Nervous Breakdown
Date: March 31, 2023
Location: Globe Theater, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Brian Zane, Jordan Castle

This is from Prestige Wrestling (out of the Pacific northwest), which I’ve seen once and that was a show from three years ago. I know nothing coming into this show but the card and lineup look good and that’s all you need a times. Wrestlemania Weekend has had a lot to offer so far this year and maybe this can join the good side. Let’s get to it.

Note that I am coming into this mostly blind so I apologize for not knowing history, character backstories etc.

Sonico/C4 vs. Clark Connors/Kevin Knight/Yuya Uemura

C4 is Cody Chhun/Guillermo Rosas. Knight and Chhun start things off with Knight taking him down by the arm and driving in a knee. A splash misses for Knight so he snaps off an armdrag, only to be reversed into a headscissors. Uemura and Sonico come in with the latter running Uemura over. Rosas comes in for the power but has to slug it out with Connors (who he replaced in C4). Back up and Connors Pounces Rosas down as Connors and company clear the ring.

Chhun tries to come in and the choking ensues in the corner. It’s back to Knight to take Rosas into the corner as the beating continues. A sunset flip gets Rosas out of trouble and the hot tag brings in Chhun to clean house. Chhun’s DDT gets two on Knight but he pulls a springboarding Sonico out of the air with a cutter. Chhun tries his own cutter so Knight dropkicks him out of the air, allowing him to get over for the tag to Connors. Everything breaks down and Sonico green mists Uemura, leaving Chhun to hit a dive to the floor. AMF (appears to be a fisherman’s DDT) gives Sonico the pin on Uemura at 9:55.

Rating: C+. Nice opener here as they kept the pace up and let most of the people involved get a chance. That is the kind of thing that can put the show on the right foot and they did well enough here. The ending came a bit out of nowhere though and it felt like it needed a few more minutes to really get everything together. For what it was though, not too bad.

Post match respect is shown and Chhun does a Spinarooni.

Vinnie Massaro vs. Calvin Tankman

Hoss fight and Massaro is a “nice guy” who comes out to That’s Amore. They chop it out to start with the bigger Tankman running him over with a shoulder. The fight goes to the floor with Tankman destroying Massaro’s chest with chops. Back in and Massaro’s chest is fine enough to hit a dropkick into a pose before his own chops drop Tankman. A backbreaker and clothesline give Tankman two as the back and forth continues.

Tankman charges into the corner to knock him silly but Massaro’s forearms just get on Tankman’s nerves. The strike off ensues (they’re required these days) until a half nelson slam of all things drops Tankman. With that not working, Tankman hits a discus elbow into another HARD elbow to the face to finish Massaro at 8:11.

Rating: C. This was exactly what they were advertising it as being, with a pair of big guys hitting each other until one of them couldn’t get up anymore. Tankman is someone who can move a good bit quicker than you might expect but still has the power that makes up for it. Massaro was a good sized guy as well, but Tankman felt like more of a force, which is what someone of his size is probably looking to be.

West Coast Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Title: Michael Oku vs. Titus Alexander

Oku is challenging and has Amira with him. They go with the grappling to start with Alexander taking him up against the ropes, only to get switched over for some hard chops. It’s way too early for the half crab though as Alexander bails straight to the ropes. Oku sends him to the floor and tries the Fosbury Flop, only to have to land on his feet when Alexander moves.

That takes too long though and Oku gets dropped onto the apron to cut Oku off for a change. Alexander is smart enough to stay on the back with a backbreaker but Oku elbows his way out of the corner. A DDT gives Oku two of his own and the penalty kick sends him to the floor.

That means the running flip dive to the floor, followed by a splash for two back inside. Oku’s hurricanrana is blocked so he grabs a dragon screw legwhip to work on the leg some more. Alexander is fine enough to send him into the ropes, setting up a brainbuster for two. A half crab sends Oku to the ropes for a change and he’s back with a Shining Wizard.

There’s a Lionsault for two but Alexander knocks him back again. Amira tries to come in with a mirror but the distraction lets Alexander get in a low blow. That’s enough for Amira to grab the referee, allowing Oku to hit a poisonrana. The frog splash gets two so it’s time to go after Alexander’s leg, only to have him roll Oku up and retain at 17:14.

Rating: B. This was the kind of back and forth match that will always work. Oku has grown on me a good bit over the last few times I’ve seen him as he really is smooth in the ring and capable of having a solid match with anyone. Alexander did well too and while the ending wasn’t great, it was a match that I got into and wanted to see where it went. Good job here from both.

The ring announcer is ready to introduce the next match but here is Alan Angels to interrupt. Angels talks about how the fans were saying he would be great when he left AEW but then they turned on him. Why? Is it because he dropped the Dark Order? Or because he doesn’t wrestle like the indy favorites? He can’t even get booked on this show, but he’s going to take Prestige Wrestling by storm. After a bit more insulting the fans, Angels beats up a stage hand who tries to cut him off and finally leaves.

Adam Brooks/Warhorse vs. Midnight Heat

The Heat is Ricky Gibson/Eddie Pearl while Brooks and Warhorse are teaming for the first time. Gibson and Warhorse start things off with Warhorse being rather intense and Gibson not being sure of what to do. They trade running of the ropes and Warhorse gets the better of things without much trouble.

Brooks comes in for some forearms against the ropes and a suplex into the corner. Everything breaks down and stereo dives take out the Heat, followed by a double backdrop for two on Pearl. Gibson gets in a cheap shot from the apron though and Pearl knocks him to the floor.

The whip into the corner rocks Brooks again but he kicks Heat into each other and the big tag brings Warhorse back in. A brainbuster onto the knee gives Warhorse two and Brooks is back in with a top rope Meteora. Warhorse hits a Codebreaker but accidentally gets caught by Brooks’ Swanton. A Russian legsweep/Backstabber combination finishes Brooks at 11:55.

Rating: C+. This was a very formula style tag match and it still worked well. Midnight Heat feel like a pretty polished team and they did well against a team working together for the first time. It wasn’t a match that felt like some big showdown but it was a completely competent and even exciting at times match that took up some time. Sometimes, that’s one of the best things you can do.

Taya Valkyrie vs. Miyu Yamashita

Taya takes her down to start but it’s a clean break and a bow of respect. The sliding German suplex drops Yamashita and it’s a running hip attack/running knees in the corner for two. They go outside with Taya chopping her in a chair but a missed charge sends Taya reeling. Back in and a bunch of kicks to the back give Yamashita two and she sits Taya on top for the big kick to the head. Taya knocks her off the top though and they slug it out until Yamashita hits a German suplex. Another kick to the head gets two but the Skull Kick misses, allowing Taya to hit Road To Valhalla for the pin at 7:34.

Rating: C+. They didn’t have a ton of time here and went with the hard hitting, smash mouth style that these two can do. Taya has a great mixture of the fun charisma stuff to go along with the power game while Miyu Yamashita is more about kicking your head off. I liked this one and Yamashita continues to make a nice impression over the weekend.

Timothy Thatcher vs. Robert Martyr

This is described as Martyr’s final test, as he has been fighting various other people to try to prove himself. We get a display of respect to start until Thatcher takes over on the arm. Thatcher’s cross armbreaker is blocked so they go with the standing grappling instead. A springboard spinning crossbody gives Martyr two as Thatcher is getting even more serious than he was before.

Thatcher takes him down and knees him in the ribs but Martyr is back up with some hard forearms. A hard suplex sets up a quickly broken surfboard from Thatcher, who ties him in the ropes for a forearm to the chest. Martyr backdrops his way out of a guillotine but misses a top rope splash.

Thatcher slaps on the STF and Martyr has to go to the ropes to escape. Martyr’s falcon arrow gets two and a piledriver drops Thatcher again. Thatcher is done with this and grabs a sleeper, lets go and chops him down hard, then sleepers him again for the hard hitting win at 15:37.

Rating: B-. Thatcher isn’t going to be a top star in a major promotion but he is the kind of person who will always have a place on a roster because he knows how to do the submission and grappling stuff like few others. What matters is he makes it look realistic and his style is unique enough to stand out. Watching him do this stuff is cool and Martyr was there with him for most of the match for a nice rub.

Martyr gets some respect as he leaves.

Kevin Blackwood vs. Shigehiro Irie

This is another hoss fight with Irie taking over early. Blackwood gets knocked down and a sitdown splash gives Irie a fast two. Blackwood is right back up with a missile dropkick, setting up a kick to the back. That just makes Irie glare at him so Blackwood grabs a chinlock. Irie manages a suplex and sends him to the apron for a running body block to the floor.

A top rope splash gives Irie two back inside but Blackwood is fine enough to fire off chops in the corner. That’s not going to work for Irie, who comes back with a cannonball. Blackwood kicks him in the head though and they’re both down. Irie catches him on top though and it’s a super Samoan drop for two. Blackwood’s Tombstone only gets one but a top rope double stomp to the chest finishes Irie at 12:04.

Rating: B-. Solid stuff here again as Irie is another hard hitter who can do some rather violent things. At the same time, Blackwood was moving well enough to feel like an underdog who had to overcome the odds. It felt like a big win for Blackwood and that is how you boost someone up against a guest star.

What seems to be a company boss announces that this is the new So Cal home for Prestige Wrestling. Cool.

Aja Kong vs. Masha Slamovich

Slamovich forearms away to start and that just seems like a bad idea. Kong gives her a running shoulder and strikes Slamovich down without much trouble. They head outside where Kong hits her with a chair and throws Slamovich into a variety of things. Another chair to the back has Slamovich in more trouble, setting up a crossface back inside.

Slamovich manages a few kicks to the face for two but Kong blasts her with a running clothesline for two more. The spinning backfist sets up the hard suplex but Slamovich German suplexes her down. A Shining Wizard gives Slamovich two, only to have Kong run her over again. The spinning backfist finishes for Kong at 8:54.

Rating: C+. This was about getting Kong in the ring to knock someone silly with that backfist as she has done for years. A legend beating a young star isn’t a bad thing, especially on a show like this. Slamovich might have gotten in a bit more offense, but for what it was, they had a good one here.

Kong helps Slamovich up post match.

Time Splitters/Ultimo Dragon vs. Team Filthy

That would be Alex Shelley (the reigning Prestige Champion, having taken the title from Lawlor)/Kushida/Ultimo Dragon vs. Tom Lawlor/Royce Isaacs/Jorel Nelson. Royce starts with Kushida to start but says he wants Dragon, which is exactly what he gets. Dragon gets shoved into the corner early on and then loses a test of strength.

Somehow he flips out of it though and takes Royce down, only to be shoved away again. A running shoulder manages to drop Royce so it’s off to Kushida vs. Lawlor. They go to the mat with Kushida getting the better of things, allowing Kushida to bring Shelley in. That sends Lawlor SPRINTING across the ring to bring Nelson in but the Time Splitters clean house. All three good guys take turns twisting Nelson’s arm and a double suplex gets two.

Everything breaks down and Royce takes Shelley outside for a suplex….which he walks around the ring. That leaves Lawlor to take down his jean shorts to reveal jegging shorts but Royce misses a middle rope splash back inside. The hot tag brings in Dragon to clean house and Kushida adds a top rope chop to Royce’s head.

With some blood on his chest, Kushida has his Hoverboard Lock broken up and Team Filthy hits a sweet triple team sequence into an STF on Kushida. Everything breaks down and Dragon grabs a reverse Figure Four on Royce, which has to be broken up. The Time Splitters kick Royce down and Dragon grabs a rollup for the pin at 19:43.

Rating: B. Much like the previous match, this was about getting a legend in the ring but the match was better. They had the time to build things up and Dragon more than held up his end out there. Royce felt like a heck of a monster who can do a few things, while Lawlor and Nelson didn’t get to do much. Pretty awesome main event, with the good guys sending the fans home happy.

Post match Dragon leaves but Sami Callihan leads a Pro Wrestling Revolver invasion as we have a promotional war. The Prestige locker room runs out for the save and the challenge for the war is on.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a good show as Prestige does some more nice work. The wrestling was strong, they had a nice mixture of long and shorter matches, nothing was bad and I liked most of what I saw. All in all, you can tell there is a history here and they have put in the effort to make their stuff work. It’s one of the better non-one off shows of the weekend so check these people out if you get the chance.

 

 

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Relentless Wrestling
Date: March 29, 2023
Location: Don Quixote Event Center, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Maddox Ryan, Heather

We’ll kick off the Wrestlemania weekend with this promotion from the Pacific northwest. This is one of the shows that I was hoping to find and they’re streaming it on their Twitch channel so it’s worth a look. I’ve heard of a few names on the card and there is some potential here. Let’s get to it.

Note that I am coming into this completely blind and have no idea about storylines, history or anything else. I apologize in advance for anything I get wrong.

Also note that the camera appears to be a handheld from the balcony and nothing more, so the production value isn’t the highest.

The unnamed host comes out to welcome the fans, who are amazed that the fans came out on a Wednesday night. He thanks the fans here and back home in Spokane, Washington and lists off their local sponsors, plus the venue. The host (Maddox Ryan? Maybe?) brings out his co-host and ring announcer, Arya Blake, who used to work in MLW as MJF’s girlfriend.

Andrew Everett vs. Danny Limelight vs. Keita vs. Robert Martyr vs. Jai Vidal vs. Adam Brooks

So this is a six way elimination match for a Championship Contract (I’m assuming #1 contender). The fans certainly seem into Keita, who is announced as a former champion. On the other hand, Everett is a former Impact Wrestling star who is dressed liked the Giant of WCW fame and billed from Grenoble in the French Alps. Limelight praises Los Angeles and gets beaten down as a result.

Everett’s double chokeslam is broken up and I guess we’re off without a bell. Brooks starts cleaning house but stops to dance, only to counter an Everett chokeslam into a DDT. Everett gets knocked down again and it’s Vidal taking Limelight over the top to clear the ring. Back in and Vidal hits some running knees in the corner as apparently Brooks tapped out somewhere in there (even commentary, as limited as it is, seems surprised).

Keita grabs a kneebar to make Vidal tap and is announced as the winner with his music playing, but he grabs the mic to say this is elimination rules. I think we can call that a botch and move on to Keita diving onto everyone else at ringside. Back in and Everett takes out Martyr and Limelight hits a piledriver for the elimination.

A sitout powerbomb gets two on Keita before Martyr and Limelight slug it out. Martyr gets choked out and it’s down to Keita vs. Limelight. Keita gets fired up and slugs it out with Limelight again before having to backflip out of a choke. An ankle lock gives Keita the win and the title shot (Commentary: “Wait did he just win?”) at 11:22.

Rating: C. I do appreciate the elimination rules and the match certainly wasn’t bad, but this production is taking some getting used to. It’s hard to keep track of what is going on and commentary is only talking about the match here and there. The action worked well enough though and the fans were way into Keita so they certainly went with the popular star. As for the rest, the Giant thing feels more than a bit out of date and only Vidal really stood out, but for what we were seeing here, it could have been a lot worse.

Wrestling With Wregret Internet Title: Zicky Dice vs. ???

Yes it’s the title from Brian Zane’s webseries on the line. Dice, with former champion Levi Shapiro is defending in an open challenge and Simon Miller from Whatculture answers. The rather strong Miller sends him into the ropes to start but Dice comes up with some streamers to knock him back. That works as well as streamers to the face are going to go and Dice bails to the floor. Dice: “Who trained this guy???”

Shapiro comes in and offers a distraction (and a trip) so Dice can punch Miller down, setting up the Arn Anderson eye rake on the ropes. Dice gets two off a bridging northern lights suplex and a clothesline gets the same. Back up and Miller hits him in the face, causing Dice to throw up his own X….and pull another streamer from his mouth, Phantasmo style. The streamer clotheslines Miller down and Dice gets in a hip swivel into a reverse chinlock.

Miller fights up and runs Dice over, which is enough for Shapiro to pull Dice outside. Some silly string to the face (and near the referee) drops Miller, who is fine enough to do a not great tilt-a-whirl slam. Miller misses a middle rope splash as Ryan starts talking a lot more on commentary. Dice sprays something else at Miller but here’s a masked man to belt Dice in the head….for a double DQ at 9:10.

Rating: D. Yeah this really didn’t work and commentary/fans asking “what just happened” isn’t a good sign. The match was all about the comedy, which wasn’t exactly funny and the ending was even worse. This was quite the step down from the opener and felt more like a way to have a title match without having any kind of a serious ending. Miller didn’t help himself here either, and this was a hard sit.

Post match everyone leaves and the mask stays on.

Team Slim Jim vs. Thrussy

That would be Drexl/Warhorse/Chase James vs. Allie Katch/Effy/Dark Sheik. Upon a fan request, commentary tries to start a DADDY EFFY chant, even as Warhorse and Katch chop it out. Katch is rather confused but is fine enough to shrug off Warhorse’s shoulder. Warhorse is allowed to roll Katch up for two and they stop to pose at each other. Sheik (a hardcore woman) and Drexl (a hardcore guy) come in, with the fans thinking Sheik is going to kill him.

They stare at each other a bit until Sheik chops him in the corner to no avail. The fans think Drexl is a sick f*** as he offers to let Sheik chop him…so she drops down for a low blow. Drexl seems to approve so Sheik kicks him into the corner. Effy and James come in to complete the trilogy of pairings and they strike it out. Effy blocks a kiss attempt though and hits an atomic drop before dropping onto all fours.

With that not going anywhere, Effy hits some running kicks in the corner for two and Sheik adds a slingshot legdrop. James is sent face first into the back of Katch’s trunks (wiggling ensues) and we hit a front facelock to slow things down. Effy comes back in and…I think bites James’ nipple, earning himself a knockdown. James finally gets over to Warhorse to pick up the pace as everything breaks down.

Drexl paper cuts Effy and cuts Katch in the corner, only to get dropped by Effy. Sheik’s top rope spinning legdrop gets two on Drexl….and here’s a giant Slim Jim. Said Slim Jim beats up Thrussy but they get together and make him eat a regular Slim Jim. Sheik hits a top rope spinwheel kick to Warhorse and Effy hits a Rough Ryder to finish Drexl at 15:55.

Rating: C. This was oddly entertaining, as they went pretty straightforward with the Slim Jim, even if it’s a rather strange gimmick. The action was much more comedy based but in this case it actually worked a bit better. Effy and Katch are bigger names here and it makes sense to have them go over, especially over Drexl, who didn’t seem that well received.

Post match the fans get Slim Jims.

Pacific Northwest Relentless Title: Alan Angels vs. Chris Bey

Angels is defending and does not seem to be the most popular. They go with the grappling to start and Bey gets to dance, only to get caught in a headlock. Bey is back up and sweeps the leg a few times, sending Angels outside. Back in and Bey hits a double stomp to the back as commentary talks about the character development needed to be a manager.

Bey chops him down and adds a kick to the back as the giant Slim Jim jumps in on commentary for a minute (he is also NOT Jackson Price, despite their apparent similar sizes). Angels manages a kick to the back as commentary switches to Keita eating burritos. A hard clothesline gives Angels two and we hit the abdominal stretch. Bey fights out and hits a running clothesline, followed by a kick to the head for two.

Angels’ standing Sliced Bread gets the same but he misses a top rope…we’ll say knee, allowing Bey to grab a Code Red for two (should have gone Baja Blast, or at least not Pitch Black). Bey can’t hit the Art of Finesse (springboard cutter) and Angels drops him hard with a clothesline for two more. They’re both down…and here’s Keita with his contract from earlier. Keita pins Angels to win the title at 12:29.

Rating: C+. I was getting into this one and wanted to see who was going to win before the screwy finish. That being said, I can get not wanting to pin a bigger name like Bey while also not wanting to give him the title. This gets the belt back on what feels more like a promotion regular while also giving us a pretty nice match. You could tell that these guys were on another level and that was a good boost for the show.

The host thanks a camera woman who has been at all of their shows.

POW Pro Wrestling Title: Vin Massaro vs. Funnybone

This is from the POW promotion and Massaro (with Mr. Ooh-La-La) is challenging. The funny part is that Massaro’s music has been played twice by mistake throughout the night and commentary said something like “HE’S REALLY COMING OUT THIS TIME”. Funnybone is a scary yet popular clown/demon who enziguris Massaro to start but a cheap shot sends Funnybone into the corner.

Stomping and choking ensue but Funnybone fights up and sends him outside for the suicide dive. Back in and Funnybone misses something from the top, allowing Massaro to suplex him into the corner. Some running knees to the face give Funnybone two but he accidentally kicks the referee down. Massaro grabs a chair but cue a rather large man to spear Massaro down. Funnybone adds a top rope double stomp to retain at 8:26.

Rating: C. I feel like I’ve seen Funnybone before and Massaro has been around for a bit, so this match had some experience. It felt like more of a showcase for the promotion and its title, which is a good enough way to get something else on the card. Granted I’m not sure why you would want to do that when you’re having your highest profile show to date, but maybe it was some agreement.

Kidd Bandit vs. Brooke Havok vs. Act Yasukawa vs. Billie Starkz

No word on if this is elimination or one fall to a finish, as commentary would rather say Bandit is “so pushy as a heel”. Havok and Starkz are sent outside fast and Act ties Bandid’s legs in the ropes for a running dropkick. Bandit is back up with a rollup and the two of them go outside. Starkz and Havok come back in with Havok grabbing a headscissors as we lose audio for a second. Act is back in with a missile dropkick to Bandit, setting up Starkz’ flip dive onto all three.

Back in and Bandit gives Starkz a backbreaker into a spinning Downward Spiral for two. Starks is fine enough to pick up for a Doomsday crossbody from Havok, who gets to slug it out with Act. Bandit kicks Act down so Starkz has to Swanton in for the save. Back in and Starks grabs a quick rollup to pin Havok, leaving everyone seeming a bit surprised.

Rating: C+. This was pretty much on the nose for the standard format four way and it worked well enough. Starkz is someone whose name has been getting out there more and more as of late, including an AEW appearance, making her the biggest name here. The ending came a bit out of nowhere, but that’s kind of the idea behind a match like this. Quick and to the point, but the action made it work.

Here is Tom Lawlor for the main event but he doesn’t have Team Filthy (his usual partners) with him. Instead, he is willing to let two men have a chance to join. This brings out Matt Vandergriff and Cal Jack, who seems rather patriotic. It seems we have a six man.

Tom Lawlor/Matt Vandergriff/Cal Jack vs. TJP/Jacob Austin Young/Mike Bailey

TJP is the hometown boy so I think we have a hero (thought he fans seem to like Bailey more). The villains jump the good guys to start but TJP and company send them outside for stereo triple dives. We settle down to Vandergriff getting taken into the corner for the early beating, including TJP’s corner handstand into a headscissors. TJP ties him up in the Muta Lock but has to let go because that’s not a normal way to bend.

Jack gets in a cheap shot from the apron to Young though and it’s Lawlor (who has his fans) coming in to take over. Hold on though as Lawlor needs to stop and take off his shorts to reveal his signature cutoff jean shorts. There’s a Stink Face to Young and Vandergriff comes in to keep up the beating. Jack’s gutwrench suplexes give him two but Young is able to hit Lawlor with some loud chops.

The comeback is cut off by a Jack bearhug until Young manages to slip out and grab a sleeper. That’s broken up, but the hot tag brings in Bailey to loudly kick away. Jack gets in a low superkick and brings Vandergriff back in to send Bailey into the middle buckle. Bailey catches him on top for a super hurricanrana though and it’s off to TJP vs. Lawlor. A discus forearm cuts TJP off but he does his swing through the ropes into a….broken Sharpshooter.

Lawlor reverses into a cross armbreaker, which is reversed into some weird Sharpshooter cousin. That’s broken up as well and a Side Effect gives Lawlor two. Bailey comes back in to kick away, including the bouncing series into an enziguri on Vandergriff. Everything breaks down and Vandergriff moonsaults onto everyone not named TJP. Lawlor breaks up TJP’s dive though, only to have TJP kick him down.

A frog splash gives TJP a rather close two but Bailey is back in with his spinning kick in the corner. Jack cuts Bailey off so Vandergriff can hit a 450 for two of his own but TJP cleans house. TJP guillotines Jack so Bailey can add the Ultimate Weapon, allowing the good guys to grab triple submissions for the stereo triple tap at 17:30.

Rating: B. This was absolutely the match that should have headlined the show as it was easily the best thing all night. It’s another case of having the most talented stars in the ring and getting to see just how good they are. Bailey and TJP are both very talented and Lawlor should be in a bigger spot somewhere. I got into this one and it was a heck of a way to end the show, so well done all around.

The winners celebrate and Blake thanks the fans to wrap up the night.

Overall Rating: C+. While it had a VERY rocky start, this got better as it went along and the bigger stars helped a lot. What matters is they had an entertaining enough night when more people are probably going to see them than ever before. There are better indies out there that are more worth your time, but this was a nice mixture of their own talent and people who were around to make for a nice night.

They need to fix A LOT of stuff, with commentary being at the top (granted it was more people filming the show and trying to talk about it rather than traditional commentary so fair enough), but for what it was, it’s a nice enough use of two and a half hours. Cut out the Dice/Miller stuff and it’s that much better, but nothing else was close to bad all night. The main event is worth seeing if you’re in for some lower scale but still good indy action though and for a show like this, that’s a solid result.

 

 

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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IWTV Family Reunion 2021 Part 1
Date: April 8, 2021
Location: 81Bay Brewing, Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Various

We’ll start the marathon wrestling weekend with this, part of the Showcase of the Independents. I watched the Family Reunion show two years ago and had a good enough time with it to try another version. IWTV is a wrestling streaming service with all kinds of indy promotions available and this is kind of a sampler of some of their bigger names and promotions. Let’s get to it.

I do not follow any of these promotions so I am coming into this completely blind on all angles and stories.

As you might have expected, the show doesn’t start on time, kicking off about ten minutes late.

The show is dedicated to Shannon Place, a member of the TV crew, who passed away yesterday.

A Very Good Professional Wrestling Team vs. Boomer Hatfield/Boar/Erica Leigh

This is from Camp Leapfrog (which is apparently some offshoot of Chikara) under lucha rules and the trio is Matt Makowski/Travis Huckabee/A Very Good Professional Wrestler. In a clever/annoying idea, the former team comes out to Foo Fighter’s Best Of You but it stays on THE BEST, which repeats on a loop. Hatfield and Very Good start things off and apparently are father and son, meaning Very Good would seem to be the unmasked Dasher Hatfield of Chikara fame.

Feeling out process to start with the expected technical exchange. Hatfield gets in an armdrag into an armbar, which doesn’t sit well with Very Good. The brawling begins so it’s off to Erica vs. Huckabee with Erica booting him out to the floor. Makowski and the rather large Boar come in with Makowski reversing a fireman’s carry into a cross armbreaker. Erica comes back in and gets knocked away from trying to whip Makowski in, allowing Huckabee to come back in and work on the arm.

A not great looking running knee in the corner hits Erica’s arm again and Makowski adds a slam for two. Makowski’s butterfly suplex can’t set up an armbar so Boomer goes up top, gets the tag from there, and comes in with a high crossbody. House is cleaned until Very Good is left to German suplex Hatfield. Another running knee in the corner gets two but Hatfield grabs a rather spinning armdrag to put Very Good down. Hatfield has to get out of a reverse chinlock and hits some running elbows in the corner.

Very Good catches one such charge and Gory Bombs him into the buckle for two. They both flip to their feet and Hatfield hits a Saito suplex, allowing the hot tag off to Boar. Everything breaks down and Boar tosses Huckabee onto the other two. Boar hits a rather impressive no hands dive over the top, leaving Erica to roll Very Good up for two.

Hatfield is back in with a tornado DDT on Very Good but Huckabee plants Hatfield with a swinging cutter. Total Elimination drops Boar for two but Hatfield is back in with a top rope Meteora on Huckabee. Very Good plants Hatfield but Boar tosses a few people at them for the save. Boar hits something like a Bitter End to finish Huckabee at 17:12.

Rating: C. This went a bit longer than it should have but what we got was good enough, with everyone flying around and doing their thing as well as they could have. The idea here is a Showcase and that is exactly what we got, with six people who have done this for a bit getting to do their thing. Of course it was a bit messy, but what else are you expecting from a Boar fighting in a brewery?

Daniel Makabe vs. Jaden Newman

From Scenic City Invitational and Makabe won their most recent big tournament. They go technical to start (makes sense for Makabe, who is billed as the Wrestling Genius) with Newman grabbing a cravate to little effect. A sunset flip doesn’t work for Newman as he has to bail to the ropes to escape an STF. Makabe can’t get Cattle Mutilation so he settles for two off a German suplex instead.

Newman is right back with a powerslam into a chinlock, followed by a heck of a left hand to the ear. A northern lights suplex gives Newman two as Makabe is bleeding from the….somewhere. Newman hits a cravate driver for two and the cravate goes on again. Makabe is back up to lay him over the middle rope for some choking. That earns him a ram into the buckle though and Newman cravates him over the rope for a change.

That’s broken up and Makabe hits a running kick to the face, setting up a superplex for the double knockdown. It’s Makabe up first with a tiger driver for two but Newman pulls him into a hangman’s clutch (STF with a cravate) but Makabe slips out. Instead Newman elbows him in the head, only to get pulled into a rear naked choke. That’s broken up as well so Makabe snaps off a dragon screw legwhip. The Fujiwara armbar makes Newman tap at 9:53.

Rating: C+. This was a little bit more my speed as Makabe picked him apart with Newman focusing on the cravate a bit too much. Sometimes you need a good technical exchange and that’s what you got here. Both guys looked fairly good here and I could go for more of both of them, so well done throughout.

Will Wrestle vs. Judge Hugo Lexington Black

From Olde Wrestling, which is designed to be out of the 1800s or whatever other era you picture as being rather old. I’ve heard about this promotion before and it did sound a bit fun. Before the match, (Rickey Shane Page as a corrupt judge) says he doesn’t want to wrestle and hates all of the fans. He would rather sit on the beach and drink some sweet tea because….well that’s what a southern man does. Will is a panhandler who would do a headlock for a handout.

We get started with Will, who only has one shoe, being rather pleased with being given a dollar. Then Black takes it away so Will wrestles him around and gets it again. The bill is tucked away so Black grabs a spinning release slam to take over. A stomp to the socked foot has Will in trouble but he manages to get his dollar back.

Black suplexes him down and stomps on the foot again, which certainly does make sense. After a bite of the foot, we hit the spinning toehold but Will steals Page’s shoe to put it on the other foot. Will pops up with a tornado DDT and goes up but Black throws more money for a distraction. A sunset flip doesn’t work for Will, but he reaches into Black’s pocket to pull out a five dollar bill. The shock is enough to pin Black at 6:21.

Rating: C. I thought it was fun and I’ve been wanting to see a full show from this promotion for awhile now. That’s the point of a show like this so I’ll check one of their full things out later. Good little match here with a funny story throughout. They didn’t overstay their welcome and were entertaining as well, which is as good as you can get.

Wheeler Yuta vs. Adam Priest

The winner gets an Independent Wrestling TV Title shot. Yuta bails to the floor to start but comes back in to take Priest down with a waistlock. Priest slips out but Yuta gets two off a sunset flip. A right hand rocks Priest but seems to wake him up, meaning it’s a gutwrench suplex for two. They trade some loud chops with Priest getting the better of it and tying the leg up into the strange cousin of a Tequila Sunrise.

Priest can’t switch it into a Sharpshooter as Yuta grabs the ear for a break. A trip sends Yuta outside for a loud chop off until Yuta sends his shoulder into the post. Back in and Yuta hits a slam into a top rope splash for two, with Priest going into the corner to favor his shoulder. Yuta is smart enough to go after the arm, including the rather nasty stomp. The armbar goes on (makes sense) for a bit, followed by a German suplex for two on Priest.

Another German suplex gets two on Yuta and another German suplex gets another two on Yuta. Priest grabs a brainbuster for two more but he still can’t get a Sharpshooter. Yuta is back up with a backfist into a nasty looking middle rope DDT to the arm. The Fujiwara armbar has Priest in trouble but Yuta lets go and kicks the arm. Zack Sabre Jr.’s European Clutch pins Priest at 10:04.

Rating: C+. Another nice match with Yuta being the more polished of the two. Working on the arm is something that is always going to work and it went fine here. Priest looked like someone who could go somewhere in the future with some more seasoning and having matches with slightly bigger stars like Yuta is a good idea. Good stuff here and Yuta continues to grow.

Robert Martyr vs. Dominic Garrini

From Paradigm Pro Wrestling and under UWFI rules, with Garrini being billed as the UWFIcon. This match has a points system with both wrestlers starting with fifteen points. If you run out of points, it’s an automatic loss, though you can also lose by submission or knockout. Garrini goes for the arm to start and Martyr goes to the rope to lose a point. The attempted triangle choke sends him to the ropes again so it’s already 15-13 (assuming commentary knows what they’re talking about, as we aren’t getting any announcements). Garrini snaps off a German suplex, which seems to be another point off for Martyr.

Garrini’s Kimura attempt is blocked and Martyr fires off elbows to the head. Martyr has to slip out of a guillotine choke so Garrini grabs a cross armbreaker, meaning it’s another Martyr rope break. Back up and Garrini blasts him in the head but Martyr is back up with a crossface chickenwing, sending Garrini to the ropes for a change. A slap off goes to Garrini but Martyr suplexes him down, which apparently is points off too (we need a scoreboard or something). Garrini pulls him into a Crossface for the tap at 4:44.

Rating: C-. This is just not my style and the points system was more confusing than anything else. Garrini is someone I’ve seen a few times in MLW and he is fine enough for what he does, but I don’t usually care for this kind of stuff. Martyr was decent in a short match here, but this was all about Garrini and it showed.

Funny Bone/Nurse Ratchet/Super Beast vs. D-Rogue/James C/Willow Nightingale

This is from Hoodslam, meaning the wrestlers are going to be about as gimmicky as you can get. Beast brings Ratchet to the ring in a body bag for some extra flavor. Nightingale seems rather happy to be here, which seems to be the case with a lot of wrestlers these days. Beast offers Nightingale a spot in said body bag but she’ll pass for now. Ratchet, who staggers around like a zombie, starts with Nightingale, who is a bit terrified.

A test of strength is teased but Ratchet grabs her by the throat. Nightingale headbutts her way out but seems scared to follow up. There’s a slam to put Ratchet down but she does an Undertaker sit up. Another slam lets her do the Bray Wyatt spider walk, meaning it’s off to the much bigger C. Eat Defeat knocks Ratchet….almost off her feet but not quite. Ratchet goes up for Old School and walks around the corner before coming down on the arm.

Bone (in a skull mask) comes in to work on the arm, setting up an exchange of middle fingers. A cross between a neckbreaker/Backstabber puts Bone down and it’s off to Rogue. Bone blasts him with some jumping knees and Rogue goes into a rather slow motion fall. The rather muscular Beast comes in to send Rogue flying, setting up some running strikes in the corner.

Rogue manages to send him outside so Ratchet comes back in with a high crossbody. That’s pulled out of the air and countered into a slam, allowing Rogue to dive onto Beast and Bone. Back in and Nightingale Rock Bottoms Ratchet but misses a moonsault. James slips in with a pumphandle piledriver on Ratchet but Beast plants him with a powerslam. Bone adds a top rope elbow for the pin at 8:08.

Rating: C. Oh yeah this was heavy on the gimmicks, which worked out well enough. Hoodslam is not exactly my taste (though I do want to see Drugs Bunny) but you could get the idea of the weird trio here. They didn’t hide who was going to win here and that is ok for something like this. Again, it’s meant to be a showcase and I got a bit of an idea of what I would get out of these people, which is how it is supposed to go.

IWA-Mid South Title: Jake Crist vs. John Wayne Murdoch

Crist is defending and there are no rules (you knew they would get something like this in). The bell rings and Crist throws a door at Murdoch’s face. A high crossbody connects and Crist fires off the kicks to the head for two. They head outside with Crist being sent face first into the bar to put him in some trouble. It’s time to sit in some chairs and hit each other in the face, which is always a bit of an odd visual.

Back in and Murdoch chairs him between the shoulders, setting up a neckbreaker for two. We hit the chinlock early on but Crist is back up, only to get kneed in the ribs. Crist is back up with some chops into a Death Valley Driver for two of his own. A powerslam into a chair in the corner gets two on Murdoch so Crist bridges a door between two chairs.

They go up top and Crist hits a super cutter through the door, setting up a backslide for two. Murdoch is back with a Canadian Destroyer but Crist backslides him again for two more. A brainbuster gives Murdoch his own two and it’s time to bridge another door over the chairs. Murdoch hits a super Canadian Destroyer through the door for the pin and the title at 7:35.

Rating: D+. They flew through this and it felt like it was clipped a bit on time. Much like the UWFI stuff, this is totally not my style but at least they didn’t go into the full hardcore nonsense. I mean, yeah they were breaking doors and such but there is a big difference between that and the blood and such, which is just annoying instead of something with some value.

Independent Wrestling TV Title: Edith Surreal vs. Lee Moriarty

Moriarty is defending and Surreal is better known as Still Life With Apricots And Pears, meaning we have a bunch of paintings set up around the ring (if you’re not familiar, don’t bother trying to figure it out because this is one of the weirdest gimmicks you’ll see). They go technical to start with Moriarty working on the arm. A quick trip to the mat doesn’t go anywhere so it’s time for another exchange of arm control. Surreal switches over to the leg but Moriarty slips out in a hurry.

Back up and Surreal cranks on the arm, setting up a crucifix for two, with Moriarty bouncing out, which seems to hurt Surreal’s ribs. They run the ropes until Surreal snaps off a hurricanrana into an elbow to the face for two more. Moriarty gets in a shot to the ribs and puts on a bodyscissors, complete with an arm crank for a bonus. That’s broken up so Moriarty shouts at her a lot as frustration is setting in.

Some shoulders to the ribs in the corner and an arm snap have Surreal in more trouble, followed by an abdominal stretch. That’s broken up and Surreal ties up the limbs into a rollup for two. They trade some rollups for two each until Surreal knocks him down again. A guillotine legdrop gets two on Moriarty and it’s time to go back to the rollups, with Moriarty trapping the legs and kicking the ribs to retain at 10:37.

Rating: C+. This was another rather entertaining, back and forth exchange with both of them getting to shine. Surreal is someone who is about as unique as you can get today and that is always worth a look. Then you have Moriarty, who is a lot more traditional of a star but is rather good at the technical stuff. You can never see enough of that and Moriarty got to stand out rather well here.

Post match they shake hands but a masked man comes in to chair them both down. It’s Wheeler Yuta of course and we’re off the air in a hurry.

Overall Rating: C+. You have to consider what they were going for here and that was a nice success. This was about looking at a little bit of all kinds of wrestling from different places while also setting up something for tomorrow. It was a completely watchable show and ran about two hours flat, which is hardly wasting time. If you haven’t seen that much indy stuff, you might want to check this out and see what they have to pick from, because there were a lot of choices here.

 

 

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