Indy Wrestling Express

PWG DDT4 live review

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 12:17:00 +0000

RECAP OF THE 2013 PRO WRESTLING GUERRILLA DDT4 TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT

1/12/2013, American Legion Post #308, Reseda, California, USA

By Chad Simplicio

Despite the cold snap that has gripped California, another capacity crowd filled the hall for the annual tournament. In addition to El Generico wrestling in his final night for the promotion before moving up to WWE, this time, the defending tag team champions—The Super Smash Bros.—were in the tournament. Therefore, the tag team titles were on the line throughout the tournament.

ROUND 1

1 - The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) def. The Inner City Machine Guns (Ricochet & Rich Swann). Although Nick Jackson ate Ricochet’s Corner Suicide Dive, Matt Jackson was able to time his counter to Rich Swann’s signature move, getting his knees up to gut him, then rolled him up for the pin.

2 - The Unbreakable F’ing Machines (Brian Cage & Michael Elgin) def. The Super Smash Bros. (Player Uno & Stupefied) to hold the tag team titles for the time being. Player Uno legitimately injured his left shoulder, most likely when he took a Suicide Dive onto Cage & Elgin, which saw him apparently bump into the legs of Stupefied, but it would later be reported that he was fine. In the meantime, Michael Elgin p. Stupefied w/ his Spinning Powerbomb.

3 - Future Shock (PWG Champion Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly) def. The Dojo Bros. (Roderick Strong & Eddie Edwards). Despite getting a huge chop to the groin area—which he seemed to provoke Roddy to do w/ a verbal taunt—Adam Cole managed to p. Roddy w/ a title belt shot to the head behind the back of Referee Rick Knox, who was checking on Eddie Edwards & Kyle O’Reilly when they spilled over the top rope, and onto the floor in Vertical Suplex holds.

4 - Kevin Steen & El Generico def. Jay & Mark Briscoe. Who knew that after a few weeks removed from ROH Final Battle 2012, that Steen & Generico would set aside their differences for one night…..technically. Hard-hitting action that ended when El Generico p. Mark Briscoe w/ a Victory Roll to evade the Doomsday Device. Best match of the first round.

SEMIFINALS

5 - After intermission, The Young Bucks def. The Unbreakable F’ing Machines to begin their 3rd run w/ the PWG Tag Team titles, at least up to the Final. Nick Jackson managed to sneak up behind Michael Elgin, who went for his finisher on Matt Jackson, to get the Crucifix Rollup for the pin.

6 - Kevin Steen & El Generico def. Future Shock. Right from the start, Kevin Steen went after Adam Cole, as the two teams brawled outside the ring. In the end, it was Steen who hit the Package Piledriver on Cole, then rolled him over to El Generico, who finished it off w/ the Brainbuster for the pin.

NON-TOURNAMENT SINGLES ACTION

7 - Willie Mack p. B-Boy w/ the Chocolate Thunderbomb. Not much to say about this short match, but it was pretty even, and hard-hitting, even though a seemingly botched STO from B-Boy made Willie go head-first to the mat, dangerously close to the turnbuckles.

SM - Match 2 of the Sami Callihan/Drake Younger Best of 3 Series to determine the #1 Contender to the PWG Championship, and it was contested under Last Man Standing Rules. Alot of chairs and a roadside cone were used in the hardcore match, and once again, Drake Younger got busted open. However, Drake managed to KO Sami w/ a series of hard forearm shots, and this was after he took alot of chair shots to the head.

FINAL

M - The Young Bucks v. Kevin Steen & El Generico. More hard-hitting action, and it was hard at the start to keep an eye on both halves of the action, as they brawled all over the place. Great exchanges from the duo, but somehow, Matt Jackson was able to reverse the cover on El Generico after eating Steen’s Package Piledriver to eek out the win.

2013 PWG DDT4 WINNERS & 3-TIME PWG TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: THE YOUNG BUCKS

Strange as it may seem after all they’ve been through, Kevin Steen looked like he wasn’t going to shake El Generico’s hand, but in the end, he came back into the ring, and gave him a “bury the hatchet” hug (if you could call it that way). Rick Knox and most of the wrestlers from the back, as well as Excalibur, joined “The Generic Luchador” in the ring, and El Generico gave one last promo to close it out. Now here’s the thing. If WWE can fully recognize El Generico’s incredible pain threshold, combined w/ his great wrestling & entertainment abilities, I can envision him needing only a year or two in NXT before joining the main roster, regardless of which name he’s given, or whether or not he wrestles w/ a mask. If they can use him well like they have Daniel Bryan, Antonio Cesaro, & Seth Rollins, who knows how far they can go w/ him. That is my view.

Live report from PWG: Mystery Vortex

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 23:12:16 +0000

Thanks to Chad for another great PWG review!

RECAP OF THE 12/1/12 PRO WRESTLING GUERRILLA “MYSTERY VORTEX” SHOW AT AMERICAN LEGION POST #308, RESEDA, CA, USA

By Chad Simplicio

A capacity crowd braved the wet, wintry weather that has been rolling over California for the last few days, to be among those who witness some significant events in the West Coast’s top indy promotion to close out the year. A couple of the talents scheduled to be at the show didn’t make their flight to L.A., so there were a few changes to the card.

1 - Roderick Strong & Eddie Edwards def. The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) when Roddy & Eddie hit a team finisher on whom I believe to be Matt Jackson. A very strong opener w/ plenty of great tag team action.

2 - Sami Callihan made Drake Younger tapout to a modified version of his Kneebreaker/Heel Hook submission. Another strong singles match that saw Drake Younger get his head busted open during the match, and the series of headbutts didn’t help much either.

* Adam Cole comes out to cut an in-ring promo, holding Kevin Steen’s PWG Championship title. Kevin Steen came to the ringside area from the commentary table w/ Excalibur, and responded w/ a surprise of his own, since the card as a whole was generally a mystery. Their title match would be……..A GUERRILLA WARFARE MATCH.

3 - The Super Smash Bros. (Player Uno & Stupefied) successfully defended the PWG Tag Team Championship, beating The RockNES Monsters (Johnny Yuma & Johnny Goodtime), who were continuing their slow heel turn. Great tag team match ended w/ SSB hitting the Fatality on Johnny Yuma, w/ Player Uno scoring the pin. Excalibur himself hit the ring after the match, telling the tag team champions that they would do one more match, a non-title match later that night against Roderick Strong & Eddie Edwards.

4 - Joey Ryan did his final PWG match to wrap up his indy bookings prior to joining TNA full time, but came up short against Scorpio Sky (TNA’s Mason Andrews) when eating a Big Fat Kill/Headscissors DDT/Ace of Spades combo. Joey Ryan talked about his time w/ PWG afterwards, and said that he would plan to come back whenever his TNA schedule allows him to do so.

5 - Crazy Fatal Four-Way after intermission. Willie Mack def. T.J. Perkins, B-Boy, & Brian Cage. T.J. Perkins had Brian Cage in a STF submission, but Referee Justin Borden only saw Willie Mack hit his Spike Piledriver finisher on B-Boy for the pin.

6 - El Generico p. Rich Swann w/ the Hallula Kick into a Modified Butterfly Suplex, ending what was the 2nd best match of the card.

SM - Non-title Tag Team Match. Eddie Edwards & Roderick Strong def. The Super Smash Bros when Eddie Edwards p. Stupefied w/ the Top Rope Double-Stomp, and he did plenty of those in this match. I wonder if those two earned a title shot, preferably at the 1/12/13 show back in Reseda.

M - Guerrilla Warfare Match for the PWG Championship between Kevin Steen & Adam Cole. 2 ladders, 8 chairs, an aluminum trash can, and a container of thumbtacks were used in this one. Adam Cole went through alot of painful spots—4 crotch rockets to all steel post corners of the ring, 4 powerbombs to the apron, then eating a huge slam to the stack of 8 chairs. In the end, “The Panama City Playboy” overcame all of that, hitting a huge Suplex on Steen to put him on the pile of thumbtacks, then hit a Straitjacket German Suplex for the pin, and legitimately win the PWG Championship.

A very strong card to close out the year, but their “Threemendous III” show last July was my top PWG show of the year. It’ll be interesting to see how far Adam Cole will go w/ the PWG title, and there will be plenty of opponents coming his way. As for what could be ahead for the promotion w/o Joey Ryan being there regularly, it shouldn’t be that hard for someone to come forward and fill the void, especially as we approach the promotion’s 10th Anniversary show in the Summer of 2013.

Review: PWG Battle Of Los Angeles 2012

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 21:01:00 +0100

Chad Simplicio is back with another excellent live PWG review, of this past weekend’s Battle Of Los Angeles! I’ll hand you over to him:

FULL RECAP OF THE 2012 PRO WRESTLING GUERRILLA BATTLE OF LOS ANGELES TOURNAMENT

American Legion Post #308, Reseda, California, United States

By Chad Simplicio

A capacity crowd was on hand for Night 1, and about 80-90% of them returned for Night 2. Out of the 5 consecutive BoLA tournaments that I have gone to, the outcome of the tournament matches were the most surprising of them all, and there were multiple times where—even from the 2nd Row—the action outside the ring were too close for comfort, and most of them didn’t move far enough. In addition, with a good number of wrestling fans coming in from places further out than Las Vegas or Arizona, including some alleged CZW fans; it brought quite an extraordinary atmosphere to the PWG venue, ticking off a few of the wrestlers & other fans along the way. Once again, Excalibur, who was on crutches due to an injured right knee, had to remind the fans NOT TO TAILGATE OR BRING IN ALCOHOLIC DRINKS at the premises of the legion hall.

Referees: Sparky Ballard & Justin Borden (Why no Rick Knox? Read down!)

Excalibur’s guest commentators: Joey Ryan, Kevin Steen, Davey Richards, & Roderick Strong

ROUND 1 MATCHES HELD ON NIGHT 1 — Saturday, September 1

1 - T.J. Perkins p. Joey Ryan w/ the Superkick, followed by what looked like a Modified GTS.

2 - Roderick Strong p. Drake Younger w/ the Death By Roderick, followed by a Butterfly Suplex in a match where the crowd got really hot for the see-saw, hard-hitting action.

3 - Eddie Edwards made Kyle O’Reilly tapout to the Single-Leg Boston Crab submission, w/ the stomps to the side of the head. Another match where the crowd got hot, and Kyle gave it everything he had w/ the injured torso or lower back.

4 - Brian Cage p. B-Boy w/ what looked like his “Weapon X” finisher in a slow but methodical match.

5 - Non-title match that was held after intermission. Ricochet p. PWG Champion Kevin Steen w/ the Corkscrew Moonsault. Brian Cage ran in late in the match to distract Kevin Steen. While “Mr. GMSI” ate the Package Piledriver, his distraction was enough for Ricochet to take advantage, leading to the final outcome.

6 - Sami Callihan p. Willie Mack w/ the 3rd Running Lariat or Clothesline in a hard-hitting match.

SM - Adam Cole p. El Generico w/ a rollup to counter the Ground Briainbuster attempt in another wild & crazy match—one that brought quite the applause from Kevin Steen on commentary w/ Excalibur.

M - Michael Elgin p. Davey Richards w/ the pair of powerbombs—first to the corner, then the spin to the mat. Very hot crowd reaction to the see-saw, hard-hitting action that easily made it the best match of the first round, including one crazy spot where Michael Elgin held Davey Richards in a 1-min. Delayed Vertical Suplex!

NIGHT 2 — Sunday, September 2

QUARTERFINALS

1 - Sami Callihan made T.J. Perkins tapout to his version of Claudio Castagnoli’s (WWE’s Antonio Cesaro) Neutralizer submission.

2 - Adam Cole p. Eddie Edwards w/ a Modified German Suplex in which Cole crossed Eddie’s arms at the wrist. Great see-saw action.

3 - Michael Elgin p. Brian Cage w/ the pair of powerbombs to the mat, well after doing another Delayed Vertical Suplex that was clocked at approximately 1:06. Not sure what happened afterwards since I took the break between match to hit the restroom, but it appeared as if Cage was upset at the loss, and then it seemed as if The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)….HAD ATTACKED SENIOR REFEREE RICK KNOX BACKSTAGE AND BROUGHT HIM TO THE RING…only to be broken up by El Generico. This set up a big tag team grudge match later in the night.

4 - Ricochet p. Roderick Strong w/ the Shooting Star Press to cap what looked like the best match of the quarterfinals, because the crowd were the hottest for it.

5 - 6-man tag team action. Willie Mack, B-Boy, & Drake Younger def. Joey Ryan, Davey Richards, & Kyle O’Reilly. Willie led his “posse of Ghetto-clad wrestlers”, while Joey Ryan led his “sleazy recruits” who donned other Joey Ryan trunks. Wild mix of comedy & wrestling, which ended w/ a flurry, capped w/ Willie Mack p. Davey Richards w/ the Piledriver. After the bell, one of the alleged CZW fans really drew the ire of Joey Ryan.

SEMIFINALS, HELD AFTER INTERMISSION

6 - Adam Cole made Sami Callihan tapout to the Figure 4 Leglock submission, and he had to earn it, taking a page of Sami’s book to kick the back of left knee while Sami was on the middle ropes.

7 - Michael Elgin p. Ricochet w/ the pair of powerbombs, w/ the first coming from the middle ropes to counter the Huricanrana attempt, followed by the spin to the mat. Unlike the previous 2 matches, however, Elgin’s attempt at another long Delayed Vertical Suplex ended in Ricochet hitting a countering DDT :57 in.

SM - 6-man tag team grudge match, that initially started as a 3-on-2 Handicap. El Generico, PWG Champion Kevin Steen, & Senior Referee Rick Knox (THAT’S RIGHT, PEOPLE, SENIOR REFEREE RICK KNOX) def. Brian Cage & The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson). Another wild & crazy match that started with the said handicap, then Kevin Steen hit the ring to tag himself in from El Generico. Crazy flurry of action afterwards, ending w/ Matt Jackson eating Kevin Steen’s Package Piledriver, then El Generico’s Ground Brainbuster, then a Running Splash from Rick Knox, who scored the pin to send the crowd into a fury. Match of the night!

M - TOURNAMENT FINAL: Big see-saw battle between Adam Cole & Michael Elgin, including plenty of action outside the ring. It looked like Michael Elgin had it after he hit the powerbombs, but Adam Cole managed to counter it, and eventually hit the Modified German Suplex for the huge win, and he’s going straight for Kevin Steen’s PWG title!

WINNER OF THE 2012 PWG BATTLE OF LOS ANGELES TOURNAMENT: ADAM COLE

JCW IPPV tonight

Sun, 12 Aug 2012 20:56:00 +0100

JCW BloodyMania 6 will take place tonight, as part of the “Gathering Of The Juggalos” festival. Here is the line up (taken from prowrestling.net):

2 Tuff Tony vs. Kongo Kong for the JCW Title.

John Morrison vs Matt Hardy

Corporal Robinson vs. The Rude Boy.

Vampiro vs. Officer Colt Cabana.

Scott Steiner and Vader team up against opponents TBA.

The Ring Rydas vs. The Headbangers vs. Mad Man Pondo and Necro Butcher vs. The Rock-n-Roll Express in a four-way for the JCW Tag Titles.

Battle Royal featuring Carlito, Chris Masters, Bobby Lashley, Sean “X-Pac” Waltman, U-Gene, Shockwave the Robot, Zach Gowen, and more.

The show will air live on IPPV over at http://www.psychopathiclive.com for $14.95. The Morrison/Hardy match was supposed to be a triple threat also involving Shane “Gregory” “Hurricane” Helms, but unfortunately he had to pull out. He apologised on Youtube.

Thoughts: If this had the usual JCW $5 price tag, I’d probably order it, being a big Morrison fan. Seeing Steiner and Vader team up would be cool too. Send a review along to indywrestling@hotmail.co.uk if you check out the show.

- Lee

Aftermath of Kevin Steen punching people (video)

Sun, 12 Aug 2012 20:42:55 +0100

I forgot to mention in the ROH results that world champion Kevin Steen was involved in an incident with two fans after his match, which resulted in him punching both of them. It is unclear whether they were actually plants or not. I’d assume that was the case, otherwise punching them was a very bad idea on Steen’s part.

Thanks to my friend Arlene for sharing!

Ring Of Honor: Boiling Point results

Sun, 12 Aug 2012 18:46:00 +0100

I’ve been on holiday (“vacation” to you Americans), and totally forgot ROH had an IPPV last night. The questionably named “Boiling Point” took place in Rhode Island, and here are the results:

Roderick Strong defeated Mike Mondo

QT Marshall won a four way, and an ROH contract (vs Matt Taven vs Vinny Marseglia vs Antonio Thomas)

Adam Cole beat Bob Evans

Charlie Haas defeated Michael Elgin

The Briscoes beat Jimmy Jacobs & Steve Corino

2 out of 3 falls: Jay Lethal beat Tommaso Ciampa

Eddie Edwards & Sara Del Rey defeated Mike Bennett and Maria Kanellis

ROH World Championship - No DQ: Kevin Steen retained against CHIKARA Grand Champion Eddie Kingston

Thoughts: I’ve read two reviews of this show. Matt Waters at PWponderings liked it, Chris Shore at Prowrestling.net wasn’t so keen. You can read their reviews on those sites!

Nothing looks “must see” to me, but I imagine the second half was fun.

- Lee

PWG: Battle of Los Angeles 2012 first round

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 17:38:00 +0100

The following is taken from the PWG website:

“Pro Wrestling Guerrilla’s 2012 Battle of Los Angeles - Stage 1

Saturday, September 1, 2012 - 8:00PM Bell Time - Reseda, CA

American Legion Post #308 - 7338 Canby Ave., Reseda, CA 91335

First round matches in the 2012 Battle of Los Angeles are scheduled to include:

Adam Cole (1st Battle of Los Angeles) vs. El Generico (8th Battle of Los Angeles - 2011 Battle of Los Angeles winner)

Michael Elgin (1st Battle of Los Angeles) vs. Davey Richards (5th Battle of Los Angeles - 2006 Battle of Los Angeles winner)

Ricochet (2nd Battle of Los Angeles) vs. “Mr. Wrestling” Kevin Steen (6th Battle of Los Angeles)

Eddie Edwards (2nd Battle of Los Angeles) vs. Kyle O’Reilly (1st Battle of Los Angeles)

Sami Callihan (1st Battle of Los Angeles) vs. Willie Mack (2nd Battle of Los Angeles)

TJ Perkins (2nd Battle of Los Angeles) vs. Joey Ryan (6th Battle of Los Angeles - 2010 Battle of Los Angeles winner)

B-Boy (1st Battle of Los Angeles) vs. Brian Cage (2nd Battle of Los Angeles)

Roderick Strong (7th Battle of Los Angeles) vs. Drake Younger (1st Battle of Los Angeles)”

The Battle Of LA has returned to its traditional two day, sixteen man format, and will conclude the following day in the same venue.

Thoughts: This is going to be an awesome weekend of wrestling. The Battle of LA is at its best when in the full two day format, so I’m pleased they’ve brought that back this year. Ricochet vs Steen and Callihan vs Willie Mack are particularly eye catching for me, as well as the big ROH rematches Richards vs Elgin and Edwards vs O’Reilly.

- Lee

Results from Dragon Gate USA: Enter The Dragon 2012

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 14:19:00 +0100

This was the Dragon Gate USA third anniversary show, and it took place in Chicago last night.

MASADA defeated Jake “The Manscout” Manning

The Scene defeated Zero Gravity

Samuray Del Sol defeated Shane Hollister

Super Smash Brothers defeated Arik Cannon & Pinkie Sanchez

I Quit match: Johnny Gargano defeated Chuck Taylor

Jon Davis defeated YAMATO

Akira Tozawa defeated El Generico

Open The United Gate Championship: CIMA & AR Fox defeated Ricochet & Rich Swann

Source: PWTorch

Thoughts: No Dragon Gate wrestlers at all in the first half of the DGUSA anniversary show. The previous editions of this show opened with YAMATO vs BxB Hulk, CIMA vs Gargano, Ricochet vs Yoshino, and now we get…MASADA vs the Manscout? Not cool. It’s like the first half was EVOLVE and the second was DGUSA. I understand the practicalities of lessening the imported talent and building the American guys, but that doesn’t work out if the American guys are a big step down.

If I buy a show with the Dragon Gate name on, I want Dragon Gate wrestlers and Dragon Gate style wrestling. Yeah, the top three matches appeal to me on this card, and I know that you can’t feasibly have a completely awesome card on every show, but us Dragon Gate fans aren’t going to keep forking out the money for shows that have a completely uninteresting first hour and a half. I’m not saying that was necessarily the case here, I haven’t seen the show and I’ve heard (well, read) good things about the I Quit match, but DGUSA seems to be going in a distinctly un Dragon Gate direction. The first three shows of the year were really good, and were loaded from top to bottom, hopefully the next DGUSA shows will be more in that vein.

- Lee

Live coverage of Dragon Gate USA: Untouchable 2012

Sun, 29 Jul 2012 00:49:00 +0100

Lee here with live Dragon Gate USA coverage! The show will start in about ten minutes, keep refreshing this post and checking back for results (they will all be edited into this post).

Jake Manscout and Chuck Taylor opened the show by showing us how to make campfires. Rich Swann interrupted and brawled with Taylor the back, then Jon Davis came out to face Manning.

Match 1: Jon Davis vs Jake “Manscout” Manning

Winner: Jon Davis (5 Seconds Around The World - pinfall)

Thoughts: Good when Davis was on offence, but I’m not a Manscout fan.

Match 2: Rich Swann vs Chuck Taylor

Recap: They had a crazy brawl on the outside, throwing each other into a ladder and chairs etc. Taylor sent Swann face first into the post then DDT’d him on the concrete in a brutal sequence. It got really good when they went in the ring, very fast, plenty of cool moves, with both of them putting in energetic performances. Taylor countered a frankensteiner into a half crab, which he wouldn’t break when Swann reached the ropes, causing a DQ.

Winner: Rich Swann (via DQ)

Thoughts: Underwhelming finish to a hot match, but it made sense given that Taylor didn’t need the win, but has a big match tomorrow. I enjoyed this one.

Gargano made the save after the match, then Christina Von Eerie of Mad Blankey came out and told him Tozawa was going to beat him for the title etc.

Match 3: Super Smash Brothers (Player Uno & Player Dos) vs The Scene (Caleb Konley & Scott Reed)

- Smash Bros accidentally knocked over some part of the stage during their entrance, which was pretty funny. The Scene came out with Larry Dallas, but without their ladies.

Winners: Super Smash Bros (Fatality - pinfall)

Thoughts: This was pretty good. Player Dos is the most ordinary looking guy ever, but he’s got some moves. Their double team finish, the Fatality, is so cool. Good debut for SSB, and it shows that the Scene can have a good tag match when given the chance.

Match 4: Ricochet vs YAMATO

Winner: YAMATO (Spear - pinfall)

Thoughts: Damn that was good. So many cool exchanges and counter spots. The styles clash worked so well, with YAMATO just hitting Ricochet really hard and working the leg to keep him grounded, while Ricochet came back it him with his signature brand of high flying, fast kicking offence. It’s a similar dynamic to that which YAMATO and babyface BxB Hulk had. YAMATO’s spear finish is awesome as it’s sudden, exciting, and protects the opponent’s heat since it catches them off guard and rolls them up.

- After the match, Davis comes out to hype tomorrow’s match. YAMATO hit him with a kick to the groin, then choked him out. Lenny hyped it as if he turned heel, and I believe that may be the case. He entered with the makeup and the swagger of his old heel persona, and we saw flashes of it in his last DGUSA appearance. YAMATO playing heel in the US and face in Japan isn’t unusual, as that’s what he was doing during most of his original heel run in the US.

INTERMISSION

Thoughts: Good first half. Questionable opener, good matches with Swann/Taylor and SSB/Scene, then a really exciting match from the future ace of Dragon Gate and the top gaijin. Time to go get another beer!

Match 5: Arik Cannon & Pinkie Sanchez vs Some guys

Winners: Arik Cannon & Pinkie Sanchez (Cannon’s Total Anarchy - pinfall)

Thoughts: I enjoyed that more than I expected. Usually I despise Pinkie Sanchez, but he is wearing tie dye shorts that make me think of Dude Love. Maybe Sanchez could be Cousin Peace. Anyway, one of the opponents threw some cool kicks, and the finishing sequence was sweet (Cannon lifted one of the other guys for a Sanchez double stomp, something else happened, then Total Anarchy).

Cannon introduced CZW’s Masada as the newest D.U.F. Masada declined the invitation and swore a lot. Cannon ordered Cousin Peace to stand up to Masada.

Match 6: Masada vs Pinkie Sanchez

Recap: Masada toyed with Pinkie then eventually won, basically.

Thoughts: I totally forgot to pay attention to that. Seemed fine for what it was though.

Winner: Masada (submission)

Match 7: CIMA & AR Fox vs El Generico & Samuray Del So

Winners: CIMA & AR Fox (Lo Mein Pain, Meteora - pinfall ((to Del Sol)))

Thoughts: They threw everything but the kitchen sink at each other there. Hot start, middle section interspersed with spots of insanity (like Fox’s inwards facing flip to outside), then a great finishing stretch.

- CIMA and Fox promo afterwards, hyping tomorrow’s tag title match.

Main event: Johnny Gargano (c) vs Akira Tozawa (Open The Freedom Gate Championship)

Winner: Johnny Gargano (Gargano Escape - submission)

Thoughts: Very good main event with some electrifying moments. Tozawa and Gargano have great chemistry. Akira failing to win the Dream and Freedom Gate titles in the same week makes me sad though.

Gargano cut a promo after the match, announced that he isn’t leaving DGUSA for WWE. Chuck Taylor’s crew attacked him afterwards. The Swamp Monster (Taylor) gave him the Awful Waffle. CIMA made the save.

Thanks for watching along with me tonight! I’ll have a full review up tomorrow or the day after. Feel free to discuss the show with me on Twitter @IWEnews.

- Lee

Looking back at Dragon Gate USA Enter The Dragon 1, 2 and 3

Sat, 28 Jul 2012 14:28:26 +0100

Enter The Dragon, the Dragon Gate USA third anniversary show, will take place on Sunday (29th of July), so I thought it would be a good time to look back on the previous editions of the show:

(Philadelphia, July 26th 2009)

Don’t let the DVD cover fool you, the DGUSA debut show was originally called Enter The Dragon, but it was in the era when they apparently thought it was a good idea to give the DVD versions of the show different names to the pay per view versions. Confusing. Anyway, this was an excellent show, and ranks among the finest that DGUSA have ever had. Some would still cite it as the best.

The show opened with a thrilling match between two future pillars of the promotion; BxB Hulk and YAMATO. The language barrier and lack of promo time didn’t stop these two from displaying their big personalities, as Hulk made an elaborate entrance with his dance troupe, while YAMATO swaggered to the ring, clearly uninterested in theatrics and fan appreciation. YAMATO combated Hulk’s flashy kicks and flips with his unique brand of hard strikes and submission work, eventually dropping Hulk on his head with the deadly Galleria to secure the victory.

Next up was a match between Kenny “Dykstra” Doane and Too Cold Scorpio…which I haven’t seen as it was only included on the DVD, not the pay per view version which I saw. I’ve heard that this one didn’t live up to the standards of the rest of the card though. Following this was the much raved about CHIKARA eight man tag, which I didn’t love quite as much as the rest of the world. Watching guys I’d never heard of in ludicrous attire flipping around was fun, but it wasn’t the highlight of the show for me that it was for others. After the match, YAMATO came out to cause trouble, and Gran Akuma turned on his fellow CHIKARA wrestlers and sided with the Dragon Gate star, in what was the genesis of Kamikaze USA.

Next up was a good match that saw Dragon Kid defeat Masato Yoshino, starting a rivalry that would continue for almost a year. The real show stealer came after that, as the Young Bucks faced CIMA and Susumu Yokosuka. This was mind blowing stuff, and it took the show from “really good” to “oh my god you have to see this”. The Bucks ultimately secured a massive victory, as More Bang For Your Buck finished Yokosuka. Awesome stuff.

The final bout was a non title match between Open The Dream Gate champion Naruki Doi and Shingo Takagi. This was nicely hyped throughout the pay per view, with footage of each of them warming up in the back, and explanations about how they were big rivals in Japan. They delivered the goods in a great main event, which saw Shingo fall victim to the champion’s Muscular Bomb in the end.

Everything on this show (perhaps barring the Doane/Scorpio match) ranged from good to awesome, it’s a show I would recommend to any wrestling fan. An excellent debut for Dragon Gate USA.

(Philadelphia, July 25th 2010)

Another favourite of DGUSA fans, Enter The Dragon 2010 was a worthy successor to the original, which took place a year before, almost to the day. The cocky young heel Johnny Gargano opened the show as he faced the Dragon Gate icon CIMA. I miss heel Gargano sometimes, he was better on the mic in that role. It was a good opener, but only a shadow of the match they would have the in 2011 when their face/heel roles had been reversed. Next up was the freestyle between Ricochet, Chuck Taylor, Adam Cole and Arik Cannon. Though Taylor came out with the victory, the debuting Ricochet was the star of the show, with his insane moves highlighting this wild, spot heavy extravaganza. This was the first time DGUSA fans witnessed a double moonsault, though Chuck Taylor evaded it, so Ricochet didn’t land one until the next show, which is the only time he has done it in DGUSA if my memory serves me correctly. This was such an important match, as Ricochet was soon snapped up by the Japan office, and went on to win his first title over there only a few months later, which was pretty much unheard of for a gaijin.

Naruki Doi and Dragon Kid were scheduled to have a match on this show, but unfortunately Dragon Kid was injured, so Drake Younger stepped in as his replacement. Unsurprisingly, this didn’t match what I’m sure would have been a great bout between Doi and DK, but it was a nice change of pace, and I appreciate that they didn’t try to make Younger look more epic than he was, as Doi finished him with the Bakatare Sliding Kick in what turned out to be the shortest match on the card.

Next, BxB Hulk made his fifth defence of the Open The Freedom Gate against the wrestling god that is Masaaki Mochizuki. They had a really good match, in which Hulk came out victorious via the First Flash. I always enjoy watching these two kick each other. It’s worth noting that Hulk and Mochi have traded wins in two further matches in Japan since, and both of those matches were superior to this one. Their main event match at Kobe World Hall in 2011 was probably my number two or three match of that year.

The Kamikaze USA/CHIKARA war that began on the first show reached it’s conclusion next. The CHIKARA team was a man short, so Open The Dream Gate champion Masato Yoshino, who had captured the belt from YAMATO about a week earlier in Japan, offered his services to Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw and Hallowicked, as they took on YAMATO, Akira Tozawa, Gran Akuma and Jon Moxley. This was wild, and I liked it a lot more than the CHIKARA match on the previous year’s show due to the story and the inclusion of Dragon Gate wrestlers. I wasn’t crazy about CHIKARA winning, as they all pretty much left DGUSA while Kamikaze continued to be the top heel stable. That said, the finish came when Yoshino choked out YAMATO and Quack submitted Tozawa (the latter of which wasn’t a big deal at the time, since it was before Tozawa truly became a star), so I couldn’t complain too much that they’d fed Kamikaze to outsiders.

Then it was time for the main event, the match often revered as the greatest in the short history of this promotion; Bryan “Daniel Bryan” Danielson vs Shingo Takagi. This was the summer where Bryan was fired from WWE, then returned for a heroic run on the indy scene before McMahon and co rehired him. This was excellent, and any fans who have only seen Bryan’s WWE stuff should definitely go out of their way to see this. I will say though, I don’t consider it the best DGUSA match ever as many do, but it would probably be in my top ten.

(New York, June 5th 2011)

DGUSA’s second anniversary kicked off with an exciting match between Junction Three’s Masato Yoshino and Ricochet of Blood Warriors, which ended when the former Dream Gate champion choked the young heel out with Sol Naciente. This was followed by a bizarre match in which AR Fox displayed his stylish offence against Pinkie Sanchez, a wannabe D.U.F who endured Fox’s assault, pulled his pants down and just generally acted weird. Eventually Fox ended it with the spectacular Lo Mein Pain.

A FRAY! took place next, Jon Davis won, and that’s all I remember of it. I like Jon Davis, so I was pleased he won. Sami Callihan and Arik Cannon of D.U.F took on Susumu Yokosuka and Junction Three leader, Open The Dream Gate champion, the greatest wrestler in the world; Masaaki Mochizuki. A good, hard hitting match this was. Mochi was awesome as always, but this was before I became a Sami Callihan fan, so I wasn’t pleased by the D.U.F victory.

The massive elimination match blowoff to the Ronin/Blood Warriors feud came next. Masato “I will fill in for your missing stable member” Yoshino filled in for the injured Chuck Taylor, as he, Johnny Gargano and Rich Swann took on the heel Blood Warriors CIMA, Austin Aries and Brodie Lee. Chaotic at first, with Brodie Lee leaving early after suffering an injury, this really got good when Gargano was left alone with CIMA and Aries. This was the match that elevated Gargano from “promising mid carder” to “championship contender”, as he singled handedly made both CIMA and Aries tap out. The staredown between he and Aries when they were the last remaining wrestlers was a hell of a moment. Really great stuff, with Aries putting Gargano over huge on the way out (this was Aries last match, and he turned up in TNA very soon after).

The main event saw YAMATO defend the Open The Freedom Gate against PAC, in a match which I loved. It was great all the way through, but the finishing stretch in particular springs to mind, as a desperate YAMATO threw everything he had at PAC, with a dropkick, two brainbusters and Galleria eventually finishing the Englishman.

And so ends my look back at DGUSA’s flagship show. Will Enter The Dragon 4 live up the standard set by its predecessors? You can watch it on live IPPV tomorrow night over at WWNLive.com. You can also watch tonight’s Untouchable there, which I plan to cover live right here! Well, I hope to cover it live, but if not I’ll have a review up very soon.

Thanks for reading! If you want to talk about any of these shows or DGUSA in general, you can reach me at indywrestling@hotmail.co.uk, or on Twitter @IWEnews.

- Lee

Preview for Dragon Gate USA: Enter The Dragon 2012

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 00:31:28 +0100

The show will take place on Sunday night in Chicago.

Open The United Gate Championship: CIMA & AR Fox vs Ricochet & Rich Swann

Thoughts: Ricochet and Swann are in the World-1 stable, while this weekend is the first featuring the team of CIMA and his apparent new protege AR Fox. Ricochet and Swann have already proven that they make a good team (to those of us who watch the Japanese TV show), and they definitely seem like the most natural pairing, so I see them taking the vacant belts here.

If you read my preview for Saturday’s show, you’ll know that I predict CIMA and Fox will lose then too. Fox would obviously be the fall guy in both of these scenarios, as no way is CIMA being pinned in DGUSA while he holds the Dream Gate title. That doesn’t sound like a promising start to the new CIMA/Fox team…so I will go further and predict that CIMA will call Fox out on this after their loss in the title match, which will trigger a Fox heel turn.

Prediction: Ricochet & Swann win

Akira Tozawa vs El Generico

Thoughts: Dream match! Again, if you read my article yesterday, you’ll know that I fully expect Tozawa to be the Open The Freedom Gate champion by Sunday…so I think this will end up being a title match. Which will be awesome.

Prediction: Tozawa wins

I Quit match: Johnny Gargano vs Chuck Taylor

Thoughts: I guess this will be the blow off to this feud. It’s been hyped as a violent grudge match, but I can’t quite imagine it turning out too bloody, with the easy going Gargano and the goofy Taylor. I’m definitely intrigued by this one. I’ve got to go with the face triumphing in this final encounter.

Prediction: Gargano wins

YAMATO vs Jon Davis

Thoughts: Any match with YAMATO is usually good, and I’m really interested to see how he works with the powerhouse that is Jon Davis. Davis doesn’t get enough wins in DGUSA, and this would be massive for him, but YAMATO is apparently going back after the title. Will Davis be a bigger roadblock than he seems, can he pull a major upset against one of Dragon Gate’s top stars on the DGUSA anniversary show? I’m going to say…no. I just can’t see YAMATO losing this weekend.

Prediction: YAMATO

Super Smash Brothers vs Arik Cannon & Pinkie Sanchez

Thoughts: I imagine lot of indy fans will be into this, but it looks like filler to us Dragon Gate fans, especially since it’s on the anniversary show. Hopefully they will prove us wrong! I expect Super Smash Bros to win both of their matches this weekend, then go after the United Gate.

Prediction: Super Smash Bros win

The Scene vs Zero Gravity

Thoughts: If the last match looks like filler, this looks like the “wake the crowd up after intermission” match. Zero Gravity’s name is familiar, but I can’t remember if I’ve seen them before. I guess the Scene win here.

Prediction: The Scene win

Samuray Del Sol vs Shane Hollister

Thoughts: Should I know who Shane Hollister is? It doesn’t really matter that I don’t, since I’m interested in anything Samuray Del Sol does. The luchador will take this one.

Prediction: Del Sol wins

Masada vs Jake Manning

Thoughts: CZW fans, is Masada good? DGUSA fans will find out on Sunday. I assume he’ll win his debut, as I can’t see the Manscout being pushed anytime soon.

Prediction: Masada wins

Overall thoughts: Two big draws, two other potentially great matches, Samuray Del Sol, and three other matches I couldn’t care less about. Again, the missing wrestlers, both Japanese and American, leave a significant void in this card. That said, if the four big matches really deliver, this could still be a really good show.

Watch along with me on Sunday night at WWNLive.com. Check back tomorrow for a look back at previous DGUSA anniversary weekends!

- Lee

Preview for Dragon Gate USA: Untouchable 2012

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 02:02:33 +0100

The show will take place in Taylor, Michigan, this Saturday.

Open The Freedom Gate championship: Johnny Gargano (c) vs Akira Tozawa

Thoughts: Gargano and Tozawa tore the house down at Untouchable 2011, and I expect the rematch to be even more awesome since the Freedom Gate is now in play. I reckon it’s time to pull the trigger on Tozawa and give him the belt, he’s been the star of DGUSA since January last year, and Gargano losing the belt to Japan would allow for the creation of the EVOLVE title that Low Ki and Bobby Fish have asked for. Hey, whatever happened to Low Ki?

Prediction: Tozawa wins. New champion!

CIMA & AR Fox vs El Generico & Samuray Del Sol

Thoughts: CIMA and Fox already have a title shot booked for the next night, so at first glance, it looks like they’re going over here. However, a victory for the luchador dream team would set them up for a shot at the next show. Either way, this should be really good.

Prediction: Generico & Del Sol win

YAMATO vs Ricochet

Thoughts: YAMATO is back! Ricochet is his first potential victim on his road back to the Freedom Gate. I’d be surprised to see YAMATO, who is arguably the all round MVP of DGUSA, lose in his return match, especially since the recent video on him tells us that he’s going back after the belt. I’m really looking forward to the styles clash here, as we’ll see YAMATO pit his stiff strikes, suplexes and submissions against Ricochet’s explosive aerial offence.

Prediction: YAMATO wins

Rich Swann vs Chuck Taylor

Thoughts: This is a grudge match, with Swann wanting revenge on Taylor for turning on Ronin in January. Taylor is as big as he’s going to get in this company, while Swann could use some more solo credibility, so the World-1 man should win.

Prediction: Swann wins

Super Smash Brothers (Player Uno & Player Dos) vs The Scene (Caleb Konley & Scott Reed)

Thoughts: I’ve heard complaints about Super Smash Brothers making their debuts in such low profile matches this weekend, but if they were pitted against the likes of World-1 and the luchadors straight away, who would they face at the next shows? The Scene? Makes way more sense to have them start at the bottom. No offence Scene! I’ve always liked Scott Reed, but the team has never really clicked with me. Anyway, this should be a decent opener, assuming it’s in that position.

Prediction: Super Smash Bros win

Dgusa.tv tells me that more is to be signed with Jon Davis, Arik Cannon, Pinkie Sanchez and Jake Manning. Do we really have to see Pinkie Sanchez and the Manscout? I’d rather see Drew Gulak representing Chuck Taylor’s crew. Davis and Cannon could have a good match, hopefully that will get booked.

Overall thoughts: My first thought when the roster was announced for this show was “YAMATO! Yeah!”. My second thought was “Wait, where is everyone else?”. Only three Japanese guys has to be a record minimum for a DGUSA weekend, and it’s especially surprising since Sunday is the anniversary show. That said, Ricochet and Rich Swann have been regulars in Japan for a long time now, so they round off the “genuine Dragon Gate wrestler” quota to five. However, there are also two big American absences; Low Ki and Sami Callihan. Low Ki arrived, devoured everyone, went full time in New Japan and probably won’t come back, while Callihan is “suspended” (kayfabe for “booked elsewhere”).

All that said, I still think this looks like a good show on paper. The main event is a massive draw for me, one that I’ve been anticipating pretty much since the first Gargano/Tozawa match ended. I’m intrigued by YAMATO vs Ricochet, and the big tag match should be a lot of fun, I think Generico and Del Sol will make a great team. The rest of the card could do with some fattening, and that’s where the absences of the likes of BxB Hulk, PAC and Callihan really show.

Watch this show along with me on Saturday night at WWNLive.com. Check back tomorrow for my preview of Sunday’s Anniversary show!

- Lee

Review - PWG: Threemendous III

Sun, 22 Jul 2012 17:20:00 +0100

Thanks to Chad Simplicio for another awesome PWG review! Here it is:

PWG “THREEMENDOUS III” RECAP FROM AMERICAN LEGION POST #308, RESEDA, CA, USA

By Chad Simplicio

(For the “Chaos Column” on SoCalUncensored.com & the Indy Wrestling Express)

PWG fans got a special treat when former WWE Diva & current manager of Mike Bennett at ROH Maria was among the capacity crowd on hand for the 9th Anniversary Show, and boy were they not disappointed.

Approximate length: 3 1/2 hours

Referees: Rick Knox & Patrick Hernandez

Excalibur’s Special Guests at the Commentary Table: Rick Knox, Joey Ryan, Chuck Taylor, & Kevin Steen

* Excalibur’s opening speech was interrupted by Joey Ryan, who cut a promo about being at PWG for the whole 9 years. Well, Joey Ryan wasn’t the only one who had been w/ the promotion for that long. Senior Referee Rick Knox had been officiating their matches for just that long.

1 - Joey Ryan made Famous B tapout to the Kimura Lock submission. Spread that one to his 87%.

2 - Roderick Strong p. T.J. Perkins w/ the “Death By Roderick” Backbreaker. Great, even match from the ROH talents, complete w/ some great counters.

3 - The RockNES Monsters (Johnny Yuma & Johnny Goodtime) def. The Fightin’ Taylor Boys (Chuck & Ryan Taylor). Yuma & Goodtme used some heel tactics to get the upper hand, drawing the ire of some of the fans, yet it proved effective when Johnny Goodtime threw Ryan Taylor off the top rope or corner, then stayed hidden to hold Chuck’s feet when Johnny Yuma rolled him up for the pin. Looks like they want their tag team title shot next.

4 - “Mr. G.M.S.I.” Brian Cage-Taylor p. Eddie Edwards w/ a Gory Special hold into a Reverse STO. Another great, even match, and maybe Brian Cage could be seeing a ROH appearance in his future, because, as Excalibur would put it, he is a f’ing machine!

5 - “Mr. Wrestling” Kevin Steen successfully defended the PWG World Championship, pinning Willie Mack w/ what looked like his version of Super Dragon’s Psycho Driver. A wayward Fireman’s Carry spin knocked down Referee Rick Knox, who then took another bump from an apparent, wayward Death Valley Driver. During that time, Brian Cage-Taylor hit the ring, and nailed both wrestlers w/ some signature moves. After all three recovered, the two wrestlers fought it out to the eventual final outcome. Much like Brian Cage, I think Willie Mack deserves a shot in ROH!

6 - After intermission, B-Boy p. Drake Younger w/ a T-Bone Suplex. Another great match, even though Drake Younger got busted open in the side of his head, most likely as a result of a bump he took from the apron to the hard floor. Drake Younger got the “Please come back!” exit treatment from the fans.

SM - Michael Elgin p. Sami Callihan w/ the powerbombs to the turnbuckles, then the mat. Crazy, even match w/ plenty of high spots, and Elgin had to overcome getting his left knee picked apart by “The Death Machine”.

M - Triple Threat Ladder Match for the PWG World Tag Team Championship between The Super Smash Bros (C - Player Uno & Stupefied), The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson), & Future Shock (Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly). Total brawlfest from the bell, w/ wrestlers thrown into chairs, plenty fo chairs used, 3 ladders, and 2 tables. Cole & O’Reilly teamed up for a Superplex on Matt Jackson from two ladders placed together, right onto a table that was placed in the middle of the ring. The 2nd table was placed ringside, and after a scuffle, Nick Jackson hit a Top Rope Splash to put Kyle O’Reilly through it. It looked like the Jacksons would superkick their way to their 3rd tag team title run late, but Referee Rick Knox, who had ate a ladder shot earlier in the match, gave them some major payback. RICK KNOX PUSHED THE BIG LADDER OFF, MAKING THE BUCKS GO CROTCH-FIRST ONTO THE TOP ROPE, THEN DID A SUICIDE DIVE OVER THE ROPES ONTO THEM! That allowed The Super Smash Bros. to climb the big ladder, and unhook the banged-up title belt from where it was hanging. WINNER & STILL TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS, THE SUPER SMASH BROS.

An excellent card top-to-bottom. It appeared as if each match topped the one before it, which only added fuel to the energy for the main event, and all of the matches should look great on what should be a “must buy” DVD, which should come out sometime in August or September.

Indy Wrestling Express returns!

Sun, 22 Jul 2012 17:18:43 +0100

You may have noticed the near two month hiatus that Indy Wrestling Express has been on. Apologies for not addressing it sooner, but it was totally unplanned. I thought I would be free after my insane finishing stretch of uni, but I ended up busier than ever with work and stuff. Adrian is currently on the other side of the world with limited internet access, so he won’t be back for a while, but I am! I’ll have coverage of the Dragon Gate USA shows next weekend, full previews, and all the daily indy news.

- Lee

Chikara "Chikarasaurus Rex: How to Hatch a Dinosaur" results

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 21:34:10 +0100

Here are the results from last night’s Chikara event “Chikarasaurus Rex: How to Hatch a Dinosaur”, which also aired live on IPPV:

Ultramantis Black defeated Ophidian

Loser leaves Town Tag Match: The Throwbacks (Dasher Hatfield and Mark Angelosetti) defeated Team Tapoutback Steakhouse (Colt Cabana and Mixed Martial Archie). Angelosetti took Archie out of the match early on, but he returned halfway through as Archibald Peck. Throwbacks got the win after Angelosetti hit Peck with his helmet while the ref wasn’t looking, meaning Peck is gone from Chikara.

Ladder Match (Gregory Iron as special guest referee): Gran Akuma defeated Icarus

3-on-2 Handicap Match: Sara Del Rey and Saturyne defeated The Batiri by disqualification after Delirious attacked Del Rey and Saturyne.

Mask vs Hair: Hallowicked defeated Tim Donst, then proceeded to shave his head.

5-on-5 Handicap Match: Eddie Kingston, Jigsaw, Green Ant, Soldier Ant and Mike Quackenbush defeated 17, assailANT, deviANT, combatANT and The Shard. The heels had taken out Fire Ant pre-show and the match started as a 5-on-4, but Quack entered early on to make up numbers.

Campeonatos de Parejas: The Young Bucks defeated Johnny Gargano and Chuck Taylor to become the new tag champs.

Thoughts: I was too tired to watch this live last night, so I haven’t actually seen it yet, but it sounds like it was a good show. When I have the time I’ll get a review up.

-Adrian

Live report - PCW "Guild Wars"

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 21:13:51 +0100

By Adrian

Last night (June 2nd) saw Preston City Wrestling put on one of their biggest shows yet at the Lava Ignite Club. “Guild Wars” featured a stacked card including two huge international stars and a wealth of top homegrown talent.

This was my first PCW show, and the initial thoughts about the venue were that the ceilings are extremely low, and the second row (where my seat was) doubled as the back row as far as seating goes. This sure was intimate. Lots of families with children in the crowd, and standing room only, I’d say the attendance was somewhere around the 200-300 mark. Pretty good.

The show opened with the ring announcer (whose name slips my mind) unveiling the new PCW Heavyweight Championship, since Bubblegum, despite losing in his last effort for the title, making off with the belt and trading it in at Cash Converters for £10. What a storyline! Bubblegum came out and did his usual heel stuff, claiming that when he wins the new belt he should get at least £20 for it. Out comes T-Bone, and we have an impromptu title match to start the show, with No Disqualifications!

Match 1 - No DQ Match for the PCW Heavyweight Championship: T-Bone (c) vs Bubblegum
After a chase around the venue that would put Benny Hill to shame, the match finally starts in the ring. Both men put in some solid offense, relying mainly on stiff strikes. T-Bone got the pinfall to retain the title. Good match to start off.

Match 2 - Rockstar Spud vs Martin Kirby
Spud made his PCW debut in a great match against Martin Kirby. A fast-paced, back-and-forth match with some brilliant chants from the crowd, something that would continue throughout the night. Kirby gets the win with a Famouser.

Match 3 - Bar Room Brawl: The MOB vs JD Sassoon, Cameron Kraze and Dylan Roberts
Sassoon comes out and announces his mystery partners, then out come the MOB to start the match. The majority of the action happened outside the ring, and very little actual wrestling was involved. A lot of beer was spat, with the first two rows getting drenched. The match was entertaining for the first couple of minutes, but started to drag after that. The MOB eventually got the win in what was the weakest match of the night.

Match 4 - Renee Dupree vs Max Angelus
Dupree is way over with the crowd. Lots of “Oui” chants, as well as every single GCSE French phrase or expression ever learnt. Angelus, replacing Terry Frazier, got a warm reception and gave Dupree a great match, pulling off the surprise win. The two shake hands in the ring afterwards, and we go to the interval.

I bumped into Akira Tozawa during the interval, said ‘hi’ and shook his hand. Your move, Lee. I also ran into Maffew of “Botchamania” fame, a lovely fellow whom I had some interesting conversations with throughout the duration of the show, while star-struck fans surrounded him. Not so much excitement about the presence of Adrian from Indy Wrestling Express though, much to my disappointment.

Match 5 - Kris Travis vs Dave Mastiff
Travis and Mastiff put on a superb match for the crowd, who showed no signs of quieting down by this point. Mastiff was a beast as always, and Travis got some great offense in despite the size difference. Travis picked up the win in the end - I honestly can’t remember a great deal about what happened, but it was the second-best match of the night for me.

Match 6 - Bra and Panties Match: Dave Rayne and Mikey Whiplash vs Sam Bailey and Bubblegum
Mad Man Manson apparently had car troubles and couldn’t make it, so Bubblegum was picked as his replacement as punishment for his recent behaviour. Cue ten or so minutes of utter insanity as the four proceeded to reassure every straight man in the audience about their sexuality. Would it have been better if Manson had been there? More than likely, but it was a highly entertaining match nonetheless. Rayne and Whiplash got the win, with Rayne turning on Whiplash post-match.

Match 7 - Akira Tozawa vs El Ligero
Oh my. We were all fairly confident that these two would put on the match of the night, but Tozawa and Ligero stepped it up even further than expected, delivering what is already being discussed as the potential UK Match of the Year, and I’d be hard pressed to disagree with them. With a red-hot crowd lapping up every second of action, the two spent the best part of 25 minutes blowing the extremely low roof off the venue. Akira got plenty of his trademark moves in, including some brutal German suplexes, while Ligero showed why he’s not just one of the best wrestlers in the UK, but also the world. Finally, after more near-falls than my heart could handle, Ligero got the win with his springboard tornado DDT. Absolutely incredible.

Were you in attendance? What did you think? Feel free to email your opinions to lonelybitterman@gmail.com.

-Adrian

Lineup for "Chikarasaurus Rex: How to Hatch a Dinosaur"

Sat, 02 Jun 2012 13:26:41 +0100

Here is the final card for Chikara’s show “Chikarasaurus Rex: How to Hatch a Dinosaur”, which takes place tonight at 7PM Eastern (midnight in the UK) at the Trocadero in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and will be streaming live from gfl.tv for $14.99 (roughly £10):

10-man Tag Match: Eddie Kingston, Jigsaw and The Colony (Fire Ant, Soldier Ant and Green Ant) vs 17, The Shard and The Swarm (assailANT, deviANT and combatANT)

Mask vs Hair Match: Hallowicked vs Tim Donst

Campeonatos de Parejas, 2 out of 3 Falls Match: Chuck Taylor and Johnny Gargano vs The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson)

Ladder Match: Gran Akuma vs Icarus (with Gregory Iron as special guest referee)

3-on-2 Handicap Match: The Batiri (Kobald, Kodama and Obariyon) vs Sara Del Rey and Saturyne

Ultramantis Black vs Ophidian

Loser Leaves Town Tag Match: Team Tapoutback Steakhouse (Colt Cabana and Mixed Martial Archie) vs The Throwbacks (Dasher Hatfield and Mark Angelosetti w/Veronica)

Thoughts: Great name, great poster, great card. This should be a superb show. It’s a shame the Grand Championship isn’t being defended (largely because Kingston does nothing for me as champ and the sooner he drops it the better in my eyes) but if there’s one thing Chikara know how to do better than most promotions, it’s telling a damn good story and we’ve got some fantastic ones here tonight.

Depending on what time I get home from the PCW show tonight, how tired I am and how much money I have, I may cover this show live. Regardless of that, I’ll have results up in the morning. If you attend the show and want to send us a live report, feel free to email it in!

-Adrian

Lineup for PCW "Guild Wars"

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 20:10:00 +0100

Here’s the lineup for Preston City Wrestling’s forthcoming show “Guild Wars”, which takes place tomorrow (June 2nd) at the Lava Ignite Club in Preston:

Preston City Wrestling Championship: T-Bone (c) v Bubblegum

Akira Tozawa v El Ligero

Kris Travis v Dave Mastiff

Tag Team Bra and Panties Match: Disco Madness v Dave Rayne & Mikey Whiplash

Rockstar Spud v Martin Kirby

6 Man Bar Room Brawl: The MOB v JD Sassoon & ? & ?

Rene Dupree v Max Angelus

Thoughts: I can’t wait for this. Tozawa is easily one of the best wrestlers in the world, and Ligero should be a fantastic opponent for him. As far as the rest of the card goes, I don’t think there’s ever been an all-male Bra and Panties match, so that should certainly be…interesting. I don’t remember much of Dupree in WWE, so this should be a good opportunity to see how good he is. The other matches all look great too.

I will be in attendance at this show, and I’ll have a live report up on Sunday. If you’re going, feel free to come and say hi!

-Adrian

Current card for ROH "Best in the World"

Wed, 30 May 2012 23:10:00 +0100

Here is the card so far for Ring of Honor’s “Best in the World” show, which is taking place at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, and will air live on IPPV on the 24th of June:

Special Challenge Match: Finlay vs Michael Elgin (w/Truth Martini)

3-Way Elimination Match for the ROH World TV Championship: Roderick Strong (c) vs Jay Lethal vs Tomasso Ciampa

Eddie Edwards vs Homicide

Adam Cole vs Kyle O’Reilly

Thoughts: So far so good. A lot of dirt sheets are reporting a Steen/Richards rematch and it’s pretty obvious that that’s going to happen here, but I can’t find anything official about it so I’ve omitted it for now. On that subject, they should probably change the poster really. Also, ROH appear to have added the tagline “HOSTAGE CRISIS” to the show’s name. Come on guys.

-Adrian

Scottish Wrestling this weekend

Wed, 30 May 2012 22:20:41 +0100

Thanks to our Scottish wrestling correspondent Ciaran O’Donnell for sending in the following information about three big shows in Scotland this weekend. (This was sent to me on Monday, but I’ve only gotten round to checking it today due to exams, so I’ve updated lineups where necessary.)

British Championship Wrestling returns to East Kilbride on Friday June 1st for a major show running from the Ballerup Hall. Tickets are on sale for £10 and £30 for a family of four with doors at 18:00.

BCW Heavyweight Title - Lionheart vs Noam Dar

BCW Tag Team Titles - T2K vs Jack Jester and Switch

BCW Openweight Title - Andy Wild vs Bad Bones

CJ Banks vs BT Gunn

Kid Fite vs Joey Hayes

Blaze N’ Rampage vs Liam Thomson and Scott Maverick

Premier British Wrestling is live in Dumbarton on Saturday June 2nd from Dumbarton Burgh Hall with tickets on sale for £12 for an adult and £10 for a child ticket and doors will open at 19:00.

PBW Heavyweight Championship - BT Gunn defends against Bad Bones

‘Unstoppable’ Andy Wild vs CJ Banks

Noam Dar vs Scott Maverick

The Models vs Blaze & Rampage

Lionheart vs TJ Rage w/ Charles Boddington

Stevie Xavier vs Liam Thompson w/ Carmel

Insane Championship Wrestling presents In Your Gaff from the Classic Grand in Glasgow on Sunday June 3rd. Tickets are still on sale from Insanewrestling.co.uk and from the Bay and Solid Rock in Glasgow for £10 for a 19:00 bell time and access to the After Show Rave Party. The show is going to be taped for TV on My Channel.

ICW Heavyweight Championship Match - BT Gunn defends against Lionheart

ICW Zero G Championship Fatal Four Way Match - Noam Dar defends against Andy Wild, Joe Coffey and Mark Coffey

ICW Tag Team Championship Tournament Quarter Final Match - The Bucky Boys (Stevie Boy & Davey Boy) w/ The Wee Man & Lambrini vs Team 2K (James Scott & Wolfgang)

ICW Tag Team Championship Tournament Quarter Final Match - The S.T.I (Dickie Divers & William Grange) w/ Sara vs The Models

Grudge Match - Chris Renfrew vs Johnny Starr w/ James R Kennedy & Mr A Lister

Bad Bones Vs Mikey Whiplash w/ Lolita & The Pretty Little Things (Kay Lee Ray & Carmel)

Jack Jester Vs CJ Banks