all else it felt like a war. You could feel that these two were going to do everything they could to beat the other, but also to survive as long as they could. It was as hard hitting and brutal of a match as I have seen in a long time and I dug the heck out of the whole thing. I got a lot more out of the violence here than in the barbed wire match and I would not have bet on this coming in. Great match and check it out for sure.

They’re both mostly done to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. That main event bailed out an otherwise pretty meh show, as it was the only thing worth seeing. The good thing is that it is VERY worth seeing and made up for almost everything else. The first twenty minutes of this show had me ready to trash the whole thing but it did get better as it went along. I’m not big on some of the stories they are telling here, but at least they had a classic to wrap it up. Good show, and that is almost entirely attributed to the main event and some solid promos.

Results

Cody Rhodes b. Penta El Zero M – Sunset flip

Jade Cargill b. Dani Jordyn – Jaded

Matt Hardy/Butcher and the Blade/Private Party b. Jurassic Express and Bear Country – Twist of Fate to Stunt

Eddie Kingston/Jon Moxley b. Good Brothers – Small package to Anderson

Rey Fenix b. Angelico – Black Fire Driver

Thunder Rosa b. Britt Baker – Fire Thunder Driver through a table

 

 

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Dynamite
Date: October 21, 2020
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Jim Ross

It’s time to start the second year as well as beginning the process of finding a new #1 contender. That means the first round of a tournament to crowd Jon Moxley’s next challenger, with the finals on November 7 at Full Gear. I’m not sure what to expect from this but it should be a wrestling heavy show. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Wardlow vs. Jungle Boy

Boy starts kicking at the legs to start and even manages a head kick from the apron. Wardlow misses a charge and winds up on the floor, where he catches Boy’s dive. That’s broken up so Boy tries again, only to get powerbombed into the post instead. Back in and Wardlow pounds away before blasting Boy with a clothesline for two. The knee out of the corner is broken up as Boy hits his own knee to the face.

Wardlow gets knocked to the floor for a suicide dive to the back, followed by a slingshot DDT back inside. A low superkick lets Boy go up but Wardlow pops to his feet to cut that off. Wardlow loads up a super gorilla press but Boy reverses into a super hurricanrana instead. A backstabber out of the corner sets up Boy’s top rope double knees for two and the near fall leaves Boy down. Wardlow rolls out to the apron so Boy follows, only to get caught with the F10 back into the ring. One heck of an F10 gives Wardlow the pin at 8:26.

Rating: C+. Good stuff here with Boy playing a great underdog against the monster Wardlow. Boy is small enough to look like he’s in a lot of danger but is just big enough to make a comeback believable. I had a good time with this one and wanted to see Boy pull it off, even if the ending we got made the most sense.

We look at Eddie Kingston’s promo from last week, with Kingston promising to make Jon Moxley quit for the World Title.

Confirmed for Full Gear: Jon Moxley defends the World Title against Eddie Kingston in an I Quit match.

Moxley talks about his history with Kingston, who may not have said he quit. That’s because he was unconscious when he got choked out. Instead, Moxley is taking his friend back at Full Gear and ending this once and for all.

#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Kenny Omega vs. Sonny Kiss

Omega’s entrance now includes listing off his accomplishments (including the amount of times he has broken Meltzer’s five star scale) and dancing women in swimsuits with brooms. V Trigger and One Winged Angel finishes Kiss at 35 seconds. That’s the best way to go if Omega is being pushed as the ace again and was anyone buying Kiss as having a chance here anyway?

Orange Cassidy is asked about his match with Cody next week. Cassidy: “We’re off to Cincinnati.” After that few years old Bill Belichick reference, Cassidy says “whatever” with regards to his training. Then he plays with a monitor.

Cody and Arn Anderson arrived earlier and talked about gaining weight while he was away. He’s needing the weight for all of the giants he faces around here and needs to be a real heavyweight. Now it’s time to get ready for the title match.

Eddie Kingston talks about what his boys have been doing as of late and how successful they are going to be. Then it’s off to Moxley, and yeah what he said is true. Kingston had to go here though and look what it has gotten him. He has never quit on anything before and he won’t at Full Gear. Moxley is going to have to go to a dark place on November 7, but that’s where Kingston lives.

#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Fenix vs. Penta El Zero M

Eddie Kingston is on commentary. They go with the armdrags to start and Penta rolls him down into an ankle lock. That’s broken up and they go to the pinfall reversal sequence for two and then some zeroes each. They stand up and have the big chop off until Penta takes it to the apron. Fenix knocks him to the floor though and hits a big corkscrew dive for the crash. Back in and Fenix tries a rope walk but Penta avoids the kick for another crash as we take a break.

We come back with Penta chopping away and hitting a flipping DDT for two. Penta gets caught up top though and it’s a super Spanish Fly for a very near fall. Back up and Penta tosses him into the air, where Fenix flips forward, into a powerbomb for two more (good grief). Fenix comes up holding his arm but is fine enough to snap off a spin into a Canadian Destroyer for the pin at 14:12.

Rating: B. This was exactly what it was supposed to be with one crazy spot after another. I wasn’t expecting anything else and I wouldn’t have wanted it to be anything else, so well done on delivering what was expected. Good stuff here and for the life of me I don’t get why these two aren’t being featured more often. They might not be the most traditional wrestlers but dang they can have some exciting matches, just like this.

We look at the Best Friends accidentally destroying Kip Sabian and Miro’s arcade cabinet last week.

The Best Friends say that was an accident but Sabian and Miro don’t seem convinced.

The Dark Order is ready to continue their dominance by winning the Tag Team Titles and the World Title. Colt Cabana says he feels no pressure but John Silver snaps, shouting about how the entire Dark Order is under pressure. Next week, the entire Dark Order is going to beat up whoever leaves as the TNT Champion to help make Mr. Brodie Lee the next champion. Silver leaves while shouting his own BRODIE chant.

#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Colt Cabana vs. Hangman Page

Evil Uno is here with Cabana. Feeling out process to start and they run the ropes until Cabana says STOP, allowing him to snap off an armdrag. Page is back up with some chops and the running shooting star press gets two. We take a break and come back with Page hitting a fall away slam to set up the slugout.

Cabana gets in a rollup for two but the Flying Apple is countered into a bridging German suplex for two more. Back up and Cabana sends him outside for the splash off the apron. Page catches him on the way back in but the Buckshot Lariat is broken up. The Chicago Skyline is broken up as well but the Buckshot misses. Cabana gets the Superman Pin for two and NOW the Buckshot Lariat can connect for the pin on Cabana at 10:43.

Rating: C+. This took some time to get going but it wound up working out rather well in the end. I know Cabana is known for his comedy and such but he can work a completely straight match when he needs to and that’s what he did here for the most part. That’s a good change of pace and makes Cabana more valuable, so this worked out well.

Video on Sammy Guevara vs. Matt Hardy.

Team Taz wants to know why Will Hobbs is taking his time in accepting their invitation. Is he some kind of a big guy now? As for Darby Allin, he’s getting a TNT Title shot at Full Gear and Taz isn’t happy. Earlier today he talked to Tony Khan, who said Ricky Starks could have had the title shot if he had beaten Allin. WELL OF COURSE HE WOULD HAVE because Starks only lost because of a cheap ending. What do Brian Cage and Ricky Starks get? Starks talks about how he has proven his worth time after time already and now someone has to pay. That is going to be Allin, some place and some time. He’s putting Allin in the grave.

It’s time for Le Dinner Debonair with Chris Jericho and Maxwell Jacob Friedman. After getting the waitress’ name wrong, MJF orders a 20 ounce porterhouse with a baked potato and he’ll take that well done. Jericho orders the same, but he’ll have it medium well. MJF changes it to medium, setting off a back and forth until Jericho wants his blue (extra bloody rare). With the waiter off to find a new eraser, Jericho talks about a town hall with the Inner Circle next week. He doesn’t like MJF’s Ratings Ruler, because it has as much of a chance of getting over as, and they say together, Orange Cassidy.

They agree that they’re never going to get rid of each other…..and we hit an old Vaudeville style musical number, complete with synchronized dancing and the curtain pulling back to reveal dancing girls. I’m not even going to try to do this justice but the lyrics involve them being each other’s shadow and beating up a Moxley. Yeah nothing topping this one for a good while. Anyway they sit back down and get their meals, which they realize is horrible because they need to send this back. They shout their own versions of the waitress’ name to wrap things up. This was glorious.

Britt Baker vs. KiLynn King

King starts with an attempt at a rollup but gets kicked in the face for her efforts. Some knees to the face have her in more trouble and Baker pulls the arm around the post. Back up and King hits a kick to the face, only to get caught in a Sling Blade. A DDT sets up a fisherman’s neckbreaker into the Stomp, meaning it’s time for the Lockjaw to finish King st 4:03.

Rating: C-. I could go for a lot less King losing but Baker needed a showcase win here. Baker getting the title should be a matter of time now and I can’t imagine AEW messing up what should be the easiest thing they have had handed to them in a very long time. King continues to impress in losses, but this was all about Baker, as it should have been.

Here’s what’s coming next week, including Orange Cassidy vs. Cody for the TNT Title in a lumberjack match.

Young Bucks vs. Butcher and Blade vs. Dark Order vs. Private Party

The winners get a shot at FTR, on commentary, at Full Gear. Matt armdrags Silver into the corner to start and it’s Blade coming in to get taken down without much effort. A double dropkick has Blade in trouble and an elevated dropkick puts Butcher down as well. Isaiah Kassidy comes in to kick Nick away and it’s a double nip up but Matt comes in and it’s a Bucks vs. Party staredown. The double superkicks are blocked so Party hits their own as everything breaks down.

Quen dives onto Silver and then does it again to Reynolds, with Dax Harwood saying he could just punch him in the face instead. Butcher and Blade are sent into each other and the shooting star press gets two on Blade with Butcher making the save. We take a break and come back with Silver missing a top rope double stomp but feeding Quen into an enziguri into a Stunner into a German suplex for two with the Bucks diving in for another save.

The hot tag brings in Kassidy, because we’re doing tags again. The Silly String hits Reynolds and it’s a top rope splash/top rope legdrop combination with the Bucks diving in a second time. Butcher and Blade hit Full Death on Kassidy with the Bucks doing their thing again, meaning it’s time for Nick to clean house with kicks and strikes.

Nick dives onto Private Party on the floor and it’s a double superkick to drop Butcher. The Bucks call out to FTR and it’s a top rope backsplash/Tombstone combination for two on Butcher and Blade with Private Party making the save. The Meltzer Driver is broken up but Kassidy is cradled into a rollup to give the Bucks the pin and the title shot at 13:29.

Rating: B-. That’s about as by the book as you would have expected here and that’s not a bad thing. The Bucks were never going to lose when they had a chance against FTR on a pay per view and it’s not like any other other teams would have been worthy of the spot anyway. It’s ok to have a match where the ending is clear and that’s what they did here, albeit with a lot of the same dives and spots that the Bucks have done in almost every single match.

Post match the Bucks get in the ring but here’s a masked man with a chair to Matt. FTR jumps Nick and give him a spike piledriver, followed by Matt’s leg being Pillmanized. The masked man is Tully Blanchard, who is rather happy with FTR to end the show. I’m going to spare myself a lot of headaches by not asking about the face/heel dynamic here.

Overall Rating: B+. How can a show that had the song number be anything but great? I know it’s going to get on some people’s nerves and fair enough but those grins and the whole production were too much to not make me smile. The wrestling was rather good throughout and they made the tournament move rather fast, even though the finals should be pretty clear. Again: there’s nothing wrong with predictable if the path there is entertaining and that’s what we got here.

Results

Wardlow b. Jungle Boy – F10

Kenny Omega b. Sonny Kiss – One Winged Angel

Rey Fenix b. Penta El Zero M – Canadian Destroyer

Hangman Page b. Colt Cabana – Buckshot lariat

Britt Baker b. KiLynn King – Lockjaw

Young Bucks b. Private Party, Butcher and Blade and Dark Order – Victory roll to Kassidy

 

 

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:

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