I haven’t seen a squash match of this variety since Met and Potatoes graced the USWA! Upon first seeing Ryan Kidd I was surprised because I had no idea that Jay Baruchel had a wrestling career. On closer look I noticed that it wasn’t the Undeclared actor at all, but rather some guy who looks about 13 and has the muscles to match. Then out comes Terex. If you look close (not too close!) you can see that he has some muscles on his back and his standing moonsaults are impressive. Still, having a gut like that just can’t be healthy. Here are some other general impressions:
*This encounter took place in New Wave Pro Wrestling. Unfortunately, A Flock of Seagulls never appeared in the promotion. On the plus side Adam Ant never held the NWPW Heavyweight Championship.
*You can see Santa Claus on his off season in the audience.
*I love the look that Kidd gives Terex to start the match!
*The ref should have checked under Terex’s tummy. He could fit Crowbar under there. No that isn’t an incorrect capitalization, I mean Devon Storm could actually fit under Terex’s belly!
*The match in general makes me wonder if Mikey Whipwreck influenced indy jobbers the same way Robin Williams influenced teachers in Dead Poets Society…for better or worse.
Outside of Dave Melter’s 5 star rated matches this may be one of the funnest matches to watch that I’ve posted in a while. In it Jonathan Gresham and Mark Angel put on a fantastic match that draws from the old days of wrestling (and by old think 1960s or older). The two do use the ropes a little bit to bounce off of, but the majority of the match is pure mat wrestling.
The commentator, Denver Colorado sets expectations high by indirectly comparing Gresham to Bryan Danielson. Gresham does his best to live up to this by immediately putting Angel in a headscissors. Other fun spots by Gresham include him twisting Angel’s foot in an unnatural way and also hitting Angel’s elbow so it looks like he could pop it out. Angel is no slouch either and gets in a nice looking variation of the Texas cloverleaf. Although Angel does hit something close to a sourspot (you know that move in a match that derails the action). He does this by doing a flippy standing moonsault maneuver that makes little if any sense, but things are soon set back on course.
Here is match from a couple of years ago that Allysin Kay posted on her YouTube page. The match took place in Cleveland All Pro Wrestling in front of what looks like a handful of fans. Still, the two managed to get the crowd fired up!
The reason I mentioned that this video came from Kay’s page is that it might strike some as odd given that the fans are cheering for Jessicka Havok and Havok gets in most of the offense. Yet, just as with classics like Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat where the heel appears to be doing less, but is actually the more significant wrestler in the match the same can be said for this roughly five minute bout shot on a crappy handheld. Kay controls the pace whether through leaving the ring, choking Havok with the ropes or just selling like crazy!
If you’ve never seen “Dr. Death” Steve Williams’ work in Japan then do yourself a favor and watch this match. Heck, even if you’ve seen it before watch it! It is just that good and there is a reason Dave Meltzer has only awarded 5 star ratings to his wrestling in Japan.
Williams and Kenta Kobashi lock up and twirl into three corners of the ring and before long the two are slapping each other. I know an odd way to start a 5 star match, right? Then Williams hits a sick spinebuster and the action truly begins!
Kenta first takes real control of the match by getting in a German suplex, clotheslining Williams to the outside and DDTing him on the floor. Williams isn’t laid out for long so Kenta goes to the top and hits him with a crossbody to the outside.
Following more punishment by Kenta, Dr. Death gets the match going in his favor when a chopfest wakes him up and he gorilla press slams Kenta to the outside like a maniac. I’m sure Kenta would’ve preferred to have this reaction from another 5 star match he had instead:
GIF By El Pollo Guerrera of the FAN Forum.
On the floor Dr. Death hits Kobashi with an elbow then slams him into the ring post before throwing him back in. Inside Dr. Death whips out a beautiful brainbuster and a double underhook suplex for a two count.
During Williams’ assault Kenta gets some shots in until eventually the two are smacking each other in the face. Kenta smacks harder and gets Williams back outside where he stands on the guardrail and DDTs Williams on the bare cement. Kenta tries to finish Williams off by running at him, but Williams catches him and slams him to the floor.
The battle continues in the ring and Williams quickly finds himself in a pickle when Kenta locks on a sleeper hold. Dr. Death gets to the ropes and soon enough the two are up top trying to throw each other off. Kenta succeeds with a superplex, but only gets a two count and a crazy looking DDT gets another two count. A series of running leg drops channeling the power of Hulkamania followed by a German suplex also gets two for Kenta.
Kobashi has had enough and slams Dr. Death then lands a picture perfect moonsault…for two. Kenta attempts another, but Dr. Death puts his knees up and tackles Kenta as soon as he gets to his feet. Williams attempts a Doctor Bomb, but hits it wrong and Kenta scores another two count followed by a lariat for two. Dr. Death hits his Oklahoma Stampede for two followed by a lariat of his own for two. Kenta attempts a schoolboy and gets…you guessed it, a two count! Dr. Death sends Kobashi down for another two count and the action finally stops when Dr. Deaths hits two belly-to-back suplexes for the three count.
Here’s a match from four years ago with two guys who are a lot more well known now than they were in 2008 in Championship Wrestling Experience. They should have improved a lot too since that time.
On the plus side I enjoy how the commentators play up the different styles of Shiima Xion and Johnny Gargano with Xion being praised for his speed and Gargano’s technical skills being trumpeted. Also, a refreshing thing about this match is that either wrestler could convincingly win. On the negative side the match is indyrrific at times with a lot of impressive moves being done and no psychology behind them. Also, Larry Sweeney is missing, which is never a good thing. Although we do have M-Dogg 20, pre-Steve Austin attempting to scare his personality to the surface on commentary.
This bout presented by NWA ProSouth Wrestling features four rising stars battling it out for supremacy in a steel cage. Robi Vio is the last to enter and goes right after Chip Day. Day gets Vio in a corner and within moments it is a total chopfest! Day starts by chopping Vio, but Vio soon reverses spots and really lets loose. It is Vio’s only triumph as he quickly gets eliminated. Day last a lot longer, but he is next to go.
The bigger guys, Drew Scott and Thirteen are left. Oddly enough while it is a cage match no one really uses the cage until close to the end when some heads start hitting the sides. Actually it is just one head, but it is bashed off of the unforgiving steel multiple times. Who’s head is it and who wins? Well, you’ll have to watch the clip to find out.
Unless you don’t follow independent wrestling at all then you’re probably aware that Michael Elgin has been tearing things up this year. Most notably he earned Ring of Honor their first five star match in five years from Dave Meltzer in a bout with Davey Richards. Here is a more low key match though.
Scotty O’Shea is no slacker either and I love the Hacker gimmick. Thinking about it I’m surprised there hasn’t been an Anonymous gimmick in wrestling. You know a really obvious one with a Guy Fawkes’ mask on and everything. Anyway, Elgin makes short work of O’Shea despite getting a field goal kick to the noggin. Elgin fights back after some early dominance from O’Shea and powerbombs Hacker into the corner and then finishes him off with a spinning sit-out powerbomb.
This isn’t from Brooks’ most recent post-TNA career, but took place in 2011 so it is fairly recent. Brooks cuts a promo to pump up the audience, but is blindsided by Christina Von Eerie. Christina already had about five years of experience in the business at this point and shows it. She might look like Shannon Moore, but for her sake hopefully her career is a bit more fruitful.
The two take it the outside and Christina plays up her heel role. There is also a ton of trash talk between the two. You’d think Brooks was back in the TNA Knockout’s locker room yelling at Gail Kim and Velvet Sky. The match ends when Brooks picks up the win after using her chest for a clothesline.
Uhaa Nation is in that rare category, which also includes guys like John Morrison, Austin Aries and Kid Kash of competitors with beyond decent builds who can pull off some great high flying maneuvers.
In this match Uhaa is caught off guard with a running dropkick by Aaron Epic. Epic then pounces all over him until Uhaa gets in his first offensive attempt with a simple push. Uhaa soon gets in a scissor kick, which Epic cartoonishly sells. The best move of the match is Uhaa managing a standing moonsault. Yet, the best part of the clip is the end and the aftermath where Uhaa complained he lost because, “he kicked me dead in the nuts.”
I have a mixed bag of impressions about this match:
*I love that there is a commentator going by the name Denver Colorado. Actually, it would be a swell nickname for any kind of wrestling personality. Still, I get the impression that this guy is sinking all his money into Beyond Wrestling.
*Boy is that a cruddy looking ring. The silver lining to how craptastic the ring looks at least it shows people that wrestlers are not just bouncing around on a trampoline. However, only the severely uninformed or young children still believe that. Neither look to be in the audience.
*Speaking of the audience at least there is a good vibe going on. Unfortunately, all of them look to be wrestlers without any actually paying fans. On the contrary most if not all of them were probably paid to be there. Player Uno, Player Dos/Stupefied, Joe Gacy and Ryan Slater should have their share of fans, but they need to come out.
*Ryan Slater could learn a lesson from his distant cousin (I’m guessing) Heath Slater about selling. Come to think of it all four could. A lot of the maneuvers are phenomenal, but when every other move looks like a finisher and most aren’t sold like one, it really devalues the action.
