Ninth Islvnd
Date: April 17, 2025
Location: Swan Dive, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Mike Wexler, Pollo del Mar

Every Wrestlemania Week I try to see what I can find from a random independent promotion and that’s what we’re doing here. This is Oasis Pro Wrestling and I know absolutely nothing else about it. I’ve glanced at the card and it looks interesting enough so let’s get to it.

We finally go to the arena a mere thirty minutes into the Youtube video (after looking at the logo all that time) and look at the card, which we can’t see because of logos on the screen. This goes on even longer as we are almost forty minutes into the video with only a few seconds’ long shot of the arena thus far.

Apparently most of the people on this show are Polynesian. So we have a theme.

The South Pacific Savages (Journey Fatu, Juicy Fatu, Iosefa Parisi) to say this show means a lot to them, though their audio gets much lower, making it a bit hard to understand them. They bring out two other men to hype up the crowd and we’re ready to go.

Tha Islandahz vs. Elliott Rey/Gigi Furiosa

This is a Dojo Showcase, because you always want to start off with your students and the Islandahz are Damu and Tui. Furiosa works on Damu in the corner but gets double teamed by the far bigger Islandahz. The audio goes way up as Furiosa fights up with a clothesline to make the tag off to Rey. An exchange of shoulders doesn’t go anywhere so Rey runs him over. It’s back to Furiosa (del Mar: “Why?”) but Tui doesn’t want to lock up with a woman.

Eventually he does and whips her in, where Damu gets in a knee to the back. Damu pulls Furiosa down by the hair and the referee doesn’t see the tag to Rey, leaving him rather annoyed. The tag goes through a few seconds later though and it’s time to clean house. Commentary gets on Rey for playing to the crowd too much and then he clotheslines Furiosa by mistake. Tui hits a Samoan drop into a moonsault headbutt (which the camera missed) to pin Rey at 8:39.

Rating: C. I’ll give it a bit of a break because they’re students but this wasn’t exactly much to see. I mean, I’m assuming it wasn’t much to see because the camera was all over the place and it was hard to keep track of what was happening. The Islandahz were doing an impression of just about any Samoan tag team while the other two were some odd pairing who didn’t work well together. That’s not much of a start.

Hoka vs. Midas Kreed

The much bigger Hoka grabs a headlock to start but gets caught with a dropkick. A swinging neckbreaker takes Hoka down and a superkick sends him into the ropes. Hoka comes back with a clothesline for two and we hit the chinlock. That’s broken up and Kreed fires off some running forearms, setting up a middle rope cutter for two. Hoka is right back up with a Boss Man Slam and a running palm strike finishes Kreed at 6:38.

Rating: C. Basic power vs. speed match here and that’s always a fine way to go. Neither of them exactly stood out here but at least I could see what was going on most of the time here. Hoka wasn’t bad and his Boss Man Slam looked good enough, to the point where it definitely should have been the finish.

Adrianna Mosley/The Samoan Reaper vs. Melanin Mafia

The rather tall Reaper’s shoulder doesn’t do much to the rather wide Sancho Dimera. It’s off to the women, with Mosley hitting a DDT on Beatrice Domino (an awesome name). Mosley sends her flying off a northern lights suplex but Domino gets in a shot of her own. The reverse chinlock doesn’t last long and it’s off to Dimera, who apparently weighs over 700lbs. Some forearms keep Mosley down and it’s back to Domino for another reverse chinlock.

Mosley fights up and strikes away, including a headbutt which the camera showing the three inch gap between them (Domino sells anyway). A clothesline puts Domino down and the double tag brings in Reaper for a side slam on Dimera. Everything breaks down and Mosley gets in a Stinkface on Domino, followed by Reaper’s running hip attack on Dimera, who will apparently eat anything. We’ll thankfully move on from that as everything breaks down and Reaper spears Dimera, with Mosley doing the same thing to Domino. Reaper’s top rope splash ends Domino at 10:24.

Rating: D. Oh yeah this really didn’t work. This was a throwback to something of a freak show match, with the massive Dimera and the large enough Mosley making for more of a “this is a weird thing to see”. The action was bad too and it made for quite a long ten minutes. This was pretty horrible and that’s not a good sign.

Sean Maluta vs. Sonico

At least I’ve heard of these two. Hold on though as here is a manager with a man named Harman Cheema. Apparently Cheema represents India so he needs to be on the show. Sure why not.

Sean Maluta vs. Harman Cheema vs. Sonico

It’s a brawl to start and Cheema goes to sit in the crowd, leaving Sonico to jump Maluta. Now Cheema comes in but gets sent outside for a dive from Sonico. Back in and Sonico hits a Swanton but gets dropped by Maluta. Cheema splashes Sonico in the corner as the fans talk about Cheema’s back hair. Maluta is helped to the back after being injured and Cheema’s manager tries to bring in a chair. Sonico takes it away and hits the manager with it before throwing it in Cheema’s direction. A brainbuster through the chair gives Sonico the pin at 6:45.

Rating: C. I’m assuming Maluta got hurt somewhere in there but this was just a bunch of spots until someone won. The chair being brought in felt like it was out of nowhere, which makes sense given how all over the place this was. Sonico and Maluta have spent some time in AEW so at least they’re decent, but you can only do so much with so little time.

Post match Sonico gets in a shot on the manager too. Commentary approves.

Afa Jr. vs. Chris Nastyy vs. Hero Leo vs. Noah Kekoa vs. Solomon Tupu vs. Valu

Afa Jr. is better known as Manu and this ring is not big enough for six people to be scrambling. Nastyy is entering himself in the match (like we saw in the previous match) because he’s 1/78th Polynesian. Nastyy gets punched and headbutted to the floor, leaving Kekoa (formerly Kona Reeves) to hit Afa low.

Nastyy gets pulled outside again and it’s Tupu coming in to forearm it out with Kekoa. Valu comes in for an exchange of shoulders with Tupu before they both shoulder Nastyy down. Afa Jr. is back in with a superkick, leaving Nastyy to get taken down with a Boss Man Slam. Afa’s top rope splash is good for the pin on Nastyy at 4:10.

Rating: D-. Again, what are you supposed to do when you have six people in a match and four minutes to do anything? Most of the people here didn’t get to stand out as the only story of the match was Nastyy getting beaten up. It was like they just did a few things until someone, in this case the biggest star, won. What fun.

Ten minute intermission, which is included in the video.

Pacific Seas Title: El Fatal vs. Gringo Loco

Fatal is defending and dropkicks him to the floor for a running flip dive. Back in and Fatal knocks him down again but gets caught with a faceplant into a superkick. A sitout exploder suplex gets two on Fatal but he kicks his way out of a waistlock. Fatal’s top rope hurricanrana drops Loco as Sonico (Fatal’s stablemate) comes out to watch. Fatal misses a corkscrew moonsault and a middle rope Canadian Destroyer gives Loco two. The referee almost gets bumped so Fatal gets in a low blow. A double underhook Codebreaker retains the title at 4:24.

Rating: C-. He’s not a huge star but Loco is at least a name. That’s one of the few things they have on this low budget show and he’s in there for about four minutes? If you want your champion to feel like a star, use the outsider you have to make him look better. That’s the idea here in theory but what are you supposed to do with less than five minutes?

Ignore commentary getting the name of the title wrong.

South Pacific Savages/Zilla Fatu vs. The Mane Event/Jack Cartwheel/Super Crazy

The rather large Crazy almost falls off the stage on the way to the ring. Mane starts fast with a moonsault onto the Savages and Crazy gets in a dive of his own. It’s a big brawl on the floor and you can’t really tell what is going on. Zilla throws a bunch of chairs and Cartwheel gets beaten down. We finally settle down to Crazy choking Parisi and hitting him with a dropkick. Juicy comes in to run the Mane Event over and Lyon has to save Black from destruction. Juicy’s top rope splash connects and Zilla gives Cartwheel a pop up Samoan drop. Black goes up but dives into a Samoan Spike to give Zilla the pin at 6:50.

Rating: F. This was barely a match as the first half or more was spent on the big wild brawl where you could barely tell what was going on. That’s in addition to Crazy looking horrible and slow, plus almost no one really getting any sort of focus. The Savages/Fatu winning was no surprise, but could you at least try having a match?

Post match Juicy thanks the fans for coming out to end the show.

Overall Rating: D-. Yeah no. I get that this was a low budget show but there were some names on here with talent who could have done far better. Instead, it’s a bunch of short matches (the one match that broke ten minutes was horrible) and a total mess of a main event. It says a lot when the best thing on the show was a six minute match between two people I’ve never seen before. Really bad stuff here and that’s not a good thing to see when they’re probably getting their biggest audience ever.

Results
Tha Islandahz b. Elliott Rey/Gigi Furiosa – Moonsault headbutt to Rey
Hoka b. Midas Kreed – Palm strike
Adrianna Mosley/The Samoan Reaper b. Melanin Mafia – Top rope splash to Domino
Sonico b. Sean Maluta and Harman Cheema – Brainbuster through a chair
Afa Jr. b. Chris Nastyy, Hero Leo, Noah Kekoa, Solomon Tupu and Valu – Top rope splash to Nastyy
El Fatal b. Gringo Loco – Double underhook Codebreaker
South Pacific Savages/Zilla Fatu b. Mane Event/Jack Cartwheel/Super Crazy – Samoan Spike to Black

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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The House Always Wins
Date: April 17, 2025
Location: Freemont Country Club, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Elliot Tyler, Jordan Castle

So this is Pandemonium Pro, which is an independent promotion that I know nothing about. I wanted to do one of their shows a few years ago but could never actually find it so we’ll try it again here. I’m always a sucker for a gambling themed named and what are the odds of seeing one of them in Las Vegas? Let’s get to it.

Note that I know nothing about this promotion so I apologize in advance if I miss any plot or character points.

Apparently there was a pre-show battle royal but it does not seem to have been broadcast.

Sean Legacy vs. Tommy Billington

For some reason this is a separate video from the YouTube stream of the show so I’m not sure if it’s officially part of the show or some kind of pre-show. Legacy takes him to the mat to start as commentary is at very different levels, with one of them sounding like they are in a different location. A victory roll gives Legacy two and he grabs a headlock takeover.

Billington flips out of a wristlock and takes him down into an armbar. Legacy is right back with a standing moonsault for two so Billington drops him with a clothesline. Back up and Billington stomps away in the corner but gets caught with a DDT for two more. They slug it out….and the video ends without a winner. Another video on the page shows Legacy leaving after a win, though there are no details about how he got there. No rating due to the incomplete match, but they were starting to pick it up when the video ended.

Here is Miu Watanabe to sing a song. I’m not sure what she’s saying but the fans seem into it and it’s rather fast paced.

Jordan Cruz/Sonico/Wicked Wickett vs. Alan Angels/Duke/Fuego del Sol

Duke is better known as Duke Hudson. Angels and Sonico start things off as we lose commentary for a bit. Sonico rolls him up for some near falls and it’s already off to del Sol vs. Wickett. They trade hurricanranas for a standoff…and the video ends again after just over two minutes. Apparently Cruz and company went on to win, though again I have no idea how they did it or how long it took.

Mao vs. Masha Slamovich

Neither gets an introduction and we’re seemingly joined in progress. Slamovich’s headlock doesn’t last long and they’re quickly on the mat, which goes to a standoff. Mao flips her off as commentary reads off some sponsors and then apologizes to them. A hiptoss takes her down before Mao teases a hanging DDT, only to drop her face first instead. The half crab keeps Slamovich in trouble before a split legged moonsault (with Mao grabbing the lighting rig) gets two.

Slamovich is back up with a rolling kick to the face and the rear naked choke goes on. Mao slips out but gets it again, only for Mao to fight up with a cutter for two. They trade enziguris until Slamovich knocks him out of the air for a crash. An exchange of German suplexes doesn’t get either of them anywhere so they trade kicks to the head…and Slamovich falls onto him for the fluke pin at 9:30.

Rating: C+. This was a nice enough back and forth match, with Slamovich being able to hang with Mao fairly well. Granted it helps when Mao’s big offense is flipping off the crowd, so Slamovich only had so much to keep up with here. Slamovich’s star continues to rise and she got a good win here on the big weekend.

Mustafa Ali vs. Ninja Mack

Ali has no interest in shaking hands to start so he drives Mack into the corner. Back up and Ali grabs an armbar, only for Mack to flip away and nip up into a standoff. Mack flips out of a hurricanrana but Ali does Mack’s own pose with quite the big grin. That’s fine with Mack, who hits a spinning kick to the head and they head outside, where Mack’s sliding dive is countered into a DDT onto the floor (ouch).

Back in and Mack seems to be having trouble seeing so Ali knocks him down again and hits a standing moonsault. Mack catches him on top with a kick to the head, only to get German suplexed down. Ali mocks Mack again and they trade rollups until Ali backslides him with feet on the ropes for the pin at 9:35.

Rating: B-. What were you expecting here? Ali is one of the better stars on the independent circuit and Mack is a rather entertaining high flier. Getting Ali on the show makes things feel more important and he got to showcase his talents rather well. Mack is going to be fine as well as he’s that good of a high flier and this worked well enough.

Hyan vs. Kingsley

Kingsley is apparently replacing WWE ID Prospect Zara Zakher and is the lead singer of the Backslide Girls. Which is apparently a thing. They circle each other to start and then trade legsweeps for a quick cover each. A dropkick sends Kingsley outside and Hyan drags her back in by the hair, which isn’t very nice.

Back in and Kingsley kicks away as commentary throws us to a commercial on the local TV broadcast as this is a rather odd production. Kingsley stacks her up for two and grabs a chinlock to keep things slow. Back up and Hyan sends her to the floor and a dive takes Kingsley down again. They get back inside with Kingsley grabbing an STF variation until Hyan makes the rope. Hyan’s CT Knee gets two and it’s a spear into Beauty Sleep (Glam Slam) to end Kingsley at 10:09.

Rating: C+. This was a match where the production brought down the enjoyment as there were issues in telling which of them was which or what was going on. That’s an annoying detail as the match was good enough, though it was kind of just trading moves without building towards much of anything.

Miu Watanabe vs. Maya World

Watanabe wrestles her down to start before Maya misses a swinging kick. Maya manages to send her to the apron for a basement dropkick and it’s time for a bit of a breather. Back in and Watanabe is fine enough to hit a running shoulder, only to get caught in a gory stretch spun into a knee to the face. Watanabe pops up with a comeback so sudden that commentary sounds surprised, including with World being driven into the corner.

The giant swing is broken up though and World superkicks her into a crossface. Watanabe fights up and hits a big backbreaker, which is enough to set up the giant swing. World slips out of an over the shoulder backbreaker and grabs a sunset bomb out of the corner for two. Back up and Watanabe misses a right hand and gets cuttered, only to shrug it off for a powerslam. The Tear Drop (flapjack) finishes World at 11:28.

Rating: B-. This was good enough, though Watanabe seemed to survive a good bit of offense and just pop up to take over again. That’s not the best way to go, but World definitely got to showcase herself for a bit. Watanabe definitely has star power, though it was nice to see World doing well too.

Kzy vs. Cappuccino Jones

Kzy is from Dragon Gate. Jones takes him down by the arm to start and they fight over a hammerlock. Back up and Jones cranks away on the arm, only for Kzy to Worm his way out. Jones isn’t sure what to make of that so he has some coffee and dances a bit as well. Kzy has some of said coffee and they both do indeed dance. Jones does a reverse Worm and then gets kneed in the ribs, only to come back with a dropkick for two.

They run the ropes until Kzy hits a running Blockbuster for a big smile. Jones hammers him down and drops a fist for two, setting up the neck crank. Kzy fights up and hits a running shoulder in the corner, setting up a fireman’s carry sitout powerbomb for two. A frog splash misses for Kzy and a half and half (clever) suplex gives Jones two more.

The Macchiato Driver gives Jones another near fall and they slug it out. Back up and Kzy hits a running clothesline and they’re both down. A sliding lariat gives Kzy two but Jones gets to the coffee and hits a Decaffinator for two. Kzy is back with another basement clothesline into a frog splash for two of his own. They trade rollups for two each until Kzy piledrives him for the pin at 13:14.

Rating: B. This was a lot of fun as Jones has turned what should be a pretty basic gimmick into something rather entertaining. You wouldn’t expect to see someone whose entire deal is “he drinks a lot of coffee” get somewhere but he has the in-ring talent to back it up. Kzy has looked good in his time in the ring this weekend and he got to do well again here.

Barbaro Cavernario/Yamato vs. Ben-K/Titan

Cavernario and Ben-K start things off and they go to the grappling, with Cavernario taking him to the mat. That’s broken up and they circle each other again before heading right back down. Ben-K drops him with a running shoulder and it’s off to Yamato vs. Titan, with commentary going into a discussion of wrestlers’ hair. Yamato gets taken down and Ben-K comes in to work on the ribs.

A gutwrench suplex gets two and it’s time to tie up the legs for something like a reverse surfboard (that’s a weird one). Yamato fights up and sends him into the corner for the running dropkick, allowing the tag off to Cavernario. Everything breaks down and Cavernario hits a big dive out to the floor.

Back in and Cavernario gets faceplanted for two, leaving Yamato and Ben-K to go at it for a change. Yamato can’t hit a brainbuster but he can forearm Ben-K a few times, setting up a suplex for two. Titan is back in to kick Yamato in the face and everyone is down for a bit. Back up and Titan hits a top rope double stomp on Yamato with Cavernario breaking it up. Yamato kicks Ben-K in the face and gets German suplexed for two. A quick hurricanrana gives Yamato the pin at 14:05.

Rating: B. Another match designed to be a bunch of people getting in some fast spots and hard hits, which worked rather well. It was a mixture of different styles but they meshed together, likely due to familiarity. Good, fast paced match here and all of them got a chance to showcase themselves.

Ella Envy/Brittnie Brooks vs. B3cca/Joseline Navarro

B3cca, a singer, dances to start and Envy joins in before decking B3cca from behind. Navarro comes in to take Brooks down but gets dropped with a quick shot to the face for two. Everything breaks down and B3cca and Navarro drop them, meaning we get tandem dancing. Envy fights out of the corner and hits a running hip attack in the corner to B3cca. Brooks comes back in and gets caught with a superkick, only to get kicked in the back for two.

A slightly aggressive tag brings Envy back in but she’s fine enough to grab a snap suplex. Envy accidentally drops Brooks and B3cca crossbodies both of them at the same time. Navarro comes back in to clean house but Envy drops her from the apron. B3cca hits a Death Valley Driver onto the knee but she gets sent outside. A catapult into a clothesline gets two on Navarro with B3cca making the save. Navarro takes Brooks outside and B3cca hits….something we don’t see off the top for the pin at 11:35.

Rating: B-. This was a nice showcase from four women who might not be as well known and that’s one of the best things that can happen int his kind of a weekend. B3cca has a gimmick that can get your attention rather quickly and Envy/Brooks were both good as the pink obsessed stars. Nice match here, though the missed ending hurt it a bit.

Hechicero vs. Kevin Blackwood

We get an anxious handshake to start before Blackwood grabs a hammerlock. Hechicero grabs a leglock and they go to the mat with Blackwood having to take it to the ropes. Blackwood’s choke sends Hechicero over to the ropes as well and they get up for the chop off. Blackwood gets the better of things and hits some clotheslines but Hechicero pulls him into a swinging backbreaker for two.

Hechicero pulls him into a leglock in the ropes and a top rope forearm gets two more. That’s broken up and Blackwood kicks away, setting up an exploder suplex. The running corner dropkick rocks Hechicero again but he pulls Blackwood out of the air, setting up the surfboard. Blackwood powers out of that and pulls him into a leglock.

Hechicero gets out of that as well and a spinning slam gets two. They chop it out from their knees until Blackwood hits a running knee. The brainbuster gets two more but Hechicero dropkicks him into the corner. The headscissors driver plants Blackwood again and something like an Octopus on the mat makes him tap at 13:45.

Rating: B. This was the technical showcase match and it worked well, with Hechicero getting to work his magic and finally put Blackwood away. Blackwood was presented as a mixture of skilled and tough, which was going to give Hechicero a difficult out. Good main event here, with Hechicero feeling like a star throughout the whole thing.

Post match Blackwood shows respect and Hechicero says…something the microphone is far too low to understand.

The ring announcer thanks us for coming out to wrap it up.

Overall Rating: B-. There was a lot of good stuff on here and the biggest problem was the production, with the lighting being not so great and the camera angles having issues. That being said, this was a nice mixture of styles and stuff throughout, which made for a fun show. It flew by and was certainly entertaining, with enough star power to make things interesting. Maybe not a classic, but certainly a fun enough way to spend about two hours and fifteen minutes.

Results
Sean Legacy b. Tommy Billington
Jordan Cruz/Sonico/Wicked Wickett b. Alan Angels/Duke/Fuego del Sol
Masha Slamovich b. Mao – Kick to the head
Hyan b. Kingsley – Beauty Sleep
Miu Watanabe b. Maya World – Tear Drop
Kzy b. Cappuccino Jones – Piledriver
Yamato/Barbaro Cavernario b. Ben-K/Titan – Hurricanrana to Yamato
B3cca/Joseline Navarro b. Brittnie Brooks/Ella Envy
Hechicero b. Kevin Blackwood – Seated Octopus

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

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

Ring Of Honor
Date: February 22, 2024
Location: Dollar Loan Center, Henderson, Nevada
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We FINALLY have a pay per view announced as Supercard Of Honor is about six weeks away. Since they actually got around to saying something about it, now we can get ready for the show, which probably has more than a few matches all but set. As for tonight, Athena is defending the Women’s Title against Nyla Rose in a 2/3 falls tables match. Let’s get to it.

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

Here’s what’s coming on the show.

Women’s TV Title Tournament First Round: Taya Valkyrie vs. Sussy Love

Johnny TV is here with Taya, who easily takes her into the corner to start and hits a hard chop. Love’s Black Widow is quickly broken up but Taya misses a charge and falls out to the floor. That’s fine with Taya, who powerbombs her onto the apron and then chokes on the ropes back inside. The running knees in the corner give Taya two and we hit the chinlock. Love fights up and hits a crossbody into an enziguri before draping Taya over the middle rope. Some moonsault knees to the ribs give Sussy two but Taya spears her down. Shania Pain finishes for Taya at 7:18.

Rating: C. Another match that could have been trimmed as Taya shouldn’t be going back and forth with someone in their company debut. Taya goes forward and should be a threat to make a deep run in the tournament, especially with the stomp being an effective finisher. She’s also experienced and a name, so while I can’t imagine her winning, she should be in at least the final four or so.

We look back at last week’s first round tournament matches.

Lee Johnson vs. Sonico

Sonico kicks away a handshake to start and gets dropkicked into the corner. A headbutt to the ribs gives Sonico two and he chokes in the corner to keep Johnson down. That doesn’t last long as Johnson is back with some clotheslines and a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. Sonico gets in a shot of his own but walks into the reverse inverted DDT to give Johnson the pin at 5:08.

Rating: C. Johnson is another guy who has talent but needs something to do other than being stuck in the eternal chase for a title shot. It seemed to be another such match here, with Johnson beating another competent opponent. At some point Johnson needs to do something though and that doesn’t seem likely anytime soon.

Women’s TV Title Tournament First Round: Red Velvet vs. Sandra Moone

They fight over a lockup to start until Velvet takes her down with a headlock. Moone is back with a headlock takeover of her own before a belly to back suplex gets two. Velvet comes up and chokes away in the corner but Moone missile dropkicks her back down. A legsweep sets up a standing moonsault to give Velvet two and it’s time to start on the arm.

Back up and a Rey Mysterio sitout bulldog is countered into a Blue Thunder Bomb to give Moone two. Moone strikes away rather hard for two more but Velvet kicks her in the face. The Final Mix misses though and Moone fisherman’s busters her for two more. Moone goes up top but gets super victory rolled down, setting up the Final Mix to give Velvet the pin at 9:01.

Rating: B-. This worked for a pair of reasons, with the bigger one being that Velvet is a weak enough star that you could see her getting taken out as the first round upset. At the same time, Moone was giving her a heck of a fight here and it was something close to a breakout performance. Good stuff here and by far the best thing on the show so far.

Taya Valkyrie, with Johnny TV, is ready to win the title.

Brandon Cutler vs. Danhausen

Cutler has Colt Cabana with him and elbows Danhausen down to start. That earns him the threaten of a CURSE so Cabana and Cutler load up the cold spray. For some reason it only sprays themselves so Danhausen gets in a slam for two. They stumble around and bump into each other and the slugout is on. Danhausen hits a running forearm in the corner int a slingshot German suplex to drop Cutler again. Cabana’s distraction doesn’t work and Danhausen pours the teeth into Cutler’s mouth, setting up the pump kick for the pin at 4:52.

Rating: C+. It was fun, it was goofy, and they were done in less than five minutes. Danhausen is going to get a reaction just due to how ridiculous he is and they were leaning into that here. They didn’t overstay their welcome here and it was nice to have something this different for a change.

Video on Athena vs. Nyla Rose.

Women’s TV Title Tournament First Round: Abadon vs. Viva Van

Abadon wastes no time in sending her into the corner for some running knees. Choking (with screaming) on the ropes has Van in more trouble but she’s back with a running spinwheel kick for two. Van grabs a Tarantula into a bow and arrow before she runs Abadon over for two more. Abadon fights back and bites the arm, setting up a running knee and Black Dahlia for the pin at 5:49.

Rating: C. They kept this shorter and that helped a bit, as it’s another case where there is little doubt about the winner. Abadon was treated like a big deal upon showing up in Ring Of Honor and that seems to still be the case. You have to add some star power from the main roster and Abadon can do that well enough in a spot like this.

Anthony Henry vs. Ethan Page

JD Drake is here with Henry, who takes Page down to start and mocks him a bit. Back up and Page armdrags him down a few times before grabbing a quickly broken headlock. Page punches his way out of the corner but Henry is right back onto the arm to slow Page back down. That’s shrugged off again and Page hits some clotheslines into a powerslam for two, but the arm is banged up. Henry grabs a tornado DDT and cranks on the arm some more. They head to the apron, where Page clotheslines him back inside. The springboard cutter gives Henry the pin at 5:23.

Rating: C+. This should be the latest step towards Page getting a TV Title match, which has been in the making for a good while now. Then again at some pint he needs to actually win the title, which very well could happen at Supercard Of Honor. Henry is a good choice for an opponent here, as he’s established enough to be something of a threat, but also someone who can make Page look strong in defeat.

Queen Aminata is ready for her second round match against Taya Valkyrie, who is nowhere near what she used to be.

Women’s TV Title Tournament: Robyn Renegade vs. Billie Starkz

They fight over wrist control to start and neither get anywhere so it’s a staredown instead. Starkz kicks her in the head but gets small packaged for two for her efforts. Back up and Robyn hits a hard chop in the corner but misses another, allowing Starkz to strike away for a change. A fisherman’s suplex gives Robyn two and a Backstabber gets the same. The chinlock keeps Starkz down for a bit until she fights up and runs Robyn over.

Starkz’s comeback is cut off by an enziguri but she knocks Robyn outside. That means a heck of a suicide dive, followed by a second, but the third is pulled out of the air. Back in and Robyn grabs a diving sunset bomb out to the floor, leaving Starkz to dive back in and beat the count. Back in and Starkz grabs a quick half and half suplex before putting on a choke with a knee in the back to make Robyn tap at 9:48.

Rating: C+. Nice enough here as we wrap up the first round, though it’s still weird to see one of the Renegades on their own. Robyn is capable of doing quite a bit on her own but when you’re half of a tag team, it doesn’t exactly make her seem likely to pull it off here. It also doesn’t help that Starks has been a featured part of the division for a long time now and she wasn’t likely to lose in the first round.

Ethan Page wants the TV Title and says there is something in the air.

AR Fox vs. Matt Sydal vs. Komander vs. Exodus Prime

Fox gets pounded down in the corner to start until Komander and Sydal clear the ring. An exchange of rollups gives us a standoff but Fox is back in to take over on both of them. Fox hits a springboard moonsault on Komander before beating up Prime for a bonus. Sydal is back up to take over on Komander and Fox, including a standing corkscrew dive onto the latter.

Now it’s Prime getting up with a top rope elbow to Fox, who comes back with a twisting suplex for two on Prime. Everyone grabs a different hold on Prime until it’s broken up so Komander can take Sydal to the apron. Komander puts on a surfboard, but Fox dives over them to take Prime down. Sydal and Fox team up on Prime in the corner until Komander is back in to go up top.

Prime cuts that off and hits a reverse slam for two on Komander. Fox is back in with a split legged superplex to Prime, setting up a split legged moonsault. Sydal and Komander make the save because this needs to keep going. Prime rolls Komander up for two but he’s back with a tornado DDT to put Prime down. Cielito Lindo gives Komander the pin at 12:01.

Rating: B-. Yeah cool, can we move on to something that matters now? This was an extended version of the same four way stuff we regularly see around here: a bunch of flips and dives with one person managing to get a pin in the end. It isn’t likely to go anywhere and Komander is likely to be in another one of these things next time, because they keep happening for reasons of getting people on the show.

Billie Starkz promises to win the TV Title.

Women’s Title: Athena vs. Nyla Rose

Athena is defending in a 2/3 falls tables match. Rose runs her over to start and hits a Samoan drop to plant Athena early. The first table is set up on the floor and Rose apron bombs Athena, followed by a powerbomb through said table for the first fall at 1:17. Athena is back up and kicks Rose down before sliding another table inside. Rose is back up to with a chokeslam onto the apron and Athena is in big trouble.

Back in and a cannonball crushes Athena and the table is set up in the corner. Athena blocks a hiptoss so Rose his a crossbody to crush her again. They head outside again and Athena pulls out another table. Now it’s back to the apron for a slugout, followed by the O Face to send Rose through the ringside table to tie it up at 10:09 overall. Back in and Athena tries to powerbomb Rose through a table but her knee gives out instead. They fight up to the top in front of a table before Athena gets down and puts Rose in an electric chair. A big toss through the ringside table retains the title at 13:57.

Rating: C+. It was a good fight and I would hope that the ending leaves open for a rematch at the pay per view. Otherwise I have no idea who is next for Athena as there is no one ready to come after the title at the moment. The tables stipulation was unique enough and it keeps Rose somewhat save, though beating a challenger at her own stipulation doesn’t give the story the brightest future.

Overall Rating: C+. Well, the good run lasted a week, as this was the same overly long show with a bunch of matches that were just ok. It helps to have the tournament aspect, but having three of those matches featuring stars vs. enhancement talent and another being a star against a tag wrestler made me wonder why they didn’t just start with an eight person field. It wasn’t a bad show, but it was another that was hard to get through as there was very little to get excited about on the whole card.

Results
Taya Valkyrie b. Sussy Love – Shania Pain
Lee Johnson b. Sonico – Reverse inverted DDT
Red Velvet b. Sandra Moone – Final Mix
Danhausen b. Brandon Cutler – Pump kick
Abadon b. Viva Van – Black Dahlia
Ethan Page b. Anthony Henry – Springboard cutter
Billie Starkz b. Robyn Renegade – Half and half choke
Komander b. AR Fox, Exodus Prime and Matt Sydal – Cielito Lindo to Prime
Athena b. Nyla Rose 2-1

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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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Rampage
Date: January 6, 2023
Location: Portland Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
Commentators: Jim Ross, Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Chris Jericho

We are in for the first of two hours of AEW TV this week. That could mean quite a few things, but we do have a TNT Title match as new champion Darby Allin defends against Matt Taven. It’s a little weird to have a title match on the show right before a title made of nothing but title matches, but it should be good. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Top Flight vs. Jon Moxley/Bryan Danielson

The Club gets jumped from behind to start and it’s Darius dropkicking Moxley for a quick one. A standing moonsault gives Dante two but it’s off to Danielson to fire off the kicks in the corner. Moxley comes back in to hammer away before it’s a four way standoff. The double fights go to the floor, with Moxley and Danielson hitting running kicks against the barricade.

Back in and Danielson puts Dante in a surfboard, allowing him to rip at the face a bit. Moxley’s superplex into a cross armbreaker keeps Dante down as we take a break. Back with the Club kicking away at Dante but he manages to send them into each other. The hot tag brings in Darius to start cleaning house, including blocking Danielson’s kick to the chest. Danielson backflips over Darius but gets caught in the Spanish Fly for another double knockdown.

It’s back to Dante with a springboard flip dive for two more but Moxley pulls Dante into a keylock. Well at least the attempt of one as Dante slips out, earning himself some elbows to the face. A victory roll gives Dante two so Moxley King Kong lariats him for two of his own. Danielson comes back in with the running knee to Darius for two, followed by a discus forearm. The big kick to the head drops Darius again and Moxley dives off the top with an ax handle on Dante. Danielson stomps Darius in the head and the Regal Stretch finishes at 13:32.

Rating: B. That was a heck of a match and while I didn’t quite buy Top Flight as having a real chance, they hung in there through so many big shots that my eyes were popping open each time. They pulled me into this one really well and I had a great time with it. Top Flight needs to win something soon though because having a bunch of really good performances in losses only gets you so far.

Hangman Page is ready to hut Jon Moxley so badly that he’ll burn a copy of the fight onto a VHS so Moxley can watch it again. In his hand is a paper: his medical clearance to face Moxley next week. You knew that was coming.

Jamie Hayter/Britt Baker vs. Renegades

Baker and Hayter (with Rebel in their corner) jump the Renegades from behind to start and the beating is on fast. We settle down to Robyn dropkicking Hayter for two and handing it off to Charlotte. That’s fine with Hayter, who suplexes them both down and brings in Baker (the fans approve). Robyn gets forearmed against the ropes and Baker drops her again as we take a break.

Back with Robyn down in the corner but she enziguris her way to freedom. Charlotte comes in and gets taken down by Baker, meaning Robyn has to make a diving save. That earns Robyn a Hatebreaker and Charlotte gets n AA onto the knee. The sliding lariat into the Stomp from Baker is good for the pin at 8:48.

Rating: B-. The Renegades were trying here and it was a more entertaining match than I would have expected. Baker and Hayter got a nice boost going into their big match next week on Dynamite, though I’m still not sold on the idea of Saraya and Toni Storm teaming together. For now though, the Renegades tried hard here and came out of it a lot stronger than they went in.

The House Of Black talks about dealing with a man who never played by the rules. Now that man is asking why Malakai Black never played by the rules. The man is Eddie Kingston, and this isn’t the one that Black used to know. They’re here to help him. That’s the most coherent thing they’ve ever said.

Sonico vs. Preston Vance

Full nelson and a discus lariat finishes Sonico at 40 seconds.

Post match Vance rips off Sonico’s mask.

After Darby Allin won the TNT Title on Dynamite, Mike Bennett and the Kingdom came up to him with Bennett ranting about his own greatness. The challenge was issued for Rampage and the match is on.

Darby Allin and Mike Bennett are ready for the TNT Title match.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

TNT Title: Mike Bennett vs. Darby Allin

Bennett, with the rest of the Kingdom, is challenging. Allin sits in the corner to start before Bennett cranks on his arm. They head outside with Bennett sending him into the barricade but missing a charge, allowing Allin to run him over. We take a break and come back with Bennett hitting a Death Valley Driver for two and going for a Kimura. Allin can’t flip out of it but he can get a boot on the rope for the break instead.

They head outside with Allin taking over and putting him in a chair, setting up a top rope missile dropkick to knock him right back out. Back in and Maria gets on Bennett to protect him from the Coffin Drop. The distraction lets Matt Taven get in a kick to the head, meaning Bennett can hit a piledriver for two. A super piledriver is broken up and Allin hits a super Code Red, setting up the Coffin Drop to retain the title at 12:05.

Rating: B-. The crowd helped carry this one a lot further than it should have gone otherwise, as the Pacific northwest was going nuts for Allin. The good thing about someone like Bennett is that you can have him take a loss without losing any status. This was all about having Allin get a win after some adversity and it went very well.

Overall Rating: B+. Rather good show here, with a pair of solid matches, a squash, and a strong opener. I had a good time with this and while it might not have been exactly important, it was a show that gave you entertaining wrestling in front of a hot crowd. Sometimes just having fun is important and they made it work well here. Very solid effort this week.

Results
Bryan Danielson/Jon Moxley b. Top Flight – Regal Stretch to Darius
Britt Baker/Jamie Hayter b. Renegades – Stomp to Charlotte
Preston Vance b. Sonico – Discus lariat
Darby Allin b. Mike Bennett – Coffin Drop

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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IMG Credit: Prestige Wrestling

Attribute Of The Strong
Date: June 29, 2019
Location: Bossanova Ballroom, Portland, Oregon
Commentator: Joe Dumbrowski

It’s another show from Independentwrestling.TV as I get everything I can out of a free trial. This is from Prestige Wrestling, a promotion out of the northwest with some names I’ve actually heard of for a change. I’m not sure what to expect from this but that can make it more fun at times. Let’s get to it.

As usual, I have no idea what is going on here with characters or storylines so I’m sorry if I miss anything in advance.

Sweet there’s commentary on this one. That was a major problem last time.

Ethan HD vs. Sonico

I’ve seen Ethan before and Sonico is your local luchador. The ring looks rather big, probably WWE size at least. The fans immediately go with a BOTH THESE GUYS chant as the lighting looks like one of those recreation scenes on Dark Side Of The Ring, complete with the handheld camera work. Sonico takes him down into a front facelock so Ethan crawls backwards to escape. A test of strength goes a little better for Ethan as he takes Sonico down but can’t break his bridge.

Ethan’s jumping stomp misses, with Ethan saying it was that close. Fair enough and a smart warning as grown men stomping down onto the chest can be damaging. Sonico’s mask comes unhooked so Ethan helps put it back together, meaning we need a hug. A quick victory roll gives Sonico two and Ethan has to duck a swinging kick to the head so we can have a standoff. Another hug winds up being some shoving, allowing Sonico to bounce off the ropes into a wristdrag.

Ethan tries the same and can’t get up to the middle rope for a funny bit. It’s Sonico picking up the pace and hitting a springboard shoulder to put Ethan on the floor. The suicide dive nearly sends Ethan into the corner of the small arena and the fans are rather pleased. Sonico chops him around the ring, even having Ethan sit on a chair for a rather big one. Back in and Sonico hits a basement dropkick in the corner for two, followed by a quickly broken Figure Four.

Ethan tells him to bring it on so Sonico drops him with a left hand to the face. To be fair, he did ask for it. Some running knees in the corner have Sonico in trouble and a Death Valley Driver gives Ethan two. Things get a bit more aggressive with Ethan stomping him down in the corner, meaning it’s time to head to the floor. A chop nearly attaches a poster to Sonico’s chest and a bottom rope superplex gives Ethan two more. Ethan clotheslines his head off for another two but Sonico sends him throat first into the middle rope.

That means a top rope double stomp to the back and a missile dropkick as Ethan is rocked for a change. There’s a Sling Blade into a suplex (called a brainbuster) for two on Ethan but he’s right back up with a springboard kick to the head. Sonico rolls outside so it’s a springboard moonsault to take him out as this is getting WAY more time than I was expecting. Ethan returns the top rope double stomp to the back and hits a running shooting star press for two more.

Sonico’s reverse hurricanrana plants Ethan but he can’t follow up. It’s Ethan up first and a shot to the head sets up a tiger driver for the next near fall. Sonico is back up with a lifting DDT and Ethan flips him off and spits at him after the comeback. That’s too much for Sonico, who knees him in the back of the head for the pin at 19:30.

Rating: B. That was FAR longer than I was expecting but it was a rather entertaining back and forth match. Ethan started off being respectful and having fun but eventually got a lot angrier and more disrespectful. That told a nice story for the match and I had a good time with this. That’s how you need to open a show and I’m looking forward to seeing what else they have for the rest of the night. Nicely done.

They shake hands post match.

Cole Wright vs. Mike Santiago

So a bit of a weird thing here: they show a graphic for every match, which is perfectly fine. What’s strange is that it shows all of the show’s information, including where to go for tickets. To the show that you’re already watching. Santiago seems to be the villain here as he has been saying that Wright, who is new around here, isn’t in his league. The wristlock has Santiago in some early control as we hear about the Prestige Championship picture.

The battle of wristlocks goes to a standoff and Santiago chuckles from the corner. They fight over a top wristlock until Wright hits him in the face to make Santiago go a bit more serious. A running clothesline gets one and a Codebreaker gets double that, so Santiago gets smart and knocks him outside. That means a kick from the apron before squeezing Wright’s head against the post.

Back in and the chinlock keeps Wright down and a big forearm gets two. The running knee to the face misses but Santiago is fine with a dropkick to take Wright back down. Wright is back on his feet for the slugout with Santiago getting the better of it for two. A missed crossbody out of the corner makes it even worse for Wright but Santiago is getting frustrated off the near falls. Santiago’s tornado DDT gets a slightly delayed two so it’s time to punch Wright in the face.

Another near fall means it’s time to yell at the referee, which allows Wright to roll some German suplexes. Santiago runs him over for two more, but walks into a spinebuster for Wright’s first big shot in a good while. Wright grabs him by the waist to send Santiago bailing to the ropes out of fear of something unclear. With that broken up, Santiago nails a knee to the face and grabs a fisherman’s buster into a small package to put Wright away at 14:46.

Rating: C. This was another one with a story though the action wasn’t as entertaining. Santiago wasn’t all that impressed by Wright to start but had to worker harder to beat him. The problem was that I didn’t quite buy that Santiago was in any real danger as Wright was more surviving than competing. The spinebuster was good but other than that, there just wasn’t much going on here. Not bad, but it only went so far.

Post match Santiago says cut the music. He told everyone that Wright didn’t have a chance, which has been the case with so many people around here. Santiago wants better competition and he’s tired of being up local guys.

Black Sheep vs. Drexl vs. Jaiden vs. Nick Radford

One fall to a finish. Drexl has been mentioned a few times and seems to be a bigger deal around here. Radford has glasses and a book, with the fans not seemingly that into him. This seems to be a new look for him and while he wants to say something, Drexl, with a huge beard, cuts him off as we’re ready to go. The bell rings and Radford gets the mic but the fans cut him off this time.

Radford has something to read for us: erotic fan fiction poetry, which seems to please Drexl. The poem is about the four way and how the four of them could have a bit of fun. Jaiden takes the book away and the double teaming is on (make your own jokes). Sheep and Jaiden hammer away on him but Drexl is more interested in reading the book. Jaiden kicks Radford in the face but gets hit in the face with the book for his efforts. More book shots from Drexl set up a nasty paper cut for Jaiden as we’re in Jimmy Havoc world.

Sheep and Radford are fine with watching as Drexl cuts Jaiden’s mouth as well. With Sheep remembering he’s in the match, Drexl and Radford fight over the book on the floor as Jaiden, seemingly fine from the cuts, flips across the ring. That doesn’t go well as Sheep catches him for a slam into the corner, setting up a toss over the top onto the other two. Back in and Radford has the book again, with Drexl telling him to finish the story. He even brings Radford a chair so he can read more easily.

Radford gets to the part about Jaiden, who tries to break it up and gets sent face first into the chair for his efforts. Then Sheep is sent face first into Radford’s crotch and Drexl pelts the chair at Sheep’s head. Another chair is set up in the middle and it’s a Tower of Doom to send everyone but Radford through them. As a result, Radford loads up the book again but gets pulled into the Tree of Woe and then a trashcan. Sheep spears the trashcan, leaving Drexl to hit a sitout Death Valley Driver for the pin on Jaiden at 11:22.

Rating: D+. I’m not sure what to make of this, but I know I’m not a big fan of comedy like this. The book deal was more bizarre than funny which made for a rather different match. Maybe this is a match where I need to know the people a bit better, but this didn’t do it for me. It wasn’t the worst and it didn’t last that long (remember that the reading went for over two minutes at the beginning), but this mostly missed for me.

Post match Drexl hits himself in the head with a chair. Various others leave annoyed.

Juventud Guerrera vs. TJP

This could be interesting. Juvy, in his mask again, streams his entrance in one of those things that always seems cool, no matter how common it might be. Before the match, Juvy does his Rock impression, which has been going on longer than Rock’s entire career now. He also puts over TJP as the first modern Cruiserweight Champion and then goes with a LET’S GET JUICY chant. Uh, yeah. Anyway they shake hands and we’re ready to go.

Juvy snapmares him down early on but doesn’t follow up in a show of respect. A battle over wristlocks means a lot of spinning and flipping away until TJP anklescissors him down. TJP has to bounce out of a headscissors and a basement dropkick puts Juvy on the floor. An exchange of leapfrogs takes us to a standoff and the fans are rather pleased with what they’re seeing.

That means another handshake but Juvy takes a breather by laying across the ropes ala Eddie Guerrero. TJP does his own Eddie pose, but Juvy says HE loves Eddie more. One heck of a chop drops TJP and the double arm crank is on. Some running shots in the corner rock TJP again with Juvy throwing in some swearing for flavor. Now we pause so Juvy can yell at a fan, allowing TJP (known defender of fans) to hit a springboard hurricanrana to put them both down.

There’s a tornado DDT to plant Juvy and a high crossbody gets two. Juvy gets two of his own off a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and a Downward Spiral into the middle buckle makes it even worse. An over the shoulder backbreaker is spun into a DDT to give Juvy two more and it’s time for the Juvy Driver (I know this as Juvy makes a motion and shouts JUVY DRIVER). The shouting isn’t the best idea as TJP reverses into the kneebar with Juvy tapping….and then shaking his head no. The referee counts it as the submission at 13:34 in a weird ending.

Rating: C+. This is why you bring in someone with a reputation like Juvy. TJP is a bigger name in modern wrestling but Juvy was a big deal during one of the most important eras and a win over him means something for TJP. You have to bring in the veterans to give the younger guys (though TJP is a veteran as well) a boost. Good match too as the show has been rather entertaining so far.

There’s some confusion over what happened but Juvy definitely tapped. A guy with a camera who I assume is an authority figure decides we’re getting five more minutes because SLAPPING THE MAT OVER AND OVER while in a hold doesn’t count as a tap for some reason. They kick away at each other as commentary tries to explain that it was a controversial ending. The Juvy Driver and Detonation Kick are both countered and Juvy rolls him up for the pin at 15:10 total. That had to be a botched finish earlier because otherwise there is no reason to do something so messy and so fast.

Post match Juvy raises his mask and praises TJP again. Juvy didn’t tap (yeah he did) and would love to face TJP again at some point. TJP says he knows Juvy didn’t tap but he’d want five more minutes with him even if he had. He left WWE to chase his freedom and he’s honored to face another former Cruiserweight Champion. Hugging ensues.

Team C4 vs. Eh Team vs. Konami Code vs. 4 Minutes of Heat

Elimination rules and the Konami Code is the only one I’ve heard of. The Eh Team (Lance Pearson/Chase James) are Canadians, 4 Minutes of Heat (Eddie Pearl/Ricky Gibson (not Robert’s brother, who was also a wrestler)) are rockers, Konami Code (Julian Whyt/CJ Edwards) are in Castlevania cosplay and Team C4 (Cody Chun/Guillermo Rosa) are….well they’re the last to enter. There is currently a Tag Team Title tournament going on/still be seeded so there is some jockeying for position going on here.

Chun and Whyt start things off as the fans chant what sounds like “SALTY B******”. Whyt and Chun trade some legsweeps and they both miss dropkicks for an early standoff. It’s off to Rosa vs. James, with the first round consisting of getting the fans to cheer louder. Instead of going after James, Guillermo chops Gibson to bring him in.

The other teams bail from a Gibson tag attempt, leaving him to get kicked in the face. James hits some chops in the corner and it’s Pearl coming in for a save, earning himself a trip to his partner’s crotch. That happens two more times as this isn’t as funny as they think it is. A neckbreaker/powerbomb combination gets two on Gibson but a powerslam/neckbreaker combination finishes Pearson for the first elimination at 5:45.

It’s Konami Code coming in to double team Pearl with an assisted dropkick putting him on the floor. Pearl gets dropkicked off the apron and there’s the suicide dive. Chun dives onto both of them but Gibson slips on the ropes and crotches himself. More dives ensue until it’s another powerslam/neckbreaker combination to get rid of the Konami Code at 8:59.

Rosa slugs away at both of them and it’s a German suplex with an O’Connor roll for a double near fall. Chun comes back in and Rosa tries to use him as a launchpad into a Canadian Destroyer but Rosa can’t get over. Instead it’s a regular piledriver to Pearl, leaving Chun to roll Gibson up for the pin at 11:25.

Rating: C-. This had the dives and fast pace but it felt like it should have been a lot longer. The eliminations came rather fast and furious at the end and I was surprised by the final pin. In this case that isn’t the best thing in the world, as nothing really had a chance to be set up. The match wasn’t terrible or anything, but no one had a chance to stand out.

Post match 4 Minutes of Heat beat them down with the same powerslam/neckbreaker combination. Cue the likely authority figure to say he’s tired of 4 Minutes of Heat acting like this, so he’s bringing in someone they think they are: the Rock N Roll Express. Well that works, though the Express in Oregon feels weird.

Super Crazy vs. Chavo Guerrero

Chavo gets checked for weapons but just to be fair, he checks the ref too. Crazy likes the idea but doesn’t listen to the fans’ demands that he check the ref as well. We get a BOTH THESE GUYS chant and Chavo says that’s the first time he’s ever gotten one of those. Crazy takes him into the corner but gets snapmared down into an early chinlock. Back up and a wristlock seems to annoy Crazy so he takes it to the mat for a front facelock. That impresses Chavo and it’s another standoff.

An ECW chant lets Crazy get in a few cheap shots, as for some reason the fans don’t seem to remember Chavo being ECW Champion. Chavo gets beaten down in the corner and Crazy wraps the knee around the post. Back in and Crazy kicks at the leg to keep Chavo in trouble. It’s already time to head back to the floor with Chavo being thrown into some chairs.

They head back inside again for more kicks to the leg as you can’t say Crazy isn’t focused here. The chinlock switches the pace a bit but doesn’t last long as Chavo is back up with a dropkick. A headscissors into the slingshot hilo gets two and the knee is fine enough to hit Three Amigos. The Eddie chants are rolling as Chavo goes up but he has to knock Crazy back down. Something like a frog crossbody finishes Crazy at 10:49.

Rating: C. Chavo sold the knee near the end but there wasn’t much in the way of his offense changing because of it. That being said, a match between two guys far past their primes but still more than watchable in the ring is a good addition to have on the card. Having someone like Chavo makes the show feel a little more legitimate and adds some star power. He’s not the biggest name ever but he’s the biggest name on the show and he had a good match. It gives the place a little more legitimacy and that’s very important.

Post match Chavo talks about coming to Portland dozens of times for a bunch of companies Then he came back here for a show called Grimm and he loves this city. Chavo talks about all the things he loves about the place, including the coffee and the weed. This kind of a show is why someone leaves WWE because they love to interact with the fans.

Ask any big band if they have more fun playing in a stadium or a bar and they’ll pick the bar every time. Chavo puts over Crazy and the company, plus Prestige Champion Tom Lawlor. Nice speech, capped off with an EDDIE chant. Hang on though as Crazy wants to talk about how special this is as well.

Prestige Wrestling Title: Tom Lawlor vs. Simon Grimm

Lawlor is defending and that is Simon Gotch. This is a rubber match as they have split a pair of matches before this one. These two are feuding in MLW as well so there is potential here. Grimm heads to the mat to start with Lawlor not being able to do much. He can get out of Grimm’s armbar attempt but gets pulled down into a headscissors for a breather. Lawlor’s armbar has Grimm in a bit of trouble and a hammerlock puts him on the mat. Lawlor switches over to the leg and gets in a Sharpshooter, possibly becoming an honorary Canadian in the process.

With that broken up, Lawlor switches to a Figure Four as he’s certainly sticking with the grappling and submissions so far. Grimm pulls on the ankle to escape but Lawlor switches it over to a Regal Stretch while on his back. Some shots to the head get Grimm out of trouble and he goes with shots to the champ’s face. Lawlor is fine with the striking and knocks Grimm to the apron, only to suplex him back in. The guillotine choke keeps Grimm in trouble but they fall outside for the break and a crash.

Grimm finally manages to drop Lawlor onto the apron for a breather, breaks the count, and then goes back outside to kick Lawlor in the chest. Lawlor has shown he can hang in the striking so he kicks right back, has a drink, and keeps kicking. Another kick sends Grimm through some chairs as the fire is starting to come out. The referee’s requests to come back in aren’t well received as Grimm would rather hit a suplex on the floor to a big reaction.

That’s only good for two back inside so it’s bottom rope superplex time for two more. The Kimura attempt is broken up and it’s time to slug it out again. Just like the previous two times, Lawlor gets the better of it and we hit an airplane spin of all things. Lawlor puts him on the top for some running knees to the ribs, including one after three forward rolls. They slug it out again, with the low lights showing the sweat that much better. Yet again Lawlor gets the better of a battle of strikes but misses a top rope elbow.

Grimm STILL doesn’t get it with the strikes, though this time stereo big hits to the head give us a double knockdown. A German suplex drops Grimm on his head and a running knee rocks him again. The rear naked choke is broken up but Grimm can’t get the armbreaker. Lawlor is right back with the choke but Grimm uses the underneath arm to reach the rope.

Grimm gets up again and hits a cradle piledriver for two as Grimm is looking frustrated. This time Grimm goes for a rollup, which is reversed into a triangle choke for two arm drops. Lawlor flips over though and it’s a series of forearms to the head. Another triangle makes Grimm tap at 21:19.

Rating: B. Other than Grimm not getting it with the strikes, this was a very interesting and entertaining battle of two people trying to outlast the other. Grimm was good but Lawlor kept grinding him down and eventually winning when Lawlor was able to use the skills and experience. Grimm looked good here and has done a great job of making me forget what he used to be. Very good main event.

Lawlor wants to show respect but Grimm collapses to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. I wasn’t expecting anything here and I got a very good show with some good action, a few nice surprises and only one match I didn’t care for, which was more that it wasn’t my taste than anything else. This was a lot better than I would have bet on and that’s not something you can say from an indy company. Yeah it’s small and they are limited on stories, but this was a two hour and thirty five minute show with nothing bad and enough good that I’d watch another show. It’s one of the better indies I’ve seen and there are a lot of them to beat to reach that point.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

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